This weekend, WWE brings their big show back to New York City for the first time in six years. But who wants to talk about that? The best part of WrestleMania weekend is that it brings in independent promotions big and small to run shows for the WM crowds. And luckily for those of us not in New York this weekend, almost all of those shows will be available to stream live one way or another. So today we're here to highlight every (that's right, every) non-WWE show happening this week that will be available to watch live. Shows start on Wednesday and do not stop until hours before WrestleMania begins on Sunday. I am going to present this info in multiple ways. First, I will order the events into tiers ranging from the most prominent and popular down to the more unknown or new brands. I will provide the card, a breakdown of the promotion, and where it can be seen. Then at the end, I will list all the events in chronological order as a reference point.
(Note: Almost all of these shows will be available on FITE TV. I don't want this to turn into a "referral code" thread, so please refrain from posting those. I'm not even posting mine.)
Recommended matches to look out for are in BOLD
We've got a lot to get through, so let's start with the biggest non-WWE show in North America in recent history.
TIER ONE: THE SUPERSHOWS
ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard in MSG - Saturday, April 6th - 7:30 PM EDT
This is the big one. Madison Square Garden, one of the most famous arenas in the world, being run on WrestleMania weekend by New Japan Pro Wrestling. And Ring of Honor is kind of here too. This event has it all. The spectacle of two non-WWE companies running the Garden (and selling it out), killer matches up and down the card, and the IWGP Heavyweight Title being defended in the main event. To say that this event is important would be an understatement. Hell, WWE was so worried about it that they tried their hardest to get it shut down before it happened, but ROH's legal team prevented that from happening. This should be one of the best, if not the best, shows of the weekend easily. There's talent in every single match and only a few matches look subpar on paper. The four match stretch at the end of the show should be spectacular. If you only watch one non-WWE show this weekend, this should probably be it.
WrassleERA regular Empyrean Cocytus made a fantastic match by match preview of the big show:
For over 60 years, it has been the house the McMahon family built…
But on Saturday, April 6th…
WELCOME TO THE NEW ERA!
If you're heading to NYC this weekend and or partaking in the facilities from home, why go to Brooklyn when all you'll see is a bunch of old wrestlers rehash old catchphrases on Saturday, when you can see what will be bar-none one of the best wrestling shows of the year? From historic Madison Square Garden, the stars of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring of Honor will usher in a genesis of the new wrestling world, and the industry may never be the same.
The event is completely sold out, but if you want to watch, you have plenty of options! For one, the show will air live on Pay-Per-View, and will also be available on Fite.tv. But that's not all! Members of both ROH's HonorClub and NJPWWorld.com will be able to watch the event live as it happens, with NJPWWorld viewers getting the added benefit of commentary in English or Japanese.
Pre-Show Match - 30-Man Honor Rumble
The night will kick off with the pre-show Honor Rumble, where 30 men will enter the ring in one minute intervals, with wrestlers eliminated by being thrown over the top rope. New Japan and ROH competitors, plus several surprises, will all be a part of the match, with the headlining competitor being NJPW legend Jushin Thunder Liger. Having announced he will retire from the ring at Wrestle Kingdom 14 next January, this may be the first and only time Liger ever competes in Madison Square Garden, meaning the fans will likely be behind him the entire way.
Match 1 - Champion vs. Champion, Winner Takes All
Will Ospreay (NEVER Openweight Champion) vs. Jeff Cobb (ROH World TV Champion)
Since capturing the NEVER title from Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 13, Will Ospreay has sworn to bridge the gap between New Japan's junior and heavyweight divisions, taking on all comers for his newly-won title. As such, he has begun gaining the reputation of being a "giant killer", defeating two huge monsters in Bullet Club's Bad Luck Fale and Suzuki-gun's Lance Archer in the first two rounds of the New Japan Cup, showing that despite being the Aerial Assassin, Ospreay is more than skilled enough to take on the world's biggest, most powerful athletes.
And when it comes to big and powerful, Jeff Cobb certainly fits the bill. A former Olympian in the amateur ranks, Cobb is known for both incredible feats of strength and his surprising quickness, which has made him a decorated superstar the world over, including capturing the ROH World TV belt within just weeks of debuting for the promotion. Now, these two incredible competitors will kick off this historic event, with both of their championships on the line.
Match 2 - Special Singles Match
Dalton Castle vs. Rush
Known as the "Party Peacock", Dalton Castle's incredible swagger and natural charisma belies his incredible in-ring ability, capturing the ROH Heavyweight title for the first time in December 2017 and holding it for 8 months. However, after piled-up injuries caused him to lose the title, Castle has not been the same man upon his return, losing several key matches. And during that time, a new rising star has looked to take his place.
Rush is already a household name in his native Mexico as a top star for home promotion CMLL, co-founding the group that has become a phenomenon across the wrestling world, Los Ingobernables, and also making multiple appearances for NJPW. "El Toro Blanco" made his ROH debut at the end of 2018, and has already become one of the company's top stars, including a victory over fellow luchador Bandido at last month's Anniversary show. Castle, who was on commentary for the bout, lept into the ring to make a challenge and hopefully rebound from his recent failings by becoming the first to knock off Rush in an ROH ring. Now, one of the originators of the tranquilo movement will do battle against a man who is anything but subdued and subtle on the company's grandest stage.
Match 3 - WOH World Championship
Mayu Iwatani © vs. Kelly Klein
Since ROH began Women of Honor in 2015, the standout performer in the division has consistently been Kelly Klein. After going on a near two year-long winning streak, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Klein would be crowned the first champion. However, that would not be the case, as in the finals, the woman who had become known as the division's Gatekeeper would fall in a surprise upset to veteran Japanese competitor Sumie Sakai. Undaunted, Klein would fall short on several other title matches, before finally scoring the win and the championship winning a four corners match ROH's Final Battle.
However, the long-awaited victory was not without its own surprise, as just 58 days later, Klein lost the championship to another Japanese competitor, Stardom icon Mayu Iwatani, who then successfully defended against Klein at ROH's 17th Anniversary show. Klein has asked for one more opportunity, which will go down in Madison Square Garden. Will the third time be the charm? Or will Iwatani's technical skill and high-flying prowess be too much for the Gatekeeper to handle?
Match 4 - New York City Street Fight
Juice Robinson vs. Bully Ray
One-half of the greatest tag team of all-time, Bully Ray has lived up to his name over the past year in ROH, taking out his frustration and brutalizing ROH's younger competitors who he feels have not yet paid their dues. At last month's Anniversary show, Bully would run down the talent in the back given that none had ever sold out Madison Square Garden in the past - except for him - and issued an open challenge for any wrestler in any company to take him on in a New York City Street Fight.
That challenge would be answered just this past weekend, as Juice Robinson, who is the current IWGP United States champion and has recently founded the new faction Lifeblood to "put the honor back into Ring of Honor", accepted Bully's challenge and now looks to shut him up for good. One of wrestling's most beloved takes on one of its most hated in what should be an absolute war, with no disqualifications, no countouts, and no holds barred.
Match 5 - IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship - Three-Way Match
Taiji Ishimori © vs. Dragon Lee vs. Bandido
Since capturing the IWGP Jr. belt from KUSHIDA at Wrestle Kingdom 13, the Bullet Club's new Bone Soldier, Taiji Ishimori, has made it his mission to assert his dominance over the division, first successfully defending against the beloved Ryusuke Taguchi at New Beginning in Osaka, and then the legendary Jushin Thunder Liger at NJPW's anniversary show a month later. After knocking off Liger, Ishimori made clear his desire to defend in MSG, and issued a challenge to any of ROH's top names to square off with him for the belt. However, the man who would accept that challenge comes from a bit further south of the border.
Dragon Lee is one of the most decorated competitors in CMLL, holding the promotion's World Lightweight and Welterweight championships. However, he has made clear that his dream is to win championship gold in Japan, and as such laid down his challenge against Ishimori. However, as Ishimori originally called out an ROH wrestler, Lifeblood member Bandido also made clear his intentions to challenge for the title. In the end, both challenges were accepted, and now the most prestigious Jr. title in the world will be on the line in a triple threat dream match inside the world's most famous arena, in what should be a high-speed, breathtaking conflict.
Match 6 - IWGP Tag Team Championship & ROH World Tag Team Championship - Four-Way Match - Winner Takes All
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (IWGP Champions) vs. Villain Enterprises (Brodie King & PCO) (ROH Champions) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japón (EVIL & SANADA) vs. The Briscoe Brothers (Jay & Mark Briscoe)
At last month's Honor Rising events at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall, the Bullet Club brothers of Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, collectively known as the Guerrillas of Destiny, knocked off LIJ's EVIL and SANADA for their fifth reign with the belts. However, doing so only drew the ire of ROH's most legendary team, the Briscoes, who successfully defended the ROH tag titles they have won ten times over against the Lifeblood duo of Juice Robinson and David Finlay in the main event. To that end, Jay & Mark suggested an unprecedented match for Madison Square Garden, with both teams putting their titles on the line to determine who the best tag team in the world is. However, fate had a different plan in mind.
One month later at ROH's 17th Anniversary, the powerful Brodie King and the downright inhuman PCO, members of Marty Scurll's Villain Enterprises faction, knocked off the Briscoes to become the new champions and take their place in the bout against the GoD. However, the Briscoes would cash in on their rematch, turning the title vs. title matchup at MSG into a three-way. But then, EVIL & SANADA, having never received their rematch for the IWGP belts, also came calling, turning what was already going to be an all-out brawl into an absolutely shocking fatal four-way war. Now, four teams will do battle in what promises to be an explosive confrontation, with only one becoming the first duo hold two of the wrestling world's most prestigious tag team championships simultaneously.
Match 7 - RevPro British Heavyweight Championship
Zack Sabre Jr. © vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Winning the 2018 New Japan Cup and defeating arch-rival Tomohiro Ishii at Wrestle Kingdom 13 for his third reign with the British Heavyweight Championship, the top title in UK promotion RevPro, Suzuki-gun's Zack Sabre Jr. has quickly catapulted to the top rungs of the NJPW ladder, continuing to showcase his immense technical ability and submission expertise to many a hapless wrestler. Sabre was certainly among the favorites to repeat as NJC champion this year as well.
Meanwhile, Hiroshi Tanahashi was going through what had become one of increasingly-frequent down periods, as the man who was the face of New Japan for nearly a decade, coming off an incredible run that saw him capture his 8th IWGP Heavyweight crown from Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom, found himself dropping his newly-won gold a month later. Fortunately, Tanahashi was able to gain a measure of redemption, upending Sabre, the man who defeated him in last year's finals, over the course of the tournament. An incensed ZSJ was quick to look for a measure of revenge, attacking him in a tag team match during the finals, and, knowing Tanahashi's goal was to have a major match in MSG, laid down the challenge, putting the British title on the line to boot. Now, with their career series standing at 2-2, both NJPW's most captivating competitor and most unique athlete will do battle.
