By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 197”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 9, 2025, in Worcester, Massachusetts, at Electric Haze
Paul Crockett, Nick Battee, referee Scott Robinson, and Chris Sanders provided commentary over the course of the show. Again, this new location is a bit smaller and a bit darker than their old venue. Attendance was 150.
1. Nick Battee vs. Brando Lee in a spotlight match. Ref Scott Robinson and Chris Sanders provided commentary on this one. Battee is the heel, and he hit a clothesline in the corner. He dropped Brando gut-first on the top rope and hit a running kick for a nearfall at 2:00. Brando hit some leaping doublestomps, then a top-rope moonsault for the pin. I would have liked that one to have gone a bit longer.
Brando Lee defeated Nick Battee at 3:54.
* A video montage aired of recent shows, set to “Wish” by Nine Inch Nails. Crockett took over on commentary.
2. RJ Rude and Rex Lawless vs. “Wrench and Resolve” Erik Chacha and Jake Gray. Rude sang “How to Save a Life” by The Fray on his way to the ring, continuing his trend of singing tunes either before he was born or when he was a toddler (because nearly all post-pandemic music sucks. Fight me on this!) The massive Lawless opened against the tiny Chacha; this is a vast size difference. Chacha tried a few moves, but Rex easily tossed him into a corner. RJ and Gray got in. The babyfaces worked over Rude.
Rex got back in and hit a hard clothesline on Chacha for a nearfall at 3:30, then a guillotine leg drop. The heels now worked over Erik and kept him in their corner. Rex hit a Helluva Kick for a nearfall at 5:00. He hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. RJ accidentally hit Rex! Gray finally got the hot tag at 6:30 and unloaded some punches on Rude, then a springboard clothesline and a shotgun dropkick, then a stunner, and he was fired up. Gray low-bridged the top rope, with Rex falling to the floor. RJ hit a clothesline on Gray. Jake got a rollup with a jackknife cover to pin Rude. Solid.
Erik Chacha and Jake Gray defeated RJ Rude and Rex Lawless at 8:17.
3. Katrina Creed vs. Shannon LeVangie. Katrina is a demonic-looking redhead, and she made the five-hour trek from Montreal; she hasn’t been here in months. Standing switches to open. A check of cagematch.net records show these two haven’t touched before. Creed hit a Lungblower to the back at 2:00, and she stomped on Shannon. Katrina hit a snap suplex and remained in charge, hitting a guillotine leg drop. Shannon hit a jumping knee to the chin at 4:30, then a dropkick. She hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall. Shannon hit a Twist of Fate for the pin. Solid match.
Shannon LeVangie defeated Katrina Creed at 6:37.
* DJ Powers came to the ring. “Can I talk, please?” he asked, but the crowd loudly booed him. This is at least match No. 113 this year for the 20-year-old star, and it feels like I’ve seen at least half of them.
4. DJ Powers vs. Dezmond Cole. This should be the main event, so I’m already expecting a screwjob finish. Again, I compare Powers to a young Johnny Morrison, and Cole is similar to Ricochet. Quick reversals early, and Cole hit a modified Pele Kick to the head. They went to the floor at 1:30 and brawled through the crowd; it’s pretty packed in there tonight! DJ accidentally chopped the ring post, but he slammed Dezmond on the ring apron and got a nearfall in the ring. He remained in charge, whipping Dezmond into the corner at 4:00.
Dez fired up and hit some clotheslines at 6:00, then a Michinoku Driver, and he was fired up. He hit a leg drop for a nearfall. Crockett reminded us that this one has a ten-minute time limit. Powers kicked him in the face and hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 7:30. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Cole hit a suplex, but Powers hit a running Claymore Kick, and a 9:00 call was spot-on. Cole hti a Mafia Kick. He went for a Swanton Bomb, but Powers got his knees up to block it, and the clock expired. Good match, and we immediately had a “five more minutes!” chant. Powers got on the mic and said, “You can kiss my ass; I have nothing to prove,” and he turned and left.
Dezmond Cole vs. DJ Powers went to a time-limit draw at 10:00.
* A video package aired for Wrestling Open 200, now just three weeks away! They will be returning to the nearby White Eagle for that show. Nick Battee joined commentary.
5. Christian Darling vs. Tyler Hastings in a Discovery Gauntlet match. Darling has won six straight; the winner of this match will return next week. My first time seeing Hastings; he has long straight blond hair and a tie-dye T-shirt, and he appears to be closer to 30 than 20. Darling has had a really good streak here. Okay, his cagematch.net bio shows he is indeed 30 and came here from Maryland. Hastings went for a handspring-back move, but Darling kicked him in the face.
Christian remained in control and whipped Hastings into the corner and kept the taller Tyler grounded. Tyler hit a DDT at 3:30 and kipped up. Darling again kicked him in the face and slammed him to the mat for a nearfall. Hastings hit a Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Hastings missed a 450 Splash, and Darling immediately hit a TKO stunner for a visual pin, but he pulled up Hastings at the two-count! Darling hit a second TKO stunner for the pin. Okay match; Darling has been stellar these seven weeks. No all-important “please come back!” chant for Hastings; I guess I’d agree with that.
