The Indy Wrestling Experience

Episode #53 - Brox Boulder: The Aftermath of AOG

We are back this week with double interview episode. We start with our exclusive sit-down with Brox Boulder who tells his story about the sale of FTC Art of Grappling, his ouster from his position as trainer and head of creative at the school by the new owner, and his new wrestling school and promotion called AFTERMATH. Brox tells us how Bobby Blaze and Jillian Hall inspired the logo for his new venture, what he plans to change from his time at AOG, and what he plans to do exactly the same moving forward. 
After that, we are joined by the CEO of Ragin Pro Wrestling, Rich Buchholtz, who updates us on the Savage Seduction situation which will culminate at RPW Redemption this Saturday, and will continue to be felt at RPW's next show, Adrenaline 1, the following week. Rich gives us some early behind the scenes information about the Savage Seduction angle, and promises to return to discuss the fall out next week. In addition, Rich gives his opinions on wrestler resumés, TKO ticket prices, and Rikishi's latest complaint against WWE. 
Jon takes the opportunity, with two guests, to ask some off the wall questions that lead to some great stories from Brox and Rich being rendered speechless. Check it out!!!
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00:00:00 - Brox Boulder
01:19:59 - Rich Buchholtz
 

Episode #52 - Tully Tales, SHINE Sabotaged, & Brox Bounced

We’re back with a jam-packed episode featuring the return of one of our favorite guests, Tully Bertorelli, who is back to talk about recent events involving The Collective, his match for the UPW American Championship against “Nerd Rage” Melvin Hayes on Saturday at UPW Clash in Champion, and updates on some of his recent art and music releases.
 
We start the show talking about a bad experience Bob had (saved Jon just in time) attempting to watch the SHINE 85 pay per view. Bob talks about how his subpar experience with Club WWN in the past was overshadowed this time by a complete inability to view the show that was purchased 
 
Bob and Jon also discuss the huge news regarding a shake up and new ownership at FTC Art of Grappling which saw Brox Boulder ousted as trainer, and the voluntary departures of many of the former FTC AOG talent. Brox has started his own school called Aftermath. Brox will join us next week for an exclusive interview about his departure from FTC AOG and the inspiration behind Aftermath. Don’t miss it!!
 
Before we get to Tully, Bob and Jon debate the new licensing model being used by the Creator Sports Network, which recently signed Ohio Valley Wrestling as their first wrestling entity. Is it the wave of the future or just another gimmick that will ultimately fail? Bob and Jon have different opinions and they begin the debate about creator-led live sports that is certainly just beginning.
 
Finally, Jon introduces you (and Bob) to the world of Soft Ground Wrestling out of Uganda. If you have not seen clips of this promotion, go check them out. It’s a cool new spin on wrestling. Some of your favorite stars have appeared there already!
 
In our Control Center, we preview three shows happening this weekend, all on Saturday from:
 
Heartland Championship Wrestling
The Gulf Coast Wrestling
KAOS Wrestling
 
Next week will be a huge show. We will have Brox Boulder discussing the events that led to his departure from FTC AOG and starting his own school. We will also be joined by Rich Buchholtz in the final moments before RPW Redemption and the reveal of the folks behind Savage Seduction. STAY TUNED!!
 
00:00:00 – Intro, News & Notes
00:47:30 – Interview with Tully Bertorelli
01:29:02 – Control Center

