By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 129”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
June 20, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd appears to be in the 250 range. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary. Last week featured four first-round matches in the Eliminator Cup tag tournament, so this show will feature our two semi-finals matches.
1. “Fly Def” Warren Johnson and Zack Zilla Mason defeated “Big Business” TJ Crawford and Love Doug (w/Brad Hollister, Julio Cruz, Victor Chase) at 7:23. Fly Def are regulars in Houston, Texas; this is their debut here and I will reiterate that Wrestling Open has become “the place to be seen.” We are seeing top-tier indy talent coming a LONG distance to be on these weekly Thursday night shows. Fly Def hit a team hip toss on Doug at 1:30. BB took control and kept Waren in their corner. Zack got the hot tag at 5:00 and hit some clotheslines on TJ, then a snap German Suplex. He hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall.
Doug hit a springboard back elbow at 6:30. Zilla hit a Blue Thunder Bomb. TJ hit a running knee and suddenly all four are down. Hollister distracted the ref. Doug was handed a title belt but he refused to use it. Fly Def hit a team slam to pin Doug! Wow, you rarely see an outsider team win in Wrestling Open in their debut, and Crockett was saying the same thing as I typed that. Doug got on the mic and tried to be peacemaker, as Julio Cruz and Love Doug are ready to fight each other. Brad’s idea… is they will team up?
* We went to footage of Bobby Orlando beating Max Caster in the main event last week. We then saw new footage from outside, where Caster was still sweaty, livid that he lost.
2. Kylie Alexa defeated Katrina Creed at 5:25. Creed is from Quebec, and I’ve seen her in GCW before. She wore all red and acts like a queen; she’s the heel. Kylie has been a regular in NWA; she dances to the ring to an Avril Lavigne song and she’s the babyface. Alexa hit a butt bump in the ropes. Katrina backed Alexa into a corner and hit some chops. Alexa hit a snap suplex into the corner at 4:30, but she missed a dropkick move in the corner. Kylie avoided a clothesline and she hit a back suplex. This time, she hit a running basement dropkick in the corner for the pin. Solid match.
* Footage aired of Gabby Forza beating Allie Katch last week. New footage aired of last week, with Gabby approaching Allie last week, but Allie was upset and didn’t want to talk and she stormed off.
3. Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) vs. Alex Maze at xxxx. I have never seen Maze before; he’s white, bald and has neon lights on his suspenders. (Cagematch.net says he’s age 35, 5’6″ and from Quebec so he presumably drove with Katrina Creed and Kristara, who will wrestle later.) Alex started “twerking” and Thomas turned babyface by attacking from behind to save us from seeing that. (I kid!) Maze hit a flipping neckbreaker, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 2:00.
Channing grounded Maze and took control, and he hit a bodyslam. Maze hit an Eat D’Feat and a Backstabber at 5:00. Maze hit a top-rope summersault senton for a nearfall. Sidney shouted for Channing to hit his piledriver; it distracted Channing, and Maze got a rollup for a nearfall. Channing hit a running kick for the pin. Crockett noted how Bakabella nearly cost Channing a win by causing a distraction. Maze admittedly didn’t do much to impress me.
* Thomas got on the mic and talked about being in Wrestling Open since day one. Sidney snatched the mic from him, which annoyed Channing! Bakabella told Channing he was getting a No. 1 contender’s match! Sidney told him that not only would Channing win, he will become champion. They shook hands. (The commentators missed out on an opportunity to point out Channing lost to a rookie a month or so ago. I would have mentioned it just to point out it CAN happen.)
* We saw footage of wrestlers outside giving quick promos. Gal cut a quick promo. We then saw footage of JGeorge attacking CPA last week, then cutting off some of GPA’s beard. I like we are seeing NEW footage mixed in to these highlight reels.
4. Paris Van Dale defeated Kristara at 4:08. I’ve seen Kristara on several shows from Canada including last week, but this is her Wrestling Open debut. Paris came out first and berated ring announcer Lauren St. James. Paris shoved her to the mat. Kristara hit an armdrag and a spinning kick to the jaw for a nearfall. Paris took control and kept Kristara grounded. Paris hit a running double knees in the corner for a nearfall at 2:00. Kristara hit an enzuigiri and a series of kicks, then a fisherman’s suplex with a high bridge for a nearfall. Nice! Kristara missed a second leg lariat; Paris immediately grabbed her and hit an implant DDT for the pin. Good action; let’s get Kristara back here soon.
* Paris called Lauren St. James into the ring. She said Lauren did a poor job as ring announcer tonight and shoved her to the mat!
5. “Stetson Ranch” Steve Stetson and Hammer Tunis (w/Danny Miles) defeated “Prodigal Sons” Lucas Chase and Sammy Diaz (w/Brother Greatness) in an Eliminator Cup semi-final match at 13:45. Tunis and Diaz opened. Miles, the third member of the Ranch, is here this week after being noticeably absent in the first round. Stetson hit shoulder blocks to Diaz’ stomach in the corner as they worked Sammy over. Lucas entered and hit a snap suplex on Tunis at 2:30. Lucas unloaded some punches on Stetson. Stetson did the Garvin Stomp on Chase and the heels kept him grounded.