Christian Darling defeated Tyler Hastings at 5:53 to advance in the Discovery Gauntlet.
* Darling got on the mic and noted he just tied the record by having seven straight wins in the gauntlet. He said he’ll win next year, then will challenge Bobby Orlando for the Wrestling Open Title. Good heel promo with the right amount of fire, and the crowd was all over him.
6. “The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and “Wonderboy” Brian Morris vs. TJ Crawford and Eye Black Jack Pasquale. Stetson and Pasquale are the finalists in this year’s “Jumbo Grand Prix.” (I thought the finals were tonight but they are saving it for Wrestling Open 200.) Anyhow, this gives us a preview tag. This is at least match No. 102 for Crawford, too. Pasquale and Morris finally locked up, with Jack knocking the smaller Morris down, then he hit a bodyslam at 1:30. He hit some European Uppercuts and kept Morris grounded. TJ also got in and hit a basement dropkick on Morris. Stetson got in and hit some European Uppercuts on Crawford.
Steven hit a bodyslam at 5:00, then another for a nearfall. Stetson hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 7:30. TJ finally hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Stetson and they were both down. Jack got the hot tag and hit some hard back elbows and he was fired up. He hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Morris for a nearfall at 9:30. The Ranch hit a team slam for a nearfall. Morris hit a second-rope missile dropkick. TJ got back in and hit a stunner. Stetson hit a brainbuster on TJ. However, Pasquale hit a spear on Stetson at 11:30. Morris made a blind tag and hit an enzuigiri. However, TJ hit some kicks on Stetson. Pasquale then hit his swinging uranage to pin Morris. Good action.
Eye Black Jack Pasquale and TJ Crawford defeated Steven Stetson and Brian Morris at 12:31.
* Rain Conway came to the ring; he’s getting some decent go-away heat of late.
7. Rain Conway vs. Will Kroos. Will is from the UK, and he’s a top star in Progress Wrestling. He’s a BIG man, and I’ve compared him to a young Sami Callihan, but the body frame and size of Bronson Reed. Conway tried a clothesline at the bell, but Kroos no-sold it. Conway hit a senton. “Oh my god, he might have just killed him!” Crockett said. Rain hit a chop block, but Kroos hit a Pounce! Kroos hit a Rikishi Driver (sit-out piledriver) for the pin. That’s exactly what it should have been. “What a debut!” Crockett said.
Will Kroos defeated Rain Conway at 1:10.
* Kroos got on the mic and said he’s the biggest bad-ass there is and there is no one in the back who will tell him any different. Out of the back came the returning Tyree Taylor! (I just saw him on a Chaotic Pro show last week; he has been injured most of this year.) He’s a big man, too, but I think Kroos is bigger. We got a “holy shit!” chant, then “welcome home!” Tyree challenged Kroos to a match next week! They shook hands.
8. Ryan Clancy vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin (w/Oxx Adams) in an I Quit match. Cagematch.net records show this is the 22nd time these two have shared a ring. Ugh, Oxx wore his full-body Tron gear; I hoped that wound up in the trash. BRG cut a quick promo, reminding us that Clancy’s ex-girlfriend “slid into my DMs” and that’s what this feud is about. Ryan charged into the ring, and they immediately traded punches, and Clancy hit some European Uppercuts. While standing on the floor, Oxx struck Ryan in the back with a chair at 1:30, which allowed BRG to take control. (Are we ever going to see this girlfriend? She’s been part of a storyline for two months!)
They brawled over to the bar and up onto it. They got back into the ring, but Oxx grabbed Clancy’s foot at 3:30. Brett threw a chair at Ryan, and he shoved the edge of the chair into Ryan’s neck, but Clancy refused to quit. BRG hit a superkick and was in charge. Ryan monkey-flipped him onto an open chair at 6:30. Ryan dropped him stomach-first on the open chair, but Brett refused to quit. Clancy hit a top-rope dive onto both heels on the floor at 8:30.
Back in the ring, BRG wrapped a belt around Clancy’s neck! Battee pointed out that this is all legal. Ryan fought free, got the belt, and he whipped Brett with it. The crowd chanted, “harder!!” Ryan pushed the mic in Brett’s face and he demanded BRG “tell the truth.” Brett cried and said, “I got friend-zoned.” Oxx jumped in the ring, but Ryan hit a piledriver on the massive seven-footer! Clancy applied a front guillotine choke; the ref checked on Brett, who shouted that he quit!
Ryan Clancy defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin in an I Quit Match at 12:16.
Final Thoughts: The main event is a perfect example of why I like Beyond Wrestling’s style of action. That was a good brawl, and the crowd was hot and into it. But you know what? No unnecessary blows to the head. No blow. No glass, light tubes, gusset plates, pizza cutters, staple guns or weedwhackers. Just good wrestling, and it takes best match. I didn’t expect a clean win between Powers and Cole, but the action was good, and it takes second. The preview tag was fun and takes third. Will Kroos is a beast, and hopefully, he packs in a whole bunch of U.S. dates for however long he’s here. I watched this live; check it out at IWTV probably by Friday morning.
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