5 Must-Watch Indie Shows During WrestleMania 42 Week

Professional wrestling takes over Las Vegas this week, and in addition to WrestleMania 42, a countless amount of independent shows will be taking place all across Sin City.

Here are five events that you must check out:

Pandemonium Pro Wrestling: Whenever, Forever

One of the earliest shows of the week is hosted by Pandemonium Pro Wrestling. “Whatever, Forever” takes place on Wednesday 15th April, at 3:00pm local time at the Bizarre Bar.

The card features the best of the West Coast independent scene, mixed with international stars, including representatives from STARDOM and DDT. The Pandemonium Pro Championship will be defended in a three-way match with champion Amira facing Janai Kai and Saya Iida.

The card also features another intriguing women’s match as independent star Johnnie Robbie faces STARDOM fan favorite Natsupoi.

Elsewhere, current DDT O-40 Champion and former DDT Universal Champion Daisuke Sasaki faces “Crazy Cajun” Jiah Jewell, Singapore’s Alexis Lee faces Joseline Navarro, and a tag team match pitting “Fancy” Ryan Clancy and Robert Martyr against Shimbashi and Danny Orion.

Unfortunately, the event is not being streamed live, but will be posted to their YouTube channel in due course. If you are in Las Vegas, tickets are still available starting at $39.

Full Card

Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport

Each year, one of the headline attractions of WrestleMania weekend is Bloodsport, promoted by former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett. The event focuses on shoot-style professional wrestling, and is an homage to promotions such as UWFi and RINGS that made the style popular throughout the 1990s.

The main event is a rematch twenty-three years in the making, as Barnett faces Japanese legend Yuji Nagata. The two headlined NJPW Wrestling World 2003, the precursor to Wrestle Kingdom, at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th as is tradition. The match was Barnett’s professional wrestling debut, just months after a drug test failure ended his UFC Heavyweight Championship reign as quickly as it began.

Bloodsport events have been known for significant WWE involvement in recent years and that is no different here. Pete Dunne, despite being nowhere to be found on WWE television, will be in action. He faces Japanese freelancer and MMA veteran, “Crazy Kid” Masashi Takeda.

Elsewhere, NXT’s Charlie Dempsey faces Evolve General Manager and independent wrestling legend Timothy Thatcher, and Nattie Neidhart, who’s new character was born at Bloodsport, faces UFC and WWE veteran Shayna Baszler.

Another UFC veteran in action is the now-NOAH star Ulka Sasaki, who has made huge waves in Japan since debuting in 2024. He faces Greco-Roman wrestler Joe Dashou.

This is just scratching the surface of the stars that are on this show. It’s a WrestleMania weekend staple for a reason. The show takes place on Friday 17th April at 3:00pm local time at The Horseshoe. The show can be streamed with a Triller+ subscription. Tickets are also still available.

The Scrap will be live on our YouTube channel with a Bloodsport Watch Along, so make sure you tap in while watching the event!

CMLL

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre make a rare stop in the U.S. during WrestleMania weekend at the legendary Pearl at the Palms. Given their success in the last couple of years, a full-on CMLL show on U.S. soil is must-see.

The main event features legendary luchador and the promotion’s biggest star, Mistico, taking on CMLL Heavyweight Champion and Don Callis Family member Hechicero. Mistico’s Sky Team teammates Mascara Dorada and Neon will be in tag action. They are two of the most spectacular high-flyers you will ever see and Neon getting his first exposure in the United States is a very cool moment.

Elsewhere, another name familiar to AEW fans, Persephone, will defend her CMLL Women’s Championship, and Claudio Castagnoli will be in action in a special singles match with Atlantis Jr.

The legendary 65 year-old Blue Panther will be in action too, taking on fellow Lucha Libre legend Ultimo Guerrero. This is a match I am personally jealous of anyone who gets to see it live as it will be an incredibly special occasion.

The event takes place on Thursday, April 16th at 3:00pm local time at the Pearl Theatre. The event is available on PPV or via a SlamFest package on Triller TV. Tickets are still available.

WrestleCon: Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow

One event that has become a mainstay of WrestleMania weekend is the WrestleCon supershow, named in honor of lifelong fan and graphic designer Mark Hitchcock, who worked closely with Highspots and Wrestlecon.

This has been a show in the news lately, due to the scheduled match between Ricochet and Leon Slater. Slater was pulled from the match by TNA and Carlos Silva, despite previously being approved, causing mass uproar in the fanbase.

The main event for the show still features Ricochet, with added backup in the form of the Gates of Agony, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona. They will face JetSpeed (Speedball Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight), and Michael Oku.

There is a match that promises to be incredibly hard hitting earlier in the night, as Japanese legend and ECW cult hero Masato Tanaka faces the Don Callis Family’s Mark Davis. Also, Bandido faces a wrestler that if you don’t know yet, you should get to know, Galeno Del Mal. “The Evil Doctor” is the brother of AAA’s El Hijo de Dr Wagner Jr and has really made his name worldwide in recent years.

The event also takes place at 3:00pm on Thursday and will be at The Horseshoe. Tickets are still available and the show will stream on Triller+.

Game Changer Wrestling: Joey Janela’s Spring Break X

Another staple of WrestleMania weekend, Joey Janela’s Spring Break returns with a very intriguing main event.

14 year-old Brodie Lee Jr makes his professional debut against Janela in a match with an intense build on recent GCW shows. Brodie has been training for years with Natalya and his debut, despite his young age, felt inevitable.

It taking place on such a huge stage though is incredible. There will probably be more eyeballs on this match than any other independent match over the weekend.

Also on this show, The Sandman faces The Invisible Man in his retirement match. If you haven’t seen The Invisible Man before then it is exactly what it sounds like. An invisible man. The retirement of The Sandman is must-see on its own. But the added caveat of his opponent makes it even more compelling. GIFs of this match will fill your social feeds that night.

Elsewhere, we have a ten-person ladder match, the U.S. debut of the new Hayabusa, and a return for Marko Stunt in a reunion with Jack Perry.

The show will take place on Friday at 7:00pm at the Horseshoe. Tickets are still available and you can stream the show on Triller+.

This is just a small sample of the dozens of independent shows taking place over the weekend, meaning there’s something for every kind of fan. These events serve as the perfect build to the spectacle of WrestleMania 42 on Saturday and Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

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About Post Author

Steve Fackman

Steve is a Football Business & Media Graduate from UCFB who has studied at the iconic Wembley Stadium. At The Scrap, he can be found creating Pro Wresting content ranging from WWE & AEW to Independent Wrestling promotions across the globe, and occasional fight coverage for big-league and regional MMA.

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