In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. There have also been smaller national and global independent promotions that have toured on a larger scale such as Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW), Deadlock Pro-Wrestling (DPW), Wrestling Revolver, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), House of Hardcore (HOH), House of Glory (HOG), Mystery Wrestling, Evolve, Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), and Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling (MLP).
Independent promotions are, for the majority of the time, viewed as a minor league or farm system for the larger national promotions, as wrestlers in "indie" companies (especially young wrestlers just starting their careers, and wrestlers in larger Indie promotions) are usually honing their craft with the goal of being noticed and signed by a major national promotion such as WWE, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) (which also owns Ring of Honor (ROH)), or Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in the United States, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (which is owned by WWE) or Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in Mexico, or New Japan Pro-Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, World Wonder Ring Stardom or one of the CyberFight promotions in Japan. It is also not uncommon for veteran wrestlers who have had past tenures with major promotions to appear on independent shows, either as special attractions or as a way to prolong their careers as free agents. There are also plenty of wrestlers who also wish to not sign with any of the major promotions and therefore primarily depend on the independent circuit for work.
Origins The "indie" scene in the United States dates back to the days of regional territories. When a promoter ran opposition in even one town controlled by a National Wrestling Alliance sanctioned territory, they were often called an "outlaw" territory. This is considered by some to be a forerunner to indies since some stars of the past got their start in these low quality local rivals to the big regional territories.
The modern definition of the independent circuit came about in the mid to late 1980s and fully formed and flourished after 1990. These promotions initially sought to revive the feel of old school territorial wrestling after former territories either went national, such as WWF, went out of business, or eventually did both, such as WCW. Several indies did manage to tour different towns within a region and maintain a consistent schedule.
After Vince McMahon, seeking regulatory relief, gave in 1989 testimony in front of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission where he publicly admitted pro wrestling was a sports-based entertainment, rather than a true athletic competition, many state athletic commissions stopped regulating wrestling. This obviated the need for complying with many expensive requirements, such as the need for an on-site ambulance and trained emergency medical personnel at each bout. After the business was thus exposed and deregulated, just about anyone could be a promoter or a wrestler since no licensing beyond a business license was then required. Many thought they could save money by holding shows in smaller towns and smaller venues with little to no televised exposure, leading to many shows being held only once a week or once a month in local towns.
By country
United States
Independent promotions are usually local in focus and, lacking national TV contracts, are much more dependent on revenue from house show attendance. Due to their lower budgets, most independent promotions offer low salaries (it is not unusual for a wrestler to work for free due to the fact that most promoters can only afford to pay well-known talent). Most cannot afford to regularly rent large venues, and would not be able to attract a large enough crowd to fill such a venue were they able to do so. Instead, they make use of almost any open space (such as fields, ballrooms, or gymnasiums) to put on their performances. Some independent promotions are attached to professional wrestling schools, serving as a venue for students to gain experience in front of an audience. As independent matches are seldom televised, indie wrestlers who have not already gained recognition in other promotions tend to remain in obscurity. However, scouts from major promotions attend indie shows, and an indie wrestler who makes a good impression may be offered a developmental or even a full professional contract.
The advent of the Internet has allowed independent wrestlers and promotions to reach a wider audience, and it is possible for wrestlers regularly working the indie circuit to gain some measure of fame among wrestling fans online. Additionally, some of the more successful indies have video distribution deals, streaming deals with platforms such as Triller TV, Independent Wrestling TV, Title Match Network, and Highspots, operate their own streaming services such as WWNLive or Psychopathic Live, or use existing video streaming and sharing platforms such as YouTube and Twitch, giving them an additional source of income and allowing them to reach a larger audience outside of their local areas.
