Richard Holliday is not about to let AEW take the credit for the independent wrestling boom. Appearing on the Direct Discussions podcast, the indie standout pushed back hard on the suggestion that companies like AEW and TNA letting contracted talent take outside bookings are responsible for the scene’s current health.
Richard Holliday (Credits: RingSide News)
“No Way” AEW Deserves the Credit
When the interviewer suggested AEW’s approach had helped make independent wrestling more popular, Holliday shut it down immediately: “No. No. I think that would discredit the work that independent wrestlers and independent wrestling companies have been doing. So, no.”
Holliday acknowledged that having an AEW name on an indie card is a nice bonus that can bring extra eyes to a show. But he was firm that it is not the engine driving the scene. “Is it cool if an AEW wrestler is on the same card? Yeah, it’s nice,” he said, adding that “for that to be the reason that independent wrestling is successful? No. No way.”
The Indie Scene Is Thriving — Just Ask His Calendar
Holliday also rejected the notion that the independent scene is struggling. His evidence is his own workload: he expects to wrestle more than 120 matches in 2026 across a huge range of promotions, most of them first-time bookings for him. “I’m booked out. I’m busy,” he said. “If I was struggling to find bookings and looking at my calendar saying, ‘Man, I only have four matches for November,’ then I would say independent wrestling is hurting.”
He also argued that success on the indies is relative. A promotion drawing 250 fans can be every bit as successful as one drawing 600, as long as it is profitable, pays its talent, and sends the crowd home happy. “We have to have a deeper conversation about what does success mean,” he said.
Also Read: TNA Tapings: Independent Wrestlers Spotted at Dothan Shows Revealed and AEW WrestleDream 2026 Card: Ospreay’s Clockwork Carnage Title Defense and Mone vs. Thekla in Orlando
Source: RingSide News — read the full story there.
