Independent cards are one of the last bargains in pro wrestling, such as the one with Colossal Championship Wrestling.
For a fraction of an obscenely priced WWE show, you can sit close to the action, meet the wrestlers, and take photos with them.
In short, there’s a communal feeling to it all. You inevitably know some of the fans in attendance, as well as the competitors and staff. And you feel like a valued guest.
The wildly successful 3/8/25 debut of Colossal Championship Wrestling at the packed Elks Lodge in Queens, NY, was a stellar example of an indie done right.
It was a tight eight-match, three-hour show that started on time, and didn’t have an endless stream of green ticket sellers and bouts padding a show way too deep into the night.
The wrestlers for the most part kept off the mike and there wasn’t a barrage of silly angles or storylines. They wisely stuck to the action.
In short, the game grapplers gave their all, the bouts were all worth watching, and the fans left happy and satiated.
A great bonus was professional photographer Ryan Persinger, who has rolled with Rock legends and travelled the globe plying his craft. He shot his first wrestling card, and his masterful photos below capture the fun and frantic action.
The night went like this:
Colossal Championship Wrestling
Robbie Rebel defeated Geronimo
Robbie Rebel, who is usually a face on area cards, was surprisingly the clear heel in an entertaining opener. His dastardly antics warmed up and riled up the hot crowd.
The bout reminded me of what my dear friend, the late great “Luscious” Johnny Valiant used to tell me. “Within a minute the audience should know if the wrestler is the good cowboy or bad cowboy or good Indian or bad Indian.”
And Geronimo was most certainly the fan favorite in this old school face vs. heel battle. Sometimes simple is best and this one worked beautifully.
Colossal Championship Wrestling
The Monkey King and Tommy Invincible defeated Superfly Bry and Skywalker to retain the CCW tag team titles.
These colorful characters engaged in a lot of quality action, and Tommy Invincible looked just that, in incredible and invincible WWE-level physical shape.
I think it’s important in this day and age that indie wrestlers know their odds are increased by “looking like a star.”
While I personally don’t endorse the WWE body-beautiful fixation as I was weaned on beer-bellied greats like Harley Race, Ray Stevens, Wahoo McDaniel and so many others, today if you want to climb to the top, having “the look” will only help your cause.
Colossal Championship Wrestling
The Royal Family and Revolution fought to a double DQ in six-man tag action.
This was non-stop action with the two factions going at it in a highly fast-paced bout. While 2025 fans aren’t known for their patience, there wasn’t a single “boring” chant within earshot. These guys all “left it in the ring” in this crowd-pleasing encounter.
Colossal Championship Wrestling
Supa Nitro defeated Zak Ramses
Likable local hero Supa Nitro had the crowd in the palm of his hand in this fun bout defeating a game Zak Ramses. Supa Nitro is a heavyweight who moves like a far smaller man and is an excellent addition to any card he is on.
Colossal Championship Wrestling
Dylon Woodward defeated Issac Wayne
It’s rare in 2025 for wrestlers to draw legit heel heat but Dylon Woodward is an edgy character who, to his credit, did just that. The audience was emotionally invested in this well done bout and a rematch may be in order.
Colossal Championship Wrestling
Ghost Shadow wrestled Leo Sparrow to a draw
In terms of pure wrestling, this may have been the best bout on the show and Leo Sparrow looks like he would fit right in on TNA or AEW right now. Both these guys wrestled, flew, exhibited charisma and used “every hold in the book.” Kudos to this well-matched pair.
Colossal Championship Wrestling
Cha Cha Charlie defeated Steve Person
Man, did this ever feel “old school.” Cha Cha Charlie is a wildly charismatic, happy, dancing, fun-loving face, and Steve Person is arguably the best heel on the local indies.
It was a perfect balance of solid wrestling and great character work. This wasn’t about “tweeners” and guys with vague gimmicks.
This was clear as day, a beloved face versus a dastardly heel, and it just plain worked. Ultimately, this was the show-stealer that everyone left talking about.
Cha Cha Charlie, who has already worked for AEW, is ready for the big time right now. This powerful and poignant six-minute documentary on him will tell you all you need to know about this beloved fan favorite.
And we also did an extensive one-hour interview with him on a recent episode of Wrestling and Everything Coast to Coast.
Cha Cha Charlie Short Documentary:
Interview with Cha Cha Charlie:
Colossal Championship Wrestling
Roxxy- CCW women’s champion- beat Nahir Robles.
The crowd was pleasantly surprised to see women in the main event, and deservedly so. These top-notch pros put on a bout that would have fit comfortably on an AEW, TNA, or even WWE show.
While I was enjoying it so much that I would have liked to see it go for a few more minutes, this jaded wrestling journalist can attest that these two are ready for the big time.
Also of note, and lending star power to the event, WWE legend Hurricane Castillo Jr. from the stable of Los Boricuas made a special appearance.
Bravo to Colossal Championship Wrestling for this winning card. They return to the Elks Lodge on May 10th, and I have every intention of being there. A promotion and crew this good deserve continued support.
Ryan Persinger Photography: Facebook
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Evan Ginzburg is a contributor for Pro Wrestling Post. He was an Associate Producer on the movie The Wrestler and 350 Days starring Bret Hart and Superstar Billy Graham.
He is a 30-year film, radio and TV veteran. He is the author of Wrestling Rings, Blackboards and Movie Sets. Check out his Evan Ginzburg’s Old School Wrestling Memories page and Evan Ginzburg pages on Facebook and his radio show Wrestling and Everything Coast to Coast hosted by Buddy Sotello. He can be reached on Twitter @evan_ginzburg or by e-mail at evan_ginzburg@yahoo.com.
