In a wrestling landscape that is burdened with a tit-for-tat war between the two major American TV promotions, counter-programming, attempts at global expansion, soaring ticket prices and morally bankrupt decisions being made by those at the top of the game, it has never been more important to support independent wrestling.

This piece isn’t intended to be inherently anti-WWE. For the majority of people across the globe, be it talent, fans or the general public, WWE is the be-all and end-all of professional wrestling.

It’s the reason why so many of us either start to watch wrestling, to continue to follow it throughout our lives and for some, to even get involved within the industry. If the way WWE presents wrestling is what you like, that’s what you like.

I’m not going to look down on anyone that is anti-WWE, either. Taking away the on-screen product from the conversation, it wouldn’t be difficult to understand why someone would find themselves in opposition to the industry leader.

The recent return of Brock Lesnar, a man named 44 times in a sexual abuse and trafficking lawsuit that includes the company at large, has seemingly been the straw that broke the camel’s back with many fans. Their continued relationship with Saudi Arabia has also been a turn-off for some, but maybe not quite as drastically as was first thought.

Closer to home, the damage that was done to the British Wrestling scene in the wake of NXT UK and the potential damage that could come with the mooted launch of NXT Europe will concern hardcore BritWres fans, with a swathe of signings expected over the coming months.

You can absolutely point to the effects that Speaking Out and the Covid pandemic had on British Wrestling. and it’d be dishonest to disregard those factors. NXT UK DID also create new fans of British Wrestling, it’s evident whenever Trent Seven or the Grizzled Young Vets are on a show.

Nobody should be begrudged for signing with WWE, as stated earlier for many it is the pinnacle, and for 99% of Western wrestlers was the reason they first started to dream of becoming a wrestler. It is the way of the world and part of the independent wrestling journey, which we’ll come to later.

However, ring-fencing a generation of talent, some of whom were also considered to be the best trainers on these shores, in one fell swoop did cause more harm than good. While the scene is closer to the days of multiple events attracting thousands of people a year again than to the doldrums, any major promotion doing something similar will knock that on its arse.

Even if none of those issues concern you or you’re able to compartmentalise them,the prices they charge for live events are obscene. That’s no surprise given TKO has got to a point where UFC events at the 02- when the UK have some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts – don’t sell out because of how expensive tickets are.

This piece isn’t pro-AEW, for that matter. While that’s the major TV company that best fits my personal preferences out of the two, they are not without fault.

The very creation of All Elite Wrestling vacumed up the red-hot alternative wrestling scene and popped it onto TV in a little bow and you can view that however you deem fit.

They have been in bed with a number of individuals that have their own disgusting allegations hanging over them including Ric Flair, Chris Jericho and Darby Allin.

They are also guilty of charging obscene prices. While you can now get more affordable tickets to both the Dynamite taping in Glasgow and Forbidden Door, they opted into dynamic pricing which inflated some tickets to triple and even quadruple the current going rate.

They are also part of the wrestling war. They are already making their own moves to create footholds in key markets and the UK is one of their most fertile grounds. The signing of Alex Windsor and the courting of Michael Oku and Amira show they’re now shopping direct at source rather than waiting for a Will Ospreay or Jamie Hayter to become undeniable.

No, this isn’t pro or anti any major wrestling promotion. This is about independent wrestling.

*Before any Americans shout at me, this will have a large bias towards British Wrestling. That’s what I follow but the message remains the same – support your local independent wrestling scene.

While I could happily discuss what makes independent wrestling so fucking wonderful for hours, it can be boiled down to four key areas. The journey, the talent, the variety and the community.

There is no other form of sport, art or entertainment where you can watch someone’s journey from their first steps to reaching the mountaintop in such close proximity.

There are fans who have been able to watch Will Ospreay go from a skinny little dork in leisure centres, to a balcony diver at the Electric Ballroom, to York Hall headliner to IWGP Champion right through to coming out as a genuine superstar at Wembley Stadium.

