MPW Grand Champion Radley Belmont is the Best Booked Champion in New Jersey Today

I’ve been allowed to come back to Hardway HQ and write another column. This time around, it’s not SOMEONE, but SOMETHING You Don’t Know But Should.

In the great Garden State, there are a plethora of independent wrestling promotions that have loads of championships. In fact, there are a bunch of incredibly talented people on top to hold the titles. However, due to the turbulent nature of the indies, protecting characters and maintaining long reigns are few and far between.

Yet, for one small local NJ independent company, they got it right. A long term champion with serious depth to the character itself.

I’m talking about Matt Pro Wrestling Grand Champion “the Rad Dad” Radley Belmont.

That’s right - a Stepdad!

The first time I noticed the potential for Belmont in Matt Pro was on October 5, 2024 in Lakewood, NJ at the Marz Estates, when Belmont was a part of the “Gold Rush Gauntlet” at Harvest Moon.

Not at 100% with a hamstring injury, “the Rad Dad” was #1 in the gauntlet. In almost a stunning feat, Belmont took a whale of a beating, but survived deep into the match, eliminating Mateo Marcelos, Matt Anarchy, and Yaya the Gremlin, and nearly eliminated the blue chipper Jack Maertens, but ultimately fell victim to the full nelson after nearly 20 minutes of action.

Then, due to his performance in that match, Belmont was entered in both the singles and tag team title tournaments. At Groundhog Day Gold Rush on February 2, 2025, the Stepdads defeated the tandem of “Sturdy” Sal Mistretta and Marcelos of the Worldwide Dojo, and, despite another attack by Maertens and his full nelson, overcame the blue chipper, Mike Goldstein, and Vincent Michaels to advance in the Grand Title tournament.

Belmont continued on, advancing in a three-way dance with Wade Krueger over the Frat Party and MPW Promoter Ray Ray Marz & Mikey Midnight to go the finals of the Tag Team Tournament, and upset a very game Troy Locke to advance to the last match against Darius Carter at Rain Dance on April 5, 2025.

Radley Belmont was becoming Matt Pro’s “Iron Man”.

Belmont’s odyssey came to fruition at Bayside Thriller on June 13, 2025 at the Mantoloking Play House in Mantoloking, NJ. Following a heartbreaking loss to the inaugural Tag Team Champions South Philly’s Finest, Belmont had no rest for the weary, as he had to walk into independent wrestling’s final boss, Darius Carter, for the inaugural Matt Pro Wrestling Grand Championship.

Against all odds, Belmont overcame “the Allfather” and became the first Grand Champion!

For over one year, “the Rad Dad” has defended against all comers, including against Maertens at PWM’s Project X on 8/2/25, “Sturdy” Sal at Encore on 9/5/25, Maertens again at Paparazzi on 11/14/25, his own partner “Poppa Bear” Krueger at Thunderstruck on 1/9/26, and an epic against Marcelos and Carter at Double Vision on April 12, 2026.

His biggest test was entering the Johnny Freda Memorial Rumble on 6/26/26 as the #1 entry, and successfully defending the MPW Grand Title against the entire Matt Pro roster. The “Iron Man” survived again.

There is even a MPW Grand Title match that Belmont is looking for footage of, which you can read about here.

The bottom line is this: in an era where long-term champions are few and far between, Radley Belmont, and Matt Pro Wrestling management, have made the MPW Grand Title feel very important. In the local Ocean County, NJ area, “the Rad Dad” has garnered genuine buzz as a champion. His character really is a throwback. It’s a testament to everyone involved. He is the best booked champion in the New Jersey indies today, bar none!

Radley Belmont’s Matt Pro Wrestling Grand Title run is SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW BUT SHOULD!

Hooper OUT!