Match 8 - IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Tetsuya Naito © vs. Kota Ibushi
With the New Japan Cup's rule change where the sole prize would be an opportunity at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, the promotion's other singles champions were allowed to take part. This included Intercontinental champion Tetsuya Naito, who has made well-known his disdain for his currently-held title, has still kept it around for purposes of his plan to unify it with the promotion's top title - plans that didn't last long.
After Wrestle Kingdom 13's end gave way to massive upheaval within the wrestling world, calling Kota Ibushi's status within New Japan tenuous would have been an understatement. With his former partner and best friend Kenny Omega heading to a management position with All Elite Wrestling, most assumed Ibushi would also make his way stateside as well, a surprise appearance at the New Beginning in Osaka revealed Ibushi planned to stay in NJPW for the long-term, including entering that year's New Japan Cup. Paired off with Naito in the first round, Ibushi knocked off the champion after a hard-fought bout, and, with his subsequent elimination, was quickly targeted by Naito for a title match, with Ibushi hoping to rescue the coveted title from Naito's destructive grasp. In previous encounters, these two men have redefined high-risk wrestling, so who knows what they will do now on the greatest stage they have ever battled upon.
Match 9 - Double Main Event I - ROH World Championship - Three-Way Ladder Match
Jay Lethal © vs. Matt Taven vs. Marty Scurll
Renowned as one of the men who built Ring of Honor, Jay Lethal will lead the company onto their biggest stage as their reigning world champion, having defended the title successfully since August. However, the reign has been consistently dogged by one man, Kingdom leader Matt Taven, who has made clear his disdain of ROH management for not giving him a championship opportunity, to the point of creating his own title belt and declaring himself the true champion. Taven and Lethal would finally square off with the championship on the line last month at the 17th Anniversary show, but after an incredible 60-minute draw ended with neither man victorious, Taven certainly had an argument for a rematch.
However, "The Villain" Marty Scurll, who won the ROH's Survival of the Fittest tournament to earn his own title match, had already announced that he would be cashing in at Madison Square Garden. To settle the argument, ROH officials made the bout a three way match with the title on the line, and to ensure a victor, made the bout a ladder match - a match stipulation that has been synonymous with MSG for the last 25 years. Now, in order to become ROH champion, three men will put their bodies and their careers on the line, and only one will be able to climb the ladder and claim the championship.
Match 10 - Double Main Event II - IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Jay White © vs. Kazuchika Okada
To call Jay White's rise to the top of New Japan meteoric would be an understatement, and he did so almost completely undetected. Joining CHAOS under Kazuchika Okada's leadership in January 2018, the Switchblade would bide his time waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike at the group's heart - which came after Okada's two-year-long reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion came to an end after the greatest match ever held with Kenny Omega in Osaka this past June. Knocking off Okada on the first night of the G1 Climax tournament, White would finally make his play for the group's leadership, attacking the Rainmaker and even convincing his mentor and close friend Gedo to turn his back on the fallen champion, subsequently joining forces with Bullet Club as the group's new leader.
This came to a head at Wrestle Kingdom 13, when White would face down Okada in a singles match, but rather than the balloons, red-hair, and odd demeanor that Okada had sported for the last six months, he was met with the return of the golden robes, money raining from the sky, and an ugly pair of pants giving way to the return of his classic trunks. The real Rainmaker was back, and absolutely nobody was going to stop him.
Then the Switchblade stopped him.
Picking up a surprise victory over Okada in the Tokyo Dome, White would use this momentum to carry him all the way to the pinnacle of New Japan, taking down Hiroshi Tanahashi for his first IWGP Heavyweight title, with the promise of a complete takeover of the promotion. However, Okada, now once again given focus and purpose, ran through the competition in the New Japan Cup, knocking off a red-hot SANADA to claim the trophy and a date with the Switchblade in the world's most famous arena. Now, in the most hallowed halls in sports, what has become New Japan's fiercest rivalry will reach its final climax, with the most prestigious title in all of wrestling hanging in the balance.
The card
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship match: Jay White (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
- ROH World Championship ladder match: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Matt Taven vs. Marty Scurll
- IWGP Intercontinental Championship match: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
- Revolution Pro British Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- IWGP Tag Team Championship & ROH World Tag Team Championship match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (IWGP Tag Team Champions) vs. Villain Enterprises (PCO & Brody King) (ROH World Tag Team Champions) vs. The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA)
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Dragon Lee vs. Bandido
- New York Street Fight: Bully Ray vs. Juice Robinson
- WOH World Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Kelly Klein
- Rush vs. Dalton Castle
- NEVER Openweight Championship & ROH World Television Championship match: Will Ospreay (NEVER Openweight Champion) vs. Jeff Cobb (ROH World Television Champion)
- Honor Rumble: Jushin Liger, Kenny King, PJ Black, Beer City Bruiser, Brian Milonas, Cheeseburger
- Sumie Sakai, Hana Kimura & Stella Grey vs. Jenny Rose, Kagetsu & Hazuki
Where to watch
- NJPW World ($10/month)
- ROH Honor Club ($10/month)
- FITE TV ($39.99 single purchase)
- Cable PPV ($39.99)
Joey Janela's Spring Break 3: Part One - Friday April 5th - 8 PM EDT
Two years ago, independent wrestler Joey Janela gifted the wrestling world his own event, the inaugural Spring Break. It was a fever dream of a show, featuring cameos from older wrestlers, insane dream matches no one expected to see, and just general craziness that no one expected. Last year an invisible man (RIP) won a 40 minute "clusterfuck" battle royal. Since then, Janela has established a reputation for putting on some of the best shows of the year with Spring Break being the centerpiece of the offering. It's one of the hardest tickets of the weekend to get and figures to be one of the most entertaining shows of the bunch. The card is incomplete, but you can rest assured whatever happens will be worth watching.
The card
- Nick Gage vs. Shinjiro Otani
- Deathmatch: Jimmy Lloyd vs. Masashi Takeda
- Orange Cassidy vs. TAKA Michinoku
- Ethan Page vs. TBA
- A-Kid vs. Jake Atlas vs. Shane Mercer vs. Australian Suicide vs. Slim J
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
Joey Janela's Spring Break 3: Part Two - Saturday, April 6th - 11:59 PM EDT
So nice we're doing it twice! In an unprecedented move, Joey Janela and GCW decided to add a second Spring Break show to the weekend after Part One sold out immediately. The idea is that this show will feature more of the absurd and comedic stuff, including the now famous "Clusterfuck" Battle Royal, while Friday's Part One will feature the more serious and intense dream matches. Entrants in this year's Clusterfuck already include (but are not limited to): Fake Sting, Mantaur, and Essa Rios. Taking place at midnight, this show figures to run well into the night and only get more and more insane as the hours tick away.
The card
- LA Park vs. Masato Tanaka
- Rock N Roll Express vs. LAX (Santana & Oritz)
- The Greatest Clusterfuck: Parrow, Essa Rios, Arik Cannon, Crowbar, Mantaur
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
Mark Hitchcock Memorial WrestleCon Supershow - Thursday, April 4th - 7 PM EDT
A staple of WM Weekend, the WrestleCon Supershow is almost always one of the best shows of the weekend. Featuring a collection of the best independent talent from around the globe, the guys at WrestleCon give us match-ups we thought we'd never see, such as this year's main event of Bandido vs. Will Ospreay. Matches like that one make this a must-see event and one of the premier shows on this list.
The card
- Will Ospreay vs. Bandido
- Dragon Lee vs. Barbaro Cavernario
- Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shane Strickland
- Masato Tanaka vs. Eddie Kingston
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
WWN Supershow: Mercury Rising - Friday, April 5th - 3 PM EDT
Gabe Sapolsky's WWN group is another that has been a part of WM Weekend for years now. Often they differentiate their Supershow cards by importing talent from overseas and collaborating with outside promotions and this year is no different. Germany's wXw and Japan's DDT join the fray and mix it up with WWN's established roster for a show that looks like it could be great and unique among the other shows of the weekend.
The card
- Austin Theory & Brandi Lauren vs. Darby Allin & Priscilla Kelly
- Evolve vs. DDT: The Skulk (AR Fox, Leon Ruff & Adrian Alanis) vs. Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Soma Takao
- Evolve vs. wXw: The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston, Joe Gacy & Shane Strickland) vs. Lucky Kid, Marius Al-ani & Bobby Gunns
- WWN Championship match: JD Drake (c) vs. Kazusada Higuchi
- Shine Championship match: Allysin Kay (c) vs. Miyu Yamashita
- Full Impact Pro World Heavyweight Championship match: Anthony Henry (c) vs. Absolute Andy
- Elimination match for WWN contract: Harlem Bravado vs. John Silver vs. Colby Corino vs. Anthony Greene vs. Barrett Brown vs. ?
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
- Club WWN ($10/month)
TIER TWO: MAJOR PROMOTIONS
Revolution Pro Wrestling - Friday, April 5th - 3 PM EDT
Residing in the UK, Revolution Pro (RevPro for short) is widely considered one of the premiere promotions in Europe. Through their partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling, they often offer chances to see world-class dream matches and they import the best talent from around the globe. They carried that philosophy to their WM Weekend show where they have a stacked card filled with both their own talent and talent from New Japan. From an in-ring standpoint, this figures to be a great show.
The card
- Will Ospreay & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Suzuki-gun (Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki)
- Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. David Starr
- Rocky Romero vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
- CCK (Jonathan Gresham & Chris Brookes) vs. Alex Coughlin & Karl Fredericks
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
DDT: Coming to America - Thursday, April 4th - 8 PM EDT
For the first time ever, Japanese promotion DDT is running a show in America on WrestleMania weekend. One of the top promotions in Japan, DDT is focused on shows that are fun above all else but still feature top notch in-ring work at the top of the card. This show is pure, unfiltered DDT. They are not running a card that is an "Americanized" version of their show or is watered down in any way. The card is an assembly of their best match-ups and there is little chance that it's not one of the most-talked about shows when it's over.
The card
- KO-D Openweight Championship match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- Weapon Rumble In U.S.A.: MAO vs. Sanshiro Takagi
- Miyu Yamashita vs. Maki Itoh
- Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda vs. Joey Ryan & Royce Isaacs
- Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Saki Akai (c) vs. Makoto Oishi vs. Kazuki Hirata vs. Yoshihiko vs. Kikutaro vs. Colt Cabana vs. X
- Soma Takao & Tetsuya Endo Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Masahiro Takanashi
- HARASHIMA & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Akito & Ethan Page Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jason Kincaid
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
Stardom: American Dream 2019 - Friday, April 5th - 4 PM EDT
Japanese all-women's promotion STARDOM is running their first US show since 2015 when they come to New York City on WM Weekend. Featuring the top tier of female talent in the world, STARDOM is regarded as one of the best women's promotions on the planet. WWE talents such as Kairi Sane and Io Shirai were headliners in the promotion, and current NXT Women's champion Shayna Baszler cut her teeth in STARDOM. And now they are bringing that standard-setting show to America. The card is very much unknown at this point, but given the reputation of the promotion and the announced names we know I expect nothing less than a really good showing from this one.
