By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 146”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 17, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd appears to be in the 200-250 range. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary.
1. Lucas Chase (w/Brother Greatness) vs. Jariel Rivera in the spotlight match. My first time seeing Jariel; he has an impressive physique, long curly hair and red trunks, and he’s billed as “God’s Greatest Creation.” He apparently has been out a long time with an injury, but as I said, he’s new to me. Lucas hit a backbody drop and a clothesline in the corner. Jariel choked Lucas in the ropes and stomped on him. Lucas hit a hard headbutt, then a spinebuster at 4:30. Chase hit a Samoan Drop and scored the pin.
Lucas Chase defeated Jariel Rivera at 5:00 even.
* The show opened with a video package showing Swipe Right beating Miracle Generation, then the Iron Savages, in consecutive weeks.
2. Ricky Smokes (w/Brad Baylor) vs. Ichiban (w/Brother Greatness. This seriously could be the main event and no one would have been blinked twice at that. Standing switches, then they sped it up with armdrags and a standoff at 1:30. Baylor pushed Ichiban off the top rope, allowing Smokes to take control. He hit a dropkick as Ichiban was in the ropes to get a nearfall at 4:30. He hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Ichiban fired up and hit his “One!” punches in the corner at 7:30, then a top-rope flying chop to the head that sent Smokes to the floor. So, Ichiban hit a baseball slide dropkick. In the ring, Ichiban hit a top-rope crossbody block and a tornado DDT for a nearfall.
Smokes hit a Flatliner into the turnbuckles and a spin kick. He hit a neckbreaker over his knee. Ichiban hit a superkick. Smokes hit another neckbreaker over his knee for a believable nearfall at 10:00. Ichiban hit an Iconoclasm, flipping Smokes to the mat. Baylor again hopped on the apron to interfere. However, Smokes accidentally struck Baylor! Ichiban immediately hit his leaping Flatliner for the pin. That was really good; like I said, that easily could have been the main event.
Ichiban defeated Ricky Smokes at 11:25.
* In a video backstage, Donovan Dijak called himself a legend in Beyond Wrestling. Dezmond Cole talked about how Bryce Donovan has turned on every one of his wrestling friends. Bryce then “money changed everything for me.” Allie Katch was still angry at Gabby Forza. Brad Baylor said Ichiban and Tyree Taylor are running scared of them. Joe Ocasio is still angry at Alec Price and wants to get his hands on him. I know I write this weekly, but these rapid-fire 10-15 second spots do so much to get over a wrestler’s personality and motivations.
3. Allie Katch vs. Ivy Malibu. Katch carried Gabby Forza’s prized gnome figurine. I’ve seen Malibu in Dreamwave in Illinois; Crockett said it is her second appearance here. She is white with long blonde hair and seems fairly muscular; think former TNA wrestler Taylor Wilde. Katch has a significant height advantage. They locked up. Malibu hit some bodyslams. Katch hit her running buttbump as Ivy was against the ropes at 3:00, and she began to stomp on Ivy and kept her grounded. Ivy hit an X-Factor face plant for a nearfall at 6:30. Katch raked the eyes, hit a piledriver, and scored the cheap pin. Solid match.
Allie Katch defeated Ivy Malibu at 7:12.
* Allie grabbed the mic. She taunted Ivy, saying she’s just not quite good enough to share the ring with Allie Katch… just like Gabby Forza! She stomped on the gnome, and vowed that Forza was never getting the trinket back. The crowd booed her.
* Channing Thomas previously declared he has the best dropkick in Wrestling Open. Clearly, that was a dig at Ryan Clancy…
4. Channing Thomas vs. Ryan Clancy. No sign of Sidney Bakabella, which Crockett pointed out. Clancy just had his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it AEW TV debut, and he’s headed to Japan on excursion soon. They traded blows early on. Clancy hit a butterfly suplex at 2:00 but he sold pain in his left ankle. He snapped Channing’s neck between his ankles. Thomas began stomping on Clancy’s damaged left ankle. Channing missed a dropkick into the corner and they were both down at 5:00. They got to their feet and Clancy hit some jab punches and European Uppercuts. Channing hit a dropkick for a nearfall. Another dropkick led to another nearfall. Clancy flipped Channing to the floor, then Ryan hit a plancha onto him, and they were both down on the wood floor at 8:00. They kept fighting and the ref counted them both out. Clancy dove in but was too late. Channing got back into the ring and hit a chop block to the back of the knee and left. This feud is not over!
Channing Thomas vs. Ryan Clancy went to a double count-out at 8:40.
* Joe Ocasio was introduced. He returned two weeks ago after being out all year while recovering from an ACL injury. Before Joe could say anything, Ray Jaz came to the ring! Jaz offered Ocasio to step up and take his challenge. Jaz attacked from behind. Seabass Finn jumped in the ring to make the save, and our next match is underway!
