Photo credit: @JWasherBeyond
With the wrestling scene mostly coming back to normal in 2021, there were wrestlers ready to make waves in the wrestling scene. In this article we’ll be looking at some of the top talents to breakout in independent wrestling during 2021.
Masha Slamovich
Accomplishments
- Signed to Impact Wrestling
- #29 in PWI’s Top 100 Females
- CFU Shoot To Thrill Tournament Finalist
- CFU Undisputed Champion
- GSW Soul of Syndicate Champion and GSW Women’s World Champion
Notable Matches
- vs Edith Surreal – Camp Leapfrog Matt Makowski’s Frogsport 4/25
- vs Leyla Hirsch – Beyond Wrestling Uncharted Territory Season 3 Episode 7 11/18
- vs Charli Evans – Beyond Wrestling Uncharted Territory Season 3 Episode 8 11/25
- vs SLADE – Beyond Wrestling Uncharted Territory Season 3 Episode 9 12/2
- vs Billie Starkz – ETU Wrestling Expect The Unexpected 12/3
In seven years, Masha Slamovich has wrestled for promotions such as Battle Club Pro, Women’s Wrestling Revolution and Beyond Wrestling. Slamovich spent most of 2020 in Japan improving her craft and becoming a great professional wrestler. She came back to the United States earlier this year and has quickly became one of the best wrestlers on the US indie scene. She started the year having great matches with Hyan, Travis Huckabee and Holidead. Masha became a star in every independent promotion she wrestled in this year. One in particular is Beyond Wrestling, where she quickly became one of the top stars. She continues to have some of the best performances on a weekly basis for Beyond Wrestling’s Uncharted Territory. Earlier in the year she held 3 championships simultaneously calling herself “Masha 3 Belts.” All of this led to her recent signing with Impact Wrestling.
Jordan Blade
Accomplishments
- 2x Pro Wrestling Magic Women’s Champion
- GSW Soul of Syndicate Champion
- PPW Super Middleweight Champion
- UWFi Rules Super Middleweight Grand Prix Winner
Notable Matches
- vs Deonna Purrazzo – GSW Catalyst 5/22
- w/ Eel O’Neal vs Yokai – Enjoy Wrestling Canned Heat Season 2 Episode 2 6/24
- vs Parrow – GCW Effy’s Big Gay Brunch Chicago 9/5
- vs Trish Adora – Beyond Wrestling Uncharted Territory Season 3 Episode 5 11/4
- w/ Eel O’Neal vs Suge D and Trish Adora – Beyond Wrestling Reverse The Curse 11/7
Jordan Blade is someone that came off of a great 2020 and continued that momentum into 2021. Whether solo or alongside fellow Kings of The District partner Eel O’Neal, Jordan completely delivered inside the ring. In singles competition she competed against some of the best in the world including Deonna Purrazzo, Masha Slamovich and Trish Adora. She became the inaugural Paradigm Pro Wrestling Super Middleweight Champion by winning the Super Middleweight Grand Prix. Defeated a dominant Masha Slamovich, ending a near 300 day GSW Soul of Syndicate title reign. Became a two time Pro Wrestling Magic Women’s Champion after a feud with Allie Katch. In tag team action, The Kings of The District have become fan favorites in promotions such as WWR+ and Beyond Wrestling. Some may consider them the Tag Team of the Year for 2021.
