By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, Impact Wrestling, MLW, ROH, GCW, and other notable live events. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
Wrestling Open “Episode 95 – Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 26, 2023 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness are back on commentary. We have a good crowd closer to 300 tonight. In a rarity, I’ve seen every wrestler on this show at least once before.
* As always, the show opened with a nice video package of recent matches and angles. Seriously, this promotion does a great job with short- and long-term storytelling.
1. Brad Baylor defeated Dustin Waller at 5:49. Their tag team partners are banned from ringside; we’ll see how long that lasts! Teenager Baylor has turned into a fine heel. Waller hit a plancha to the floor at 1:30, then a slingshot senton into the ring. Baylor got an eye poke and a clothesline for a nearfall, and he took over. He hit a powerslam for a nearfall, then a shotgun dropkick. Waller hit a DDT at 4:30, then a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. Baylor slammed Waller’s head on the bottom turnbuckle and rolled him up for the pin out of nowhere. Good while it lasted.
2. Mortar defeated Gary Jay at 3:19. Gary Jay is a wild-haired aging redhead from the St. Louis area; think a red-haired Luke Harper. Mortar is the Rhino clone. They traded chops and blows, and Gary is several inches taller but they probably are similar weight. Mortar hit a springboard crossbody block at 2:30, then a Lionsault. Jay fired back with a pop-up kneestrike. Mortar hit an F5 slam for the pin. Solid for the time given.
* A clip aired of Ray Jaz, who had ‘posed’ for photos with Pedro Dones‘ children. I don’t care one iota about this feud. I get it; Jaz is messing around with Dones’ family, but I just don’t care. Dones hit the ring in his street clothes. Jaz then came to the ring, wearing pants but no shirt. Dones wants another match; Jaz is indifferent. Dones said if he can’t beat Jaz, “I swear I will never come back to the White Eagle. That’s how much I hate you.” So, Jaz agreed to a match. They will have a “Thanksgiving night street fight.”
3. “Shook Crew” Bobby Orlando and Bryce Donovan defeated Percy Ryan and CPA at 6:53. Percy, the male model with the weird jewelry that goes over his chin and cheeks, came out first and gave a heel promo. He said he’s had a rough couple of weeks, especially because he has a pimple. He’s “hired” a new teammate. Out came CPA? That’s an unexpected pairing. The crowd loves CPA’s antics. Orlando is the dork with his stupid stuffed goat. Donovan deserves better. Orlando and CPA opened; they have the same sophomoric humor. (I am amused by CPA and annoyed by Orlando. I won’t bother trying to explain it.) Donovan, who is listed as 6’4″, beat up the smaller Percy. Percy and CPA beat down Donovan. Bryce hit a chokeslam for a nearfall at 5:30. CPA hit a dropkick; he began to remove one button-down shirt but Percy stopped him. Orlando rolled up CPA for the pin. That was ugly.
4. Tyree Taylor (w/Brother Greatness) defeated Dan Barry at 11:06. Tyree reminds me of Shane Taylor, not just in his thickness, but even his ring gear with “Taylor” written down the side of the leg. Barry is the aging, silver-haired veteran from the Northeast. Tyree backed him into a corner and hit a series of body blows. Tyree hit a uranage at 2:00. He hit a backbreaker over his knee and a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall, and he choked Barry in the ropes. Tyree went for a splash on the ring apron but Barry moved. Barry dove through the ropes onto Tyree at 6:00. Barry then did a flip dive over the ropes onto Tyree. Barry hit a slingshot senton for a nearfall. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Barry put Tyree on his shoulders and dropped him stomach-first for a nearfall at 9:30. Barry missed a Swanton. Tyree nailed a discus clothesline, then a sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Okay; at least the right man went over.
