Canada is Coming: 50 Canadian Indie Wrestlers To Watch For

The Great White North. Canadia. The apartment above a meth lab. Call it what you want. Canada is a historical land of great importance in pro wrestling. And Canada and the United States is a friendship that is as much the posturing of Marty McFly trying to befriend Biff Tannen as it is Spider-Man trying to calm down Johnny Storm. But in the world of pro wrestling, it's been an alliance that has seen some of Canada's greatest pro wrestlers help shape the world - Stu Hart has trained and unleashed some of the world's top wrestlers, Sandy Parker became the first Black women's and LGBTQ+ World Champion, while names like Bret Hart, Roddy Piper, Eduoard Carpentier, Pat Patterson, Owen Hart, Vivian Vachon, Abdullah The Butcher, Killer Kowalski, Trish Stratus, Chris Jericho, Lance Storm, Kevin Owens, Kenny Omega, Portia Perez, Sami Zayn, Natalya, and countless others, have perpetuated Canada's history in association with pro wrestling.

But during the Covid-19 pandemic that defined 2020, Canada was hit with a terrible reality when it came to pro wrestling. Due to our protocols, live shows were never an option. And due to the closure of the Canada-US border in March of 2020, Canadian indie performers not only cannot perform in front of Canadian indie fans, but they can also no longer compete in the United States either. While some promotions and wrestlers have released sporadic closed-set performances, the Canadian indie scene has suffered a significant hit during this past year. But while signed performers for companies like WWE, AEW, and IMPACT are able to continue performing, those without the full-time pay are stuck at home, without the ability to not only continue their craft at home but venture into the ever-expanding U.S. indie scene to push their

brand. But as vaccines continue to be administered (and at a faster rate in Canada than the U.S.), it's only a matter of time before the borders re-open. And oh boy, is the Canadian indie scene ready to pounce. For many, they were breaking into the U.S. and international indies just as the pandemic struck. For others, they've used the blackout to perfect their Social Media presence or have had rising scenes to enhance their history, with a whole new audience south of the border ready to finally witness their abilities live and in person. If you're not ready for it...sorry.

Canada is home to a passable mainstream ale called Labatt 50 that has an ironic and non-ironic presence in local bars, and the song "Fifty Mission Cap" by musical poet laureates The Tragically Hip is a Canadian musical treasure, so in honour of both, here is a look at 50 Canadian indie names that you should pay attention to, follow, and/or book when the longest undefended border in the world opens back up.

DISCLAIMER: This list does not include Canadian talents who are contracted to major companies but are eligible to work the indies (i.e. Ethan Page, Taylor Wilde, Rosemary, Josh Alexander, El Phantasmo, etc.) or wrestlers still under U.S. bans due to work visas (Nicole Matthews). While this list features 50 incredibly talented Canadian wrestlers, it is far from definitive and there are hundreds more who could easily make this list.

Addy Starr, Quebec (via Ontario)

Montreal grappler Addy Starr has been a staple of the Canadian indies since she debuted in the Ontario indie scene in 2006. By the end of the decade, she had relocated to Quebec, becoming a vital component in the Montreal scene with Inter Species Wrestling (ISW) and International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS), bringing in-ring brutality and penchant for violence (becoming the master of the Lego hardcore match), as well as in nearby Ottawa with Capital City Championship Combat (C4). In the 2010s, she spent a bulk of her time in the UK scene, working with the likes of Pro Wrestling EVE, Tidal Championship Wrestling (TCW), PROGRESS, and RevPro, before returning to North America in 2018. In the US, she also worked with Beyond Wrestling and others. A tough as nails veteran, she would make a huge impact in the U.S. indies right now as a locker room leader to such a strong crop of young women making strides.

Aiden Prince, Ontario

Based out of Windsor, Ontario, Aiden Prince is a former backyard wrestler who was trained at the famed Can-Am Dojo run by IMPACT executive Scott D'Amore, where Prince is now a trainer. A regular in the Southwest Ontario and Quebec indie scene, he's also competed in the Michigan indies, and until the pandemic hit, was a regular with IMPACT Wrestling at Canadian tapings - he's competed for both the IMPACT World title (against Austin Aries in 2018) and IMPACT X-Division title (against Jake Crist in 2019). An innovative high flyer, he'd fit in well in the Midwest indie scene.

