By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 41 – Fury Road”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
February 16, 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 crowd was perhaps 125. Paul Crockett, Brian Morris, Jake Gray, and referee Scott Robinson provided commentary over the course of the show.
* First, some injury news. Anthony Greene is apparently out of action with an injury, and Dezmond Cole placed a video on his Twitter/X page, saying he will be taking some time off to deal with some long-term health issues. A terrible loss to have both men out.
1. TJ Crawford vs. Rain Conway in a spotlight match. Ref Robinson and Gray provided commentary on this one. TJ and Rain immediately went to the mat, and the commentators noted that Conway still has only one career win at Wrestling Open. Rain hit a German Suplex at 2:30, then two more. TJ backed Conway into a corner and hit some chops, then TJ hit his own series of German Suplexes. They got up and traded forearm strikes. TJ applied a standing submission hold with a forearm across the jaw, and Rain submitted. I can’t say i’ve seen that hold before!
TJ Crawford defeated Rain Conway at 4:25.
* The main show opened with footage of the growing tension between Ryan Clancy and Ichiban. Ichiban has a mystery opponent tonight! Clancy came to the ring, wearing a button-down shirt and vest, looking like an investor or a banker. He got on the mic but was loudly booed. He said the match between them “is never going to happen.” Out of the back came DJ Powers, who was dressed to wrestle! Clancy joined Crockett on commentary.
2. Ichiban vs. DJ Powers. Quick reversals at the bell, and Ichiban hit his “One!” punches in the corner as the crowd counted along. Cagematch.net shows these two have already shared a ring 14 times, with Ichiban winning their last singles match in this venue last April. Ichiban hit a Stundog Millionaire at 3:00, then a missile dropkick, then a flip dive to the floor, then a top-rope crossbody block in the ring.
Ichiban came off the ropes, but Powers caught his head and hit a stunner! DJ hit a frog splash for a nearfall at 5:00. DJ hit a German Suplex. Ichiban got a rollup for the flash pin! That was really good for the time given. Ryan Clancy got in the ring and pulled DJ off of Ichiban. Clancy approached Ichiban, but Ichiban pushed him down, not realizing it was Clancy trying to help!
Ichiban defeated DJ Powers at 6:10.
* Clancy got on the mic and challenged Ichiban and Brando Lee to a match next week! (Is it going to be a handicap match? That’s what it sounded like!) Clancy left… so Crockett was solo on commentary.
3. “Post Game” Mike Walker and Vinny Talotta (w/heel manager) vs. “Wrench & Resolve” Erik Chacha and Jake Gray. Post Game are pretty talented, and they recently did a European tour. Walker and Chacha opened. I’ve seen the heel manager before; he wore a Joker purple suit, and he looks a bit like Dalton Castle. Post Game hit some quick team moves on Gray. The manager helped snap Jake’s throat over the ropes, and PG took over and kept Jake in their corner. Mike hit a sideslam at 3:30.
Chacha got a hot tag and hit a missile dropkick on Walker, then a tornado DDT on Talotta. Erik hit some Yes Kicks on each opponent, then running double knees that struck both of PG. Chacha flipped Post Game into each other. Jake hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread, and Erik hit a frog splash to pin Walker. The better team most definitely did not win, but Wrench & Resolve needed a win.
“Wrench & Resolve” Erik Chacha and Jake Gray defeated “Post Game” Mike Walker and Vinny Talotta at 6:55.
4. Kylie Alexa vs. Alice Crowley. This might be Crowley’s debut here; I know she was at a nearby Focus Pro show on Sunday, along with Post Game. Alice is taller and easily scooped up Alexa and hit a bodyslam, then some chops in the corner. Kylie tried her own chops. Kylie hit a senton for a nearfall at 3:00, and she took control. Alice hit a back suplex for a nearfall, then a swinging uranage for a nearfall. Kylie caught her with a superkick, and she hit a snap suplex into the turnbuckles, then a hesitation dropkick for the pin. That was a sprint; good job by both.
Kylie Alexa defeated Alice Crowley at 4:54.
* The next match was slated to be Channing Thomas vs. “Wonderboy” Brian Morris. Brian came out first and had his Wrestling Open Tag Title belt over his shoulder. Channing apparently isn’t here, so the cowboy, Corey Duke, came out of the back to accept an open challenge!
5. “Wonderboy” Brian Morris vs. Corey Duke. Duke hit a punch, the ref called for the bell, and we’re underway! Duke backed him into a corner and hit some chops, and he was in control early on. Morris stomped on him in the corner. Duke hit a basement dropkick at 5:00. They got up, and Corey hit some jab punches and a flying back elbow for a nearfall, then a DVD for a nearfall. Morris hit an Angels Wings faceplant for the pin! Merely okay.
Brian Morris defeated Corey Duke at 6:35.
* A video package aired of the feud that sets up the next match!
6. Liviyah vs. Tiara James. Liviyah came out first, but Tiara attacked her from behind. They got in the ring, we got the bell, and Tiara was in charge. Liviyah backed her into a corner and hit a series of chops and forearm strikes. They brawled to the floor, where Liviyah hit more chops, then a snap suplex onto a thin mat on the floor at 2:00.
They got in the ring, and Tiara flipped her from the turnbuckles to the mat, and quickly took charge again. Tiara hit a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall at 5:00. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. Liviyah hit some clotheslines and was fired up. She hit a running kick in the corner, then a second-rope missile dropkick and a spear for the pin! A fine match, but certainly shorter than I expected, too.
