By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open “Episode 224”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
April 16, 2026, in Worcester, Massachusetts, at The White Eagle
The lighting was good, and it was easy to see. The crowd was maybe 150. (Once again, it was much larger by the start of the second match than as the show began. A late-arriving crowd here!) Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness provided commentary.
1. Tyree Taylor vs. DJ Powers. DJ took the mic, but the crowd shouted him down. He’s ready for his match against Tyree, but he glared at Eye Black Jack in the crowd and told him to sit and watch. Powers rolled to the floor at the bell and stalled. He jawed at Jack, not realizing that Tyree had come up behind him. Powers tried a baseball slide dropkick, but Tyree didn’t budge! Powers pushed Tyree head-first into the ring post at 3:30. He pushed him into another post, and Tyree was down on the floor.
Tyree rolled back into the ring, but Powers stomped on him. Powers hit a second-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall at 5:00. Tyree hit a pop-up forearm strike and set up for a Pounce, but DJ hit a Claymore Kick, and they were both down at 7:00. Tyree hit a big back-body drop, and he speared Powers in the corner. He hip-tossed Powers across the ring, then a big chokeslam for a nearfall. Tyree hit a discus clothesline for a nearfall at 9:30.
Tyree went for the “Brooklyn Zoo” (overhead powerbomb), but DJ locked in a front guillotine choke! Tyree fell to the mat and nearly passed out, but he powered out. DJ hit a DDT for a nearfall. Powers hit a frog splash, then another, for a nearfall at 11:00. Jack again jawed at Powers. DJ got a chain from under the ring, but the ref saw it and confiscated it. Tyree hit his uranage backbreaker, then the Brooklyn Zoo powerbomb for the pin. That was a really good opener.
Tyree Taylor defeated DJ Powers at 12:52.
2. Liviyah vs. Tiara James. We haven’t seen James in a few weeks! They tied up, and Liviyah repeatedly threw Tiara to the mat. Tiara hit a clothesline at 2:00 and some chops. Brother Greatness said Tiara has been overseas competing — that explains her absence. Tiara hit a basement dropkick to the chest for a nearfall, and she choked Livi in the ropes. She hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 4:30.
Tiara missed a Vader Bomb, and they were both down. Liviyah fired up and hit some clotheslines, then a flying shoulder tackle. Liv bodyslammed Tiara at 7:00 and hit a second-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. Tiara hit a spinning back fist for a nearfall. Liv got on Tiara’s shoulders and got a Victory Roll for the pin. Solid action. Crockett wondered if this ended a losing streak for her in this building.
Liviyah defeated Tiara James at 8:26.
3. Brad Hollister (w/Love, Doug) vs. Dustin Waller (w/Kylon King). Brad and Doug had their tag title belts with them. Dustin rolled to the floor at the bell. They finally locked up more than two minutes in and traded fast reversals. Brad slapped him in the face and hit an armdrag, sending Dustin back to the floor. In the ring, Brad hit some hip-tosses, and the crowd was fully behind him. Dustin stomped on Brad. Brad hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 6:30. Kylon grabbed Brad’s ankle. Brad charged at Dustin, but he crashed shoulder-first into the corner and rolled to the floor in pain.
Doug checked on the injured Brad, and the crowd rallied Hollister, who rolled back in at 8:00. Dustin stomped on the damaged shoulder, and he tied the left arm in the ropes. Brad missed a senton. Waller nailed a Divorce Court armbreaker. Hollister hit a release suplex but sold the pain in his arm. Dustin hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 10:30. He jumped on Brad’s back, but Hollister ran backwards into the corner to escape. Dustin went for the Lethal Injection, but Brad caught him and hit a release German Suplex, and they were both down at 12:00.
Brad hit a one-handed chokeslam! He hit a splash in the corner, then a running buttbump in the corner, followed by an Angle Slam for a nearfall. Brad nailed the Muscle Buster for a nearfall at 14:00. Kylon interfered, and it allowed Dustin to hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Brad hit a senton, and they were both down at 16:00. They got up and traded punches. Brad hit a chop block on the left knee! Waller hit a springboard forearm strike for a nearfall. From the floor, Doug threw rose petals in Dustin’s face! The distraction allowed Brad to hit a top-rope superplex for a nearfall.
Brad sidestepped a Lethal Injection, and he applied an ankle lock as we reached the 20:00 mark. (I don’t recall the time limit on this one!) Kylon helped pull Dustin to the floor. Doug hit a plancha on Kylon! The ref ejected Doug! (Brother Greatness pointed out that Doug had entered the ring, while Kylon had not.) The ejection had the ref out of position, and it allowed Dustin to hit a low-blow kick and hit the Lethal Injection for a believable nearfall at 21:00. Dustin locked in a crossface on the mat! Brad rolled him over to get a nearfall.
Kylon tried to get a title belt to Dustin, but the ref caught him and ejected Kylon, too! Brad hit a pop-up powerbomb, then the Tornado Jackhammer for a believable nearfall! Dustin kicked out! Brother Greatness wondered how many people have ever kicked out of that move. Waller hit a superkick. Brad avoided another Lethal Injection and hit a spear. Dustin hit a Canadian Destroyer, but he missed a 450 Splash. Brad applied an ankle lock. The ref got bumped! Dustin hit Brad in the head with the title belt and got the tainted pin!
