On December 8th, 2025, I attended a Championship International Wrestling show in Toledo, OH with two of my closest friends. Being a longtime Upstate New York resident, I have attended my fair share of independent wrestling scene, but over the past several years I’ve been seeing the same wrestlers competing in different companies within a fifty mile radius of each other. This was a different experience as it was a company that was over 350 miles away from me and I had not only never seen anyone competing live, but hadn’t heard of any of them either.
One of the wrestlers to catch our eye was Calvin Coco. Coco debuted in September 2023 and regularly competes for both CIW, but also works for Pro Wrestling Epic out of St. Louis, Missouri. Coco lists Shawn Michaels, AJ Styles, Bobby Lashley, John Cena and Shelton Benjamin as just a few wrestlers he was inspired by to compete in professional wrestling.
Coco’s energy is notable right at his entrance. There’s phony energy and then there’s genuine energy, and it’s clear as day that Coco is pumped up and ready to do something that he loves to do and that’s entertaining fans.
Coco wrestled against Erik Surge, a regular who competes for notable companies such as OVW and AAW. Despite the size differences, they were able to put together a compelling match and Coco came across very well as an underdog babyface with fire that couldn’t be extinguished. Coco afterward was attacked by the local heel group and sold the injuries to a meaningful manner. In an era where injury angles are often ignored or blatantly no sold, Coco sold the attack as if he had been seriously injured.
Calvin’s career is only beginning and he sees 2026 as a year of expansion, but in many ways. Whether it be expanding his reach, skillset, or facial routines, Coco is determined and focused to succeed in professional wrestling. If his appearance on December 8th, 2025 for CIW is any indication, it’s just a matter of time before he breaks out in a bigger stage.
I reached out to Calvin via X and inquired about some of his favorite matches for this series. Calvin was kind to quickly send over a handful of matches that are all available on YouTube. Just as I did with the Danny Orion PWI 500 piece these are my honest opinions whether they be good or bad as I’ve never watched any of these matches prior to this article.
Lets check them out.
PWE POWERHOUSE CHAMPION CALVIN COCO VS. TYLER COPELAND — PRO WRESTLING EPIC — MARCH 29TH, 2025
Copeland bails to the floor as soon as the bell sounds to stall for a little bit, but returns to the ring quickly. Coco backs Copeland into a corner, but cleanly backs off. Copeland bails to the floor again to stall. Coco chases Copeland around ringside, but Copeland stomps Coco on the mat and scoop slams Coco for a one count. Copeland runs the ropes and is met with a shoulder block by Coco. Coco splashes Copeland in the corner a couple of times. Coco takes Copeland over with a snap suplex for a two count. Copeland stops Coco with a jawbreaker. Coco catches Copeland coming off the ropes and hits a Samoan Drop showing a great display of strength. Coco heads to the top rope, but misses an elbow drop attempt. Copeland tries for a cover, but Coco powers out at two. Copeland drives Coco down with a neckbreaker for a two count. Copeland keeps Coco on the mat with a sleeper, but Coco gets to his feet quickly. Copeland yanks Coco down to the mat by his arm for a near fall. Copeland stands on Coco’s hair and pulls Coco’s arms up. Copeland drives Coco into the corner and bites Coco’s hand in the corner. Copeland drives Coco to the mat with a running bulldog for a near fall.
Copeland tries for a GTS, but Coco blocks it and hits a cutter for a two count. Copeland plants Coco with a spinebuster, but only manages a two count. Copeland misses a few clotheslines and Coco decks Copeland with a clothesline. Coco and Copeland trade forearms in the middle of the ring. Coco staggers Copeland, but Copeland decks Coco with a clothesline for a two count. Copeland heads to the top rope, but is stopped by Coco. Coco press slams Copeland off the top rope. Coco climbs to the top rope and hits an elbow drop for a two count as Copeland got his boot on the bottom rope. Copeland rolls to the floor and grabs a crowbar. The referee stops Copeland, but Copeland low blows Coco from behind and hits the TKO for the win.
