By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 126”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
May 30, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd appears to be in the 250 range. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness are back on commentary and they have meshed so well in recent months.
1. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes defeated 50 Cal & CPA in an Eliminator Cup qualifier at 8:35. Swipe Right spoke on the mic and were irritated that the fans said they would “swipe left.” Baylor said they are the favorites to win the tournament, and are the #1 seed. Redneck 50 Cal is again wearing a button-down shirt and tie. Smokes and 50 Cal opened. CPA couldn’t hit his comedy 619 on Baylor. The heels began working over CPA in their corner. CPA finally hit a double missile dropkick at 6:30 and he made the hot tag. 50 Cal hit some running back elbows. CPA was shoved into a ring post, and SR kept working over 50 Cal in the ring. Baylor hit a swinging side slam for the pin. The right team definitely won.
* JGeorge hopped in the ring and attacked 50 Cal.
2. Allie Katch defeated Rachel Armstrong at 6:09. Armstrong is giving up height and weight to Allie. Rachel hit some dropkicks but she couldn’t budge Allie on an Irish Whip attempt. Katch hit her running buttbump for a nearfall at 1:30. She hit a bodyslam for a nearfall and grounded Rachel. Armstrong hit a DDT for a nearfall. She hit a Sliced Bread for a nearfall at 5:30, but she missed a top-rope 450 Splash. Katch immediately hit a piledriver for the pin. Solid match.
3. RJ Rude and Rex Lawless defeated “The Haven” Jay Onyx and Shawn Knyte in an Eliminator Cup qualifying match at 9:43. Okay I have no idea what Rude is singing (butchering?) tonight on his way to the ring. Knyte has the longer dreadlocks and is comparable to Kofi Kingston; Onyx has short dark hair and is similar to Angelo Dawkins; these two are regulars in Fight Life but aren’t here often; a quick check shows they were last at Wrestling Open on Thanksgiving.
Rude and Onyx opened. The massive Lawless entered and just towered over Onyx. Onyx popped up Knyte so he could hit a splash on Rude for a nearfall at 2:00. The heels choked Onyx in the ropes and kept him grounded. Lawless hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 6:30, then a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall. Knyte made the hot tag and hit some clotheslines on Rude, then a top-rope flying elbow for a nearfall at 9:00. Rude hit a Jarrett-style Stroke for the pin. Solid match.
* A video package aired of Krule beating Pedro Dones, partially due to the interference by Gal. We then went to a video shot outside, where Dones said Gal took away his dream of winning the title.
4. Dezmond Cole defeated Dex Royal at 6:03. Royal is a heel today and he just looks SO much different compared to when he’s a babyface. He seems to be a babyface in the Midwest and a heel elsewhere; he’s a regular in Black Label Pro and AIW, but I’ve seen him in Action Wrestling in the Atlanta area, too. Dex shoved him to the mat and danced. Cole snapped off a huracanrana and a dropkick, but he missed a moonsault. Dex hit a release suplex and a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall at 2:00. Dex hit an Exploder Suplex into the corner for a nearfall. Cole hit a Mafia Kick and the cheekynandos kick to the face, then a Michinoku Driver for the pin. Excellent for the time given.
* Ray Jaz came to the ring, got on the mic, and confronted Dezmond Cole. He challenged him to a match next week.
* We had a video package that showed the Even Stevens attacking the Church of Greatness recently.
5. “Even Stevens” Stephen Azure and Steven Somerset defeated “The Church of Greatness” Ichiban and Tyree Taylor (w/Brother Greatness) at 7:32. The ES wore their Mean Street Posse-inspired sweaters. Ichiban and Tyree attacked the ES at the bell. Tyree hit a bodyslam and he splashed Ichiban onto the shorter Somerset for a nearfall. Ichiban hit a handspring-back-elbow into the corner. Azure low-bridged the top rope, causing Ichiban to fall to the floor at 2:00, and the ES began working over Ichiban in their corner. Azure hit a spinebuster at 4:00.
Ichiban went for a springboard move but Somerset hit a dropkick. Tyree got the hot tag and he backed both ES in the corner and hit punches, then he speared both at 6:00. Steven Stetson came out of the back, holding one of Ichiban’s masks! Hammer Tunis hit the ring and attacked Ichiban, and he pulled Somerset on top of him for the cheap pin. This didn’t meet my expectations; I was actually hoping for a 90-second squash. I admittedly don’t think highly of the Even Stevens team.
