Wrestlemania weekend is an iconic event for the WWE. But the confluence of thousands of wrestling fans into the same city creates a massive opportunity for other promotions as well.
Some of the biggest names on the independent wrestling scene will be in action in the Los Angeles area this week, many working multiple shows in hopes of boosting their profiles to new heights in front of rabid crowds. Thanks to the proliferation of streaming services, many those matches will be broadcast online through platforms like Fite.tv and Highspots. Even if you’re not in southern California, you can watch roughly 40 hours of live wrestling this weekend which is … a lot.
In that spirit, I’ve sorted through the dozen events with the biggest names worth checking out if two nights of Wrestlemania isn’t enough for you. Behold: all the wonders of Wrestlemania weekend’s independent scene.
1
GCW Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 9
When: March 30, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Ukrainian Cultural Center
How to watch: Fite+
Former UFC champion Barnett’s MMA-themed promotion has been a staple of Wrestlemania weekends, giving fans interested in hard hitting action — but not deathmatches — a breath of fresh air. The 2023 card is loaded with recognizable names, even for casual fans. The biggest matches include:
- Jeff Cobb vs. Calder McColl
- Jon Moxley vs. Alex Coughlin
- Josh Barnett vs. Timothy Thatcher
- Kota Ibushi vs. Mike Bailey
- Marina Shafir vs. Killer Kelly
- Royce Isaacs vs. Johnny Bloodsport
Match to watch: Anything Moxley related is always a must-see, but Marina Shafir vs. Killer Kelly should be a perfect showcase for Shafir. The former MMA fighter is light on in-ring personality but heavy on “I’m going to murder you” vibes. Kelly is a hard hitter in her own right, and this showcase should help raise the profile for each wrestler.
2
Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow
When: March 30, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Globe Theatre
How to watch: Highspots.tv
The main highlight of WrestleCon is the Hitchcock Memorial Show, named in honor of a former WrestleCon employee. The convention, which typically features some of the biggest veterans of the industry not signed to WWE Legends contracts for meet-and-greets and signings, typically features some of the highest-profile grapplers not signed to a major American promotion. 2023 is no different; highlights from this year’s card include:
- AAA Mega Championship match: El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Taurus vs. Komander
- Mike Bailey vs. Shigehiro Irie
- United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) vs. Time Machine (KUSHIDA, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley)
- a Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (TJPW) 10 Women Tag match
- Tom Lawlor and a yet-undetermined partner vs. KENTA and Bryan Keith
Match to watch: Don’t overthink it. There’s plenty of meat on this bone but the AAA Mega Championship bout between Hijo del Vikingo, Taurus and Komander is going to be ludicrous. Vikingo and Komander have each had recent turns starring in breakout roles on AEW Dynamite. Taurus is a beefy veteran base who can serve as foil to all their acrobatic moves and keep pace with some of his own. This one’s gonna rule.
3
Coast to Coast Wrestling: Genesis
When: March 30, 10 p.m. ET
Where: TeleAmerica Studios
How to watch: Uh…
I am genuinely unsure of what Coast to Coast Wrestling is, as googling returns a Facebook page that hasn’t been updated in three years, a handful of podcast options and a bunch of Shane McMahon videos. Welp, nothing quite says indy wrestling like an appearance from Carlito or Gangrel.
- Gangrel vs. Matthew Justice
- Freya The Slaya vs. KiLynn King
- QT Marshall vs. Cha Cha Charlie
- CCW World Heavyweight Championship: Ariel Levy vs. Carlito
Match to watch: QT Marshall, despite never looking ready for primetime, always delivers — especially as an overconfident doofus of a heel. But KiLynn King vs. Freya the Slaya should come through in spades. King has quietly grown into a killer and Freya, also billed at 6-foot-1, has all the chops to make this a hoss fight between two beefy women.
4
DDT Goes Hollywood
When: March 30, 11 p.m. ET
Where: Ukrainian Cultural Center
How to watch: Fite+
DDT is a silly place that blends brutal violence with pro wrestling nonsense and, for the most part, pulls it off. The Japanese promotion works the country’s traditional puroresu style into parody and intentional absurdity to create a product that’s not quite for everyone but eminently memeable across the social media landscape. Highlights from their first event of Wrestlemania weekend include:
- Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yuki Ueno
- Jun Akiyama and Eddie Kingston vs. Daisuke Sasaki and KANON
- Tetsuya Endo vs. Joey Janela
- Pheromones (Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno and Yuki “Sexy” Iino) vs. Sanshiro Takagi and Michael Nakazawa
Match to watch: It didn’t make notables list, but Shunma Katsumata & MAO vs. Chris Brookes & Yoshihiko features a former DDT Universal Champion with the promotion’s 17-time Heavymetalweight Champion … who is also an inflatable sex doll. DDT: not for everyone.
