By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 90”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
September 21, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd appears to be maybe 150, and perhaps a bit lighter than in recent weeks.
* The show opened with the Brick City Boyx standing outside, and they talked about their upcoming tournament match against the Miracle Generation. They always seem to come up short against MG, but they are confident they can win this time.
1. “Brick City Boyz” Victor Chase and J Cruz defeated “The Haven” Shawn Knyte and Jay Onyx at 4:53. The Haven are thin Black men in yellow pants; it’s been a few months since I’ve seen them in action. The Haven worked over Victor Chase early on. The BCB are clearly thicker and have a weight advantage, and they worked over Shawn Knyte. Knyte (think Kofi Kingston) hit a second-rope crossbody block and he made the hot tag to Onyx (think Angelo Dawkins) at 4:00. However, the BCB hit a team slam move to pin Onyx. Good while it lasted.
* A video package aired of Danny Miles from last week, being upset at Brett Ryan Gosselin. Back to the area, BRG hit the ring and started to speak on the mic, but Miles ran in and attacked him. Steven Stetson came in a side door and absolutely CLOCKED BRG. Miles and Stetson dragged BRG into the ring and beat the tar out of him. Stetson hit a hard clothesline to the back of BRG’s neck.
2. Tyree Taylor (w/Brother Greatness) defeated RJ Rude at 7:10. Taylor is a large Black man (think Shane Taylor), and the tall slender Rude always reminds me of a young Chuck Taylor. RJ hit a superkick and had the early advantage. He hit a springboard spin kick. Tyree caught RJ, held him upside down, and tossed him into the turnbuckles at 1:30. Tyree nailed a massive uranage. He stomped on RJ. Rude hit a codebreaker ot the chin at 5:00, then a running double knees to the chest in the corner. Rude was tossed to the floor; he got back in before being counted out. Rude hit a kick to the chest, but he missed a Lionsault. Tyree nailed a discus clothesline and he made an arrogant one-finger cover for the pin. Solid match; at times it felt like they were going 3/4-speed as they are both fairly green.
* Tyree beat up Rude some more after the match. Brother Greatness got him to stop the beatdown, and they started to head to the back. Rude got on the mic and (stupidly!) said something that angered Tyree. Tyree stormed back into the ring and hit some more vicious standing powerbombs on the prone Rude.
3. Percy Ryan and Dante Drago defeated “Better Together” Ori Gold and Hadar Horvitz at 5:56. My first time seeing the BT squad and the only new faces in this lineup; they wore baby blue pants with pictures of themselves on them; one of them has long stringy hair and he seems to be pretty oblivious. Percy is the model with Bart Simpson’s short spiked blond hair and he wears the weird jewelry on his cheeks and chin. Drago is shorter and has black hair. Ryan and Drago are the heels and they were in charge. Drago pushed Ryan out of the way to save him from a double forearm shot. Drago ricocheted off the ropes and hit a clothesline for the pin. Quite basic but not boring.
4. Ricky Smokes (w/Brad Baylor) defeated Marcus Mathers at 13:02. Smokes looks a lot like Sammy Guevara. I am very high on the potential of the blond Mathers. Mathers was tossed to the floor, where Baylor beat on him. In the ring, Smokes was in charge. Mathers hit a second-rope crossbody block at 6:30 and they were both down. Mathers hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and a stunner for a nearfall. Smokes flipped Mathers into the air and hit a stunner for a believable nearfall at 9:30. They traded hard chops and forearm shots.
Mathers hit a German Suplex, so Smokes hit a German Suplex. This is really good action, and they both collapsed to the mat. Mathers hit a half-nelson suplex, then a spinning faceplant. Baylor tried to interfere, so Mathers hit a flip dive to the floor on Baylor. In the ring, Smokes hit the Cameron Grimes Cave-in doublestomp to the chest for the pin. That was really entertaining.