We’ve watched The OJMO go from trainee to the standard bearer of British Wrestling as the man we know now as Michael Oku.

Leon Slater, who is still obnoxiously young, has gone from a fan to TNA X Division champion, cutting it up with the Hardy Boyz like so many of us dreamed of doing as kids.

The same can be said of Lyra Valkyria who was recently involved in a feature match at SummerSlam in front of a crowd of 50,000+, Callum Newman who is tearing up the G1 Climax or Alex Windsor after all she has been through stepping onto a worldwide stage on Dynamite.

You can see a veteran like Sha Samuels whose entire journey may be coming to a close on the same night that Zozaya gets his dream match against Zack Sabre Jr.

That same night Liam Slater, whose journey was once punctuated by the Venga Boys and has been less clear cut than others, will finally be given his due as a key component of one of the most anticipated matches on the biggest night of the British Wrestling calendar at the RevPro Anniversary show.

Man Like Dereiss and Amir Jordan possess a crowd connection that some TV stars can only dream of.

Connor Mills has grown from a stringy haired teenager to a hard-hitting killer who is eagerly waiting to burst onto the next level as a main event player.

Henry Faust, once a face in the crowd during the “boom period”, has just returned from his first tour of Japan and it won’t be his last.

The list is endless.

Being able to watch these people learn, fail, grow and succeed amplifies the investment that you have in them both as performers and human beings. You find yourself willing them on to great things, punching the air in delight when they get an opportunity and feeling gutted when something goes awry.

Chatting at merch tables and getting selfies aren’t my bag, but having that opportunity to have real, meaningful moments with people away from the bright lights and cattle market of an official meet and greet can only contribute to that personal investment as well.

Those journeys wouldn’t see us hitching onto a wrestler’s coattails, as if we’re right alongside them, without the talent and independent wrestling is where talent is born, nurtured and allowed to thrive.

At RevPro’s High Stakes event earlier this year, Michael Oku and Leon Slater competed in a match that epitomised where both are in their current journey.

There isn’t a better big match wrestler on the independent scene than Oku and no more exciting of a talent than Slater. It was a love letter to the man Michael Oku has become and the man that Leon Slater strives to be. On the same weekend as WrestleMania, that was the match I’ll remember in the years to come.

You’ve got Luke Jacobs, who brings the big fight feel to any interaction he has, whether as a prizefighter or part of the Young Guns tag team. Rhio is one of the best competitors in the world, someone who brings a level of gravitas and a guarantee of excellence to a card, no matter her opponent.

Fans of AEW/Mercedes Mone will now be accustomed to something British Wrestling fans have been aware of for some time now – Kanji is one of the best technical wrestlers in the world as well as being one of the most organically, genuinely likeable performers in wrestling.

Robbie X, win lose or draw, is more reliable than the Japanese rail system. The guy never has an “off day”.

Nobody embodies their character more on the independent scene than 1 Called Manders, the heavyweight cowboy straight out of central casting for an enforcer role on Yellowstone who could empty an entire pub with a single look. Maybe Manders isn’t a character after all.

Fittingly, given his longstanding rivalry with Manders, nobody convinces me that I’m about to witness an actual fight than Mad Dog Connelly, who has revolutionised the Dog Collar Match stipulation.

There’s the youth and unbridled potential of Leon Cage and Safire Reed, Emersyn Jayne’s ferocious commitment to violence and the powerhouse attributes of Jay Joshua who is fast becoming plenty of people’s favourite wrestler.

They’re just some of the prominent people who immediately spring to mind. Scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find countless other examples of talented performers plying their trade from the misty lands of Scotland, to the coastlines of Cleethorpes, the Welsh valleys, mainland Europe and North America.

The match that Lizzy Evo and Alexxis Falcon had for New Generation Wrestling (NGW) in front of 800+ fans in June was a stunning display of crowd work and knitting together their history together as a pairing.

