CAGEMATCH » Promotions Database » IWA Mid-South (IWA MS)

IWA Mid-South (IWA MS)

Inactive promotion in the North America region

General Data

Current name:

IWA Mid-South

Current abbreviation:

IWA MS

Status:

Inactive

Location:

Jeffersonville, Indiana, USA

Active Time:

1996 - 2022

WWW:

https://x.com/IWAMidSouth

https://www.instagram.com/iwamidsouth

https://www.youtube.com/@IWAMidsouthWrestling

Details

Names:

IWA Mid-South (1997 - 2022)
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (1997 - 2022)
Independent Wrestling Association (1996 - 1997)

Abbreviations:

IWA MS, IWA

Owners:

Vince Jones & Ian Rotten (2013 - 2022)
Vince Jones, Kevin Adams & Mike Miller (2011 - 2013)
Ian Rotten (1996 - 2011)

Logos:

(2017 - 2022)

(2010 - 2016)

Introduction

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6.66

Current Total Rating (?)

Valid votes: 141

Number of comments: 61

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0.0

Average rating: 6.67 [141]

Average rating in 2026: 6.38 [8]

Average rating in 2025: 7.13 [8]

Average rating in 2024: 6.33 [9]

Average rating in 2023: 8.00 [2]

Average rating in 2022: 6.20 [5]

Average rating in 2021: 6.17 [6]

Average rating in 2020: 7.00 [4]

Average rating in 2019: 4.50 [2]

Average rating in 2018: 5.50 [4]

Average rating in 2017: 7.50 [4]

Average rating in 2016: 7.50 [2]

Average rating in 2015: 5.00 [5]

Average rating in 2014: 7.33 [3]

Average rating in 2013: 7.00 [2]

Average rating in 2011: 4.60 [5]

Average rating in 2010: 4.00 [9]

Average rating in 2009: 7.50 [6]

Average rating in 2008: 7.17 [24]

Average rating in 2007: 7.58 [33]

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Latest comments of the CAGEMATCH inmates

Fusionblaster wrote on 12.10.2026:

[4.0] "On one hand, it had plenty of decent talent that ran through its shows in its early years. On the other hand, it was directly responsible for making wrestling highly restricted in the state of Kentucky, catered to an audience of dozens who watched guys mutilate each other, and whose promoter was personally responsible for the death of at least one of his own talents by paying him in drugs instead of money (on top of being an absolute scumbag of a human being). I'd never go to an IWA-MS show, but for what it's worth, it did have the decency of giving talent a reason to go to better places like ROH and TNA."

Tawren wrote on 27.09.2026:

[10.0] "Meth Lab BattlArts was one of the most clever and appropriate things ever said. I love IWA MS, from the tiny crowds to the classic matches to the triple and quadruple shot weekends. Peaked higher and more interesting than almost any other promotions ever."

Raditz Flair wrote on 13.08.2026:

[4.0] "Wrestlers passing through a promotion at various points doesn't mean they got noticed there it simply means they also plied their craft there along with dozens of other indie promotions before getting signed somewhere. Had all these great workers trained there, different story but they didn't."

Jonny Dubya wrote on 31.03.2026:

[8.0] "Regardless of what anyone thinks of Ian Rotten or IWA Mid-South in general, or better yet, hardcore wrestling in general, nobody can deny the impact IWA Mid-South had on independent wrestling as a whole."

gekido614 wrote on 13.11.2025:

[10.0] "My personal favorite indie promotion of all time as it perfectly encapsulates what I love so much about indie wrestling and wrestling in general into one promotion. From deathmatches to technical masterworks to crazy spotfests to territory inspired brawls, IWA-MS had just about every style of wrestling ever done under their belt. For as much hate as Ian Rotten gets, and a lot of it deserved for his carny actions (you can put just about any wrestling promoter down as at least sort of a piece of shit though) he was one of the only bookers who truly looked at his product from a fans viewpoint, trying to put on the best show possible at all times. being an IWA fan really felt like being a part of a family and that's a feeling that I don't think is replicated in many other promotions."

KReinke22 wrote on 28.10.2025:

[9.0] "Unironically one of my favorite promotions of all time. IWA-MS is the definition of an independent wrestling fed Little to no money? check! Big outside names? check! Roster of the weirdest cast of characters possible? check! Laundry list of drama/scandals? check! Putting all of Ian's scumbaggery aside, promotions like AEW and WWE would look quite different roster wise if it wasn't for IWA."

Zuha Salt wrote on 06.10.2025:

[6.0] "Well, yes, I can enjoy IWA Mid-South, I'm going to classify the roster into two parts, the deathmatch wrestlers and the non-deathmatch wrestlers. The non-deathmatch wrestlers were incredible, people like AJ Styles, Low Ki, Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero, CM Punk are very good, they added a lot of technique to Ian Rotten's extreme show but were usually only seen for the Ted Petty Invitational and a few other occasions. And the deathmatch wrestlers here are varied, there are a lot of garbage and sloppy deathmatches, with objectively bad wrestlers like Rollin Hard, Mean Mitch Page, Tank, Deranged, Ian Rotten himself and many others, slow, sloppy and presenting the worst side of Deathmatch. In the other corner are the good deathmatches, like Scotty Vortekz, Danny Havoc, DieHard Dustin Lee, Drake Younger, Necro Butcher, Devon Moore, JC Bailey, among others. Clearly there are going to be good things, bad things. Over the years, quality has increased in the Deathmatch sector."

jjcharg77 wrote on 03.09.2024:

[7.0] "theres known for know for being run by scumbags and having some well known shit show matches but fucking hell did they have some of the most underrated matches. so many wrestlers stopped by here to make a name for themselves that its insane when I look at a random card. alot of slop but some damn good hidden gems that are worth the watch."

