By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 137”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
August 15, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd appears to be in the 300 range. Paul Crockett and Brad Hollister provided commentary.
* The show opened with Brad Hollister boasting that he and Big Business run Wrestling Open, and no one can stop them. The five-member heel faction was shown power-walking outside the building.
Pre-show: DJ Powers won a match over an unknown wrestler. I tuned in and the match was wrapping up.
1. “The Shooter Boys” Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz defeated Channing Thomas and Teddy Goodz (w/DJ Powers, Sidney Bakabella) at 6:39. Bakabella berated Goodz last week and Goodz stormed off, so it actually makes no sense for them to be getting along right now. My first time seeing the scrawny youngster Shooter Boys, who wore light blue singlets; I had to Google their names to find the spellings, and the article I found said they just debuted at Create A Pro in May! Channing and Goodz worked over one of the kids. Channing hit some European Uppercuts. Goodz hit a back suplex at 4:30. Channing hit a backbreaker over his knee. One of the Shooter Boys got a rollup and pinned Channing!
* Bakabella got on the mic and blamed Goodz, saying “You just cost us the match!” Sidney said he “has a week to make it right,” adding that Goodz is about to become a father. “Otherwise, I’ll be the first one to show up at the hospital and slap your kid.” DJ Powers hit Goodz in the back of the head! Channing turned and stormed out of the ring, not choosing sides with either Powers or Goodz. Bakabella said “it is out with the old and in with the new.” Sidney and DJ were about to hit Goodz. Channing returned to the ring for the save! Sidney made a match for next week, DJ Powers vs. Teddy Goodz, and if Goodz loses, he’s done at Wrestling Open!
* A video package aired of JGeorge distracting CPA last week.
2. CPA vs. JGeorge never started. CPA came out first. JGeorge came out and said he’s lost his smile. Patrick Saint, a large Black man in an orange (Nailz-like) jumpsuit attacked CPA and hit a powerbomb. JGeorge stood over a prone CPA and said this is just getting started. I haven’t seen Saint before but he’s much taller and clearly stronger than CPA or JGeorge.
* A video aired of the Stetson Ranch hanging out. Steven Stetson said he’s tired of being disrespected. We then headed to a video of Dezmond Cole and Jermaine Marbury. Cole said they aren’t done with the Ranch.
3. “Stetson Ranch” Hammer Tunis and Steven Stetson defeated Dezmond Cole and Jermaine Marbury (w/Benny the Basketball) at 7:17. All four brawled at the bell. Cole hit a dive. In the ring, Cole and Marbury hit their Hardy Boyz-style team offense. Stetson dropped Cole throat-first across the top rope at 2:30 and started stomping on him. Stetson hit a bodyslam. THe crowd loves booing these guys. Cole hit a suplex and a stunner and he made the hot tag to Marbury at 6:00. Marbury hit some flying shoulder tackles and his ‘Euro-step Dropkick” and a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Hammer stomped on Marbury’s right hand. “Is that his shooting hand?” Hollister asked. Stetson covered Marbury for the pin. Okay match.
4. “Prodigal Sons” Lucas Chase and Sammy Diaz defeated RJ Rude and Rex Lawless at 8:44. RJ Rude sang Hot Chelle Rae’s “Tonight Tonight” on his way to the ring and was loudly booed. Wow, this should be good and I could see either team winning. RJ and Sammy opened and traded standing switches. (RJ has gone from bland babyface to hated heel in no time at all.) Sammy tried a dive to the floor on Rex at 3:00, but Rex caught him and dropped him face-first on the apron, then tossed him back into the ring.
The heels then worked over Sammy, with Rex slamming him to the mat and making a cocky cover at 5:30. Lucas Chase entered and slammed Rude to the mat. Chase hit a Samoan Drop on Rude at 7:00. Rex speared Diaz on the ring apron. RJ hit an OsCutter on Chase. RJ stood on Rex’s shoulders and hit a frogsplash on Chase for a believable nearfall. Chase hit a Rikishi Driver piledriver on Rude or the pin, as Diaz held onto Rex’s ankle so Rex couldn’t break up the pin. Good action.
5. TJ Crawford defeated Tyree Taylor at 12:40. TJ came out and got into a serious argument with a grandma in the crowd; Crockett warned people don’t get into fights with grandmas at wrestling shows. “Who let you in here? It’s past your bedtime!” he shouted at the elderly lady once he got in the ring. He vowed that he and Love, Doug are going to become Wrestling Open tag team champs. Tyree carried his Wrestling Open tag title belt. Notable that neither Ichiban nor Brother Greatness are present. Crockett noted this easily could be the main event if we didn’t “have $10,000 on the line” in the main event. TJ rolled to the floor at the bell and stalled and was booed. He glared at the grandma again, but ran.
