By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 89”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
September 14, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
I have watched and reviewed a number of these shows in recent months, and it’s largely because they do such a great job in storytelling from show to show, while rotating a huge number of wrestlers. It always feels like you’ll never show up. The crowd is maybe 200, down a bit from last week’s big show. Alyssa Marino served as lead commentator, and I’ve always enjoyed her work. Brother greatness joined her on commentator for the bulk of the show, providing some heel talking points.
* As always, we open with a nice recap video package, showing us the ongoing war between Alec Price and Steven Stetson. Alex Coughlin hit the ring for our opening match. Brother Greatness and Tyree Taylor headed to the ring! BG started to talk but Coughlin grabbed the mic and said “get out of my ring.” Tyree attacked Coughlin from behind! Brother Greatness shoved Tyree to the back, as Tyree wanted to continue fighting. Coughlin sold a shoulder injury from the assault.
1. Alec Price defeated Alex Coughlin to retain the IWTV Heavyweight Title at 14:04. Coughlin beat Price not that long ago, so this is a huge rematch, with Price now as champion. This should be the main event and I’m stunned it’s on first, but now Coughlin’s ‘arm injury’ will give him an excuse for losing here. Coughlin was acknowledges as half of the New Japan Strong tag champs, but he didn’t have his belt on him.
The bell rang and Brother Greatness slid next to Alyssa at commentary. Standing switches and a feeling-out process to open. Coughlin hit a fallaway slam at 5:00 that sent Price rolling out of the ring and to the floor. They battled on the floor. As good of shape as Price is, he looks small compared to the muscular Coughlin. Coughlin hit a hard chop that popped the crowd.
Coughlin held Price upside down, walked up the ring steps to the apron, and tossed Price into the ring. Impressive strength. Coughlin tied Price up on the mat. Price nailed a clothesline, then a dive over the top rope at 8:30, then a springboard tornado DDT for a nearfall in the ring. Price hit his series of kneestrikes in the corner.
Coughlin nailed a standing powerbomb, then a Death Valley Driver for a believable nearfall at 10:30. Coughlin switched to a cross-armbreaker but Price got free. Coughlin hit a German Suplex for a nearfall, and he went back to a cross-armbreaker, then a hard short-arm clothesline. Coughlin hit a gutwrench suplex and went right back to the cross-armbreaker, with the crowd chanting “Don’t tap!”
Price stood up and hit a powerbomb to escape the cross-armbreaker at 13:00 and they were both down. Coughlin did a German Suplex but Price rotated mid-air and landed on his feet. Price immediately hit the Surprise Kick/step-up mule kick for the clean pin. That was really good and I will reiterate I’m shocked they opened with it. Price called Coughlin back into the ring and they shook hands.
2. Andy Brown defeated Vaughn Vertigo at 5:25. I’ve seen Vertigo a handful of times in Canada’s C*4 wrestling and he’s solid; he has heelish Adam Cole-style tendencies. Brown is the short, thick Black man. Alyssa said this is a first-time meeting. Vaughn hit some chops but they had little effect on the wide Brown. Brown nailed a spinebuster at 2:30. Vaughn nailed a Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Vertigo hit an enzuigiri. Vaughn hit a Swanton Bomb. However, Brown hit a standing powerbomb and a diving forearm strike to the jaw for the clean pin. Really good for the time given.
3. Ultra Violette defeated Rebecca Scott via count-out at 5:43. Violette is the lead female wrestler from New York-based House of Glory Wrestling, and she played up heelish tendencies as she walked to the ring. If I’ve seen Scott before, I don’t remember it; she has blonde hair but appears to be maybe 5’2″ and 120 pounds and I’ll compare her to Alexa Bliss. Standing switches to open. Rebecca tied up an arm but Violette just picked her up and slammed her to the mat. Violette leaned her against the ropes and hit a hard chop, then a running Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 2:00. They had an awkward exchange where it looked like Rebecca was going for a Canadian Destroyer; the crowd was forgiving.
Rebecca went for a mid-ring Octopus but Violette dropped her. Violette hit a spinning back fist and a German Suplex for a believable nearfall at 4:30. Rebecca hit a DDT and applied a cross-armbreaker, but Violette reached the ropes, and she rolled to the floor to regroup. Rebecca followed her to the floor and they brawled. Violette grabbed Rebecca by her hair and slammed her back-first to the hard wood floor! Violette rolled into the ring at the eight-count and got the win via countout. More competitive than I would have expected going in.
4. “The Prodigal Sons” Lucas Chase and Sammy Diaz Jr. (w/Brother Greatness, Tyree Taylor) defeated RJ Rude and Rex Lawless at 7:20. Rude is the guy who reminds me of a young, lanky, awkward Chuck Taylor, while Lawless reminds me of Jaxon Ryker. Diaz reminds me of Trey Miguel, and Chase reminds me of Angelo Dawkins-meets-Willie Mack. Rude and Diaz opened. The massive, muscular Lawless entered and dropped Diaz with a hard chop. Tyree Taylor hopped on the ring apron and hit a clothesline on Lawless, allowing the heels to jump on him and work him over. Rex finally hit a vertical suplex on Sammy at 4:00 but he couldn’t make the tag.
