Category: Independent Promotions

Homicide Announces Retirement Due to Health Issues, Wrestles Final Match

The wrestling world was left stunned earlier this month when Homicide, a former Ring of Honor World Champion and TNA Tag Team Champion, revealed that he would be stepping away from the ring. His farewell match took place on March 20, where he teamed with former WWE star Bull James against TNA’s Mike Santana and Afa Jr. However, while fans initially speculated on why Homicide was retiring while still actively competing, he has now provided clarity on his decision.

Homicide Reveals Health Concerns Behind Retirement

One day before his final match, Homicide took to Facebook to explain that his retirement is due to a serious health issue—a cyst on his brain that has worsened over time.

“Reason I’m leaving cause I went to my Doctor and found cyst my brain,” Homicide shared. “Had it for months getting worst. My vision, speech is bad. Cause the hard hitting getting knock out and hitting a plane to travel.”

The 46-year-old veteran has built a reputation for his hard-hitting, no-nonsense style, competing in countless brutal battles throughout his career. Unfortunately, the physical toll of his in-ring wars has now led him to step away for the sake of his health.

A Celebration, Not a Goodbye

Despite the circumstances, Homicide made it clear that he wanted his final match to be a celebration rather than a somber farewell.

“I want people to party, and smile, except for Afa Jr.,” Homicide joked. “I’m survivor, I always win bS battles, bottom my heart. Thank you for your support. This not a goodbye. This is I see you later.”

Homicide’s contributions to professional wrestling, particularly in Ring of Honor, TNA, and the independent scene, have left an undeniable mark on the industry. His legacy of grit, passion, and intensity will continue to inspire future generations.

AEW Honors Homicide’s Career

For fans looking to relive some of Homicide’s greatest moments, AEW has released a special episode of “ROH Timelines: Homicide” on their YouTube channel. The episode highlights his incredible career in Ring of Honor, including classic matches against Bryan Danielson and other top names.

A Wrestling Legend Steps Away

While his in-ring career has come to an end, Homicide’s impact on wrestling will never be forgotten. Whether he stays involved behind the scenes or simply enjoys a well-earned rest, his influence remains undeniable.

Malakai Black, Ricky Starks And Miro Depart AEW: What’s Next for These Stars?

The wrestling world has seen a wave of roster shake-ups lately, and AEW is no exception. Following a series of WWE releases, it has now been confirmed that three notable AEW names—Miro, Malakai Black, and Ricky Starks—are no longer with the company. Even more intriguing, they are free to sign and compete anywhere immediately, as their contracts do not include non-compete clauses.

According to Fightful Select, AEW removed all three from its official roster page on Monday, signaling their official departure. Let’s break down the situation for each of these now-former AEW stars.

Malakai Black’s Unexpected Exit

Black’s AEW run seemed poised for longevity, with AEW President Tony Khan previously suggesting his contract could keep him with the company until 2027. However, reports indicate that Black was actually finished with AEW as early as January—well before the Royal Rumble. AEW has already adjusted creatively, repackaging Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart from the House of Black into a new stable, the Hounds of Hell.

Given Black’s reputation as a unique in-ring performer and storyteller, speculation will likely swirl about a potential WWE return—especially considering his past as Aleister Black and his connections in the company.

Miro’s AEW Run Fizzles Out

Once one of AEW’s most dominant forces, Miro had been missing from action for quite some time. Despite being healthy, he wrestled only a handful of matches in 2023 and had not been included in creative discussions for at least six months. Reports indicate that Miro actually requested his release back in September, which means his exit may have been in the works for a while.

Originally signing a long-term contract extension in 2022, Miro was expected to remain with AEW until 2026. However, his absence from TV and lack of creative direction made his departure seem inevitable. Now, the question is whether Miro—formerly known as Rusev in WWE—will head back to his old stomping grounds or explore opportunities elsewhere.

Ricky Starks: A Frustrated Star Moves On

Perhaps the most surprising departure is Ricky Starks, who had long been considered a rising star in AEW. According to reports, Starks asked AEW not to pick up his contract’s option year in late 2023. However, AEW did the opposite—exercising the option but then not utilizing him on TV.

Starks reportedly requested his release in January, and his situation was further complicated when he was pulled from GCW events due to backstage friction. Despite this, Starks managed to make headlines over the weekend by winning the DEFY World Championship from KENTA just before his AEW release became public.

What’s Next?