Sammy finally got a hot tag at 9:30 and cleared the ring. Sammy hit a powerslam. Lucas hit a Samoan Drop on Tunis, and Diaz hit a frogsplash on Tunis for a nearfall, but Stetson made the save at 11:00. Stetson applied an ankle lock on Lucas. Sammy hit a superkick on Stetson. Stetson pushed Chase into a corner, causing Diaz to fall and be crotched. Miles distracted the ref! Stetson hit a low blow uppercut on Lucas, then a Northern Lariat to the back of the head to pin Chase. Good tag match.
6. Ryan Clancy defeated RJ Rude (w/Rex Lawless) via DQ at 6:25. RJ (badly) sang The Fray’s “Over My Head (Cable Car)” on his way to the ring. Ryan hit some bodyslams; he went for the Russian Leg Sweep early and RJ bailed to the floor. Rex grabbed Ryan’s ankle, allowing RJ to hit a spear for a nearfall at 2:00. RJ stomped on Ryan, and he got the mic again! He started singing about beating Ryan. Ryan hit a big monkey flip and a Lou Thesz Press. Rex hopped on the ring apron, so Ryan dropkicked him. Ryan hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Bryce Donovan appeared at ringside! He barked at Lauren St. James! Bryce got in the ring, shoved Clancy, and the ref called for the bell. Clancy was not happy about this DQ win.
7. Bryce Donovan defeated Jake Gray via DQ at 00:18. Gray is the rookie who beat Channing a month ago (I mentioned it earlier!) Bryce tossed his shirt at Ryan Clancy, who was still at ringside. Clancy jumped back in the ring seconds after the bell, tackled Bryce, and the ref again called for the bell. Bryce grabbed his duffle bag and stormed out the door! I liked this; a creative way to start a new feud between two top-tier guys.
* Ray Jaz came to the mic and was booed. “I left the Jersey shore for this?” he said.
8. Dezmond Cole defeated Ray Jaz at 13:22. These two went to a 10-minute, time-limit draw a week ago, and we saw a video package of their fight, including some new stuff from backstage. SO, this match will have a 20-minute time limit. They immediately started brawling at the bell. Cole hit a head-scissors takedown and a stunner, and Jaz bailed to the floor at 1:30. Dezmond dove through the ropes, but Jaz caught him and threw him into the ring post! They got back into the ring, with Jaz in charge and keeping Cole grounded as he tied up the neck with a straitjacket sleeper. He hit a snake-eyes on the top turnbuckle at 5:00.
Cole hit a Lionsault Press at 7:00 and some flying forearms, then a suplex and a spin kick to the side of the hea, which once again sent Jaz to the floor. This time, Dezmond nailed a flip dive through the ropes. In the ring, Dezmond hit a rolling leg drop for a nearfall. He hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 9:00. Jaz caught Cole charging at him and suplexed him into the corner for a nearfall. Cole hit a running kick to the face, but he missed a top-rope Swanton Bomb at 11:00. Jaz immediately hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Cole hit a standing powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Jaz got a backslide for a pin at 12:56 but the ref immediately waved it off because he saw Cole had a foot on the ropes. Jaz celebrated, thinking he had won. However, Dezmond hit a uranage for the pin. Good action.
* More footage of the prior Eliminator Cup matches, leading to our second semifinal match.
9. “Church of Greatness” Ichiban and Tyree Taylor (w/Brother Greatness) defeated “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes in an Eliminator Cup semi-final match at 10:50. I got to believe Ichiban and Tyree win to avoid a heel-heel finals. I really think highly of the SR heel duo. Baylor and Ichiban opened, and Brad immediately had the smaller Ichiban grounded. Tyree entered and hit a shoulder tackle in the corner on Smokes. Ichiban leapt off Tyree’s back and slammed into Brad in the corner. The heels began working over Ichiban in their corner. Tyree got the hot tag at 6:30 and hit some shoulder tackles and running splashes into the corners.
Baylor hit a shotgun dropkick on Tyree. Ichiban hit a top-rope double missile dropkick on the heels at 8:30, then some flying back elbows in the corner and his “one!” punches on Smokes, then a stunner on Baylor. Baylor hit a uranage on Ichiban for a believable nearfall. Tyree hit a Pounce on Smokes that sent him flying. Tyree powerbombed one heel onto the other. Ichiban leapt off Tyree’s shoulders to frog splash Baylor for the pin. Really good action, and the right team won to set up the face-heel dynamic for the finals.
* Danny Miles and Tunis came out of the back to confront Ichiban and Tyree. However, it allowed Stetson to sneak up behind Brother Greatness and hit him with a northern lariat. Both teams brawled and several people from the back ran in to separate the teams.
Final Thoughts: A promotion that is on a roll. Main event takes best match, with Cole-Jaz for second. I’ll go with that really good opener for third, ahead of the other semi-final tag. I know I noted it up top, but we’ve seen C4 from Seattle, Fresh Air from Canada, and now Fly Def from Houston. We’ve seen top-notch female talent come from across the country, too. I’ll say it again — this building has become the place to be seen on the indy level.
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