By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 37”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
January 5, 2026, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
Promoter Drew Cordeiro recently announced a new contract that has extended the run here. The venue is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. Paul Crockett, referee Scott Robinson, and Marcus Mathers provided commentary
1. Devious Cass vs. Brando Lee in a spotlight match. Cass is a talented teen I’ve seen a few times. Ref Scott Robinson and Marcus Mathers provided commentary on this one. Basic reversals early on, and Lee hit some armdrags and a crossbody block for a nearfall at 2:00. Cass began selling a knee injury, but he hit a superkick and a rolling DVD into the corner, and he did some jumping jacks to show the knee was just fine.
Mathers and Robinson talked about Bear Bronson losing his belt on his first title defense. Cass hit a jumping neckbreaker and remained in charge. Lee hit a Styles Clash for a nearfall at 5:00. Lee hit a pop-up European Uppercut and a rolling Death Valley Driver, then a top-rope moonsault for the pin. Good opener.
Brando Lee defeated Devious Cass at 6:04.
* Crockett took over on commentary for the main show.
2. DJ Powers vs. TJ Crawford. These two just fought each other recently, with Powers winning. No Big Business teammates with Crawford. Crockett noted that Powers had the most Wrestling Open matches of anyone in 2025. They traded chops. Crawford hit a basement dropkick to the back of the head at 3:30. Crawford hit a suplex and was fired up, and he hit a clothesline, then a Lungblower-style double knees to the chest for a nearfall. They got up and traded punches and chops. DJ hit a jumping knee to the sternum. Crawford fired back with a superkick. Powers got a Crucifix Driver for the (clean!) flash pin. Good action.
DJ Powers defeated TJ Crawford at 7:13.
* Jose Zamora came to the ring; he’s in his street clothes and apparently recently dislocated his shoulder. (Horrible news; I know he just competed in Puerto Rico!) Rain Conway came to the ring and offered to take his match.
3. Brad Hollister vs. Rain Conway (w/Jose Zamora). Rain charged, but Brad knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Hollister argued with Zamora; it allowed Conway to get a rollup for a nearfall. Brad hit some chops. Brad caught Conway and slammed him to the mat. Conway hit a German Suplex, a Lungblower, and a Ziggler-style leaping inverted DDT for a nearfall at 2:30. Rain got a weapon, but Hollister avoided it and hit a backflip, then a rolling Angle Slam and his Tornado Jackhammer for the pin.
Brad Hollister defeated Rain Conway at 3:23.
* Hollister got on the mic and said he doesn’t care about Zamora’s hurt shoulder… eventually, he will get his hands on Jose!
* Tiara James came to the ring; she was in her ring gear, but she also opted not to wrestle. She has a surprise… Sammi Chaos!
4. Sammi Chaos (w/Tiara James) vs. Liviyah. I’ve noted before that Chaos is the size of Nia Jax or Nyla Rose; she’s tall and has the size advantage. Liviyah tried some forearm strikes, but Chaos easily shoved her to the mat. Sammi hit a Samoan Drop at 1:30 and took control. Sammi applied a bear hug, but Liviyah fought free. Sammi hit a stiff clothesline for a nearfall at 4:00. She hit a rolling cannonball for a nearfall, but she missed a Vader Bomb. Liviyah hit some flying shoulder blocks. Liviyah then nailed a top-rope missile dropkick for the pin.
Liviyah defeated Sammi Chaos at 5:50.
* Footage aired of Krule beating Bear Bronson to win the IWTV World Title last Thursday.
5. Rex Lawless vs. Bear Bronson. No RJ Rude or Nic Robles with Rex tonight. They immediately started brawling on the floor; Crockett noted they hadn’t been in the ring, so the match was not officially underway. Bear hit some chops. He stood behind Rex and hit some crossface blows. They got in the ring and the bell rang at 2:31 to officially begin. Rex hit a spear on the ring apron.
In the ring, Rex hit a Helluva Kick at 5:00, but Bear hit a clothesline. Rex hit a Choke Bomb for a nearfall. Bear hit a butt drop to the chest. He hit a hard clothesline and pulled down the straps of his singlet. He nailed a Black Hole Slam, then the Fire Thunder Driver (sit-out piledriver) for the pin. A good brawl. Bronson got on the mic and called out Vinny Scalice.
Bear Bronson defeated Rex Lawless at 8:01/official time of 5:30.