On a red hot summer’s day, in a sweltering Hull City Hall, they masterfully commanded a crowd that could have been full of disinterested families struggling with the heat and unruly kids rabid for the end of term to follow them along every single beat, strike and pin attempt until Falcon clinched the hometown win to a thunderous reaction.

Brady Phillips, as True Grit Men’s Champion and Scotty Rawk, as BWR World Champion, were able to elevate both their respective championships and promotions through dastardly title reigns that were backed up by enthralling encounters.

Similar can be said of Adam Bolt as True Grit Pride Champion and Myles Kayman as NGW Champion, someone who can command a room better than wrestlers twice his age.

The way Kayman shattered the hearts of over a thousand fans, young and old, at NGW Destiny Rumble by ending the career of Matt Myers is one of the moments of the year regardless of promotion or geography.

There are physical specimens like Shreddy, a legitimate world class bodybuilder, the giant Kemper, LA Taylor, Love Island’s Adam Maxted and viral sensation Will Kroos the super heavyweight behemoth that can float like a butterfly and sting like a fucking pick-up truck.

If you’re a fan of tag team wrestling, that’s covered as well. Like with singles action, you have the headline acts like Young Guns, Violence Is Forever, CPF, Sunshine Machine, Cowboy Way and Mills and Joshua, the teams that everyone is familiar with if you tune in for the big RevPro, Deadlock Pro or Mania weekend shows.

In the UK, there’s a further collection of tag teams, who are thriving and helping to put tag team wrestling back to the forefront of consideration in the minds of fans and promoters.

Watch Meat Wagon and Yorkshire Tough, two “proper” old-school duos, duke it out and tell me tag team wrestling doesn’t matter.

Watch CrashBoat and Misery Business put on hard-hitting, high-flying bangers and tell me tag team wrestling doesn’t matter.

Watch the reaction when NashBoat overcame the odds to win the True Grit Tag Team Championships and tell me tag team wrestling doesn’t matter and I’ll tell you that you’re a liar.

The talent isn’t just on show between the ropes, either. There are people like @anttheeditor behind the camera to propel the action and compelling stories to new heights and @Elliottt93 whose graphics are instant attention grabbers in an era of doom scrolling and constant dopamine hits.

The scene is home to outstanding referees like Katie Crosby, Sandy Beeches, Scott Bell and Lee Thomas to name a few, Tom Campbell, Bobby Cash and Stevie Aaron who bring a professionalism and sense of spectacle to proceedings as ring announcers and individuals like Dave Bradshaw who works his socks off for multiple promotions in multiple roles.

That litany of talent hopefully puts across the wide variety of options that are available for fans to access on the independent scene in the UK alone.

Wrestling doesn’t have to be presented in one particular way nor do you have to like every style of wrestling presentation to be a wrestling fan. If one place doesn’t resonate with you, there are likely 3 more that will.

RevPro provide the top-drawer, best of the best action with a sports-based slant on proceedings, with regular almost weekly shows to sink your teeth into. EVE provides a platform for women’s wrestling beyond any comparison on the indies and makes the major companies look years behind.

There’s the wacky world of Riot Cabaret, the artsy presentation of Wrestling Resurgence or the old-school territory atmosphere of British Wrestling Revolution. You’ve got the last real bastion of punk rock pro wrestling combined with a night out at NORTH and the family-friendly supershows of NGW who arguably put on the best “big time” shows in the entire UK, with Jack Bandicoot a superhero to the children of Hull.

Grand Pro Wrestling (GPW) reign supreme for storytelling and although they only run a handful of times per year, their events are must-see. Futureshock holds major weight as a proving ground for the North West scene, having helped showcase the likes of Zack Gibson, James Drake, Sam Bailey, Lana Austin and Hollie Barlow.