Episode #51 - Closures, Retirements & Hiatuses

We are back from the holiday break with a ton of news and notes to get to. Unfortunately, as the new year begins, most of the recent news is about endings. KCWA in Pennsylvania and Deadlock Pro Wrestling are no more, Tony Deppen is taking an indefinite mental health break from professional wrestling, Dan Barry wrestled his final match and Mercedes Martinez announces her retirement at the end of 2026. 
Bob and Jon also talk about three IWTV title changes that happened over a three week span. Bear Bronson won the IWTV title, then lost it to Krule days later. Soon after, Bang & Matthews added to their belt collection, defeating Miracle Generation to win the vacant IWTV Tag Team Championships.
On top of all that, there's a storm brewing in Wisconsin, and its name is Savage Seduction. RPW CEO Rich Buchholtz continues to be threatened by this mysterious faction that will make their plans known on January 24 at RPW Redemption.  All this is going on while, at the same time, Silas Young announces he is not medically cleared to defend the RPW Championship against Sampson at Redemption. RPW quickly named a replacement in what is now a match for the Vacant RPW Championship. We will have Rich on in two weeks to help us make sense out of all this confusion.
Our IWX Watch This is New Heights Wrestling "NHW Pro TV Ep. 6" which was posted to NHW's YouTube channel last week. This is a fun episode, capped off by a lumberjack match between Hunter Hendrix and Drake Zavior for the NHW Pride Championship. In addition, we get Dominic Bianco vs Caden Albright and Logan Yand vs the impressive Max Striker. 
In our Control Center, we preview three shows coming up this weekend from:
Focus Pro Wrestling
REAL Pro Wrestling
Wrestlemerica 
And this Control Center has some really fun promos too. Check it out!!
Next week, we return with Tully Bertorelli, who will catch us up on his life, wrestling and otherwise, and preview his huge match against Melvin Hayes for the UPW American Championship on January 17. STAY TUNED!!
 
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00:00:00 - Intro, News and Notes
00:50:42 - IWX Watch This - NHW TV Ep 6
01:13:47 - Control Center

Episode #50 - Underground Lucha Experience (S01 E05)

We're back this week with another Lucha Underground rewatch episode. This time, it's Season 1, Episode 5 "Boyle Heights Street Fight" which introduces a level of violence we have yet to see so far.  
The card:
Drago vs Mil Muertes
Mascarita Sagrada vs Son of Havoc (w.Ivelisse)
Chavo Guerrero vs Sexy Star
Big Ryck vs Prince Puma (Boyle Heights Street Fight)
Don't forget the rewatch links are located in our linktree. Watch along with us!
Next week, Bob and Jo return with more indy-focused episodes for the new year! STAY TUNED!!

Episode #49 - Underground Lucha Experience (S01 E04)

We're back this week with another Lucha Underground rewatch episode. This time, it's Season 1, Episode 4 "Thrill of the Hunt" which continues many of the storylines from the first three episodes. 
The card:
Sexy Star vs Ivellise
Fenix vs Pentagon Jr
Drago vs King Cuerno
Big Ryck vs Johnny Mundo
Don't forget the rewatch links are located in our linktree. Watch along with us!
Next week, we'll be back with Season 1, Episode 5. After the new year, Bob and Jo return with more indy-focused episodes! STAY TUNED!!

Episode #48 - IWX Year End Awards

We're back with the final regular indy-focused episode of the year and, of course, it's our Year in Review with our IWX Awards for 2025. We review our first year as the Indy Wrestling Experience while, at the same time, we each award performers and promotions for having a special 2025 in the following categories:
Male Performer of the Year
Female Performer of the Year
Tag Team of the Year
IWX Favorite of the Year
Live Moment of the Year
Favorite Match of the Year
One to Watch in 2026
Comeback of the Year
Ripple in the Matrix Award (Performer who made a huge splash in 2025)
IWX Watch This Show of the Year
Promo of the Year
Hagerstown Heat Award 
Storyline of the Year
Matt Cardona Award 
Congrats to all of the talents noted in this episode for their unique contributions to independent wrestling in 2025!
Before the awards begin, Bob and Jon take a moment to thank the recently-retired Missa Kate for an incredible career and some amazing moments for the fans.
Also, the IWXtra newsletter has arrived. This is your official supplement to the Indy Wrestling Experience podcast, as it contains tons of additional information that did not make it onto the podcast. In addition, we will be making announcements for entry into our monthly and year-end rankings, starting with a call for submissions for top managers. Subscribe to the IWXtra, then message me with your nominations for Top Manager!
The last two episodes of the year will be Underground Lucha Experience episodes that we pre-taped so Bob and Jon can recharge for 2026. Thanks to you all for your continued support!!

