By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 91”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
September 28, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
There is always a sense of “you’ll never know who will show up” at these shows, and that is definitely true as Midwest star Kody Lane (who I just saw wrestle in Texas and in the St. Louis area) makes his debut here in the opener.
* The show opened with a promo by the Brick City Boyz, who acknowledged they keep coming up short in their matches with the Miracle Generation, but they vow to night will be different.
* To the arena, with a crowd of perhaps 200. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary.
1. Ryan Clancy defeated Kody Lane at 6:46. Clancy is the rising mat-based wrestler from this region and he has an “opportunity knocks” (Money in the Bank!) contract. Crockett acknowledged “there is a lot of excitement around this big debut” of Kody. I always describe Kody as looking like Juice Robinson (before Juice joined Bullet Club.) An intense lockup to open. Kody hit a slingshot senton. Clancy hit a dropkick at 4:00. They traded chops on the ring apron. Clancy hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 6:00. Clancy hit a twisting backbreaker over his knee for the pin. (I like this as a finisher; much better than Clancy’s Russian Legsweep as a finisher.
* A video package aired showing the feud between Ray Jaz and Pedro Dones. Jaz “returned from his suspension” and came to the ring, and the crowd loudly booed him, telling him to go back to New Jersey. He told the crowd they “need to take care of your family, or someone else will.” Dones charged into the ring, but Jaz bailed before Pedro could get his hands on him. Dones challenged him to a match next week. We then went to footage of BRG leaving the Stetson Ranch and beating up Steven Stetson.
2. Steven Stetson (w/Danny Miles) defeated Prince Ahmed at 4:38. I haven’t seen Ahmed before; he’s the only person on the show I don’t know. He has long, curly black hair. Crockett said he’s been here before. Stetson is taller and thicker and he worked over Ahmed early on. Stetson hit a hard clothesline to the back of the neck for the pin. Not much to it. Stetson then got on the mic and he challenged Brett Ryan Gosselin to a match next week, and he warned him to “be careful what you wish for.”
* Footage of a depressed Love Doug saying that “love isn’t real,” and he decided to call out the biggest guy in the locker room, Joe Ocasio. The storytelling for this weekly show is really well done.
* Back to the arena, Landon Hale hit the ring and he said he needed to talk to Love Doug to help him. Doug joined him in the ring. Landon told him that everyone in the arena loves him. However, Joe Ocasio hit the ring and he told Landon to get out of his ring.
3. Love Doug defeated Joe Ocasio via DQ at 6:15. Ocasio is thick and muscular and bigger than Doug. Doug hit some punches and a dropkick. Ocasio nailed a suplex into the corner at 1:30. Ocasio hit a running splash for a nearfall, then a German Suplex for a nearfall. Doug nailed a Sliced Bread for a believable nearfall at 4:30. Ocasio hit a running Bulldog Slam for a believable nearfall. Ocasio choked Doug in the ropes; the ref counted to five and Ocasio didn’t release the chokehold, so the ref disqualified Ocasio. Landon hopped in the ring for the save and he brawled with Ocasio. However, Doug wasn’t happy about being saved.
4. Brian Milonas defeated Gal Barkay at 6:04. This is a massive size difference, as Milonas is still more than 400 pounds and Barkay is muscular but slender with almost no body fat. They tied up and Barkay held his own despite being lighter. Gal hit an enzuigiri. Milonas hit a clubbing blow that sent Barkay off the ropes and to the floor. Back in the ring, Brian hit a suplex at 3:00. Milonas hit a sideslam for a nearfall. Gal hit a top-rope missile dropkick. Barkay hit a bodyslam for a nearfall! He tried to apply a Full Nelson but Brian fought free. Gal tried to pick up Brian, but Brian fought free, hit a clotheslne, then a massive Whoopee Cushion buttdrop for the pin. That finisher looks devastating. “He absolutely smothered Gal Barkay,” Paul Crockett said.
* Milonas got on the mic and said “you keep setting them up, I’ll keep knocking them down.” Milonas said his resume is longer than everyone in the locker room combined. He added: “This place exists because of guys like me.” He clamed he’s the best superheavyweight of his generation. Alec Price walked from the back. Milonas glared at him. Milonas challenged him to come to the ring. They stood nose to nose. Milonas vowed to become IWTV champion. Alec finally got on the mic and told Milonas the crowd didn’t want to hear him whine. Milonas threw a punch but Price ducked it; Price hit a springboard spin kick. Price set up for the Surprise Kick, but Milonas blocked it and bailed from the ring. I liked this entire segment.
