Rosters
One question I get a lot from fans trying to get into indie wrestling is, "who is on the ROH roster, and why do I see them doing other shows?"
The indie scene isn't like WWE. Most guys aren't signed to iron-clad contracts that hold them in place to one promotion. Some of the bigger names have contracts that let them appear for live crowds, but not on DVD or iPPV streams. What you need to know, as a fan, is that most indie companies don't have a decided "roster" like the WWE does.
Ring of Honor is one of the promotions that does, for the most part, have a dedicated roster. Many of their talents – Kevin Steen, Roderick Strong, Adam Cole – play for other teams throughout the year, but ROH fans know that there's a group of guys they are most likely going to see at every show. PWG uses a lot of the same talent month-to-month, as does CZW and a couple other bigger shows. What's cool about these events is that, while they have their "main stars" that you come to expect, they also bring in free agents like Paul London, Brian Kendrick, AJ Styles and other exciting wrestlers to promote big shows. There's always an element of surprise and excitement to shows like this.
FWE out of New York is a pretty cool company that doesn't have a big roster. They do have their usuals – Carlito, John Morrison, etc. – but a lot of their business comes from bringing in former WWE stars and other big names in the industry and putting together supershows. It's a lot of fun. They don't really do huge, overarching stories, and focus less on the drama, but their shows have a ton of good matches, and it's always nice to see a ton of familiar faces.