Alexia Nicole, Ontario

Woodbridge, Ontario's "Bubblegum Princess" Alexia Nicole has been a veteran of the Southwest Ontario indie scene since 2013 and was trained by former IMPACT Knockouts Champion Taylor Wilde. A regular with most top Ontario indie promotions, like Smash Wrestling, Superkick'D, Barrie Wrestling, C4, Destiny, and more, she was also featured with IMPACT Wrestling at Canadian tapings, even partnering with Jordynne Grace in 2019. In the U.S., she's competed for the likes of Beyond Wrestling, Glory Pro, Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), and more, and has wrestled for the likes of Ring of Honor, SHIMMER, and PROGRESS at Canadian dates.

Anton Alexiev, Ontario

"The White Russian" has predominantly fought out of Toronto's Superkick'D since his debut in 2015, and he's a former 2x Superkick'D Champion. In 2018, he made his U.S. debut and has since worked for both Freelance Wrestling and Glory Pro, until the pandemic halted his journey into the United States indie scene.

Artemis Spencer, British Columbia

For nearly 20 years, Artemis Spencer has been of Western Canada - and Canada in general's - most underrated talents, and a mainstay with Vancouver's Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW). A former 2x ECCW Champion and 3x ECCW Canadian Champion, in 2018, he finally burst into the U.S. Pacific Northwest indie scene with DEFY Wrestling (winning the DEFY Championship), and in 2019, became just the 6th Canadian to enter the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) Battle of Los Angeles tournament in its 14-year history, joining a class that features El Generico (Sami Zayn), Kevin Steen/Owens, Kenny Omega, Michael Elgin, and PCO.

Bianca Carelli, Ontario

Photo: Chris Levionnois

Bianca Carelli has been training to be a wrestling star since she was born - after all, her father, Anthony Carelli, entertained millions of fans around the world as WWE Superstar Santino Marella. With a rich cultural heritage akin to Canada's own distinct mosaic - Bianca is Italian, Finnish, Pakistani, and Indigenous (Metis) - she's been training under her father at the BattleArts Academy in Mississauga, Ontario. 

BMD, Ontario

Brett Michael David - more affectionately known simply as BMD - is one of those wrestlers who used the pandemic to deepen their Social Media presence and re-invent their persona into something worth much much more once the Canada-U.S. borders open up. From Hamilton, Ontario, BMD has been a regular with Ethan Page's Alpha-1 Wrestling since 2017, but in the past year or so, his transition into a Canadian persona akin to the likes of the cult comedy hit Letterkenny has made BMD one of pro wrestling's must-see comedy acts, via his videos on Social Media and Twitch. Apart from his work in the Southwest Ontario scene, BMD has appeared for CHIKARA, Freelance, Black Label Pro, and more, but now he's found his true Canuck voice and now ya just gotta "figure it out and have a good day, bud!"

Brent Banks, Ontario

A 14-year veteran of the Canadian indies, Brent Banks became one of the franchise players for Smash Wrestling in 2012 and has been ever since, as well as many of the other Toronto indies. He's dabbled in the U.S. indies for over a decade, competing for DragonGate USA, AAW Pro, AIW, Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), and Freelance, and in 2019, expanded into the UK scene, with PROGRESS and Preston City Wrestling (PCW). An amazing blend of speed, power, and technique, "Banks is Money" and is one of the names that are ready to pounce on any opportunity. He was also working matches for IMPACT Wrestling at Canadian tapings until the pandemic kept tapings in the U.S.

Cat Power, British Columbia

Originally from Nova Scotia, Cat Power has traversed Canada to soak in training and become one of Canada's best hybrid wrestlers. Trained in Windsor at the Can-Am Dojo, she debuted with SHIMMER in 2008 and in 2015, headed to Japan to work for REINA, Sendai Girls, Diana, JWP, and Stardom (defeating Momo Watanabe at the Stardom 5th Anniversary Special in 2016) as "The Joshi Killer". Since 2012, she has been a mainstay with ECCW on the West Coast, and also works the U.S. Pacific Northwest with DEFY, 3-2-1 BATTLE, and California's PCW ULTRA.

Channing Decker, Ontario

Toronto's Channing Decker started out in the tag team The Fraternity with Trent Gibson, not only in Canada but becoming regulars in Pennsylvania's International Wrestling Cartel (IWC) and New York's House of Glory (HOG) in 2014/2015. 3x IWC Tag Team Champions, they competed for IMPACT, ROH, and NJPW at Canadian events. But in the past few years, Decker has emerged as a singles star, becoming a more extreme talent, in both Canada, and in Japan, where he debuted with Big Japan Wrestling (BJW) in early 2020, as an ally with England's Drew Parker.

