By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 169”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
March 27, 2025 in Worcester, Massachusetts at Electric Haze
Paul Crockett, referee Scott Robinson, and Jake Gray provided commentary. Again, this new location is a bit smaller and a bit darker than their old location. Attendance is maybe 200-250.
1. TJ Crawford vs. Milo Mirra in a spotlight match. Milo is the kid who uses the pogo stick to hop into the ring but I’ve seen nothing special about him once you get past that. Robinson and Gray are on commentary for this one. Basic action early on. TJ hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 3:00 and he kept Milo grounded. Milo hit a Blockbuster, but he missed a Spinal Tap twisting splash. TJ immediately hit an OsCutter for the pin. Decent.
TJ Crawford defeated Milo Mirra at 5:59.
* Rain Conway came to the ring and got on the mic. The crowd chanted “We hate Rain!” He said he’s not moving from this spot until someone makes him, and he sat down! Out of the back came Bear Bronson! Uh-oh! I know how this is going to go! Also, Paul Crockett took over solo on commentary as we are now on the main show.
2. Bear Bronson vs. Rain Conway. Conway charged; Bronson dropped him with a clothesline. He hit a Gorilla Press, then a Choke Bomb for the pin. That is what it should have been.
Bear Bronson defeated Rain Conway at 1:04.
3. Tiara James vs. Spike Nishimura. They shoved each other and Spike hit some clotheslines. They are roughly the same size. Tiara hit a DDT at 1:30. Tiara hit some running forearms in the corner and she took control, hitting a snap suplex for a nearfall at 4:00. They traded rollups, and Tiara applied a front guillotine choke on the mat. Spike hit some Yes Kicks to the chest and a sliding clothesline. Spike missed a kick and twisted her left knee upon landing. Tiara immediately applied a leg lock, and Spike tapped out! That wrapped up out of nowhere.
Tiara James defeated Spike Nishimura at 5:58.
4. VSK and Jariel Rivera (w/Bryce Donovan) vs. “Brick City” Victor Chase and Julio Cruz. VSK made his return last week and he’s wearing a button-down T-shirt and tie, mixing a bit of IRS with Luca Crucafino and looking like a shorter Robert Roode. Who is a babyface here? Brick City haven’t been getting along lately and that was evident right away tonight. Jariel and Julio opened, with Cruz hitting a bodyslam and a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Victor entered and hit a dropkick on Rivera at 2:30. VSK hit a jumping kneedrop to Victor’s forehead. Seriously, these guys are all heels and I’m not feeling this match at all.
VSK and Rivera worked over Victor. (The only way this match makes sense is if one Brick City guy turns on the other.) VSK hit a Lungblower for a nearfall at 5:30. Julio got a hot tag and hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Jariel. He hit a pop-up stunner on Jariel for a nearfall. The BC were pushed into each other! VSK hit a Sabin-style Cradle Shock and pinned Chase. Not a bad match… but I haven’t missed a show in more than a year and I have not seen Brick City become babyfaces.
VSK and Jariel Rivera defeated Victor Chase and Julio Cruz at 7:29.
5. Giorgio Lawrence (w/DJ Powers) vs. Channing Thomas (w/Anthony Greene). Giorgio has probably wrestled on four of the last six shows. He hit a roundhouse kick to the chest early on. Still so weird to see Channing as a babyface here (and unlike the last match, we actually saw Channing become a babyface!) Channing hit a German Suplex at 1:30. Giorgio hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip, then body blows to the ribs. Channing hit some bodyslams at 5:30 and a leg lariat. DJ grabbed Channing’s ankle. The ref saw it and ejected Powers! DJ hit Greene on his way to the back. Meanwhile, Channing got a rollup for the pin.
Channing Thomas defeated Giorgio Lawrence at 7:05.
* DJ, who never even got to make it to the back, jumped in the ring and punched Channing. Greene got in and made the save, and our next match was underway!
