By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 48 – Relaunch”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
April 20, 2026, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
The venue is an attractive two-story, white ballroom with really good lighting. The attendance was perhaps 150; it was definitely up from last week. Paul Crockett, “Handyman” Jake Gray, Dustin Waller, and Ref Scott Robinson provided commentary.
* Due to tearing his ACL, Ryan Clancy has relinquished the Wrestling Open Championship. A 15-man tournament to crown a new champion begins tonight. (Seeing brackets would really help my understanding of how this will play out.) Crockett explained that Corey Duke has earned a bye into the second round. We learned last week that the tournament will play out only on the Monday shows.
1. Rain Conway vs. Allin Bayno in a spotlight match. Robinson and Waller provided commentary on this one. Bayno has been at Wrestling Open in Massachusetts a few times, but Robinson said it is his first Rhode Island event. He’s chubby and looks closer to 40 than 20. Basic brawling and Rain hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 2:30. Bayno hit a suplex, then a fallaway slam. Conway hit the Rainmaker (yes, he’s calling his Okada-style short-arm clothesline that!!) for the pin. A rare win for Rain!
Rain Conway defeated Allin Bayno at 4:23.
* Crockett and the injured Jake Gray took over on commentary for the main show.
2. DJ Powers vs. Eye Black Jack Pasquale in a first-round tournament match. DJ came out first; Jack charged into the ring, and we’re underway!!! These guys have already fought six times! They brawled to the floor. DJ accidentally chopped the ring post at 1:30. In the ring, DJ hit a standing neckbreaker and took control. DJ is such an awesome heel, and the crowd was all over him as DJ kept Jack tied up on the mat. Jack fired up and hit some flying forearms.
Jack hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 5:30, and we got a “That was three!” chant. DJ nailed a Helluva Kick, then his Claymore Kick for a nearfall. Jack mounted and hit some punches, but DJ locked in a modified Triangle Choke. Jack hit a powerbomb to escape and get a nearfall at 8:00. Powers missed a top-rope double stomp. Jack rolled him up for the flash pin out of nowhere! A really good way to kick off the main show.
Eye Black Jack Pasquale defeated DJ Powers at 8:37 to advance to the quarterfinals.
* Liviyah appeared on the stage and she called out Kylie Alexa. She called out Alexa for a tag match next week. (Why not ask for one-on-one?) Liviyah said her partner will be Gabby Forza! Okay, now I understand!
3. Oxx Adams vs. Love, Doug in a first-round tournament match. I’ll reiterate that Oxx is a seven-footer and tattoo-covered and comparable to Brody King. Doug wore his tag title belt, but he had no Big Business friends with him tonight. Doug immediately tried some blows to the chest that Oxx no-sold. Adams easily shoved him to the mat. Doug hit two dropkicks, but they only staggered Oxx. Doug threw his rose petals as a distraction, but Oxx dropped him with a clothesline.
Oxx hit a massive shoulder block at 2:30, and he planted his foot in Doug’s throat. This has been a one-sided beatdown. The crowd rallied for Doug, and Doug tried a sleeper. Oxx threw him to the mat and hit a splash for a nearfall at 4:30. Oxx applied a bear hug. Doug escaped and hit some basement dropkicks on the knee, but Oxx still didn’t go down. Oxx caught him and hit a chokeslam. He made the cocky, one-footed cover on Doug’s sternum for the pin! I know the fans here love Doug, but that played out as it should have.
Oxx Adams defeated Love, Doug at 5:56 to advance to the quarterfinals.
4. “Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Bobby Casale vs. “Star Struck” Channing Thomas and Anthony Greene. Casale and Channing opened. Greene tied up Bobby on the mat. The Ranch worked over Channing. Greene tagged in at 3:30 and hit a neckbreaker on Casale for a nearfall. Greene unloaded some chops. Channing hit a flying elbow drop on Bobby for a nearfall at 5:00.
Casale hit a big back suplex on Greene and dragged him into the heels’ corner. Greene caught Bobby with a superkick. Channing got a hot tag and hit a top-rope flying double clothesline at 8:00. All four fought in the ring. Stetson accidentally hit a Mafia Kick on Casale! Channing immediately hit a top-rope flying elbow drop for the pin on Bobby. Solid tag match.
