By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 108”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
January 25, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
Wrestling Open started the “Jumbo Grand Prix” 24-man tournament two weeks ago, and it is continuing here. Wrestlers were put in three-man Blocks, so everyone has just two tournament matches, and the speed of victories will be a tiebreaker. Denver Colorado and Sidney Bakabella provided commentary. The crowd seems a bit larger this week and perhaps in the 300 range.
1. Ryan Clancy (2) defeated Love, Doug (0) in an E Block tournament match at 6:17. This was Clancy’s first tournament match. Doug threw flower petals at Clancy at the bell. He hit a dropkick at 2:00. Clancy hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall, then a diving European Uppercut for a nearfall. Doug hit his own top-rope crossbody block for a believable nearfall at 5:00. Doug went for a Sliced Bread but Clancy avoided it. Doug went for a Rebound Lariat, but Clancy hit him with a dropkick for the pin. Doug finishes 0-2 and is eliminated.
2. Brad Baylor (2) defeated Dan Barry (0) in an H Block tournament match at 5:36. This is Baylor’s first tournament match; he’s the teen who I say has the feathered hair and look of every 1980s teen movie villain. Barry is the aging veteran. Standing switches to open. Barry hit a dropkick at 2:00. Baylor hit a spinebuster and punches to Dan’s face. He hit a dropkick that sent Barry flying into the corner and he paused to do a Rick Rude-style hip swivel. This kid just gets it. Barry hit a Frankensteiner at 5:00. Baylor got a magistral cradle and grabbed a handful of trunks for the pin. Barry is 0-2 and eliminated.
3. Kylon King (2) defeated RJ Rude (0) in a G Block tournament match at 9:37. This is King’s first tournament match. A babyface matchup, and they traded mat reversals to open. Rude hit some chops in the corner. Kylon nailed a spinebuster for a nearfall at 2:30. Kylon missed a moonsault and crashed stomach-first on the mat. Rude hit a dropkick in the corner, then a rolling cannonball, then a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 4:30. Rude nailed a Go To Sleep kneestrike to the head for a believable nearfall! Kylon hit a Poison Rana and a tornado DDT, then a double-arm DDT for a nearfall.
Rude went for a Lionsault, but King caught him with a jumping knee to the chest, and they were both down at 7:30. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing. Kylon hit an enzuigiri; Rude hit some superkicks. Kylon hit a dive through the ropes onto Rude. Rude hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Kylon hit a piledriver out of nowhere for the pin. That was really good. At 0-2, Rude is eliminated. So far, we don’t have any cases where a tiebreaker will come into play.
4. Rex Lawless (2) defeated Gabriel Skye (0) in an F Block tournament match at 9:24. This is Lawless’ first tournament match. I always compare the muscular Rex to former wrestler Jaxon Ryker, and he’s significantly bigger than high-flyer Gabriel. Skye hit some quick kicks to the thighs and avoided tying up. Lawless caught him and hit some hard chops to the chest at 2:30, then a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. Skye hit a top-rope missile dropkick, sending Lawless to the floor to regroup.
Skye nailed a top-rope moonsault to the floor on Rex. In the ring, Skye hit a Meteora/top-rope flying double knees at 5:00, but he missed a top-rope doublestomp. Lawless threw Skye overhead, and he hit a running kick in the corner, then a hard spear for a believable nearfall. Lawless hit another hard kick in the corner, but he missed a rolling kick. Skye hit a Code Red for a nearfall at 7:30. Lawless did an Airplane Spin and got a nearfall. Lawless hit a top-rope sit-out powerbomb for the pin. At 0-2, Skye is eliminated; again, we haven’t had any cases where a tiebreaker is necessary.
* A video package showed Bobby Orlando beating teammate Bryce Donovan last week in a tournament match.
5. Bobby Orlando (4) defeated Channing Thomas (w/Sidney Bakabella) (2) in an A Block tournament match at 8:11. This is the final match in this Block with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. The bell rang but Orlando then grabbed the mic. He said it’s unfair that Channing has someone in his corner, so he called out a kid, perhaps age 7, to be in his corner. Basic reversals early on. Orlando hit a series of punches in the corner at 5:30. Channing stomped on Orlando and took control. Orlando went for a sunset flip but Thomas sat down on Bobby’s chest and leaned forward to grab Sidney’s hand for leverage. However the ref saw it. Orlando reversed the move with a rollup for the pin! I’m surprised, and Orlando is the first wrestler to qualify for the quarterfinals.
6. Tyree Taylor (2) defeated Dustin Waller (0) in a C Block tournament match at 9:40. This is Tyree’s first tournament match; I always describe him as Willie Mack-meets-Shane Taylor. No Brother Greatness at his side tonight. They jawed at the bell. Waller hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. He did a plancha to the floor but Tyree caught him and repeatedly slammed Dustin’s back on the apron, then on the ring post at 1:30, and Waller was down on the floor. In the ring, Tyree was in charge of the action. Sidney talked about how Tyree is “playing by the rules” without Brother Greatness on hand.