Daniel Makabe, British Columbia

Photo: David Horvitz

Canada has a reputation for some of the best technical wrestlers throughout history. From Farmer Burns' trainee Jack Taylor to Stu Hart, to Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Chris Benoit, Lance Storm, and beyond, the Great White North is a country that loves its technical prowess. Perhaps our greatest export right now is Surrey, BC's Daniel Makabe, a regular of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, who has, in recent years, expanded into the U.S. with the likes of Germany's Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) as well as Black Label Pro, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), St. Louis Anarchy, and the UK. He's a wrestler's wrestler and every time he's a wrestler's dream opponent, he makes new fans in the indie scene. In 2021, he's arguably the equivalent of Canada's Jonathan Gresham.

Divya Ch., Ontario

Divya Ch. has been a regular in Ontario for a couple of years now, training out of Santino Marella's BattleArts Academy in Mississauga. She's also trained in England with Marty Jones (who trained William Regal). In 2019, she competed for WWE on SmackDown! against Tamina, and she continues to impress with big matches wherever she competes.

Fight or Flight (Gabriel Fuerza & Vaughn Vertigo), Ontario

Photo: Jason Barker/C4

For the past seven years, Fight or Flight has been one of Canada's premiere tag team combos, featuring Gabriel Fuerza and Vaughn Vertigo. Over their career, they've competed for many top promotions in the Southwest Ontario and Quebec scene, like C4, Smash Wrestling, Alpha-1, Barrie Wrestling (BW), IWS, Federation de Lutte Quebecoise (FLQ), Demand Lucha, and others, and are former 2x C4 Tag Team Champions, A1 Tag Team Champions, and BW Tag Team Champions. The high octane duo are also accomplished singles grapplers - both are former BW Heavyweight Champions. They've also competed for PROGRESS and House of Glory (HOG) shows in Canada. During the pandemic era in Canada, Vertigo launched Backyard PRO, closed set backyard shows that featured Canadian indie talents, and competed in Europe with Germany's wXw and England's Preston City Wrestling (PCW). 

"Beast King" Frankie TM, Quebec

Photo: Alan Taylor/Smash Wrestling

A near 25-year veteran of the Canadian indie scene, Quebec's "Beast King" Frankie TM (formerly standing for "The Mobster"), has been a legend in the Canadian indies since the late 1990s. A veteran of longtime Quebec indie Northern Championship Wrestling (NCW), Frankie originally broke into the U.S. with CZW in 2005 and ROH in 2009. He's competed for most of Canada's top indies, like C4, Smash, Destiny, and IWS, and is a former CZW Iron Man Champion as well as World Champion for the likes of IWS and Smash, and is an early mentor for WWE Superstar Kevin Owens.

Gato Rojo, Ontario

Gato Rojo is not only the spandex cat who dominates in Toronto's indie scene with Demand Lucha, but he cracked the Top 100 LGBTQIA+ Wrestlers in the World (the QWI 100) by Outsports in 2020. Not only is he fly with the attire, but he's also a flyer in the ring. To paraphrase the Stray Cats, he's got cat class and he's got cat style.

Gisele Shaw, Alberta (via Northwest Territories)

Photo: Robyn Goding

One of Canada's brightest exports pre-pandemic was Gisele Shaw. Born in the Philippines, as a child her family moved to Canada, heading to the Great Great White North of the Northwest Territories. In 2015, she moved to Calgary, Alberta to train with Lance Storm and begin working the Western Canada and Ontario indie scenes. In 2018, she began with Women of Wrestling (WOW), where she competed as Azteca for a few seasons, but in 2019 she became an international star, working in the UK with the like of Pro Wrestling EVE, RevPro, Fight Club: PRO, Over The Top Wrestling (OTT), and more, as well as in Japan with DDT Pro and Tokyo Joshi Pro (she'd originally debuted in Japan in 2016 with REINA). She held the RevPro Women's Championship for 359-days and has spent the past four months of 2021 competing for PROGRESS, where she's currently competing in the tournament to crown the vacant PROGRESS Women's Championship.

