By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 122”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
May 2, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd was maybe 200; it seemed a bit smaller than most weeks. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary.
Pre-show match: Ricky Smokes defeated “Handyman” Jake Grey. Grey had pulled off an upset against Channing Thomas in his Wrestling Open debut a couple weeks ago; that would matter in the next match!
1. Brad Baylor (w/Ricky Smokes) defeated Jermaine Marbury (w/Benny the Basketball) at 6:18. Marbury has the basketball player gimmick. Both of these have been well protected here. Baylor is 19 and plays lacrosse in college. Marbury hit a dropkick at 1:30 and a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Baylor hit his powerslam for a nearfall and he grounded Jermaine. Marbry hit some clotheslines and Lio Rush-style misdirection offense. Smokes hopped on the apron and distracted the ref. Baylor hit his double-arm swinging slam for the pin.
* Channing Thomas and Sidney Bakabella ran into the ring and beat up Jermaine Marburty. (Jermaine had caused the distraction a couple weeks ago, which allowed Jake Grey to get the rollup and upset pin in his debut.) They taped Marbury to the top rope. Benny, the life-sized mascot got in the ring, but Channing punched him and dropped him to the mat, and they ripped off the oversized hat. Channing then hit a piledriver. Sidney pulled out a knife and carved up the oversized helmet, and the crowd loudly booed this.
* A video package aired of 50 Cal returning last week and saving CPA from a beatdown.
2. 50 Cal and CPA defeated JGeorge and Percy Ryan at 6:53. I admittedly haven’t gotten into this storyline at all. 50 Cal is the hillbilly with a mullet. JGeorge is the Black filmmaker, and Percy is the male model who wears weird jewelry around his chin. CPA and JGeorge opened. 50 Cal hit a rolling senton on JGeorge at 1:30. The heels began working over CPA. Percy hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 4:30. CPA hit a dropkick. 50 Cal finally got the hot tag and hit some clotheslines, then a stunner on Percy at 6:30. CPA hit his comedy 619 on JGeorge, then his “Crunching Numbers” Death Valley Driver for the pin. Okay match; I don’t mind comedy early in the show.
* A video package aired of Bryce Donovan’s complete squash victory last week, storming out the door and driving away. I loved everything about it. We then went to LIVE footage of Bryce showing up in the parking lot and walking in the side door, already dressed to wrestle. He has an “anonymous benefactor.”
3. Bryce Donovan defeated Erik Chacha at 2:24. I saw Ecuador native Chacha as a referee in Fight Life wrestling last week; he is much shorter than Bryce. The bell rang but Bryce rolled to the floor, sat on a chair, and finished tying his boots. Bryce got in the ring and dropped him with one punch, then a kick, a flying Dragunov-style forearm on the mat, a standing powerbomb, and a chokeslam, then a second chokeslam for the pin. Yes, I summarized every move in this match. I love a good squash and I love the intrigue over “what happened to make Bryce change like this?” He got on the mic and said, “thank you to my sponsor,” and he turned and left out the door and back to his car.
* We saw footage of Richard Holliday attacking Ryan Clancy last week!
4. Richard Holliday defeated Ryan Clancy at 7:53. They immediately shoved each other. Clancy went for his Russian leg sweep (inexplicably his finisher) but Holliday blocked it. They traded chops at 4:00. Clancy missed his dropkick. He snapped Holliday’s neck between his feet for a nearfall. Clancy clotheslined him to the floor at 6:30. They got back in the ring, and Holliday got an O’Connor Roll, grabbed a rope for added leverage, and scored the pin.
5. Little Mean Kathleen defeated Maya World at 5:51. LMK is in her pink-and-purple gear; Crockett said her wedding dress is in the cleaners. She barked at fans. Maya is from Dallas and I’ve seen her a few times in promotions in and near Texas, and this is her Wrestling Open debut; Crockett said this building and promotion has become a destination for wrestlers across the world. Maya hit some quick armdrags early on. LMK began stomping on her and took control. Maya did a cartwheel-into-a-forearm strike in the corner. LMK hit a German Suplex at 4:00. Kathleen hit a guillotine legdrop. Maya hit a running knee to the cheek and a half-nelson suplex. Maya hit a rolling forearm. She spun LMK along her back and hit a faceslam for a believable nearfall. Kathleen immediately hit a bulldog for the pin.
* Footage aired of Max Caster’s return to Wrestling Open and reuniting with partner Bobby Orlando. But of course, Max wants to cheat and Bobby doesn’t.
6. “Shook Crew” Max Caster and Bobby Orlando defeated “Prodigal Sons” Lucas Chase and Sammy Diaz (w/Brother Greatness) in a No. 1 contender’s match at 8:54. I guess “Prodigal Sons” has replaced “Church of Greatness” as their tag team name. The PS worked over Max early, and Lucas hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 2:30. Lucas put both guys on his back and hit a double Samoan Drop. Orlando got a rollup, and this time, it was Max leaning in, grabbing Bobby’s arms to give him added leverage for the pin! Bobby seemed conflicted about winning that way.
* Love Doug hit the ring, and he’s not dressed to wrestle. TJ hit the ring. TJ Crawford and Brad Hollister came out of the back, and these two teammates argued.
7. TJ Crawford (w/Brad Hollister) vs. Alec Price ended in a time-limit draw at 10:00. TJ rolled to the floor at the bell to stall. They traded quick mat reversals and Price worked the left arm. TJ snapped his throat across the top rope and took control. TJ hit a Mafia Kick at 5:30. Price hit his Rebound Lariat and a half-nelson suplex. TJ hit a release suplex. TJ hit an inverted DDT and they were both down. Price hit a dropkick. He hit a dive to the floor on both Crawford and Hollister. He hit a springboard DDT for a nearfall at 9:55. The time limit then expired at 10:00 sharp. A very good match from two top-notch guys.
* They continued to brawl after the bell, and Crawford nailed his spin kick. However, Crawford and Hollister still were not on the same page.
8. Dezmond Cole and “Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller defeated “Stetson Ranch” Steve Stetson, Miles Tunis, and Danny Miles at 14:39. No tag titles on the MG tonight. Kylon and Stetson opened. Tunis and Waller entered at 3:00 and traded good reversals. Cole then entered, and the babyfaces worked over Miles’ left arm. Waller leapt off the top rope but Stetson caught him at 5:00. Stetson hit a bodyslam on Dustin and the heels worked him over. Miles hit a senton at 8:00. The crowd began chanting “F— the ranch!” Waller finally hit a flying elbow on Tunis.
Cole got the hot tag and he hit punches on all the heels. He hit a bodyslam, then a top-rope moonsault press for a nearfall at 11:00. Stetson popped Cole in the air and Miles hit a spear on Dezmond for a nearfall. The babyfaces hit triple superkicks. Cole hit a German Suplex on Stetson. Waller hit a Lethal Injection, and Kylon hit a moonsault for a believable nearfall on Stetson at 13:00. Stetson hit a Mafia Kick on Waller. Kylon hit a tornado DDT. Dezmond hit a uranage on Miles. Tunis hit a Michinoku Driver on Dezmond for a believable nearfall. Kylon hit a second-rope superplex on Tunis. Waller hit a Mamba Splash frogsplash, and Cole hit a Swanton Bomb to pin Tunis. That was a very good match.
* The Stetson Ranch jumped right back into the ring and all six brawled.
Final Thoughts: A superb main event with everyone hitting their big spots, and it earns best match. Price-Crawford was predictably smooth and takes second place. Holliday-Clancy just scratched the surface of what they can do, but it still takes third place.
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