By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, MLW, ROH, GCW, and other notable live events. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
Wrestling Open “Episode 121”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
April 25, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
Attendance was in the 250-300 range. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness were back on commentary. This was a “Night of Mystery” as we had several matches with unknown mystery competitors.
* The show opened with a video shot outdoors with Dustin Waller, who said he’s disappointed in Richard Holliday for attacking Marcus Mathers.
1. Richard Holliday defeated Dustin Waller at 9:07. Basic reversals to open; Holliday has a size and strength advantage. Waller clotheslined him over the top rope at 2:30, then he hit a plancha to the floor. In the ring, Holliday hit a backbreaker over his knee. He hit a guillotine legdrop and was in charge. Waller went for a Lethal Injection but Holliday hit a blow to the lower back. Waller hit a springboard clothesline for a nearfall at 7:00. He got a backslide for a nearfall, and he hit the Lethal Injection for a nearfall, but he missed the Mamba Splash. Holliday nailed the 2008 swinging neckbreaker for the pin. A really good opener.
* Holliday got on the mic and said he has something very important to say “but actions speak louder than words.”
2. Gabby Forza defeated Little Mean Kathleen at 7:04. LMK is STILL in her wedding dress, even though the wedding was held in August! Brother Greatness said there is “a funky odor” coming from the dress. Kathleen wrestled on AEW Rampage in mid-March. She tried a bodyslam but she couldn’t lift the much bigger Gabby. Forza hit a backbreaker over her knee and a bodyslam. Forza applied a headlock and swung LMK’s body. They went to the floor and Kathleen tried to leave the building! Forza dragged her back to ringside and hit a guerrilla press back into the ring at 2:30!
However, Forza crashed head-first into the middle turnbuckle. LMK couldn’t budge her on an Irish Whip attempt. LMK hit a clothesline. She applied a Triangle Choke at 5:00, but Forza turned it into a sit-out powerbomb. LMK hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Forza hit a powerslam off the ropes for the pin. Decent action; I think Forza should have won even quicker and have been more dominant.
3. Max Caster and Bobby Orlando defeated “The Batiri” Kodama and Obariyan at 6:45. Again, the Batiri are really short and paint their faces in yellow-and-black. Orlando opened. Caster teased passing one of the Batiri over to Orlando, but instead he hit a bodyslam, and he sent Orlando to the ring apron. They worked over their opponent in the corner. Orlando was suddenly on the floor and selling an arm injury. So, the Batiri began working over Max in the ring, hitting some rolling cannonballs and getting a nearfall at 5:30, but Bobby made the save. Caster got a rollup, leaned backward and grabbed Orlando’s arm for leverage, and scored the tainted pin! Orlando clearly didn’t realize that Max was cheating when Max grabbed his arm.
* The crowd booed them for cheating. Max got on the mic and told Orlando “Don’t listen to the prostitutes in Worcester.”
4. Bryce Donovan defeated The Sweeper at 00:17. I’ve seen The Sweeper before in Create-A-Pro and he uses the wide broom to clean the ring. He looks to be 17 and about 140 pounds soaking wet. Bryce came in a side door, and he’s wearing jeans and his Create-A-Pro shirt, too. Crockett was shocked to see him here. Donovan hit a Mafia Kick, a Black Hole Slam and a chokeslam for the pin. That was amazing. “What did we just see?” Bryce immediately began removing his boots, put his regular shoes back on. He went right back out the side door and left! “What is happening? He’s just leaving. He’s not going to the locker room,” Crockett said. He hopped in his car and drove away.
* It’s time for a “pick your opponent” tag match. We had one of these last week. Who has the Stetson Ranch picked to face Tyree Taylor and Ichiban? A video aired and Steven Stetson was standing outside at his ranch and said he wanted to find a team on their level. He picked “The Even Stevens” who used to be associated with Brother Greatness! (I admittedly am not a fan of these guys.) Crockett said this is their first match here since August. The ES said they forgive Brother Greatness for prior attacks.
5. Tyree Taylor and Ichiban defeated “Even Stevens” Stephen Azure and Steven Somerset via DQ at 6:08. The ES dress like the Mean Street Posse in their ugly snobby sweaters. Ichiban opened. Tyree hit a bodyslam, then he tossed Ichiban onto Somerset. Azure hit a spinebuster on Ichiban for a nearfall at 2:30, and the ES began working over Ichiban. Tyree finally made the hot tag at 5:00 and speared both guys in a corner, then he hit an enzuigiri. Tyree nailed a discus clothesline on Somerset. Azure hopped in the ring and hit Tyree in the head with a chain! The ref saw it and called for the bell. So much for the Even Stevens “forgiving” Brother Greatness for the attack last fall! Action was subpar; this was about the storyline
6. Sammy Diaz (w/Lucas Chase) defeated Ricky Smokes (w/Brad Baylor) at 8:23. Lucas hit a deep armdrag. I always compare Diaz to Trey Miguel and Smokes is similar to Sammy Guevara. Diaz tied up Smokes on the mat. Smokes dropped Diaz snake-eyes on the top turnbuckle and got a nearfall at 2:30. I always say that Baylor looks like the villain in every 1980s teen comedy you’ve ever seen, and he has a sweater tied around his neck to prove my point. Smokes hit a sit-out powerbomb on Diaz and he grounded Diaz. Diaz hit a Blockbuster and they were both down at 6:00. Diaz hit a swinging neckbreaker and he was fired up. He hit a powerslam and a moonsault, then a frogsplash for a believable nearfall. Baylor grabbed Diaz’ ankle, so Chase brawled with Baylor to the back. Smokes hit his flipping stunner for a believable nearfall at 8:00! Diaz nailed a kneestrke to the chin, then a Sabin-style Cradleshock for the pin. That was really good.
