By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open “Episode 249”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 8, 2026, in Worcester, Massachusetts, at The White Eagle
The lighting is good, and it’s easy to see. The crowd was maybe 125; seriously, more than half this crowd arrived after the first two matches. (I just don’t understand the late-arriving fans!) Scott Robinson, Bobby Casale, and “Handyman” Jake Gray provided commentary.
* As of midday, only three matches had been announced in advance.
1. Will Kiedis vs. Gabriel Skye in a spotlight match. The Australian star Kiedis has been here before, and the crowd immediately taunted him with the “Addams Family” theme song. It’s been a while since Skye has been here, too! Standing switches to open; they are roughly both 5’9″. Skye hit a huracanrana and a springboard crossbody block. Kiedis hit a Buckle Bomb at 2:30, then a backbreaker over his knee, and he was in charge. Kiedis hit a jumping knee to the collarbone for a nearfall at 4:00. Skye hit a flying spin kick and a standing powerbomb, and he immediately applied a “Spirit Breaker” (Texas Cloverleaf), and Kiedis tapped out. Solid.
Gabriel Skye defeated Will Kiedis at 5:44.
* The main show started with a note about the death of Jeff “Cannonball” Guerriero on Thursday morning. I believe he was 39. He died of ALS. He had a brief run in MLW and only became sick maybe two years ago. My condolences to all his family and those who knew him.
2. Julius Draeger vs. Bobby Casale. Draeger still reminds me of former Vaudevillain Simon Gotch, and he’s been absent here for months. Casale wore his Wrestling Open Tag Team Title. Standing switches to open. Bobby hit a gutwrench suplex at 2:00. Bobby backed him into a corner and hit some roundhouse kicks, but he missed a senton at 4:00.
Draeger threw him shoulder-first into the corner and hit a swinging suplex and a flying elbow drop for a nearfall. Casale fired up and hit some more roundhouse kicks and an Exploder Suplex, then a Facewash kick in the corner at 6:00, then a Bulldog Powerslam and a Dominator swinging faceplant for the pin. I enjoyed that.
Bobby Casale defeated Julius Draeger at 6:28.
* Casale picked up the mic, but before he could say a word, Kylon King hit the ring. Kylon was not dressed to wrestle. They jawed at each other. Kylon will get Dustin Waller, as they want another tag title shot!
3. Allie Katch vs. Katrina Creed in a No. 1 contender’s match. Neither has been here in months — why is either of them getting a No. 1 contender’s shot? (It’s a night of returns!) Creed has blood-red, dyed hair; she’s Canadian, and she’s a bit scary. Robinson talked about Katch’s recovery from her broken leg in GCW in January 2025; she returned last November. Katch applied a headlock, and they traded basic offense early on.
Katrina hit a suplex at 2:30 and earned boos. Allie hit her running buttbump into the corner, then her rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 5:00. Allie threw her to the mat and hit a senton for a nearfall. Creed hit a second-rope spear for a nearfall at 7:30, and she argued with the ref. Allie hit her sit-out piledriver for the pin. Allie got on the mic and said Kylie Alexa had to cheat to beat her in the women’s tournament. She’s cashing in her title shot next week on the big episode 250! The crowd chanted, “New champ!”
Allie Katch defeated Katrina Creed to become the No. 1 contender at 8:12.
* Bobby Casale replaced Jake Gray on commentary.
4. “Big Business” Brad Hollister and Love, Doug vs. “Brick City” Julio Cruz and Victor Chase. Former teammates collide! Big Business came out first, but Brick City attacked! They brawled on the floor, and I started the stopwatch at first contact. They got in the ring, and we got a bell at 00:54. Hollister hit a sidewalk slam on Cruz. Doug threw Victor into their corner and hit some punches to the ribs. Julio hit a German Suplex on Doug at 5:00, and the heels began working over Doug in their corner. Victor slammed him to the mat at 7:00.
Hollister got a hot tag, and he hit a German Suplex on Cruz, then one on Chase, and he was fired up. Brad hit a buttbump on Cruz in the corner, then a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall at 8:30. Brad hit a spear on Cruz, and he nailed the Tornado Jackhammer for a believable nearfall. However, Chase got in the ring and hit Brad with an actual brick! The ref saw this and called for the bell. Loud boos for that.
“Big Business” Brad Hollister and Love, Doug defeated “Brick City” Julio Cruz and Victor Chase via DQ at 9:52/official time of 8:58.
* Brick City went under the ring and got scissors! Julio cut off some of Doug’s mullet! “What an insult by Brick City!” Robinson said. The heels scampered to the back. Doug stood up, and he challenged Brick City to a “hair vs. hair, mullet vs. mullet match” next week!
5. Peter Gianni vs. Tiny Giant in a Discovery Gauntlet match. Tiny Giant wore yellow trunks and a yellow mask. Tiny Giant hit some armdrags; despite the name, he seems to be near-average size. (He’s maybe 5’7″ — not terribly short!) He hit a dropkick. Gianni hit a stunner over the top rope at 1:30 and a double stomp to the back. Gianni hit a suplex for a nearfall. Tiny Giant hit an enzuigiri. He hit a variety of kicks and a basement dropkick and got a nearfall at 5:00. Gianni hit a brainbuster for a believable nearfall. Tiny Giant hit a powerbomb for the pin! I didn’t expect that!
Tiny Giant defeated Peter Gianni at 6:32 to advance in the Discovery Gauntlet.
