Name: Jon Harder
Founder of Hardway HQ
Bio: Jon Harder has been in independent wrestling since 2007, breaking in at the ACE Wrestling Academy under the mentorship of legendary independent promoter Mike Morgan. Starting as a ringside cameraman, Jon worked his way up, becoming a writer for ACEProWrestling.com, backstage interviewer, and play-by-play commentator of all ACE events from 2009-2015.
Thanks to his experience from ACE, Jon moved on to do commentary for the Bodyslam Wrestling Organization, the Savoldi Family's NWA On Fire, and Women Superstars Uncensored. In November 2011 to June 2012, Jon commentated on several WSU internet pay-per-views on the revolutionary Go Fight Live platform. Most recently, he has become the voice of Stan Stylez' Intergender Bonanza, streaming live on IWTV.
In 2011, Jon, alongside independent wrestler "Tough" Tim Hughes, started the Hardway Podcast, which ultimately led into the formation of Hardway HQ, a hub for independent social media content. Until 2023, Hardway HQ hosted several different podcasts, ranging in topics from independent wrestling and culture to Dawson's Creek and New York Mets baseball.
On April 21, 2018, Jon, alongside Brian Belzer, Nick Reigota, and Scott Glazer, executively produced Project: Diverge Operation New Wave, a one night, eight man pro wrestling tournament split into five episodes of content. The content aired on ProjectDiverge.com, as well as several public access networks across the Northeast. Four years later, the foursome developed a short sequel series to Diverge called Operation Hockey Fight.
Currently, Jon has reimagined Hardway HQ into becoming a hub for independent wrestling, providing content and hype for local promotions across America in both written, video, and audio formats. Jon intends to provide positive content towards the future of the industry, as well as a look back into what made wrestling into the phenomenon it is today.