My wrestling fan quest for 2018 continued this past weekend in Northern Virginia for a local indie NOVA Pro Wrestling. I got wind of them through social media and finally had a few free hours on a Saturday so I figured why not give them a shot. If you feel so inclined and there’s one available do take in some local indie wrestling. There’s always the possibility of seeing a future star and even if you don’t there are some really good wrestlers out there working the indie scene that are worth your attention.
Unfortunately I had to head home during the intermission (#old #tired) but I got to see a good bit of the action there before I left. Having been to a few indie shows I can tell you that depending on who’s running it they can be hit or miss and from what I got to see this one was a hit. The ring didn’t look like it might fall apart and nobody was doing crazy stuff for the sake of just doing it. The guys and gals there worked well and put together good, coherent matches that told good stories even when they didn’t get much time.
One downside to going to an indie show cold is that you may have no idea who any of the people on the card are. Thankfully a few people there were people I’d seen before or at least heard of. Mia Yim was in the Mae Young Classic last year and will be back this year; she’s been working the indie scene for a while and is really good. She took on Harlow O’Hara who put in some good work before Mia got the best of her. Somebody up north needs to offer her a contract for real.
Jordynne Grace is another woman who’s been working the indie scene and making a lot of noise, and is worthy of a spot on a bigger platform as well. This was my first time seeing her in action and she’s as good in the ring as advertised. She got an impressive win over Rain that night.
The last match before I had to leave featured Jonatham Gresham, who is a staple on Ring of Honor’s television show and a guy they are clearly trying to set up for big things in the future. Gresham was working with a much larger opponent in Timothy Thatcher that night and worked a great David vs Goliath match on his way to victory. Gresham is a guy to keep your eye on if you’re an ROH fan or you follow the indie scene at all.
Some other notables who wrestled after I headed out were Veda Scott, Madison Rayne (who will also be in the Mae Young Classic this year), and Nick Gage. There were a couple of other matches I watched with some local guys whose names I unfortunately do not remember but trust me when I tell you they did a good a job in there.
I had a good time while I was there and do plan on heading back when I get a chance. If you’re in their area and you’re able I absolutely recommend taking in one of their shows.
Stroke of Genius 