By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 103”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
December 21, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
No new faces for me on this show. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary.
* As always, a nice recap video package. For a weekly indy, these guys do a great job. TJ Crawford hit the ring and boasted about how Big Business is the top faction in Wrestling Open.
1. TJ Crawford defeated Rex Lawless at 4:34. Lawless hit a hard clothesline at 3:00 and he’s just so much bigger and thicker. He missed a Vader Bomb. Crawford applied a front guillotine choke, then a Buzzsaw Kick to the forehead for the pin. Shockingly short; I expected Lawless to be far more competitive here.
* “Miracle Generation” Dustin Waller and Kylon King came to the ring; they don’t have a match tonight but they are in the upcoming steel cage warfare. Suddenly, Brad Hollister and TJ Crawford attacked them from behind! They got in a few blows before Ryan Clancy and Dezmond Cole made the save.
2. Paris Van Dale (w/Shannon Levangie) defeated Rachel Armstrong at 3:25. Rachel is really short but she’s talented, and I always compare her looks to pop singer Corinne Bailey Rae. PVD is the fashion mogul. Rachel hit a dropkick and a second-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Paris took over with some basic stomps and punches. Rachel hit a running neckbreaker, then running knees to the back of the head for a nearfall at 3:00. Rachel missed a moonsault and Paris immediately hit a DDT for the pin. Fine for the time given.
* Levangie got on the mic and was loudly booed. Her opponent, Kennedi Copeland is sick so she issued an open challenge, accepted by Gabby Forza. Again, Forza is thick and clearly strong, similar to Dani Luna or Rachael Ellering.
3. Gabby Forza defeated Shannon Levangie at 6:40. Forza immediately hit a Guerrilla Press, and she hip-tossed Shannon across the ring. She is clearly much stronger, and she hit a flapjack for a nearfall at 1:00. Brother Greatness complained that Shannon wasn’t prepared for this. Shannon hit a second-rope missile dropkick and she posed. Shannon hit some chops and a Helluva Kick at 4:00, then a tornado DDT for a nearfall.
Gabby fired back with some clotheslines, then a big fallaway slam, tossing her across the ring. Gabby nailed a Vader Bomb for a nearfall. Gabby tossed Shannon off the top rope to the mat. Paris hopped on the ring apron and grabbed Gabby, so Gabby shoved her to the mat. Gabby then nailed a spear that cut Shannon in half for the pin! I admit I didn’t expect Gabby to win here, so this was a pleasant surprise.
* Channing Thomas and Sidney Bakabella hit the ring. Love, Doug got in the ring and spoke on the mic, saying he isn’t wrestling tonight. Instead, he’s wrestling Landon Hale!
4. Landon Hale defeated Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) via count-out at 4:38. Hale hit a top-rope missile dorpkick to start the match, and they traded chops. Hale hit a dropkick at 3:00. Channing rolling to the floor and got intentionally counted out. Hale challenged Channing to a first-blood match.
* Tyree Taylor (w/Brother Greatness) hit the ring. Again, Tyree is similar to Shane Taylor and a bit of Willie Mack, and he’s wearing a suit and vest tonight. Tyree wants Ichiban next week!
5. Danny Miles (w/the Stetson Ranch) defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin at 8:22. These two have been feuding for months, but the problem is BRG is a natural heel (like his character so far in MLW.) BRG hit an Unprettier faceplant for a nearfall just 20 seconds in! He hit a dropkick. Miles took control and beat down BRG. Brett hit some running forearm strikes in the corner at 6:00, then a spear for a believable nearfall. Brett hit a top-rope elbow ddrop, then he dove to the floor on the Ranch! However, as he got back into the ring, Miles pushed Brett shoulder-first into the corner, then he immediately rolled up BRG for the pin. Okay.
6. Joe Ocasio and Ray Jaz and “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes defeated Gabriel Skye, Jermaine Marbury, and “Shook Crew” Bobby Orlando and Bryce Donovan at 14:32. The heels all came out first and all wore fairly similar red trunks. Basketball player gimmick Marbury just isn’t clicking with me yet; he’s got Orlando Magic-inspired gear on today. And of course, I just dislike the dork Orlando and his stupid stuffed goat. This took FOREVER to get going with everyone having separate entrances. Ocasio went to start against rival Skye, but Joe tagged out before locking up. Bryce and Bobby beat up Smokes, and Orlando slammed Smokes onto Baylor for a nearfall at 3:00.
Marbury got in and hit a splash for a nearfall, and suddenly all eight were brawling, so the heels bailed to the floor to regroup. They got back in the ring and Jaz began working over Marbury, and the heels kept Jermaine in their corner. Marbury finally hit a neckbreaker at 10:30 on Ocasio. Bobby made the hot tag and he hit some jab punches on Baylor. Skye hit a top-rope missile dropkick on Ocasio, then a huracanrana at 13:00. Ocasio hit a German Suplex on Skye. Ocasio hit a modified Death Valley Driver to pin Marbury. (I could have pretty much guaranteed Marbury was eating the pin before this match started.) Skye and Ocasio kept arguing after the bell, and Gabriel hit a running knee that sent Ocasio scrambling.
7. Brad Hollister (w/TJ Crawford) defeated Dezmond Cole (w/Ryan Clancy) to retain the Wrestling Open Title at 13:13; the winner gets advantage in Steel Cage Warfare. They charged at each other but Brad immediately hit two German Suplexes and an Exploder Suplex. Cole hit a flying crossbody block and some punches at 2:00, but he missed a rolling cannonball. That allowed Hollister to take control of the action, and he grounded Cole on the mat. Dezmond finally hit a German Suplex and they were both down at 7:00. Cole hit a standing powerbomb, then a top-rope flying legdrop for a nearfall.
Dezmond hit a Swanton for a believable nearfall at 9:00. Hollister hit a Samoa Joe-style Muscle Buster for a believable nearfall, and he was incredulous he didn’t get the win there. Hollister hit a second-rope superplex for a believable nearfall. Brad rolled to the floor and grabbed his title and brought it into the ring, but the ref confiscated it. Cole applied a Triangle Choke!
Hollister grabbed the ref and yanked him to the mat to escape! He got the title belt but Clancy hopped in the ring and made the save. Crawford hopped in the ring and hit a spin kick to Clancy’s head. Hollister hit Dezmond in the head with the title belt and covered him; the groggy ref woke up and counted to three and the crowd booed. (I fully thought the ref was going to DQ Hollister when Brad pulled on the ref to escape the Triangle Choke.)
* Kylon King and Dustin Waller hopped in the ring and chased off Hollister and Crawford.
Final Thoughts: A solid show with a strong main event to close it out. Nothing was bad here, but this show really felt like it was more about advancing storylines to next week than anything. I liked Gabby-Shannon as that was a pleasant surprise outcome. The big eight-man tag was a bit disappointing, as newcomer Marbury was in far too long and he’s just not at the level of the others in that match. Wrestling Open continues to impress with good week-to-week storytelling and mixing in good video packages with solid wrestling.
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