Bob’s Take: Coco thrives in a babyface role. There’s just something about his presence that automatically makes you want to cheer for him. Copeland came across as a compelling heel and got some good heel reactions. I liked the dynamic between these two. Judging by the finish this feels like the beginning of a longer program between the two. Coco chasing for the title makes a ton of sense to me.
Match Rating: ***
‘THE MODERN MAN’ CALVIN COCO VS. HERZOG — PRO WRESTLING EPIC — JULY 29TH, 2025
Coco goes right at Herzog with a forearm, but Herzog works over Coco with strikes in the corner. Herzog snapmares Coco out of the corner, but Coco fires back with forearm strikes only for Herzog to headbutt Coco. Coco avoids Herzog in the corner, but Herzog nails Coco with a big boot to send Coco reeling to the floor to regroup. Coco returns with a few strikes, but Herzog doesn’t budge. Coco shoulder blocks Herzog followed by a dropkick to send Herzog to the floor. Herzog pulls Coco to the floor and delivers a chop against the apron. Coco avoids being sent into the railing and runs around ringside. Herzog works over Coco in the corner with several stomps. Herzog delivers a headbutt to the upper back of Coco and taunts the crowd for a moment. Herzog back elbows Coco followed by forearms. Herzog snapmares Coco to the mat and puts a nerve hold on Coco, but doesn’t get a submission even when switching to a sleeper.
Coco powers to his feet and elbows Herzog. Coco forearms Herzog a few times and hits the Modern Man Slam! (F5)! Coco covers, but Herzog kicks out at two. Coco leaps off the top missing an elbow drop attempt. Herzog drives Coco to the mat with a chokeslam, but Coco pops his shoulder up at two. Herzog stands on the middle rope with Coco looking for another chokeslam, but Coco elbows free and leaps up to hit a cutter off the middle rope to pickup the three count!
Bob’s Take: The match went less than eight minutes, but for two guys with two different styles it came across as a productive match. Coco’s kick out after the first chokeslam got a good crowd reaction, which showed me that the live audience remained engaged in the match, which is a victory within itself on indie shows. There is context here mentioned on commentary that Herzog had won eight matches in a row, so this is likely an upset in the PWE Universe.
Match Rating: **1/2
CIW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION ASHTON ADONIS VS. CALVIN COCO — CIW — SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2025
Adonis bails to the floor to stall for a moment as soon as the bell sounds. Adonis returns and they lockup leading to Coco backing Adonis into a corner, but Adonis bails to the floor again. Adonis backs Coco into a corner and delivers a chop before backing off and taunting the crowd. Adonis gains control with a side headlock in the middle of the ring. Adonis shoulder blocks Coco and continues to taunt the crowd. Coco responds with a leaping shoulder block and splashes Adonis in the corner. Coco gets the crowd behind him before hitting a second splash. Coco delivers a third splash in the corner followed by a snap suplex. Coco keeps wrist control on Adonis, but Adonis strikes Coco to break free and delivers a vicious chop in the corner. Coco ducks a chop and chops Adonis several times around the ring. Coco dropkicks Adonis to the floor. Coco goes to the floor and grabs Adonis to deliver several strikes against the apron. Coco rams Adonis face first onto the apron, as well. Adonis rolls back into the ring and Coco is distracted leading to Adonis kicking the middle rope and knocking Coco to the floor.
