Who are the top names on the Indies right now?

[Shadowmancer]

Its a thought that I have been having recently. To be an Indy wrestler you cannot be a part of the Main Roster of the WWE, TNA or RoH. This is mainly staying within the realms of North America. (RoH is no longer an Indy since it is owned by a broadcasting group).

The Names I have come up with are Colt Cabana, Cliff Compton, Doc Gallows, Drew Galloway and Chuck Taylor. I can't think of many others that fall into that category. Chris Hero may be in there but I can't remember if he is contracted to RoH or not.

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

Mia Yim

 

[nightmare]

JohnJohnson


...and some guy named Sting.

 

[Slash-LN]

Archibald Peck

I agree with Chuck Taylor.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Archibald Peck

Who is of course no relation of RD Evans.

For my money, the top name on the indies right now, as in the guy who gets the most bookings that I can see, main events the most shows and doesn't work for WWE, TNA, ROH or NJPW, is Johnny Gargano. Followed by Candice LeRae, Joey Ryan, Brian Cage, Trent? (Baretta), Chuck Tayor, Colt Cabana, Cliff Compton, Drew Galloway/McIntyre, etc.

Doc Gallows is contracted to NJPW and works very few indies in America nowadays.

Chris Hero isn't contracted to ROH (the report is supposedly they agreed on a short term deal so that Hero could put Adam Cole over, so that Hero could do NOAH and would then return, but when he was supposed to return ROH told him to lose some weight because they didn't like his image), and isn't working many independent dates in America lately because he's full-time with Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan.

 

[nightmare]

Archibald Peck

Cracks me up every time.

Yeah, I do love that guy. He has done well since I first saw him back in PCW. Good times.

 

[Papa Pillman]

Essentially this list is going to be the guys who work Evolve like Ricochet, Gargano, Rich Swann, Uhaa Nation, Chuck Taylor, Drew Gulak, Biff Busick, etc. That list also includes some more recently WWE affiliated names like Trent, Hero, and Drew Galloway. Paul London is still active to a degree on the circuit and can be thrown in as well. Also the other PWG names who don't work for Gabe Sapolsky's companies like Joey and Candice or Brian Cage.

The quickest riser on the circuit right now is Trevor Lee who started young killing it in Carolina-based indy's and now has quickly become a PWG favorite, defeating a "who's who" of independent wrestling's elite this year despite having just turned 21 years old.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Yet I personally, and I know a lot of others who agree, don't find anything too interesting about Trevor Lee. Not going to say I'm always right about who on the indies will make a name or break out, I remember saying on forums when ROH signed Kyle O'Reilly that he didn't deserve it and only got it so ROH could make Davey happy, and now he's one of my favorite wrestlers, but there's something about Lee I just can't get. Like, I don't see why people would like him.

 

[Lowdown]

The only guy I can think of is Willie Mack. Like Kevin Steen, the man is fat, but he can definitely go in the ring. I'm liking Joey Ryan back in the indies as well. He was wasted in TNA.