By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 28”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 13, 2025, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
Wrestling Open is continuing its Thursday shows in Worcester, Mass, while adding these Monday events. This is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. Paul Crockett, TJ Crawford, referee Scott Robinson, and Brett Ryan Gosselin provided commentary over the course of the show. The crowd was maybe 100-125.
1. “Handyman” Jake Gray vs. “Wonderboy” Brian Morris in a spotlight match. Ref Robinson and BRG (last seen being hit by Mike Santana on Sunday!) provided commentary on this one. Gray ‘wrenched’ Morris’ left arm and he kept Brian grounded. Jake hit a crossbody block. Morris hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 3:00. Gray hit a bulldog. Jake got a Crucifix Driver out of nowhere for the flash pin. Solid.
Jake Gray defeated Brian Morris at 5:36.
* Crockett and Crawford took over on commentary for the main show. This show features the kickoff of the Eliminator Cup tag tournament.
2. Ricky Smokes (w/Brad Baylor) vs. The OXP. The OXP reminds me a bit of TJ Perkins; he was in “Cobra Kai” and I’ve seen him a few times recently. Smokes slapped him. OXP hit a stomp on the gut. Baylor snapped OXP’s arm over the top rope, allowing Smokes to take charge. Ricky whipped OXP into the corner. OXP hit a spin kick to the head at 4:00. Smokes hit a spear through the ropes for the pin. Decent.
Ricky Smokes defeated The OXP at 4:59.
* Smokes got on the mic, but the crowd tried to drown him out. He apologized for not being here since they lost their tag title belts in August at Americanrana. Darian Bengston came out of the back; he’s an Atlanta-based, top-tier talent. He asked the crowd if they wanted Swipe Right “to shut the hell up.” Bengston wants his match… right now!
3. Darian Bengston vs. Brad Baylor (w/Ricky Smokes). Cagematch.net records indicate this is a first-time-ever meeting. Good reversals early on. Baylor dropped him with a forearm strike at 1:30. Bengston hit some chops. Baylor hit a spinebuster for a nearfall. He applied a rear-naked choke on the mat and kept Darian grounded. He missed an elbow drop. Bengston applied an Octopus Stretch at 4:00, and the crowd taunted Baylor to tap out, but Brad hit a modified Death Valley Driver to escape.
Bengston hit an enzuigiri, then another. He hit a top-rope corkscrew cannonball, slamming into a standing Baylor for a nearfall at 5:30, and the crowd chanted “That was three!” Bengston applied a standing submission hold, but Baylor escaped and hit a neckbreaker over his knee for the clean pin. I love seeing a heel win clean sometimes. Crockett noted it was a clean sweep for Swipe Right. Really good for the time given; I hope they get a full 12-15 minute match down the road.
Brad Baylor defeated Darian Bengston at 6:06.
* Brad now got on the mic, but the crowd was all over him, too. They want their tag title belts, and they called out the Shooter Boys for a title match at Wrestling Open 200 on Oct. 30!!!!
4. “The Vibe” Mani Ariez and Sammy Diaz vs. “Sinner & Saint” Judas Icarus and Travis Williams in an Eliminator Cup first-round match. Of course, Sinner & Saint were nearby for the TNA PPV on Sunday, so it’s great they are here a day later as well. Sammy and Judas opened, as Crockett noted that S&S may not have ever seen The Vibe before. Good reversals and Sammy hit some deep armdrags, then a top-rope crossbody block at 1:30. Mani and Travis tied up, and Mani hit a bodyslam and an elbow drop for a nearfall. He hit a second-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall at 3:00. Sammy hit a moonsault for a nearfall. S&S hit stereo kicks on Diaz in the corner, and they took control and kept Sammy in their corner.
Judas got a nearfall with his feet on the ropes at 6:30. Sammy hit a superkick on Travis on the floor, and he got to Mani for the hot tag. Ariez hit some shoulder blocks and a Bulldog Powerslam on Travis. He hit a running knee in the corner on Judas and hit a Bulldog Powerslam on him, too, for a nearfall at 8:00. Mani hit a Claymore Kick on Judas for a nearfall. S&S hit some quick team moves on Sammy. Williams hit a brainbuster on Diaz for a nearfall at 9:30. Mani tripped Judas and pulled him to the floor. The Vibe hit a team twisting neckbreaker move to pin Williams. That was really good.
“The Vibe” Sammy Diaz and Mani Ariez defeated “Sinner & Saint” Travis Williams and Judas Icarus at 10:11 to advance to the semifinals.
5. Cappuccino Jones vs. Steven Stetson (w/Brian Morris). Jones carried the WWEID Title belt, but it was not on the line here. Cap got on the mic and got the crowd fired up. Standing switches to open; Stetson is taller and thicker, and he flipped Cap across the ring. Jones mockingly did some horse-riding cowboy moves. Stetson dropped him across the top rope at 2:30 and took control. Stetson hit a World’s Strongest Slam for a nearfall.
Jones fired up and hit a clothesline and a flapjack at 5:00. Jones hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Stetson hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. Stetson jawed at the ref. Jones hit a half-nelson suplex and was fired up. He hit some jab punches to the jaw. He went for the Decaffinator (twisting neckbreaker), but Stetson avoided it. Stetson hit a northern clothesline for the pin! That’s a bit of a surprise; I guess I thought that as the ID champion, Jones would be a bit more protected.