“Star Struck” Channing Thomas and Anthony Greene defeated “Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Bobby Casale at 8:54.
* Greene got on the mic and told Stetson to call back his buddy Brian Morris for a tag match.
* Cash McGuinness came to the ring and got on the mic. I’ve seen this scrawny white kid a few times in nearby Chaotic Pro Wrestling, but this is his Wrestling Open debut! He’s got a big chain around his neck and wore sunglasses, and the crowd was instantly booing this spoiled brat. He might be 17. He called out Bobby Orlando. This is going less than four minutes, right?
5. Bobby Orlando vs. Cash McGuinness. Cash charged, but Bobby hit a superkick, then a running clothesline in the corner, then a Blue Thunder Bomb for the pin. Yep, three moves and it was over. His promo lasted longer than his match!
Bobby Orlando defeated Cash McGuinness at 0:26.
* Orlando got on the mic, and he feels like he let down the fans and Bear Bronson when they lost last week. He said he’ll make it up next week when he faces Dustin Waller in the first round of the tournament! That brought out Waller, who was wearing a nice suit; he’s not dressed to wrestle! Dustin reminded Orlando that he beat him recently. Dustin jumped into the ring, and they brawled. Kylon King ran into the ring (he’s in his ring gear!) and he attacked Orlando. The crowd chanted, “Bear! Bear!” Bronson came out, and our next scheduled match was underway!
6. Kylon King vs. Bear Bronson in a first-round tournament match. Bronson had multiple matches over the weekend in Las Vegas — I’m still catching up! Bear and Kylon immediately fought to the floor. Dustin and Orlando fought to the back. Crockett pointed out we haven’t had a bell yet. We got the bell at 0:40 as they both entered the ring, and Bear hit some chops. Bronson sent King flying with a shoulder tackle. They again brawled to the floor at 2:00, and they looped ringside.
King shoved Bronson face-first into the ring post, then slammed Bear on the apron at 3:30. In the ring, Kylon mounted Bear and hit some punches, and he was in charge. This crowd was all over King. He choked Bear in the ropes and tore at his nose. Kylon hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Bear hit a suplex, then his butt drop to the sternum, then the Black Hole Slam for a nearfall at 7:30, and we again got a “That was three!” chant. Kylon nailed the Brainbuster for a nearfall at 9:00.
Bear nailed the Choke Bomb for a nearfall. What is the time limit here? Bear set up for a Fire Thunder Driver (piledriver), but Kylon escaped. Kylon hit a Sunset Flip Bomb out of the corner, then a frog splash at 11:30! He hit a top-rope moonsault for a believable nearfall! Kylon hit a back suplex, but Bronson popped back to his feet! Bear hit a spinning clothesline, then the Fire Thunder Driver for the clean pin. A really sharp match.
Bear Bronson defeated Kylon King at 13:51 (official time of 13:11) to advance to the quarterfinals.
* A video package aired of all the prior matchups between The Verdict and The Shooter Boys, setting up our main event! OKAY, my big pet peeve in a best-of-three falls match is when a pinfall happens in under, say, five minutes. The first fall should take just as long to occur as a one-fall match. It is 8:16 p.m. local time during ring introductions, so they are being given a lot of time to work with for a long one.
7. “The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinnie “VSK” Scalice (w/”Smart” Mark Sterling) vs. “The Shooter Boys” Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio in a best-of-three-falls match. Sterling has a neck brace AND he used a walker to approach the ring; he looks particularly fragile today. They all started brawling, and I started my stopwatch, but we haven’t had a bell. All four went to the floor. Ortiz pushed Bryce into the ring post, while Vecchio bodyslammed VSK. We got a bell at 00:49 as Vecchio hit a crossbody block for a nearfall on VSK just seconds in. Vecchio hit a bodyslam on VSK.
