10 must-see non-WWE matches of WrestleMania week

There will be plenty of fascinating matches taking place outside of WWE during WrestleMania week for various independent promotions.

WrestleMania week has become a celebration for wrestling fans to enjoy many different promotions outside of the WWE landscape. Fans travel from all over the globe to witness their favorite wrestlers perform each day. The growing interest for promotions to continue running shows during wrestling’s biggest week is now at a place where over 50 different shows and events are scheduled.

WWE is not the only game in town, and there will be a few must-see matches going down elsewhere. They range from the best wrestlers in the world competing in exciting environments to fun comedic bouts to unique ideas coming to fruition. We will look at the top 10 matches to watch outside of WWE during WrestleMania week.

10. Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi (ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard, Saturday, April 6)

The IWGP Intercontinental Championship will be the prize on the line for one of the top matches at the joint show between Ring of Honor and New Japan taking place at Madison Square Garden. Tetsuya Naito will defend his title against Kota Ibushi at the highly-anticipated event. Many fans questioned the card, with both companies losing talent in recent months, but match announcements like this added excitement back to the show.

NJPW is tremendous at building their top handful of main-event stars. Naito and Ibushi are both in that category, and this match could have easily been the main event for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship if that’s what the promotion wanted. This is a strong favorite to steal the show and possibly steal the entire weekend.

How to watch: NJPW World or Honor Club