The card
- STARDOM High Speed Title - Hazuki (c) vs. Dust
- Announced names: Britt Baker, Brittany Blake, Session Moth Martina, Jamie Hayter, Bobbi Tyler, Bea Priestly, Sonya Strong, Violette, Kagetsu
Where to watch
- FITE TV ($10)
wXw: Amerika ist Wunderbar - Thursday, April 4th - 4 PM EDT
German promotion wXw comes to the United States for the very first time as they bring their hard-hitting show to WM Weekend. Viewed as one of the top promotions in Europe, wXw is in a bit of a transition phase after losing two of their top talents to WWE. Nonetheless, they have continued to thrive by putting on some of the best matches in the world and crafting top tier stories. As with DDT, wXw is bringing some of its best, and I expect a good showing.
The card
- wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship match: Bobby Gunns (c) vs. Shigehiro Irie
- wXw World Tag Team Championship match: Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) (c) vs. JD Drake & Anthony Henry
- wXw Shotgun Championship match: Marius Al-Ani (c) vs. Emil Sitoci
- Absolute Andy vs. Chris Brookes
- Yuu vs. LuFisto
- LAX (Santana & Ortiz) vs. The Crown (Jurn Simmons & Alexander James)
- Lucky Kid vs. David Starr
- Darby Allin vs. Avalanche
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
EVOLVE 125 - Thursday, April 4th - 12 PM EDT
Part of the WWN offering, EVOLVE is the centerpiece of the group's offerings. Once regarded as one of the best independent promotions in the world, EVOLVE has been a mixed bag as of late. Late last year, they began an official partnership with WWE and NXT, and as such they use the group's talents on almost all of their shows. Fan reactions were mixed on this, but it has undoubtedly re-energized the promotion and reinvigorated the crowds that attend the shows. Regardless of where you stand on that issue, the card for this event looks very solid and it would be shocking if this show was anything but great.
The card
- Evolve Championship match: Austin Theory (c) vs. Kyle O'Reilly
- Evolve Tag Team Championship match: The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy) vs. Konosuke Takeshita & MAO
- Montez Ford vs. Shane Strickland
- Angelo Dawkins vs. Colby Corino
- Kazusada Higuchi vs. Curt Stallion
- Harlem Bravado vs. Adrian Jaoude
- Darby Allin vs. Anthony Henry
- AR Fox & Leon Ruff vs. John Silver & Alex Reynolds
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
- Club WWN ($10/month)
Josh Barnett's Bloodsport - Thursday, April 4th - 4 PM EDT
First introduced last year, GCW's "Bloodsport" brand of shows are designed as shoot-style events reminiscent of classic promotions like UWFI and RINGS. The matches are contested with no ropes and are mostly grappling contests. The matches can only end by submission or knockout. You won't see any dives or high spots on this show, but what you will see is hard-hitting and tightly-contested exchanges between some of the best grapplers in the world. This year's event features former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir making his pro wrestling debut. Last year's show was a success, and I guarantee you that regardless of what you end up thinking of this show you won't see anything else like it all weekend long.
The card
- Timothy Thatcher vs. Hideki Suzuki
- Killer Kross vs. Davey Boy Smith, Jr.
- Frank Mir vs. Dan Severn
- Josh Barnett vs. Minoru Suzuki
- JR Kratos vs. Simon Gotch
- Jonathan Gresham vs. Masashi Takeda
- Chris Dickinson vs. Andy Williams
- Phil Baroni vs. Dominic Garrini
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
SHIMMER 113 - Friday, April 5th - 11 AM EDT
American all-women's promotion SHIMMER comes back to WrestleMania Weekend again with some of the best women's wrestling in the world. Featuring a card full of the best female independent talent, SHIMMER shows are almost always a good time. Pretty much anyone who is anyone in the world of women's wrestling has had a run in SHIMMER, as it has stood as one of the bastions of serious women's wrestling in the US for over a decade. WWE talents Becky Lynch, Natalya, Asuka, Ember Moon, Ruby Riott, Mia Yim, and even more have all found their way through the ranks of SHIMMER at some point in their careers. With an alumni list like that, you can be assured that this show will feature the best of the best.
The card
- Shimmer Championship match: Nicole Savoy (c) vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto
- Heart of SHIMMER Championship match: Dust (c) vs. Samantha Heights
- Britt Baker vs. Tessa Blanchard
- Shazza McKenzie vs. Su Yung
- Kris Wolf, Solo Darling, Ashley Vox & Delmi Exo vs. Sienna, Charlie Evans, Jessica Troy & Zoe Lucas
- Twisted Sisterz (Holidead & Thunder Rosa) vs. Indi Hartwell & Steph De Lander
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
Impact Wrestling: United We Stand - Thursday, April 4th - 11 PM EDT
TNA/Impact is still kicking. And hey their show is actually pretty good now! No one would know because it gets like 12,000 viewers a week, but this one will probably get more. The card is unique and the show should be a good one. Most of Impact's major shows the past year have been really good and they have a talented roster that works hard. Also RVD and Sabu are in the main event in 2019 so that alone should probably get you watching this.
The card
- Impact Tag Team Championship match: LAX (c) vs. Promociones Dorado (Low Ki & Ricky Martinez)
- X Division Championship match: Rich Swann (c) vs. Flamita
- Knockouts Championship match: Taya Valkyrie (c) vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Rosemary vs. Katie Forbes
- Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix) vs. Rob Van Dam & Sabu
- Monster's Ball match: Sami Callihan vs. Jimmy Havoc
- Brian Cage, Moose, Eddie Edwards & TBA vs. Drago, Daga, Aerostar & King Cuerno
- Joey Ryan vs. Tessa Blanchard
- Ultimate X match: Jake Crist vs. Kotto Brazil vs. Jack Evans vs. Dante Fox vs. Pat Buck vs. Johnny Impact
Where to watch
- FITE TV ($20)
TIER THREE: THE BEST OF THE REST
Wrestlecon: U.S. vs. The World - Friday, April 5th - 11 AM EDT
As part of the WrestleCon offering, US vs. The World is a pretty self-explanatory concept with a killer card featuring multiple matches that could be the talk of the weekend. Tons of international talent and some of the best wrestlers in the world, this show looks great.
The card
- Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Emil Sitoci
- Ethan Page vs. MJF
- Brian Cage vs. Masato Tanaka
- Sammy Guevara vs. Puma King
- The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel) vs. Australian Suicide, Robbie Eagles & Adam Brooks
- David Starr vs. Daga
- Rich Swann vs. Jiro "Ikeman" Kuroshiro
- LAX (Santana & Ortiz) vs. Teddy Hart & Harry Smith
- Darby Allin vs. Black Taurus
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
GCW: Orange Cassidy is Doing Something or Whatever, Who Knows? - Saturday, April 6th - 12 PM EDT
If you haven't noticed by now, GCW are the masters at creating unique shows based around their talent for WM Weekend. When a shitty promoter got outed and had to drop out of WM Weekend, GCW picked up the time slot and created a show based around Orange Cassidy, an indie wrestler who just does not give a shit. As such, the show is appropriately titled and has some absurd stipulations such as a "7 out of 13 falls match" and tons of other fun things. The event sold out very quickly and is another testament to the promotional genius of GCW.
The card
- Jonathan Gresham vs. Shinjiro Otani
- One Minute Match: Chuck Taylor vs. Trent ?
- Yuletide Deathmatch: Ultramantis Black vs. Nick Gage
- It's 5 o'clock Somewhere Last Man Standing match: Nate Webb vs. Session Moth Martina
- Lumberjack Swamp Monster Match: Shotzi Blackheart vs. Saraya Knight vs. Allie Kat vs. Kris Stadtlander
- Best 7 out of 13 Falls Match: Logan Easton LaRoux vs. Chris Brookes
- Teddy Hart's Reading Rainbow
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
Blackcraft Wrestling: No Apologies - Friday, April 5th - 11:59 PM EDT
A promotion less than a year old, Blackcraft Wrestling is bringing a very strong card to their first WM Weekend show. A mixture of a lot of top independent talent and a late night time slot makes for an interesting nightcap to a busy Friday.
The card
- Blackcraft Heavyweight Championship match: Johnny Blackcraft (c) vs. David Starr
- Blackcraft Women's Championship match: Saraya Knight (c) vs. Maria Manic
- Devil's Den match: Jimmy Havoc vs. G-Raver
- Chris Dickinson vs. Masato Tanaka
- Pentagon Jr. vs. Simon Grimm
- 666 Man Scramble: Matt Cross vs. Luchasaurus vs. Teddy Hart vs. Cortez Castro vs. Rey Fenix vs. Mecha Wolf
- The Essence (Harlow O'Hara & Vipress) vs. #DATSQUAD (Machiko San & Laynie Luck)
- Matthew Justice vs. Gangrel
- oVe (Jake & Dave Crist) vs. Andy Williams & Pepper Parks vs. The Crown (Jurn Simmons & Alexander James) vs. Bestia 666 & Damien 666 vs. Duke Davis & Ganon Jones Jr.
- The Preacher's Baphomet Battle Royale: Victor Benjamin, Lady Frost, Zicky Dice, Dick Justice, Gory, Kit Osborne, Mance Warner, Dale Patricks, KTB, Derek Direction, Dave Dutra, Benjamin Carter, Royce Isaacs, Sledge, Shlak, Stockade, Conan Lycan, Conor Claxton, Lord Crewe, Rory Gulak, Cory Futuristic, Pinkie Sanchez, Atticus Cogar, Anthony Greene, Casanova Valentine, Arik Cannon, Matt Light, Bobby Beverly
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
Joey Ryan's Penis Party - Friday, April 5th - 8:05 PM EDT
Noted dick wrestler Joey Ryan is following in the footsteps of his heroes Joey Janela and Josh Barnett and starting his own brand for WM Weekend, aptly named the Penis Party. Similar to Spring Break, this card seems focused on the absurd and comedic elements and has some off the wall matches and segments scheduled. It's happening at a very busy time, but it will probably be worth seeking out.
The card
- Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix) vs. John Morrison & Taya Valkyrie
- Black Taurus vs. Shark Boy vs. Puma King vs. Mr. Iguana vs. Green Ant
- Deathmatch: Dan Barry vs. Bill Carr
- David Arquette vs. Timothy Thatcher
- Matt Striker, Trent Barreta & Chuck Taylor vs. Colt Cabana, "Falnation" Mike Babchik & Tommy Dreamer
- Demon x Bunny (Allie & Rosemary) vs. Twisted Sisterz (Holidead & Thunder Rosa)
- Joey Ryan & Val Venis & SeXxXy Eddy vs. Session Moth Martina & Scarlett Bordeaux & Priscilla Kelly
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
Absolute Intense Wrestling: Slumber Party Massacre - Thursday, April 4th - 11 PM EDT
Ah, our first Hornswoggle match on this list. I try to avoid them when I can, but this whole show was originally sold on this match. Scott Steiner vs. Hornswoggle. Apparently Steiner was initially concerned because he "had a bad midget tossing experience in WCW". A barnburner this won't be, but it'll surely be unique. There are a few things on the card that actually look good though.
