Justin Orsino Pro-wrestling has a unique energy. Even if it’s not your thing, the size and passion of the fans is undeniable. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is thriving right now. Despite high ticket sales and streaming options that all over the place, they’ve gotten to a strong newfound place in pop culture. But this periodical boom isn’t just about WWE, or any major promotion like All Elite Wrestling (AEW) or Total Nonstop Action (TNA).
Independent wrestling, or “indie wrestling,” has roots going back decades. In 1948, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) linked separate territorial promotions, each respecting regional boundaries while sharing champions and talent. For decades, this was how professional wrestling was managed, until the World Wrestling Federation (then WWF, now WWE), under Vince McMahon Jr., broke that system in the 1980s by expanding nationally and hiring stars like Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper, pushing smaller territories into their own independent scene.
By the 1990s, as WWF and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) dominated, promotions like Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW, formerly Eastern Championship Wrestling) embraced hardcore, risk-taking styles that became the blueprint for modern indie wrestling. Operating on tight budgets in small gyms or arenas, these promotions often allowed more creativity than big corporations. VHS, DVDs, and eventually the internet in the 2000s helped indie stars like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Samoa Joe gain recognition outside WWE. By the 2010s, streaming and social media transformed indie wrestling into a global phenomenon, with promotions like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Ring of Honor (ROH), and Game Changer Wrestling (GCW).
As mentioned in my first article for People’s Press, I’ve been attending indie wrestling shows locally more often, and this year was no different, although I do wish I went to more. The dates have been increasing rapidly, and it can be hard to keep up. This year, I attended events by Desert Pro Wrestling, Venue Wrestling Entertainment (VWE), and All Valley Championship Wrestling (AVCW).
On May 9th, I attended an event at Prestige Event Center, a collaboration between VWE and AVCW. The draw for me on the match card was a wrestler I’ve been following on Instagram for a while, Angel Pureheart. He had recently started touring more often, so this was his big return back home, for me anyway. Suffice to say, I was excited to see him perform again.
A few months later in September, I spoke with the owner of Prestige Event Center and VWE, Jayson Hisel about interviewing Pureheart at an event he was headlining, Friday Night’s Main Event, on September 26. I drove to Prestige and spoke with Pureheart at a quieter area in the venue before the first bell rang.
***
From a young age, Angel Pureheart, a native of Calexico, was completely captivated by professional wrestling. He trained in karate, which taught him the art of kicking, something that would later be apart of his moveset. As a child, he was drawn to mainstream WWE stars like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Alberto Del Rio. As he grew older, he began exploring wrestling’s history, discovering legends like Ric Flair and Roddy Piper, who would later become a core influence to his style. At that point in his young life, however…
he had no idea
Indie Wrestling
existed.
He attended Rockwood Elementary, then middle and high school at Southwest High School in El Centro. In addition to karate, he wrestled in high school for two summers but left the official season to focus on professional wrestling, dedicating himself to training full-time. Pureheart began formally training at age 12 and made his professional debut at 14 with VWE, the promotion he proudly calls his home company. After seeing VWE feature wrestling legend Rey Mysterio, he found the inspiration that set his own career in motion. Over time, he expanded his training sessions at KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy and gained deep appreciation for the indie scene after witnessing talent like Jack Cartwheel and Jake Painter move on from the indies to the big leagues.
Early in his career, Pureheart began as a masked wrestler named Sphinx, losing the mask later to one of his trainers and luchador, Little Cholo. He began his career in Yuma, expanding across the Imperial Valley and later wrestled in Arizona, Mexico, L.A., Texas, San Diego, and Riverside, with plans to reach Las Vegas next year. His ultimate dream is to main-event WWE’s annual flagship show, WrestleMania. Despite all the physical toll that comes with his performances, including a punch that left him with a dead tooth, he plans to remain involved in wrestling. When the day comes to hang up his boots, he plans to run shows, train talent, or help behind the scenes.
After losing his mask, he continued to wrestle as a babyface, or a “good guy,” but fans often remarked that he came across intense in person. Over time, he began bringing more of himself into the ring, embracing who he truly is. While many label him a heel, he is simply being his own authentic self. Wrestling, he has learned, comes with experience, so as many do, he fully analyzes his matches in order to find out where he can improve.
Being a first-generation wrestler hasn’t always been easy. His family doesn’t share his passion for wrestling, and he’s made sacrifices along the way, missing birthdays, funerals, and other life events to pursue his career. Pureheart recognizes that success in wrestling demands putting the sport above everything else, and he has embraced it as his number one priority.
About the Imperial Valley, Pureheart says he doesn’t really care for it, and that the people here can be rude and lack manners. He feels that the only good thing that comes from the Valley is him, and he wants to move far away, somewhere he can really live. He has friends here, but he feels he’s better than the Valley and prefers to live somewhere like Texas, in the middle of the state, where he can feel more free and live life on his own terms.
There is one question I’m sure many would ask a pro-wrestler. And that’s “Why?” For Angel Pureheart, the answer is simple: he wrestles because it has been his passion since childhood. It’s a purpose that drives every choice he makes. Wrestling defines who he is, and he is willing to sacrifice anything to pursue it. It’s more than a career for him, it’s who he is. And even when he can no longer compete in the ring, he intends to stay involved in every way possible. Fully committed.
For life.
Now let me ask you a question, reader. Are you as passionate as Angel Pureheart, to pursue your dreams, break that glass ceiling, and live a life that seems far beyond reach? And if not, what’s stopping you?
Listen to our interview:
Want to support Citizen Journalists like Justin?
☕️ Buy Justin a coffee! 😊
read more from People's Press
imperial valley independent wrestling is just plain awesome
rediscovering the legacy of the farmworker’s movement
latin legends: comedian paul rodriguez delivers farewell performance to raza right where he started
who is gil rebollar: from halfway house to council chambers
dear local politicians: why cut ribbons when you could cut rent?
IV pickleball association: where camaraderie meets cardio