By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 72”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 19, 2026, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
The venue is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. The crowd was perhaps 125. Paul Crockett and Bobby Orlando provided commentary.
1. Devious Cass and Sal Mistretta vs. “Northern Thunder” London Lightning and Storm Ryder in a spotlight match. These two teams were both in “Tag Team Turmoil” in JCW in New Jersey on Sunday; the commentators incorrectly said it was the first time Sal and Cass had teamed. Cass worked over London and kept him grounded. Ryder finally got a hot tag, and he hit some German Suplexes on Cass, then a double clothesline at 5:00. Northern Thunder hit a team slam for the pin!
“Northern Thunder” London Lightning and Storm Ryder defeated Devious Cass and Sal Mistretta at 5:36.
* Paul Crockett and Bobby Orlando took over on commentary for the main show.
2. Marcus Mathers and Dustin Waller vs. “Star Struck” Anthony Greene and Channing Thomas. This easily could have been the main event. Dustin again carried his “Opportunity Knocks” contract to the ring. Marcus and Channing traded quick reversals at the bell. Greene entered and dropped Waller with a hard chop at 1:00, then a deep armdrag on Marcus. Marcus stomped on Channing and kept him grounded. Waller pulled Channing to the floor and brawled with him. Dustin pulled Greene off the apron at 4:30 so Anthony couldn’t tag in.
The heels continued to work over Channing and kept him in their corner. Greene finally got the hot tag, and he hit some back elbows, and he dropped Mathers. He flipped Dustin onto Marcus, then he hit a top-rope twisting crossbody block on Marcus at 6:00. Star Struck hit a team powerbomb on Waller for a nearfall, and that earned a “That was three!” chant. The heels hit some flying forearms on AG, and Marcus hit a Mule Kick. They called out Bobby Orlando on commentary. Dustin hit Orlando’s Athena-style flying stunner on Greene. However, AG got a quick rollup and pinned Dustin!
“Star Struck” Anthony Greene and Channing Thomas defeated Marcus Mathers and Dustin Waller at 7:51.
* Orlando left commentary to help save Star Struck from a post-match beatdown. Ryan O’Neill came out, too, which led to the next match.
3. Flyin’ Ryan O’Neill vs. Nick Robles. Clueless rocker Robles had his cowbell with him. They traded quick reversals on the mat. They got in a knuckle lock, and they joked that they look like each other. Crockett joked that Robles looks “like he went on tour with Poison in 1987.” Robles hit a Frankensteiner and a sliding forearm strike at 2:00. Robles planted his foot in Ryan’s throat and kept him grounded. He repeatedly slammed Ryan’s head into the turnbuckles and stayed in charge. Ryan fired up and hit a flying forearm at 6:00, then an enzuigiri and a Cleopatra stunner. He nailed the Swanton Bomb for the pin!
Flyin’ Ryan O’Neill defeated Nick Robles at 6:40.
4. Liviyah vs. Sammi Chaos. Sammi is taller and has a larger frame, and I recall she beat Liviyah in the women’s title tournament. They’ve met in the ring six times, with Sammi holding a 2-1 advantage in singles matches. Sammi hit some chops early on, and a sidewalk slam at 1:00. She backed Liv into a corner and hit some hard back elbows. Sammi hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 3:00.
Sammi blocked a sunset flip, and she hit a guillotine leg drop for a nearfall. Liv hit a shotgun dropkick, and she fired up, hitting a series of kicks to the gut in the corner. She came off the ropes at 5:00, but Sammi punched her on the way down. Sammi missed a second-rope frog splash. Liv immediately hit a DDT, then an awkward sunset flip bomb into the turnbuckles for the pin. (Sammi was really slow in going over on that move.) Solid match. So, their all-time series is tied 2-2.
Liviyah defeated Sammi Chaos at 6:00 even.
5. Rain Conway vs. Jermaine Marbury (w/Benny the Basketball). Jermaine and Benny were assaulted by Slade on Sunday in JCW. Standing switches to open, and Marbury tied up Rain’s left arm. Jermaine hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 2:30. Jermaine sold a twisted left ankle; Rain saw it and attacked the damaged ankle and twisted it. Rain dropped his butt and all his weight on the leg as it was in the ropes. Jermaine got up, but his ankle gave out, and he collapsed. Rain re-applied the ankle lock, but Marbury rolled free. Marbury got a flash rollup for the pin! Merely okay.
Jermaine Marbury defeated Rain Conway at 6:08.
* Rain beat up Marbury some more, and he reapplied the ankle lock.
6. Aaron Rourke vs. Jose Zamora. Jose came out first with his camera to record his life 24/7. Aaron is a beloved babyface here. He immediately dragged Zamora to the mat, and they traded some reversals. They got up and Jose pie-faced him, so Rourke hit some chops. Zamora rolled to the floor at 2:30. He grabbed his camera stand and kissed it. Back in the ring, Aaron hit a hard back elbow. Zamora snapped Aaron’s arm across the top rope, and he took control.
On the floor, Zamora whipped him into the ring post. In the ring, he hit a Fame-asser leg drop for a nearfall, as Rourke was selling the pain in his shoulder. Zamora hit a leaping neckbreaker for a nearfall at 5:00. Aaron hit a fallaway slam. Zamora hit a clothesline into the corner. Rourke hit a clothesline and a leg lariat, then a German Suplex at 6:30. He hit a Lethal Injection and a cartwheel-into-a-hard punch. He nailed the Molly-Go-Round top-rope somersault for the pin. Solid.
Aaron Rourke defeated Jose Zamora at 7:30.