XXDoubleHHXX wrote on 03.09.2022:

[8.0] "IWA Mid south has constantly put in everything to bring the best indie matches Ian can afford, sometimes for the worst. The Ted Petty and the KOTDM are some of my favorite tournaments on the indie scene but it's sad no enough people watch. Adding this bit later but Ian Rotten got this company killed because he didn't pay people, eventually the poor crowd numbers were gonna catch up someday and the DVD sales wouldn't be able to save him. I highly doubt IWAMS is coming back but if it does I hope Ian learned his lesson."

sbg2022 wrote on 08.07.2022:

[0.0] "While the promotion has produced some great talents, Ian Rotten is a scumbag promoter who allowed an untrained wrestler to tangle with a woman who is privy to hardcore and deathmatches. What's even worse, was that he (Mike Levy) was humiliated during and after the match too, which was totally uncalled for. Ian Rotten has also to my knowledge, ruined wrestling in Kentucky. At least according to Jim Cornette."

Virtanen wrote on 17.06.2022:

"Sad to hear that all the future events are cancelled. Hope that IWA Mid South will rise from the ashes one more time."

benny5bellys wrote on 19.12.2021:

[2.0] "It has had some greats go through there but it is really just a blip on the radar of indie wrestling these days. Ian Rotten is the ultimate sleazy carny. Still has the occasional decent wrestler pass through but not worth checking out, see them elsewhere"

wrestlingisgross wrote on 08.11.2021:

[10.0] "Probably the true greatest indie of all time if you consider what it means to be an indie, and no less scummy than any other super-indie as sad as that may sound. 25 years more!"

soulyss wrote on 30.10.2019:

[4.0] "IWA Mid South has been a launchpad for a lot of great talent in the past. It continues to find young and hungry talent today, but it is difficult to stomach a lot of their content. For a fed that went from technical catch wrestling to death match blood and guts and then to a controversial hotbed of carney promoter stories it is honestly amazing they are still kicking."

RatingsMachine wrote on 21.09.2018:

[5.0] "At it's peak, from 2002-2006, IWA Mid-South rivalled ROH as the premier independent promotion in the country. If you could put up with the garbage matches involving garbage wrestlers, you usually got a strong card, filled with some of the best independent talent around. It stared a slow descent in 2007, ending up fading into what seemed like oblivion, on more than one occasion, but has now recovered to the point that it can struggle along, filling its cards with young wrestlers looking for a break."

IsThisWrestling wrote on 07.09.2018:

[10.0] "My favorite indy promotion of all time. I'll always have a soft-spot for the shoestring budget, carny antics of Ian Rotten because, while he caused huge controversy, he has always produced great shows with a diverse variety of talent. Pretty much anyone who matters in the independents has come through IWA-MS, from Punk to Hero to Rollins to Ricochet to Jimmy Jacobs, in addition to a cavalcade of old-school talent. In addition to this, despite occasional limitations, IWA-MS has always provided death match wrestling, regardless of the rarity of that variety of wrestling at certain times in history. Ian is the cockroach of pro wrestling, and I'll always drink his Kool Aid. Also, for the record, IWA has held over 250 shows since they last closed down, which is more shows than most promotions ever run in their entire existence."

Bill wrote on 22.08.2018:

[4.0] "IWA-MS is a run down promotion that hasn't survived the test of time very well. Back in the 2000's, IWA was a great promotion, and did some great hardcore stuff too. Now the IWA just seems to be the "infamous promotion" Jim Cornette likes to shit on for most people. Its reputation hasn't been helped by the fact they have shut down multiple times. The promotion also is suffering due to expensive VOD, as they run 2 shows a week, as far as I'm aware both costing $9. 99."

Stacy McMakin wrote on 03.01.2017:

[10.0] "IWA Midsouth is one of the longest running independent promotions in the US. From hardcore to strong style to comedy to technical, only very few companies can do it all and do it well. I will always support IWA Midsouth and you should too!"

Resident wrote on 26.03.2016:

[8.0] "Good wrestling promotion. They have one of the best deathmatch tournaments in King of the Deathmatches, but they also have good technical wrestling, as is seen in the Ted Petty Invitational. Ian Rotten isn't a trustworthy, honest person, but he does bring in some of the best talent around and has given and currenly gives many wrestlers their big break. Although not quite as good as it once was, IWA- MS has gotten better than the last couple years and today still puts on consistently good shows."

ShooterMcShoot wrote on 13.11.2015:

[2.0] "There was a brief period where the talent pool of the indies helped keep this promotion entertaining, but that talent pool is now mostly gone. Not only that, even with the great talent, the promotion as a whole was poorly run and for a time even went out of business completely before being brought back on a much smaller scale. I can't see giving IWA-MS a high rating."

Ultraviolent Lariat wrote on 26.03.2014:

[10.0] "I was me with the time from 2002 to 2006. Amazing years for this company, Punk, Hero, Joe, Aries, Strong, Styles, Danielson, McGuinness. And now trying to return to what it was."