Coco gets back into the ring before being counted out, but Adonis keeps control with strikes on the mat and gets a two count. Coco knee lifts Adonis, but is yanked down to the mat. Adonis stomps Coco on the mat to keep control. Coco fights back with a middle rope crossbody, but Adonis cuts Coco off with a running strike for a near fall. Adonis puts a Crossface on Coco, but doesn’t get a submission. Coco almost manages to get a rollup, but Adonis breaks free and clotheslines Coco. Adonis continues with a knee drop several times before getting a two count. Coco comes off the ropes to hit a leaping clothesline. Adonis nails Coco with a short arm clothesline a couple of times for a two count. Adonis kicks Coco on the knee and delivers a running knee strike before kipping up and taunting the fans. Adonis misses a springboard kick attempt and is met with an elbow in the corner. Coco charges out of the corner with a clothesline and elbow. Coco drives Adonis to the mat with a Rock Bottom for a two count.
Coco tries for a cutter, but Adonis avoids it. Adonis misses a knee strike and Coco hits the cutter on the second attempt. Coco heads to the top rope hitting an elbow drop for a near fall. Adonis gets off of Coco’s shoulders, but Coco counters to hit the Modern Man Slam, but the referee got pulled out by a masked wrestler. A second masked wrestler comes out as the first reveals to be Dustin Divine. The second masked wrestler holds Coco for Adonis to deliver a running knee strike and Adonis pins Coco to retain the title. The second masked wrestler is revealed to be Josh Morris.
Bob’s Take: This is a solid overall title defense. I’m very new to the CIW Universe, but this is the foundation to the new heel group that consisted of Adonis, Divine, Morris and Surge. Coco being put in the spot of of the of the top babyfaces against the group is very logical. Coco came across very well here, and his energy on his comeback offense keeps the viewer engaged. I think at first glance viewers may think Coco is going to be an aerial wrestler, but he’s more well rounded and while he can come off the ropes, he doesn’t rely on that to get a crowd reaction. I liked Adonis cutting off Coco several times before Coco got substantial offense as it meant a little more when Coco finally got some momentum. The crowd responded well to Coco throughout the match and the whole match held my interest for the duration. Adonis and Coco are two of the more talented wrestlers in CIW, so it’s not a shock this delivered a quality bout.
Match Rating: ***
PWE POWERHOUSE CHAMPION TYLER COPELAND VS. CALVIN COCO VS. BRANDON AARONS — PRO WRESTLING EPIC — OCTOBER 4TH, 2025
This is an elimination match. Copeland is double teamed on the floor by Coco and Aarons. Coco clotheslines Copeland and Aarons delivers a heel kick. Coco splashes Copeland in the corner and Aarons nails Copeland with a running uppercut in the corner. Coco plants Copeland with a snap powerslam causing Copeland to bail to the floor. Aarons tries for a rollup, but Coco kicks out. Coco misses a superkick and Aarons misses one, as well. However, they both hit superkicks on their second attempt. Aarons tosses Coco with a release German suplex. Coco dumps Aarons to the apron, but Aarons spikes Coco with a tornado DDT for a two count. Copeland pulls Aarons to the floor and rams Aarons into the ring post face first. Copeland enters the ring, but Coco clotheslines Copeland. Copeland cuts off Coco with a knee lift and tries for a GTS, but Coco counters with a cutter for a two count. Coco strikes Copeland on the floor until Aarons takes both men out with a somersault dive off the apron and hits the guard railing!
Aarons rolls Copeland into the ring and delivers a running knee to the back of Copeland’s head, but the referee is distracted by Copeland’s manager. Copeland sneaks up and gets a rollup on Aarons for a three count for the first elimination.
Copeland remains on the floor, but knee lifts Coco to keep control. Copeland drops Coco onto the apron with a back suplex for a two count. Copeland forearms Coco a few times, but Coco responds with forearm strikes of his own. Coco decks Copeland to the mat, but Copeland eye rakes Coco. Copeland plants Coco with a TKO, but Coco kicks out at two. Copeland tries for a submission, but Coco refuses to give up in the middle of the ring. Coco elbows Copeland to break free and hits a Rock Bottom. Coco climbs to the top rope, but is hit by The Landlord with a cooking sheet. Landlord hits Coco several times with the cooking sheet. Coco recovers and dives over the ropes to take out Copeland, Landlord and two referees! Copeland avoids Coco’s offense and low blows Coco in the ring. Copeland drives Coco into the mat with a curb stomp, but Coco kicks out of the cover. Copeland has the championship, but Aarons returns to the ringside area and yanks the title away. Coco hits the Modern Man Slam! Coco leaps off the top to hit the flying elbow drop and pins Copeland to win the title!
