How Northeast Wrestling Has Become the Independent Scene's Premier Promotion

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Nearly 13 years ago, I did a write-up for Bleacher Report (mere months removed from when I was brought on as a writer for the site which was still in its infancy) detailing my experience meeting WWE's Daniel Bryan (now known as Bryan Danielson in AEW) at a Northeast Wrestling show.

I had already attended a handful of N.E.W. shows dating back to May 2009 (my first indie ever), but that October 2010 night in particular was one I'll never forget, and N.E.W. played a big role in making it so memorable. I have been an avid attender of the promotion ever since, though I admittedly fell off a bit from 2013 through 2016 due to being in college.

I have always said that Northeast Wrestling was where you could meet the biggest stars in wrestling and also be treated to a kickass show. Thanks to them, I have had the opportunity to meet everyone from Chris Jericho, Bret Hart and Mick Foley to The Hardy Boyz, AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes. It's truly astounding to see how many notable names they've hosted over the years, while also paving the way for the future: Carmelo Hayes, Dijak, Robert Stone, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Ivar of The Viking Raiders, and countless others.

​That was the thesis of my 2019 profile piece on Northeast Wrestling for Bleacher Report. My intention was to shine a light on one of the very best independent promotions in the country and bring attention to how much buzz they were generating. It was right around that time Jon Moxley had his first match since leaving WWE in an N.E.W. ring against an unknown Darby Allin, and it was an absolute banger as you could probably imagine. N.E.W. was doing some of their biggest shows ever around that point and was gaining recognition across the country. Unfortunately, COVID halted their hot momentum and, aside from running studio shows with no fans, forced them to shut down operations for nearly a year and a half.

Even upon returning to running shows, it felt as if N.E.W. had peaked in terms of the talent they were recruiting on a regular basis, and the shows slowly focused more and more on those high-profile people than the homegrown competitors who made N.E.W. special in the first place. For years, my greatest thrill with going to an N.E.W. event was watching the regulars (Taven, Brian Anthony, Ron Zombie, Manscout, Bull Dredd and later Vincent/Vinny Marseglia, Brad Hollister, Wrecking Ball Legursky, Flip Gordon, JT Dunn, Inzanely Rude, etc.). It became bothersome seeing the Northeast Wrestling Heavyweight Champion take a backseat to virtually everyone else, storylines not being seen through, and matches being booked with no rhyme or reason. It was totally understandable for the biggest stars to take center stage given that was who most "casual" fans were there to see, but the lack of love for the active N.E.W. roster was disappointing and a disservice to their tremendous work ethic.

January 2022 marked a positive turning point for the promotion, at least in my opinion. It was when I started noticing a real effort to book less marquee matches (which we were still getting in spades) and instead build up more fresh faces. Waves and Curls come to mind. I went from knowing nothing about Traevon Jordan and Jaylen Brandyn to being beyond captivated by their entrance and energy alone. Less than a year later, they rightfully became Northeast Wrestling Tag Team Champions.

KC Navarro was already making the rounds on the independent scene and appearing for the likes of IMPACT, AEW Dark and MLW, but he really rose to prominence in N.E.W. and is now the N.E.W. Live Champion. Alec Price, Jordan Oliver, Greg Baylor and especially "BRG" Brett Gosslein are new names with an incredible amount of promise and potential. They've all made an impact in the time they've spent in N.E.W. and I'm looking forward to watching their careers grow.

What has really made Northeast Wrestling such a treat to watch this past year has been the outstanding attention to detail and storytelling. After all, that's what wrestling is all about: telling stories and caring about the characters involved in them. Fans expect that sort of stuff from wrestling, but I feel that isn't the norm with most indie promotions because they're built on the bigger stars coming in to make appearances as well as the action. Those things are great, but it's been N.E.W.'s consistency as of late that has made it the independent scene's premier promotion in my opinion.

​The long-running rivalry between Brian Anthony and Dan Maff was what led me to the conclusion.

It was one year ago at N.E.W.'s Over the Top event that Anthony won the annual 30-entrant Over the Top Rumble to earn an opportunity at the Northeast Wrestling Heavyweight Championship. He previously held the title three times and was looking to add a fourth reign to his resume after being out of the title picture for a few years. He was a hated heel at this point and was the perfect foil for the dominant babyface champion, Dan Maff.

They originally collided with the championship on the line at Spring Slam last April. It was one of Maff's most physical title defenses, but it ended in a disqualification. That led them to running it back three months later at Heat Wave, but what made this rematch so enthralling was how the dynamic between the two had subtly shifted. Maff had become an afterthought of a champion due to his title defenses never taking center stage, while Anthony was gradually becoming a fan favorite because of his years of service to the company.

Halfway through the match, the crowd desperately wanted Anthony to be the one to end Maff's two-and-a-half-year title run. It appeared to be a very real possibility as Anthony came crashing down on Maff with diving elbow after diving elbow, only for Anthony's manager of many years Vito to push Anthony off the top rope while the referee was back. That allowed Maff to secure the win and retain his title in one of the most shocking endings I've ever seen to a wrestling show.

Their bad blood didn't end there, though. Anthony continued to chase Vito in the months that followed, and at October's The Show With No Name, Anthony thwarted Vito's interference in the Singapore Cane main event and allowed Traveon Jordan to best Maff in shocking fashion. That ended Maff's reign at just shy of 1,000 days and only two months out from breaking Anthony's record as the longest-reigning champ ever. Again, one of the coolest moments I've ever experienced at a wrestling show.

Unfortunately for Jordan, his reign was cut short far too soon due to suffering an injury. A tournament was announced for Holiday Havoc in December and would feature only former N.E.W. Champions (the former Fandango aside) in an effort to crown a new champ. Sure enough, Maff and Anthony collided once more in the first round, and as a result of the uncontrollable chaos, the contest was thrown out mere minutes in.

Anthony then challenged Maff to a Strap match at Over the Top in January where if Anthony won, he would earn five minutes in the ring with Maff. It was such a smart stipulation, and that alone sold me on buying tickets to the event. The fourth and final battle between Anthony and Maff headlined the show and it was as brutal of a bout as you'd expect. Having Jimmy Hart (who managed Anthony many moons ago) counteract Vito at ringside was a wonderful touch. Anthony's hard-fought win over Maff (where he had to choke him out with the strap in order to obtain victory) got him the five minutes with Vito he wanted, and he did not waste a single second. Before he could put Vito away, N.E.W newcomer Kerr (who had just won the Over the Top Rumble beforehand) emerged to lay out Anthony through a table and help Vito pin Anthony for the win. What I loved most about it was that it accomplished two things: Anthony finally beat Maff but still has unfinished business with Vito, who seemingly has found a new client in Kerr.

This example of brilliant storytelling is just a small taste of what you can expect at Northeast Wrestling, specifically their "homebase" shows in Bethany. They have a whole lineup of events announced for February, March and April, and I know I'll be looking to attend at least some of them. They have truly hit their stride this last year and are continuing to prove why they're one of the very best out there today. If you aren't in the northeast area, I'd strongly suggest checking out their content over on the Highspots Network to see what you've been missing out on.

My 13 years of following N.E.W. have made an even bigger fan of the sport in general and have left me excited to see what the future has in store for the promotion itself and the amazing athletes it spotlights.