By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 38”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
January 12, 2026, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
Promoter Drew Cordeiro recently announced a new contract that has extended their run here. This is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. The crowd was perhaps 125. Paul Crockett, referee Scott Robinson, and Chris Sanders provided commentary. This is a great lineup tonight!
1. Quentin Wynters vs. “Handyman” Jake Gray in a spotlight match. Wynters has been competing regularly in Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling, as part of AJ Francis’s faction. He’s taller with a clear size and muscle mass advantage. Robinson and Chris Sanders provided commentary on this one. Quentin held his hands above his head for a test of strength to show off his height advantage. Jake hit a shotgun dropkick and a head scissors takedown.
Wynters dropped Gray with a hard back elbow at 2:00, and he dropped Gray throat-first over the top rope and took control. Quentin hit a DDT and stomped on Gray and choked him in the ropes. He hit a snap suplex and a leaping elbow drop for a nearfall at 3:30. Gray fired up and hit some chops. Wynters hit an enzuigiri, but he missed a Mafia Kick. Gray immediately rolled him up for the flash pin. The wrong guy won, but wrestlers from outside the Northeast rarely win here.
Jake Gray defeated Quentin Wynters at 4:33.
* Crockett took over on commentary as the main show began.
2. Bobby Orlando vs. Ryan Clancy for the Wrestling Open Title. I thought this was going to be the main event, so my ‘spidey sense’ is up for a screwjob finish. Cagematch.net records show these two have shared the ring seven times before (including three times teaming up!), but this is a first-ever singles match. A feeling-out process early on. Ryan tied him up in a surfboard on the mat. They got up and reset. Bobby hit a bodyslam, and Clancy rolled to the floor to regroup at 3:30. In the ring, Clancy hit a monkey-flip and got a nearfall at 5:00.
Orlando hit a big back-body drop. Clancy hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 6:30 and targeted the left leg. He went for an Irish Whip, but Bobby collapsed. Clancy slammed the damaged leg across the ring apron, then he crotched Bobby around the ring post and swung the damaged knee into the ring post at 9:30. Bobby hit a plancha to the floor on Clancy, and they were both down. In the ring, Bobby hit a running neckbreaker but sold the pain in his leg. He hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall, and they were both down at 11:30.
Clancy hit a spear on the damaged knee, then a suplex with a high bridge for a nearfall. Bobby slammed him to the mat and hit his Athena-style flying stunner for a believable nearfall at 13:30 (I’m not sure if I’ve seen anyone kick out of that). They got up and traded punches. They traded rollups for nearfalls. Orlando got a backslide, but it was clear that all four shoulders were down! Both men popped up and declared victory, but the ref ruled it a draw. A really good match and a well-done finish.
Bobby Orlando vs. Ryan Clancy went to a draw via double-pin at 15:32; Orlando retains the Wrestling Open Title.
* They continued to fight until several guys from the back ran in to separate them. Clancy kicked Ichiban and stormed over to the commentary table, grabbed a mic, and complained about being disrespected. He jawed at Ichiban, who was perplexed at Ryan’s words. Ryan told the fans, “Everyone here can go to hell,” and he stormed off. Georgio Lawrence emerged from the back, and he challenged Ichiban to an impromptu match.
3. Ichiban defeated Georgio Lawrence. Ichiban hit a shotgun dropkick at the bell. He hit his “One!” punches in the corner as the crowd counted along. He hit an enzuigiri. Lawrence caught him with a pump kick to the jaw and started to work over his smaller opponent. He hit a spin kick to the spine at 1:30 for a nearfall. Ichiban hit a handspring-back-elbow in the corner and a bulldog. He hit a top-rope flying chop and got the pin. I didn’t expect that to wrap up that quickly (although I expected Ichiban to win.)
Ichiban defeated Georgio Lawrence at 4:06.
4. Anthony Greene vs. Steven Stetson. Neither man had a teammate with them. An intense lockup to open, and the taller Stetson threw Greene to the mat. Greene hit a series of shoulder blocks, but Stetson barely budged. Greene finally dropped him on maybe the fifth attempt. They traded chops, and Greene hit a running neckbreaker at 2:00. Stetson hit a bodyslam. Greene hit a (Colt Cabana-style) flying Superman cover and got the flash pin! Even Greene was shocked he won there!
Anthony Greene defeated Steven Stetson at 4:02.
5. DJ Powers vs. Erik Chacha. Powers came out first, and he attacked Erik as he stepped through the ropes. He hit a neckbreaker over his knee, and the ref checked on Chacha, who insisted the match take place. We had a bell at 00:39, but DJ immediately hit a Claymore Kick and a frog splash for the tainted pin. That might be the quickest three-match stretch in Wrestling Open history!
DJ Powers defeated Erik Chacha at 1:02/official time of 00:23.
* Powers got on the mic; he’s sick and tired of waiting for his turn.
6. “Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller vs. Marcus Mathers and Aaron Rourke. I believe this is Mathers’ last U.S. date before he heads to Japan for a tour with Dragon Gate. The WWE ID duo both wrestled in Orlando on Saturday in another show I just finished. All four brawled at the bell, and the MG rolled to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, Aaron unloaded some chops on Waller. Mathers hit his mule kick to the forehead and got a nearfall on Dustin at 2:00.
The ID duo hit some quick team moves on King and worked him over. Mathers hit a bodyslam. Mathers and King traded forearm strikes. King hit a rolling cannonball on Marcus at 4:30 for a nearfall. Kylon applied a half-crab and kept Mathers grounded. Waller hit an axe kick to the back of the head. King hit a backbreaker over his knee at 6:30 and bent Mathers in half. Mathers hit his Blue Thunder Bomb, and he made the hot tag to Rourke. Aaron hit a leg lariat and his own Blue Thunder Bomb. He hit a running buttbump in the corner on Waller.