The card
- AIW Tag Team Championship match: To Infinity & Beyond (Colin Delaney & Cheech) (c) vs. Derek Director & Eddy Only vs. T-Money & Russ Meyers vs. Marino Tenaglia & Philly Collins
- Eddie Kingston vs. Shinjiro Otani
- Nick Gage vs. Mance Warner
- Hornswoggle vs. Scott Steiner
- Ethan Page & MJF vs. Colt Cabana & Grado
- Mexican Deathmatch: La Familia de Tijuana (Damian 666 & Halloween) vs. The Young Studs (Eric Ryan and Bobby Beverly)
- Matthew Justice vs. Tom Lawlor vs. Tim Donst vs. Pretty Boy Smooth
- Dominic Garrini vs. Joshua Bishop
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
Black Label Pro: Adventures in Wrestling - Friday, April 5th - 3:30 PM EDT
Black Label Pro has a propensity for ridiculous matches, and this show has its fair share of them. Oh hey look, ANOTHER Hornswoggle match. Anyways, this is the last show to get a highlight in this tier and I think it just barely passes the threshold. It will be a fun show, but I don't know that it will be great.
The card
- Wrestling with Wregret presents: "The Influencer" Brian Zane's Million Dollar Battle Royal
- BLP Championship match: Ethan Page (c) vs. Kobe Durst
- Jonathan Gresham vs. Shigehiro Irie
- Nick Gage vs. Hornswoggle
- Sadkampf (Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini) vs. Tank & Manny Fernandez
- Team USA (Jordynne Grace, Kylie Rae, Shotzi Blackheart Nicole Savoy & Samanatha Heights) vs. Team International (Shazza McKenzie, Charli Evans, Jessica Troy, Zoe Lucas & Indi Hartwell)
- BLP Tag Team Championship match: Space Pirates (c) vs. Team Whitewolf (A-Kid & Carlos Romo) vs. Tre Lamar & Jake Lander vs. Sammy Guevara & Robbie Eagles
- ICW/ICWA Texarkana Television Title Open Challenge: Bryan Alvarez (c) vs. Orange Cassidy
- Jake Parnell, Chris Dickinson & Rory Gulak vs. Gary Jay, AJ Gray & Curt Stallion
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
TIER FOUR: THE LITTLE GUYS/LEFTOVERS
From here out I'll just post cards and how to watch, along with bolding any notable matches
WrestlePro: Does Funny = Money? - Wednesday, April 3rd - 8 PM EDT
- Santino Marella & Colt Cabana vs. Heavenly Bodies (Desirable Dustin & Gigolo Justin)
- Matt Macintosh vs. Johnny Clash vs. Jake Manning vs. Anthony Bowens
- Team Tremendous (Dan Barry & Bill Carr) vs. Demon x Bunny (Allie & Rosemary)
- Street fight: Dan Maff vs. Swoggle
- Kikutaro vs. Bobby Wayward
- Bird Box match: Shawn Donovan vs. Buster Jackson
- Gauntlet match: Kevin Matthews & Fallah Bah vs. Blue World Order vs. Team Espana (Jos A & Jos B) vs. Shook Crew vs. Breakfast Club (CPA & Francis Kipland Stevens) vs. Massage Force (VSK & Dorian Graves)
-Santana Jackson vs. Pat Buck
Where to watch
FITE TV ($15)
Beyond Wrestling: Uncharted Territory Episode 1 - Wednesday, April 3rd - 8 PM EDT
- SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) vs. Team Pazuzu (Chris Dickinson, Santana & Ortiz)
- David Starr vs. Masato Tanaka
- Orange Cassidy & ? vs. Jordynne Grace & ?
- Beaver Boys (John Silver & Alex Reynolds) vs. ?
- AR Fox w/Ayla Fox vs. Kris Stadtlander
- MJF vs. Kimber Lee
Where to watch
- FITE TV ($10)
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
IndependentWrestling.TV Family Reunion - Thursday, April 4th - 12 PM EDT
- IWTV Independent Championship European Rounds match: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Jonathan Gresham
- St. Louis Anarchy presents Last Man Standing match: Jake Parnell vs. Gary Jay
- Alpha-1 Wrestling presents: Kobe Durst, Justin Sane & Kody Lane vs. BMD & The Space Pirates (Shane Sabre & Space Monkey)
- Freelance Wrestling presents: Kylie Rae & Isais Velazquez vs. "All Ego" Robert Anthony & Shotzi Blackheart
- Southern Underground Pro presents: Brett Ison & Sadkampf (Kevin Ku & Dom Garrini) vs. O'Shay Edwards, Cabana Man Dan & Mr. Brickster
- PWA Black Label presents: Jack Bonza, Mick Moretti & Unsocial Jordan vs. Robbie Eagles, Caveman Ugg & Bel Pierce
- ACTION Wrestling Championship match: AC Mack (c) vs. Fred Yehi
- Women's Wrestling Revolution presents: Kris Stadtlander & Kimber Lee vs. Shazza McKenzie & Jessica Troy
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($10))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
Interspecies Wrestling: Boner Jam IV: Balls Out - Thursday, April 4th - 7:30 PM EDT
- King of Crazy Championship Fans Bring the LEGO Match: Addy Starr vs. Matt Tremont vs. Jeff Cannonball vs. Nick Gage
- Sexxxy Eddy vs. Hornswoggle
- Team Tremendous (Dan Barry & Bill Carr) vs. Gym Nasty Boys (Timmy Lou Retton & White Mike)
- Chris Dickinson vs. Chris Brookes
- Tony Deppen vs. Jigsaw vs. Werewolf of Wall Street vs. Pinkie Sanchez
- Kickin' & Stompin' (Ivan Sullivan & Stephen Sullivan) vs. The Butcher & The Blade (Andy Williams & Braxton Sutter)
- Jae Rukin vs. Daniel Makabe
- Fluffy the Killer Bunny vs. Leon St. Giovanni
- Bastion Snow International Food Fight Invitational
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($10))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
Kaiju Big Battel: The 25th Silver Jubilee - Thursday, April 4th - 11:59 PM EDT
- Kaiju Grand Championship match: Erebus vs. Powa Ranjuru
- Southern Division Championship match: American Beetle (c) vs. Hell Monkey
- Double Danger Tandem Championship match: SWO vs. Los Plantinos
- Burger Bear vs. Tucor
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
CHIKARA: Once Upon a Beginning - Friday, April 5th - 12 PM EDT
- Grand Championship ladder match: Dasher Hatfield (c) vs. Mr. Touchdown
- The Colony (Green Ant, Thief Ant & Fire Ant) vs. FIST (Tony Deppen, Travis Huckabee & Icarus)
- Thunderfrog, Jigsaw, Razerhawk & Chuckie T vs. Hermit Crab, Cam Zagami, Hallowicked & Arik Cannon
- CCK (Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos) vs. Cornelius Crummels & Sonny Defarge
- A-Kid vs. Air Wolf
- Carlos Romo vs. Still Life with Apricots & Pears
- Kimber Lee vs. The Whisper
- Boomer Hatfield vs. Missile Assault Man
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($10))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
Wrestling Revolver: Pancakes & Piledrivers III - Saturday, April 6th - 11 AM EDT
- Wrestling Revolver Tag Team Gauntlet Championship Match: The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) vs. Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix) vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. Besties in the World (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) vs. Team Tremendous (Dan Barry & Bill Carr)
- Rickey Shane Page vs. Tessa Blanchard
- AR Fox vs. JT Dunn vs. Ace Austin vs. Sammy Guevara
- Rich Swann vs. Chuck Mambo
- Dan Maff vs. Fatu vs. Ace Romero vs. Larry D vs. Madman Fulton vs. Fallah Bahh
- OVE (Sami Callihan, Jake Crist & Dave Crist) vs. The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston, Shane Strickland & Joe Gacy)
- Moose vs. David Starr vs. Brian Cage
- Adam Brooks vs. Matt Cross
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
IWS: Unstoppable - Saturday, April 6th - 4 PM EDT
- Matt Tremont vs. Nick Gage vs. The Green Phantom
- Alcobrawl match: Sexxxy Eddy vs. Arik Cannon
- Kevin Blanchard vs. Ophidian
- IWS Hardcore Women's Championship match: Addy Starr vs. Veda Scott vs. Solo Darling
- Benjamin Tull vs. Rory Gulak
- Alexander Dean vs. J-Money
- Mercedes Brothers vs. Jordano & Fernando vs. Jepson & Runyan vs. Maredes & Mainz
- Maxim Lemire vs. Sheldon Jean vs. Sanchez vs. Black Dynamite
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($10))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
CZW vs. WrestlePro - Saturday, April 6th - 8 PM EDT
- Matt Macintosh vs. Johnny Silver
- Kris Stadtlander vs. Leyla Hirsch
- Fallah Bah vs. Anthony Greene
- Anthony Bowens vs. DJ Hyde
- Team Espana (Jos A & Jos B) vs. The Rep (Dave McCall & Nate Carter)
- Dan Maff vs. Mance Warner
- Craig Steele vs. Matt Tremont
Where to watch
- FITE TV ($15)
And that's everything! Every single match you can watch this weekend. Now, let's give a few lists to break things down into what bundles are available...
BUNDLES
- FITE TV WrestleCon Bundle ($59.99)
Thursday, April 4
7:00pm ET - WrestleCon Supershow
Friday, April 5
11:00am ET - WrestleCon US vs. The World
3:00pm ET - Rev Pro Wrestling
8pm ET - Joey Ryan's Penis Party
Saturday, April 6
11:00am ET - Pro Wrestling Revolver - Pancakes and Pile Drivers
- FITE TV WWN More Than Mania Bundle ($69.99)
Thursday, April 4
4:00pm ET - Westside Extreme Wrestling
8pm ET - DDT Pro Wrestling
11:55pm ET - Kaiju Big Battel
Friday, April 5
11am ET - SHIMMER
3:00pm ET - WWN Super Show - Mercury Rising
Saturday, April 6
2pm ET - MoreThanMania.com 2019 Wrap up Party
- FITE TV The Collective Bundle ($99.99)
Thursday, April 4
12 PM ET - IndependentWrestling.TV: Family Reunion
4:00pm ET - GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport
7:30pm ET - ISW Boner Jam IV: Balls Out
11pm ET - AIW - The Slumber Party Massacre
Friday, April 5
12 PM ET - Chikara - Once Upon A Beginning
3:30pm ET - Black Label Pro - Adventures in Wrestling
8pm ET - GCW Joey Janela's Spring Break - Part 1
11:59pm ET - Blackcraft Wrestling - No Apologies
Saturday, April 6
12 PM ET - "Orange Cassidy is doing something, or whatever... who knows?"
4pm ET - IWS Unstoppable
11:59pm ET - GCW Joey Janela's Spring Break - Part 2
And last but not least, if you just want a complete list in chronological order, I'll quote a post by the ever-helpful Avengers23 who assisted greatly in this whole venture:
Enjoy the best wrestling weekend of the year, friends.