5
NJPW & IMPACT: Multiverse United: Only The STRONG Survive
When: March 30, 11 p.m. ET
Where: Globe Theatre
How to watch: Fite+
IMPACT continues to thrive in its post-TNA phase. Now it gets its own Forbidden Door. This crossover event with New Japan Pro Wrestling promises a handful of dream matchups and a smorgasbord of styles. There’s something for everyone here in what could sneakily be the best event of the weekend — Wrestlemania included.
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Mike Bailey
- Moose vs. Jeff Cobb
- X Division Championship: Trey Miguel vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Rich Swann vs. Kevin Knight vs. Clark Connors vs. Rocky Romero
- STRONG Openweight Championship: KENTA vs. Minoru Suzuki
- IMPACT Tag Team Championship: BULLET CLUB (Ace Austin and Chris Bey)vs. Aussie Open (Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) vs. TMDK (Shane Haste and Bad Dude Tito) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)
- Masha Slamovich vs. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Gisele Shaw vs. Miyu Yamashita
Match to watch: Tanahashi vs. Bailey is going to be a frenetic ball of energy trying to chop down a colossus. Moose vs. Cobb is going to be the epitome of big meaty men slappin’ meat. The two four-ways are going to be kinetic magic with little room to breathe.
But, god help me, few things in this world make me happier than some good-hearted Joe Hendry dorkery. Fred Rosser, Alex Coughlin, Sami Callihan and PCO vs. Eddie Edwards, Joe Hendry, Tom Lawlor and J.R. Kratos, you’re up.
6
GCW For The Culture
When: March 31, 3 a.m. ET
Where: Ukrainian Cultural Center
How to watch: Fite+
Game Changer Wrestling has emerged as an invaluable piece of the independent wrestling scene. Their fingerprints are all over this year’s Wrestlemania weekend schedule. This is arguably one of their lower profile cards — but hey! 2 Cold Scorpio!
- 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Bryan Keith
- West Coast (Kenny King, G Sharpe, Mazzerati, Alpha Zo, Midas Kreed) vs. The World (Suge D, AC Mack, Joseline Navarro, Lucky Ali, Jeffrey John)
- Anything Goes: Billy Dixon vs. Willie Mack
- Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling Championship: Trish Adora vs. Calvin Tankman
Match to watch: 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Bryan Keith. Yeah, it was never going to be anything else. Scorpio is 57 years old and still dotting his matches with flippy nonsense. He’s great.
7
Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling: Live in Los Angeles
When: 3 p.m. ET
Where: Globe Theatre
How to watch: Fite+
TJPW and Stardom are Japan’s leading women’s wrestling promotions. Both are loaded with talent, and to my imprecise eye TJPW seems like the one that takes itself less seriously. That’s not a bad thing as it gave us Maki Itoh, who hates everyone including herself. She’s great. Matches Friday include:
- Magical Sugar Rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki and Mizuki) vs. 121000000 (Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh)
- Shoko Nakajima and Miu Watanabe vs. Wasteland War Party (Max The Impaler and Heidi Howitzer)
- Hyper Misao and Trish Adora vs. Yuki Aino and Raku
- Free WiFi (Hikari Noa and Nao Kakuta) vs. Daisy Monkey (Suzume and Arisu Endo)
- International Princess Championship: Rika Tatsumi vs. Billie Starkz
Match to watch: Shoko Nakajima is 4-foot-10. Miu Watanabe is 5-foot-3. Max the Impaler and Heidi Howitzer are much, much bigger. Shoko Nakajima and Miu Watanabe vs. Wasteland War Party is gonna tell a story and I’m extremely interested in seeing how it turns out, particularly if Max launches Nakajima into low earth orbit.
8
DDT vs. GCW
When: March 31, 6 p.m. ET
Where: Ukrainian Cultural Center
How to watch: Fite+
Another crossover event filled with … well, maybe not traditional dream matches, but a bunch of fights that should be fun as hell. Jun Akiyama and Homicide together is gonna be … good? Weird? Probably weird. Anyway, it’ll be entertaining. Matches include:
- MAO and Mike Bailey vs. Nick Wayne and Jordan Oliver
- Bussy (Allie Katch and Effy) vs. Pheromones (Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno and Yuki “Sexy” Iino)
- Tony Deppen and Homicide vs. Jun Akiyama and Tetsuya Endo
- Cole Radrick vs. Yoshihiko
- Joey Janela vs. Yuki Ueno
- Second Gear Crew (1 Called Manders, Matthew Justice and Mance Warner) vs. Chris Brookes, Shunma Katsumata and Mizuki Watase
Match to watch: Bussy vs. Pheromones. An intergender tag match that’s going to be completely nuts. Prepare to see more of Dandy’s butt than you ever wanted. Or maybe that’s your jam, no judgment here.
