By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 36 – Unfinished Business”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
December 22, 2025, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
The venue is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. Paul Crockett, Jake Gray, promoter Drew Cordeiro, Chris Sanders, and Brett Ryan Gosselin provided commentary over the course of the show. The crowd was maybe 225; Cordeiro had predicted a large turnout because of the marquee main event.
1. Richard Adonis vs. “Handyman” Jake Gray in a spotlight match. Chris Sanders and BRG provided commentary on this one. We saw Adonis maybe a month ago; he’s blond with a good physique. They immediately tied up on the mat; Adonis has a clear muscle mass advantage. Adonis hit a clothesline to the back of the head for a nearfall at 2:00. He hit a double-underhook suplex. He tied up the right arm and bit Jake’s wrist! He missed a moonsault at 4:00. Jake hit a clothesline, a huracanrana, and a mid-ring Sliced Bread for the pin. Okay.
Jake Gray defeated Richard Adonis at 4:50.
* Crockett and Gray took over on commentary for the main show.
2. Brad Baylor vs. Eye Black Jack Pasquale. We haven’t seen Baylor of late; Crockett noted he’s been busy in Orlando. They brawled early on, and Jack hit a bodyslam and a delayed vertical suplex. Baylor hit a powerslam and a series of punches at 2:00. He applied a rear-naked choke on the mat and kept Pasquale grounded. Jack whipped Brad into a corner at 4:00, and they were both down. Jack hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Baylor hit a jumping knee to the sternum. Jack got an inside cradle for the pin!
Eye Jack Black Pasquale defeated Brad Baylor at 6:17.
3. Brad Hollister vs. Jose Zamora. A good brawl. Hollister dominated, so Zamora struck him with his camera. The ref saw it and called for the bell. (I unfortunately had some real-life work come in and missed most of this match.) Hollister got on the mic and said he wants a rematch in two weeks!
Brad Hollister defeated Jose Zamora via DQ at 8:05.
4. Shannon LeVangie (w/Liviyah) vs. Tiara James. Tiara came out first and was loudly booed. Shannon ran to the ring, hit a Thesz Press, and we’re underway! They brawled to the floor. Shannon slammed her on the thin mat at ringside and tossed her back in. Tiara kicked her, then hit a DDT out of the ropes. Tiara hit a hard clothesline at 4:00 and was in control. Shannon hit a second-rope missile dropkick and a spin kick to the head, then a Helluva Kick.
Tiara rolled to the floor, and she smacked the ring apron. Ref Gina turned around and saw Liviyah standing nearby, and she ejected her! While Liviyah was protesting, Tiara got a quick rollup and pinned Shannon.
Tiara James defeated Shannon Levangie at 6:39.
* Tiara got on the mic and challenged Liviyah to a match in two weeks!
5. “The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and ‘Wonderboy’ Brian Morris (w/Bobby Casale) vs. Ichiban and Brando Lee for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. This is the first title defense for The Ranch. Brando immediately hit a huracanrana and some chops on Morris. Ichiban entered at 1:00 and repeatedly hit his “One!” punches in the corner, but Morris dropped him throat-first on the top rope. The Ranch duo kept Ichiban in their corner. Ichiban hit a second-rope moonsault press on both heels, and Lee got a hot tag at 4:00. The babyfaces hit a team bulldog on Stetson. Lee nailed a Styles Clash on Morris for a nearfall.
Stetson hit a knee drop across Lee’s forehead at 5:30, and the Ranch now worked over Brando in their corner. Steve hit some LOUD chops. “That was evil!” Crockett said after one loud chop. Ichiban got the hot tag at 8:30, and he hit a handspring-back-elbow on Morris, then more “One!” punches. Ichiban flipped both heels to the mat, then he nailed a flip dive to the floor on both, landing on his feet. He hit a top-rope crossbody block on Morris for a nearfall at 10:00, but he couldn’t hit his leaping Flatliner finisher. Ichiban went for a 619, but Stetson cut him off.
In the ring, Stetson hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall. Brando and Morris fought on the floor. Brando tagged back in and hit a DVD on Stetson. Ichiban hit a Twisted Bliss-style frog splash. Lee hit a moonsault for a nearfall, but Morris made the save. Stetson hit a powerslam on Ichiban, but Brando hit a top-rope doublestomp on Stetson. Casale jumped on the apron, and he raked Lee’s eyes! It allowed Stetson to hit a clothesline to the back of Lee’s neck for the tainted pin.
“The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and ‘Wonderboy’ Brian Morris defeated Ichiban and Brando Lee to retain the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles at 12:48.
* Rain Conway came to the ring with a mic in his hand. The crowd booed him as he talked about Ben Bishop. He said he would have not only beaten Bishop tonight, but he would have ended his career! BRG came out, with his arm in a sling. (He recently separated his shoulder.) “Back by popular demand,” BRG shouted into the mic, and the crowd loudly drowned him out. The massive Oxx Adams (seriously, think Brody King but taller) came to the ring. Ben Bishop came out last; he’s a legit seven-footer, too!