5. “Brick City Boys” J Cruz and Victor Chase (w/Brad Hollister) defeated Dezmond Cole and Ryan Clancy at 7:46. Cole and Chase opened. Cole and Clancy clotheslined Cruz to the floor. Chase hit a powerbomb on Clancy at 2:30, and the BCB began working Clancy over. Clancy finally hit a DDT and made the hot tag at 5:00. Cole hit a stunner on Cruz, then a Lionsault Press. Clancy hit a German Suplex. Hollister tripped Dezmond at 7:30, so the ref kicked out Hollister. However, Cruz hit Dezmond in the head with a weapon (maybe a brick?) to score the cheap pin. Just so-so.
* A video package aired, showing Little Mean Kathleen turning on Love Doug at their wedding, and how Doug has fallen into despair.
6. Landon Hale defeted Joe Ocasio at 8:18, with Love Doug as special referee. Doug came out first and he was moping. An intense lockup to open. Hale hit a second-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Ocasio hit an Electric Chair drop. Ocasio put Hale across his back and dropped to his knees at 3:30, causing a backbreaker. Hale hit a springboard clothesline to the back of the head for a nearfall. Hale hit a Lethal Injection at 5:30. Ocasio suplexed Landon into the corner. Ocasio hit a German Release Suplex, then a diving forearm for a nearfall, but Hale grabbed the bottom rope. Ocasio jawed at Doug, thinking he should have won. Doug wound up hitting a rebound clothesline on Ocasio. Hale hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash fo the pin. That was fun and best of the show so far. Doug and Landon hugged after the match.
* We went to a video of Brett Ryan Gosselin turning on the Stetson Ranch. Hammer Tunis has replaced BRG in the heel faction.
7. “Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson, Danny Miles, and Hammer Tunis defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin and “Waves & Curls” Jaylen Brandon and Traevon Jordan at 8:21. I’ve written it before, but BRG reminds me of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter. W&C are essentially Private Party or the Street Profits. BRG and Miles opened, with Gosselin hitting a running knee. Stetson pulled Brandon to the floor and slammed him back-first against the ring. Tunis is in and he’s bleeding from the mouth; I didn’t see what caused that. The heels worked over the smaller Jaylen in their corner. Stetson bodyslammed him at 3:30. Traevon got the hot tag and he cleared the ring. BRG got in and hit a backbody drop, then a short-arm clothesline on Miles. Jaylen hit a dropkick. Hammer hit an inverted DDT. BRG hit a stunner on Stetson. Miles got a rollup with a handful of tights to pin Gosselin out of nowhere.
8. Ichiban defeated TJ Crawford to retain the Wrestling Open Title at 13:50. Both of these guys have been appearing on MLW TV of late. An intense lockup to open and this has a ‘big match feel’ to it. They traded deep armdrags and had a standoff at 3:00. Ichiban hit a top-rope flying knife-edge chop. Crawford dropped Ichiban ‘snake-eyes’ on the top turnbuckle at 5:30 and he was in charge. Ichiban fired up and hit a series of chops and forearms, then a backbody drop. TJ hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 7:30. TJ missed a second-rope elbow drop. Ichiban hit a dropkick at 9:30, then a tornado DDT. They traded chops while on their knees. TJ hit a Blue Thunder Bomb but Ichiban immediately kicked out. TJ came off the top rope, but Ichiban caught him with his leaping Flatliner faceplant for the pin. Good match.
* Hollister came to the ring, in his suit. He wants another title shot against Ichiban. They will meet Nov. 30 for “Wrestling Open Episode 100.”
Final Thoughts: A mediocre episode that looked better on paper than it played out. The main event earns best match and it was good, but it wasn’t great. I’ll give Landon-Ocasio second best, and even though it was short, Baylor-Walleer takes third place. However, I had higher hopes for Clancy/Dezmond-BCB. Dezmond is a Ricochet clone and an excellent high-flyer, but if this was the first time you had seen him, you wouldn’t know he’s anything special. Tyree-Barry was too long; Taylor should have squashed him like a bug. And the Orlando/Donovan-Percy/GPA match was flat-out bad. Once again, the glaring flaw was no women’s matches. There are plenty of quality female wrestlers in the Northeast and they should be able to put together some matches.
Be the first to comment