The Hall Sisters (Bambi & Liiza Hall), British Columbia

Photo: David Horvitz

Bambi Hall is in her 10th year as a pro wrestler and has been a force on both Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest scene. A regular with Surry, BC's All-Star Wrestling, she's also a longtime competitor with ECCW as well as U.S. promotions like 3-2-1 BATTLE, Without A Cause (WAC), and more, as well as competing with the likes of Hoodslam and SHIMMER. She's a former ECCW Women's Champion, 4x ASW Women's Champion, and 2x 3-2-1 BATTLE Tag Team Champion alongside her sister, Liiza Hall. She's only five years into her pro wrestling journey, but already the younger Liiza has made her presence known in Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest scenes. As well as her hometown ECCW, she's a frequent competitor with 3-2-1 BATTLE, WAC, and others.

Holden Albright, Ontario

Photo: Bryan J Weiss

One of Canada's rugged Canucks is Brampton's Holden Albright, who debuted in 2015. He began in the Toronto area indies with Superkick'D, Smash, A1, and BW, and in 2020, he began his breakout with Ohio's AIW. He's ready to be a big man to be reckoned with, and after his AIW taster in February of last year, he'll be ready to pounce when the borders re-open.

Idris Abraham, Ontario

Photo: IMPACT Wrestling

A near 10 year veteran of the Southwest Ontario and Michigan indie scene, Idris Abraham has had multiple WWE appearances, most notably as The Sultan of Shwarma in the 2018 Global Stars Battle Royal. A regular in Detroit with Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling (XICW) and in Ontario with Scott D'Amore's Border City Wrestling (BCW) and Smash Wrestling, Abraham has also made multiple appearances for IMPACT Wrestling over the years. Since 2015, he's had a tag team with Michigan's Joe Coleman, called Halal Beefcake, who finally broke into the U.S. indies in 2019 with Glory Pro, capturing the Glory Pro United Glory (Tag Team) titles in November of 2019 and holding them for 226-days. They had to vacate the titles due to the pandemic restrictions on the border crossing. These two have just hit their stride together and when Abraham is reunited with Coleman, expect to see Halal Beefcake finally make their mark in the U.S.

Iseah Bronson, Quebec

Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Iseah Bronson is a five-year pro who started out with Ottawa's Acclaim Pro Wrestling (APW) and hometown IWS and La Descente Du Coude (LDDC), as well as Barrie Wrestling. In 2019, he began working in the U.S. with CZW and California's Maverick Pro, and he continued his training at Santino Marella's BattleArts Academy. He's recently headed down to Houston where he's training with Booker T's Reality of Wrestling (ROW). It's only a matter of time before this highly talented Canadian prospect became a familiar face on the scene.

Jody Threat, Ontario

Photo: JayLee Photography

Jody Threat is probably one of the more familiar faces for those who are avid fans of the U.S. indie scene. Toronto's "Wild Child" made a quick impression in the Canadian scene with the likes of A1, Barrie Wrestling, Smash Wrestling, and more since her debut in 2017, and only a year later, was debuting in the U.S. Since then, she's competed for the likes of SHIMMER, Beyond Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, Sabotage Wrestling, Black Label Pro, Freelance Wrestling, Limitless, GCW, and more, facing some of the top indie names in the scene, both men and women.

Judas Icarus, British Columbia

Judas Icarus is a young star on the rise out of Western Canada who got his start with Pure Wrestling Association (PWA, recently rebranded as 365 Pro Wrestling), as well as with ECCW, where he's the current reigning ECCW Champion. Since 2018, he's also been a regular competitor with the U.S. Pacific Northwest scene, where he wrestles at the likes of DEFY Wrestling, Without A Cause (WAC), 3-2-1 BATTLE, and Prestige Wrestling.

Justin Sane, Ontario

"The Night Train" Justin Sane has been a veteran of the Southwest Ontario indie circuit for over 15 years, where he's been a strong presence in Alpha-1. The Burlington, Ontario native has won countless titles in A1, including a 231-day reign as A1 Alpha Male Champion, plus runs as A1 Zero Gravity Champion, A1 Outer Limits Champion, and a 2x (and current) A1 Tag Team Champion. He also competes with the likes of Barrie Wrestling, Superkick'D, and many more, and has flirted with the U.S. sporadically - he's competed with Detroit's XICW and New York's Upstate Pro Wrestling (UPW) - and in 2019 appeared for IWTV's Family Reunion during WrestleMania Week in New Jersey. 

