By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 99”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
November 23, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
Considering this is Thanksgiving night, this was a loaded lineup and they had built several matches for this event.
* As always, we open with a video package of events from prior shows that led to matches here. Again, for an indy promotion running weekly shows, they are doing a really good job of running storylines that extend week-to-week.
* We head to the building and we are at fewer than 150 fans; not terrible but definitely down from a typical Thursday night here. Paul Crockett provided commentary.
1. Ryan Clancy won the ‘Turkey Day Rumble’ at 15:11. Okay this is a Royal Rumble and Shawn Knyte drew No. 1. His teammate in The Haven, Jay Onyx, drew No. 2! (What are the odds??) Knyte (think Kofi) and Onyx (think Angelo Dawkins) decided to do a thumb war, but then Knyte tried to toss Onyx! Funny reaction from Onyx. Massimo Pesca is No. 3 at 1:30. JGeorge is No. 4; we haven’t seen him here in a few months. DJ Powers is No. 5; I don’t know him; he’s a skinny white kid. Massimo was tossed before Powers could hit the ring.
Johnny Rivera is No. 6; I don’t know him and he’s a rotund Black man. Powers was tossed; that didn’t take long. Armani Kayos, the effeminate Black man, is No. 7. I think I’ve seen him just once. Onyx was eliminated by JGeorge. Ryan Clancy is No. 8 and he got a pop; he has to be a favorite. JGeorge and Rivera were tossed. Seabass Finn is No. 9 and he is dressed like every fisherman. He climbed on Armani and ‘rowed’ his arms. Silly dumb stuff. Hammer Tunis is No. 10 at 8:00, and Crockett says that’s the whole field, as we have five left in the ring.
Kayos eliminated Finn. Tunis hit a European Uppercut to send Knyte off the ring apron to the floor to eliminate him, so we are down to three, with heels Tunis and Kayos beating up babyface Clancy. Clancy flipped Kayos at 11:30 and the crowd rallied for him. Tunis flipped Clancy to the ring apron but Ryan held on. Clancy finally hit a dropkick to send Tunis to the floor and win the match. Okay stuff.
2. Paris Van Dale defeated Kennedi Copeland in a last woman standing match at 10:20. Again, this feud started when PVD ripped a nose ring out of Kennedi’s nose mid-match. Kennedi is essentially Ruby Soho, while PVD is the snotty Tiffany Stratton gimmick. PVD ran from Kennedi but they got in the ring and Kennedi peppered her with punches. They brawled briefly to the floor. Back in the ring, PVD wrapped Kennedi’s wrists in tape, and she whipped Kennedi with her belt at 4:30.
Kennedi was able to get the belt and she now whipped Paris with it, and she was able to break her wrists free of the tape. They again brawled to the floor, where Paris shoved Kennedi into the ring post at 7:30. In the ring, Paris again ripped at Kennedi’s nose, and she applied a rear-naked choke. Shannon Levangie ran into the ring and chased off Paris! However, Shannon turned and kicked Kennedi in the chest, and was loudly booed! “What the hell was that??” Crockett said. Shannon and Paris began working together, and they slammed Kennedi face-first across an open chair. The ref counted to 10 to end the match. The crowd again loudly booed the heels.
3. TJ Crawford defeated Mortar at 7:22. Crawford was one of three guys on this show who also appeared on the taped MLW show at the same time. Mortar is the Rhino clone who just turned babyface; this is an intriguing matchup. The thicker Mortar easily knocked TJ to the mat with a shoulder tackle. Mortar hip-tossed him across the ring, and hit a senton for a nearfall at 2:00. Mortar hit some loud chops. “They felt that all the way in Boston!” Crockett said. TJ took control with some basic stomps, and he hit his own chops. Mortar hit a belly-to-belly overhead suplex at 5:30. Mortar hit a grazing leg lariat, then a Lionsault for a nearfall. He hit a hard clothesline. Crawford raked the eyes, hit a spin kick to the head, and scored the pin. I feel that one could have gone either way.
* A video package aired of Swipe Right ruining Rich Palladino’s celebration for 30 years announcing wrestling, which led to Swipe Right beating up Dustin Waller and his father.
4. “The Love Doctors” Landon Hale and Love Doug defeated “Young Dumb N Broke” Griffin McCoy and Ellis Taylor in an Eliminator Cup No. 1 contender’s match at 8:40. Taylor and McCoy have just turned heel in Jersey Championship Wrestling and they were booed here, too. Griffin and Doug started, and Griffin is much taller and stronger, and YDNB worked Doug over early on. Hale hit a top-rope crossbody boc on the heels at 2:30 then a huracanrana and a backbreaker over his knee on Ellis for a nearfall. Ellis hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall, and YDNB worked over Hale. They hit a double DDT for a nearfall at 5:00.