With no contractual restrictions holding them back, Miro, Black, and Starks have the freedom to appear anywhere at any time. Could we see one—or all—of them make surprise appearances in WWE, NJPW, or even TNA? The industry is wide open, and their next moves will undoubtedly be closely watched by fans and promoters alike.

For now, one thing is certain: AEW’s landscape continues to shift, and these departures could lead to major shake-ups across the wrestling world.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops!

Kylie Rae Joins ‘WWE ID’ Program

Kylie Rae has signed on with WWE’s “Independent Development” program.

During Freelance Wrestling’s ‘Thursday Night Slammasters’ event, it was announced that Rae has joined the WWE ID program.

Rae has previously worked for AEW, TNA Wrestling, GCW, and many other promotions.

Source: eWn

Josh Alexander Bids Farewell to the Independent Scene

Josh Alexander, one of the most respected wrestlers to emerge from the Canadian independent circuit, has announced his retirement from indie wrestling after 20 years. The 37-year-old TNA star shared the news on social media, reflecting on his journey, the grind of constant travel, and his desire to make way for the next generation of wrestlers.

Reflecting on Two Decades of the Grind

In a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter), Alexander expressed gratitude for the promotions, wrestlers, and fans who have been part of his journey. He acknowledged the toll that wrestling’s demanding schedule has taken on him, emphasizing how the relentless travel, especially on the indie scene, has shaped his career and, ultimately, his decision to step back.

“I’ve loved my time in the independents these past 20 years,” Alexander wrote. “I’ve done amazing things, worked with amazing people, and got to travel the world performing in front of amazing fans. That being said, I’m tired of the hustle. It’s time for the next crop to step up and fill whatever void I may leave behind in the Canadian scene.”

The “Walking Weapon” also shared gratitude for the experiences that led him to prominence, even crediting his time as a tire technician—a job he held to supplement his wrestling income—as part of the grind that ultimately gave him a livelihood. He ended his announcement on a positive note, using a classic wrestling sendoff: “It’s not goodbye. It’s just see you later.”

A Continued Legacy in TNA

Though Alexander is stepping away from independent wrestling, his career is far from over. He remains a cornerstone of TNA, where he has wrestled since 2018 and achieved Triple Crown Champion status. His accolades include two reigns as TNA World Champion, with his second reign setting a record at 335 days. In 2023, his efforts earned him a spot in the PWI 500’s top 10, ranking ninth overall.

Alexander is expected to continue as a pivotal figure in TNA’s resurgence, and fans can still look forward to seeing him in high-profile matches under the promotion’s banner.

Interest from WWE or AEW?

As of now, it’s unclear if WWE or AEW has their sights set on Alexander. He recently faced AEW’s Konosuke Takeshita for the International Championship in October, though the match took place at a Maple Leaf Wrestling event, not an AEW show. While his future outside of TNA remains speculative, Alexander’s impressive resume makes him a potential asset for any promotion.

The End of an Era

Josh Alexander’s departure from the independent scene marks the end of a remarkable chapter in his career. For 20 years, he has been a fixture in Canadian wrestling, inspiring countless performers with his work ethic, skill, and dedication. Now, as he focuses on the next phase of his journey, he leaves behind a legacy for the next wave of talent to build upon.

Alexander’s fans, both on the indies and in TNA, know that this isn’t truly goodbye—it’s simply a new beginning for the “Walking Weapon.” Stay tuned to WrestlingNewsBlog.com for updates on his career and the latest in professional wrestling!

WWE Announces WWE ID, New Indie Wrestling Development Program

It’s no secret that one of the visions of WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Triple H, has been to expand the company into different areas, including establishing performance centers in the UK, which WWE did briefly with NXT UK, Japan, Mexico, and other territories, and creating the WWE NIL program for college athletes. Now, WWE is looking to get involved with independent wrestling, with a new program that will have them very attached to certain areas of the scene going forward.

In a press release, WWE announced “WWE ID,” short for “WWE Independent Development.” The new program has been launched to “identify, support, and develop independent wrestling schools and wrestling talent.” Five independent wrestling schools have already earned the “official designation” of being WWE ID schools, including Reality of Wrestling in Houston, the Nightmare Factory in Atlanta, the Black and Brave Academy in Davenport, Iowa, Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center in Concord, New Hampshire, and Knokx Pro Academy in Los Angeles.

“WWE ID is the latest in our efforts to identify and support the journey of up-and-coming wrestlers, in turn raising the profile of and strengthening the independent wrestling ecosystem,” Triple H said in a statement.

