By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Heat – Episode 167”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
March 13, 2025 in Worcester, Massachusetts at Electric Haze
Paul Crockett and ref Scott Robinson and Gal provided commentary. Again, this new location is a bit smaller and a bit darker than their old location. Attendance is maybe 150-200.
1. TJ Crawford vs. El Magnifico in a spotlight match. Gal and Robinson are on commentary. Magnifico wore a mask over his face only, and he has huge hair, making me think of Psicosis. TJ caught Magnifico coming off the ropes and hit a spinning side slam for a nearfall. TJ hit some stiff kicks to the spine and he tied up Magnifico on the mat. Magnifico hit a flying forearm and a top-rope crossbody block at 4:00. TJ held Magnifico by his head and spun him around, then he nailed the Silver Bullet kick to the head for the clean pin. Magnifico looked good in his debut.
TJ Crawford defeated El Magnifico at 4:54.
* The main show began and Crockett was solo on commentary.
2. Nick Robles (w/RJ Rude) vs. Brando Lee. Lee has appeared a lot lately; he’s similar to Lee Moriarty or Caprice Coleman. Lee hit some armdrags and a huracanrana, then a split-legged moonsault. Rude played with the cowbell on the floor; Lee rolled to the floor to confront him. Robles attacked from behind and rolled Lee back into the ring and was in charge. Robles hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 3:30. Lee hit a doublestomp to the chest and some double-handed chops and a rolling Death Valley Driver. Lee hit a rolling Koppo Kick in the corner for the pin. Nice, short match and a big win for Lee.
Brando Lee defeated Nick Robles at 4:57.
3. “Brick City” Victor Chase and Julio Cruz vs. “Wrench & Resolve” Jake Grey and Erik Chacha. Crockett noted that BC hasn’t been here in recent weeks and he wondered if they are standing next to TJ Crawford as the new leader of Big Business. Chase and Grey opened, and Victor is taller and much thicker. Grey twisted and ‘wrenched’ Julio’s left arm. Chacha hit a jumping knee on Victor at 2:30. Julio and Victor are clearly not getting along! They worked over Chacha in their corner. Cruz hit some bodyslams. Grey went for a second-rope crossbody block, but Victor caught him and slammed him at 5:00.
Cruz cut off Chase on a dive attempt! They argued some more! Grey got a hot tag and hit a dropkick on Chase, then a Sling Blade for a nearfall. Chase hit a splash in the corner on Chacha. They then hit “Business is Booming (team Bulldog Powerslam move) for the pin on Erik. They won, but they kept arguing with each other!
Victor Chase and Julio Cruz defeated Jake Grey and Erik Chacha at 6:17.
4. Anthony Greene vs. Tyler Jordan. Greene just returned from a tour of Japan with NOAH. Jordan is from Ohio — I’ve seen him in Cleveland-based AIW a few times, and he’s looking more like a young Ricky Starks today. He slapped away Greene’s handshake offer and they locked up. Jordan has put on some muscle mass and is bigger than Greene. Greene hit a running neckbreaker at 2:00. Jordan hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Greene missed a top-rope crossbody block, and Tyler immediately hit a springboard forearm strike for a nearfall. Tyler came off the ropes, but Greene hit a superkick. Tyler hit a German Suplex out of the corner, but he missed a split-legged moonsault. Greene hit a top-rope twisting crossbody block for the pin. That was really good for the time given.
Anthony Greene defeated Tyler Jordan at 4:45.
* We had a nice video package to set up the next match!
5. DJ Powers (w/Giorgio Lawrence) vs. Channing Thomas. Lawrence helped DJ last week and they’ve now joined forces. They immediately traded punches. Again, I compare Powers to a young Johnny Morrison. Channing hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor at 2:00, and they fought at ringside. In the ring, Powers hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. He hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall at 4:30, then a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. Channing hit a running uppercut that sent DJ to the floor, so Channing hit a plancha onto him at 7:00.
As Channing tried to get in the ring, Giorgio tripped him. Channing hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. He went for a piledriver but DJ escaped. Channing hit a second-rope twisting suplex for a nearfall at 9:00, and we got a one-minute warning! Channing swung a chain and missed; DJ hit a low blow in front of the ref, who called for the bell. Good action and I didn’t expect a clean winner.
Channing Thomas defeated DJ Powers via DQ at 9:31.
* The heels started to beat down Channing, until Anthony Greene ran in and made the save.
6. Bryce Donovan vs. Cappuccino Jones in a WWE ID showcase. Cappuccino was in the main event of the debut episode of EVOLVE. An intense lockup to open; WWE ID matches have tended to fall in the 6-8 minute window. Jones hit a Mafia Kick that sent Bryce to the floor. In the ring, Jones hit a dropkick at 1:30. Bryce began stomping on him in the corner and he hit an elbow drop to the sternum. The crowd was all over Bryce, as he tied Jones in an abdominal stretch and hit some more blows to the chest.