Diaz hit a dropkick on Rex for a nearfall. RJ finally made the hot tag at 5:30 and he hit a swinging neckbreaker on Lucas, then a fisherman’s suplex for a believable nearfall. RJ hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor on Tyree Taylor (and wiping out a fan, too). In the ring, the heels hit a team Blockbuster move out of nowhere to pin RJ Rude. Good match, and the hot new heel team rightfully won.
* Danny Miles came to the ring. Last week, Brett Ryan Gosselin turned on the Stetson Ranch and attacked Miles. He vowed he would sue BRG for breach of contract.
5. Tina San Antonio defeated Gabby Forza at 5:49. This is a rematch from just a few weeks ago, and they showed footage of Forza getting a rollup for the clean pin, only for Tina to attack her after the match. San Antonio is the veteran who reminds me of Medusa. Gabby has some strength and a bit of thickness, someone like Dani Luna or circa-2020-era Jordynne Grace. Forza hit an impressive gorilla press, slamming Tina to the mat. Tina hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt at 2:00.
Tina tied up Gabby on the mat. Tina came off the ropes, but Gabby got her knees up to block it, and they were both down at 4:00. Gabby hit a gutbuster over her knee, then a back suplex, then a hard clothesline in the corner and a fallaway slam for a nearfall. She hit a hard spear, but Tina rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned. Back in the ring, Tina got an eyepoke, then a rollup with her feet on the ropes for leverage for the tainted pin. Satisfying match.
6. Ryan Clancy and Dezmond Cole defeated Dante Drago and Percy Ryan at 6:34. Dezmond is the Ricochet clone and he’s really talented. Dezmond and mat-based technician Clancy just started teaming up. Seen Drago and Ryan just once before here; Drago has short black hair, while Percy is a male model gimmick with weird jewelry going around his chin and mouth. This should be a squash.
Clancy and Percy started and they took turns playing to the crowd. Clancy and Cole hit some team moves on the heels. Drago hit a discus clothesline on Clancy at 3:00, and the heels worked over Clancy. Dezmond made the hot tag at 5:30 and he cleared the ring. He hit a Falcon Arrow and a rolling legdrop, then a German Suplex. Clancy immediately hit a top-rope frogsplash for the pin. Solid match.
* Footage aired of the feud between Jersey meathead Ray Jaz and Pedro Dones. Last week, Jaz showed pictures to the crowd of him playing with Dones’ kids at a park. He has (storyline) been suspended for crossing the line by involving himself with Dones’ family. Pedro Dones then hit the ring. He talked about being a good dad; this isn’t a really good promo. He said there would be consequences for Ray Jaz for what he’s done.
* Footage aired of Channing Thomas becoming the No. 1 contender to Ichiban’s title. Foreshadowing Channing’s involvement in the next match?
7. Ichiban defeated Ted Goodz (w/Sidney Bakabella) at 4:56. Ichiban had a taped match on MLW at the same time he was competing here live. Goodz is far more muscular and thicker; think Robert Roode. Goodz slammed Ichiban face-first on the top turnbuckle at 1:00 and immediately took control. Bakabella tripped Ichiban when the ref was out of position. Ichiban hit a stunner, then a springboard back elbow at 4:00. They traded superkicks. Ichiban nailed a twisting brainbuster for the pin. Good but shockingly short.
* Goodz hit a Rude Awakening on Ichiban after the bell, as Bakabella urged him to keep up the assault.
8. “Waves & Curls” Traevon Jordan and Jaylen Brandyn defeated “Big Business” TJ Crawford and Brad Hollister in a semifinal tag tournament match at 15:45. With just one match a week, this tournament has lasted seemingly all summer. Crawford also was on MLW TV at this same time. W&C are essentially Private Party or the Street Profits and I like them. I always describe Hollister as Brian Cage-meets-Taz; he’s a short, thick powerhouse. The crowd was loudly behind Waves & Curls. Hollister and the shorter Jaylen opened with standing switches, and Jaylen did some hip gyrations that angered Hollister.
The taller Jordan entered at 1:30 and he worked over TJ. Hollister choked Jordan in the ropes and the heels took over. Brandyn made the hot at 6:00 and he hit a tornado DDT. Brandyn came off the top rope but Hollister caught him with a European Uppercut and got a nearfall. The heels now began working over Jaylen. TJ has blood on the top of his head and I presume that was hardway. Jordan made the hot tag at 10:30 and he hit some clotheslines. The commentators agreed that they didn’t see how TJ got cut. Jordan set up for a chokeslam but Crawford broke free. Brandyn hit a dive to the floor. In the ring, Jordan hit a frogsplash on Crawford for a believable nearfall at 12:00.
Jordan unloaded chops on both heels. Hollister hit a powerbomb for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Crawford got a chair but the ref blocked him. Meanwhile, Crawford ot a screwdriver and was going to hit one of W&C, but Dezmond Cole appeared at ringside and confiscated it! There was brawling on the floor between Cole and TJ and Jaylen. Meanwhile in the ring, Traevon got a rollup on a distracted Hollister for the clean pin! A very good match and a mild upset.
Final Thoughts: Two very strong matches to book-end the show. I’ll narrowly give best match to main event because I felt it could go either way, and I really expected Big Business was winning. Alec Price-Alex Coughlin was very good for second place. I’ve written this before, but I enjoy these Thursday night shows, as it seems like a weekly party atmosphere in this venue.
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