By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 156”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
December 26, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at the Palladium
Paul Crockett, Brother Greatness, and ref Scott Robinson provided commentary. The venue was a dark room and was not their usual Thursday night venue. There appeared to be 500-700 fans in attendance. This is one of their biggest shows of the year! UGH, there is a light over just one corner of the ring. The other corner is in a complete shadow.
1. Julius Draeger and Rain Conway vs. “Handyman” Jake Gray and Eye Black Jack in a student spotlight match. All four are recent graduates of the Bio Pro school. Jack debuted last week and clearly had a lot of family and friends in the crowd to see it, and he opened against Draeger (again, think NXT’s Simon Gotch) and tossed Julius around. The heels worked over Gray, with Draeger hitting a fallaway slam for a nearfall at 4:00. Jack got in and hit a Bulldog Powerslam, then a twisting uranage for a nearfall.
Jake Gray and Eye Black Jack defeated Julius Draeger and Rain Conway at 5:31.
* The heels kept beating up the babyfaces after the match until another rookie, Brett Mettro, made his return and cleared the ring, and he hit a TKO Stunner.
* A video package of all the matches tonight kicked off the main show. I am shocked and disappointed at the lighting from the hard camera. I can’t see ring announcer Rich Palladino’s facial features at all.
2. Paris Van Dale, Tiara James, and Tina San Antonio vs. Lauren St. James, Davienne, and Spike Nishimura. This is Lauren’s in-ring debut, but she’s been feuding with Paris for a while. Spike and Tina opened. Someone needs to make an executive decision right now to scrap the hard camera for the rest of the show, and Spike hit a dropkick. Davienne and Tiara entered at 2:00, with Davienne hitting a Samoan Drop. We finally got what people wanted to see, as Paris and Lauren entered. Of course, Tiara attacked Lauren from behind at 4:00 before they had locked up. Paris did the splits across Lauren’s waist.
Davienne got the hot tag at 6:30 and hit a Thesz Press, then a stiff overhand chop on Paris, then an Electric Chair drop and a guillotine leg drop. The heels hit a team suplex on Spike. Davienne placed all three heels in one corner and hit clotheslines on them all at 8:00, then a back suplex on Paris. Lauren hit a spear and pinned Paris. A fun debut.
Lauren St. James, Davienne, and Spike Nishimura defeated Paris Van Dale, Tiara James, and Tina San Antonio at 8:37.
3. Ray Jaz vs. Joe Ocasio in an All American Challenge. Again, Ocasio — the babyface in this feud! — stole a key to Jaz’s beach house and entered it and broke stuff. (Pro wrestling is funny this way.) Ocasio must win within seven minutes to win the AAC. Jaz wore his amateur wrestling singlet and he put on the amateur headgear before the bell, too. Jaz took off the headgear at 1:30 and hit Joe with it! He hit a release German Suplex. He stomped on Ocasio in the corner and kept him grounded. Ocasio applied a Triangle Choke at 5:00; Jaz hit a Buckle Bomb to escape.
Ocasio hit a suplex that tossed Jaz into the turnbuckles. He hit some clotheslines but he’s running out of time! He hit a flying headbutt at 6:30. Jaz raked the eyes and got a backslide for the tainted pin. Jaz retains his shore house!
Ray Jaz defeated Joe Ocasio at 6:50.
4. TJ Crawford and Love, Doug (w/Julio Cruz & Victor Chase) vs. Bobby Orlando and Pedro Dones. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve seen Brick City here. Doug and Orlando opened. (I seriously needed the commentators to tell me who was in the ring because from the hard camera, I couldn’t tell. That’s truly how disastrous the lighting is from the hard camera.) The babyfaces worked over Doug’s left arm. The heels worked over Pedro. Bobby got in and hit a flying crossbody block at 5:30. He hit a sit-out powerbomb on Doug for a nearfall. Pedro hit a Samoan Drop at 7:00. Crawford hit a Dragon Suplex. Orlando rolled up Doug for the pin. Very formula match. Crawford shoved Doug as they headed to the back, clearly quite angry at him.
Bobby Orlando and Pedro Dones defeated TJ Crawford and Love, Doug at 7:44.
* “Smart” Mark Sterling came to the ring and introduced his new client, WWE ID prospect Bryce Donovan. The crowd loudly booed him.
5. Bryce Donovan vs. Dezmond Cole. Cole immediately hit a Helluva Kick, then a second one. The commentators wondered where is Jermaine Marbury. Bryce took control, hitting a body slam at 2:30 and an elbow drop for a nearfall. He hit a fallaway slam and remained in charge. (They have used a lot of camera shots from a corner by the main bank of lights, which looks nice. Much better than the hard camera view.) Cole hit a running knee at 7:00. He went to the top rope but Bryce grabbed him by the throat. Cole escaped and kicked him in the face, then hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Dezmond hit a Buzzsaw Kick. Donovan nailed a chokeslam for a nearfall at 9:30.