Bob’s Take: One thing I’ve noticed about PWE matches, at least involving Coco, is that they keep the timing at reasonable levels. The matches aren’t too short or too long, which is nice. The three way aspect of the match was rather short, but I enjoyed Aarons in the brief outing that he had in the match. I think that part of the match could have been a little longer, but it was good regardless. The only part that took me out of the match a little bit was the Landlord interference. It just felt a bit forced. Despite that, this was a good match. All three guys were enjoyable and I’m left interested in seeing more of all three, which is another benefit of doing this spotlight series of learning about even more talent that I likely otherwise wouldn’t have found.
Match Rating: ***
PWE POWERHOUSE CHAMPION CALVIN COCO VS. JACK DELANY — PRO WRESTLING EPIC — NOVEMBER 1ST 2025
Coco wants to shake hands, but Delany swipes his hand away, which the fans did not appreciate, but they are heavily supporting Coco. Delany gets front face lock control, but Coco counters with a wrist lock until Delany gets headlock control. Delany shoulder blocks Coco and taunts the crowd. Coco shoulder blocks Delany sending Delany reeling into the corner. Coco splashes Delany in the corner a couple of times followed by a snap suplex for a two count. Coco shoulder blocks Delany again and misses an elbow drop. Delany snapmares Coco and hits a seated dropkick for a two count. Delany dropkicks Coco on the back for another near fall. Delany presses his knee into Coco’s back and pulls back on Coco’s arms, but doesn’t get a submission. Coco elbows free, but Delany boots Coco and delivers a forearm to the back for a near fall. Coco hits a snap powerslam as Delany comes off the ropes for a near fall. Coco has Delany on his shoulders, but Delany counters with a tornado DDT for a two count.
Delany argues with the referee on the count. Delany heads to the top rope, but Coco cuts Delany off with strikes. Coco hooks Delany for a superplex and hits it causing both men to be laid out in the middle of the ring. Coco clotheslines Delany followed by an elbow and hits a cutter on Delany. Coco heads to the top rope, but misses an elbow drop as Delany rolled away. Coco forearms Delany several times, but Delany comes back with a clothesline. Delany springboards off the ropes to hit a cutter for a near fall. Delany heads to the top rope, but is caught by Coco. Coco hits the Modern Man Slam for the win!
Bob’s Take: Alright, now that was a match full of action and high flying moves, but not over the top that it felt like a complete spot fest. These two absolutely have chemistry and they put forth a great match that opened the show. It’s the ideal style to start an indie show. There’s nothing much else to say about this one. I enjoyed this quite a bit and it went the perfect length of time, too.
Match Rating: ***1/2
The fact that Coco has been wrestling for only two years is a bit mind blowing. He’s having quality matches this early into his career. I’m excited to see how much better he gets in the ring when he gains a little more experience. Coco is a guy that independent companies should be keeping their eye on. Companies such as OVW, NWA, JCW Lunacy and MLW are all companies that have a major presence on YouTube and using younger talent that haven’t been exposed to a national broadcast should be appealing. Coco’s work as a babyface is only going to get better and he’s a guy that would do well in any of the above mentioned promotions. I think OVW would be a logical next step since several guys that Coco has been on shows with (not reviewed here) have been working for OVW. It would not surprise me at all if Calvin were to be recruited for the WWE ID program.
I think it’s just a matter of time before Calvin Coco is a featured star on a bigger stage. I’m looking forward to witnessing his career blossom over the next few years.
Thanks for reading.