By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, GCW, MLW, ROH, and other notable live events or television tapings. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 1”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
March 31, 2025 in Cranston, Rhode Island at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
Wrestling Open has been running events “every Thursday, forever!” in Worcester, Mass., for the past three years. Promoter Drew Cordeiro recently said he gets 100 requests a week from wrestlers who want a slot on these shows; they are the place to be, the place to be seen. The promotion is expanding, and on Monday, March 31, 2025, they held their debut show, “Wrestling Open: Opening Day” in Rhode Island, so the goal is to have two shows weekly. The first show has some top-notch names lined up, too.
* This is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and lighting is really good. Paul Crockett and Bear Bronson provided commentary. The crowd is maybe 150-200; Cordeiro hit a home run with this venue. It was noted this was a family-friendly show and the fans were instructed not to swear.
1. Gal (w/Nick Battee) vs. Ichiban. WWE ID prospect Gal has his body-building medals around his neck. Battee got on the mic and demanded respect. The bell rang and the bigger Gal easily shoved Ichiban to the mat. Ichiban hit a top-rope crossbody block. Battee has a megaphone at ringside, and Crockett made the obligatory Jimmy Hart comparison. Gal nailed a discus clothesline for a nearfall at 2:00. Gal hit a suplex and did some push-ups rather than make a cover. Gal hit a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall. Ichiban hit a missile dropkick at 4:30, but he couldn’t hit his leaping Flatliner. Ichiban got an inside cradle out of nowhere for the pin.
Ichiban defeated Gal at 5:10.
* Jermaine Marbury ran to the ring and we have our next match right now.
2. Jermaine Marbury (w/Benny the Basketball) vs. Nick Battee (w/Gal). They immediately traded chops. Battee (think Dante Martin and Max Caster) hit a twisting neckbreaker at 1:30 and he kept Marbury grounded. He hit a suplex for a nearfall. Benny got the crowd chanting “defense!” to rally Marbury. Marbury hit a Eurostep Stunner and the Mamba Splash (frogsplash) for the pin. Solid.
Jermaine Marbury defeated Nick Battee at 5:59.
* Gal got on the mic and vowed they aren’t done for the night and will have the last laugh…
3. Lucas Chase vs. Pedro Dones. Chase is taller and he’s drastically changed his look today, wearing a cowboy hat and some dark makeup on his face. (He should have added the cowboy hat three months ago when he joined the Stetson Ranch) Lucas nailed a spinebuster at 1:30, celebrated, and was booed. Dones hit a Samoan Drop. Chase cut him in half with a spear for the pin. Crockett noted that was a “decisive win.”
Lucas Chase defeated Pedro Dones at 5:48.
* Next up is a WWE-style, six-woman gauntlet for $10,000. Bear Bronson joked he was going to get in there to win the money.
4a. Liviyah vs. Notorious Mimi. Standing switches to open, and Liviyah hit a Lungblower move to the chest. Mimi (former NXT wrestler Sloane Jacobs) hit a series of knee lifts to the ribs. Liviyah hit a TKO stunner for a nearfall at 2:00, and Bronson noted they are working fast because they would have to win several matches. They traded rollups. Liviyah avoided a spin kick, hooked both arms, did a forward roll, and got the pin.
Liviyah defeated Notorious Mimi at 2:57.
4b. Liviyah vs. Paris Van Dale. We did get a few seconds of break and a new bell, so yes, I count these as separate matches within the gauntlet. Paris hit an Air Raid Crash almost immediately and she took control and kept the teenager grounded. Liviyah hit a missile dropkick and some clotheslines at 2:30, then a basement dropkick and an Eye of the Hurricane drop for the pin. That’s an upset!
Liviyah defeated Paris Van Dale at 2:41.
4c. Liviyah vs. Spike Nishimura. The music played, but Spike didn’t come out. Instead, we got new music and it’s Little Mean Kathleen instead. The commentators were confused over what happened to Spike. LMK got a quick rollup for a nearfall; these two have fought multiple times recently in the Boston area, including a show I just watched over the weekend. Liviyah set up for another Eye of the Hurricane, but LMK blocked it. Liviyah hit a spear for the pin.
Liviyah defeated Little Mean Kathleen at 1:35.
4d. Liviyah vs. Tiara James in the gauntlet finale. I guess Spike loses via forfeit by not showing up. Tiara hit some hard overhand double chops, then a Meteora for a nearfall. The crowd rallied for Liviyah, who got up and hit some clotheslines, then a second-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 3:00. Tiara put Liviyah on her shoulders and did some deep squats. Liviyah hit the Eye of the Hurricane and got the pin. She actually ran the gauntlet. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that happen before!
Liviyah defeated Tiara James at 3:52.
* Liviyah was presented with her check for $10,000 “and a lifetime supply of grilled cheese.”
* Marcus Mathers has a mystery opponent in his seventh IWTV World Title defense, and he came out first. Giorgio Lawrence came out. The commentators said Giorgio competed in the spotlight match (I missed that.) However, DJ Powers attacked Mathers and we’re underway.
5. Marcus Mathers vs. DJ Powers (w/Giorgio Lawrence) for the IWTV World Title. Bear said he’s seen a lot of Powers lately (me too!) and put the kid over. Their combined age is 40 or 41; these two could be doing this dance for the next decade. Mathers hit some German Suplexes and he was in charge. He hit some bodyslams and was fired up. Lawrence tripped Mathers, and it allowed Powers to take control. Powers (think a young Johnny Morrison) hit a standing neckbreaker at 3:30. Powers tied him up on the mat. Mathers hit a top-rope crossbody block at 6:30.