Liviyah defeated Tiara James at 6:58.
* Liviyah got on the mic and said she wants to “challenge myself against a pioneer of women’s wrestling”… she is taking on Mercedes Martinez on Feb. 27 at Ballroom Blitz! (I first saw Mercedes Martinez wrestle live at IWA Mid-South in June 2004… before 19-year-old Liviyah was born!)
7. Bryce Donovan and Vinny “VSK” Scalice (w/Smart Mark Sterling) vs. Bobby Orlando and Bear Bronson. Bobby and VSK opened, and Vinnie easily knocked him down and flexed. Bobby dropped him with a shoulder tackle. Bryce entered at 2:00, and he bodyslammed his former tag partner Orlando. Bear scooped up Bobby and slammed him onto an opponent, then Bear bodyslammed VSK. Bryce hit a Black Hole Slam on Bronson for a nearfall at 4:00. VSK hit a slingshot senton for a nearfall as the heels kept Bronson in their corner.
Sterling choked Bear in the ropes and was booed. Bear hit his butt drop onto VSK’s sternum at 6:00. Bobby tagged back in and hit some jab punches on Bryce, then a running neckbreaker on VSK. He hit a DVD on VSK, dropping him on Bobby. Bobby climbed the ropes, but Sterling distracted him. Bear went for a Choke Bomb on Bryce, but Bryce hit a low-blow punt kick. The ref saw it and called for the bell at 8:08. HOWEVER, Bear got on the mic and shouted, “Not like that!” Bear said he went to Wrestling Open officials earlier in the day, and he got approval for this to continue if there was a DQ finish! This will continue… as a no-DQ match! (I hadn’t cleared the clock; I restarted it here.)
Bear and Bobby charged out of the ring and battled Bryce and VSK on the floor, and they looped the room. Crockett praised Bronson for planning and thinking ahead. Morris, who had joined commentary, was livid that this was allowed to happen. Bryce got on the mic and shouted, “This is my house!” He pie-faced ring announcer Rich Palladino. He said Rich was a coward. Bronson finally got back up and attacked Bryce and VSK. Bobby leapt off the three-foot-tall stage onto the heels at 13:00. Bronson grabbed a WWE title belt from a 10-year-old kid and struck Bryce with it as those two were back at ringside.
VSK clipped Bronson’s knee, and Bryce immediately hit a DDT onto the ring apron on Bear. Bobby hit a flip dive onto the heels at 15:00. VSK flipped Orlando off the top rope and onto an open chair in the ring! Ouch! Vinnie got a nearfall. The heels got a garbage can and put it over Bobby’s head and repeatedly kicked it at 17:30. Bronson made the save. Bryce chokeslammed Bryce onto two folded chairs for a nearfall at 19:00. Bobby hit a Lungblower to VSK’s back for a nearfall. VSK slammed Bobby onto several open chairs for a nearfall, but Bear made the save.
Bear hit a Bulldog Powerslam on VSK onto the open chairs for a believable nearfall at 22:00, but Bryce made the save. Bryce and Bear stood toe-to-toe, pushed their foreheads together, and traded more forearm strikes. Bear sat down in a chair and demanded Bryce sit down across from him. Bryce tried kicking him instead, but Bear caught the boot, and Bear slammed Donovan’s head on the open chairs. Bear crotched him over the top rope at 25:00. Sterling struck Bear with his elbow brace, and Bryce put the garbage can over Bear’s head and dropkicked him. A medic rushed in to check on Bronson,, who was holding his forehead or eyes.
It allowed Bobby to hit a top-rope double missile dropkick. He hit punches on both heels. However, Bryce caught Bobby coming off the ropes and hit a massive chokeslam at 27:00 for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Sterling jumped in the ring and stomped on Bobby. The heels set up for a Doomsday Device, but Bobby escaped. VSK hit a frog splash, and Bryce hit a Dragunov-style diving forearm strike for a believable nearfall. VSK mounted Bobby and repeatedly punched him. They jabbed a chair into Orlando’s ribs.
VSK put Bobby’s ankle in the chair to ‘Pillmanize’ him, but Bronson returned, with a bandage wrap around his head and over his eye, and he repeatedly struck the heels with a chair. Bobby and Bear went under the ring and got some boards and slid them into the ring. Bronson and Bobby grabbed Sterling, but VSK and Bryce both hit low blows. Bobby and Bear hit stereo spears through the boards in the corner! Bear hit a DVD on Sterling through another board. Bear hit a Choke Bomb on Bryce for the pin! What a brawl!
Bear Bronson and Bobby Orlando defeated Bryce Donovan and Vinny “VSK” Scalice at 34:32. (OR, they won an immediate, no-DQ rematch at 26:24. You decide!)
Final Thoughts: Bear and Bryce have just absolutely clicked in the ring. Likewise, it’s been fun watching Bryce battling his former Shook Crew teammate, Orlando. That’s my idea of how you do a hardcore match. Chairs, boards, some good brawling… but no blood, no chairshots over the head, no chairs thrown, no glass panes, no barbed wire, no pizza cutters, weed whackers, staple guns, or gusset plates. No brain damage done tonight. Just a good brawl that the crowd thoroughly enjoyed.
The rest of the show was fine. DJ-Ichiban was predictably good; their last match was better, but that’s okay. Liviyah-Tiara takes third, even if I anticipated it would go closer to 15 minutes than eight. This promotion stays on a roll. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by Tuesday morning.
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