(Note: Almost all of these shows will be available on FITE TV. I don't want this to turn into a "referral code" thread, so please refrain from posting those. I'm not even posting mine.)
Recommended matches to look out for are in BOLD
We've got a lot to get through, so let's start with the biggest non-WWE show in North America in recent history.
TIER ONE: THE SUPERSHOWS
ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard in MSG - Saturday, April 6th - 7:30 PM EDT
This is the big one. Madison Square Garden, one of the most famous arenas in the world, being run on WrestleMania weekend by New Japan Pro Wrestling. And Ring of Honor is kind of here too. This event has it all. The spectacle of two non-WWE companies running the Garden (and selling it out), killer matches up and down the card, and the IWGP Heavyweight Title being defended in the main event. To say that this event is important would be an understatement. Hell, WWE was so worried about it that they tried their hardest to get it shut down before it happened, but ROH's legal team prevented that from happening. This should be one of the best, if not the best, shows of the weekend easily. There's talent in every single match and only a few matches look subpar on paper. The four match stretch at the end of the show should be spectacular. If you only watch one non-WWE show this weekend, this should probably be it.
WrassleERA regular Empyrean Cocytus made a fantastic match by match preview of the big show:
For over 60 years, it has been the house the McMahon family built…
But on Saturday, April 6th…
WELCOME TO THE NEW ERA!
If you're heading to NYC this weekend and or partaking in the facilities from home, why go to Brooklyn when all you'll see is a bunch of old wrestlers rehash old catchphrases on Saturday, when you can see what will be bar-none one of the best wrestling shows of the year? From historic Madison Square Garden, the stars of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring of Honor will usher in a genesis of the new wrestling world, and the industry may never be the same.
The event is completely sold out, but if you want to watch, you have plenty of options! For one, the show will air live on Pay-Per-View, and will also be available on Fite.tv. But that's not all! Members of both ROH's HonorClub and NJPWWorld.com will be able to watch the event live as it happens, with NJPWWorld viewers getting the added benefit of commentary in English or Japanese.
Pre-Show Match - 30-Man Honor Rumble
The night will kick off with the pre-show Honor Rumble, where 30 men will enter the ring in one minute intervals, with wrestlers eliminated by being thrown over the top rope. New Japan and ROH competitors, plus several surprises, will all be a part of the match, with the headlining competitor being NJPW legend Jushin Thunder Liger. Having announced he will retire from the ring at Wrestle Kingdom 14 next January, this may be the first and only time Liger ever competes in Madison Square Garden, meaning the fans will likely be behind him the entire way.
Match 1 - Champion vs. Champion, Winner Takes All
Will Ospreay (NEVER Openweight Champion) vs. Jeff Cobb (ROH World TV Champion)
Since capturing the NEVER title from Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 13, Will Ospreay has sworn to bridge the gap between New Japan's junior and heavyweight divisions, taking on all comers for his newly-won title. As such, he has begun gaining the reputation of being a "giant killer", defeating two huge monsters in Bullet Club's Bad Luck Fale and Suzuki-gun's Lance Archer in the first two rounds of the New Japan Cup, showing that despite being the Aerial Assassin, Ospreay is more than skilled enough to take on the world's biggest, most powerful athletes.
And when it comes to big and powerful, Jeff Cobb certainly fits the bill. A former Olympian in the amateur ranks, Cobb is known for both incredible feats of strength and his surprising quickness, which has made him a decorated superstar the world over, including capturing the ROH World TV belt within just weeks of debuting for the promotion. Now, these two incredible competitors will kick off this historic event, with both of their championships on the line.
Match 2 - Special Singles Match
Dalton Castle vs. Rush
Known as the "Party Peacock", Dalton Castle's incredible swagger and natural charisma belies his incredible in-ring ability, capturing the ROH Heavyweight title for the first time in December 2017 and holding it for 8 months. However, after piled-up injuries caused him to lose the title, Castle has not been the same man upon his return, losing several key matches. And during that time, a new rising star has looked to take his place.
Rush is already a household name in his native Mexico as a top star for home promotion CMLL, co-founding the group that has become a phenomenon across the wrestling world, Los Ingobernables, and also making multiple appearances for NJPW. "El Toro Blanco" made his ROH debut at the end of 2018, and has already become one of the company's top stars, including a victory over fellow luchador Bandido at last month's Anniversary show. Castle, who was on commentary for the bout, lept into the ring to make a challenge and hopefully rebound from his recent failings by becoming the first to knock off Rush in an ROH ring. Now, one of the originators of the tranquilo movement will do battle against a man who is anything but subdued and subtle on the company's grandest stage.
Match 3 - WOH World Championship
Mayu Iwatani © vs. Kelly Klein
Since ROH began Women of Honor in 2015, the standout performer in the division has consistently been Kelly Klein. After going on a near two year-long winning streak, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Klein would be crowned the first champion. However, that would not be the case, as in the finals, the woman who had become known as the division's Gatekeeper would fall in a surprise upset to veteran Japanese competitor Sumie Sakai. Undaunted, Klein would fall short on several other title matches, before finally scoring the win and the championship winning a four corners match ROH's Final Battle.
However, the long-awaited victory was not without its own surprise, as just 58 days later, Klein lost the championship to another Japanese competitor, Stardom icon Mayu Iwatani, who then successfully defended against Klein at ROH's 17th Anniversary show. Klein has asked for one more opportunity, which will go down in Madison Square Garden. Will the third time be the charm? Or will Iwatani's technical skill and high-flying prowess be too much for the Gatekeeper to handle?
Match 4 - New York City Street Fight
Juice Robinson vs. Bully Ray
One-half of the greatest tag team of all-time, Bully Ray has lived up to his name over the past year in ROH, taking out his frustration and brutalizing ROH's younger competitors who he feels have not yet paid their dues. At last month's Anniversary show, Bully would run down the talent in the back given that none had ever sold out Madison Square Garden in the past - except for him - and issued an open challenge for any wrestler in any company to take him on in a New York City Street Fight.
That challenge would be answered just this past weekend, as Juice Robinson, who is the current IWGP United States champion and has recently founded the new faction Lifeblood to "put the honor back into Ring of Honor", accepted Bully's challenge and now looks to shut him up for good. One of wrestling's most beloved takes on one of its most hated in what should be an absolute war, with no disqualifications, no countouts, and no holds barred.
Match 5 - IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship - Three-Way Match
Taiji Ishimori © vs. Dragon Lee vs. Bandido
Since capturing the IWGP Jr. belt from KUSHIDA at Wrestle Kingdom 13, the Bullet Club's new Bone Soldier, Taiji Ishimori, has made it his mission to assert his dominance over the division, first successfully defending against the beloved Ryusuke Taguchi at New Beginning in Osaka, and then the legendary Jushin Thunder Liger at NJPW's anniversary show a month later. After knocking off Liger, Ishimori made clear his desire to defend in MSG, and issued a challenge to any of ROH's top names to square off with him for the belt. However, the man who would accept that challenge comes from a bit further south of the border.
Dragon Lee is one of the most decorated competitors in CMLL, holding the promotion's World Lightweight and Welterweight championships. However, he has made clear that his dream is to win championship gold in Japan, and as such laid down his challenge against Ishimori. However, as Ishimori originally called out an ROH wrestler, Lifeblood member Bandido also made clear his intentions to challenge for the title. In the end, both challenges were accepted, and now the most prestigious Jr. title in the world will be on the line in a triple threat dream match inside the world's most famous arena, in what should be a high-speed, breathtaking conflict.
Match 6 - IWGP Tag Team Championship & ROH World Tag Team Championship - Four-Way Match - Winner Takes All
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (IWGP Champions) vs. Villain Enterprises (Brodie King & PCO) (ROH Champions) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japón (EVIL & SANADA) vs. The Briscoe Brothers (Jay & Mark Briscoe)
At last month's Honor Rising events at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall, the Bullet Club brothers of Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, collectively known as the Guerrillas of Destiny, knocked off LIJ's EVIL and SANADA for their fifth reign with the belts. However, doing so only drew the ire of ROH's most legendary team, the Briscoes, who successfully defended the ROH tag titles they have won ten times over against the Lifeblood duo of Juice Robinson and David Finlay in the main event. To that end, Jay & Mark suggested an unprecedented match for Madison Square Garden, with both teams putting their titles on the line to determine who the best tag team in the world is. However, fate had a different plan in mind.
One month later at ROH's 17th Anniversary, the powerful Brodie King and the downright inhuman PCO, members of Marty Scurll's Villain Enterprises faction, knocked off the Briscoes to become the new champions and take their place in the bout against the GoD. However, the Briscoes would cash in on their rematch, turning the title vs. title matchup at MSG into a three-way. But then, EVIL & SANADA, having never received their rematch for the IWGP belts, also came calling, turning what was already going to be an all-out brawl into an absolutely shocking fatal four-way war. Now, four teams will do battle in what promises to be an explosive confrontation, with only one becoming the first duo hold two of the wrestling world's most prestigious tag team championships simultaneously.
Match 7 - RevPro British Heavyweight Championship
Zack Sabre Jr. © vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Winning the 2018 New Japan Cup and defeating arch-rival Tomohiro Ishii at Wrestle Kingdom 13 for his third reign with the British Heavyweight Championship, the top title in UK promotion RevPro, Suzuki-gun's Zack Sabre Jr. has quickly catapulted to the top rungs of the NJPW ladder, continuing to showcase his immense technical ability and submission expertise to many a hapless wrestler. Sabre was certainly among the favorites to repeat as NJC champion this year as well.
Meanwhile, Hiroshi Tanahashi was going through what had become one of increasingly-frequent down periods, as the man who was the face of New Japan for nearly a decade, coming off an incredible run that saw him capture his 8th IWGP Heavyweight crown from Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom, found himself dropping his newly-won gold a month later. Fortunately, Tanahashi was able to gain a measure of redemption, upending Sabre, the man who defeated him in last year's finals, over the course of the tournament. An incensed ZSJ was quick to look for a measure of revenge, attacking him in a tag team match during the finals, and, knowing Tanahashi's goal was to have a major match in MSG, laid down the challenge, putting the British title on the line to boot. Now, with their career series standing at 2-2, both NJPW's most captivating competitor and most unique athlete will do battle.
Match 8 - IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Tetsuya Naito © vs. Kota Ibushi
With the New Japan Cup's rule change where the sole prize would be an opportunity at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, the promotion's other singles champions were allowed to take part. This included Intercontinental champion Tetsuya Naito, who has made well-known his disdain for his currently-held title, has still kept it around for purposes of his plan to unify it with the promotion's top title - plans that didn't last long.