6. DJ Powers vs. Anthony Greene. Good reversals early on, and DJ hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall. DJ hit a German Suplex at 5:00. Greene hit a backbreaker over his knee. Powers hit a bodyslam and a Pedigree for a nearfall! Both men were selling lower back injuries. DJ misse a top-rope splash. Powers hit a Shadows Over Hell splash to the back. Suddenly, Channing and Giorgio brawled back towards the ring — have they been fighting this whole time? Greene hit a frog splash, but Giorgio jumped in and attacked Greene, causing the DQ. Good while it lasted…
Anthony Greene defeated DJ Powers via DQ at 8:33.
7. Eye Black Jack Pasquale vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin in a street fight. Rookie Pasquale is still undefeated. (I find that to be a challenge for booking him, so maybe BRG gets a cheap win tonight to end the winning streak?) They charged at each other at the bell and traded punches. Both men wore blue denim jeans and T-shirts and I love that; they aren’t here to wrestle, they are here to fight! Pasquale hit some punches in the corner and knocked BRG to the floor at 1:00. They brawled at ringside, and they got up onto a bar and traded punches. (What does the bar owner think about them standing up there?) BRG hit a low blow in the ring and he took control.
Pasquale hit a drop-toe-hold, sending BRG’s head onto an open chair. Jack hit a Stinger Splash into the corner and a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. BRG swung a chair, which Jack got his hands up to partially block. BRG hit a spear and a swinging neckbreaker onto a folded chair at 8:00. Pasquale hit a low blow and a twisting uranage through a door bridge in the ring for the pin. Good brawl without either man bleeding and it didn’t get gross.
Eye Black Jack Pasquale defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin at 10:35.
8. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. “Big Business” Brad Hollister and Love, Doug for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. Brad also just turned babyface, and like with Channing, it’s hard to see him in that role after being a top heel for so long. Ricky and Doug took turns playing to the crowd. I hadn’t heard a bell yet, so I started my stopwatch as they finally touched and got in a knuckle lock and a test of strength. Doug and Brad did some comedy spots that ended with them essentially ballroom dancing. The heels began working over Doug, stomping on him and keeping him in the corner. Brad hit a snap suplex at 5:00.
Doug finally hit a bulldog at 8:00. We saw TJ Crawford seated in the front row in his street clothes. Brad got a hot tag and he hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Baylor, then a standing powerbomb, and he was fired up. Brad hit a Muscle Buster for a nearfall at 9:30. Brad hit a double German Suplex, and Doug hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. SR hit the Super Swipe (team uranage) on Doug for a believable nearfall at 12:30, but Brad made the save. Smokes and Hollister fought on the floor. Doug hit a slingshot crossbody block on Brad, then a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Brad hit a superplex. Brad hit a twisting neckbreaker. This has been really good. Brad unloaded some European Uppercuts on Doug, and they hit a double clothesline.
TJ Crawford went over to a table and picked up the tag title belts and put both on the canvas, then he hopped on the apron to distract the ref. Doug picked one up and seemed confused why TJ had slid it in; the ref confiscated it. Smokes, meanwhile, grabbed the belt and clocked Doug in the head with it and the heels got the cheap pin! Did TJ mean to cause Doug to lose? It sure seems that way! (Because I didn’t hear the opening bell, I had it at 15:39, but we’ll go with Wrestling Open’s official clock on the match instead.)
“Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes defeated “Big Business” Brad Hollister and Love, Doug to retain the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles at 17:46.
Final Thoughts: A very good main event, and Wrestling Open continues to do a good job putting together shows that make sense and don’t insult the viewer. Again, as someone who really doesn’t like death matches or unnecessarily bloody matches, I appreciate that even a street fight doesn’t get bloody. A really strong main event takes the best match of the show. Powers-Greene was really good and I’m looking forward to them getting a longer match to show off what they can do. The street fight takes third. I watched this show live; it should be available on IWTV by Friday morning.
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