By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 14”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
July 7, 2025, in Cranston, Rhode Island at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
Wrestling Open is continuing its Thursday shows in Worcester, Mass, while adding these Monday events, so they are planning to run two shows a week indefinitely. This is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. Paul Crockett, Anthony Greene, Love Doug, and TJ Crawford all provided commentary over the course of the show. The crowd was maybe 100; it’s down a bit from last week.
1. JGeorge vs. “Handyman” Jake Gray in a spotlight match. This is already Gray’s 100th-ever wrestling match. This also feels like JGeorge’s 100th spotlight match (I kid!). TJ Crawford and Love Doug provided commentary on this one. JGeorge hit a Gory Bomb, and he stomped on Gray. He tied up Gray’s legs and applied a bow and arrow. Gray hit a huracanrana. Gray fired up and hit some clotheslines and a Sling Blade clothesline, then a shotgun dropkick. He hit a Trust Fall (Coffin Drop) for the pin. Okay match.
“Handyman” Jake Gray defeated JGeorge at 5:19.
* Crockett and Greene took over commentary for the main show.
2. “VSK” Vinny Scalice and “Smart” Mark Sterling vs. “The Shooter Boys” Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio. Vecchio and Sterling opened, and Mark immediately complained that his hair was pulled. (I love family-friendly shows! A young kid in the front row told the ref that no cheating occurred!) Vecchio tied up Scalice’s left leg. VSK hit a dropkick at 2:00 and some chops on the kid. The Shooter Boys did a team hip toss on Sterling. Ortiz got in and he did some amateur-style takedowns on VSK. The SB then hit a team back-body drop on Sterling at 4:30.
VSK began working over Vecchio and kept him grounded. Vecchio hit a German Suplex on Sterling at 6:30. Ortiz was yanked off the apron so he couldn’t get a hot tag. VSK kept Vecchio on the mat and choked him. Sterling got back in, and Vecchio immediately suplexed him. Ortiz finally got the hot tag at 9:00, and he hit a top-rope crossbody block. He hit a release Northern Lights Suplex on VSK. He went for a frogsplash, but VSK got his knees up. VSK hit a brainbuster for a believable nearfall.
The SB hit a team dropkick-and-German Suplex combo on Sterling. VSK hit a jumping piledriver on Vecchio, then a frogsplash, but he sold pain in his knee and limped to his feet. Sterling tagged in. Vecchio immediately hit an Angle Slam on Sterling, and Ortiz hit a top-rope elbow drop for the pin! Crockett said this isn’t good for later tonight if VSK can’t accompany Bryce Donovan to the ring. (This is clearly a work, but they did a good job of checking on VSK, making it look real.) Bryce came to ringside to check on VSK.
Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio defeated Vinny Scalice and “Smart” Mark Sterling at 12:15.
3. Steven Stetson vs. Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher wrestled in New Jersey 28 or so hours ago. Steven came to the ring without any members of The Ranch. He got on the mic and introduced himself to the RI crowd, as it’s his debut in this room. An intense lockup; these two are roughly the same height. Greene noted he wrestled Thatcher in Japan for NOAH. They traded mat reversals and headlocks, as expected from a Thatcher match. Thatcher leaned Stetson against the ropes at 4:00 and hit some Sheamus-style blows to the chest. Stetson hit a neckbreaker on the top rope, and he kept Thatcher grounded.
Stetson hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 5:30. They traded forearm strikes. Stetson hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Thatcher hit a back-body drop at 8:00, then a belly-to-belly suplex. Stetson hit a clothesline, then a second one to the back of the head for the pin! Shorter than I expected! And a clean pin for Stetson! However, he got a “You still suck!” chant as he headed to the back.
Steven Stetson defeated Timothy Thatcher at 9:19.