Donovan hit a Black Hole Slam for a believable nearfall, and Donovan was in disbelief he didn’t win there. The ref saw Sterling trying to cheat and he was ejected. Finally, out came Jermaine Marbury (w/Benny the Basketball) and he struck Sterling! Bryce hit Benny!! Cole hit a flip dive on Bryce and Sterling. In the ring, Cole missed his Swanton Bomb, and Bryce immediately hit a low blow, then his twisting Death Valley Driver for the pin.
Bryce Donovan defeated Dezmond Cole at 13:27.
Donovan hit Marbury for good measure after the bell. This brought out Donovan’s former teammate, Bobby Orlando! The commentators noted that they haven’t been in the ring together here since Donovan disbanded the Shook Crew. Bobby whispered in his ear. Donovan turned and left with Sterling. No punches thrown between Orlando and Bryce.
6. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. “Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. King and Smokes opened with good reversals as Crockett talked about how Baylor and Smokes both have earned WWE ID contracts. Waller entered and hit a running Shooting Star Press at 3:00 on Baylor, and King hit a standing moonsault. The MG kept Smokes in their corner early on. Smokes dropkicked Waller to the floor, where Baylor slammed Dustin back-first on the apron at 5:30, then tossed him back in, where Smokes stomped on Waller and worked him over. Dustin finally hit an enzuigiri at 10:00, but the ref missed seeing a tag and ordered Kylon back to his corner.
King finally got the hot tag and he dove through the ropes onto Smokes on the floor. Back in the ring, he hit a German Suplex on Baylor. He hit a double Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 12:00. Smokes hit a spear on King. The heels hit a dropkick-and-spinebuster combo on Kylon for a nearfall. The MG hit front-and-back knee strikes on Baylor’s head at 14:00, and Kylon nailed a top-rope moonsault! Waller immediately hit a Mambo Splash for a nearfall, and suddenly everyone was down. Smokes hit a Cave-in stomp. Waller hit a stunner. Baylor hit a brainbuster on King, and they were all down again at 15:30. This has been excellent, and the crowd was chanting “Wrestling Open!”
(There were some buffering issues in this match as I watched this live, which IWTV acknowledged and fixed.) King and Smokes got up and traded forearm strikes and loud slaps. The heels set up for a Magic Killer on King, but instead hit a team DDT. They then hit the Super Swipe (team uranage) and got a clean pin on Waller. Crockett was shocked that Miracle Generation lost again and he declared “Their time on top might be done.” The MG headed to the back, hanging their heads.
Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes defeated Kylon King and Dustin Waller to retain the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles at 17:58.
* A video package aired to set up the next match! If Gabby Forza loses this match, she must delete all of her social media accounts, and cannot team with her husband, Bear Bronson, or even be at the same show as him! (The stipulation is just too much to buy that she could possibly lose, right?)
7. Gabby Forza vs. Allie Katch. Forza came out first, and Katch jumped her before she could get into the ring. In the ring, Allie immediately went for a piledriver, but Forza turned it into a backbody drop, then a powerslam. Allie hit her rolling cannonball in the corner for a nearfall at 2:30 and she was in charge. Forza hit an Exploder Suplex, then a Vader Bomb for a nearfall at 5:30. She set up for a Bulldog Powerslam, but Allie escaped and rolled to the floor to regroup. Allie hit Gabby with the golden gnome figurine for a nearfall at 7:00.
Katch hit a running buttbump to the face as they were on the apron, then an elbow drop to the small of the back for a nearfall. Gabby hit a second-rope Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 9:30. The ref got bumped! Allie set up for a piledriver but got the gnome first. She was going to piledrive Gabby onto it. However, Gabby threw the gnome figurine to the referee, then she hit a slam and pinned Allie. Solid match, but no one believed Allie was going to win with these stipulations in place.
Gabby Forza defeated Allie Katch at 10:52.
They went to an intermission at 8:52 p.m. CST to set up the cage for the double main event! This is going to be a long show; most wrap up right at about 9 p.m. CST. They did air a match featuring the Church of Greatness vs. the Stetson Ranch during the break. We are finally back at 9:19… yes, it means that by the time the match begins, it took a full 30 minutes between matches.
8. “The Church of Greatness” Ichiban, Sammy Diaz, Lucas Chase, and Tyree Taylor vs. “Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson, Hammer Tunis, Danny Miles, and mystery partner in a steel cage match. This is a very attractive looking, professionally built cage. Miles and Ichiban started for their teams. So, this is a War Games-style match but with just one ring. Under way at 9:25 CST, with Ichiban hitting some flying forearms. This is a three-minute opening period, followed by two-minute rounds. Brother Greatness and Paul Crockett wondered who will be the mystery partner for the Ranch. Crockett suggested Alec Price or Sam Holloway (which almost guarantees it won’t be them!) Ichiban whipped Miles into the cage walls.
Hammer Tunis entered at 3:00, and he whipped Ichiban with his belt! Diaz entered at 5:00 to even the teams. Stetson entered at 7:00; they are doing an excellent job being right-on with the timing of the entrances. Tyree Taylor entered at 9:00 to even the teams at 3-on-3 and he hit a big enzuigiri, then a spear into the corner on Tunis. Tyree hit a moonsault onto all the heels! (They are using the angle view into the ring, by the bank of lights, a LOT now. Just a better viewing experience.) Who is the mystery man to join the Ranch? Lucas Chase ran to the back to find out. The 3-on-3 fight continued in the ring. I’m suspecting Lucas is turning heel here.
