By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 92”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 5, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd seems a little light, closer to 150-200. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary. Noteworthy is this show has the finals of a 16-team tag tournament that has played out the entire summer. Also, I have seen every wrestler on this show at least once before.
* The show opened with a video showing how Ray Jaz has been ‘spending time’ with Pedro Dones’ children, and Jaz saying Dones is a “deadbeat dad.”
1. Ray Jaz vs. Pedro Dones was declared a no contest at 4:05. Dones came out first, and he attacked Jaz as Ray walked to ringside, and they brawled all over the building. The bell hasn’t officially sounded but I start my stopwatch at first contact. The ring announcer finally ruled it was a no contest. However, they continued to brawl, and Jaz powerbombed Dones through a wood board set up in the corner of the ring.
* Backstage, Kennedi Copeland said she feels like she’s had a “fall from grace” since last year, including a prior loss to her opponent tonight.
2. Kennedi Copeland defeated Paris Van Dale at 5:31. Paris is the vain, mean girl, while Kennedi looks like she buys her wardrobe at Hot Topic. I’ve seen them both just a few times. PVD was in control early, and she stood on Kennedi’s hair while pulling on her arms. Kennedi hit a Kamigoye kneestrike, then a Stomp for the pin. That was fairly dominating.
* A video aired showing Love Doug calling out Joe Ocasio, leading to their match where Ocasio beat Doug up so badly that Landon Hale made the save, leading to this next match!
3. Joe Ocasio defeated Landon Hale (w/Love Doug) via DQ at 6:58. Doug is depressed and clearly doesn’t want to be here. Hale’s gear always makes me think of Matt Taven; it can’t be a coincidence, right. An intense lockup at the bell. Hale went to the top rope but Ocasio tossed him all the way across the ring at 2:00. Ocasio applied a belly-to-belly bearhug. Hale hit a handspring-back-stunner at 5:00. Hale hit a 619 and a springboard forearm to the back for a nearfall. Ocasio popped him up in the air and Hale landed stomach-first on the mat. Ocasio was pushed to the floor, and he pie-faced Doug. Doug got angry and punched Ocasio; the ref saw it and disqualified Hale because of outside interference. Hale was angry at Doug; the crowd chanted for them to “hug it out!” Ocasio hit Hale from behind. The despondent Doug left alone.
* A highlight package aired showing Brett Ryan Gosselin leaving the Stetson Ranch heel faction. Steve Stetson and Danny Miles hit the ring, and Stetson said tonight is the last time we’ll see BRG. Gosselin charged into the ring and the match is underway!
4. Steve Stetson (w/Danny Miles) defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin at 9:47. Stetson is the well-dressed heel cowboy. I always say BRG looks like Backstreet Boy Nick Carter. BRG set up for a dive through the ropes but Stetson cut him off. They brawled on the floor. In the ring, Stetson hit some chops and was in charge. BRG finally hit an enzuigiri at 6:30. BRG placed Stetson on his shoulders and just tossed him to the mat. BRG nailed a short-arm clothesline. Stetson bailed to the floor, so BRG dove through the ropes on both heels. In the ring Gosselin hit a superkick for a nearfall at 8:30. BRG hit a top-rope elbow drop, but Miles hopped on the ring apron to distract the ref. Hammer Tunis (think Skinner!) suddenly was at ringside, and he grabbed BRG’s ankle. Stetson immediately hit a clothesline to the back of the neck for the cheap pin. The three heels beat up Gosselin after the bell.
5. “Shook Crew” Bryce Donovan & Bobby Orlando defeated “Church of Greatness” Tyree Taylor & Sammy Diaz at 7:25. Tyree reminds me of Shane Taylor and Willie Mack. Diaz reminds me of Angelo Dawkins-meets-Trey Miguel, and Donovan is a taller Nick Jackson. Orlando is the dork with his stuffed goat and his Colt Cabana-style juvenile humor. Donovan opened and stomped down Diaz in the corner, and the babyfaces were in charge early on. Diaz hit a suplex on Donovan for a nearfall at 3:30. Tyree hit a uranage on Bryce. Donovan hit a Black Hole Slam on Tyree. Orlando dove through the ropes on the heels. In the ring. Donovan and Orlando hit a team neckbreaker move to pin Diaz.
* Tyree and Diaz continued to beat down the babyfaces after the match until RJ Rude hit the ring, and he has Tyree’s thick chain. He chased off the heels, but it’s clear we have another Rude-Tyree match coming.