5. Rex Lawless vs. Tyree Taylor (w/Brother Greatness) ended in a double count-out at 7:41. The muscular Lawless always reminds me of Jaxon Ryker, and the big Tyree is somewhat like Keith Lee or Mark Henry. BG read from the Bible; I’m always a bit uncomfortable with a heel quoting scripture. Lawless hit a Thesz Press and some punches to open. Rex hit a running boot. Tyree sidestepped a spear, and he splashed his weight on Rex’s lower back. Lawless hit a running boot in the corner, then a rolling cannonball at 5:00, then a Vader Bomb for a nearfall, but Tyree grabbed the ropes. Tyree hit a Stinger Splash and an enzuigiri.
Rex nailed a chokeslam-powerbomb for a nearfall, then he applied a Boston Crab, but Tyree reached the ropes. This has been a really good big-man matchup. Lawless clotheslined them both to the floor. They kept brawling on the floor; Brother Greatness held onto Lawless’ ankle, stopping him from getting back into the ring, as the referee counted them both out. Rex and Tyree kept brawling on the floor and to the back. Tyree briefly vanished but he returned and hit Rex with a chain in the back of the head. There was a lot to like about this, and of course, the countout means a rematch in the near future.
* TJ Crawford came to the ring and he argued he should be the No. 1 contender. He called out Wrestling Open champion Ichiban! Ichiban came out, and Crawford told Ichiban he pinned him in the center of the ring. He asked for a title shot, and Ichiban agreed. These two are really starting to get opportunities in MLW, and this should be an excellent match.
6. Gabby Forza defeated Tina San Antonio in a best of three falls match at 13:14. These two have each won a match in the past month. Tina is older and reminds me of Medusa. Forza is clearlly a powerhouse, like Dani Luna or Rachael Ellering. Brawling at the bell. Gabby did a military press and dropped her stomach first for a nearfall at 2:00. Tina took control and applied a belly-to-back sleeper. Gabby nailed a fallaway slam at 5:30. Gabby hit a Vader Bomb for a believable nearfall. Gabby got a jackknife cover to score the first pin at 7:18. There was supposed to be a 30-second rest period, but Tina immediately attacked her.
Tina slammed Gabby stomach-first at scored the second pin at 9:06. (The ring announcer said it was one minute; I have a running time for best-of-three falls.) They traded forearm shots while on their knees, then while standing. Gabby hit a spear for a nearfall, but Tina got a foot on the ropes. Tina got a rollup with her feet on the ropes, but the ref saw it. Gabby hit a spear, then a Jackhammer for the pin. Solid match.
* Because she won, Gabby gets to pick a dream opponent. She picked … Masha Slamovich! That will happen next week.
7. “Brick City Boyz” J Cruz and Victor Chase (w/Brad Hollister) defeated “Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller in the Eliminator Cup semi-finals at 12:51. MG have been everywhere of late. All four brawled at the bell. Waller and Cruz brawled on the floor while Chase battled Kylon in the ring. In the ring, Waller hit a dropkick on Chase. The BCB began working over Waller in their corner. Kylon made the hot tag at 5:30 and he hit a German Suplex on each BCB. Kylon hit a double suplex on them, then a running boot for a nearfall on Cruz. Kylon hit a forward Finlay Roll and Waller hit a running Shooting Star Press, then a top-rope 450 Splash for a nearfall, but Chase made the save.
Chase hit a running crossbody block on both MG. BCB hit a team splash on Kylon. Waller got shoved off the top rope and he accidentally splashed King! The BCB hit a team neckbreaker move for a nearfall on Kylon at 10:00; I thought that was it. Waller hit a handspring-back-stunner and Kylon hit a German Suplex, then a tornado DDT. Kylon hit a top-rope superplex, and Waller immediately hit the Mamba Splash for a believable nearfall, but Hollister pulled the ref from the ring. Ricky Smokes tried to attack, so Waller hit a flip dive on Smokes. In the ring, the BCB hit a team slam on Kylon for the pin!
Final Thoughts: The main event was very good but it did have a few uneven spots; more moments where they weren’t on the same page than I would have thought for two teams that have fought before. But, I like the finish, as Waller and Kylon are already champs and didn’t need to win this touranment. So, the Brick City Boyz will face Waves and Curls for the cup, and Miracle Generation has their feud brewing with Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor.
I am repetitive here, but I really enjoy the party atmosphere of these weekly shows, and they do a good job of stringing together storylines from week to week.
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