After Wrestle Kingdom 13's end gave way to massive upheaval within the wrestling world, calling Kota Ibushi's status within New Japan tenuous would have been an understatement. With his former partner and best friend Kenny Omega heading to a management position with All Elite Wrestling, most assumed Ibushi would also make his way stateside as well, a surprise appearance at the New Beginning in Osaka revealed Ibushi planned to stay in NJPW for the long-term, including entering that year's New Japan Cup. Paired off with Naito in the first round, Ibushi knocked off the champion after a hard-fought bout, and, with his subsequent elimination, was quickly targeted by Naito for a title match, with Ibushi hoping to rescue the coveted title from Naito's destructive grasp. In previous encounters, these two men have redefined high-risk wrestling, so who knows what they will do now on the greatest stage they have ever battled upon.
Match 9 - Double Main Event I - ROH World Championship - Three-Way Ladder Match
Jay Lethal © vs. Matt Taven vs. Marty Scurll
Renowned as one of the men who built Ring of Honor, Jay Lethal will lead the company onto their biggest stage as their reigning world champion, having defended the title successfully since August. However, the reign has been consistently dogged by one man, Kingdom leader Matt Taven, who has made clear his disdain of ROH management for not giving him a championship opportunity, to the point of creating his own title belt and declaring himself the true champion. Taven and Lethal would finally square off with the championship on the line last month at the 17th Anniversary show, but after an incredible 60-minute draw ended with neither man victorious, Taven certainly had an argument for a rematch.
However, "The Villain" Marty Scurll, who won the ROH's Survival of the Fittest tournament to earn his own title match, had already announced that he would be cashing in at Madison Square Garden. To settle the argument, ROH officials made the bout a three way match with the title on the line, and to ensure a victor, made the bout a ladder match - a match stipulation that has been synonymous with MSG for the last 25 years. Now, in order to become ROH champion, three men will put their bodies and their careers on the line, and only one will be able to climb the ladder and claim the championship.
Match 10 - Double Main Event II - IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Jay White © vs. Kazuchika Okada
To call Jay White's rise to the top of New Japan meteoric would be an understatement, and he did so almost completely undetected. Joining CHAOS under Kazuchika Okada's leadership in January 2018, the Switchblade would bide his time waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike at the group's heart - which came after Okada's two-year-long reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion came to an end after the greatest match ever held with Kenny Omega in Osaka this past June. Knocking off Okada on the first night of the G1 Climax tournament, White would finally make his play for the group's leadership, attacking the Rainmaker and even convincing his mentor and close friend Gedo to turn his back on the fallen champion, subsequently joining forces with Bullet Club as the group's new leader.
This came to a head at Wrestle Kingdom 13, when White would face down Okada in a singles match, but rather than the balloons, red-hair, and odd demeanor that Okada had sported for the last six months, he was met with the return of the golden robes, money raining from the sky, and an ugly pair of pants giving way to the return of his classic trunks. The real Rainmaker was back, and absolutely nobody was going to stop him.
Then the Switchblade stopped him.
Picking up a surprise victory over Okada in the Tokyo Dome, White would use this momentum to carry him all the way to the pinnacle of New Japan, taking down Hiroshi Tanahashi for his first IWGP Heavyweight title, with the promise of a complete takeover of the promotion. However, Okada, now once again given focus and purpose, ran through the competition in the New Japan Cup, knocking off a red-hot SANADA to claim the trophy and a date with the Switchblade in the world's most famous arena. Now, in the most hallowed halls in sports, what has become New Japan's fiercest rivalry will reach its final climax, with the most prestigious title in all of wrestling hanging in the balance.
The card
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship match: Jay White (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
- ROH World Championship ladder match: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Matt Taven vs. Marty Scurll
- IWGP Intercontinental Championship match: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
- Revolution Pro British Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- IWGP Tag Team Championship & ROH World Tag Team Championship match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (IWGP Tag Team Champions) vs. Villain Enterprises (PCO & Brody King) (ROH World Tag Team Champions) vs. The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA)
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Dragon Lee vs. Bandido
- New York Street Fight: Bully Ray vs. Juice Robinson
- WOH World Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Kelly Klein
- Rush vs. Dalton Castle
- NEVER Openweight Championship & ROH World Television Championship match: Will Ospreay (NEVER Openweight Champion) vs. Jeff Cobb (ROH World Television Champion)
- Honor Rumble: Jushin Liger, Kenny King, PJ Black, Beer City Bruiser, Brian Milonas, Cheeseburger
- Sumie Sakai, Hana Kimura & Stella Grey vs. Jenny Rose, Kagetsu & Hazuki
Where to watch
- NJPW World ($10/month)
- ROH Honor Club ($10/month)
- FITE TV ($39.99 single purchase)
- Cable PPV ($39.99)
Joey Janela's Spring Break 3: Part One - Friday April 5th - 8 PM EDT
Two years ago, independent wrestler Joey Janela gifted the wrestling world his own event, the inaugural Spring Break. It was a fever dream of a show, featuring cameos from older wrestlers, insane dream matches no one expected to see, and just general craziness that no one expected. Last year an invisible man (RIP) won a 40 minute "clusterfuck" battle royal. Since then, Janela has established a reputation for putting on some of the best shows of the year with Spring Break being the centerpiece of the offering. It's one of the hardest tickets of the weekend to get and figures to be one of the most entertaining shows of the bunch. The card is incomplete, but you can rest assured whatever happens will be worth watching.
The card
- Nick Gage vs. Shinjiro Otani
- Deathmatch: Jimmy Lloyd vs. Masashi Takeda
- Orange Cassidy vs. TAKA Michinoku
- Ethan Page vs. TBA
- A-Kid vs. Jake Atlas vs. Shane Mercer vs. Australian Suicide vs. Slim J
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
Joey Janela's Spring Break 3: Part Two - Saturday, April 6th - 11:59 PM EDT
So nice we're doing it twice! In an unprecedented move, Joey Janela and GCW decided to add a second Spring Break show to the weekend after Part One sold out immediately. The idea is that this show will feature more of the absurd and comedic stuff, including the now famous "Clusterfuck" Battle Royal, while Friday's Part One will feature the more serious and intense dream matches. Entrants in this year's Clusterfuck already include (but are not limited to): Fake Sting, Mantaur, and Essa Rios. Taking place at midnight, this show figures to run well into the night and only get more and more insane as the hours tick away.
The card
- LA Park vs. Masato Tanaka
- Rock N Roll Express vs. LAX (Santana & Oritz)
- The Greatest Clusterfuck: Parrow, Essa Rios, Arik Cannon, Crowbar, Mantaur
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
Mark Hitchcock Memorial WrestleCon Supershow - Thursday, April 4th - 7 PM EDT
A staple of WM Weekend, the WrestleCon Supershow is almost always one of the best shows of the weekend. Featuring a collection of the best independent talent from around the globe, the guys at WrestleCon give us match-ups we thought we'd never see, such as this year's main event of Bandido vs. Will Ospreay. Matches like that one make this a must-see event and one of the premier shows on this list.
The card
- Will Ospreay vs. Bandido
- Dragon Lee vs. Barbaro Cavernario
- Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shane Strickland
- Masato Tanaka vs. Eddie Kingston
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
WWN Supershow: Mercury Rising - Friday, April 5th - 3 PM EDT
Gabe Sapolsky's WWN group is another that has been a part of WM Weekend for years now. Often they differentiate their Supershow cards by importing talent from overseas and collaborating with outside promotions and this year is no different. Germany's wXw and Japan's DDT join the fray and mix it up with WWN's established roster for a show that looks like it could be great and unique among the other shows of the weekend.
The card
- Austin Theory & Brandi Lauren vs. Darby Allin & Priscilla Kelly
- Evolve vs. DDT: The Skulk (AR Fox, Leon Ruff & Adrian Alanis) vs. Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Soma Takao
- Evolve vs. wXw: The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston, Joe Gacy & Shane Strickland) vs. Lucky Kid, Marius Al-ani & Bobby Gunns
- WWN Championship match: JD Drake (c) vs. Kazusada Higuchi
- Shine Championship match: Allysin Kay (c) vs. Miyu Yamashita
- Full Impact Pro World Heavyweight Championship match: Anthony Henry (c) vs. Absolute Andy
- Elimination match for WWN contract: Harlem Bravado vs. John Silver vs. Colby Corino vs. Anthony Greene vs. Barrett Brown vs. ?
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
- Club WWN ($10/month)
TIER TWO: MAJOR PROMOTIONS
Revolution Pro Wrestling - Friday, April 5th - 3 PM EDT
Residing in the UK, Revolution Pro (RevPro for short) is widely considered one of the premiere promotions in Europe. Through their partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling, they often offer chances to see world-class dream matches and they import the best talent from around the globe. They carried that philosophy to their WM Weekend show where they have a stacked card filled with both their own talent and talent from New Japan. From an in-ring standpoint, this figures to be a great show.
The card
- Will Ospreay & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Suzuki-gun (Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki)
- Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. David Starr
- Rocky Romero vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
- CCK (Jonathan Gresham & Chris Brookes) vs. Alex Coughlin & Karl Fredericks
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
DDT: Coming to America - Thursday, April 4th - 8 PM EDT
For the first time ever, Japanese promotion DDT is running a show in America on WrestleMania weekend. One of the top promotions in Japan, DDT is focused on shows that are fun above all else but still feature top notch in-ring work at the top of the card. This show is pure, unfiltered DDT. They are not running a card that is an "Americanized" version of their show or is watered down in any way. The card is an assembly of their best match-ups and there is little chance that it's not one of the most-talked about shows when it's over.
The card
- KO-D Openweight Championship match: Daisuke Sasaki (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- Weapon Rumble In U.S.A.: MAO vs. Sanshiro Takagi
- Miyu Yamashita vs. Maki Itoh
- Danshoku Dieno & Antonio Honda vs. Joey Ryan & Royce Isaacs
- Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Battle Royal: Saki Akai (c) vs. Makoto Oishi vs. Kazuki Hirata vs. Yoshihiko vs. Kikutaro vs. Colt Cabana vs. X
- Soma Takao & Tetsuya Endo Vs Yukio Sakaguchi & Masahiro Takanashi
- HARASHIMA & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Akito & Ethan Page Vs Shigehiro Irie & Jason Kincaid
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
Stardom: American Dream 2019 - Friday, April 5th - 4 PM EDT
Japanese all-women's promotion STARDOM is running their first US show since 2015 when they come to New York City on WM Weekend. Featuring the top tier of female talent in the world, STARDOM is regarded as one of the best women's promotions on the planet. WWE talents such as Kairi Sane and Io Shirai were headliners in the promotion, and current NXT Women's champion Shayna Baszler cut her teeth in STARDOM. And now they are bringing that standard-setting show to America. The card is very much unknown at this point, but given the reputation of the promotion and the announced names we know I expect nothing less than a really good showing from this one.
The card
- STARDOM High Speed Title - Hazuki (c) vs. Dust
- Announced names: Britt Baker, Brittany Blake, Session Moth Martina, Jamie Hayter, Bobbi Tyler, Bea Priestly, Sonya Strong, Violette, Kagetsu
Where to watch
- FITE TV ($10)
wXw: Amerika ist Wunderbar - Thursday, April 4th - 4 PM EDT
German promotion wXw comes to the United States for the very first time as they bring their hard-hitting show to WM Weekend. Viewed as one of the top promotions in Europe, wXw is in a bit of a transition phase after losing two of their top talents to WWE. Nonetheless, they have continued to thrive by putting on some of the best matches in the world and crafting top tier stories. As with DDT, wXw is bringing some of its best, and I expect a good showing.