KC Spinelli, Ontario

A 12-year veteran, Toronto's KC Spinelli remains one of the Canadian indie scene's veteran leaders, having competed in the U.S. with the likes of SHIMMER, Women's Superstars Uncensored (WSU), and more, as well as Canadian promotions across the nation. Since 2018, she's been a regular with IMPACT Wrestling at Canadian tapings, but since the pandemic, hasn't been seen on IMPACT television.

Kevin Blanchard, Quebec

Hailing from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory Indigenous reservation near Montreal, Kevin Blanchard has been a staple in the Quebec indie scene since the late 2000s. The hard-hitting brawler is a dominant force as well, as he approaches 800 days as the IWS Canadian Champion, which he captured in the spring of 2019 (he's also 720+ days in as the North Shore Pro Wrestling (NSPW) Junior Heavyweight Champion).

Kobe Durst, Ontario

Photo: Shooting The Indies

"DiamondTiger" Kobe Durst was actually on a remarkable pace in the U.S. indies pre-pandemic, as the Toronto native - a longtime regular with A1 in Canada - was a frequent competitor for Black Label Pro, Freelance, Glory Pro, Beyond, and more. He's also a former BLP Heavyweight Champion and BLP Midwest Champion, and lead the stable Blood Diamond that featured Tre Lamar, Josh Bishop, Logan James, and Jake Lander. A 3x A1 Alpha Male Champion, Durst will be looking to explode once again into the U.S. indie scene once the borders open up.

Leo London, Manitoba

One of Canada's pioneers in the LGBTQIA+ wrestling scene, Winnipeg's Leo London has been a regular in the Manitoba scene since 2010, primarily with Winnipeg's Premiere Championship Wrestling (PCW), where he's a 4x PCW Tag Team Champion alongside his brother, David London. He also happens to be a frequent opponent of AEW World Champion Kenny Omega whenever Omega returns home for a visit and a match. With the meteoric rise of the LGBTQIA+ wrestling scene in the U.S. during the pandemic era, it may finally be London's time to shine in the U.S.

LuFisto, Quebec

Not only one of Canadian wrestling's pioneers of the past 25 years, but a true innovator in women's wrestling as well. LuFisto has had an impressive quarter-century career throughout the Canadian and U.S. indies, pioneering intergender wrestling to the extreme, and winning championships traditionally held by males. In 2006, she won the CZW Iron Man Championship (ending Kevin Steen's 364-day reign), and over two and half decades has appeared for the likes of Northern Championship Wrestling (nCw)/Femme Fatales, IWS, Smash, C4, A1, and more in Canada, and in the U.S. with SHIMMER, Shine Wrestling, CZW, WSU, Beyond Wrestling, and much more. She's also competed for the likes of AAA in Mexico, Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) in Germany, and throughout the UK. She held the Shine Championship a record 529-days and has held countless titles throughout her career and is one of the most beloved veterans in indie locker rooms today.

Maddison Miles, Nova Scotia

Hailing from Canada's East Coast, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Maddison Miles is one of Canada's top indie prospects and she's only 21 years old. Initially a standout as a teenager in her hometown Ultimate Championship Wrestling (UCW), in 2018 she entered the UK scene with World Association of Wrestling (WAW) and Bellatrix (the promotions run by the Knight Family), as well as Revolution Pro (RevPro), Pro Wrestling EVE, Dynamic-Over-The-Top-Action Wrestling (DOA UK), and more. She's actually had more success in the UK than in her native Canada - she's a 2x and reigning DOA UK Women's Champion (her current reign just passed 800 days) and in 2019 she won the RevPro Queen of the Ring Tournament. Like fellow Canadian indie star Gisele Shaw, Miles is now based out of the UK (living in Norwich, England).

Maeve O'Farrell, Quebec

Photo: Roxane, Photographe

A young rising star in the Quebec scene with IWS, NSPW, Femme Fatales, and BATTLEWAR, "The Phoenix" Maeve O'Farrell is still early in her career. But she's on the rise and it's only a matter of time before she breaks not only nationally in Canada, but into the U.S. scene. The summer before Covid hit, she made her SHIMMER debut in Canada as part of The Summit, a joint event by SHIMMER, Smash, and RISE Wrestling. Remember her name.