Jones hit a clothesline that only staggered Bryce. Jones slipped on the ropes and fell, and Bryce immediately hit an elbow drop to the chest. (Good recovery by both guys.) Jones hit the springboard back elbow and a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 6:30. Jones hit a flying forearm. Bryce hit a chokeslam and a Black Hole Slam for the clean pin. Good match.
Bryce Donovan defeated Cappuccino Jones at 7:49.
* Bryce got on the mic but the crowd booed and drowned him out, and they chanted, “Go! Away!” He declared this is his house, his promotion, and he again called out Brando Lee. (Lee survived a five-minute challenge.) Donovan challenged him to a match next week.
* We had a video of Gal (or as WWE has decided to call him, “It’s Gal.”) He got on the mic and boasted about how good he looks. He called out his gym spotter, Nick Batee, who has wrestled here before.
7. Nick Batee (w/Gal) vs. Love, Doug (w/TJ Crawford). TJ was in his street clothes — denim jeans and a suit coat, and wore glasses, looking like your eighth-grade math teacher. TJ looked at his phone, not the match. Doug hit a dropkick and celebrated, as Batee rolled to the floor and regrouped with Gal. Back in the ring, they tied up in a knuckle lock. Batee put Doug on his back and did some squats; Doug flipped him and got a nearfall at 3:30. Batee hit a gutbuster over his knee, and he dropped Doug stomach-first on the top rope. Doug hit a chop, but Batee kicked Doug in the gut and kept him tied up.
Batee hit a snap suplex. Gal choked Doug in the ropes. Crockett shouted that TJ could stop him, but TJ’s face was buried in his phone! Doug hit a slingshot crossbody block at 6:30 and the crowd was fully behind him, and Doug hit a clothesline and a flying forearm. Batee hit a slingshot senton. Doug got a rollup for the pin! TJ was oblivious to all of it.
* Love, Doug defeated Nick Batee at 7:55.
* Gal jumped in the ring and attacked Doug. TJ grabbed his chair and headed to the back, instead of making the save. Out of the back came Brad Hollister! He hit a German Suplex on Batee! The crowd gave Brad a massive pop. He got on the mic and said he will always have Doug’s back. Brad issued a challenge for a tag match next Thursday.
8. Jermaine Marbury (w/Benny the Basketball) vs. Danny Miles (w/Hammer Tunis) in a “Timeout Match.” I admittedly don’t know the rules of this one. They both get three timeouts in the match. Crockett said that if you lose a challenge, you lose a timeout. Okay… We had an on-screen graphic showing they each have 3 timeouts. Miles stalled in the ropes. Marbury hit some kicks to the gut and repeatedly slammed Danny’s head on the top turnbuckle. Marbury climbed the ropes and set up for a frog splash at 2:30, but Miles called a timeout! They played organ music (I tend to associate more with baseball than basketball). After a few seconds, we were back underway.
Hammer tripped Jermaine, so Jermaine called a timeout at 4:00; he rolled to the floor and chased Tunis, but Miles attacked him. Back in the ring, Danny stomped on Marbury and was in charge and applied a sleeper on the mat. (Why isn’t Marbury using a timeout here? He was struggling to reach the ropes.) Just as Marbury fired up and was about to hit a punch, Miles fell to the mat at 8:30 and called his second timeout. More organ music, and we’re back after 10 seconds. Miles hit a rolling cannonball and a gutbuster over his knees for a nearfall. Tunis hopped on the apron and yelled at the ref, and he used a challenge to see if there was a three-count. Ref Robinson used an iPad to review the spot, and he determined Marbury had a shoulder up. Thus, Miles has used his final timeout!
The match continued with Miles hitting some European Uppercuts. Marbury hit a bodyslam. Tunis pulled Miles out of the path of danger. Marbury called his second timeout and he again chased after Tunis. The ref gave Tunis a flagrant foul and ejected him. Marbury dove onto both heels at 14:00. In the ring, Marbury hit a bodyslam and a big boot. Marbury hit his Eurostep stunner for a nearfall. Jermaine hit a springboard tornado DDT for a nearfall at 15:30, and the crowd chanted “MVP!” Miles got a rollup with his feet on the ropes for the pin at 16:06; I stopped my stopwatch. The crowd shouted “challenge it!”
The ref reviewed the footage and reversed his call, and he ordered the match to continue, and I restarted my stopwatch. Marbury dunked Miles’ head to the mat. Miles tried to call for a timeout, but he’s used them all! Marbury hit a Mamba Splash for the pin. Humorous.
Jermaine Marbury defeated Danny Miles in a Timeout Match at 17:26.
Final Thoughts: Jermaine Marbury’s gimmick just works so well for him. The crowd gets it and has fun with it, from the “defense!” chants, to the Eurosteps, the breaking of ankles, and the palming of the head slam. It is pure indy fun but it works. And that’s why this match worked. The crowd had fun with it. That said, I don’t know if you see another one. I think they milked all the fun possibilities out of it.
Some good regular matches here, too, between Cappuccino-Bryce, Tyler Jordan-Greene, and Powers-Thomas. These shows continue to work on a weekly basis. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by Friday morning.
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