Freelance Wrestling
| Acronym | Freelance |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Style | Professional wrestling |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Founder | Nick Almendarez |
| Owner | Nick Almendarez |
| Website | freelancewrestling |
Freelance Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 2014 by wrestler Nick Almendarez, who performs under the ring name Matt Knicks.[1][2] The promotion holds most of its events in the Logan Square neighborhood, primarily at the Logan Square Auditorium,[2][3] and operates a training school, the Freelance Wrestling Academy.[2]
History
[edit]Almendarez, who grew up in Bridgeview, Illinois, began wrestling in 2010 and founded Freelance Wrestling in 2014, saying he wanted a more community-oriented professional wrestling outlet in Chicago that would give opportunities to emerging local talent.[4][2] The promotion combines wrestling with a punk rock presentation, and its performers and fans use the slogan "Freelance is Home".[2]
In May 2015, the Chicago Tribune reported that Freelance was set to debut a weekly television program on The U Too, a WCIU-TV digital subchannel, hosted by Mark Maxwell and Nick Hausman.[1]
On December 4, 2015, CM Punk made his first known appearance at a professional wrestling event since leaving WWE, at Freelance's Raw Power show. Draped in a cloak and referred to by the announcers as Kikutaro's "nameless mentor", Punk accompanied Kikutaro to the ring but did not wrestle.[5]
The promotion's shows at the Logan Square Auditorium were the subject of a 2017 Chicago magazine photo essay by Michael Jarecki.[6] A 2018 WGN-TV report profiled Freelance as one of more than a dozen independent wrestling promotions running shows in Chicago, noting that its wrestlers work as independent contractors without employer-provided health insurance.[4] By May 2018, Freelance was holding monthly events at the Logan Square Auditorium.[7]
In November 2024, WWE announced at a Freelance show that Kylie Rae, then the reigning Freelance Champion, had been signed to its Independent Development (WWE ID) program.[8]
Championships
[edit]Freelance promotes three championships: the Freelance World, Legacy and World Tag Team championships.
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held | Location | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance World Championship | Trevor Outlaw | 1 | March 27, 2026 | 196+ | Chicago, Illinois | Defeated Devon Monroe after cashing in the Red Medallion at Lucky Charm. | [9][10] |
| Freelance Legacy Championship | Chico Suave | 1 | September 20, 2025 | 384+ | Chicago, Illinois | Defeated Koda Hernandez and Sabin Gauge at Sour Graps. | [11][12] |
| Freelance World Tag Team Championship | Bang and Matthews (August Matthews and Davey Bang) |
2 (2, 2) |
June 27, 2025 | 469+ | Chicago, Illinois | Defeated Homecookin (Dan The Dad and Kody Lane) at Freelance vs. the World XI. | [13][14] |
Freelance Wrestling Academy
[edit]Freelance opened a training school, the Freelance Wrestling Academy, in 2019 in a warehouse behind the Pro Wrestling Tees store in the Bucktown neighborhood; Pro Wrestling Tees is the promotion's main sponsor. Wrestlers Isaias Velazquez and Bryce Benjamin served as the academy's head trainers.[2] As of 2024, the academy held classes four days a week, typically with 20 to 25 students of varying experience levels.[15]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Virtusio, Jessi (May 1, 2015). "Local promotion goes off the top rope and on to TV". Daily Southtown. Chicago Tribune. p. 1-3 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ben-Amots, Zach (January 17, 2020). "Freelance Wrestling combines acting and acrobatics for unique brand of entertainment at Logan Square Auditorium". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ Colón, Ambar (July 21, 2026). "Berwyn Eagles Club has a new owner. What does that mean for Chicago wrestling?". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- 1 2 "Chicago's indie wrestlers risk it all to catch a dream". WGN-TV. February 7, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ Sapp, Sean (April 21, 2019). "Exclusive Info On A Previous CM Punk Wrestling Appearance Under A Hood". Fightful. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "The Grit and the Glory". Chicago. February 6, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Put a (wrestling) ring on it". Chicago Tribune. May 6, 2018. p. TAB-28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Lambert, Jeremy (November 22, 2024). "WWE ID Prospect Revealed At Freelance Wrestling". Fightful. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Freelance World Championship". Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ Black, Ethan (March 27, 2026). "Freelance Wrestling Lucky Charm Results – March 27, 2026". PWMania. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Freelance Legacy Championship". Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ Vetter, Chris (October 3, 2025). "Freelance Pro Wrestling "Sour Graps" results (9/20): Vetter's review of Koda Hernandez vs. Sabin Gauge vs. Chico Suave for the Freelance Legacy Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Freelance World Tag Team Championship". Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ Vetter, Chris (June 29, 2025). "Freelance Pro Wrestling "Freelance Vs. The World XI" results (6/27): Vetter's review of Koda Hernandez vs. Mustafa Ali for the Freelance Legacy Title, Calvin Tankman vs. Darius Latrell". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ Munez, Everett (July 16, 2024). "Road to professional wrestling is not scripted". Medill Reports Chicago. Medill School of Journalism. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