Mark Wheeler, Ontario

Photo: Shooting The Indies

Toronto's Mark Wheeler made a quick impression in the Southwest Ontario scene since his debut in 2015 with Superkick'D, and has since become a main event player in Canada - he's a former Superkick'D Champion and is the current reigning A1 Alpha Male Champion (520+ days) and Barrie Wrestling Champion (480+ days). "The Golden Gun" is also part of the dominant tag team Locked & Loaded with Jessie V. He's also been a rising star in the U.S. indie scene since 2017, working for the likes of Black Label Pro, Freelance Wrestling, Warrior Wrestling, Glory Pro, and IWA Mid-South, and in late 2019, worked the IMPACT Wrestling indie showcase event IMPACT All Glory during Bound For Glory weekend in a triple threat with Alex Zayne (now WWE Superstar Ari Sterling) and Blake Christian. 

Matt Angel, Quebec

Hailing from Northern Quebec, Matt Angel is one of the Quebec scene's top stars and the reigning IWS Heavyweight Champion (recently passing 600 days as champion) and NSPW Champion (485+ days). He's also a former C4 Champion and in 2019, he made his Ring of Honor debut in a dark match at ROH Final Battle Fallout in Pennsylvania. The Covid pandemic ended his entry into the U.S. scene, but expect a few eyes his way when the border reopens.

"Psycho" Mike Rollins, Ontario

One of Canada's most underrated performers is the comedic antics of "Psycho" Mike Rollins. His schizophrenic persona (his conscience talks to him during his matches over the loudspeaker) has endeared him to fans across Ontario and underneath his comedic timing lies a technically sound grappler. His 2018 match against Japanese legend Kikutaro is a thing of beauty. A former A1 Alpha Male Champion, he's a regular with Smash, Destiny, Superkick'D, and more, and in the U.S. he's appeared for IWA Mid-South, AAW Pro, and dark matches for ROH. He had a two-month tour of DDT Pro in Japan in 2019. In early 2020, he made his UK debut with Preston City Wrestling (PCW), but it was cut short by the emergence of Covid.

Randy Bynoe, Ontario

Photo: Chris Levionnois

Another of Ontario's best-kept secrets is Brampton's "Beatdown from the B-Town" Randy Bynoe. A product of the BattleArts Academy, he also competes for Destiny Wrestling, Barrie Wrestling, and others. He was just getting his groove when Covid entered the picture and shut Canada down, but he'll be hungrier than ever when things open back up.

"Ravenous" Randy, Alberta

Photo: Michell Shane Julian

In many ways, he's like Canada's Jon Moxley, a deranged lunatic hell-bent on winning at all costs. But "Ravenous" Randy Myers from Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a student of the Hart Family and a former prospect with Stampede Wrestling, he moved on to ECCW and PWA in Western Canada and in 2011, began competing in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and West Coast. He's now a regular with DEFY Wrestling, DOA, and Hoodslam. A former ECCW Champion, he's the current reigning DEFY Champion.

Riea Von Slasher, British Columbia

Prince George, BC's Riea Von Slasher is a veteran of the West Coast Canada indie scene and longtime veteran of PWA/365, ECCW, ASW, and more, where's she's a former 2x PWA Internet Champion, PWA Pure Violence Champion, and ASW Women's Champion. She made her U.S. indie debut in the Pacific Northwest with Oregon's West Coast Wrestling Connection (WCWC) and has since become a regular with DEFY, WAC, DOA, 3-2-1 BATTLE, and more.

RJ City, Ontario

He's the ultimate combination of Oscar Wilde and Bea Arthur, who has worked incredibly hard at being a wrestling raconteur without having to wrestle if absolutely possible. He's been a regular in Canada since the mid-2000s and has been a part of the U.S. scene in 2011 when he began working with Buffalo's Empire State Wrestling (ESW). Since then, he's worked for Pennsylvania's International Wrestling Cartel (IWC), House of Hardcore, and Warrior Wrestling, but it's his Social Media presence that has limited his in-ring obligations and allowed him to make coffee in his underwear. He became a national star as the adversary and companion to David Arquette during his indie resurgence and is now a featured host on WWE programming on The Bump and his own After Dark talk show. RJ City is a national delight and has one of the best Twitter games in town, but he's also a pro wrestler than perhaps has his greatest potential still left untapped. 