Alex Kane
Accomplishments
- Signed to MLW
- MLW National Openweight Champion
- ACTION Wrestling Tag Team Championship Tournament Finalist
- Scenic City Invitational Tournament Finalist
- OWA/PPW Heavy Hitters 3 Finalist
Notable Matches
- vs Logan Creed – ACTION Wrestling Matt The Mouth’s Mysteriously Meaty 29th Birthday Bash Extravaganza 1/8
- vs Cole Radrick – Southern Underground Pro Are These Our Lives 3/14
- vs Bryan Keith – IWTV Family Reunion 2021 Part 2 4/8
- vs Tom Lawlor – Paradigm Pro Wrestling No Hook Season 2 Episode 5 6/16
- vs 1 Called Manders – Scenic City Invitational Tournament 2021 Night 1 8/6
Trained by AR Fox out of the WWA4 school in Atlanta, Georgia, Alex Kane is a guy that has all the tools to be a top player in independent wrestling and in 2021, he became just that. “The Suplex Assassin” started getting noticed after his performance in the 2020 ACTION Wrestling Futures Showcase Tournament. Since then he’s become a fan favorite in ACTION while competing against the likes of Logan Creed, Chase Holliday and O’Shay Edwards. He’s made a huge impact in Paradigm Pro Wrestling as part of their No Hook series, taking on “Big Beef” Gnarls Garvin and Tom Lawlor in incredible contests. He competed in the 2021 Scenic City Invitational Tournament where he made it to the finals after defeating 1 Called Manders and Jon Davis. Kane ended the year by signing with Major League Wrestling and becoming the MLW National Openweight Champion.
Bryan Keith
Accomplishments
- New Texas Pro Champion
- ROW Rise To Wrestling Royalty Tournament Winner
- Competed in first Mania Weekend
- Made GCW debut
- New Texas Pro Wrestling’s Male Wrestler of the Year
Notable Matches
- vs AJ Gray – GCW/Loco Fight Club Houston 7/9
- vs Chris Dickinson – GCW You Only Die Once 7/10
- vs Davey Richards – New Texas Pro Wrestling Texas Indie Showcase 7/31
- vs Kevin Ku – Timebomb Pro Violence Is Forever 10/21
- vs Storm Grayson – Freelance Wrestling Killer Klown From Logan Square 10/22
Bryan Keith has been in the wrestling business for 8 years but got his big break in the beginning of 2021 when Mouse discovered him on a New Texas Pro Wrestling show. This then led to him taking part in his first ever WrestleMania week where he took on Alex Kane at IWTV Family Reunion and Darius Lockhart at GCW’s For The Culture. He continues to appear in GCW every time they make their way to Texas. Keith went on to become the main attraction at what has become his home promotion of New Texas Pro Wrestling. After defeating Mysterious Q for the New Texas Pro Wrestling Championship, he has defended the title against all comers. Davey Richards, Calvin Tankman and Storm Grayson have all come up short. Keith is starting to show up in more promotions around the country and is showing everyone why he is the Underground King.
Yoya
Accomplishments
- Made GCW debut
- Competed in two Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport events
- Semi-finalist in Matt Makowski’s Frogsport
- MidwestTerritory.Com Champion
Notable Matches
- vs. Jimmy Lloyd – GCW Fight Forever 1/30
- vs. Lio Rush – GCW Bloodsport 6 4/8
- vs. Matt Makowski – Hybrid Wrestling Off To The Races 8/14
- vs. AJ Gray – GCW GetLostAlot 9/24
- vs. Shane Mercer – GCW Fight Club 10/9
This Cambodian wrestler out of Washington DC made waves at Paradigm Pro Wrestling back in 2020. In 2021 he got a huge break by being Starboy Charlie’s replacement against Jimmy Lloyd at GCW’s Fight Forever. Despite the loss, Yoya really impressed a ton of people. So much that he went on to face Lio Rush at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport during Mania week. This was a huge opportunity for Yoya as the world had their eyes on the biggest wrestling week of the year. After his performance he became a regular in Game Changer Wrestling, competing in both scramble matches and high profile single matches against Shane Mercer and AJ Gray. In these performances he proved to the fans and his opponents to let his size fool you, he has a ton of fight. He also tags alongside his girlfriend Janai Kai as YoKai where they’ve competed in promotions such as Enjoy Wrestling, Hybrid Wrestling and Beyond Wrestling.