* Anthony Vecchio, wearing sunglasses, white pants, and an unbuttoned white shirt (looking like he stepped off the set of a Miami Vice reboot), hit the ring and confronted Rourke! He asked the crowd to quiet down, “because I have something to say.” Of course, the fans loudly booed to drown him out. He noted that Rourke was “my trainer and my mentor.” He said he knew Rourke would become a superstar. He said Rourke still comes to Wrestling Open, “Because this is where the top talent wrestle.”
Vecchio proclaimed he’s just as good as Rourke. Actually… he’s better than Rourke! That got boos. He vented that the people “don’t believe in me.” Rourke said he was the only one there for Vecchio, and he lifted Anthony when he was down. Rourke was offended and got nose-to-nose with Vecchio. Rourke said he’s worked way too hard to be disrespected by “some ungrateful punk.” The crowd chanted, “We don’t like him!” Rourke challenged him to a match next week! This was a great promo by both men. Bravo to everyone involved in planning that.
* Bear Bronson issued an open challenge! Who is willing to step up to the plate? Bear came out first; this is the third straight night I’ve seen him wrestle. (Same with Marcus Mathers and Dustin Waller! The top talent have plenty of opportunities!) DJ Powers came out! The crowd drowned him out with their boos, too.
7. Wrestling Open Champion Bear Bronson vs. (mystery opponent) DJ Powers in a non-title match. DJ (again, think a young Johnny Morrison) is giving up a lot of weight and overall size. He tried a bodyslam at the bell, but he couldn’t budge Bear. DJ hit some chops. Bear hit a back-body drop. He clotheslined DJ to the floor at 2:00. Bear followed, and they brawled at ringside. Back in the ring, Bear slammed DJ’s head into the turnbuckles. DJ charged but crotched himself on the middle turnbuckle. DJ blocked a delayed vertical suplex, and he hit a DDT at 4:30. He stomped on Bear and kept him grounded.
Bear missed a butt drop. DJ hit some chops, but it only fired up Bronson! Bear peeled down the straps of his singlet, unloaded a forearm strike, and DJ collapsed. DJ hit a superkick and a snap suplex at 7:00, but Bear popped up and hit a clothesline. Powers hit a Claymore Kick. He got Bear across his shoulders and hit a Samoan Drop, then a frog splash for a nearfall! Powers hit more chops in the corner, but he couldn’t budge Bear on an Irish Whip attempt. DJ hit a Helluva Kick. Bear nailed an Irish Whip and a Black Hole Slam at 9:00. He nailed the Fire Thunder Driver (piledriver) for the pin! I liked that.
Wrestling Open Champion Bear Bronson defeated DJ Powers at 9:21 in a non-title match.
* The video of the prior tag team champions aired, notably including “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes.
8. Bobby Casale and Danny Miles vs. “The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny ‘VSK’ Scalice for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. No sign of “Smart” Mark Sterling. Casale and VSK opened, and Bobby dropped him with a shoulder tackle. Vinny hit some dropkicks. He tried a second-rope crossbody block, but Bobby caught him and hit a suplex at 1:30. Bobby backed him into a corner and hit a roundhouse kick. Bryce entered and stomped on Casale. The champs took turns striking Donovan in a corner.
All four brawled in the ring. Casale slammed Miles onto VSK, then Bobby hit a senton on VSK for a nearfall at 3:30. From the floor, Bryce reached in and punched Miles, allowing VSK to take control. Bryce entered and hit a bodyslam. VSK hit a slingshot senton for a nearfall at 6:00. Bryce hit a back suplex, and he tied up Danny’s left arm on the mat. Danny hit an enzuigiri, and they were both down. VSK jumped in and cut Miles off from tagging out at 8:00. Casale jumped in, but the ref forced him to exit. Vinny nailed a frog splash for a nearfall.
Danny hit a Canadian Destroyer! Bobby finally got a hot tag at 10:30, and he hit some punches on Bryce, then a flying back elbow, then a German Suplex! Casale hit a sit-out powerbomb on VSK for a nearfall. Bryce made a blind tag. Miles applied an ankle lock while Casale applied a Cobra Clutch sleeper! However, the heels escaped. Bryce hit a Black Hole Slam on Casale for a nearfall at 12:30. VSK hit a Dudebuster piledriver for a nearfall, but Miles made the save. Miles hit an Asai Moonsault onto both heels at 14:00. In the ring, Bobby hit a Dominator swinging slam. Miles hit a frog splash for a nearfall, but Bryce put Vinny’s foot on the ropes.
With the ref out of position, Bryce hit a low blow and a chokeslam on Bobby for a nearfall at 15:30. Bryce got in the ref’s face. Bryce charged, but he accidentally hit the ref! Vinny hit a running knee on Casale. Vinny grabbed the tag title belts and brought them into the ring. However, Star Struck hit the ring and brawled with them! Miles dove off the top rope onto The Verdict. In the ring, Greene accidentally struck Casale with a title belt! Bryce threw AG to the floor, and he covered the prone Casale for the pin! New champions!
“The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny ‘VSK’ Scalice defeated Bobby Casale and Danny Miles to win the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles at 17:55.
Final Thoughts: Another top-notch episode, as the Monday shows continue to shine bright. A very good main event, and I’m pleased with the title change. Bryce and VSK have carried the tag division for a while now, so it’s nice to see them get a title run. While it wasn’t as long as I hoped it would be, the Mathers/Waller tag match earned second. Bear-Powers was really good, and DJ got in more offense than I expected (a good thing!) and made that pretty competitive.
The Rourke-Vecchio segment was really good. Vecchio was on the verge of becoming Janetty to teammate Aaron Ortiz’s HBK. Give him credit — he changed up his whole look, turned heel, and had a compelling back-and-forth with Rourke. I loved everything about that exchange. Also, it was good to see Liviyah get a win back on Sammi Chaos. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV at some point Tuesday.