Episode #47 - Missing Megaphone, Jushin & Joey, and Lucha Lucha

We're back this week and making adjustments on the fly! We start the show talking about some events from Wrestlecade, including Jushin Thunder Liger's UN-retirement and Jimmy Hart's megaphone being stolen.
We discuss the recently released IWX Tag Team Top 400, which was released on Tuesday, and give some insight into how the top 10 teams each earned their spots. 
In personal medical news we discuss some less positive updates about John Nord and Joe Doering. Mr. Nord, it was announced, can no longer do public signings due to his deteriorating condition. Mr. Doering, who has battled brain tumors for years, was recently found to have a third brain tumor. We send our best out to both of those guys and discuss what we loved about them when they were  on our TVs in our younger years. 
We analyze some recent news in the business world of the wrestling business, as Coastal Championship Wrestling just announced a TV deal for their promotions and dates for the first live TV Tapings! We are big fans of the promotion and have touted their stars for a while. We are so glad to see CCW getting this huge opportunity. 
Before we go to the control center, Bob and Jon return to the topic of the WCPW/SLA/New Texas partnership on news that St. Louis Anarchy and New Texas have formally announced their partnership. 
In our Control Center, we preview three shows coming up this weekend, including the big GLCW Blizzard Brawl and SOAR Wrestling Worldwide's SOARCADE: Civil War, both on Saturday, as well as Fab Wrestling's No Mercy in December on Sunday. We've got some really good promos from some of the performers at SOAR and at Fab Wrestling. Thank you so much to those two promotions for their permission to use the audio from those promos on our show!
Finally, we had a last minute cancellation this week, but we won't leave you hanging. At the end of the episode, we have added the next Underground Lucha Experience episode. Use the links in our Linktree to watch Season 1 Episode 3 of Lucha Underground with us. This show features, Penta vs Drago vs Fenix, plus Mascarita Sagrada, Mil Muertes and more on the Chavo Guerrero saga. Great episode. Enjoy!
Next week, Jon and Bob return with one more regular episode before our Year End Awards show in two weeks. STAY TUNED!!!
 

Episode #46 - The Changing Landscape, Laynie Luck, & Wrestlecade

We're back this week to, hopefully, help make your Thanksgiving commute a little less painful. We dive back into the changing economic landscape of independent wrestling following the announcement that West Coast Pro Wrestling has formed strategic partnerships with St. Louis Anarchy and New Texas Pro Wrestling. WCPW formerly had similar partnerships with Prestige Wrestling and Deadlock Pro Wrestling. With the announcement that both promotions were going away (at least for a while), WCPW acted swiftly and secured two new partners that will be as good, if not better, moving forward. Will this consolidation strategy take hold in other areas as the landscape continues to change? Is it an alternative to the "go national" model of promotions like GCW and House of Glory? Could this lead to a governing body? OK, maybe that's too far, but join us as we discuss all of the possibilities.
 
At the same time, Bob and Jon react to wonderful news coming out of the Monster Factory. Danny Cage announced this week that even though he is stepping away for a while, and their building has been swept out from under them, that the Monster Factory legacy will continue with a new name and a new building, but tons of familiar faces. David Goldy, Missy Sampson, and Travis Jacobs will lead this new chapter in the multi-decade legacy, created by Larry Sharpe and Danny Cage. We are encouraged by the resilience of these folks, and by the news that, even in the cluttered wrestling scene in New Jersey, promotions are digging in their heels and sticking around rather than taking their ball and going home. This can be nothing but good news for independent wrestling and we support Goldy, Sampson, and Jacobs on this new phase of their journey.
 
In other news and notes, we discuss Atticus Cogar becoming the new GCW champion, Shotzi Blackheart becoming the new House of Glory women's champion, and two new champions in Focus Pro Wrestling. While Jon revels in the fact that he picked the Women's title tournament winner correctly and Bob did not (Congratulations to Kaia McKenna), both of the guys rejoice in Mani Ariez surviving the dog collar match and regaining HIS Focus Pro Championship. Congrats to all!
 