5. “Shook Crew” Bobby Orlando and Bryce Donovan defeated “The Prodigal Sons” Sammy Diaz and Lucas Chase (w/Brother Greatness) at 7:00. Diaz looks similar to Trey Miguel while Chase looks similar to Angelo Dawkins. Orlando is the dork with his stuffed goat, and Bryce is the tall white guy with straight hair who looks like a taller Nick Jackson. The heels worked over Orlando early on. Donovan made the hot tag at 5:30 and he hit a dropkick in the corner as Diaz was tied in the Tree of Woe. The heels bumped into each other, and Orlando got a rollup out of nowhere for the pin. Okay much but that finish came out of nowhere. The heels continued to beat up the Shook Crew after the bell.
* A nice video package that showed what led to the next match. Wrestling Open does a great job with these segments.
6. Brad Hollister (w/TJ Crawford) defeated Dezmond Cole (w/Ryan Clancy) at 15:14. Dezmond is the Ricochet clone, while Hollister is Brian Cage-meets-Taz, a short but thick powerhouse.They charged at each other at the bell and traded punches. Cole hit a flip dive to the floor at 1:30. In the ring, Dezmond hit a Helluva Kick for a nearfall. TJ distracted Cole, allowing Hollister to slam Cole’s head into a corner at 3:30, and TJ took control. Cole hit a hard clothesline at 6:30 and they wwere both down. Cole hit a Poison Rana for a nearfall.
Cole hit a superkick for a nearfall at 9:30. Hollister hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. Cole hit a stunner. Hollister hit a spinning Jackhammer for a nearfall at 11:00. Clancy and Crawford began fighting on the floor as Hollister and Cole were down. Clancy cut through the ring and was immediately ejected. The female ref ejected TJ, too, and they fought to the back. Cole hit a rolling legdrop, then a Swanton Bomb for a believable nearfall at 14:30; I thought that was it. Dezmond went for a top-rope moonsault but landed on his feet, and immediately sold pain in his knee. Hollister grabbed him, rolled him up with a handful of tights, and scored the pin. That was really, really good.
* A video package aired showing how Channing Thomas had worked his way (cheated!) to getting a title shot.
7. Ichiban defeated Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) to retain the Wrestling Open title at 19:38. Channing is the sleazy looking heel in his Bobby Roode-style robe, and he’s a mix of Joey Ryan and Rick Rude. Ichiban just announced he signed a long-term deal with MLW. A intense lockup to open ad this has a main event feel to it. Channing hit a shoulder tackle that dropped Ichiban. Ichiban hit a dropkick at 3:30 and a top-rope flying knife-edge chop. They brawled to the floor with Channing in charge. Ichiban slammed him face-first on the apron at 7:00. In the ring, Channing hit a pop-up stunner for a nearfall.
Thomas hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 8:30. He dropped Ichiban throat-first on the rop rope and hit a clothesline for a nearfall. He hit a Rude Awakening neckbreaker for a nearfall at 10:30. Channing charged into the corner; Ichiban moved and Channing crashed into the corner. Ichiban hit a stunner and some flying forearms and was fired up. Ichiban hit a tornado DDT at 13:30, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Thomas applied a Boston Crab in the center of the ring. Ichiban escaped and hit a flip dive to the floor at 15:30. In the ring, Channing hit a second-rope superplex, and both men were down.
They traded blows while on their knees. Ichiban started to put Thomas in a Boston Crab. Sidney hopped on the ring apron and threw powder, but it went into the ref’s eyes! The ref was down. Channing intentionally clocked the ref with a straight punch! “What the hell did he do that for?” a commentator said. Sidney hopped in the ring. Ichiban backed both Channing and Sidney into a corner and hit a series of punches. Channing hit a low blow uppercut and a piledriver for a visual pin. The ref came over but Ichiban kicked out at one! Ichiban hit a Canadian Destroyer, then a leaping DDT for the pin. A fun match.
Final Thoughts: The three matches I tuned in for all delivered. I’ll give a very slight edge to Hollister-Cole for best match ahead of Channing-Ichiban with Mathers-Smokes a distant third. The rest of the matches were acceptable, neither ‘good’ nor bad nor offensive. This show was really missing a women’s match. There are enough talented women in the area, they really need at least one per show. I have written this before, but this feels like a weekly party at this tavern. Check out this show, and all Wrestling Open shows, at IWTV.
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