By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 105”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
January 4, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
Wrestling Open is coming off hosting the 11-show, four-day “Wrestival” event, and it’s back in action. Notably, earlier in the day, IWTV tag champion Dustin Waller posted on Twitter/X that he is ill and is pulling out of his weekend shows. As the show began, the crowd is in the 200 range; it really doesn’t seem to change much from week to week. Paul Crockett and Scott Robinson provided commentary. Sidney Bakabella replaced Robinson before the second match.
1. Hammer Tunis defeated Brett Mettro in a spotlight (dark) match at 4:20. Mettro was introduced as the first graduate of the Beyond Wrestling Academy and the crowd gave hm a polite applause. Mettro wore a green singlet and he reminds me of NXT’s Myles Bourne. Again, Tunis is a slimy hillbilly character, somewhat like WWF’s Skinner. Basic mat reversals; this is like watching a NJPW Young Lion match. Hammer hit a snap suplex at 3:00. Mettro hit some big hip tosses; he clearly has some strength. Hammer hit a DDT for the pin. Acceptable for what it was.
2. Brett Ryan Gosselin defeated Danny Miles at 9:16. This feud has moved into the ‘jump the shark’ category as everyone is just ready for them both to move on. I always compare BRG to Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, and he’s certainly given off that vibe so far in MLW, too. These two started brawling on the floor before Brett even got in the ring. BRG dove through the ropes onto Miles at 1:00. Miles hit a big bodyslam onto the hard wood floor. They finally both got into the ring and the bell rang to start the match. Miles hit a rolling cannonball into the corner for a nearfall at 4:30.
Brett hit a top-rope superplex and they were both down. Miles hit a Divorce Court armbreaker, and he switched to a crossarm breaker. Miles nailed a dive through the ropes. Wow, these two are working hard, and as noted, I wasn’t looking forward to this one when it started. Miles swung a ‘stick pony’ but it hit the ropes and ricocheted onto him. Gosselin immediately hit a spear for the pin. Again, official time is about two minutes shorter; I start my stopwatch at first contact or the bell, whichever is first.
3. Zayda Steel defeated Kennedi Copeland at 4:25. Zayda is the heel here. Mat reversals at the bell. Kennedi hit a diving forearm to the back. Kennedi hit a sliding crossbody block in the corner. Zayda took control and she barked at fans. Kennedi fired back with some clotheslines. She dropped Zayda with a hard forearm strike at 4:00, and the ref checked on Zayda. But of course, Zayda was faking the injury; she jumped up, rolled up Kennedi, got a handful of tights AND grabbed the ropes for leverage, to score the pin.
4. Steven Stetson defeated Dan Barry at 8:05. Stetson got on the mic before the bell and said he has a lot planned for 2024. Barry is the graying 40-year-old in-ring vet. Barry got the advantage on Stetson at the bell. Stetson took control and he hit a big Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 3:30. Barry hit a superplex and a series of clotheslines. Barry hit a senton for a nearfall at 6:00, then a Lionsault for a nearfall. Stetson hit a running Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Stetson got a rollup for the pin.
5. TJ Crawford defeated Marcus Mathers at 8:40. Crockett said “this has the potential to be a special matchup,” and I agree, as both men are already breaking out on MLW TV. Mathers hit a top-rope twisting crossbody block for a nearfall at 2:00. TJ hit a snap suplex and he took control. Mathers hit a Lionsault for a nearfall at 5:30. TJ hit an enzuigiri. Mathers hit a stunner for a nearfall and the crowd chanted his name. He went to the top rope, but TJ tripped him. Mathers hit a spin kick to the head. Mathers’ head hit the corner! TJ immediately hit a spin kick to the head for the pin. That was a stellar mid-show match.
* A clip aired of highlights from the first-ever Wrestling Open episode from two years ago; Paul Crockett noted how small the crowd was that day.
6. Westfield Kelly & Graceson Kelly defeated RJ Rude & Rex Lawless and “Shook Crew” Bryce Donovan & Bobby Orlando and “Waves & Curls” Jaelyn Brandyn & Traevon Jordan in a four-way tag to become No. 1 contenders to the IWTV Tag Team Titles at 10:18. The Kelly twins are Black (think NBA star James Harden!) and I still can’t tell them apart, and Bakabella called them the future of tag team wrestling. The muscular Lawless opened against the tall Bryce; Bryce removed his jacket and flexed but he doesn’t have anywhere near Rex’s size. RJ fought one of the twins, and the brothers worked Rude over for several minutes. Rude finally hit a double Sliced Bread at 7:00.