6. Paris Van Dale and “The Breadwinners” Cash McGuiness and Patrick Wheatman (w/23 Hazard) vs. Nessa Ferrari and “The Vibe” Sammy Diaz and Mani Ariez. It took forever for this one to get started, as the Breadwinners were dancing in the crowd and flirting. They are such dorks. We finally got the bell, and the women opened. Nessa hit a dropkick and a cartwheel-into-a-splash for a nearfall! Nice! Sammy entered and hit a deep armdrag on Cash at 1:30. Mani flipped Sammy onto Cash, then he flipped Nessa onto Cash.
Mani hit a sidewalk slam on Wheatman at 3:00. From the floor, 23 Hazard reached in the ring and struck Sammy at 5:00! The heels immediately pushed Diaz into their corner and worked him over. Paris covered Sammy for a nearfall. Sammy finally hit a double blockbuster on the Breadwinners at 7:00. Mani got the hot tag, and he hit some clotheslines on Wheatman, then a back-body drop. Mani hit a rebound lariat, and he was fired up! Sammy hit a powerslam and a moonsault on Patrick for a nearfall, but Cash made the save.
Paris jumped in, and she slapped Mani twice! She dared him to hit her. Mani instead tagged in Nessa at 9:00. Ferrari hit some clotheslines and a second-rope flying Meteora. 23 Hazard and the Breadwinners attacked Mani on the floor. Diaz hit a top-rope splash onto all the guys on the floor. Ferrari was alone in the ring. Peter Gianni jumped in the ring and hit a superkick on Nessa! Paris covered the prone Ferrari for the tainted pin. Decent action.
Paris Van Dale and “The Breadwinners” Cash McGuiness and Patrick Wheatman defeated Nessa Ferrari and “The Vibe” Sammy Diaz and Mani Ariez at 10:02.
7. Don Freeze vs. Jose Zamora. Basic reversals early on. Freeze is hefty, but he showed off his agility and athleticism, and he did a handspring before hitting an Atomic Drop. Zamora rolled to the floor at 2:00 to regroup, and he played with his camera. Back in the ring, Freeze hit a dropkick and kipped up. Zamora took control and hit some stomps, then a splash into the corner at 4:00 and a Fameasser for a nearfall.
Zamora went for a huracanrana, but Freeze caught him and hit a powerbomb! He hit a Blue Thunder Bomb at 6:00, but he missed a second-rope corkscrew moonsault. Freeze hit a modified Jackhammer! He hit a springboard frog splash for the pin! An impressive night for Freeze.
Don Freeze defeated Jose Zamora at 6:59.
* We know that Bear Bronson and TJ Crawford are in the main event, but their tag partners are a surprise. I’m fairly certain that Gabby Forza is still on a tour in Europe. TJ came out first. Rain Conway came out, and the crowd booed. He volunteered to team with TJ, “because I got that dog in me!” Bronson came out solo, holding his Wrestling Open Title belt. He has selected Ichiban!
8. Bear Bronson and Ichiban vs. TJ Crawford and Rain Conway. TJ and Ichiban opened and traded standing switches. Conway and Bear got in at 2:00. Rain chopped him but hurt his own hand. Bronson threw him into the corner and hit a hard chop at 3:30 that dropped Conway. Bear and Ichiban backed the heels into opposite corners and hit some punches. Ichiban hit a springboard crossbody block on Rain for a nearfall at 6:00, and he argued with the ref. Ichiban hit some jab punches on TJ. Ichiban fell through the ropes to the floor. The heels pushed him back in and worked Ichiban over in their corner.
Rain choked Ichiban in the ropes, and he was booed. TJ applied an abdominal stretch, and he grabbed Conway’s hand for added leverage. Bear entered at 10:00 and hit some clotheslines. He hit a butt drop onto Rain’s sternum, then a Bulldog Powerslam; he went for the cover, but he apparently is not the legal man! Ichiban hit a top-rope double missile dropkick on the heels, then a dropkick into the corner. Bear hit a Black Hole Slam on Crawford for a nearfall at 12:00. TJ hit a Dragon Suplex on Bronson!
Rain hit a gutwrench suplex on Bronson, and that popped the commentators. Crawford flipped Ichiban, with Rain grabbing Ichiban and hitting a powerbomb for a nearfall! Nice! Ichiban hit a 619 on Conway! TJ put Ichiban across his shoulders and spun him to the mat. Bear hit a clothesline and a Choke Bomb! Bear pulled down his straps, and he chopped TJ; TJ fired back with some roundhouse kicks at 15:00. Conway avoided the Ichiban Kai, and he punched Ichiban in the kidneys. Ichiban hit the Ichiban Kai (leaping Flatliner) for the pin!
Ichiban and Bear Bronson defeated TJ Crawford and Rain Conway at 15:57.
* TJ immediately attacked Bronson after the bell. “Handyman” Jake Gray ran in and hit a shotgun dropkick on Crawford, who scampered to the back.
Final Thoughts: A really good main event. I’ve written this a few times recently, but Ichiban comes across as a comedy wrestler, and he’s so talented. Rain has come along nicely in recent months, and he hit some impressive power moves on Bronson. If an IWTV viewer has time for only one match, make it the main event. While nothing else was really a standout, it’s nice to see the returns of Katrina Creed, Allie Katch and Gabriel Skye. Casale and Ferrari continue to impress for being so new to the business.
I’m still not sold on the Breadwinners — I still would rather see them get demolished week in, week out, but be oblivious to how bad it’s going for them and keep coming back. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by mid-day Friday.
A good showing for Tiny Giant in his debut here. He has a decent physique, and again, he’s not terribly short, either.