In honor of Laynie Luck winning the WWE ID Women's Championship and getting a WWE ID contract, our IWX Watch This is a playlist of five increasingly awesome Laynie Luck matches from the past few years. The playlist is on our Linktree if you want to watch along as Laynie faces Gia Scott, Elayna Black, Jordynne Grace, Stacy Shadows and Shazza McKenzie. 
 
Finally, since it's a holiday weekend and most wrestling fans, if they're leaving the house, are all going to be concentrated in one place, Bob figured it's a great time to introduce anyone who is unfamiliar to everything that is Wrestlecade weekend. We go through the itinerary step by step and talk about all of the amazing offerings at Wrestlecade in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Four wrestling shows, meet and greets with hundreds of performers (past and present), Q&As, panels, retrospectives AND a concert by Jeff Hardy? If you're never been, listen in as we give you the lowdown. Bob is already pressuring Jon to go next year. Maybe we'll see you there!!
 
Next week, we'll be back to the regular program. Hopefully with the guest we teased for this week. Have a happy Thanksgiving and STAY TUNED!!

Episode #45 - The Indies are NOT Dying!

We are back this week and we are tired of hearing people speculate that independent wrestling as a whole is dying without a shred of real evidence. So, we decided to ask an actual promoter for real data on houses, budgets, fan engagement and more to get to the bottom of this rumor.
 
After first addressing the rapidly escalating situation with the Savage Seduction invasion at Ragin' Pro Wrestling, RPW CEO Rich Buchholtz joins us for this discussion and, if you're a data nerd, listen closely. Rich brings actual numbers, actual figures, and real information from his promotion. Rich also uses his two decades of experience in the wrestling business to help us try to debunk some of the ridiculous things being said lately, simply because Deadlock Pro and Prestige are going away for a while. There is SO much more to discuss on this issue than the hiatus of two promotions and we dig in. 
 
If you are into learning about the business of the wrestling business, this is your episode. If you are interested in data and numbers vs speculation and rumors, this is your episode. Bob and Jon learned a lot. We hope you will too. 
 
In our IWX Watch This Segment, we took inspiration from Matt Cardona's return to Smackdown last week and decided to watch Matt Cardona vs Duke Davis for the International Wrestling Cartel Championship from IWC Alwayz Ready back in August. Cardona does great heel work and Duke Davis shines as the new IWC Champion in his first title defense. 
 
In the Control Center, we preview four shows coming up this weekend. As always, we thank these promotions for granting us permission to use their audio to enhance our previews. This week, we discuss shows this weekend presented by:
4Ever Pro Wrestling
Real Action Pro Wrestling
Grapple Pro
Focus Pro Wrestling
We will be back next week, possibly with a new guest. STAY TUNED!

Episode #44 - Watch Along: Beyond Wrestling "Green Hell"

We're back after an unexpected week off and the release of the IWX Top 1000 Indy Wrestler list for 2025. After wishing Jon a belated Happy Birthday, Bob offers some additional insight into the IWX Top 1000, to address just a few of the many questions and comments about the methodology.
Congrats to all who made the IWX Top 1000. Believe me, the names on the list were not added or placed lightly. Everyone on this list deserves to be recognized, as well as so many that were not on the list. Next week, the Women's list drops. The tag team list in early December. 
The main focus of the show, though, was our watch along, chosen by Jon, of Beyond Wrestling's "Green Hell" from this past Halloween. The card for this wild show:
Costume Battle Royal
Dan Barry vs Julius Draeger
Rickey Shane Page vs Oxx Adams
Shockwave The Robot vs Rain Conway
Krule vs PCO
CPA vs Jake Gray
Bobby Orlando & Eye Black Jack vs Steven Stetson & Bobby Cassale
Bear Bronson, SLADE and Gabby Forza vs Rex Lawless, RJ Rude and Nick Robles - Casket Match
Next week, we're back to the regular program. STAY TUNED!!!