Janai Kai
Accomplishments
- Competed on AEW Rampage
- Semi-finalist in Matt Makowski’s Frogsport
- CFU Shoot To Thrill Tournament Winner
- Made Ring of Honor and SHIMMER debuts
Notable Matches
- vs. Billie Starkz – JCW Opening Day 5/1, GCW The Art of War Games 9/4
- vs. Sandra Moone – Paradigm Pro Wrestling Terminal Combat 5/21
- w/ Yoya vs. The Kings of The District – Enjoy Wrestling Canned Heat Season 2 Episode 2 6/24
- vs. Thunder Rosa – MPW Play Hard, Hustle Harder 7/31
- vs. Kevin Blackwood – Black Label Pro Ground Control To Filthy Tom 9/4
“The Kick Demon” Janai Kai started her wrestling career in 2018, wrestling for promotions such as Rise and ACW before gaining some buzz from her performances at Paradigm Pro Wrestling. She competed at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 6 in Tampa during GCW’s The Collective to kick off a crazy year for her. She’s taken on teams such as The Kings of The District and Fire N Flava alongside her YoKai partner Yoya, but she’s killed it most during singles competition. The Black belt in Tae Kwon Do shined in UWFi Rules at Paradigm and inside the cage at Combat Fights Unlimited. She’s had breakout performances throughout the year against Billie Starkz, Jordan Blade and Masha Slamovich just to name a few. She made her debut for many promotions such as Beyond Wrestling, JCW and GCW then ending the year appearing on AEW and ROH TV.
Kevin Blackwood
Accomplishments
- Appeared on AEW
- C4 Champion for 714 days
- Defeated Daniel Garcia for the ESW Heavyweight Championship
- Debuted for PWG in November
Notable Matches
- vs Anthony Greene – Limitless Wrestling Vacationland Cup 2021 8/28
- vs Mike Bailey – C4 Wrestling Never Say Never Again 11/12
- vs Jake Something – Limitless Wrestling Prized Possession 11/13
- vs Daniel Garcia – ESW WrestleBash XI 11/27
- vs Alex Shelley – West Coast Pro Iceland 12/10
It’s been three years since “The Aesthetic Crippler” Kevin Blackwood was involved with a car accident that nearly ended his wrestling career. The Buffalo native trained by Pepper Parks, spent 2021 alongside his Buffalo Brother Daniel Garcia in Limitless Wrestling, where Garcia was champion. The two ran roughshod in Limitless both in singles competition. When Garcia started to appear more in AEW during the second part of the year, Blackwood took over the independent scene as one of the top guys. He started to have show stealing performances in Freelance Wrestling, Black Label Pro and others. Blackwood then relocated to California where he began to take over the West Coast. He is becoming a regular at West Coast Pro taking on top stars like Alex Shelley and Calvin Tankman. He made his PWG debut in November and now has been named to compete in the 2022 Battle of Los Angeles.
Kennedi Copeland
Accomplishments
- H2O Hybrid Champion
- Tremont’s Deathmatch Tournament Winner
- H2O Hardcore Kingdom 5 Tournament Finalist
- Fought every member of 44OH!
Notable Matches
- vs Dyln McKay vs Jimmy Lloyd – Sean Henderson Presents Weekend At Sean’s 2 Night 1 2/5
- vs Edith Surreal – Pizza Party Pro CakeOver 4/4
- vs Jody Threat – WWR+ Let’s Talk About Wrestling 5/16, H2O Can’t Take Me Alive 7/17
- vs Mickie Knuckles – H2O Hardcore Kingdom 5 5/22
- vs Rickey Shane Page – WWR+ Pain For Pleasure 7/18
The Girl From Ocean Avenue, spent her 2021 making waves in the independent wrestling world. She has made H2O her home and started to compete in the Deathmatch scene. She’s competed in two Deathmatch tournaments for H2O, making her way to the finals in one and winning the other. Kennedi was able to bring the H2O Hybrid Championship back to H2O and away from 44OH! by defeating Gregory Iron. Since then she’s been a fighting champion, defeating the likes of Deklan Grant, Brandon Kirk, and others. She has made debuts for CFU, Beyond Wrestling and WWR+. Expect Kennedi to start showing up at a lot more shows in the year 2022.
