By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 40”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
February 9, 2026, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
The venue is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. The attendance was perhaps 125. Paul Crockett, “Smart” Mark Sterling, Chris Sanders, and referee Scott Robinson provided commentary.
* Bear Bronson has a mystery opponent tonight! “Smart” Mark Sterling called a “former AEW champion” to come take on Bronson. I noted that Max Caster is an obvious choice, so I don’t think it will be him, but let’s see who it is!
1. Mani Ariez vs. Dante Drago in a spotlight match. Dante has grown his hair out a bit, and I didn’t recognize him at first; it’s been a while since he’s been here. Chris Sanders and Robinson called this one. They traded some chops early on. Mani knocked him down with a shoulder tackle, then hit a fallaway slam. Dante fired back with a Rebound Lariat for a nearfall at 1:30. Dante hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and applied a half-crab, but Ariez reached the ropes. Ariez threw a stiff clothesline, then hit a Doctor Bomb for the pin. Solid. Mani has really established himself of late.
Mani Ariez defeated Dante Drago at 4:54.
* Crockett took over on solo commentary for the main show.
2. Bryce Donovan and Vinnie “VSK” Scalice (w/”Smart” Mark Sterling) vs. “Waves & Curls” Traevon Jordan and Jaylen Brandyn. This is the first time W&C have been here in months, and the crowd popped for Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” VSK and Brandyn opened. Traevon entered and hit a splash in the corner on Bryce. Jaylen hit an assisted huracanrana on Bryce at 3:00. Bryce slammed Jaylen onto Jordan, and they took control. Bryce slammed Jaylen for a nearfall. VSK hit a slingshot senton as the heels continued to work over Jaylen.
Crockett wondered who would be the mystery opponent later for Bronson. (I guess that I like that he didn’t speculate, because any name he threw out there, I would have automatically crossed off the list!) Jordan got a hot tag and hit some clotheslines at 6:30, and he slammed Vinnie to the mat. Jordan hit a D’Lo-style Sky High powerbomb. He nailed a frog splash on Bryce for a nearfall! Brandyn hit a splash.
W&C hit a Team 3D Drop on Vinnie. The heels shoved Jordan to the floor. Bryce nailed a pop-up powerbomb on Brandyn. VSK hit a frog splash. Bryce hit a Dragunov-style diving forearm, and VSK hit a brainbuster on Brandyn for the pin. Quite a finishing sequence with them each hitting two big finishers.
Bryce Donovan and Vinnie “VSK” Scalice defeated “Waves & Curls” Traevon Jordan and Jaylen Brandyn at 9:00 even.
* Bryce got on the mic and shouted how he and his faction “built this place,” and they can tear it down as easily as they made it. The crowd loudly booed them.
3. Jariel Rivera vs. Eye Black Jack Pasquale. Geez, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Rivera here, too! (This roster is loaded with talent; spots are at a premium!) Basic tie-ups early on. Jack hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 1:30. Rivera hit some blows to the ribs, then a Spinebuster for a nearfall at 3:30. Jack hit a splash into the corner and a powerslam. He nailed his spinning uranage for the pin. Solid for the time given.
Eye Black Jack Pasquale defeated Jariel Rivera at 5:38.
4. Shannon LeVangie (w/Liviyah) vs. Amity LaVey (w/Tiara James). Again, Amity is the scary, Harley Quinn-esque heel. Standing switches to open, and Shannon hit a dropkick, then a grazing Helluva Kick. Tiara and Liviyah argued on the floor, and Tiara headed to the back. The distraction allowed Amity to hit a back suplex on Shannon for a nearfall. Amity choked her in the ropes and hit a crossbody block at 2:00 as Shannon was lying against the ropes.
Amity stomped on her and kept Shannon grounded. She hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Shannon hit a clothesline and the Matt Hardy-style Twist of Fate. Tiara ran back to ringside and attacked Liviyah from behind! The distraction allowed Amity to roll up Shannon with a handful of tights for the cheap pin.
Amity LaVey defeated Shannon LeVangie at 4:30.
* Footage aired of Ryan Clancy’s slow heel turn in recent months.
5. Ichiban (w/Brando Lee) vs. Bobby Casale. Former shootfighter Bobby is taller and thicker. He kicked Ichiban as Ichiban jumped into the ring, and we’re underway! Casale hit a gutwrench suplex. Ichiban hit a punch that sent Bobby to the floor. He set up for a dive, but Bobby cut it off. Casale applied a Torture Rack and slammed Ichiban to the mat for a nearfall at 1:30. He hit a running knee to the back and kept Ichiban grounded.