4. Georgio Lawrence vs. Aaron Rourke. They immediately went to the mat and tied each other up. They sped it up with quick reversals and Rourke got a folding press cover for a nearfall. Rourke hit a Rude Awakening neckbreaker, then a flipping senton for a nearfall at 2:00. Lawrence stomped on Rourke and took control. They traded chops and Lawrence hit a bulldog for a nearfall at 4:30. Rourke went for a Crossface Chickenwing, but Lawrence blocked it.
Rourke hit a dropkick at 6:30, and they were both down, and the crowd rallied for him. He hit a clothesline and a leg lariat, then a German Suplex. He hit a Helluva Kick in the corner. Rourke hit a running buttbump in the corner, but he missed a split-legged moonsault, and he sold pain in his knee upon landing. He got the Crossface Chickenwing locked on, and Lawrence tapped out! Good match.
Aaron Rourke defeated Georgio Lawrence at 8:06.
* A video package aired for Big Business. The last time we saw them, TJ Crawford was livid at Julio Cruz and Victor Chase, so there is tension in the faction.
5. Oxx Adams vs. Love, Doug. Oxx is a legit 7’0″ and I am just awed by his presence; he has short hair and tattoos all over. He had an impressive debut two weeks ago. Oxx got on the mic and said he “hates love” and he’s going to crush love forever tonight. No other Big Business members with Doug. Greene said he never wants to wrestle Oxx. The size difference here is stark. Oxx easily tossed Doug to the mat. Doug hit a flying forearm to the sternum that had no effect; Oxx dropped him with one chop.
Oxx went for a chokeslam, but Doug fought free. Doug hit some punches in the corner. Adams hit a sit-out powerbomb at 2:00, then a running splash in the corner. He bent Doug backwards over his knee, then a spinning side slam at 3:30. He applied a bearhug. “Doug usually likes hugs, but I don’t think he likes this one,” Greene said. Doug escaped and hit a headscissors takedown. He hit a dropkick on the knee and a springboard back elbow. Oxx hit a Bulldog Powerslam for the clean pin. “No pun intended, but that was heartbreaking,” Greene said. Crockett wondered who could stop this monster.
Oxx Adams defeated Love, Doug at 5:29.
6. Dustin Waller (w/Kylon King) vs. Channing Thomas. Kylon (who legit was in a car crash a few weeks ago) used a walker to get to ringside; I’m not sure if he really needs that. Channing knocked him down with a shoulder tackle, and he hit a swinging bodyslam and an elbow drop for a nearfall at 1:30. They went to the floor, and Waller hid behind King! (Why isn’t Kylon seated in the front row? Standing with a walker to brace yourself seems hard!) In the ring, Waller hit a brainbuster, and he kept Channing grounded on the mat. Channing hit a back-body drop at 5:30 and a leg lariat, then a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Waller missed a Maba Splash. Kylon tossed a protective boot to Dustin, and Dustin hit Channing with it in front of the ref, and the ref called for the bell. Good while it lasted!
Channing Thomas defeated Dustin Waller via DQ at 7:26.
* Greene got in the ring and he challenged Waller to a no-DQ match next week. Waller said, “Absolutely not.” He said Greene has nothing of value to him. Greene challenged him to a match with every minute in the ring, Greene will give him $1,000! However, if Greene wins, Waller gets nothing! Waller couldn’t turn down that money, and he accepted! The crowd chanted, “Shame!” at Waller.
7. Nick Battee vs. Bobby Orlando. These guys are on opposite teams in the Von Erich Six-Man Tag Classic. No Gal with Battee tonight. Goofball Orlando is wildly over with this crowd. Bobby hit some punches early on. Battee hit a Mafia Kick at 2:00, and he took control, stomping on Bobby. He hit a Flatliner move to send Bobby into the ropes, then a back suplex for a nearfall. Bobby hit a missile dropkick at 5:00, and they were both down. Bobby hit a clothesline and a powerbomb for a nearfall. Battee hit a neckbreaker and a spinning brainbuster for a nearfall. Bobby fired up and hit some punches. He got a schoolboy out of nowhere for the pin!
