DEFY Super 8XGP: A Night of Indie Wrestling History in Seattle
By Besa Gordon
On March 15, 2025, Seattle’s historic Washington Hall transformed into a battleground as DEFY Wrestling hosted its highly anticipated Super 8XGP event. With the DEFY World Championship vacated, the night was set up for a high-stakes tournament that would determine a new champion — and possibly usher in a new era for independent wrestling in the Pacific Northwest.
The energy in the venue was undeniable as fans packed into the hall, many of them longtime supporters who have been with DEFY since its early days. Over the years, DEFY has become more than just a promotion; it’s grown into a community that embraces diversity, elevates local talent, and connects performers and fans through a shared love of storytelling and grit.
The 8XGP tournament featured an eight-man match with four opening matches and a final showdown to crown a new champion. Wrestlers like Jordan Oasis — a Tacoma native and DEFY original — returned to the ring with something to prove. “To be able to come back as more of a final product of myself and come back home to capture gold… it’s special,” he said. Oasis, now a WWE ID Prospect, credited DEFY as a foundational piece of his career. “DEFY helped shape who I am now. That will always stay with me.”
Also competing was Rhio, known as the Most Dangerous Woman in Europe, who brought international heat to the ring in DEFY’s first-ever Women’s 2 Survive elimination match. Representing the UK-based PROGRESS Wrestling, Rhio reflected on the broader impact she hopes to leave behind. “I want people to say I pushed women’s wrestling forward,” she said. “That I made people look again. That I left this sport better than I found it.”
She also had a message for anyone — especially women — who’ve been told they can’t belong in the ring. “You never know until you give it a go,” she said. “Don’t let anyone put limitations on you. I got to where I am by saying, ‘Oh, you think I can’t do it? You better watch me do it, then.’”
Liza Hall, the self-proclaimed Rain City Stretcher, added another historic moment to her resume by being part of the 2 Survive match. Known for her submission-based style, Hall spoke candidly about her connection to the sport and the unique environment at DEFY. “Even though we get hurt all the time, there’s just a weird love you have for it,” she said. “You get into the ring and you’re like — this is where I’m supposed to be. I feel calm. I feel good here.”
For the Bollywood Boys, the DEFY ring is more than a performance space — it’s a second home. After leaving WWE, they returned to the independent circuit determined to continue their legacy. “DEFY became our second mountain,” said Harv. “We’re in our mid to late 30s now, and climbing that second mountain takes a different kind of motivation. It’s harder. But it’s worth it because we still believe we have so much more to give.” He added, “The beauty of what we do — being brothers — is we always have someone to lean on. And we feel that same support from the DEFY fans.”
Randy Myers, also known as the Weirdo Hero, made his long-awaited return to DEFY. His presence brought theatricality, vulnerability, and deep emotional resonance to the night. “The only place I’m allowed to be fully me is in that ring,” Myers shared. “We don’t have many places in society where we can be aggressive, expressive, and safe — but DEFY gives us that. It’s not just wrestling. It’s therapy. It’s connection.”
At the center of it all was Matt Farmer, DEFY’s General Manager, who reflected on what makes the promotion stand out. “We want everybody to feel safe here. We want everybody to be represented here,” Farmer said. “Some of the biggest names in wrestling passed through DEFY, but for me, what makes this special is seeing people grow, seeing them reach their goals, and knowing we had a small part in that.”
As the final bell rang and a new champion was crowned, DEFY Super 8XGP proved once again why this independent promotion is one of the most respected and influential in the wrestling world. For the wrestlers, it’s a space to take risks, grow creatively, and reconnect with why they fell in love with wrestling in the first place. And for the fans, DEFY continues to offer something real — not just the action in the ring, but a sense of community and passion that hits far beyond the mat.
