10 Best Kept Secrets In Wrestling Today

7. Oriental Wrestling Entertainment

buddy murphy
Twitter, @ORIENTIALWRESTL1

Dragon Gate stalwart CIMA rocked the Japanese promotion with his early-2018 departure. The group's biggest star walked out with prospects El Lindaman, Takehiro Yamamura, and T-Hawk in tow. A promotion that has traditionally struggled to build new stars was left shorthanded, and the impact was felt immediately, with Kobe World (DG's biggest show of the year) seeing attendances plummet by almost 50% from 2017 to 2018.

While Dragon Gate rebuild with the returning PAC, CIMA is constructing something (almost) from scratch. He will spearhead the young Oriental Wrestling Entertainment organisation with the goal of creating a Chinese wrestling powerhouse. This won't be easy (the artform has only existed in the nation for 14 years), but the potential for growth in the world's largest country is immense.

OWE is a long-term project. Their roster's complexion is unique - US imports rub shoulders with Shaolin Kung Fu-trained natives - and the action wild, melding hyper-athletic flippydoos with Kung Fu displays and musical performances. It's a breath of fresh air in 2018's super-indie landscape.

Footage is sparse, but check OWE's first Twitch show for the perfect introduction, and keep an eye on their name going forward.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.