The Deathmatch scene has never been more accessible and of such quality in the UK as it is now, with RISE, Bleeding Gums and TNT while ICW NHB make the journey over from America for an annual deathmatch weekender.

Catch Wrestling are keeping the legacy of Midweek Graps alive with Monday night shows while companies like Wrestling In Newcastle and Wrestle Island are doing their very best to keep wrestling affordable. WIN’s last show was £10 a head to see talent booked on promotions that charge triple that and Wrestle Island’s next event on August 31st is £11.55 w/booking fees or £27.80 for a family of 4 (£6.95 each).

It’s that variety, affordability and access that plays a big part in fostering the community that is the heartbeat of independent wrestling. True love has been found and life-long friendships made in York Hall, the 229, Anarchy Brew Co., the Cleethorpes Memorial Hall and all of the dingy little nightclubs that independent wrestling leads you to.

It’s a bizarre world, full of bizarre people and bizarre moments , where else would you see Tetsuya Naito in Wolverhampton or Hiroshi Tanahashi and Mercedes Mone in Doncaster? Why else would you have fond memories of Hindley, Southampton, Yate or Hull?

When you find “your people” or “your place” in independent wrestling, that bizarre world becomes a little bit clearer. For me, that’s at True Grit. Stepping into the spectacular Left Bank in Leeds immediately melts away whatever has gone on during the week. Catching up with friendly faces and having a chat with people as invested in something as you is mega.

I don’t want to give the impression that independent wrestling, particularly British wrestling, is without fault.

The fact that we’ve had to entertain discussions around Jimmy Havoc being called out at RISE and Joey Ryan being booked by Portland Wrestling this week is a disgrace.

There are chancers, fools, shithouses and inept doyles in all walks of life and some of them happen to run wrestling promotions.

Some promotions are testing the boundaries of acceptable pricing right now. Accessibility isn’t a priority for many and some venues are archaic dumps that exclude people from attending shows. The work that BritWresForEveryone are doing is crucial to combat that and to make a systemic change right across the scene.

However, for every example of that, there is another of someone doing things right.

Though he has his critics for some booking choices and the inconsistency of announcing matches, Andy Quildan (RevPro) juggles an unparalleled schedule in independent wrestling and 9 times out of 10, it works. Dann and Emily Read (EVE) have done untold good for women’s wrestling.

Andrew Bowers (NORTH) is as transparent and honest a promoter in the business and supported families in need with tickets for his biggest show of the year. James Carr (True Grit) has created a space that brings together a diverse crowd in terms of age, background and identity without constantly crowing about it to garner positive feedback.

The team at Wrestling Resurgence are the gold standard for inclusion and accessibility with their pre-show updates.

There are uncertain times ahead both in wrestling and in regular life and some companies are already struggling. NORTH recently stopped live streaming on Triller due to effects on their overall finances and ICHIBAN abruptly halted proceedings, potentially due to venue closure.

Even RevPro, who many see as the top of the tree, have been affected with the 229 ceasing to host sporting events, meaning they’ve had to relocate to Porchester Hall. That could have ended a lot worse for another company without the cache of RevPro.

This isn’t a call to hand over all of your cold, hard cash, by the way. We’re all feeling the pinch and frankly, it’s up to promotions and talent to make it worth your while. Luckily, there are many places that do and even if you can’t attend a load of shows, simply watching when you can, telling your mates or shouting about your favourite promotion or wrestlers on social media can help.

For the people doing things right, it’s important that we all continue (or start) supporting independent wrestling. As an alternative for those disenchanted with TV wrestling, a community for people to thrive and meet like-minded people and for the wrestlers that put their bodies on the line in the hopes of fulfilling their dreams.

Support Independent Wrestling.

Image Credits: stmpphtgrphy, @Elliottt93, UGC,Tony Knox, Pro Wrestling EVE, Grand Pro Wrestling, Wrestling In Newcastle, Revolution Pro Wrestling, NGW – New Generation Wrestling