6. Ryan Clancy vs. Eye Black Jack Pasquale. The crowd has now turned on Clancy due to his feud with Bronson. Standing switches to open, and Clancy was outwrestling him early on. Clancy hit a swinging leg lariat for a nearfall at 4:00. He hit a snap suplex. Jack hit a delayed vertical suplex, then a frog splash for a nearfall at 6:00. Clancy caught him with his Picture Perfect Dropkick for the pin. Good action. He didn’t cheat but still got more boos than cheers.
Ryan Clancy defeated Eye Black Jack Pasquale at 6:50.
* Clancy got on the mic and complained about losing his title in a three-way when he wasn’t pinned; the crowd booed him. Bobby Orlando came out, holding his Wrestling Open Title. He’s not dressed to wrestle yet. “I just have one question: what happened to you?” Orlando asked Clancy. He said Ryan is now nothing “but a cryer.” Clancy challenged him to a match next week! Orlando accepted!
7. Vinny “VSK” Scalice (w/Smart Mark Sterling) vs. Marcus Mathers. Vinny dropped him with a shoulder tackle, and he flexed. Marcus dropped Vinny, so VSK rolled to the floor to regroup. Mathers eventually followed to the floor, and they brawled. In the ring, Mathers hit some chops in the corner at 3:30. Sterling tried to interfere, and it allowed VSK to take control.
Sterling took off his brace, and he shoved it into Mathers’ throat, and Vinny snapped Mathers’ neck across the bottom rope. Mathers hit some chops. VSK hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 7:00. Mathers hit his second-rope crossbody block and was fired up. He hit a baseball slide dropkick in the ropes, then nailed a dive through the ropes to the floor at 9:30. He hit a big back-body drop in the ring and his fadeaway stunner from the corner, then a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall.
VSK hit a modified Lumbar Check backbreaker for a nearfall. He went for a frog splash, but Mathers got his knees up. Marcus hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw and a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 12:00. He went to the top rope, but Sterling grabbed his ankle. Mathers went for a Canadian Destroyer, but VSK blocked it and hit a “Dudebuster” piledriver along his back for the tainted pin. A really sharp match.
Vinny “VSK” Scalice defeated Marcus Mathers at 12:25.
* Sterling got on the mic and belittled Bear Bronson. This brought out Bear, who chased off the heels. VSK and Bear agreed to a match next week!
8. “The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson, Brian Morris, and Bobby Casale vs. Bobby Orlando and “Star Struck” Anthony Greene and Channing Thomas. The Ranch carried their tag titles, but of course, they aren’t on the line in a six-man tag. Stetson and Orlando opened and traded standing switches. Channing hit a dropkick on Morris at 1:30. Greene hit a running neckbreaker on Morris. The babyfaces tied up Casale. Orlando hit a double clothesline on Stetson and Morris, and the heels bailed.
Back in the ring, MMA fighter Casale mounted Channing and repeatedly punched him. The heels began working over Channing in their corner. Channing ‘skinned the cat’ back into the ring at 5:30. Greene got a hot tag and hit a back elbow on Morris, then a flying clothesline. Morris hit a knee drop on Greene’s forehead at 7:00 and kept him grounded. Morris hit a leg lariat for a nearfall. Greene hit a bulldog-and-clothesline combo. Orlando made the hot tag at 10:30 and hit a superkick on Stetson.
Bobby hit a running neckbreaker on Morris, then a top-rope missile dropkick on Casale. In a fun spot, Orlando dove through the ropes to spear Stetson (who was on the apron), and they both fell onto the four guys on the floor. In the ring, Casale hit a big powerbomb on Orlando at 12:00. Stetson and Morris hit high-low blows on Orlando for a nearfall. Casale put Orlando in a sleeper. Bobby hit his Athena-style flying stunner. Greene hit a top-rope crossbody block onto two guys. Channing hit a top-rope flying elbow drop. Orlando then nailed his Froggy Bow elbow drop on Casale for the pin.
Bobby Orlando, Anthony Greene, and Channing Thomas defeated Steven Stetson, Brian Morris, and Bobby Casale at 14:06.
* Star Struck and the Ranch brawled to the back. Clancy snuck in the ring and hit a Picture Perfect Dropkick on Orlando!
Final Thoughts: A really good episode; even the short matches were really entertaining. Mathers-VSK put on a clinic, and that was easily the best of the show. I’ll go with the main event for second, and Powers-Crawford for third. A lot to like here, though. I’m really glad that Wrestling Open worked out a contract extension to keep holding shows here for a few more months. They are skipping MLK Day, but I think they have shows on all the other Mondays in January and February. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by Tuesday morning.
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