6. Ben Bishop vs. Oxx Adams (w/BRG and Rain Conway). We all know that wrestlers always overstate their height, but these two are truly right at or near seven feet tall; Oxx is thicker and has the weight advantage. They locked up, and neither man budged. Bishop hit a big boot and a chop. (Bishop is the babyface here, but both guys are just natural heels.) BRG distracted Ben, allowing Oxx to hit a uranage and a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 2:30. They traded punches, and Oxx was in charge.
Adams put Bishop in a bearhug at 4:30; Jake Gray said it’s probably the first time in Bishop’s career he’s been lifted like this. Oxx hit a World’s Strongest Slam for a nearfall. Bishop hit a hard clothesline. Conway jumped in the ring and attacked Bishop, causing the DQ. Okay match; I didn’t expect a clean winner. Bishop beat up Conway some more after the bell as BRG and Oxx headed to the back without Rain.
Ben Bishop defeated Oxx Adams via DQ at 6:30.
* A video set up our main event. These three have been feuding for months. Promoter Drew “Denver Colorado” Cordeiro joined Crockett on commentary.
7. Ryan Clancy vs. Bear Bronson vs. Marcus Mathers in a three-way for the IWTV World Title. Clancy came out last, wearing a royal purple robe. Nice! Bear and Clancy traded punches; Mathers threw himself into the middle, and he also punched Ryan. Bear hit some bodyslams. Bear and Ryan traded chops on the floor. Mathers jumped in and hit some chops, too. Mathers ran the length of the room and hit a running kick on Bear at 4:30. Clancy and Mathers got in the ring and traded moves.
Mathers hit a mule kick to the chest for a nearfall. Bear got back in and chopped Mathers. Cordeiro reminded us that this match has a 60-minute time limit. Bear got both men across his shoulders, but Clancy escaped. Ryan and Mathers hit a spike piledriver at 6:30. They both stomped on Bronson! Mathers hit a top-rope twisting crossbody block on Bear. Ryan hit a Sabre-style neck-snap on Bronson and got a nearfall at 8:30.
Bronson missed a butt drop, and Ryan hit a diving European Uppercut to the back, then a German Suplex. Mathers hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Clancy as we got the 10:00 call. Bear got in and hit clotheslines in opposite corners on each opponent. Cordeiro just said this was a “record-setting crowd” here. Bear dove through the ropes onto both men at 11:30. Mathers and Clancy hit a team superplex at 13:00. “It sounds like a bomb went off in here!” Cordeiro said as the crowd chanted, “This is awesome!”
Mathers hit an enzuigiri on Clancy; Ryan hit a German Suplex on Marcus, then a dropkick to the jaw for a nearfall at 14:30, but Bear made the save. Bear and Clancy traded forearm strikes, and Bear nailed a decapitating clothesline, but he couldn’t hit the Fire Thunder Driver. Clancy hit a Russian Leg Sweep. Mathers hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to Clancy’s face, then a 450 Splash on Bear for a nearfall at 16:30. Mathers and Clancy hit stereo pump kicks; Bear grabbed them and hit stereo chokeslams for a nearfall.
Mathers hit his heel hook kick to Bronson’s face. He dove through the ropes onto both guys. He then hit a flip dive to the floor on Bear at 19:00. Mathers hit a Tombstone Piledriver on Clancy on the floor! Bear immediately hit a powerbomb on Marcus on the edge of the ring frame, and all three were down on the floor as the 20-minute call was spot-on. Bear went to the back and returned with a board. He slid it in, and they fought over it.
Bear speared Marcus through the board in the corner at 22:30, but Clancy immediately nailed his Picture Perfect Dropkick on Bronson for a believable nearfall. Clancy grabbed his title belt! The crowd chanted, “Cheater!” at him. He swung at Bear but hit Marcus. He went to swing at Bear, but Bronson caught him and hit a Black Hole Slam on Clancy. Bronson then nailed a Fire Thunder Driver on Mathers for the pin! New champion! Clancy lost the belt without being pinned.
Bear Bronson defeated Marcus Mathers and Ryan Clancy in a three-way to win the IWTV World Title at 24:08.
* The crowd chanted, “You deserve it!” as Bear cradled his newly won belt, as the show faded to black.
Final Thoughts: What a tremendous main event. Those three have absolutely clicked in the ring together for months, and that match was unsurprisingly great. I really expected Clancy to retain in one way or another, so I was definitely surprised by the title switch. The tag title match takes second, and while it was short, Baylor-Pasquale takes third.
I’d caution against too many DQ finishes. Wrestling Open rarely does them, and we had two on this show alone. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by Tuesday morning.
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