By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 120”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
April 18, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd is again in the 250-300 range and they do consistent numbers here. Paul Crockett and Brian Milonas provided commentary tonight.
1. Rex Lawless & RJ Rude defeated Love Doug & Landon Hale in a “chairs are legal” match at 10:12. Rude sang an annoying local radio jingle rather than a rock hit on the way to the ring, which is kind of funny. Rex hit a big boot to Doug’s chest at 2:30 and they worked him over. Hale got a chair and hit Rex across the back a couple times at 6:00. He hit some on Rude, too. Lawless nailed his Rebound Lariat on Rude for a nearfall, but Rex made the save.
Landon tossed a chair at Rex’s face and I really hate that. Doug hit a stunner on Rex onto a folded chair. Rude hit an Unprettier on Hale onto a folded chair at 8:00. RJ missed a Swanton Bomb and crashed across two open chairs! Ouch! TJ Crawford walked to ringside and Crockett wondered why he was there. TJ glared at Doug. It allowed Rex and Rude to hit a team Lungblower, while using a chair along the back, for the pin on Doug. Good brawl.
2. CPA defeated DJ Powers at 5:37. Powers is a young arrogant kid with shoulder-length hair; I’ve compared him to NXT’s Kale Dixon. Powers is lanky and several inches taller than CPA, as Milonas reminded us that Powers is still just 19. CPA hit a back body drop and peeled off one dress shirt to reveal another one underneath. DJ hit a nice dropkick in the corner at 1:30 and he stomped on CPA. He hit a knee drop to the forehead at 3:00 and kept CPA grounded. CPA fired up and hit a stunner. He hit his comedy 619 and a Death Valley Driver for the pin. Not surprised CPA won, but Powers is a great young talent.
* JGeorge and Percy Ryan walked to ringside immediately after CPA won. Percy was ‘mentoring’ CPA in a storyline that never clicked for me. He is upset that CPA slammed his jaw, and he challenged CPA to a tag match next week. So, CPA has to find a tag partner. Crockett wondered who he will get to be his teammate.
3. Ray Jaz defeated Marcus Mathers at 6:58. Jaz appeared on TNA a couple weeks ago with Little Guido. He got on the mic and talked about attacking Dezmond Cole last week, but he didn’t say why he did it. An intense lockup to open. Mathers hit a Lionsault for a nearfall at 1:30. Jaz hit a back suplex and he paused to flex and was booed. He hit a snap suplex and immediately kipped up and jawed at the fans. He kept working over Mathers on the mat. Mathers hit a spin kick to the jaw at 5:00 and a stunner, then a snap German Suplex. Mathers hit a double-jump crossbody block for a nearfall. He hit a kip-up stunner, then a running clothesline and he was fired up. Jaz nailed a Death Valley Driver at 6:30, then a second-rope elbow drop for the clean pin. Crockett was surprised that the move scored the pin. Really good action.
* Jaz again got on the mic and mentioned Dezmond Cole by name. Cole hit the ring and hit a Lionsault Press and a suplex. Milonas was livid, noting that Jaz just wrestled and said this wasn’t fair. Dezmond got on the mic and said Jaz made a mistake by messing with him. Dezmond vowed he was going to beat Jaz next week.
* Next up is a “pick your opponent” match. So, the Stetson Ranch have no idea who The Church of Greatness picked for them to face here. We went to a video package where Brother Greatness spoke about the pick-your-opponent match. He has picked the Miracle Generation!
4. “Stetson Ranch” Steve Stetson and Danny Miles vs. “Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller ended in a double DQ/draw at 13:02. The MG carried their IWTV Tag Team Titles with them, and Crockett immediately said this is non-title. Stetson and Kylon opened, and Steve is clearly taller and thicker. The heels were shoved into each other, then the MG hit dropkicks to send them to the floor at 2:00. Waller and Miles tagged in, and Dustin hit a deep armdrag, and the MG worked over Miles’ left arm. Waller hit a senton for a nearfall at 5:00.
Stetson grabbed Waller’s wrists as Dustin went for a Lethal Injection, allowing Miles to attack Waller and work him over. Miles hit a Bulldog Powerslam at 7:30. King got in and hit some Exploder Suplexes. King hit a tornado DDT on Stetson, then a spinebuster on Miles for a nearfall. Miles hit a rolling cannonball on Kylon. Waller hit a top-rope missile dropkick. King accidentally hit a kneestrike on Waller! Kylon hit an enzuigiri on Miles. Miles hit a lungblower move to the stomach. Waller and Miles traded forearm strikes while on their knees at 12:00. The ref tried to separate them as they brawled in a corner but they each pushed the ref aside and kept trading punches. He tried repeatedly to get them to stop brawling, and he eventually called for the bell. Good action that protected both teams.