6. “Big Business” TJ Crawford & Brad Hollister vs. Ichiban & Dezmond Cole (w/Ryan Clancy) ended in a time-limit draw at 10:05. Holister is the Brian Cage-meets-Taz powerhouse. The heels got on the mic and declared they run Wrestling Open. Dezmond is the short, bald Ricochet clone. Cole and Crawford opened. Crockett said this is the first time Cole and Ichiban have teamed up. Ichiban and Hollister entered at 1:30 and traded quick offense, and the heels bailed to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, the heels began working over Ichiban. Crawford hit a back suplex. Cole finally got a hot tag at 6:30 and he hit a stunner, then a Falcon Arrow and he was fired up. He hit a rolling Hogan Legddrop for a nearfall, but Crawford made the save.
Ichiban dove over the top rope but the heels caught them. However, Cole dove onto all three at 9:00, and the crowd reacted to hearing we had one minute left in the time limit. In the ring, Ichiban hit a Canadian Destroyer. Ichiban nailed a stunner on Crawford, then a top-rope missile dropkick. Ichiban set up for a finisher on TJ, but Hollister pulled TJ to the floor as the time limit expires. The crowd booed the finish but this was great action. Crockett had said earlier in the night how all Wrestling Open matches have a 10-minute time limit except for the main event and title matches, and that’s what happened here.
* Footage aired of Gabby Forza beating Tina San Antonio and getting to pick her ‘dream opponent,’ and she chose Masha Slamovich. Gabby apparently has only had a dozen matches, but she is thick and clearly has some strength, like Dani Luna or Rachael Ellering.
7. Masha Slamovich defeated Gabby Forza at 7:06. Crockett talked about how Masha is a seasoned pro and one of the top in the world and she has such a experience advantage. An intense lockup to open. They traded hitting shoulder tackles. Forza hit a gorilla press but she missed a Vader Bomb at 2:00. Masha tied up Forza on the mat, and she applied a crossarm breaker. Masha hit a clothesline at 4:00 for a nearfall. Forza fired back with a release German Suplex and some clotheslines, then a fallaway slam. Gabby hit the Vader Bomb for a nearfall at 5:30. Masha nailed the Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Forza nailed a spear for a nearfall! Masha nailed her piledriver for the pin. Good action; I never thought Masha was losing but Gabby got some good offense in.
8. “Brick City Boyz” J Cruz & Victor Chase defeated “Waves & Curls” Traevon Jordan & Jaylen Brandyn to win the Eliminator Cup tournament at 12:39. The cup is named after Perry Saturn and Kronus. Because this 16-team tournament played out with just one match per show, this tournament seriously took the whole summer into fall. W&C are essentially Street Profits or Private Party in their looks and in-ring style, and the whole crowd sang to their intro song, Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Jordan is taller and wears a singlet, while the shorter Jaylen wears trunks. Brandyn and Cruz opened with an intense lockup. Chase and Jordan entered and traded chops.
W&C hit team legdrops, and Jordan slammed Jaylen onto the heels for a nearfall at 2:30. The heels began to work over Brandyn. Chase entered and worked over Brandyn’s left arm. Jordan made the hot tag at 6:30 and hit a double clothesline. However, Jordan missed a flip off the ropes, and the heels hit a team back suplex on Jordan. Brandyn hit a frogsplash for a nearfall at 8:30. Jaylen nailed a Doomsday Crossbody Block for a nearfall, but Cruz made the save. Victor Chase nailed a piledriver for a nearfall on Jordan. Jordan pushed the heels into each other. W&C hit a team chokeslam move, but Brad Hollister was suddenly at ringside and he put Cruz’ foot on the ropes at 11:00 to stop the count. I see TJ Crawford hiding at ringside, too.
Cruz swung a belt at Jordan but Jordan blocked it. Cruz hit a low blow uppercut for a believable nearfall, as Jordan kicked out at the last moment. Hollister was on the ring apron, distracting the referee. Cruz hit Jordan with a weapon and got the tainted pin. Good match. Brad Hollister got the four-foot-tall trophy and brought it into the ring, so the four heels could celebrate together and they posed with the trophy as the show came to a close.
Final Thoughts: A very good show, as some key storylines are really coming together. I’ll go with Ichiban/Cole vs. Hollister/Crawford for best match, even with the non-finish. Those four are so over I didn’t mind that none of them took a pinfall. The main event was really good for second place. I’ll narrowly go with Masha/Forza for third place, ahead of Church of Greatness vs. Shook Crew.
I say it every week, but these Thursday night shows look like a blast to attend, and they draw from such a vastly wide talent pool; you never know who will show up from week to week, but yet they do a good job of creating storylines that seem to flow fairly well from one week to the next.
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