* It was announced that “Above the Rest” Tristan Thai & Gabriel Skye are the final team in the Eliminator Cup, and the brackets of the eight-team tournament were posted.
6. Megan Bayne defeated Harleen Lopez at 6:42. Bayne picked up a couple more wins over the weekend in GCW, and she just TOWERS over most female opposition. Lopez has her hair in a tight ponytail and she jawed at the fans. She hit some chops that Megan no-sold. Bayne hit a Stinger Splash and a double-underhook suplex, then a Splash to the mat for a nearfall at 2:30. However, Bayne charged into the corner and injured her shoulder. Lopez hit a running double knees; she mounted Bayne and hit some punches, then some Moxley-style elbow strikes, and she applied an Octopus Stretch. She snapped Megan’s throat across the top rope at 5:00. Megan hit a suplex and fired up. She hit some clotheslines and an Exploder Suplex, then a fisherman’s suplex, then a swinging sideslam for a nearfall. She hit a release suplex, then the Tombstone piledriver for the pin. Good action.
* A video package aired of the Brad Hollister-Love Doug feud. Last week, Hollister invited Doug to be a member of Big Business, but faction partner Julio Cruz objected.
7. Love, Doug defeated Julio Cruz (w/Victor Chase) at 8:26. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cruz in a singles match before. Brad Hollister and TJ Crawford also came to ringside; TJ looks annoyed and doesn’t want to be there. Hollister got on the mic and said the offer to join BB still stands. Cruz is bigger and he hit some chops. Doug hit a boot to the sternum. Cruz hit an overhead release suplex, then a spear in the corner at 2:00. Cruz choked Doug in the ropes, and he hit a back suplex at 4:00. He applied a Koji Clutch and dropped Doug to the mat. Doug fired up and hit a series of chops. He hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 6:30. Cruz hit a spear for a nearfall. Doug got a rollup out of nowhere for the pin! Merely okay match.
* Hollister got on the mic and he encouraged all of Big Business to put their hand in the middle, and he asked Doug to join the four of them. “For once, Doug, do the right thing. Are you a stud or are you a dud?” Doug put his hand in! I guess he’s officially joined Big Business! Cruz looked livid, and TJ looked anguished. Cruz stormed to the back.
* A video package showed Channing Thomas and Sidney Bakabella destroying the mascot head of Benny the Basketball, and Jermaine Marbury getting his revenge. For the next match, Sidney is BANNED from ringside!
8. Channing Thomas defeated Jermaine Marbury at 16:38. They immediately brawled at the bell. Marbury hit some dropkicks at 2:00. Channing dropped Marbury throat-first across the top rope, and he began dominating the match. Marbury hit a back suplex at 8:30 and they were both down. He fired up and hit a series of clotheslines and he ‘broke Channing’s ankles’ with his side-steps. Marbury hit a dive over the top rope to the floor at 10:00. In the ring, he hit a spear for a nearfall. Marbury hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall at 12:00.
Channing hit a low blow uppercut, then a swinging neckbreaker for a believable nearfall. Channing pushed Marbury into the corner, into the ref, and the ref was down. Marbury hit a low blow! He nailed a top-rope Mamba Splash for a believable nearfall at 15:00, but Channing got a foot on the ropes. Marbury applied an ankle lock, and he dropped down to the mat and grapevined the leg. A masked man appeared in the building (Bakabella?), and it distracted the ref. Thomas hit Marbury with a closed fist while the ref was distracted for the cheap pin.
* Channing and Sid were about to beat up Marbury some more, when a NEW Benny the Basketball came out! Benny hit a superkick on Sid, and Marbury hit one on Channing. Marbury hit another Mamba Splash on Channing to “get a measure of revenge,” Crockett said.
Final Thoughts: A merely okay show — certainly not among the better episodes I’ve seen here. I am just not buying the lovable-but-dorky Love Doug in Big Business and I presume he will be ejected sooner than later. Dex-Dezmond earns best match, even as short as it was. The main event takes second, and I enjoy watching Bayne dominate, and her match takes third. I don’t usually like comedy gimmicks, but Jermaine makes this basketball player role work for him; he’s had good heels to work with here, too, between first Brad Hollister, and now, Channing Thomas. Nothing was bad here, but I can do without the Even Stevens and 50 Cal. Some top-tier names (Miracle Generation, Alec Price, Marcus Mathers, Ryan Clancy, Landon Hale) were sorely missed.
I noted this last week.. but bringing in top-tier indy talent from outside the region like Dex and Armstrong just shows how this building, this promotion, has become “the place to be, the place to be seen.”
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