By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 128”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
June 13, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd appears to be in the 200 range. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary, and Crockett immediately noted it is “tournament Thursday.”
1. “The Prodigal Sons” Sammy Diaz and Lucas Chase (w/Brother Greatness) defeated “Brick City” Julio Cruz and Victor Chase (w/TJ Crawford and Love, Doug) in a first-round Eliminator Cup tournament match at 5:56. It should go without saying, but the Chases are NOT related, but they opened against each other. Lucas hit a snap suplex. Crockett talked about the problems between Doug and Julio Cruz. Cruz suplexed Lucas and punched him repeatedly at 2:30, and the heels hit a team suplex on Lucas. Victor hit a Mafia Kick on Lucas and the heels took control.
Sammy got the hot tag at 5:00 and hit a spinning leg lariat, then an enzuigiri. Julio, in the ring, yelled at Doug on the floor, as there was some confusion (apparently TJ grabbed a leg but Julio thought it was Doug who did it!) Sammy immediately hit a Sabin-style Cradle Shock to pin Julio! The reigning Eliminator Cup champs are out in the first round!
* A video package started to play, but JGeorge and CPA brawled from the back and into the ring. We don’t have a referee. JGeorge struck CPA with a camera, and CPA was knocked out! JGeorge pulled out a razor and began shaving CPA’s beard! “What a disgusting assault!” Crockett said. “This keeps getting more and more personal each and every week.” JGeorge was pulled off him and went to the back. CPA sat up, and yes, the beard on his left cheek had been cut off.
* We went to a video package that showed Gal destroying Pedro Dones in a singles match last week. (It was a one-sided victory, which we admittedly rarely see.) Outside, Gal spoke about how easily he beat Dones.
2. Megan Bayne defeated Nahir Robles at 5:36. Nahir appeared a month or two ago, so this is her second match here, and Brother Greatness said he’s worried about her safety in this match. Megan attacked her before the bell. However, she missed a Stinger Splash in the corner, and Nahir hit a Vader Bomb for a nearfall at 1:30. Nahir hit a butt-splash to Megan’s back. She jumped on Megan’s back and applied a sleeper. They traded forearms. Megan hit a clothesline in the corner at 4:00. Megan hit an Exploder Suplex, then another, then a sliding clothesline with a jackknife cover for a nearfall. Bayne hit a leaping clothesline, then a Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. Official time is closer to 5:00 sharp; I start my stopwatch at first contact. Megan stays on her roll here.
* A video package aired showing the feud between Graceson Kelly and Westfield Kelly and Waves and Curls. To the ring, “Smart” Mark Sterling wore a ‘donut’ neck brace and noted he was “assaulted” last night on nationwide TV, but he is here to mediate this meeting. The Kellys came out first in suit jackets and street clothes; they aren’t dressed to wrestle. They trimmed their beards off too. Waves and Curls came out next, and they also are not dressed to wrestle. Sterling said they have already signed a contract stating there will be no physicality tonight. One of the Kellys said that Waves and Curls doesn’t deserve the attention they are getting, which is why the twins attacked them. The Kellys said WandC know nothing about inner pain. Traevon Jordan took the mic and talked about his grandfather dying recently. Jordan talked about being on ring crew and working his way up in the business. He said “we’re the tag team of the people.” WandC rolled to the floor and said there is no physicality in the ring, but said nothing about on the floor. The Kellys rolled out the opposite side and left. Decent segment; it succeeded in making me look forward to seeing them fight.
* We went to a video package from last week, where Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes were cocky and not concerned about their first-round opponents.
3. “Swipe Right” Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor defeated “Above the Rest” Tristan Thai and Gabriel Skye in a first-round Eliminator Cup match at 8:41. All four brawled. Smokes hit a spear on Thai for a nearfall at 1:30, and SR kept Thai in their corner. Baylor hit a dropkick for a nearfall. Skye got the hot tag and hit a top-rope missile dropkick at 5:30. Skye hit a Meteora running double knees for a nearfall. Skye hit his flying knee on Smokes for a believable nearfall, but Baylor put Smokes’ foot on the ropes at 8:00. SR each hit some punches on Thai. Baylor hit his assisted swinging uranage for the pin. Good action; the winner wasn’t much in doubt in this one, as Thai and Skye aren’t regulars here.
4. “Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Hammer Tunis defeated “Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller via count-out in a first-round Eliminator Cup match at 13:06. Stetson and Tunis have the Eliminator Cup medallions; Crockett wanted to know where was Danny Miles, and was surprised that Tunis was in the match instead. MG had their tag title belts, and Crockett reminded viewers they won the 2022 Eliminator Cup. MG worked over Tunis’ left arm early on. The heels grounded Dustin and kept him in their corner. Stetson hit a series of elbow drops at 4:30. Dustin hit a tornado DDT and they were both down.
Kylon made the hot tag at 7:30 and hit some clotheslines and a double armdrag, then a German Suplex on Stetson and a tornado DDT on Tunis for a nearfall. Tunis hit a Michinoku Driver on Kylon for a believable nearfall. Dustin hit a springboard double dropkick. Waller hit a Lethal Injection. Stetson hit a neckbreaker over his knee. King hit a moonsault press on a standing Stetson and they were all down at 10:30. Waller got up and hit a superkick, then a plancha to the floor on Stetson, and they are the legal men in this match. Kylon was pushed face-first into a ring post as all four brawled on the floor. The ref was counting! Tunis held onto Waller’s ankles, as Stetson dove into the ring before the ref reached 10! The Ranch win by count-out!
