How House of Glory has cemented its spot at the forefront of independent wrestling

Mustafa Ali has been on an almost unstoppable roll since departing WWE in September 2023 and subsequently returning to the independent scene for the first time in over six years.

He's taken his talents all around the world and competed for countless companies, but over WWE WrestleMania 40 weekend, he has the chance to have one of his best bouts yet in what many might consider a "dream match" with the incomparable Amazing Red.

The sold-out super-show, emanating from Philadelphia's Trinity Center for Urban Life on Friday, April 5 at 3 p.m., will be hosted by Wrestling Revolver and House of Glory, two of the top independent promotions in the northeast of the United States.

House of Glory has earned a reputation for producing some of the strongest indie shows of any kind in recent years thanks to its stacked roster, intimate atmosphere and spotless track record when it comes to giving fans what they want to see.

The joint event with the Sami Callihan-run Wrestling Revolver will mark House of Glory's Philly debut. Prior to this point, they've exclusively run shows at the NYC Arena in Queens, NY and have culminated a can't-miss vibe among their audience.

In addition to Ali vs. Red, familiar faces such as Alex Shelley, Santana and The Rascalz are also advertised to appear and mix it up with HOG's current crop of promising prospects.

HOG commissioner and commentator Jason Solomon, best known to wrestling fans for his long-running Solomonster Sounds Off podcast, believes that branching out of Queens and partnering with Wrestling Revolver for WrestleMania weekend was merely the next step in the growth of the company.

"I think it's important to have a mix of new, young talent who are in the midst of being trained and starting their journey but also established talent that you can draw people in and frankly put together some of the best matches you possibly can," he said.

HOG routinely welcomes some of the biggest names from AEW, TNA, and MLW with The Lucha Brothers, Matt Cardona, and Jacob Fatu being recent examples. Matching them up with the present and future of HOG is "done by design" according to Solomon as it only benefits the homegrown stars to work with seasoned veterans.

Ali vs. Red, which is virtually guaranteed to be a "banger," is a small taste of the exceptional action fans can expect out of HOG and is part of what makes them the ultimate destination for fans and wrestlers alike.

"It comes down to putting together the attractions and matches people want to see," said Solomon. "That's really what it boils down to when you're an independent promotion: you got to sell tickets. These independent promotions don't have these guaranteed multi-billion dollar media rights deals, so it's kind of old school. You have to put together cards people want to see, and thankfully, a lot of our shows, especially recent shows, the building is packed. If you've ever been to a House of Glory show where it's packed, it just has a different vibe to it.”

Solomon is going on six years with HOG, revealing that he was originally invited to do a special pre-show in the summer of 2018 before ending up behind the announcers' booth. He did commentary for an Austin Aries open challenge, excelled, and immediately jumped at the opportunity to do it on a full-time basis.

Many of the more notable names that HOG brings in are regulars because they prioritize working with House of Glory. Not only is the energy inside of the arena for every one of their shows palpable, but it's clear that the up-and-coming likes of The Mane Event, KC Navarro, and Encore are destined for greatness.

"You see a lot of people repeating and coming back and there's a reason for that: They enjoy working in front of that crowd," Solomon said. "They enjoy working for the promotion. They know they're going to be taken care of when they come in and will be put with the right people and it just works. We've had other talent come in and say, without naming names, 'Look, let me know when you want me and I'll work it into my schedule. I love working in front of these people and in this venue.'"

Every indie promotion has its fair share of killer matches, but HOG's ability to tap into the storyline side of things is another one of their best attributes. This includes filming cinematic promos to announce matches and generate buzz and interest in upcoming events.

House of Glory is very much the complete package of what all independent promotions should aspire to be, ensuring its spot at the forefront of the scene is undeniable.

"I think the cinematic stuff is one of the coolest things that we've done the last few years," Solomon said. "I've been a part of the filming for some of those. I was in a couple of them and just to watch the process and take direction with whatever's needed... it's a lot of work. We have some very talented people involved in putting that together, but I think it separates House of Glory apart from almost any independent promotion out there.”

House of Glory x Wrestling Revolver airs live on TrillerTV+ this Friday, April 5 at 3 p.m. ET.