Ortiz hit a stunner on Bryce in the ropes, and he got a nearfall at 2:30. Ortiz hit a top-rope missile dropkick, and the Boys were in charge early on. Vecchio tried a dive to the floor, but Bryce caught him and slammed him on the apron. In the ring, VSK got a nearfall. Bryce choked Vecchio in the corner, and the Verdict took over. Vinny hit a slingshot senton for a nearfall at 5:30. Crockett noted that we have no time limit tonight because we want a clear winner! Bryce hit a fallaway slam. Scalice stretched Vecchio, with Bryce grabbing Scalice’s arm for added leverage.
Ortiz finally got a hot tag at 9:30, and he hit some flying forearms and clotheslines on Bryce. Ortiz nailed a brainbuster on Donovan for a believable nearfall! Bryce hit a spinning slam for a believable nearfall at 11:00. Ortiz rolled up VSK for a flash pin at 11:58! VSK jumped to his feet and immediately stomped on Ortiz — no 30-second break between falls! VSK snapped Ortiz’s left arm in the ropes! Vinny hit a knee strike to the spine, but probably more on the damaged shoulder. The Verdict dragged Ortiz into their corner and kept beating him down.
Vecchio got a hot tag at 14:30, and he traded punches with Scalice, then he hit a flying shoulder tackle. Vecchio dove through the ropes onto both heels. He dragged VSK back in and hit a Chaos Theory (rolling German Suplex) for a believable nearfall. Ortiz went to the top rope, but Bryce pushed him to the floor! Bryce jumped in and hit a Black Hole Slam on Vecchio. Vinny hit a Cedric-style Lumber Check on Vecchio. Ortiz struck Bryce, but Bryce fell back onto Vecchio and pinned him at 16:38. It’s tied 1-1!
Bryce hit a chokeslam. Vecchio applied an ankle lock on VSK at 18:30. Bryce hit a pop-up powerbomb. Vinny hit a frog splash, and Bryce hit an elbow drop on Vecchio for a believable nearfall at 20:00. Donovan was livid, and he stalked Ref Gina. He pushed her! She pushed him hard in the chest, and Vecchio rolled him up for a believable nearfall! Vecchio hit a belly-to-belly suplex. Vecchio hit a Myron Reed-style flying stunner over the ropes to the floor!
In the ropes, the Boys hit a team Blockbuster for a believable nearfall on VSK! “HOW?” Crockett shouted. We got a “This is awesome!” chant. “I’m at a loss for words,” Jake Gray said. Sterling stood up and struck Vecchio with his arm brace! VSK immediately hit a piledriver along his back to pin Vecchio. “A miscarriage of justice!” Crockett shouted. That was a truly top-notch tag match, and the crowd was hot and into the whole thing.
“The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny Scalice defeated “The Shooter Boys” Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio, 2-1, at 22:31 (official time of 21:42).
Final Thoughts: I don’t go back and edit myself if I’m wrong on guessing how a match should play out — if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. The point being, I would have really been disappointed if we had a pinfall in the first eight or so minutes of the main event. The first fall happening roughly 12 minutes in makes sense. So, great action, but also smart planning for how this should play out.
A really top-notch show throughout. Bronson-King was really good for second, and Jack-DJ Powers takes third. I do love a good tournament, as we now know that Bronson, Oxx Adams, Eye Black Jack, and Corey Duke are in the quarterfinals. I’m intrigued to see who the other 10 men are in the tournament (as we know Orlando and Waller have the other two slots).
I went to a lot of MPW shows in the Minneapolis suburbs in the 2003-06 era, and they also had weekly shows. Erick Rowan was raw and green and not among the best workers there. (A teenage Chaz “Chad Gable” Betts was much better!) But Rowan made it WWE (and of course, he is a better worker now than then.) My point of this story is that Rowan made it to WWE because he just towered over everyone else — you can’t teach height; you either have it, or you don’t. Oxx Adams has the size that should get him noticed. He’s one of those guys who I wouldn’t say has “four-star indy matches,” but I could easily see him in a TNA ring, for example, just on his look alone.
If I had to come up with a complaint tonight, it’s that we didn’t have a women’s match, although Liviyah appeared to set up next week’s tag. I watched this live; it should be available on IWTV by Tuesday morning.
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