By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 176”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
May 15, 2025, in Worcester, Massachusetts at Electric Haze
Paul Crockett, referee Scott Robinson, and Pedro Dones provided commentary over the course of the show. Again, this new location is a bit smaller and a bit darker than their old location. Attendance is maybe 150-200; it feels up a bit from last week.
1. Love, Doug vs. JGeorge in a spotlight match. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of either, but the crowd does indeed love Doug. JGeorge is the heel filmmaker. (I’m a bit surprised; the spotlight match usually goes to an unknown or trainee, but these guys are both established. Dones and Robinson called this one; Pedro put over JGeorge, saying he’s slimmed down and gotten faster. Doug knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. JGeorge hit some chops and kept Doug grounded. Doug hit a springboard back elbow and a bulldog at 5:00, then a mid-ring Sliced Bread for the pin. Basic but fine.
Love, Doug defeated JGeorge at 5:29.
* Crockett took over solo on commentary. He pointed out that Jack Pasquale is still undefeated in Wrestling Open.
2. Eye Black Jack Pasquale vs. Tyler Jordan. Pasquale wore a Larry Bird jersey (cheap pop!). I’ve seen Jordan here before; he’s from Cleveland-based AIW, and he’s a pretty talented young wrestler (think Anthony Bowens). Basic tie-up and Jordan is much thicker. Jack hit a dropkick and a bodyslam for a nearfall. Jordan took control and hit his own dropkick for a nearfall at 2:00. Jordan hit a spinning kick to the jaw that I think caught him flush, then he hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 4:00. Jack fired up and hit a clothesline and a shoulder tackle, then a Bulldog Powerslam. He hit his Blackout (twisting uranage) for the pin. I really liked that.
Eye Black Jack Pasquale defeated Tyler Jordan at 5:08.
On Monday’s show will be Miracle Generation vs. Anthony Greene and Channing Thomas, Gabby Forza vs. Leyla Hirsch, Marcus Mathers vs. Bear Bronson, Donovan Dijak vs. Ichiban. and B3cca and Aaron Rourke teaming up! That’s a loaded lineup!
3. Paris Van Dale vs. Spike Nishimura. We haven’t seen Spike in a few weeks. A tie-up to open; Paris appears taller and a bit thicker. Spike hit an armdrag. Paris hit a basement dropkick into the corner for a nearfall at 1:30, and she hit an X-Factor for a nearfall, and she kept Spike grounded. Spike fired back with a pump kick at 4:00, then a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Paris hit a knee to the sternum, then a Bubba Bomb for the clean pin! I always say sometimes the heel needs to win clean, just because they are better. Good action.
Paris Van Dale defeated Spike Nishimura at 4:42.
4. Pedro Dones vs. Jay Tunis. Tunis is a Bio Pro trainee who wears futuristic glasses; his mannerisms and style make me think of ELP. He cut a heel promo. Dones hit some armdrags early on, then a bodyslam. They traded chops. Tunis took control and kept Dones grounded. Dones hit a suplex at 5:30. He was setting up for a finisher when Tunis rolled to the floor, and appeared to be leaving! However, Pasquale appeared and threw Tunis back into the ring! Dones immediately hit a shoulder-breaker over his knee for the pin. Decent. Dones seems to have embraced a gatekeeper role of working with the rookies.
Pedro Dones defeated Jay Tunis at 6:30.
* The Discovery Gauntlet began last week. It is a weekly challenge; whoever wins will automatically appear next week against another relative newcomer. Rich Palladino interviewed Corey Duke, who has a cowboy gimmick. My first time seeing Duke, who wore a wide-brim cowboy hat and he has a mustache; at first glance on Twitter, I thought Steven Stetson was back from California. Right on cue, he read a statement saying that while he is a cowboy, he is not affiliated with the Stetson Ranch. (I swear I wrote the comparison sentence first!) The crowd immediately broke into a “F— the Ranch!” chant.
5. Jose Zamora vs. Corey Duke in the Discovery Gauntlet. Zamora is the youngster who has a body camera around his neck so he can broadcast his life 24/7 as “the most viral wrestler.” He’s okay in the ring. Duke hit some shoulder tackles; he has a decent physique and several tattoos. Zamora raked the eyes and hit a running European Uppercut at 2:30. He choked Duke in the ropes. Zamora hit a leaping stunner for the pin. Not bad but not particularly good, either. I think both of them need to work with someone more polished; having two green guys in there together showed how green they are.
Jose Zamora defeated Corey Duke at 5:22 to advance in the Discovery Gauntlet.
6. Brad Hollister vs. DJ Powers. This has a 10-minute time limit. This should be the main event, and the fact that it is not tells me we are either going to a time-limit draw or Powers is getting a screwjob win. DJ came out first and reiterated his boast that he is one of just five guys to ever pin Hollister in Wrestling Open. No Big Business partners with Hollister, which is a bit weird; we know Love, Doug is here. The bell rang and Powers tried to run from the ring, but Brad caught him and threw him across the ring, and he hit a belly-to-belly suplex.