* Bobby Orlando hit the ring; Crockett noted it has been weeks since Bryce Donovan walked out on Orlando and Wrestling Open. Orlando is in street clothes and he’s in a party mood; he does not look depressed about losing his tag partner. He vowed he was “Bringing the Shook Crew back.” The Acclaimed’s music played!
Out of the back came Max Caster! It has been months since he was here, and he was NOT advertised in advance. He’s a hated heel here, and he made fun of the locals for using opioids and said Worcester “is the worst city in America.” He showed off his six-man-tag belt. He said he’s an original, third member of the Shook Crew.
Max said that Bobby “is the hump that Bryce just can’t get over.” He said Bobby “drove Bryce away.” Max said “I’m selling out soccer stadiums, 81,000 people for real, Bob.” Max handed Bobby his title, then he snatched it back and said “you didn’t earn it.” “You’ve been losing big matches for $75 a night.” He said “one of us has achieved all of our goals, and one of us keeps failing.” Max said he has pull here, and he got a tag match for them next week, but the condition is “we do things my way.” Good segment and nice to see Max break away from his AEW character.
5. Allie Katch defeated Paris Van Dale at 4:50. Crockett talked about how Shannon LeVangie was going to do a best-of-five series with Katch which was canceled (due to Shannon’s injury.) Paris hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall at 1:00. She hit a splits leg drop and kept Allie grounded. She hit a DDT for a nearfall. Allie hit her Stinger Splash, butt bump and rolling cannonball combo for a nearfall at 3:30. Paris applied a crossface on the mat, but Allie rolled her over and pinned Paris out of nowhere!
6. Jermaine Marbury and Benny the Basketball defeated Channing Thomas and Sidney Bakabella at 10:21. Sidney wore an Andre-style one-strap black singlet. Again, Benny is a full-sized mascot. So, this should be a fair amount of comedy. Bakabella again jawed at the same 10-year-old in the crowd he’s been feuding with for weeks, and I think it’s pretty funny. (I think if the kid missed a week, Sidney would be legit sad to not see him.) Jermaine and Channing opened and they traded chops early. Benny and Sidney tagged in at 2:30 and they eventually had a test of strength. This is sports entertainment at its … finest? Sidney hit a clothesline and was booed as he flexed. Jermaine hit a plancha to the floor on Channing. In the ring, Benny did the ‘Hogan routine’ of no-selling punches, firing up, pointing at Sidney, hitting the punch, the legdrop and the pin. Acceptable comedy.
7. Brad Hollister defeated Ryan Clancy to retain the Wrestling Open Title at 15:35. Hollister rolled to the floor at the bell. Clancy hit a monkeyflip at 2:00 and a senton for a nearfall and he was in charge early on. Hollister slammed Clancy into the ring post. They brawled on the floor, and Hollister hit a snap suplex on the floor at 4:30. They got back in the ring with Hollister in charge. He hit a snap suplex at 6:00 and posed before getting a pinfall attempt. Clancy hit a flying forearm and they were both down at 9:00, and the crowd was fully behind Clancy.
Clancy hit a series of clotheslines and a back body drop, then a backbreaker over his knee, then he locked in a Sharpshooter, and the crowd taunted Hollister to tap out, but Brad reached the ropes at 10:30. They again brawled on the floor. In the ring, Clancy hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. He hit a crossbody block but Brad rolled through and got a nearfall at 12:00. Brad hit a European Uppercut, then a Muscle Buster for a nearfall. Brad choked Clancy against the ropes as Crockett reminded us we are going until this match is done.
Clancy hit a dropkick for a nearfall, but TJ Crawford yanked the ref from the ring and hit his Skull Kick on the ref at 14:00! Hollister hit a German Suplex. Hollister got the title belt. Love Doug got in the ring and glared at Crawford. Hollister hit Doug from behind. Hollister hit Clancy with the title belt. Another ref ran into the ring and counted the tainted pinfall. A good match that protected Clancy in the loss. Doug went to hit a stunner on Hollister, but TJ pulled Brad to safety on the floor.
Final Thoughts: A good main event with the chicanery I expected; it doesn’t feel like now was the right time to move the title off of Hollister. The Stetson Ranch/Miracle Generation match was really good for second place, and the chairs match to open the show takes third. The Max Caster return was a fun surprise. The Benny/Sidney stuff was acceptable comedy and the crowd always loves the Hogan routine stuff. I have really enjoyed the camaraderie that Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness have developed over the winter and spring; Milonas brought something different to the booth, giving us a heel commentator to justify heels’ actions.
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