By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 101”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
December 7, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
Attendance here is always steady, in the 200 or so range. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary. A week ago, for their big 100th episode, featured a stacked lineup. However, MLW held a taping on Dec. 7, and a LOT of the top Northeast indy talent worked that show (just check out the lineup for the Christmas Eve MLW special!), so that means this particular Wrestling Open episode really has a “B lineup” more than usual. However, I’ve seen everyone on this lineup tonight at least once.
* The show opens with a video package including Brad Hollister beating Ichiban to win the Wrestling Open title, and him celebrating backstage with his Big Business teammates. Hollister, J Cruz and Lucas Chase then walked to the ring to celebrate his title win. He wore a cheesy crown along with the title belt around his waist. This brought out Dezmond Cole and Ryan Clancy, who challenged them to a match later. Who will be their partner?
1. Rex Lawless defeated Massimo Pesca at 6:23. Lawless is the muscular biker who I always compare to Jaxon Ryker. Pesca applied a Bret Hart-style Figure Four around the ring post at 3:00, and he hit a missile dropkick on the knee to ground the big man. Rex hit a spear and his chokeslam powerbomb for the pin.
2. Paris Van Dale (w/Shannon Levangie) defeated Brittnie Brooks at 6:31. Brittnie dove to the floor onto both heels at 1:30. Shannon beat up Brittnie on the floor while Paris distracted the ref. Paris hit a swinging faceplant for a nearfall. Brittnie fired up and hit some flying forearms and an Eat D’Feat, then a slingshot elbow drop for a nearfall at 5:30. She hit a rolling forearm. Shannon hopped onto the ring apron to distract Brooks. Paris hit a clothesline to the back of the head, then a DDT for the pin.
3. Joe Ocasio defeated Gabriel Skye via DQ at 7:45. The muscular Ocasio just appeared on NWA TV. Skye is a good high-flyer but much smaller. Skye hit a spinning leg kick at the bell. Skye hit a moonsault to the floor at 2:30 and he was fired up. In the ring, Ocasio took over. Skye hit a tornado DDT and they were both down at 5:30. Skye hit a German Suplex and a running knee to the jaw for a nearfall. This has been really good; I expected Skye to get buried here. Skye nailed a Poison Rana, then a top-rope doublestomp; Ocasio rotated on the mat and it appeared Skye landed on Ocasio’s upper thigh, not on the chest. The ref disqualified Skye for a low blow! Skye was livid. Ocasio hopped to his feet and beat up Skye, and Paul Crockett said it is clear there was no low blow.
4. Danny Miles (w/Steven Stetson) defeated Jermaine Marbury at 4:52. Marbury wears his basketball jersey; he’s been here at least once before. Some comedy as they did a ‘jump ball’ to open the match. Marbury got a sunset flip out of the corner for a nearfall at 4:30. Miles hit a Mark Henry-style World’s Strongest Slam out of nowhere for the pin. Okay action.
5. Bobby Orlando defeated Sammy Diaz (w/Brother Greatness) at 6:29. Orlando is the dork with his stuffed goat. Diaz always reminds me of Trey Miguel. Diaz hit a fisherman’s suplex at 3:30. Orlando hit a sunset flip powerbomb, then a Lungblower to the back for a believable nearfall. He hit a standing neckbreaker, then a Lungblower to the chest. Diaz hit a powerslam and a moonsault. Orlando got a rollup out of nowhere for the pin.
* Channing Thomas and Sidney Bakabella came to the ring. “Did you miss us?” Bakabella asked. The crowd responded by chanting expletives at them.
6. Ray Jaz defeated Bryce Donovan at 8:15. Jaz is the Jersey muscular meathead, and Bryce is a taller Nick Jackson. Bryce hit some bodyslams early on. Jaz rammed Bryce’s knee into a ring post, and he worked over the left knee. In the ring, Bryce hit a flapjack at 5:30, then a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall. Jaz avoided a chokeslam. Moments later, Bryce hit the chokeslam, and he applied an Anaconda Vice on the mat. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Rickey Smokes hit the ring and distracted the referee! Jaz got a backslide for the pin. Bobby Orlando ran to the ring to make the save.
7. Brad Hollister and “Brick City” J Cruz and Lucas Chase defeated Ryan Clancy, Dezmond Cole, and Johnny Rivera at 8:56. We saw more footage of Hollister’s win last week. (Ichiban is among the many top stars who are at MLW instead on this night.) Rivera, a Worcester native, joined the babyfaces; he’s a heavyset Black man. Rivera and Hollister opened. The heels began working over Clancy in their corner. Cole made the hot tag and hit a scoop bodyslam on Hollister at 6:30. Dezmond hit a Helluva Kick in the corner on Brad, then a flip dive to the floor on Brick City. Rivera hit a swinging uranage on Hollister at 8:30. Hollister hit a hard kneestrike to Johnny’s chin for the pin. That was fun.
* Paul Crockett said our main event has “been months in the making,” and we saw video footage of the feud between RJ Rude (think a young Chuck Taylor) and Tyree Taylor (think Shane Taylor.)
8. Tyree Taylor (w/Brother Greatness) defeated RJ Rude in an Anything Goes match at 15:47. Tyree came out first; RJ charged into the ring and they immediately brawled. Taylor slammed Rude across an open chair at 2:30. They brawled to the floor, and Tyree hit him with a crutch. In the ring, Tyree was in control. Rude hit a running knee, then a Lungblower move to the chin at 7:30. Rex Lawless appeared and he carried Brother Greatness to the back. RJ hit a dropkick onto a trash can lid on Tyree’s chest at 10:00. RJ hit a springboard Sliced Bread, then a Lionsault for a believable nearfall.
Rude went under the ring and tossed a half-dozen chairs into the ring. Rude hit a Swanton Bomb onto the pile of chairs on top of Tyree, and he got a nearfall at 12:00. Rude got a chain and he choked Tyree with it, but Taylor was able to reach out, grab a chair, and strike RJ with it to get free. Tyree got the chain, struck Rude in the face with it, then Taylor hit a powerbomb for the pin. Good brawl; they used chairs and that chain, but it never got bloody or gross or dangerous.
Final Thoughts: I am glad I watched this after all. The wrestling talent selected for Wrestling Open shows are at such a high level. I just watched a Remarkable Wrestling show from New Jersey and an H20 Wrestling show from New Jersey, where you had a lot of students and some three-quarter-speed wrestling matches mixed in.
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