By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 152”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
November 28, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
When they say they will hold shows “Every Thursday, forever,” they apparently mean it, because here they are with a show on Thanksgiving. Paul Crockett and ref Scott Robinson provided commentary. It appears there are maybe 200-250 fans tonight, which isn’t bad for a holiday night show.
1. Allie Katch vs. Airica Demia. I’ve seen the green-haired Demia a few times now; she is the daughter of a wrestler and they sometimes tag. She is likely just into her 20s and she lost to Nyla Rose at an ROH taping in March. Katch debuted her new redhead look last week in GCW; she’s now a heel everywhere she’s wrestling. Airica hit a diving forearm. Katch hit a hard knee to the chest and a senton for a nearfall at 2:00, and she took control. Airica rolled through a piledriver attempt, and she hit some forearm strikes. Demia hit an Eat D’Feat for a nearfall at 6:30! Allie hit a short-arm clothesline for the pin.
Allie Katch defeated Airica Demia at 7:08.
* More quick backstage interviews. Dustin Waller said Swipe Right does things “the wrong way.” Pedro Dones said he lined up Mane Event to help him out. Aaron Rourke spoke about his feud with Alec Price. (I didn’t recognize him without his makeup on!) Rourke and Price agreed to a best of three falls match.
2. Lucas Chase vs. Rain Conway. I saw Conway on a recent Beyond Wrestling show in a loss to another student, and he had a spotlight match here on Episode 142. He wore a singlet and looked miserable. He got on the mic and shouted, “I hate Thanksgiving! I hate Worcester! And I absolutely hate the Church of Greatness.” He called out one of their members, so out came Lucas Chase. Lucas hit a spear at the bell and a spinebuster. He hit a sit-out piledriver for the pin! Don’t blink or you’ll miss it!
Lucas Chase defeated Rain Conway at 0:40.
* We saw footage of Joe Ocasio going to Ray Jaz’s beach house! Joe stole the key to the house a week ago.
3. Paris Van Dale vs. Vanity. Vanity is a Black woman with short black hair and she wore a pink top and bottom. Paris wore her green top and bottom, and she attacked from behind. Vanity got a sunset flip for a nearfall at 1:30. Paris hit the splits across Vanity’s chest. Vanity hit a running crossbody block for a nearfall at 5:30. Paris hit a strike to the throat, then a kick to the side of the head for the tainted pin.
Paris Van Dale defeated Vanity at 5:57.
* Swipe Right again did a lottery (they call it a raffle) with balls in a hopper and names of teams inside the balls. Crockett said there were a number of teams waiting backstage to see if they are selected. Ring announcer Rich Palladino picked out the winning number 5.
4. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. “The Shooter Boys” Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. The Shooter Boys are Create-A-Pro kids; they had a debut match here maybe three weeks ago. They both wear amateur wrestling-style singlets. Swipe Right both have WWE ID contracts. Smokes and the long-haired Ortiz opened, and Aaron tied up Ricky on the mat. Ortiz looks like he’s maybe 140 pounds; just no size to him. Short-haired Vecchio punched Baylor and threw him into the ring and all four brawled. Vecchio hit a German Suplex on Baylor at 3:30. Baylor hit an Exploder Suplex.
Baylor hit a bodyslam for a nearfall, as SR continued to work over Vecchio. Crockett said Swipe Right “is one of the best tag teams in the world right now,” and he listed off their recent wins, including over the Iron Savages. Smokes jawed at the ref, and he hit a European Uppercut on Vecchio. Ortiz finally got the hot tag at 8:00 and he hit a belly-to-belly suplex and was fired up. He hit a plancha to the floor on Baylor, then a Northern Lights Suplex in the ring on Smokes. Vecchio got a crucifix for a nearfall, then a team Blockbuster on Baylor for a nearfall at 10:00! Baylor hit a shotgun dropkick on Ortiz, then his team, swinging uranage to pin Ortiz. Good action.
“Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes defeated Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz at 10:44.
5. Steven Stetson vs. “The Shooter Boys” Ben Bishop. Bishop is really tall, perhaps 6’8″ and I’ve compared him to Von Wagner. He had an AEW TV match in the past, too. Bishop is from a nearby high school, and Robinson said he played college basketball in Vermont. I think Stetson is around 6’2″ but he just looks so small next to Bishop, and Ben twisted Steven’s arm, so Stetson rolled to the floor at 1:30 to regroup. Bishop hit some hip-tosses. Stetson began stomping on Bishop and twisted a leg in the ropes. Bishop hit a big backbody drop at 6:00, then a clothesline for a nearfall. Hammer Tunis appeared and hopped on the ring apron! Stetson immediately got a rollup with a handful of tights for the cheap pin. Ichiban ran out of the back and tossed Steven into the ring, so Bishop could hit a post-match chokeslam.