5. Ray Jaz vs. Seabass Finn. This All-American Challenge means Finn must win in less than seven minutes. Finn had an impressive showing last week in a loss to Donovan Dijak. Jaz kicked out Finn’s knee and worked him over. He hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 2:30, and he twisted Finn’s left ankle. Jaz applied a half-crab and he kept Finn grounded. Jaz charged but Finn caught him with a knee. Finn hit a rolling back elbow into the corner, then a fisherman’s suplex, but Jaz grabbed the ropes to avoid being pinned, and the time limit expired. Okay match; it stayed in second gear. Ocasio beat up Jaz after the match, drawing cheers.
Ray Jaz vs. Seabass Finn went to a time-limit draw at 7:00.
6. Bryce Donovan vs. Dezmond Cole. Bryce again came in the side door and he is sponsored by his mysterious benefactor. (It’s time to move this storyline forward. Who is this person?) Cole hit some punches; Donovan threw Cole into a corner and hit his own series of punches. Bryce hit a Mafia Kick and was in charge. He hit a running splash into the corner at 2:30, then a fallaway slam. Cole caught him with a spinning heel kick at 5:30, then a Helluva Kick and a tornado DDT. Cole hit his rolling guillotine leg drop for a nearfall. Bryce hit a hard clothesline for a believable nearfall, then a Black Hole Slam with a lazy cover for a believable nearfall at 7:00, and the crowd rallied for Dezmond. Cole hit some blows to the gut and a stunner. He put the big man on his shoulders; Bryce fought free, hit a low blow punt kick in front of the ref, and the ref was forced to call for the bell. Bryce hit a chokeslam. “This is despicable,” Crockett said. Jermaine Marbury ran to the ring to make the save.
Dezmond Cole defeated Bryce Donovan via DQ at 8:01.
7. Tiara James and Tina San Antonio vs. Gabby Forza and Little Mean Kathleen. LMK wore a gnome (dunce) hat like Forza. Ring vet Tina and LMK opened, and Kathleen bit her arm! LMK did an Airplane Spin on Tiara, then she ran up Tiara’s chest in the corner at 2:00, then she hit a Vader Bomb for a nearfall. Gabby entered and bodyslammed Tina. Gabby then bodyslammed teammate LMK onto Tina for a nearfall. Tina hit a sideslam on LMK for a nearfall at 5:00. The ref was distracted by the heels and missed Gabby getting a hot tag and ordered her back to her corner. LMK finally hit a double DDT on the heels at 7:30.
Gabby got the hot tag and she clocked each heel. She hit running clotheslines into opposite corners, then splashed both of them in a corner. She hit a running Bulldog Powerslam on Tina. Tiara tried to break it up but Gabby tossed Tiara to the floor. LMK got on Gabby’s shoulders and splashed down onto a prone Tina San Antonio and pinned her. Decent, solid tag.
Gabby Forza and Little Mean Kathleen defeated Tiara James and Tina San Antonio at 8:49.
* Footage aired from a prior episode where Bobby Orlando and Brad Hollister argued. Brad said he’s not giving out free title shots, and he told Orlando to go and “earn your shot.”
8. Brad Hollister and TJ Crawford vs. Bobby Orlando and Pedro Dones. None of the other “Big Business” teammates are present tonight. TJ and Bobby opened, and Orlando hit a bodyslam. Dones entered and did some deep squats while holding TJ at 2:00, and the babyfaces worked Crawford over early on. Hollister, still on the apron, choked Orlando in the ropes, and the heels began working Bobby over. Dones got a hot tag at 5:30 and hit a spinning Samoan Drop on TJ, then a guillotine leg drop. Hollister hit a German Suplex on Dones at 8:00, and the heels were now working over Dones. Orlando got a hot tag and hit some jab punches on Hollister. He dove through the ropes onto TJ.
In the ring, Bobby hit a top-rope missile dropkick on Hollister for a nearfall at 9:30. In a cool spot, TJ flipped Bobby, and Hollister caught Orlando and hit a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Nice! Orlando hit a flying stunner on TJ, and Dones hit a running headbutt on TJ for a nearfall, but Hollister made the save. Pedro hit a double clothesline. Brad rolled up Pedro; TJ was on the floor and he grabbed Hollister’s ankles for some added leverage, and Hollister scored the tainted pin.
Brad Hollister and TJ Crawford defeated Bobby Orlando and Pedro Dones at 11:40.
* Hollister got on the mic and said this proved he’s the best, and Orlando is never getting a title shot against him. Hollister offered a five-on-five match next week of Big Business vs. The Church of Greatness! Brother Greatness and Lucas Chase came out and accepted the challenge. Orlando and Dones got in a few more punches on Hollister and Crawford before the heels scampered to the back.
Final Thoughts: Yes, the main show opener Ichiban-Smokes wound up as the best match; just a really good back-and-forth exchange. I really enjoyed the Donovan-Dezmond match for second, even with the cheap finish. Likewise, Channing-Clancy earns third despite a non-finish. The main event was fine. Jaz-Finn didn’t quite get there today, which is disappointing because Finn had such a breakout performance last week against Dijak. An injured referee joined commentary on pre-show and I cringed as he kept calling wrestlers “performers.” That is such a WWE term. Jariel Rivera in the pre-show has the right look to him; I hope to see him again soon.
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