The geographically named NOVA (NoVA refers to Northern Virginia) Pro-Wrestling is one of the hottest up-and-coming independent promotions in the nation. This weekend, June 8-9th, NOVA hosts the Commonwealth Cup, their annual super tournament. This year will feature both a men’s and women’s tournament. The two day, three card event emanates from the Annandale Volunteer Fire Department. Friday and Saturday night’s cards featuring the Men’s Commonwealth Cup will be streamed live on Powerbomb.tv.
We are in a golden age of pro wrestling. Never before have there been so many options and such quality competition. Not only is WWE breaking records and putting on massive fun shows, but independent wrestling is also booming as well. With streaming services and YouTube providing a big boost, no longer is independent wrestling relegated to bingo halls and hard to find DVDs. Thousands of matches are at your fingertips, streaming live or available hours after they take place. This boom allowed indie promotions to reach bigger audiences than ever. You’ve probably heard of Ring Of Honor, Evolve, and even PWG. But one promotion on the rise is situated in Ringside Intel’s backyard right here in Northern Virginia. NOVA Pro is running its biggest weekend yet!
Indie megastars and soon-to-be stars stack this incredible card. We sat down with NOVA owner Mike King to talk about the Commonwealth Cup, NOVA’s place in the indie world, and up-and-coming talent to watch out for this weekend.
Bringing Indie Wrestling to Northern Virginia
Mike grew up a fan of indie wrestling, going to events in Pennslyvania and Richmond, VA. He started NOVA because there wasn’t a robust indie presence in the DC-area. He wanted to turn Northern Virginia into a “hotbed” of indie wrestling. Before starting NOVA, King worked a few odd jobs with other promotions to get his feet wet. He also took time to learn from other regional promotions to see how they succeeded. Two promotions that particularly inspired him were CWF-MidAtlantic in North Carolina and IWA-MidSouth in the Louisville/southern Indiana area. From those two he learned the value of balancing big-name stars with local talent. He wanted to avoid the ‘super-indies’ and instead build something unique to the area. He’s succeeded!
NOVA In Two Years
I asked Mike where he wanted NOVA to be in two years, around the company’s fifth anniversary. King stated his desire to run a WrestleMania weekend show and a show in DC proper.
Who To Look Out For In The Commonwealth Cup
There are a lot of big names in this year’s tournament. Deathmatch legend Nick Gage, former WWE writer Jimmy Jacobs, IMPACT star Eddie Kingston, and former WWF Tag Champion and member of the Quebecers Pierre-Carl Oulette (known as PCO). I asked Mike for a few under-the-radar participants fans should keep an eye on.
Sage Phillips
Sage holds the record for most dark matches in NOVA history. He “grew up” in NOVA Pro and started from the bottom and rose to the top.
Dominic Garrini
An MMA-style fighter we’ve featured before. Dom is from the Cleveland-area and is a big star in the AIW promotion. He’s been on a significant tear recently, wrestling on a few big indie shows including Matt Riddle’s Bloodsport WrestleMania weekend.
Alexander James
A big part of WxW, the biggest promotion in Continental Europe, James has yet to find his footing in American wrestling. King feels this is an opportunity for him to make a name in the states.
Jordynne Grace
The women’s tournament features Mae Young Classic participants Mia Yim (aka IMPACT’s Jade) Rachel Evers (Ellering), and former IMPACT women’s champ Chelsea Green. King highlighted powerhouse Jordynne Grace as the tournament’s dark horse. Mike calls Grace perhaps the most underrated female wrestler going right now. Her combination of size and power have made her one of the brighter female stars in a sparkling women’s indie scene.