Waller got up and hit some slaps to the face at 5:30; Tyree hit a headbutt and a hard kick to the chest. Waller hit a jumping knee to the jaw, then a kneestrike in the corner. Tyree hit a uranage for a believable nearfall at 7:00. Waller hit a springboard flying forearm and some punches to the face. Waller hit the Mamba Splash frogsplash for a believable nearfall. Waller hit a huracanrana, then a Lethal Injection for a believable nearfall at 8:30. He hit a Buzzsaw Kick to the jaw and a superkick. Tyree hit a devastating sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Waller finishes 0-2 and is eliminated.
* Tyree got on the mic; it kept cutting out on him. He offered a handshake to Dustin, who cautiously accepted it. Waller left the ring. Tyree has a new mic and he talked about a match on Sunday against Mike Santana. He vowed he would beat Alec Price to win the Block and become the “new Northeast Beast.”
7. Gabby Forza (w/Kennedi Copeland) defeated Paris Van Dale (w/Shannon Levangie) via countout at 5:47. Paris spoke on the mic before the bell and she screeched at the fans to shut up. “Why couldn’t the mic have gone out now?” a commentator said. The powerhouse Gabby knocked Paris down with a shoulder tackle in the opening seconds. She hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall, then a Mark Henry Slam, but she missed a Vader Bomb. Paris immediately hit a DDT and took control. She hit a Bulldog for a nearfall at 3:00. Gabby countered with a fallaway slam. Gabby nailed the Vader Bomb for a nearfall. Paris hit a stunner. Gabby cut Paris in half with a hard spear; Shannon pulled PVD to the floor so she couldn’t be pinned. Paris made no effort to get back into the ring and was counted out. I liked this.
8. Dezmond Cole (4) defeated Ricky Smokes (2) in a B Block tournament match at 9:46. Both men are 1-0, so the winner will advance. Quick reversals early. I always describe Cole as a Ricochet clone, while Smokes is similar to Sammy Guevara. Cole missed a dive into the corner and hurt his shoulder; Smokes immediately targeted it and punched at the shoulder. Cole hit a Michinoku Driver at 5:30, then a rolling legdrop for a nearfall. Smokes hit a European Uppercut. Cole hit a spin kick to the head. Smokes hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall, and he switched to a crossface.
Smokes went for a spear, but Cole caught him and hit a gut-wrench standing powerbomb at 8:30. Nice spot! Smokes has a cut above one of his eyes and he’s bleeding a bit. Smokes hit a slam. Cole got a rollup, leaned backward for leverage, and scored the pin out of nowhere. Good match; Cole got the win but it wasn’t a decisive victory, either. Smokes immediately got a chair from under the ring and brought it in. He kept hitting Cole until Pedro Dones ran in for the save. With the win, Dezmond has advanced to the quarterfinals.
9. Jermaine Marbury (w/Benny the ball) and “Waves & Curls” Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan defeated TJ Crawford and “Brick City” Victor Chase and Julio Cruz via DQ at 10:03. Benny is the life-sized basketball mascot, and Marbury is dressed like a basketball player; he won a No. 1 contenders battle royal a few weeks ago. The heels jumped Marbury and W&C at the bell. They pulled the shorter Jaylen in the ring and began working him over. The babyfaces got Cruz in their corner and twisted his left arm. The heels regrouped on the floor. Marbury hit a top-rope splash to the floor on the three heels at 4:00, and the babyfaces were finally able to shoot off their confetti cannon.
In the ring, Cruz began stomping on Marbury. TJ hit a scoop bodyslam, and the heels made quick tags and kept Jermaine in their corner. Jordan made the hot tag at 7:00 and he hit some clotheslines; he pulled down his singlet straps and was fired up. He nailed a top-rope frogsplash for a believable nearfall. Cruz and Jordan traded mid-ring forearm strikes. Jordan hit a leg lariat on TJ. Cruz hit an Angle Slam on Jaylen. Benny the ball hopped on the ring apron and shoved Marbury off the top rope! He took the mask off, and it’s Brad Hollister! Hollister hopped in the ring and helped beat up the babyfaces, and our match ends in a DQ. It was then announced that Brad Hollister will defend his IWTV Heavyweight Title against Marbury on Feb. 1.
Final Thoughts: I love tournaments and this has been entertaining, and they definitely picked the ‘best of the best’ from the Northeast indy scene to be in it. The tournament continues next week. I presume we will have all six remaining round-robin matches next week, barring illness or injury. Cole-Smokes earns best match, narrowly ahead of Tyree-Waller. Rude vs. Kylon King was inspired and earned third place. A strong night of action, and this tournament is clicking for me.
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