The card
- wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship match: Bobby Gunns (c) vs. Shigehiro Irie
- wXw World Tag Team Championship match: Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) (c) vs. JD Drake & Anthony Henry
- wXw Shotgun Championship match: Marius Al-Ani (c) vs. Emil Sitoci
- Absolute Andy vs. Chris Brookes
- Yuu vs. LuFisto
- LAX (Santana & Ortiz) vs. The Crown (Jurn Simmons & Alexander James)
- Lucky Kid vs. David Starr
- Darby Allin vs. Avalanche
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
EVOLVE 125 - Thursday, April 4th - 12 PM EDT
Part of the WWN offering, EVOLVE is the centerpiece of the group's offerings. Once regarded as one of the best independent promotions in the world, EVOLVE has been a mixed bag as of late. Late last year, they began an official partnership with WWE and NXT, and as such they use the group's talents on almost all of their shows. Fan reactions were mixed on this, but it has undoubtedly re-energized the promotion and reinvigorated the crowds that attend the shows. Regardless of where you stand on that issue, the card for this event looks very solid and it would be shocking if this show was anything but great.
The card
- Evolve Championship match: Austin Theory (c) vs. Kyle O'Reilly
- Evolve Tag Team Championship match: The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy) vs. Konosuke Takeshita & MAO
- Montez Ford vs. Shane Strickland
- Angelo Dawkins vs. Colby Corino
- Kazusada Higuchi vs. Curt Stallion
- Harlem Bravado vs. Adrian Jaoude
- Darby Allin vs. Anthony Henry
- AR Fox & Leon Ruff vs. John Silver & Alex Reynolds
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
- Club WWN ($10/month)
Josh Barnett's Bloodsport - Thursday, April 4th - 4 PM EDT
First introduced last year, GCW's "Bloodsport" brand of shows are designed as shoot-style events reminiscent of classic promotions like UWFI and RINGS. The matches are contested with no ropes and are mostly grappling contests. The matches can only end by submission or knockout. You won't see any dives or high spots on this show, but what you will see is hard-hitting and tightly-contested exchanges between some of the best grapplers in the world. This year's event features former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir making his pro wrestling debut. Last year's show was a success, and I guarantee you that regardless of what you end up thinking of this show you won't see anything else like it all weekend long.
The card
- Timothy Thatcher vs. Hideki Suzuki
- Killer Kross vs. Davey Boy Smith, Jr.
- Frank Mir vs. Dan Severn
- Josh Barnett vs. Minoru Suzuki
- JR Kratos vs. Simon Gotch
- Jonathan Gresham vs. Masashi Takeda
- Chris Dickinson vs. Andy Williams
- Phil Baroni vs. Dominic Garrini
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
SHIMMER 113 - Friday, April 5th - 11 AM EDT
American all-women's promotion SHIMMER comes back to WrestleMania Weekend again with some of the best women's wrestling in the world. Featuring a card full of the best female independent talent, SHIMMER shows are almost always a good time. Pretty much anyone who is anyone in the world of women's wrestling has had a run in SHIMMER, as it has stood as one of the bastions of serious women's wrestling in the US for over a decade. WWE talents Becky Lynch, Natalya, Asuka, Ember Moon, Ruby Riott, Mia Yim, and even more have all found their way through the ranks of SHIMMER at some point in their careers. With an alumni list like that, you can be assured that this show will feature the best of the best.
The card
- Shimmer Championship match: Nicole Savoy (c) vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto
- Heart of SHIMMER Championship match: Dust (c) vs. Samantha Heights
- Britt Baker vs. Tessa Blanchard
- Shazza McKenzie vs. Su Yung
- Kris Wolf, Solo Darling, Ashley Vox & Delmi Exo vs. Sienna, Charlie Evans, Jessica Troy & Zoe Lucas
- Twisted Sisterz (Holidead & Thunder Rosa) vs. Indi Hartwell & Steph De Lander
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
Impact Wrestling: United We Stand - Thursday, April 4th - 11 PM EDT
TNA/Impact is still kicking. And hey their show is actually pretty good now! No one would know because it gets like 12,000 viewers a week, but this one will probably get more. The card is unique and the show should be a good one. Most of Impact's major shows the past year have been really good and they have a talented roster that works hard. Also RVD and Sabu are in the main event in 2019 so that alone should probably get you watching this.
The card
- Impact Tag Team Championship match: LAX (c) vs. Promociones Dorado (Low Ki & Ricky Martinez)
- X Division Championship match: Rich Swann (c) vs. Flamita
- Knockouts Championship match: Taya Valkyrie (c) vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Rosemary vs. Katie Forbes
- Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix) vs. Rob Van Dam & Sabu
- Monster's Ball match: Sami Callihan vs. Jimmy Havoc
- Brian Cage, Moose, Eddie Edwards & TBA vs. Drago, Daga, Aerostar & King Cuerno
- Joey Ryan vs. Tessa Blanchard
- Ultimate X match: Jake Crist vs. Kotto Brazil vs. Jack Evans vs. Dante Fox vs. Pat Buck vs. Johnny Impact
Where to watch
- FITE TV ($20)
TIER THREE: THE BEST OF THE REST
Wrestlecon: U.S. vs. The World - Friday, April 5th - 11 AM EDT
As part of the WrestleCon offering, US vs. The World is a pretty self-explanatory concept with a killer card featuring multiple matches that could be the talk of the weekend. Tons of international talent and some of the best wrestlers in the world, this show looks great.
The card
- Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Emil Sitoci
- Ethan Page vs. MJF
- Brian Cage vs. Masato Tanaka
- Sammy Guevara vs. Puma King
- The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel) vs. Australian Suicide, Robbie Eagles & Adam Brooks
- David Starr vs. Daga
- Rich Swann vs. Jiro "Ikeman" Kuroshiro
- LAX (Santana & Ortiz) vs. Teddy Hart & Harry Smith
- Darby Allin vs. Black Taurus
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
GCW: Orange Cassidy is Doing Something or Whatever, Who Knows? - Saturday, April 6th - 12 PM EDT
If you haven't noticed by now, GCW are the masters at creating unique shows based around their talent for WM Weekend. When a shitty promoter got outed and had to drop out of WM Weekend, GCW picked up the time slot and created a show based around Orange Cassidy, an indie wrestler who just does not give a shit. As such, the show is appropriately titled and has some absurd stipulations such as a "7 out of 13 falls match" and tons of other fun things. The event sold out very quickly and is another testament to the promotional genius of GCW.
The card
- Jonathan Gresham vs. Shinjiro Otani
- One Minute Match: Chuck Taylor vs. Trent ?
- Yuletide Deathmatch: Ultramantis Black vs. Nick Gage
- It's 5 o'clock Somewhere Last Man Standing match: Nate Webb vs. Session Moth Martina
- Lumberjack Swamp Monster Match: Shotzi Blackheart vs. Saraya Knight vs. Allie Kat vs. Kris Stadtlander
- Best 7 out of 13 Falls Match: Logan Easton LaRoux vs. Chris Brookes
- Teddy Hart's Reading Rainbow
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
Blackcraft Wrestling: No Apologies - Friday, April 5th - 11:59 PM EDT
A promotion less than a year old, Blackcraft Wrestling is bringing a very strong card to their first WM Weekend show. A mixture of a lot of top independent talent and a late night time slot makes for an interesting nightcap to a busy Friday.
The card
- Blackcraft Heavyweight Championship match: Johnny Blackcraft (c) vs. David Starr
- Blackcraft Women's Championship match: Saraya Knight (c) vs. Maria Manic
- Devil's Den match: Jimmy Havoc vs. G-Raver
- Chris Dickinson vs. Masato Tanaka
- Pentagon Jr. vs. Simon Grimm
- 666 Man Scramble: Matt Cross vs. Luchasaurus vs. Teddy Hart vs. Cortez Castro vs. Rey Fenix vs. Mecha Wolf
- The Essence (Harlow O'Hara & Vipress) vs. #DATSQUAD (Machiko San & Laynie Luck)
- Matthew Justice vs. Gangrel
- oVe (Jake & Dave Crist) vs. Andy Williams & Pepper Parks vs. The Crown (Jurn Simmons & Alexander James) vs. Bestia 666 & Damien 666 vs. Duke Davis & Ganon Jones Jr.
- The Preacher's Baphomet Battle Royale: Victor Benjamin, Lady Frost, Zicky Dice, Dick Justice, Gory, Kit Osborne, Mance Warner, Dale Patricks, KTB, Derek Direction, Dave Dutra, Benjamin Carter, Royce Isaacs, Sledge, Shlak, Stockade, Conan Lycan, Conor Claxton, Lord Crewe, Rory Gulak, Cory Futuristic, Pinkie Sanchez, Atticus Cogar, Anthony Greene, Casanova Valentine, Arik Cannon, Matt Light, Bobby Beverly
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
Joey Ryan's Penis Party - Friday, April 5th - 8:05 PM EDT
Noted dick wrestler Joey Ryan is following in the footsteps of his heroes Joey Janela and Josh Barnett and starting his own brand for WM Weekend, aptly named the Penis Party. Similar to Spring Break, this card seems focused on the absurd and comedic elements and has some off the wall matches and segments scheduled. It's happening at a very busy time, but it will probably be worth seeking out.
The card
- Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix) vs. John Morrison & Taya Valkyrie
- Black Taurus vs. Shark Boy vs. Puma King vs. Mr. Iguana vs. Green Ant
- Deathmatch: Dan Barry vs. Bill Carr
- David Arquette vs. Timothy Thatcher
- Matt Striker, Trent Barreta & Chuck Taylor vs. Colt Cabana, "Falnation" Mike Babchik & Tommy Dreamer
- Demon x Bunny (Allie & Rosemary) vs. Twisted Sisterz (Holidead & Thunder Rosa)
- Joey Ryan & Val Venis & SeXxXy Eddy vs. Session Moth Martina & Scarlett Bordeaux & Priscilla Kelly
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
Absolute Intense Wrestling: Slumber Party Massacre - Thursday, April 4th - 11 PM EDT
Ah, our first Hornswoggle match on this list. I try to avoid them when I can, but this whole show was originally sold on this match. Scott Steiner vs. Hornswoggle. Apparently Steiner was initially concerned because he "had a bad midget tossing experience in WCW". A barnburner this won't be, but it'll surely be unique. There are a few things on the card that actually look good though.