Bobby Orlando defeated Nick Battee at 7:32.
* We had a video package to preview the finals of the Von Erich Six-Man Tag Classic, then a video to set up the main event! Ring announcer Rich Palladino noted that WWE Raw is in Rhode Island tonight, so he thanked a very good-sized crowd for choosing them instead. (I’ll bring my kids to an indy show, but if they aren’t into WWE, why would I spend those prices to bring them?)
8. Bryce Donovan (w/Mark Sterling) vs. Bear Bronson for the Wrestling Open Title. So, that ‘injury’ to VSK earlier has kept him backstage. Bronson was in another insane deathmatch on Saturday; I don’t know how he’s good to go two days later. Bryce has hit 70 days as champion; this is his fourth title defense. Crockett said that VSK was sent to a local hospital. These are two BIG men; Bear was listed at 285 pounds, and Bryce is 6’2″. An intense lockup to open, and they shoved each other. They traded shoulder blocks, and Bear finally dropped Bryce. (Crockett keeps saying “his previous place of employment.” Why not just say ‘AEW’?)
Bryce tried a chop; Bear blocked one and unloaded a series of chops. Bryce rolled to the floor at 4:30; Bear followed and hit more chops. In the ring, Bryce shoved Bear into the ring post; Bronson fell to the floor, where Sterling stomped on him. In the ring, Bryce was in charge, hitting some chops and a short-arm clothesline at 8:00. He hit a bodyslam and was loudly booed. He chokeslammed Bear on the apron, and Bronson rolled to the floor at 10:00. The seven-year-old kid in the front row helped Bear to his feet. Bear hit some punches on Bryce, and they got back into the ring. Bear hit a buttdrop to the chest, and they were both down at 12:00.
Bronson hit some clotheslines and a spinebuster for a nearfall. We got a “new champ!” chant. Bronson shoved Bryce into the ring post, then he hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 13:30. Bryce hit a clothesline and a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall. Bronson missed a rolling cannonball in the corner; Bryce hit a chokeslam for a believable nearfall at 15:30, and he jawed at the ref. Meanwhile, Sterling was removing a top turnbuckle pad! Bear blocked being pushed into the buckle. Bear swung at Sterling. Bryce shoved Bear into the exposed corner and hit a Black Hole Slam and a chokeslam for a believable nearfall at 17:00! We got a “This is awesome!” chant.
They traded more punches. Bryce hit a superkick. Bear set up for the Fire Thunder Driver (piledriver), but Bryce escaped. Bryce hit an Electric Chair, but Bear popped to his feet and hit a discus clothesline for a believable nearfall! “What a main event with the title on the line!” Crockett said. We had the 20:00 call. Bryce pushed Bronson into the ref! Sterling immediately hopped in the ring and hit a low blow. Donovan hit a diving forearm. They stomped on Bronson, and Sterling grabbed the belt. He accidentally hit Bryce! Bronson clotheslined Sterling! He hit the Choke Bomb for a believable nearfall at 22:00! “Are you kidding me???” Crockett said. The ref got pushed out of position. VSK jumped in the ring and struck Bronson with a wrench. Bryce covered the prone Bronson for the cheap pin. What a match!
Bryce Donovan defeated Bear Bronson to retain the Wrestling Open Title at 23:08.
Final Thoughts: A tremendous main event; much longer than a typical match here. I genuinely thought we were having a title change when Bronson hit a discus clothesline late in the match. Kudos to both men, and I’ll reiterate that Bronson just fought Beastman in a bloody deathmatch on Saturday. I’ll go with Rourke-Lawrence for a distant second and Channing-Waller for third. So much to like here. This crowd was loud and into everything. The rookies are coming along, Oxx Adams is a beast, and they found a good way to preview the finals of the six-man tag tournament. If I have a complaint, it’s no women’s match. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by Tuesday morning.
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