In the ring, Tyree hit a dropkick and took control, hitting some loud chops. He hip-tossed TJ across the ring at 2:30. TJ hit a dropkick on the knee, then a basement dropkick to the face and he kept Tyree grounded. Tyree hit a stunner across the top rope at 7:00. He hit an enzuiguri in the corner, then a uranage on TJ for a nearfall. Tyree nailed a spinning back suplex at 9:00, then a spear into the corner. TJ nailed a Burning Hammer, then a top-rope twisting frogsplash for a believable nearfall at 10:30, and TJ was in disbelief he didn’t win there. Tyree nailed a Pounce. TJ hit an enzuigiri. Tyree grabbed him by the throat, but TJ escaped and hit a jumping knee to the chin. Tyree ducked the Silver Bullet spin kick, but TJ hit the second Silver Bullet attempt, and he collapsed onto Tyree for the pin. That was really good.
* Brad Hollister left the commentary table to help TJ to the back, as TJ was knocked silly by Tyree. Diaz and Chase got into the ring to help up Tyree as well. I’m really liking how both men are selling what a war that was.
* It’s time for the “$10,000 Women’s Rumble!” This match has been promoted all week on Wrestling Open’s Twitter/X feed. But first, Pedro Dones came to the ring! He acknowledged that “Gal has been kicking my ass for the past two months.” We then headed to a backstage video where Allie Katch ripped into Gabby Forza. (Katch wrestled in Japan for NJPW a day ago and I don’t think she could possibly be here tonight.)
6. The $10,000 Women’s Rumble. There are 10 participants in this match including at least one mystery participant. (I know big numbers are eye-popping, but kayfabe, a $500 winning amount is far more believable and would still be a great payday!) Hyena Hera is No. 1. I don’t know her; she looks somewhat like WWE’s Naomi. She got on the mic and said Worcester is a dump, and she was booed. Ashley Vox is No. 2, and she has to be among the favorites to win. Hera tried to stall on the floor but Ashley threw her back in. (Interesting that Paul Crockett said she had to get back in or risk being disqualified. That never happens!) Hera raked the eyes and tossed Vox! Wow, I’m shocked by that.
Katrina Creed is No. 3; she is from the Montreal area and been here before, so this is heel-heel matchup. Kristara is No. 4; she also comes from the Montreal area. Davienne is No. 5 at 6:00 and she might be a favorite with Vox gone. Paris Van Dale is No. 6 and she saved Davienne from elimination. They worked together to toss Katrina. Little Mean Kathleen Bakabella is No. 7. LMK hit an axe kick on Hera. We still have five women in with just two eliminated. JC Storm is No. 8 at 12:00 and she splashed a few women and hit a spear on LMK, then one on Hera. JC flipped Kristara to the floor for our third elimination.
Spike is No. 9 and this is her debut; she is white with short hair and wore a basic shoot-fighter-style black top and bottom. Crockett said she had an impressive tryout. Spike put LMK on her shoulders and spun her to strike all the other women. Davienne accidentally eliminated Paris! Hera tossed Davienne! Gabby Forza is our final participant as No. 10 at 16:30. Hyena Hera attacked Gabby on the floor before getting back in. (Gabby has been dealing with a knee injury in recent weeks so undoubtedly why this was kept a surprise.) In the ring, Spike hit a Falcon Arrow on Hera and showed her athleticism.
LMK tossed JC Storm at 18:00. Spike hit an awesome pump kick on LMK. Spike was tossed by Hera. Gabby finally got in the ring. Gabby hti some clotheslines on Hera. Meanwhile, LMK was cowering on the floor. Gabby bodyslammed Hera, then dumped her to the floor. LMK got in and tried to toss her. They fought on the ring apron, and Gabby hit a Death Valley Driver, with LMK rolling from the apron to the floor to be eliminated. Gabby Forza won the Women’s Rumble at 20:38. She was presented with an oversized check! She vowed to get her hands on Allie Katch and make her regret every terrible thing she’s said about her.
Final Thoughts: The Crawford-Tyree match lived up to my expectations and it earned best match; I actually thought it was going to be the main event. The Chase/Diaz-Rude/Lawless match takes second place. Wrestlers almost never win their Wrestling Open debut, so I find it amusing that Channing Thomas already lost a match to a debuting kid, Jake Gray, earlier this year and did it again here. I liked what I saw of the debuting Hera and Spike, so hopefully they are back soon.
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