The card
- AIW Tag Team Championship match: To Infinity & Beyond (Colin Delaney & Cheech) (c) vs. Derek Director & Eddy Only vs. T-Money & Russ Meyers vs. Marino Tenaglia & Philly Collins
- Eddie Kingston vs. Shinjiro Otani
- Nick Gage vs. Mance Warner
- Hornswoggle vs. Scott Steiner
- Ethan Page & MJF vs. Colt Cabana & Grado
- Mexican Deathmatch: La Familia de Tijuana (Damian 666 & Halloween) vs. The Young Studs (Eric Ryan and Bobby Beverly)
- Matthew Justice vs. Tom Lawlor vs. Tim Donst vs. Pretty Boy Smooth
- Dominic Garrini vs. Joshua Bishop
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
Black Label Pro: Adventures in Wrestling - Friday, April 5th - 3:30 PM EDT
Black Label Pro has a propensity for ridiculous matches, and this show has its fair share of them. Oh hey look, ANOTHER Hornswoggle match. Anyways, this is the last show to get a highlight in this tier and I think it just barely passes the threshold. It will be a fun show, but I don't know that it will be great.
The card
- Wrestling with Wregret presents: "The Influencer" Brian Zane's Million Dollar Battle Royal
- BLP Championship match: Ethan Page (c) vs. Kobe Durst
- Jonathan Gresham vs. Shigehiro Irie
- Nick Gage vs. Hornswoggle
- Sadkampf (Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini) vs. Tank & Manny Fernandez
- Team USA (Jordynne Grace, Kylie Rae, Shotzi Blackheart Nicole Savoy & Samanatha Heights) vs. Team International (Shazza McKenzie, Charli Evans, Jessica Troy, Zoe Lucas & Indi Hartwell)
- BLP Tag Team Championship match: Space Pirates (c) vs. Team Whitewolf (A-Kid & Carlos Romo) vs. Tre Lamar & Jake Lander vs. Sammy Guevara & Robbie Eagles
- ICW/ICWA Texarkana Television Title Open Challenge: Bryan Alvarez (c) vs. Orange Cassidy
- Jake Parnell, Chris Dickinson & Rory Gulak vs. Gary Jay, AJ Gray & Curt Stallion
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($15))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
TIER FOUR: THE LITTLE GUYS/LEFTOVERS
From here out I'll just post cards and how to watch, along with bolding any notable matches
WrestlePro: Does Funny = Money? - Wednesday, April 3rd - 8 PM EDT
- Santino Marella & Colt Cabana vs. Heavenly Bodies (Desirable Dustin & Gigolo Justin)
- Matt Macintosh vs. Johnny Clash vs. Jake Manning vs. Anthony Bowens
- Team Tremendous (Dan Barry & Bill Carr) vs. Demon x Bunny (Allie & Rosemary)
- Street fight: Dan Maff vs. Swoggle
- Kikutaro vs. Bobby Wayward
- Bird Box match: Shawn Donovan vs. Buster Jackson
- Gauntlet match: Kevin Matthews & Fallah Bah vs. Blue World Order vs. Team Espana (Jos A & Jos B) vs. Shook Crew vs. Breakfast Club (CPA & Francis Kipland Stevens) vs. Massage Force (VSK & Dorian Graves)
-Santana Jackson vs. Pat Buck
Where to watch
FITE TV ($15)
Beyond Wrestling: Uncharted Territory Episode 1 - Wednesday, April 3rd - 8 PM EDT
- SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) vs. Team Pazuzu (Chris Dickinson, Santana & Ortiz)
- David Starr vs. Masato Tanaka
- Orange Cassidy & ? vs. Jordynne Grace & ?
- Beaver Boys (John Silver & Alex Reynolds) vs. ?
- AR Fox w/Ayla Fox vs. Kris Stadtlander
- MJF vs. Kimber Lee
Where to watch
- FITE TV ($10)
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
IndependentWrestling.TV Family Reunion - Thursday, April 4th - 12 PM EDT
- IWTV Independent Championship European Rounds match: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Jonathan Gresham
- St. Louis Anarchy presents Last Man Standing match: Jake Parnell vs. Gary Jay
- Alpha-1 Wrestling presents: Kobe Durst, Justin Sane & Kody Lane vs. BMD & The Space Pirates (Shane Sabre & Space Monkey)
- Freelance Wrestling presents: Kylie Rae & Isais Velazquez vs. "All Ego" Robert Anthony & Shotzi Blackheart
- Southern Underground Pro presents: Brett Ison & Sadkampf (Kevin Ku & Dom Garrini) vs. O'Shay Edwards, Cabana Man Dan & Mr. Brickster
- PWA Black Label presents: Jack Bonza, Mick Moretti & Unsocial Jordan vs. Robbie Eagles, Caveman Ugg & Bel Pierce
- ACTION Wrestling Championship match: AC Mack (c) vs. Fred Yehi
- Women's Wrestling Revolution presents: Kris Stadtlander & Kimber Lee vs. Shazza McKenzie & Jessica Troy
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($10))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
Interspecies Wrestling: Boner Jam IV: Balls Out - Thursday, April 4th - 7:30 PM EDT
- King of Crazy Championship Fans Bring the LEGO Match: Addy Starr vs. Matt Tremont vs. Jeff Cannonball vs. Nick Gage
- Sexxxy Eddy vs. Hornswoggle
- Team Tremendous (Dan Barry & Bill Carr) vs. Gym Nasty Boys (Timmy Lou Retton & White Mike)
- Chris Dickinson vs. Chris Brookes
- Tony Deppen vs. Jigsaw vs. Werewolf of Wall Street vs. Pinkie Sanchez
- Kickin' & Stompin' (Ivan Sullivan & Stephen Sullivan) vs. The Butcher & The Blade (Andy Williams & Braxton Sutter)
- Jae Rukin vs. Daniel Makabe
- Fluffy the Killer Bunny vs. Leon St. Giovanni
- Bastion Snow International Food Fight Invitational
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($10))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
Kaiju Big Battel: The 25th Silver Jubilee - Thursday, April 4th - 11:59 PM EDT
- Kaiju Grand Championship match: Erebus vs. Powa Ranjuru
- Southern Division Championship match: American Beetle (c) vs. Hell Monkey
- Double Danger Tandem Championship match: SWO vs. Los Plantinos
- Burger Bear vs. Tucor
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "More Than Mania" bundle ($69.99) or individually ($15))
CHIKARA: Once Upon a Beginning - Friday, April 5th - 12 PM EDT
- Grand Championship ladder match: Dasher Hatfield (c) vs. Mr. Touchdown
- The Colony (Green Ant, Thief Ant & Fire Ant) vs. FIST (Tony Deppen, Travis Huckabee & Icarus)
- Thunderfrog, Jigsaw, Razerhawk & Chuckie T vs. Hermit Crab, Cam Zagami, Hallowicked & Arik Cannon
- CCK (Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos) vs. Cornelius Crummels & Sonny Defarge
- A-Kid vs. Air Wolf
- Carlos Romo vs. Still Life with Apricots & Pears
- Kimber Lee vs. The Whisper
- Boomer Hatfield vs. Missile Assault Man
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($10))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
Wrestling Revolver: Pancakes & Piledrivers III - Saturday, April 6th - 11 AM EDT
- Wrestling Revolver Tag Team Gauntlet Championship Match: The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) vs. Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix) vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. Besties in the World (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) vs. Team Tremendous (Dan Barry & Bill Carr)
- Rickey Shane Page vs. Tessa Blanchard
- AR Fox vs. JT Dunn vs. Ace Austin vs. Sammy Guevara
- Rich Swann vs. Chuck Mambo
- Dan Maff vs. Fatu vs. Ace Romero vs. Larry D vs. Madman Fulton vs. Fallah Bahh
- OVE (Sami Callihan, Jake Crist & Dave Crist) vs. The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston, Shane Strickland & Joe Gacy)
- Moose vs. David Starr vs. Brian Cage
- Adam Brooks vs. Matt Cross
Where to watch
- FITE TV (Available as part of the "WrestleCon" Bundle ($59.99) or individually ($15))
IWS: Unstoppable - Saturday, April 6th - 4 PM EDT
- Matt Tremont vs. Nick Gage vs. The Green Phantom
- Alcobrawl match: Sexxxy Eddy vs. Arik Cannon
- Kevin Blanchard vs. Ophidian
- IWS Hardcore Women's Championship match: Addy Starr vs. Veda Scott vs. Solo Darling
- Benjamin Tull vs. Rory Gulak
- Alexander Dean vs. J-Money
- Mercedes Brothers vs. Jordano & Fernando vs. Jepson & Runyan vs. Maredes & Mainz
- Maxim Lemire vs. Sheldon Jean vs. Sanchez vs. Black Dynamite
Where to watch
- FITE TV (available as part of "The Collective" bundle ($99.99) or individually ($10))
- IndependentWrestling.tv ($10/month)
CZW vs. WrestlePro - Saturday, April 6th - 8 PM EDT
- Matt Macintosh vs. Johnny Silver
- Kris Stadtlander vs. Leyla Hirsch
- Fallah Bah vs. Anthony Greene
- Anthony Bowens vs. DJ Hyde
- Team Espana (Jos A & Jos B) vs. The Rep (Dave McCall & Nate Carter)
- Dan Maff vs. Mance Warner
- Craig Steele vs. Matt Tremont
Where to watch
- FITE TV ($15)
And that's everything! Every single match you can watch this weekend. Now, let's give a few lists to break things down into what bundles are available...
BUNDLES
- FITE TV WrestleCon Bundle ($59.99)
Thursday, April 4
7:00pm ET - WrestleCon Supershow
Friday, April 5
11:00am ET - WrestleCon US vs. The World
3:00pm ET - Rev Pro Wrestling
8pm ET - Joey Ryan's Penis Party
Saturday, April 6
11:00am ET - Pro Wrestling Revolver - Pancakes and Pile Drivers
- FITE TV WWN More Than Mania Bundle ($69.99)
Thursday, April 4
4:00pm ET - Westside Extreme Wrestling
8pm ET - DDT Pro Wrestling
11:55pm ET - Kaiju Big Battel
Friday, April 5
11am ET - SHIMMER
3:00pm ET - WWN Super Show - Mercury Rising
Saturday, April 6
2pm ET - MoreThanMania.com 2019 Wrap up Party
- FITE TV The Collective Bundle ($99.99)
Thursday, April 4
12 PM ET - IndependentWrestling.TV: Family Reunion
4:00pm ET - GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport
7:30pm ET - ISW Boner Jam IV: Balls Out
11pm ET - AIW - The Slumber Party Massacre
Friday, April 5
12 PM ET - Chikara - Once Upon A Beginning
3:30pm ET - Black Label Pro - Adventures in Wrestling
8pm ET - GCW Joey Janela's Spring Break - Part 1
11:59pm ET - Blackcraft Wrestling - No Apologies
Saturday, April 6
12 PM ET - "Orange Cassidy is doing something, or whatever... who knows?"
4pm ET - IWS Unstoppable
11:59pm ET - GCW Joey Janela's Spring Break - Part 2
And last but not least, if you just want a complete list in chronological order, I'll quote a post by the ever-helpful Avengers23 who assisted greatly in this whole venture:
Enjoy the best wrestling weekend of the year, friends.
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