Pedro Dones joined commentary again. Powers stomped on Hollister. Brad hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 2:30. Brad landed awkwardly and sold pain in his left knee. Powers saw it and targeted it, kicking out the back of the knee. The crowd chanted “over-cooked!” at Powers; I presume they think he’s too tan? DJ kept Brad grounded, stomping on the knee in the ropes. Brad hit a Bulldog Powerslam at 5:00 but clutched at his damaged knee. Powers locked in a half-crab. He jumped on Brad’s back and applied a sleeper; I now presume we’re going to a time-limit draw.
Hollister got up and hit a clothesline and a back elbow at 8:00. “I think he just knocked the spray tan off,” Dones said. Brad whipped Powers into the corner, then he hit an Angle Slam for a nearfall. Powers hit a running kick for a nearfall; he went for a frogsplash but Brad got his knees up. Brad hit a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:30, then a Jackhammer for a believable nearfall, but Powers got a foot on the ropes at 9:52! The time limit indeed did expire, and we have the fully-expected draw. The crowd chanted “five more minutes!” but Powers stormed to the back.
DJ Powers vs. Brad Hollister went to a time-limit draw at 10:00 even.
7. Aaron Rourke vs. Zak Patterson. Again, Zak is a thick, muscular Canadian — earlier in the show, Dones said Zak drove seven hours to get here. Zak is like a young Shane Mercer or Brian Cage in that he’s really agile for carrying a lot of muscle mass. WWE ID prospect Rourke is talented, but he’s slender, and it really shows against a guy as thick as Zak. They shook hands at the bell and locked up. Rourke hit a one-legged dropkick. Zak hit a huracanrana, and that surprised Crockett. Rourke tried a chop, but Patterson no-sold it.
Rourke hit a missile dropkick at 3:30. He did a cartwheel but Zak hit a clothesline. Zak hit a massive gut-wrench suplex for a nearfall, and he switched to a half-crab. Rourke hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 5:30 and the crowd chanted “Evil Gay!” to rally behind Rourke. Rourke leapt off the ropes but Zak caught him, and he hit a short-arm clothesline, then an F5 slam for a nearfall at 7:00.
Zak hit a discus forearm. Rourke hit a superkick at 8:30, then a Canadian Destroyer for a believable nearfall. Rourke tried a Split-Legged Moonsault but Zak kicked him. They traded rollups. Rourke hit a 619. He went for a top-rope somersault, but Zak caught him and hit a Buckle Bomb! Zak hit his twisting Flatliner for the clean pin! “What a shocker!” Crockett said. Pedro added, “I can’t believe he beat him, fair-and-square.” The crowd chanted “Both these guys!”
Zak Patterson defeated Aaron Rourke at 10:37.
* A nice video package setting up the main event. Swipe Right boasted about winning their title match on Monday, and are back here on Thursday, defending them a second time this week.
8. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. “Starstruck” Channing Thomas and Anthony Greene for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. The crowd chanted “New champs!” before the bell. Smokes and Channing opened with standing switches. Greene got in at 1:30 and immediately hit some armdrags on Ricky. Baylor got in and traded chops with Greene. Smokes hit a hard clothesline at 4:00 on Greene, and SR began working him over in their corner. Smokes choked Greene in the ropes, and the beatdown of AG went on for several minutes. Dones said that Swipe Right might be the best indy team going today.
Channing finally got a hot tag at 10:00, and he hit a diving European Uppercut and a suplex, and he was fired up! He hit a running double Blockbuster for a nearfall. Channing was somehow cut open on the forehead; that appears to be accidental. Smokes hit a dropkick, and Baylor got a nearfall. Greene hit his twisting springboard crossbody block for a nearfall at 11:30. Greene made a Cabana-style Superman Cover for a nearfall. Swipe Right hit a Magic Killer on Greene for a believable nearfall.
Channing hit a Doomsday-style flying back ebow for a believable nearfall at 13:30. Channing hit a piledriver on Smokes. Bayor got a jackknife cover on Greene for a nearfall. Smokes speared Greene. The champs hit the Super Swipe (team swinging uranage) and cleanly pinned Greene. That was as good as anticipated.
Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes defeated Anthony Greene and Channing Thomas to retain the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles at 14:42.
Final Thoughts: WOW, what a strong show. I knew how good Patterson was, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he won at, say, Limitless Wrestling in Maine, where these two are both regulars. But Patterson getting a win here in just his second match is a big deal. I’ll narrowly give that best match, ahead of a really good tag main event. I expected Swipe Right to retain, but I didn’t expect a clean win. Also, Hollister-Powers was really good. That’s a strong top-tier of shows. I really liked that Pasquale-Jordan match too; those are two promising young guys. If you have IWTV, this is a good episode to check out.
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