By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Wrestling Open “Episode 151”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
November 21, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
Last week’s episode 150 was the biggest, and arguably the best, show in the two-year history of Wrestling Open, as they had a sold-out crowd and seven wrestlers involved who are now “WWE ID prospects.” Paul Crockett, ref Scott Robinson and Dustin Waller all provided commentary over the course of the show. It appears we’re maybe 150-200 fans tonight, perhaps slightly fewer than normal.
1. Love, Doug vs. Armani Kayos in a spotlight match. Promoter Drew Cordeiro has really spoken highly of Kayos in some recent events. Kayos hit some quick swats to the butt that angered Doug. He tied Doug in a modified Tarantula at 1:30. Robinson and Waller talked about all the WWE ID prospects on this show. Doug came off the ropes but Kayos caught him with a kick to the face at 5:00. Kayos nailed a flying buttbump to the jaw for a believable nearfall. He missed a double-jump moonsault. Doug nailed the Rebound Lariat out of the ropes for the clean pin. Decent start to the show.
Love, Doug defeated Armani Kayos at 6:25.
* The main show began with a number of quick interviews. Rex Lawless told RJ Rude there won’t be any more Tik Tok stars popping up. Jermaine Marbury and Dezmond Cole are ready for Bryce Donovan and Jerial Rivera.
2. DJ Powers vs. Pedro Dones. Powers is the cocky teen I’ve compared to NXT’s Kale Dixon and I’m a big fan. DJ attacked as Dones jumped in the ring, and he stomped on him and kept him grounded. He hit a standing neckbreaker at 4:00 and jawed at the fans. Dones fired up and hit a clothesline and they were both down. Dones blocked a sunset flip, sat down and leaned forward for leverage, and scored the pin! Good match; I actually expected Powers to win here.
Pedro Dones defeated DJ Powers at 6:45
* Backstage, Bryce Donovan stood over a knocked-out Stanley Dragowski. Back to the venue, we are told the assault happened earlier in the day, and Stanley has been taken to an area hospital.
3. Bryce Donovan vs. Jaylen Brandyn. Bryce is the first WWE ID prospect tonight, and he towers over the shorter Waves and Curls member Brandyn. No sign of Traevon Jordan here. (Does he ever get sick of listening to Whitney Houston?) Donovan easily shoved Brandyn to the mat at the bell. He hit a snake-eyes for a nearfall at 2:00. The crowd was all over Donovan with a “Bryce, you suck!” chant. Bryce hit a bodyslam for a nearfall and this has been all-Donovan so far. Jaylen escaped a chokeslam attempt and he snapped Bryce’s leg across the top rope. Jaylen hit a flying forearm at 5:00. Bryce was selling pain in his leg, and Jaylen hit some spin kicks to the left thigh, then a dropkick on the knee. Jaylen hit a springboard clothesline for a nearfall. Donovan nailed the Black Hole Slam, then a Death Valley Driver for the pin. Good action.
Bryce Donovan defeated Jaylen Brandyn at 6:26.
* Smart Mark Sterling hopped in the ring and asked Bryce what he did to Stanley Drakowski. Bryce claimed innocence and said he found him down. Sterling asked about Bryce’s “mysterious benefactor,” and he said the entire locker room is mad at him. Bryce made a challenge for two weeks away of him and Jerial Rivera vs. Dezmond Cole and Jermaine Marbury. Donovan said his sponsor will be in the building! He was so cocky, he said if he loses that match, he’ll give up his sponsorship! He grabbed Sterling by the throat, but Dezmond ran in to make the save!
4. RJ Rude (w/Rex Lawless) vs. Dezmond Cole. Rude sang Maroon 5’s “This Love” on his way to the ring. The announcers weren’t even sure if RJ or Rex were wrestling here. Quick lucha-style reversals at the bell. Dezmond went for a stunner but Rude blocked it. Rex was flexing on the floor and ignoring the action. Cole hit a split-legged stunner, then a Lionsault Press for a nearfall at 2:00. Rude hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. He got on the mic and sang a bit. Cole hit a flying forearm and a bodyslam at 5:30 and was fired up. He hit his rolling guillotine legdrop for a nearfall, then a German Suplex. He went for the Swanton Bomb but Rude got his knees up. Rude nailed a pop-up kneestrike for a believable nearfall. Cole nailed a Poison Rana, then he hit an impressive Swanton Bomb for the pin. That was good stuff. Robinson said that might have been the most air Cole has ever gotten on a Swanton Bomb.
Dezmond Cole defeated RJ Rude at 8:01.
* A clip aired of last week’s show, with Aaron Rourke being handed his WWE ID contract. I wrote this last week… but if he knew before this moment… what an actor because he sold it like it was the best moment of his life.
5. Tiara James (w/Paris Van Dale) vs. Gabby Forza. Robinson noted this is a rematch from early October with Gabby winning. Paris is in a nice, black dress, not wrestling gear. Gabby easily knocked the smaller Tiara down. She picked Tiara up and slammed her to the mat, so Tiara rolled to the floor to regroup. Paris hopped on the apron to distract Gabby, and it allowed Tiara to yank Gabby to the mat. Tiara hit a clothesline into the corner at 3:00 and a bulldog for a nearfall. She hit a missile dropkick for another nearfall. Gabby hita fallaways slam and the Vader Bomb for a nearfall at 6:00. Tiara hit a Lungblower to the back for a believable nearfall, and she jawed at the female ref. However, it allowed Gabby to hit the spear for the pin. “Her arrogance cost her,” Crockett said.
Gabby Forza defeated Tiara James at 6:51.