+Top 10 most-attended shows No. Promoter Event Location Venue AttendanceMain Event(s)RefWRKO's Taste of the Boss Boston, MassachusettsBoston City Hall Plaza35,0005-0 (Trooper Gilmore and Corporal Johnson) vs. Victor Rivera and Jay Kobain Warped Tour 2002 Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac Silverdome 19,000 Deranged vs. Tommy Starr in a UV Light Tube Death match BELIEVE 156 Orlando, Florida Central Florida Fairgrounds 15,000 Aaron Epic (c) vs. Andrew Merlin for the SCW Florida Heavyweight Championship Cement Belt Fair Cementon, Pennsylvania Cementon Fairgrounds 12,500 Heidi Lee Morgan vs. Baby Face Nellie OC Fair: Flower Power (Day 2) Costa Mesa, California Washington Mutual Arena 12,000 El Hijo del Santo, Lil Cholo and Silver Tyger vs. Infernal, Super Kendo 2 and Super Parka 1. All In Hoffman Estates, Illinois Sears Centre Arena 11,263 The Golden Elite (Kota Ibushi, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Bandido, Rey Fénix and Rey Mysterio in a six-man tag team match OC Fair: Flower Power (Day 1) Costa Mesa, California Washington Mutual Arena 10,000 El Hijo del Santo, Lil Cholo and Silver Tyger vs. Infernal, Super Kendo 2 and Super Parka BaseBrawl Columbus, Ohio Cooper Stadium 8,757 Rory Fox (c) vs. Shark Boy for the HWA Cruiserweight Championship 2. Memphis Memories Memphis, Tennessee Mid-South Coliseum 8,377 Jerry Lawler vs. Austin Idol vs. Brian Christopher vs. Doug Gilbert vs. Eddie Gilbert vs. Jimmy Valiant vs. Koko B. Ware vs. Moondog Spot vs. Terry Funk vs. Tommy Rich in a 10-man elimination match Sportsfest Allentown, Pennsylvania Cedar Beach Park 8,000 The Love Connection (Jay Love and Georgie Love) vs. D'Lo Brown and Owen Hart 3. USWA vs. WWF Memphis, Tennessee Mid-South Coliseum 7,500 Bret Hart (c) vs. Jerry Lawler in a Steel Cage match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship 4. LuchaMania USA Tour Los Angeles, California Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 7,000 Blue Demon Jr., Cien Caras Jr. and Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. El Hijo del Santo, L.A. Par-K and Rayo de Jalisco Jr. in a six-man tag team match 5. Ric Flair's Last Match Nashville, Tennessee Nashville Municipal Auditorium 6,800 Ric Flair and Andrade El Idolo vs. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett 6. FMW vs. WWA Los Angeles, California Cal State-Los Angeles Gym 6,250 Atsushi Onita, Tarzan Goto and El Hijo del Santo vs. Negro Casas, Horace Boulder and Tim Patterson in a Best 2-out-of-3 Falls Street Fight match Big Butler Fair Prospect, Pennsylvania Big Butler Fairgrounds 6,000 Dusty Rhodes vs. Jerry Lawler 7. World Wrestling Peace Festival Los Angeles, California Los Angeles Sports Arena 5,964 Antonio Inoki and Dan Severn vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Oleg Taktarov 8. November to Remember New Orleans, Louisiana Lakefront Arena5,800 The Triple Threat (Shane Douglas, Bam Bam Bigelow and Chris Candido) vs. New Triple Threat (Sabu, Rob Van Dam and Taz) Bloodymania Cave-In-Rock, Illinois Hatchet Landings Sabu and The Insane Clown Posse (Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J) vs. Trent Acid and The Young Altar Boys (Young Altar Boy #1 and Young Altar Boy #4) 9. Pride Inglewood, California Great Western Forum 5,500 Blue Demon Jr., El Hijo del Santo, Mil Mascaras and Tinieblas vs. Dr. Wagner Jr., Scorpio Jr. and Los Guerreros del Infierno (Rey Bucanero and Ultimo Guerrero) 10. Funk Free for All Amarillo, Texas Amarillo Civic Center 5,500 Terry Funk vs. Eddie Gilbert in a Texas Death match
Canada
+Top 10 most-attended shows No. Promoter Event Location Venue AttendanceMain Event(s)Ref Alouettes Mania I Montreal, Quebec Stade Percival-Molson 20,000 Jacques Rougeau vs. King Kong Bundy Alouettes Mania III Montreal, Quebec Stade Percival-Molson 20,000This was part of a halftime show for a CFL game between the Montreal Alouettes vs. Calgary Stampeders. Jacques Rougeau vs. Kamala Alouettes Mania IV Montreal, Quebec Stade Percival-Molson 20,000This was part of a halftime show for a CFL game between the Montreal Alouettes vs. Edmonton Eskimos. Jim Duggan vs. Kurrgan with special referee Jacques Rougeau 1. Pierre Carl Ouellet vs. Kurrgan Montreal, Quebec Centre Bell 5,500+There are different reports on the attendance of the event with numbers ranging from 5,500 to as high as 10,000 and 12,000. Pierre Carl Ouellet vs. Kurrgan with special referee Sid Vicious 2. Stu Hart 50th Anniversary Show Calgary, Alberta Stampede Corral 4,600 Bret Hart (c) vs. The British Bulldog for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship 3. Jacques Rougeau's Super Wrestling Family Gala Verdun, Quebec Verdun Auditorium 4,300 Jacques Rougeau Jr. and J.J. Rougeau (c) vs. Eric Mastrocola and Taloche the Clown for the Johnny Rougeau Tag Team Championship 4. Pierre Carl Ouellet vs. King Kong Bundy Verdun, Quebec Verdun Auditorium 4,000 Pierre Carl Ouellet vs. King Kong Bundy 5. Brawl at the Bush II Brantford, Ontario Brantford Civic Centre 3,600 Haven, Lanny Poffo, Brutus Beefcake and Bushwhacker Luke vs. Big Daddy Hammer, Virgil and The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) in a Survivor Series elimination match 6. Richard Charland vs. Abdullah the Butcher Montreal, Quebec Verdun Auditorium3,500 Richard Charland vs. Abdullah the Butcher Jacques Rougeau's Super Wrestling Family Gala Montreal, Quebec Verdun Auditorium Jacques Rougeau and Giant Martin vs. Kurrgan and Eric Mastrocola 7.Gatineau Pro wrestling (GPW)Guerre civil 4Gatineau, QuebecCentre Slush Puppie3,242Thunder VS Darko (heavy weight championship)8. Night of Thunder Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg Convention Centre3,000 Chi Chi Cruz vs. Scott D'Amore Jacques Rougeau Jr. Retirement Tour (Day 1) Montréal, Quebec Verdun Auditorium Jacques Rougeau Jr. and J.J. Rougeau vs. Eric Mastrocola and Sylver 9. L'Union Fait La Force IV Montreal, Quebec Centre Pierre Charbonneau 2,600 The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau) vs. The Garvin Brothers (Ron Garvin and Jimmy Garvin) for the Johnny Rougeau Memorial Tag Team Championship 10. Welcome to Mexico! (Day 1) Toronto, Ontario Harbourfront Centre 2,500 James Champagne, La Sombra and The KGB vs. Incógnito, Xtremo and Blue Demon Jr. 11. L'Union Fait la Force Montreal, Quebec Pierre-Charbonneau Arena2,200 14-man Battle Royal Rumble on the River Windsor, Ontario Riverfront Festival Plaza Sabu (c) vs. Geza Kalman for the BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship
Australia