Wrestling Schools With WWE Ties First To Achieve WWE ID Status, Canadian Promotion Expresses Skepticism

Four of the five WWE ID schools already had strong ties to WWE, with ROW, Nightmare Factory, Black and Brave, and Knokx Pro being run/co-owned by Booker T, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and Rikishi respectively. Meanwhile, one of Elite Pro’s head trainers, Mike Hollow, previously worked as a WWE jobber during the 90s.

Independent talent associated with the program will also receive a “WWE ID” designation, with WWE providing “financial opportunity” for the talent, as well as “assisting with training, mentorship and development, including access to world-class facilities, best-in-class ring training, athletic trainers and more.” The program will also allow fans to monitor these talent’s progress via matches, highlights, and behind the scenes content to be aired on “WWE social platforms.”

So far, at least one independent promotion has expressed hesitancy towards this new program. Taking to X this morning shortly after WWE’s official announcement, Ottawa based promotion Capital City Championship Combat, better known as C4, posted several tweets, the first of which stated the point of independent wrestling was “to grow. To learn,” and that those claiming to be independent while backed by a billion dollar promotion weren’t independent. In later tweets, the C4 poster admitted this was their immediate reaction, and hoped more info would arise that would prove them wrong.

https://twitter.com/C4Wrestling/status/1851259904088056039
https://twitter.com/C4Wrestling/status/1851264366240239714

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Matt Cardona Suffers Torn Pec, Set To Undergo Surgery

Matt Cardona is reportedly dealing with a torn pectoral muscle that will require surgery.

According to a report from Fightful, several promoters have been informed that Cardona will be undergoing surgery for the injury in the near future.

Cardona’s last match came in the form of a win over Blue Pain at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 8 event over WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia, PA.

Source: eWn

‘Hot Stuff’ Eddie Gilbert Joins Indie Hall Of Fame Class Of 2024 – Jay Briscoe, Sabu, Steve Corino, Mercedes Martinez, Trent Acid, Kevin Hogan

“Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert will be inducted into Game Changer Wrestling & Orange Crush magazine’s Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame this Sunday (April 7). The induction ceremony is streaming live for free on YouTube starting at noon Eastern time.

Trent Acid, The Briscoes, indie superfan Kevin “Whack Packer” Hogan, Steve Corino, Sabu, and Mercedes Martinez are also part of the Hall of Fame class. Acid, Jay Briscoe, Hogan, and Gilbert are being inducted posthumously.

https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1775729895513219426

The son of Tommy Gilbert, Eddie began his in-ring career as a teenager. He worked as both a wrestler and a booker before passing away at 33 years old in February of 1995.

Gilbert is best known for his time wrestling in Memphis. He also has a connection to Philadelphia through the work he did for ECW.

Gilbert spent time in the NWA, USWA, AWA, ECW, and more. Along with being an in-ring performer, Gilbert was a booker for Global Wrestling Federation and Eastern Championship Wrestling.

The Sheraton hotel in downtown Philly is hosting Sunday’s Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony. The ceremony is held annually during WrestleMania weekend.

The Indie Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on April 7.

Gilbert will be inducted by Missy Hyatt.

https://twitter.com/missyhyatt/status/1775803547314970844

Two Indie Promotions Based In United States And United Kingdom Announce ‘Major Merger’

Thanks to the usage today of social media and the internet, wrestling promotions of all shapes and sizes can form their own identities and develop their own followings around the world. Two promotions that have made a name for themselves in the United States and United Kingdom are DEFY and Progress, respectively. DEFY, based out of Seattle, Washington, has become one of the most popular independent promotions in the US, helping to launch AEW stars like Swerve Strickland, Darby Allin, and Nick Wayne.

In the United Kingdom, Progress has become one of the premiere promotions to benefit from the British wrestling boom in the mid-2010s, with some of its biggest alums ranging from Pete Dunne and GUNTHER in WWE, to Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr. in NJPW.

Now the two companies have joined forces in a major merger first reported by Fightful Select, and have since gone public with their new venture as both DEFY and Progress aim to create a global presence that benefits both companies and aids further expansion plans.