Ellis hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Doug made the hot tag and hit a flying forearm. Doug hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread on Griffin for a nearfall. Taylor hit a German Suplex and Griffin hit a half-nelson suplex. They hit a team slam for a nearfall but Landon made the save. Landon made the hot tag and hit a Lungblower on Ellis. Doug immediately hit a clothesline on Ellis, and Landon made the cover for the pin. Good match.
5. Steven Stetson defeated Gal at 7:32. Again, they have dropped Gal Barkay’s last name. Crockett pointed out these two had a “slugest” a month ago in one of those undercard matches that really jump out, so he’s not surprised we are getting a rematch. Gal is slender but ripped with just 0% body fat. Gal knocked Stetson down, so Steven rolled to the floor and called for a timeout. In the ring, Gal hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 1:30. Stetson hit a chop block to the knee and a back suplex, and he took control of the offense. He hit a backbreaker over his knee at 4:00. They hit double clotheslines, then simultaneous crossbody blocks and were both down. Gal hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 6:00. Stetson missed a frogsplash, and Gal immediately applied a Boston Crab. Hammer Tunis immediately hopped on the ring apron to distract Gal. Stetson immediately hit a clothesline to the back of the head for the cheap pin.
6. Brad Hollister defeated Dustin Waller at 13:34. An intense lockup to open, as Crockett said they had a singles match here more than a year ago. Crockett questioned if Dustin is focused on this match after the attack by Swipe Right a week ago. Waller hit a series of clotheslines in the corner. Waller nailed a flip dive to the floor at 2:30. However, Hollister took control as they re-entered the ring, and he hit a back suplex for a nearfall, then a snap suplex for a nearfall at 5:00. He kept Waller grounded. Waller fired up and hit some flying forearms, then a running Shooting Star Press (he came up a bit short, which Crockett had to acknowledge.)
Waller hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Waller went for a handspring-back-move but Hollister caught him and hit a German Suplex at 9:30. Hollister hit a headbutt; Waller hit a jumping knee to the chin, then a springboard clothesline. Hollister hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Waller hit a Frankensteiner at 12:30, then a Lethal Injection, then an impressive Mamba Splash frogsplash for a believable nearfall. This has been really good stuff. Waller missed a 450 Splash but landed on his feet. Hollister hit a second-rope Jackhammer for the pin. Easily best of the night, and I’m pleasantly surprised to see a clean pin.
* Hollister got on the mic and said if that’s all Waller’s got, there will be new tag champions next week. He vowed he would beat Ichiban next week.
* A video package aired previewing the next watch. I HATE when the babyface offers up “if I don’t win this match, I’ll never come back here again.” In my eyes, the heel should demand this as a stipulation to agreeing to the match.
7. Pedro Dones defeated Ray Jaz in a Thanksgiving Street Fight at 17:41. Again, this feud centers around Jaz playing with Dones’ children when he’s not around and treating them like they are his own children. Jaz came to the ring first; Dones ran to the ring and charged at Jaz and they immediately brawled to the floor. Dones rammed Jaz back-first into the ring post then bodyslammed Jaz on the floor. They went over to the bar; I am amused by how indifferent the bartenders are to the action. Jaz slammed him through a door against the wall at 4:00. In the ring, Jaz hit some chairshots across the back and was in charge.
Jaz tied him in the Jaz-mission leglock on the mat at 11:00 and he choked Dones with a belt. Dones got the belt and he bega whipping Jaz with it. Dones was bleeding. Jaz went backstage and returned at 17:00 with Dones’ son, Pedro, who is maybe 8. However, Pedro kicked Jaz in the groin! Dones hit a spike DDT for the pin. Okay brawl with the right finish and the crowd loved Pedro kicking Jaz. Pedro celebrated with his two sons in the ring.
Final Thoughts: A really entertaining show. Hollister-Waller was stellar and best of the show. I’ll go with the Hale/Doug tag match for second place, and Crawford/Mortar for third. The main event was more of a stand-up brawl; it was fine but not my type of match. Again, I’ll point out that Love Doug, TJ Crawford and Griffin McCoy were all on MLW TV (taped show) at the same time; I’ve noted that MLW has basically become a ‘super indy’ using the top Northeast talent. Considering this was a holiday, this felt like a big show with several matches that had storylines behind them. The opening Rumble was fine; it had a few “who are you?” wrestlers which is acceptable, but it was obvious who the final two were going to be, based on current storylines.
Episode 100 is next week! The lineup already features Ichiban vs. Brad Hollister for the Wrestling Open Title, Alec Price vs. Joe Ocasio for the IWTV Title, the Brick City Boys vs. Landon Hale and Love Doug for the Eliminator Cup, and Swipe Right vs. the Miracle Generation with chairs legal in a tag match.
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