With NXT pushing out star after star at a breakneck tempo, it certainly can’t be said that there is a shortage of bright young stars entering the squared circle. Even AEW and Impact are doling out their share of rising new talent. It certainly is an exciting time to be a wrestling fan who’s ready for a new face. But what of the independent circuit? Are there any young stars out there worthy of your attention? I’d say “Hell Yeah,” to quote the incomparable Steve Austin. So here are 5 Indy Wrestlers to keep your eyes on.
Many would definitely feel that having stars come out of the same machine, if you will, the talent seems to mesh together in one style. Many feel that this is certainly the case for those young wrestlers coming out of NXT. But when looking at developmental territories of the past, couldn’t the same be said?
Cena, Orton, Batista came out of Ohio Valey Wrestling, but yet they had their own respective traits that made them very different overall.
And yes, there are those that would argue that there are massive differences between the stars on NXT and I would agree, but when looking at match speed, delivery, storytelling, the matches kind of do mesh into each other a tad, reflecting the overall NXT style. But hey, I digress.
In the end, I feel and have always felt that the independent circuit is much more important than developmental. There was a time when there was no such thing as developmental…wrestlers went to a wrestling school, learned their trade and they hit the long hard road where they made twenty bucks a night if they were lucky.
This of course still goes on, and the wrestlers on this list certainly know quite a bit about all of that.
Sonny Solay
From Ontario, Canada, specifically Kitchener, this gentleman has been wrestling for a while, but his ring entrance and in-ring arsenal is certainly something to behold. I urge you to look for his matches online…they’re certainly out there and easy to find.
You should be plenty surprised and no doubt agree that he could certainly shine on a bigger stage. He is working as a freelancer on the independent circuit, getting paid as he goes from promotion to promotion. Pay close attention to the work he’s done in IWS.
Franky The Mobster
This gentleman certainly fits in the “what could have been” category, as his class is already in WWE and are prominent members of the roster. Of course I’m speaking of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens—products of the Montreal Wrestling territory, specifically IWS…The International Wrestling Syndicate. If you know of this territory then you certainly know your stuff, as so many stars have spent time wrestling there, whether for one event or even an extended period of time making a name for themselves, like Zayn and Owens…then known as Kevin Steen (Owens) and El Generico (Zayn).
Franky The Mobster even had a WWE tryout, but did not make the cut unfortunately. He is responsible for some incredible bouts and memorable moments on the scene in Montreal. When a star like this doesn’t make the cut, it makes us wonder about the whole system.
He has wrestled for CZW, CCW, NCW and of course the aforementioned IWS.
And hey … “what could have been” can still “one day be” if he’s given a chance at a decent run, which I feel he more than deserves.
Solo Darling
She’s certainly been getting a lot of attention online, and to many of you who spend hours and hours poring over countless independent matches can tell me more about her than I could ever tell you. I certainly wanted to include her on this list as well, as she more than merits a run in the big leagues or at least the lower levels like NXT. I definitely see her facing the likes of Ember Moon and other members of that impressive roster.
Mike Marston
𝓬𝓪𝓼𝓮𝔂 𝓶𝓲𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓮𝓵 on Twitter:
Another young up –and-comer who’s talents are showcased over at IWS, Marston is showing promise in his conquest of the Canadian territory. I hope to certainly see more of him and I think a rise among the ranks is imminent. With shades of the Rougeau brothers in his delivery and in-ring presence I think he’s certainly one more to keep your eyes on.
From St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada, he’s also a freelancer. Check out his matches over at IWS… easily found on YouTube.
O’Shay Edwards
He’s been on the scene since 2015 and yeah he’s spent some time over at ROH. At 6’3 and 265 pounds, he definitely fits the bill. He has a following and having had that ROH experience, he’s probably a lot more recognisable to many of you, as ROH has a larger audience and has done an incredible job of acquiring that audience for themselves and their roster in their two decades of prominence.
O’Shay deserves to be among the men and women that have graduated from being in the same position he now finds himself in. It would be interesting to see how he handles that kind of schedule. I personally think he will do very well on that level.
A former firefighter and football player for the University of West Georgia.
Again … with a selection of 5 wrestlers, I’m merely scratching the surface. Moving forward I’d like to further profile rising stars from the independent circuit and do more articles like this, hopefully shining a light on some pretty great wrestlers working their way up the proverbial ladder in the wrestling business. So if there’s someone you’d like to see on a list like this, you know what to do.
‘Till next time, folks.