The heels locked the cage door! The fight continued in the ring with the heels in charge. Palladino counted down, and at 13:00, Lucas Chase returned to ringside and tried to climb the cage walls but was knocked off. Diaz nailed a Poison Rana on Danny. Yep, Chase got in the ring and hit a clothesline on teammate Diaz! The crowd booed as they realized Lucas just turned heel. Lucas choked Ichiban. Brother Greatness, who has been on commentary throughout, was aghast. He left the broadcast booth but he couldn’t get in the ring. It’s a four-on-three beatdown in the ring. Brother Greatness climbed the cage and hit a top-rope crossbody block onto seven guys at 16:00, and the crowd chanted “Hallelujah!” FUNNY.
Brother Greatness confronted Lucas Chase. Chase responded by hitting a Samoan Drop on him! “This was the plan all along,” Crockett said, sounding despondent. Lucas hit Tyree Taylor with brass knuckles, and Tyree collapsed. “I cannot believe this absolute travesty,” Crockett said. Lucas got a ring hammer! Miles put Diaz in a Camel Clutch, and Diaz quit to end the match.
Lucas Chase, Steven Stetson, Danny Miles, and Hammer Tunis defeated Ichiban, Tyree Taylor, and Sammy Diaz in a cage match at 18:51.
* Promoter Drew “Denver Colorado” Cordeiro joined Crockett on commentary and stressed he has made a promise of “Every Thursday Forever,” and that will continue while the White Eagle is closed for repairs in early 2025.
9. Brad Hollister vs. “Fancy” Ryan Clancy in a steel cage match for the Wrestling Open Heavyweight Title. To my surprise, none of Hollister’s four “Big Business” faction partners came to ringside with him. (And we know they are all here! We saw them earlier!) The camera men have found a nice way to shoot into the ring between the cage walls. They immediately brawled at the bell, and Brad hit a German Suplex and celebrated. Clancy hit some body slams, then a monkey flip at 4:30. He hit some jab punches. Hollister took control and kept Clancy grounded. Cordeiro said this is the largest crowd Wrestling Open has ever had. Clancy was busted open at 8:00, and Hollister hit a snap suplex.
Clancy hit a second-rope elbow drop at 10:00, but Brad immediately applied a rear-naked choke on the mat. They got up and traded blows, and Clancy hit a flying crossbody block at 12:00. Clancy hit some suplexes for a nearfall. Hollister nailed a pop-up powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Hollister hit a suplex and they were both down at 15:00; Crockett reminded us there is no time limit. Clancy applied a half-crab; Cordeiro said he’s mastered it under the training of Lance Storm. They fought on the top rope and slammed each other into the cage wall, then Clancy hit a Russian Legsweep to the mat at 18:30, and they were both down. The crowd started a “new champ!” chant. Julio Cruz and Victor Chase appeared at ringside; I feel like I predicted that! However, Pedro Dones and Bobby Orlando ran to ringside and attacked them.
Victor Chase got slammed through a table at ringside. Love, Doug now came to ringside and he hit Dones with a chair. Meanwhile, in the ring, Clancy hit a frogsplash for a nearfall at 22:00. TJ Crawford was now at ringside and he got in the ring and hit the ref with a chair! He swung at Clancy but missed. Hollister hit a low blow on Clancy. Hollister hit the Tornado Jackhammer for a believable nearfall, and the crowd popped for the kickout. Clancy hit low blows on Doug, then on TJ! He whipped TJ into the cage wall. Clancy struck Brad across the back with a chairshot. He hit a running knee, then another Russian Leg Sweep, and he was fired up! He hit his dropkick and scored the pin! New champion!
Ryan Clancy defeated Brad Hollister in a steel cage match to win the Wrestling Open Heavyweight Title at 25:36.
* All the babyfaces got in the ring and celebrated with Clancy.
Final Thoughts: Too bad the lighting wasn’t ideal, because this was a really good show. I don’t think it’s my imagination, I think they cut back on using shots from the hard camera because it was so dark. Really, the cage matches were shot quite well between the two cameras at ringside and the one in the corner by the lights. A very good main event; both men delivered. Hollister should be proud of his entire year-long title run. Miracle Generation-Swipe Right takes second, and a really good Donovan-Dezmond match takes third.
The team warfare cage match was fine; the ring was a bit cluttered with seven guys in there in just one ring. When the heels didn’t introduce their ‘fourth man’ last week, it fed my suspicion that a babyface was turning heel; I thought it was going to be Tyree Taylor instead. Maybe I’m a jaded, old wrestling fan, but when Lucas Chase was the last man for his team, I knew it was him instead. The show ended at 10:25 CST, so including the spotlight match, almost four hours, but they’ll be able to erase the 30 minutes of erecting the cage when it is posted online at IWTV. Yes, I wish the lighting were better but I urge people to stick with this show and check this out.
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