DEFY’s recent anniversary event DEFY To Survive: Lucky Number 7 was the first event to take place since the merger was announced, and DEFY events will be available to stream on Progress’ streaming service Demand Progress Plus. The next Progress event, Chapter 163: Twisted Metal, will be the first event for the English promotion since the announcement, and will take place on February 25. The companies have held joint events together in the past, the most recent example being DEFY X PROGRESS in June 2023. Progress did help DEFY come to England over All In weekend in August 2023, with both companies running shows in London’s ‘Electric Ballroom’ on August 26, 2023. The next collaborative effort from the two companies will come over WrestleMania weekend in April, as both DEFY and Progress will host events as part of The Collective on April 4.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

RevPro Star ‘Mad Kurt’ Kurtis Chapman Dead At Age 26

Revolution Pro Wrestling delivered sad news Friday morning as they announced that Kurtis Chapman, known to wrestling fans as Mad Kurt, had died at the age of 26.

“We, at Revolution Pro Wrestling are absolutely heartbroken to report the loss of our dear friend Kurtis Chapman,” RevPro stated on X (formerly Twitter). “We watched Kurtis grow from a child to a young man who loved professional wrestling and continued to excel in all aspects of his life. One of the most gifted technical wrestlers, charismatic characters and magnetic personalities. He will never be forgotten.”

A nine-year veteran in the wrestling business, Chapman gradually built his name in the UK’s independent scene, where he later captured the RevPro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship. Along his journey, Chapman competed in several other notable promotions, including PROGRESS, TNT Extreme Wrestling, IPW UK, and Game Changer Wrestling, the latter of which saw him challenge Matt Cardona for the Internet Championship in September 2022. Chapman wrestled his last match in June 2023, successfully defending the Resurgence Arthouse Championship in a four-way bout against Chocolate Thunder, Rayne Leverkusen, and Skye Smitson at the promotion’s The Day Resurgence Stood Still event.

Outside of the ring, Chapman also established himself as a prominent social media personality, providing his followers with many smiles and laughs over the years.

As of this writing, the circumstances surrounding Champan’s death remain unknown.

As the wrestling world continues to absorb the gravity of this news, many of Chapman’s friends and peers have chimed in on social media to share their condolences and memories of the young performer.

“I know Kurt would have loved the amount of love shown for him today,” former “WWE NXT UK” star Lizzy Evo wrote on X alongside a candid photograph of herself and Chapman. “Absolute gem of a human behind the keyboard and behind the cape. This one hit hard today. Please have the convos you wanna have and speak to the people you wanna speak to. Life truly is so short.”

ROH World Television Champion Kyle Fletcher, who was a recurring opponent of Chapman’s, expressed similar sentiments, writing, “I don’t quite have the words for how I’m feeling right now. someone I always looked forward to seeing, never failed to make me laugh I’ll miss you Kurt, thanks for everything. rest easy.” Fletcher’s post was also accompanied by a flexing photo of himself, Chapman, and Mark Davis.

https://twitter.com/kylefletcherpro/status/1740695286161490090

Former NXT UK” star Nina Samuels touted Chapman as not only a “special and unique” character in the wrestling world but as a person in the real world as well. “My heart is broken that this isn’t just another Mad Kurt rib,” Samuels wrote. “Sending love to his family and everyone close to him.”

Recent Impact/TNA Wrestling signee Dani Luna offered up a happy memory of Chapman, in which the two can be seen laughing with each other while in attendance at a wrestling show. “The last time me and Kurt hung out is encapsulated perfectly in this photo. Talking s*** about wrestling, drinking beer, and him making me laugh until I couldn’t breathe. Miss you my friend,” Luna tweeted.

https://twitter.com/DaniLuna_pro/status/1740702772457340934

“GCW is saddened to learn of the passing of Kurtis Chapman, aka Mad Kurt. We were lucky to work with him during our first tour of the UK and we will remember him with great fondness. RIP Kurt,” Game Changer Wrestling wrote alongside a smiling image of Chapman and Matt Cardona.

Many of Chapman’s cohorts have also sent their condolences to his family and friends, including former Impact Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry, Veda Scott, Faye Jackson, and Darius Lockhart, who praised Chapman for his sharp wit and comedic bits that Lockhart feels were often under-appreciated.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Spike Dudley Makes In-Ring Return

Spike Dudley returned to the ring for the first time in eight years, competing at LIVE Pro Wrestling’s show this weekend.

Dudley hasn’t competed since 2015, and he stepped into the ring with Leon St. Giovanni at the indie event.

St. Giovanni later tweeted,

“I wrestled Spike Dudley tonight. Life is crazy.

Don’t worry about the footage. Trust me, I beat him senseless afterwards.

@LIVEpwevents”

https://twitter.com/LeonStGiovanni/status/1731514037773464045

Source: eWn