Dustin Waller defeated Brad Hollister at 26:32.
* With the injured Ryan Clancy vacating the Wrestling Open title, we need a new champ. Corey Duke already has a title shot, so the winner of the next match will get into a tournament to crown a new champ.
4. A 15-man Rumble. A picture of the participants was on their social media, so everyone in this match has been revealed; I don’t expect any surprises, anyway. Announcer Rich Palladino says entrants will be staggered every two minutes. Drawing No. 1 was Ichiban, and No. 2 was MMA fighter Bobby Casale. They almost immediately fought on the ring apron! Ichiban hit a top-rope crossbody block. Brett Ryan Gosselin was No. 3. The heels worked together and kicked Ichiban in a corner. Love, Doug was No. 4 at 4:00; the intervals have been spot-on.
Jaylen Brandyn was No. 5. (We didn’t have entrance music giving away who is coming out. I like that! It delays the entrance too much. However, the fans sang Whitney Houston anyway! Funny.) Doug threw rose petals in Casale’s face, then clotheslined him to the floor. Kylon King was No. 6 at 8:00 (again, Palladino is running a tight ship with these intervals!) Kylon hit a double German Suplex! Anthony Greene was No. 7, so we have six in the ring. Christian Darling drew No. 8 at 12:00, and he hit a spinebuster on Doug. Kylon hit a brainbuster on Jaylen. Kylon tossed Doug.Ichiban flipped out Kylon. Mani Ariez was No. 9.
Erik Chacha was No. 10 at 16:00, and he unloaded some roundhouse kicks on BRG. Ichiban hit his “One!” punches on BRG, but Brett ripped at Ichiban’s mask then flipped him to the floor! The seven-foot beast Oxx Adams drew No. 11, and Crockett said he’s an “odds-on-favorite.” Oxx caught Chacha and threw him to the floor! He knocked Jaylen off the apron to the floor! Three guys all attacked Oxx, but BRG jumped in to help his teammate, Oxx. Pedro Dones was No. 12 at 20:00. Pedro immediately clotheslined BRG to the floor.
Pedro and Oxx traded punches. Pedro tried some clotheslines, but Oxx grabbed him and tossed Pedro. We have four in the ring. Eye Black Jack Pasquale was No. 13 and he tried to lift Oxx. Jack got on the apron, grabbed Oxx’s head, and was able to essentially suplex Oxx to the floor! The crowd went nuts for that elimination. The hated Steven Stetson drew No. 14, and he hit some bodyslams, and a sidewalk slam on Jack. Danny Miles was No. 15 at 26:00, and he’s been close to fighting teammate Stetson for weeks! We have our final SIX.
Rain Conway came to the ring at 28:00, and he got on the mic, saying he doesn’t mind he’s No. 16 in a 15-man match! He got in the ring and berated the other six. So, the other six all stomped on Conway. They all worked together to hit Rain! They tossed him. Stetson and Miles collided, and Steven apologized, but Danny looked livid. Steven (accidentally?) eliminated Miles! Darling tossed Ariez, so we’re down to four. Jack battled Darling while Stetson battled Greene.
Jack hit his twisting uranage on Darling, then tossed him. Stetson hit a Northern Jersey Clothesline to the back of the head to eliminate Greene, and we’re down to our final two! Jack unloaded some punches to the ribs. They each tried to hit a piledriver. Jack hit a bulldog powerslam at 36:30. DJ Powers came out of the crowd, jumped on the apron, and hit Jack with the chain!! Stetson easily tossed Jack to win! The crowd chanted profanities at Stetson while he celebrated his win.
Steve Stetson won a 15 (16?)-man Rumble to earn a slot in a title tournament at 36:53.
Final Thoughts: Waller-Hollister was a special match. I’ve certainly seen my share of matches where two wrestlers start slowly, and I think “yeah, they are pacing themselves to go more than 20 minutes.” That wasn’t the case here — Brad and Dustin just kept motoring and pushing, and that match never dragged. Most matches here have a 10- or 20-minute time limit, so we have very few that go that long. Brad didn’t wrestle as frequently in 2025, but he has really regained his form. Waller continues to be a top performer wherever he goes. I know it’s Mania week and there are a lot of options out there, but this is a match well worth checking into.
Crockett really tried to explain how filling the championship vacancy will work, and I’m just not fully getting it. The tournament will be exclusive to the Monday shows in Rhode Island, though. I think I need a bracket to completely comprehend how this will work… but Stetson is in, and as noted, Corey Duke previously earned a title shot, and he’s in.
A really strong Rumble. Sometimes, an elimination can happen off-camera, during an introduction, or the crew just missed it. So, give a lot of credit to the planning of that match. The eliminations made sense, and they were all caught on film. I didn’t have to ‘rewind the tape’ to see anything missed. The two early matches were really good, so overall, a really strong show.
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