* Another video package, showing Allie Katch challenging Megan Bayne to a re-match. Megan told Allie she would have to win a match against Bayne’s handpicked opponent to get one!
5. Gabby Forza defeated Allie Katch at 8:22. An intense lockup to open, and Gabby hit a Samoan Drop at 1:30, then a cartwheel-into-a-clothesline in the corner. Allie hit a Northern Lights Suplex. Katch hit a rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 4:00. Brother Greatness said Allie isn’t doing any antics tonight. Megan hit an Irish Whip into the corner at 7:00. Gabby hit a second-rope crossbody block and the crowd rallied for Forza. Gabby hit some clotheslines and was fired up. She hit a Guerrilla Press, but she missed a Vader Bomb. Katch went for a piledriver, but Forza rolled through it, got a rollup, and scored the pin! I’m shocked! I presumed Allie was winning to get her rematch! Allie shoved Gabby and headed to the back.
6. “Church of Greatness” Ichiban and Tyree Taylor (w/Brother Greatness) defeated RJ Rude and Rex Lawless in a first-round Eliminator Cup match at 10:32. Tyree and RJ opened, and Taylor dropped him with one hard chop. Tyree hit a huge back body drop on the massive Lawless at 1:30. Rex hit a running knee on Tyree and stomped on him. RJ hit a springboard spin kick on Tyree for a nearfall at 4:00. Rex hit a Helluva Kick for a nearfall. RJ got the mic and started singing “Rock Star” by Smashmouth as he kicked at Tyree. However, Tyree hit a Pounce that sent RJ flying into Rex, knocking Rex off the apron to the floor at 7:00!
Ichiban made the hot tag and hit his cartwheel-back-elbow in the corner and a missile dropkick. He nailed a Canadian Destroyer on Rude for a nearfall. Rex hit an Air Raid Crash on Ichiban, dropping him onto RJ’s knees for a nearfall! Nice! Rex and Tyree clotheslined to the floor, leaving Ichiban and RJ in the ring. Ichiban hit a dropkick and his “one!” punches in the corner. We had a ‘chicken fight’ with Ichiban and RJ each sitting on an opponent’s shoulders. Tyree nailed a sit-out powerbomb on RJ, and Ichiban nailed the leaping Flatliner for the clean pin on Rude. That was really entertaining.
* Swipe Right immediately walked to ringside and mockingly clapped for Ichiban and Tyree. Baylor got on the mic and told them to celebrate while they can, because next Thursday, these two teams square off! Baylor said they are a real team, unlike Ichiban and Tyree, who are just two individuals. Smokes said the “Church of Greatness” is nothing but a cult.
* One more video package showing what led to our main event!
7. Bobby Orlando defeated Max Caster at 12:23. Max wore his Acclaimed pink-and-black jersey but no rap. Orlando carried his stupid stuffed goat. The bell rang but Max grabbed the mic and told Bobby this is his last chance. “Do you want to get to where I’m at? You know who I know; I could tell them about you. Leave, if you know what’s good for you.” Bobby walked to the floor and was torn on what to do, as the ref counted. However, he jumped into the ring and hit a powerbomb at 2:00, then a stunner for a nearfall. Max missed a moonsault, and Bobby clotheslined him to the floor.
Bobby hit a series of punches in the corner. Max hit a modified Dragonscrew Legwhip at 4:30 and he grounded Orlando on the mat. Max grabbed the mic and kept taunting Orlando while stomping on him. “You are like all these people in the urine-soaked hell-hole in Worcester,” Max said. Orlando grabbed him by the throat but Max fought free. Orlando caught him and hit a Death Valley Driver at 6:30. Orlando hit a spear for a nearfall. Max hit a blow to the left knee and a Dragonscrew Legwhip.
Max hit a Tower of London-style stunner out of the ropes for a nearfall at 9:30, and he jawed at the ref. The 10-minute call is spot-on. Max hit a pop-up low blow punt kick for a nearfall, and he applied a Figure Four. (Bobby had to spin the ref so he would miss that low blow. This was more obvious than what I’ve typically seen.) Orlando crotched Max in the ropes! Max blocked a sunset flip and grabbed the ropes for leverage and a nearfall, but the ref saw it. Orlando hit a stunner and a top-rope elbow drop for the pin. Fun match.
* We then went to a final video package, announcing Ray Jaz vs. Dezmond Cole for next week.
Final Thoughts: I love tournaments and the first round really worked for me. I don’t mind that Miracle Generation lost via count-out and Brick City lost because of confusion and dysfunction within their faction. I’ll go with Tyree/Ichiban-Rude/Lawless for best, ahead of MG-Stetson Ranch. The main event was fine and takes third. I love that I was swerved by Gabby-Katch, because that stipulation made me assume Allie was winning. Megan stays on a roll, and they made me really look forward to that Kellys-WandC match. Heck, even the CPA stuff worked for me and I’m surprised he lost that much of his beard. Very good show all around.
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