* A video package aired for the next match. CPA has a mystery partner. However, Percy Ryan and JGeorge dragged CPA out of the back and he was already beat up.
7. CPA and 50 Cal vs. Percy Ryan and JGeorge never started. They threw CPA in the ring and I started the stopwatch. They continued to stomp on him. CPA said he found the “most handsome guy to have his back.” Out of the back came 50 Cal, sporting his hillbilly mullet. The heels ran to the back. 50 Cal removed his shirt and flexed. The segment lasted about two-and-a-half minutes but the bell never officially started for a match.
* Brad Baylor walked out of the back and got on the mic and was loudly booed. He said Ray Jaz was supposed to face Dezmond Cole tonight. However, Brad said he has some unfinished business with Dezmond, and he told Jaz to “take the night off” so Brad could beat up Cole instead.
* Brother Greatness “went to the hospital” with Ichiban and Tyree Taylor, so Richard Holliday replaced him on commentary.
8. Dezmond Cole defeated Brad Baylor at 9:19. Baylor has the height and overall size advantage and he immediately grounded Cole. Cole hit a top-rope crossbody block at 1:30. Cole did the splits but Baylor hit a kneestrike to the forehead and he took control. Dezmond fired up and hit some punches. Baylor nailed a powerslam for a nearfall at 4:30. Cole hit a Lionsault Press and they were both down. (The crowd is much larger than when the show began.) Cole hit a Michinoku Driver and a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall at 6:30. Cole hit his Splits Stunner and a spin kick to the head, then a brainbuster. Baylor hit a shotgun dropkick and a TKO stunner for a nearfall at 8:00. Cole nailed a Swanton Bomb for the clean pin. Good match. Brad has been so well-protected here I’m a bit surprised he lost clean, even though Cole is clearly on a higher tier here.
9. Ryan Clancy, Alec Price, and Love, Doug defeated Brad Hollister and “Brick City” Victor Chase and Julio Cruz (w/TJ Crawford) at 15:21. Hollister wore his Wrestling Open title belt. Price is the mystery partner for Doug’s team and the crowd popped when they heard his music. Clancy tied up Cruz early on. Doug got in at 2:00 and hit a basement dropkick on Chase. The babyfaces hit simultaneous dives to the floor on the three heels and we got a “Wrestling Open!” chant. Doug was distracted by TJ Crawford as he got back into the ring. “I want to know what is going on with these two,” Crockett said. The momentary distraction allowed Chase to hit a snap suplex for a nearfall. The heels took turns working over the under-sized Doug.
Price got the hot tag at 7:00, who hit a spinning back fist and a half-nelson suplex, then his running knees in the corner. Alec hit a pop-up dropkick on Hollister at 9:30 and they were both down. Clancy got the hot tag and he hit back body drops on all the heels, then a double crossbody block for a nearfall. Doug hit a Rebound Lariat on Hollister. Price hit his own Rebound Lariat. Clancy hit a clothesline and all six were down. Holliday left the booth, grabbed Clancy’s ankles, yanked him to the floor and beat him up! Meanwhile Price hit his springboard Blockbuster on Chase. However, Chase hit an assisted powerbomb for a nearfall on Alec at 13:00.
Suddenly, Doug was alone in the ring against the three heels. He pushed Chase into Cruz, then hit double back elbows on them. He hit a double Sliced Bread. TJ hopped on the ring apron and glared at Doug again. It allowed Hollister to hit a German Suplex on Doug. Hollister began yelling at Crawford! TJ got angry and yelled back! Brad turned around, and Doug hit a big boot, sending Brad crashing backward onto TJ! Doug immediately got a rollup to pin Brad! Doug has pinned the champion!
Final thoughts: A good show. I love the thought and detail put into these weekly shows. The storylines are easy to follow and aren’t insulting. I was intrigued by an angry Bryce Donovan returning, winning quickly, and vanishing the way he came. I am intrigued by what is going on between Doug and TJ Crawford, and now it has spilled over into heat between the top heel faction. I thought Diaz-Smokes was really good for best match, Cole-Baylor for second, and Waller-Holliday for third. The main event was pretty standard stuff built around that Doug-TJ angle, and that takes honorable mention.
No “new” faces here in terms of wrestlers I’m unfamiliar with. I don’t mind bringing back the Batiri, the Even Stevens, Little Mean Kathleen and The Sweeper for quick squashes, but none of them are really on the level of the main roster. The Even Stevens have a reason to get even with Tyree Taylor and Brother Greatness, so that was fun too. Only a few negatives… the Percy Ryan stuff is just so amateur and he’s just not on the same quality level as everyone else on this roster. CPA is fun and I don’t mind him in the undercard, but 50 Cal admittedly doesn’t do much for me, either. I would have preferred to see Gabby just squash LMK in 90 or so seconds.
Be the first to comment