* Gabby got on the mic and she called out Allie Katch. (Why is this feud still going?) Allie came out, sporting a new redhead look, and she was holding Gabby’s golden gnome. Gabby wants a rematch. Allie wonder what is in it for her. It sounds like we’ll get a rematch, but Allie is holding onto what will be her demand for Gabby to get the match.
* We saw “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes backstage and they had a lottery hopper. Sunshine Machine from the UK were ‘randomly picked’ to get a title shot. (Hey, I really like this! Just earlier today I questioned why a debuting team is getting a title shot. So, this gives us a good answer for that. They won it in a lottery.) I will reiterate that Baylor and Smokes both are now WWE ID prospects. Back to the venue, SR came out first and they boasted about how easy it was for them to win those titles, and that they are the first-ever tag team to get an ID contract.
6. “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. “Sunshine Machine” Chuck Mambo and TK Cooper for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. I’ve seen Sunshine Machine a few times on UK shows and they are a semi-serious team; I would say Mambo is similar to Bobby Orlando or Colt Cabana as a good wrestler who likes to have some comedy in his matches. Baylor and Cooper opened. Crockett said SM just arrived in the U.S. earlier in the day. Smokes hit a vertical suplex on Mambo at 4:00, and SR worked over Mambo. Baylor hit a bodyslam at 6:30. Cooper got in and hit a flipping axe kick, then a wheelbarrow German Suplex for a nearfall. Baylor clotheslined Cooper to the floor. He hit the Super Swipe (swinging uranage) and pinned Mambo. Good action but much shorter than expected. Crockett said the jet lag was just too much for SM to overcome.
“Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes defeated “Sunshine Machine” Chuck Mambo and TK Cooper to retain the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles at 8:41.
* SR continued a post-match beat-down. Dustin Waller ran to the ring to chase off the heels. Dustin got on the mic and taunted Swipe Right, saying they aren’t acting like champions.
7. Dustin Waller vs. Nick Robles. Robles is the clueless rocker and he once again has the cowbell. Crockett said Robles is unhinged and has lost his mind. Waller ducked being hit by the cowbell. Waller hit a plancha to the floor at 1:30. Robles hit a roundhouse kick to the head and a clothesline for a nearfall. Waller hit a kick to the sternum, a DDT and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 4:30. He hit a springboard clothesline and the Lethal Injection for the pin. Good action for the time given, but the winner was never in doubt.
Dustin Waller defeated Nick Robles at 4:54.
Next week features champion Brad Baylor and TJ Crawford and Love, Doug vs. Pedro Dones and “The Mane Event’ Jay Lyon and Midas Black. Robinson noted it’s been a long time since The Mane Event have been here.
8. Julius Draeger vs. CPA. Draeger is the recent graduate who has a similar look and gimmick to NXT-era Simon Gotch. A big pop for the beloved CPA, so we have the serious guy versus the lovable goofball. CPA hit a dropkick and peeled off a button-down shirt. He came off the ropes but Draeger caught him with an uppercut. Draeger stomped on CPA and kept him grounded, and he hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 2:00, and he jawed at the fans. CPA went for the 1099 (comedy 619) but Draeger caught his legs and hit a side slam. Draeger applied a Camel Clutch. CPA hit a Polish Hammer and a stunner. This time CPA hit the 1099. CPA peeled off another shirt and hit a top-rope missile dropkick for the pin. Acceptable action but the winner was never in doubt; perhaps this should have been the main show opener, not this late in the card.
CPA defeated Julius Draeger at 4:54. (Yes, I clocked two consecutive matches at the same length!)
9. Aaron Rourke and Joe Ocasio vs. Alec Price and Ray Jaz. Last week, Ocasio stole the keys to Jaz’s beach house. Ray came out first and tried to speak on the mic but he was being drowned out by the fans. Price and Rourke opened and traded good reversals. Rourke hit an Eat D’Feat at 1:30. Jaz tagged in, so Ocasio also got in and they traded punches. Joe hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall. The heels began working over Joe in their corner and kept him grounded. Ocasio nailed a Spider German Suplex out of the corner on Price and they were both down at 7:00. Rourke got the hot tag and hit a shotgun dropkick on Jaz.
Rourke hit a Helluva Kick on Jaz, then a running buttbump in the corner, then a Blue Thunder Bomb. Jaz suplexed Rourke into the corner. Price got back in and hit a snap suplex on Rourke at 9:00 and a basement dropkick to the back. Jaz hit a running kneelift on Rourke, as the heels now extensively worked over Aaron. Price kicked Ocasio off the ring apron so he couldn’t tag in. Jaz hit a back suplex on Rourke for a nearfall at 12:00. Price and Jaz each hit running kicks in the corner on Rourke. Price accidentally hit his Emergency legdrop on Jaz! Rourke hit a uranage.
Ocasio got the hot tag and hit clotheslines on each of the heels, then Stinger Splashes. He suplexed Price onto Jaz. Rourke hit a top-rope Meteora on Price, then a flip-dive from the apron to the floor. Ocasio dove over the top rope onto all three! The commentators (and me!) were shocked he hit that. In the ring, Jaz went for a backslide, but Ocasio blocked it, got an inside cradle, and scored the pin! The heels continued a post-match beatdown as the show faded to black.
Joe Ocasio and Aaron Rourke defeated Alec Price and Ray Jaz at 16:00 even.
Final Thoughts: An entertaining show. Price and Rourke predictably meshed well and that was a good main event tag match to earn best of the night. While it was shorter than I would have preferred, Swipe Right vs. Sunshine Machine takes second, and a good Rude-Dezmond match takes third. This promotion continues to be on a roll, and the high number of WWE ID wrestlers popping up here shows it’s the place to be seen and get noticed.
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