9
Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor
When: March 31, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Galen Center
How to watch: Fite+, Bleacher Report
Ring of Honor was once the second-biggest American promotion, but AEW surpassed it while draining its roster of some big names. The pandemic nearly dismantled the company as a whole, but now AEW president Tony Khan owns it and is bringing it back as a complementary piece to his primary institution. Second billing or not, this card is pretty great.
- ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston
- ROH TV Championship: Samoa Joe vs. Mark Briscoe
- Reach for the Sky Ladder Match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship: Lucha Brothers (Penta el Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) vs. The Kingdom (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven) vs. Aussie Open (Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) vs. Dralistico and RUSH vs. Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin)
- ROH Women’s Championship: Athena vs. Yuka Sakazaki
- AAA Mega Championship: Hijo del Vikingo vs. Komander
Match to watch: The Reach for the Sky Ladder Match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship features some of the best tag teams in the sport and a beautiful combinations of high flyers and beefy dudes they can flip off of. It definitely seems like there’s room for one more team in that lineup as well. Hmmm.
10
Prestige Wrestling: Nervous Breakdown
When: March 31, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Globe Theatre
How to watch: HighspotsTV
Prestige is going big for Wrestlecon this year, luring bigger names like Taya Valkrie, Masha Slamovich, Aja Kong (!) and Ultimo Dragon (!!!) to this year’s WM weekend showcase. The Pacific Northwest-based promotion’s lineup includes:
- Miyu Yamashita vs. Taya Valkyrie
- Masha Slamovich vs. Aja Kong
- Ultimo Dragon & Time Splitters (KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley) vs. Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor, Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs)
- LA Dojo (Clark Connors, Yuya Uemura and Kevin Knight) vs. C420 (Cody Chhun, Guillermo Rosas and Sonico)
- Aussie Horse (WARHORSE and Adam Brooks) vs. Midnight Heat (Ricky Gibson and Eddie Pearl)
Match to watch: I’m not one to downplay Aja Kong smashing someone into hamburger meat, but Ultimo Dragon & Time Splitters (KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley) vs. Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor, Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs) is a wild mix of experience and styles between a bunch of veterans capable of spinning it into something wonderful.
11
GCW Joey Janela’s Spring Break 7
When: March 31, 11 p.m. ET
Where: Ukrainian Cultural Center
How to watch: Fite+
Janela willed himself into existence through his ability to absorb abuse and book his eponymous Spring Break shows. Few weekend indy shows have generated the kind of consistent buzz Janela’s have. This year’s card promises more of the same — for better or worse.
- Hijo del Vikingo vs. Mike Bailey
- GCW World Tag Team Championship: Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) vs. East West Express (Nick Wayne and Jordan Oliver)
- Kota Ibushi vs. Joey Janela
- Maki Death Kill (Maki Itoh and Nick Gage) vs. BUSSY (Effy and Allie Katch)
Match to watch: As much as I’m intrigued by pairing hate machine Itoh with actual criminal Gage (and the weird violence it will generate), Hijo del Vikingo vs. Mike Bailey is gonna be wild. Expect several moments where you quietly exclaim “what the [expletive]?” to no one in particular.
12
GCW Effy’s Big Gay Brunch 6: LA
When: April 1, 2 p.m. ET
Where: Ukrainian Cultural Center
How to watch: Fite+
Effy’s Big Gay Brunch is a tentpole event that proves wrestling is for everyone. This is more than just a showcase of LGBTQIA+ talent — it’s a bunch of performers who can thoroughly go in the ring. There’s a wide range of styles on display Saturday morning; you’ll find something you like.
- Ashton Starr, B3CCA, Rico Gonzalez, Aaron Rourke, Dillon McQueen vs. Da Shad, Abigail Warren, Anton Voorhees, Fabuloso Fabricio, Marco Mayur
- Kidd Bandit vs. Sawyer Wreck
- Carlos Romo vs. Devon Monroe
- Sandra Moone vs. Steph De Lander
- Fred Rosser vs. Karam
- Jai Vidal vs. Honest Jon vs. Keita Murray vs. AC Mack
- Vipress vs. Max The Impaler
Match to watch: Kidd Bandit vs. Sawyer Wreck. Bandit wrestles in Street Fighter combos and Wreck is a 6-foot-2 deathmatch monster on her way up. It’s gonna be wild.
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