Dante Leon
Accomplishments
- Loko Wrestling Champion
- Debuted for GCW during Mania weekend
- Defended the AAW Tag Team Championships alongside Jake Something
- Received multiple GCW tag title matches alongside Ninja Mack
Notable Matches
- vs Ninja Mack – Loko Wrestling 1/23, JCW Opening Day 5/1, GCW No Signal In The Hills 8/7
- vs Jordan Oliver – VXS Violence of the Lambs 2/27
- vs Myron Reed – GCW Jimmy Lloyd’s D-Generation F 4/8
- vs Joey Janela – GCW/Loko Fight Club: Houston 7/9
- vs Tony Deppen – GCW The Aftermath 10/10
Dante Leon began being noticed after some clips from a match with Ninja Mack shot by Wrestling With Unicorns went viral. Shortly after, Leon found himself across the ring from Jordan Oliver at Violence x Suffering, in a show stealing performance. He then went on to the biggest wrestling week of the year in a singles match against Myron Reed at Jimmy Lloyd’s D-Generation F. He continued to make waves in GCW including a series of matches with and alongside his rival Ninja Mack. Leon also had the opportunity to step into the ring with Game Changer Wrestling’s best in Joey Janela and Tony Deppen. No matter the type of match, singles, tags, or scrambles, Leon shined in every type. He’s closing out this huge breakout year by teaming with Ninja Mack to take on Alex Zayne and Blake Christian. This match is sure to blow the roof off of The Showboat.
Ninja Mack
Accomplishments
- Debuted for GCW during Mania weekend
- Debuted for Warrior Wrestling
- Competed in Mexico
- Won several GCW Scramble Matches
Notable Matches
- Lucha Four Way Tag Team Match – BLP/GCW 3 Cups Stuffed 9/3
- PBR Two Ring Ladder Scramble Fuckfest – GCW The Art of War Games 9/4
- Six Way Scramble Match – GCW GetLostAlot 9/24
- vs Alex Zayne vs Lio Rush – GCW Fight Club 10/9
- vs Arez – GCW War Ready 10/23
After being noticed for his match in January with Dante Leon at Loko Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling bought in Ninja Mack as part of The Collective during Mania week. Mack was relatively unknown and didn’t even have any presence on social media. He quickly blew minds after his performances at Jimmy Lloyd’s D-Generation F, rSpring Break and Violence x Suffering. Jersey Championship Wrestling ran back the Dante Leon match for the main event of their relaunch. This match blew many people’s minds, and even had Joey Janela running around the venue. Since then Mack has become a GCW regular, winning several scramble matches including an insane ladder match at The Art of War Games. He’s had a number of high profile singles matches as well, against the likes of Joey Janela and Tony Deppen. But his finest singles performance to date might’ve been against Arez at GCW War Ready. This showcased Mack as the next level performer he is. Expect more of that from him in 2022.
Alec Price
Accomplishments
- Limitless Wrestling Champion
- 2021 Vacationland Cup finalist
- Made JCW debut
- WWE tryout
- Limitless Wrestling Wrestler of the Year
Notable Matches
- vs Josh Alexander – Beyond Wrestling Uncharted Territory Season 3 Episode 2 10/14
- vs Eddie Edwards – Limitless Wrestling Dancing On Thin Ice 10/15
- vs Rickey Shane Page – Beyond Wrestling Reverse The Curse 11/7
- vs Anthony Greene – Limitless Wrestling Prized Possession 11/13
- vs Blake Christian – Beyond Wrestling Fete Forever 12/5
You may think this man is a bustah but there’s no doubt he’s been putting on bangahs all year long. From putting on great performances on Limitless Wrestling’s The Road to working his way up to a title match for the Limitless Wrestling Championship. Then defeating the former WWE star and 2 time Limitless Wrestling Champion Anthony Greene. Finally achieving his dream after chasing after his eyes on Limitless Wrestling’s main prize for two years. Since winning he successfully defended against Chris Bey and has a huge title defense coming up on New Year’s Day against JD Drake. He became one of the top stars, or some might say one of the aces of Beyond Wrestling. Running through the Beyond roster then becoming even more dangerous when aligning himself with B3CCA as The Prize City Hooligans. The power couple have been dominant in both singles and tag action. Price ended his year appearing at a WWE tryout. Time will only tell what’s next for The Prize City OG but the Limitless Wrestling Championship has been the gateway to going on to bigger and better things.