Traevon got in and hit a double dropkick. The taller Traevon hit a top-rope crossbody block on the Kellys, and W&C hit a Team 3D stunner for a nearfall. Orlando hit a stunner on a Kelly. Rude hit a Falcon Arrow on Orlando. Rex hit a flip dive to the floor on all seven at 9:30 and that popped the crowd. Back in the ring, the Kellys hit a team slam to pin Jaelyn! That was a pleasant surprise! They look great but are relative newcomers here, so I didn’t see that win coming.
* Brad Hollister hit the ring for a “big announcement.” He got booed. He talked about having a round-robin tournament here in Wrestling Open, and the winner will become No. 1 contender for his title! So, Wrestling Open is planning 8 Blocks of four wrestlers per Block. Sounds pretty ambitious to me.
7. “The Church of Greatness” Tyree Taylor, Sammy Diaz, and Lucas Chase defeated Ryan Clancy, Ichiban, and Dezmond Cole at 11:47. Tyree (think Willie Mack-meets-Shane Taylor), Diaz (think Trey Miguel) and Chase (think Angelo Dawkins) are a good trio. Last week, the massive Tyree scored a clean pin on Ichiban, which shocked everyone, myself included. Diaz and Dezmond opened with some fast reversals. Clancy and Chase fought at 2:00; Ryan did some squats while holding Diaz. The heels bailed to the floor and regrouped.
Back in the ring, the CoG began working over Dezmond. Tyree hit a bodyslam at 5:30. Diaz hit a back suplex for a nearfall. Dezmond finally hit a stunner, and he tagged in Ichiban at 7:30. Ichiban cleared the ring and got the crowd fired up. He hit a top-rope flying crossbody block. Ichiban hit a leaping Flatliner move for a nearfall at 9:00. Diaz hit a dive through the ropes to the floor. Clancy hit a dive over the top rope onto everyone at 10:30. In the ring, Chase hit a Samoan Drop on Ichiban. Tyree nailed a discus lariat on Dezmond. Diaz hit a sit-out powerbomb on Clancy. Diaz got a backslide out of nowhere to pin Ichiban! Wow! Ichiban loses again, and it was a clean loss, too! Good match.
* TJ Crawford hopped in the ring and hit a spinning kick to Clancy’s head. He said he’s just getting started. Brad Hollister joined Crockett on commentary.
8. Jermaine Marbury won an eight-man battle royal at 11:19. Ray Jaz came out first. Jermaine Marbury, the basketball player gimmick with the life-sized basketball mascot is next, then the muscular Joe Ocasio, then Kylon King (again, no Dustin Waller tonight), then Pedro Dones, then Landon Hale, then Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella), and lastly, Alec Price. No title belt on Price, who lost it to Krule a few days ago. Marbury has no business being in this match, but the other seven are all deserving of being in a No. 1 contender’s match. Brad Hollister made fun of him, calling him “basketball man” and refused to learn his name.
Channing got tossed but he landed on Bakabella, so he got back in. Hale got tossed over the top rope but held onto the rope and tried to ‘skin the cat’; Bakabella pulled Hale to the floor to eliminate him at 2:30. Dones was tossed at 6:00. Jaz was tossed at 7:30, so we’re down to five. Ocasio got eliminated; it looks like he legit hurt a leg and was pulled out. Kylon got tossed, so we’re down to Marbury, Price and Channing. Price was tossed. Marbury hit a dropkick that eliminated Channing!
* Brad Hollister got in the ring, holding his title, and he was laughing at Marbury, not taking him seriously at all.
Final Thoughts: A really good show. No new faces tonight (except in the dark match), although big wins for relative newcomers Marbury, the Kelly twins and Zayda Steel. So, in my eyes, several big upsets. I can totally see the Kellys being the next Northeast talent to debut on MLW TV; they just have the right size and look, and you truly can’t tell them apart. My comment about Marbury “not deserving to be in this match” isn’t a statement on his talent; it’s acknowledging he doesn’t have the wins to be seen as a major player in Wrestling Open yet. But, this is a big opportunity against a guy like Hollister, so we’ll see if he has the wrestling skill to be in the main event mix.
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