Rourke nailed a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall at 8:00. King hit a German Suplex and a moonsault for a nearfall on Rourke. Mathers hit a top-rope crossbody block on King, then a big back-body drop on Waller. Dustin fired back with a Lethal Injection on Mathers. He went for one on Rourke, but Aaron blocked it. Kylon hit a tornado DDT on Rourke. Rourke hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Kylon at 10:30. Mathers hit his corner fadeaway stunner.
Rourke hit his Molly-Go-Round splash onto Kylon for a nearfall. Mathers and Dustin traded punches, and Marcus hit a German Suplex at 12:00. Kylon hit a jumping knee to Rourke’s jaw. Mathers accidentally hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to Rourke’s jaw! Waller accidentally superkicked King! Waller went for a handspring move, but Mathers kicked him in the face. King got a rollup and put his feet on the ropes to get the cheap pin on Mathers! Really good action.
“Miracle Generation” Kylon King and Dustin Waller defeated Marcus Mathers and Aaron Rourke at 12:53.
* Rourke was livid at Mathers for kicking him, and they jawed in the ring. Uh-oh! Mathers got on the mic and said, “We weren’t on the same page from the beginning, Aaron.” Mathers said he loves coming to Wrestling Open… but Wrestling Open doesn’t seem to love him back. Mathers said he’s leaving! (Again, I know he’s headed to Japan, so this is a good way to write him off for a while.)
* Tiara James came to the ring in a black outfit that she can’t possibly wrestle in. Sure enough, she has a different opponent for Liviyah tonight.
7. Liviyah vs. Amity LaVey (w/Tiara James). LaVey is the scary Harley Quinn-style madwoman. Liviyah charged in (she’s blonde again!) and attacked, and she hit a leg drop for a nearfall. (I’m almost positive I saw these two wrestle each other last year in a different promotion.) Amity hit a suplex and a running European Uppercut at 1:30, then a running Blockbuster for a nearfall. She kept Liviyah grounded in a rear-naked choke. Liviyah hit a German Suplex and some clotheslines. Tiara hopped on the ring apron and swung at Liviyah, but she blocked it. Liviyah hit a Russian Leg Sweep and tied Amity in a crossface, and Amity tapped out.
Liviyah defeated Amity LaVey at 4:25.
* Liviyah got on the mic and said if Tiara is too afraid to face her in a singles match, they should have a tag match in two weeks.
8. Bear Bronson vs. Vinnie “VSK” Scalice (w/Smart Mark Sterling). VSK ducked and dodged a lockup with the bigger Bronson. They traded punches. They rolled to the floor at 2:00 and brawled at ringside. Back in the ring, Bear hit a decapitating clothesline and was in charge. They went back to the floor and looped the ring. VSK dove through the ropes on him at 5:00. He hit another dive. In the ring, Vinnie hit a top-rope frog splash to the back for a nearfall.
Vinnie hit a German Suplex at 7:00 and kept Bear grounded. Sterling choked Bronson in the ropes, and VSK hit some knee strikes to the sternum. He hit a slingshot senton and stayed in control. VSK hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 9:00. Bear blocked a sunset flip and hit a butt drop to the sternum, and they were both down. Bear hit a back suplex, and he was fired up. He hit a splash into the corner and a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 11:00.
Bronson hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall, and they were both down. VSK hit a piledriver for a nearfall at 13:00. VSK missed a top-rope doublestomp, and Bear immediately hit a Black Hole Slam for a believable nearfall. Bear set up for a Choke Bomb, but VSK hit a headscissors takedown, flipping Bear at Sterling, and Mark hit Bear with his elbow harness! VSK slammed Bear for a believable nearfall. Sterling jumped in the ring, but ref Gina ejected him.
VSK hit Bear with a loaded fist and got another nearfall. VSK hit a superkick, then another. Bear nailed a discus clothesline and the Fire Thunder Driver, but we had no ref! (I think Gina was busy escorting Sterling to the back.) Bryce Donovan returned! He glared at Bronson. Crockett was shocked to see him (even though he was on the epic New Year’s Eve show). VSK hit a low-blow uppercut, right in front of the ref, causing the DQ. I don’t mind the non-finish.
Bear Bronson defeated Vinnie Scalice via DQ at 17:31.
* Bryce, VSK, and Sterling all stomped on Bronson in the ring, and Donovan hit his Black Hole Slam. A few fans chanted “Clancy!” but he didn’t come out of the back. Bryce got on the mic and said he was here “for the end.” He chastised Bear for being “the heart and soul of Wrestling Open.” Bryce vowed to “tear that heart out and eat it.” He vowed he is going “to kill Wrestling Open.”
* No show next Monday; they’ll be back in two weeks!
Final Thoughts: The top matches all delivered. VSK was treated as such a lower-tier guy in AEW (as was Bronson!) that you forget how good he actually is in the ring. That was a top-notch match, and there were two times I really thought VSK was getting a tainted pin there. Clancy-Orlando was strong for second-best, and I liked the creative finish. The Mathers/Rourke vs. King/Waller match was really good. I don’t love the tension between Mathers and Rourke, but it does write Mathers out of the storylines. (I have no idea how long this upcoming Japan tour is going to last.)
Several really short matches tonight, shorter than normal. It makes you pay attention, as you just don’t expect Greene to get a clean pin on Stetson in less than five minutes. No new faces tonight; there are just so many talented options in New England right now, and I don’t know how promoter Drew Cordeiro and his team pick who to use week in, week out. I watched this live; it should be available on IWTV by Tuesday morning.
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