Steven Stetson defeated Ben Bishop at 7:11.
6. The Turkey Day Battle Royal. Ichiban and Hammer Tunis are already in the ring, so they started. WWE ID prospect Gal is No. 3. (Is this a Royal Rumble?) Dustin Waller ran in at 0:30. Rex Lawless is No. 5; they are coming out in 20-30 second intervals. Handyman Jake Gray is No. 6, and apparently this is all there is. (I assumed 15-20 competitors!) The babyfaces (Waller, Ichiban, Gray) worked together. Gal eliminated Waller at 4:50. Ichiban eliminated Gal at 5:15. All four fought on the apron, with Tunis and Gray on one side of the ring, while Ichiban fought Rex. Gray hit a coast-to-coast dropkick that eliminated Rex at 7:35. Rex reached in the ring, grabbed Gray, and slammed him on the apron; Gray fell to the floor but was not eliminated.
Ichiban fought Tunis in the ring, with Ichiban hitting a missile dropkick. However, Tunis caught Ichiban and tossed him. Tunis celebrated like he won. However, Gray rolled in the ring and dropkicked Tunis off the second rope and to the floor! The crowd chanted “Handyman!” for Gray, as Crockett said it’s the biggest win for Gray in his young career.
Jake Gray won a battle royal at 9:10.
7. “Big Business” Brad Hollister, TJ Crawford, and Love, Doug vs. Pedro Dones and “The Mane Event” Jay Lyon and Midas Black. Hollister got on the mic and noted that in two days, he will have reached a year as champion, and he was booed. TJ and Lyon eventually locked up. Midas hit a rolling cannonball on Doug, and Lyon hit one too for a nearfall at 3:30. Crockett said this is only the second Wrestling Open match this year for The Mane Event. Midas hit a doublestomp on Crawford’s lower back. The heels began working over Pedro. Hollister entered and hit a German Suplex on Dones at 6:30. Brad hit a snap suplex and remained in charge. TJ hit a doublestomp on the chest. The 10:00 call was spot-on. Midas got in; he leapt off the ropes, but Brad caught him with a European Uppercut, and the heels worked over Black.
TJ hit a snap suplex at 13:00, and he taunted Pedro and Lyon. Lyon finally got a hot tag and he hit some Exploder Suplexes, and he slammed Crawford to the mat. Midas hit a 619, and Lyon hit a Lionsault. Midas hit a frogsplash at 16:00 for a nearfall. Brad re-entered and hit some chops on Lyon. Midas dove through the ropes, then Pedro hit a dive. Midas and Pedro then held the hula hoop so Lyon could hit a flip dive to the floor at 17:30. In the ring, Doug and TJ hit a team powerbomb on Pedro. Lyon hit a double German Suplex! Brad hit a headbutt on Lyon as we got the 1-minute warning (at 19:00). Hollister hit a standing powerbomb on Midas, then a Jackhammer to pin Black. Good match; not great, but good.
Brad Hollister, TJ Crawford, and Love, Doug defeated Pedro Dones, Jay Lyon, Midas Black at 19:36.
* Ryan Clancy walked to ringside! He’s been on a tour for wXw in Germany for two weeks! He has the contract in a folder, and the crowd chanted “new champ!” Clancy and Hollister stood nose-to-nose. Clancy got on the mic and said he’s holding the “opportunity knocks” contract. He is cashing in on Dec. 26 and it will be in a steel cage!!!!!
Final Thoughts: A really good closing segment to end a decent main event. I presumed the babyfaces were going over in the main event on a holiday show, but this ending worked better, as Hollister got to hit the Jackhammer and look strong before Clancy’s challenge. Swipe Right’s tag match earns second place, and I hope they keep beating a variety of under-card tag teams. I liked Stetson-Bishop; the thing is, WWE already had Von Wagner and ultimately cut him loose, so I don’t know if they would be interested in Bishop, but the kid is so big, he should be an indy standout for years. The battle royal was fine but it also seemed like a missed opportunity to allow 8-10 rookie wrestlers to get in the ring and mix it up with the established talent.
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