Ichiban fired up and hit some kicks, but Casale nailed a Spinebuster for a nearfall at 3:30. Ichiban nailed a stunner, then a handspring-back-elbow into the corner. He nailed an impressive flip dive to the floor at 5:00. Back in the ring, he immediately hit the leaping Flatliner for the pin. They got a lot in for a match that short.
Ichiban defeated Bobby Casale at 5:14.
* Brando got on the mic. He was upset that Clancy took cheap shots at both him and Ichiban, and he called Clancy out for their match!
6. Ryan Clancy vs. Brando Lee (w/Ichiban). These two will also meet on Thursday in Worcester, Mass., so I’m predicting a short match with an unexpected, flash finish. (Kind of like what happened with MJF and Brody King). Clancy outwrestled him early on. Lee hit a huracanrana, then a doublestomp to the chest at 4:30. They went to the floor, where Clancy clocked him with a stiff clothesline, and Ryan jawed with Ichiban.
Clancy got back into the ring but continued to argue with Ichiban. He hit a hard back elbow that dropped Lee, and he got a nearfall at 6:00. He hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall and did his Sabre-style neck-snap between his ankles and was loudly booed. (He didn’t cheat!) Lee hit a snap suplex, and they were both down. Lee hit his rolling Death Valley Driver at 8:30. Lee nailed a Styles Clash for a nearfall! I was wrong about this being a quick teaser — they are really going at it.
Clancy hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 10:00. Clancy was trying to ‘skin the cat,’ but Lee dropkicked him to the floor! Lee dove onto him on the floor. In the ring, Lee missed a moonsault, and they traded rollups. Clancy leaned back in a pin attempt, grabbed the ropes for added leverage, and scored the cheap pin! The crowd immediately chanted “cheater!” Crockett fumed that Clancy resorted to cheating like that. A really good match.
Ryan Clancy defeated Brando Lee at 11:49.
* Lee grabbed the mic and noted that he gets the rematch on Thursday in the No. 1 contender’s tournament. Ichiban will face Clancy here next Monday!
* It’s time to find out who the mystery, former AEW champion is! Sterling, Donovan, and VSK returned to ringside first. It was indeed Max Caster! Well, I was right for once! Sterling joined Crockett on commentary for the main event! I checked cagematch.net — they have fought 18 times before, including eight times in AEW, but this is a first-ever singles match.
7. Bear Bronson vs. Max Caster (w/Sterling, VSK, Donovan). Max looks good; it feels like we haven’t seen him in a while again. They locked up, and of course, Bronson is bigger and thicker. Bear fired up and hit some chops and forearm strikes. He hit a second-rope elbow drop for a nearfall at 2:30. He clotheslined Max over the top rope to the floor. Bear followed and hit some chops on the floor. Sterling was annoyed that ref Gina was slow to count them out. Max pushed Bear head-first into the ring post, and he hit a Cactus Elbow Drop on him!
Bear pushed him into the ring post at the 5-minute call, and they continued to trade blows at ringside. They got back into the ring, and Max threw him shoulder-first into the corner, and he kept Bronson grounded in a headlock. Bear hit his butt drop to the sternum at 8:30, then his Bulldog Powerslam. Bear nailed a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall, and they were both down. They got up and traded chops, and Bear pulled down the straps of his singlet. Max went for a top hammerlock, and he hit a superkick at 11:00.
Bronson bit Max’s hand and hit a Choke Bomb for a believable nearfall. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Sterling left commentary and distracted Bronson. It allowed Max to hit a Sunset Flip Bomb, then a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. He put Bear in the Camel Clutch position but applied a top hammerlock; Bronson reached the ropes at 14:00. Bear dove through the ropes onto the heels! In the ring, Bronson hit a discus clothesline and the Fire Thunder Driver (sit-out piledriver) for the pin. A really good match.
Bear Bronson defeated Max Caster at 16:25.
* Bronson got on the mic and told Bryce, “There will be hell to pay.” He wants a tag match against Vinnie and Bryce…
Final Thoughts: Clancy vs. Brando Lee was really good, and I love the finish — Clancy had cheated just once in the match when he raked the eyes, but had largely wrestled like a babyface, so good timing for him to cheat in the end. The main event was really good for a close second place. Donovan/VSK vs. Waves & Curls earned third. While all the undercard matches were otherwise short, everything looked good here.
Wrestling Open asked fans last week who should be a mystery tag team. I suggested Waves & Curls, noting their long absence. (The mystery team wound up being Brick City, but I’d like to think I planted the idea of bringing them back!) I watched this live; it should be available on IWTV by Tuesday morning.
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