Steven Stetson defeated Cappuccino Jones at 7:19.
6. Bobby Orlando vs. Timothy Thatcher for the Wrestling Open Heavyweight Title. An intense lockup at the bell; Thatcher is taller and visibly stronger, and he immediately hit a bodyslam. Bobby applied a headlock and tried to ground the bigger Thatcher. He hit a neckbreaker. Thatcher hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall at 3:30. He hit a snap suplex. Bobby fired up and hit some jab punches, then a clothesline at 6:00. He hit some clotheslines in the corner, then a second-rope missile dropkick. Thatcher hit a butterfly suplex for a nearfall and a European Uppercut. Bobby hit a top-rope elbow drop to the sternum for the pin. Good action.
Bobby Orlando defeated Timothy Thatcher to retain the Wrestling Open Heavyweight Title at 7:37.
7. Jody Threat vs. Dani Luna vs. Liviyah vs. Gabby Forza in a four-way. Again, cool to have some TNA talents here. A big pop for hometown teen star Liviyah. Forza was a last-minute replacement for Kylie Alexa. Luna and Forza might be the strongest U.S.-based female wrestlers. (I think Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace are in that conversation, too.) Anyhow, this is the first time Luna and Gabby have touched in the ring, and Luna kicked her to start the match. Jody and Liviyah tied up in the ring, and Threat hit a fallaway slam. Gabby hit a splash into the corner onto two women, then a Samoan Drop on Jody.
Dani slammed Jody onto the ring apron at 2:00. Luna choked Liviyah in the ropes. (cagematch.net records show this is Liviyah’s first time in the ring with Dani and Jody, too.) Liv got a rollup for a nearfall on Dani. Dani hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Liviyah for a nearfall. Dani hit a sliding clothesline on Gabby. Jody hit a release German Suplex on Dani at 4:30. Liviyah hit a missile dropkick. She hit a German Suplex. Gabby hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Dani and Jody traded blows.
Liv and Jody traded forearm strikes, and Jody hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 6:00. Crockett noted, “This is too quick to call.” We finally had just Gabby vs. Luna, and they traded forearm strikes “with the force of a monster movie,” Crockett said. Luna hit a clothesline. Gabby hit one that staggered Dani. Gabby hit a Fire Thunder Driver (piledriver) and pinned Luna! That was a blast.
Gabby Forza defeated Liviyah, Jody Threat, and Dani Luna in a four-way at 7:38.
8. “Fancy Bears” Bear Bronson and Ryan Clancy vs. “All The Attention” Nick Battee and Jose Zamora in an Eliminator Cup first-round match. Battee and Zamora are no longer “MINT” after they jettisoned It’s Gal. Clancy got on the mic and noted he won a tournament yesterday (it was posted on IWTV a few hours ago; that’s on my radar for Tuesday viewing) to earn a title shot. Zamora and Clancy opened, and Ryan knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. TJ Crawford has been more or less a babyface on commentary tonight, but he was critical of Clancy here. Ryan snapped Battee’s neck between his ankles. Bear entered and slammed teammate Clancy onto Battee at 2:30, then Ryan slammed Bronson onto Battee.
Bronson worked over the smaller, younger Zamora. Bear put his hands behind his own back and let Zamora chop him, but Jose slapped him in the face instead. Bear beat up both of the scrawnier kids. They all brawled to the floor, with the babyfaces hitting chops and forearm strikes on the heels as they looped the ring. Bear did a Gorilla Press to toss Battee over the top rope and into the ring at 7:00. The heels worked over Bear with some quick team moves. They hit stereo basement dropkicks for a nearfall. Jose hit a standing moonsault, and Battee hit a splash for a nearfall at 9:30.
Bear hit a butt drop on Zamora’s chest, and he made the hot tag to Clancy. Ryan hit a clothesline on Zamora and a knee drop to the back. Zamora slammed Ryan for a nearfall. Bear hit a double clothesline at 12:30. He hit clotheslines in opposite corners, then a Choke Bomb on Battee for a nearfall, but Zamora made the save. All four brawled. The heels raked Ryan’s eyes and temporarily blinded him! Clancy accidentally hit a dropkick on Bear, sending him to the floor! The heels covered Ryan for the pin! A big upset.
“All The Attention” Nick Battee and Jose Zamora defeated “Fancy Bears” Bear Bronson and Ryan Clancy at 14:08 to advance.
* Clancy helped Bear to his feet, explained his eyes were raked, and he apologized. However, Bronson shoved Clancy to the mat and left. “We’re back to square one,” Crockett said.
Final Thoughts: What an all-star episode. We had four TNA wrestlers, two WWE ID prospects, former NXT wrestler Timothy Thatcher, former AEW wrestler Bear Bronson, and all the usual rising stars. No new faces tonight. It was short, but I loved that women’s four-way and that takes first. Sammy/Mani vs. Sinner and Saint was a close second; the only drawback there was that I never thought Sinner and Saint were winning because it was a tournament match.
The main event was good; I was thinking it felt “too easy” for Clancy and Bronson to be getting along so well, so quickly… just weeks after Bronson vowed he would “never forgive” Clancy. So, the accidental dropkick has added a new wrinkle to that storyline. Bengston-Baylor was on the verge of being memorable, but they wrapped up too quickly. Yes, if I have a complaint tonight, it’s that several matches were too short. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by Tuesday morning.
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