Sebastian Suave, Ontario

A 14-year veteran of the Canadian indies, Sebastian Suave is also the owner/promoter for Toronto's Smash Wrestling, which has become one of Canada's top indies since its debut in 2012. "The Endorsement" has united with fellow Canadian veterans Tyson Dux, Brent Banks, and TARIK in The Pillars are the squad was on a role collecting titles around Southwest Ontario before Covid hit. He's appeared for ESW, CZW, and ZERO1 in the U.S. and appeared for WWE in Toronto in 2019.

Sebastian Wolfe, British Columbia

Vancouver's Sebastian Wolfe has been a strong champion of Indigenous peoples in pro wrestling and has been for years. Another regular for his hometown ECCW, he's also made his way into the U.S. Pacific Northwest with WAC, where he's part of the tag team State of Emergency with Miles Deville.

"Speedball" Mike Bailey, Quebec

Arguably the Canadian indie name that everyone is waiting for is Laval, Quebec's "Speedball" Mike Bailey. A 15-year veteran of the Canadian indies, he first began working in the U.S. indies in 2012. He was an early competitor for CZW and Beyond, but once he hit Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) on the West Coast in 2015, he achieved indie darling status. He won CZW Best of the Best in 2015 and made the finals for the PWG Battle of Los Angeles in 2015, but in 2016 he was dinged with a work visa violation in the U.S. and banned for five years. During that time, he remained active in the Canadian indies, while expanding globally, competing for DDT Pro in Japan, RevPro, and others in the UK scene, and Over The Top (OTT) Wrestling in Ireland. His U.S. ban expired earlier this year, so now it's just a matter of time before Speedball returns to reclaim the mantle he had to abdicate in 2016.

Sexxxy Eddy, Quebec

Another Canadian legend still active is Montreal's Sexxxy Eddy. A 23-year veteran of the Canadian indie scene, he's also competed in the U.S. with CZW, Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW), CHIKARA, IWA Mid-South, and more, winning the 2009 Carnage Cup from IWA Deep South, as well as winning the CZW World Junior Heavyweight title. He's also competed in DDT Pro in Japan. He also created the "dick flip" spot that a certain other wrestler utilized without credit en route to proving he was a shitbag and continues to be a hardcore legend that has always put sexy over technical. He's due a major run on the U.S. indies with the new exposure, and once the borders open up, look out.

Sheldon Jean, Ontario

Ottawa's Sheldon Jean has had an interesting journey. He convinced his mother to let him go to University in Windsor, Ontario so he could secretly train as a wrestler at Scott D'Amore's Can-Am Dojo and then ended up getting a training excursion in Japan with Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he competed in 2017 at just 22 years old. He's now a regular with C4 and IWS and was just breaking into the U.S. with the likes of IWA Mid-South, AAW Pro, and Glory Pro when the pandemic hit. 

Space Pirates (Shane Sabre & Space Monkey), Ontario

Since 2018, the duo of Shane Sabre and Space Monkey have competed together as the tandem known as Space Pirates, capturing tag team titles in Canada with C4, Demand Lucha, and A1. But they'd also become regulars on the U.S. scene as well, winning tag team gold in Freelance Wrestling and Black Label Pro - their 203-day reign as Freelance Tag Team Champions ended last March, just as the pandemic was closing down the borders. Before forming the tag team in 2018, both men were strong singles stars - on both sides of the borders - and once the border opens up, they'll be hungry for more gold, both collectively and individually.

Stone Rockwell, Jones, Indiana

"Did somebody say adventure?" With those words, wrestling fans know that global adventure hero Stone Rockwell - from Jones, Indiana - is on the hunt for adventure inside the ring. But not many realize that Rockwell is the alter ego for a 20-year veteran from Toronto who started his career in 2001 and competed as Asylum in the tag team The Flatliners with Matt Burns, collecting tag team titles on both sides of the border. As Stone Rockwell, he debuted the character in 2014 with Toronto's Destiny Wrestling, but the character's popularity saw his adventures continue in BCW, Superkick'D, and beyond, and in 2018, he began to appear on IMPACT Wrestling programming. Last month he made his debut for AEW, appearing on episodes of AEW Dark and AEW Dark Elevation, so it's only a matter of time before Stone Rockwell's adventures in the U.S. continue.