DJ nailed a neckbreaker over his knee, but he missed a frogsplash. Lawrence hopped on the ring apron, but Mathers hit him with a superkick. Mathers nailed a fisherman’s buster for the pin. Short but really, really good.
Marcus Mathers defeated DJ Powers to retain the IWTV World Title at 8:33.
6. Bobby Orlando vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin. BRG is hated wherever he goes, and Orlando is equally beloved everywhere. Bobby hit a high back suplex. BRG hit a DDT out of the ropes at 2:00 and took control. Bobby hit a running neckbreaker at 4:30, then a superkick and a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. BRG nailed a fisherman’s twisting neckbreaker for a believable nearfall. They each missed a move off the top rope. Brett got a rollup with a handful of tights for the tainted pin.
Brett Ryan Gosselin defeated Bobby Orlando at 6:19.
7. RJ Rude and Rex Lawrence vs. “Waves & Curls” Traevon Jordan and Jaylen Brandyn. Rude came out and sang W&C’s intro song “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” but then W&C came out and did the Whitney Houston classic correctly. Rude and Jaylen — the smaller guy on each team — opened the match. RJ wasn’t paying attention and the bigger Traevon snuck up behind Rude. Traevon forced RJ to dance. W&C hit some quick team moves on Rude. Rex got in and he worked over Brandyn, hitting a Mafia Kick at 4:00.
Rude got on the mic and started singing and the crowd drowned him out. Traevon got the hot tag at 7:00 and hit some clotheslines, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Traevon and Rex began trading big forearm strikes. Rude hit a team stunner for a nearfall, but Jaylen made the save. W&C hit their team chokeslam move and pinned Rude. Entertaining.
“Waves & Curls” Traevon Jordan and Jaylen Brandyn defeated RJ Rude and Rex Lawrence at 8:58.
* Gal and Nick Battee hopped in the ring and attacked Waves & Curls. Battee hit them with his megaphone.
8. Ryan Clancy vs. Brad Baylor for the Wrestling Open Title. Over the weekend, WWE ID prospect Baylor got a clean pin on Clancy. Bronson is a babyface commentator but he put over the heel 20-year-old Baylor as a rising star. No sign of Baylor’s teammate Ricky Smokes. Standing switches and good reversals early on, and Baylor bailed to the floor at 2:00 to regroup. In the ring, Clancy snapped Baylor’s neck between his ankles at 4:00. Baylor nailed a shotgun dropkick. Crockett said it’s been seven months since they last had a singles match. Bronson said this is a match where you can look back and see how these guys got started.
Baylor clocked him with a forearm strike and he hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 7:00. Clancy hit a flying elbow drop. Baylor hit a neckbreaker over his knee. Clancy hit some forearms and a hard back elbow at 10:30, then a decapitating clothesline. Clancy nailed a double underhook suplex for a believable nearfall and this crowd was hot. Ryan hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and immediately applied a Figure Four, and Brad teased tapping out but he reached the ropes at 12:00. Baylor nailed a powerslam for a believable nearfall. Baylor went to the top rope; Clancy hit an impressive dropkick that sent Baylor flying to the floor.
Back in the ring, Baylor hit a second-rope twisting fisherman’s suplex, and they were both down at 14:30. Baylor eventually got an arm on top for a nearfall. Baylor hit a low blow mule kick and a twisting neckbreaker for a believable nearfall at 16:30. Baylor applied a standing sleeper, but Clancy launched off the corner post to flip and escape. Ryan nailed his big dropkick for the pin. That was excellent.
Ryan Clancy defeated Brad Baylor to retain the Wrestling Open Title at 17:35.
* Brett Ryan Gosselin came to the ring. He got on the mic and said Clancy just beat a WWE ID prospect, but “you haven’t beat a Horsemen.” BRG called himself the king of Rhode Island and he wants a title shot. They are going to have a tag match next week with each picking a partner.
Final Thoughts: Sticking with the theme that this show was “opening day,” this event was a home run. No doubt about it. Every wrestler in the lineup tonight was a regular. A very good main event, and we had good, fast-paced matches up and down the show. I certainly liked this family-friendly event, with the prevalent AEW style, over the GCW bloody, adult-oriented shows over the weekend.
Mathers-Powers was really good. Like the main event, these guys are young and ooze charisma and are rising stars. While short, I’ll take Gal-Ichiban for third. I love being surprised that Liviyah swept the gauntlet. I was so SURE that Tiara was going to win that final mini-match. That said, I still hate the WWE-style gauntlets, as it tends to lead to really short matches, like what happened here.
I would like an answer to what happened to Spike Nishimura. Okay, let’s say something happened in real life that she couldn’t make it… don’t tell us that… turn this into a “who attacked Spike?” storyline. Who took her out of a match where she could have won $10,000?
Yes, this was a home run. A great lineup, a hot crowd, a nice building. Can they sustain this? Hopefully! I hope they see a similar attendance next Monday. I don’t know if Cordeiro intentionally did it, but running the first-ever episode on a night when there wasn’t a live Raw certainly didn’t hurt, either. And we’ll have to see how Cordeiro does booking twice the number of shows, and if the product suffers. Hopefully not. I watched this live and it should be posted by Tuesday morning at IWTV. If you have an IWTV membership, yeah you need to check out this show.
Be the first to comment