Sway Archer, Ontario

Photo: Aous Poules

Originally trained by famed Toronto trainer Rob Fuego in 2012, Sway Archer shifted over to the BattleArts Academy in 2014 for his debut. Between 2015 and 2018, he took a leave from pro wrestling to concentrate on schooling, returning to BattleArts in 2018. The high flying superstar has been on the rise in the Canadian indies since, and during the pandemic, he used his Social Media platform to become one of Canada's most popular wrestling voices after joining Faye Jackson's defacto stable, Creep Squad. With a following on both sides of the borders now following his actions, Sway has the potential for big things in the U.S. once the borders finally reopen.

Le Tabernak Da Team (Mathieu St-Jacques & Thomas Dubois), Quebec

Photo: Alicia Atout/AMBY

For a decade now, the French-Canadian duo of Mathieu St-Jacques and Thomas Dubois - collectively known as Le Tabernak Da Team - has been one of Canada's strongest tag team threats. They're currently in their third reign as C4 Tag Team Champions and LDDC Tag Team Champions and are also former 3x IWS Tag Team Champions, 3x Combat Revolution Wrestling (CRW) Tag Team Champions, and 3x NSPW Tag Team Champions. Pre-pandemic, they also competed in the U.S. with the likes of Limitless, Beyond, CHIKARA, CZW, and others. 

TARIK, Ontario (via Alberta)

Originally hailing from Calgary, Alberta, TARIK grew up in Ajax, Ontario, just outside Toronto. He debuted in 2009, originally as Alex Vega, before becoming TARIK in 2014. He's been one of the faces of Smash Wrestling since 2013, winning the Smash Championship 2018, and is one-quarter of The Pillars stable, which also features Tyson Dux, Brent Banks, and Sebastian Suave. Over the years, he's competed in the U.S. with ESW and AAW Pro, and was getting ready for his first European tour when the pandemic hit in 2020 - he had just made his debut in Germany with wXw last March.

Travis Williams, British Columbia

One of British Columbia's top young stars, "Golden Boy" Travis Williams was trained at the ECCW Training School by Artemis Spencer, Nicole Matthews, and Tony Baroni, and a year after his Canadian debut, he was working the U.S. Pacific Northwest with WAC, DEFY, 3-2-1 BATTLE, and Prestige Wrestling. The former ECCW Canadian Champion will be ready to pounce once he is able to get back into the ring.

Tyson Dux, Ontario (via New Brunswick)

One of Canada's indie wrestling pioneers of the past 20 years, Tyson Dux was an early student with the Can-Am Dojo in Windsor, Ontario in 2000, and immediately made an impact with BCW. He was soon working dark matches and enhancement matches for WWE and in 2006 debuted with TNA/IMPACT Wrestling as part of the inaugural Team Canada during the World X Cup tournament. He's also competed in the U.S. with ROH, DragonGate USA, AIW, IWC, AAW Pro, and more, and in 2016, competed in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament. Internationally, he's competed for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and ZERO1 in Japan, and this past March made his UK debut with PCW in the Road to Glory tournament as well as in Germany with wXw.

Voros Twins (Chris & Patrick Voros), British Columbia

Photo: Voros Twins

The twin brothers from Surrey, BC known as The Voros Twins have been making waves in Western Canada since 2014, where the duo are the 2x and reigning ECCW Tag Team Champions, and former Real Canadian Wrestling (RCW) Tag Team Champions. Since 2016, they've also expanded into the U.S. Pacific Northwest circuit, as former DOA Tag Team Champions, as well as working for DEFY, WAC, and 3-2-1 BATTLE. They've also ventured deeper in the U.S. circuit as well, competing for Beyond Wrestling, Glory Pro, Hoodslam, and Warriors of Wrestling (WOW), and in March of 2019, competed on an episode of ROH TV. But during the pandemic, the pair found themselves viral TikTok sensations when "Da Vinki" made them popular well beyond wrestling fans. Once the borders reopen for them, expect them to cash in on this monumental newfound popularity beyond the ring.

Young Myles, Ontario

Another trainee of Rob Fuego in Toronto, Young Myles is one of the faces of Superkick'D, where he's the reigning Superkick'D Champion. He's a long-time veteran of the Southwest Ontario indies since 2011, competing for the likes of A1, Smash, BW, and more, and has brief appearances in the U.S. with House of Glory (HOG). It's only a matter of time before he finds regular combat zones in the U.S. circuit once the opportunities arise.

Special thanks to Sway Archer for help on this compilation and tracking down information!