By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 43”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
March 16, 2026, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
This venue is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. The crowd was perhaps 125. Paul Crockett provided solo commentary. The schedule here has been sporadic lately due to weather cancellations and other events at this venue.
* Corey Duke, a cowboy who has been here a few times recently, won the pre-show spotlight match. It earned him a slot in the main event! Due to some Internet issues, I was offline Monday night, so I missed this.
1. “The Shooter Boys” Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio vs. Bryce Donovan and Vinny “VSK” Scalice (w/”Smart” Mark Sterling). Vinny and Vecchio opened. VSK knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Vecchio hit a huracanrana. Bryce and Ortiz got in, with Aaron hitting a dropkick and a Lungblower to the chest. The Boys hit a team flipping slam on Bryce. From the apron, VSK kicked Vecchio, who fell to the floor. Bryce whipped him back into the ring at 4:00, and the heels took over.
Scalice hit a slingshot senton and worked over Vecchio. Sterling choked Vecchio in the ropes. Bryce bodyslammed him across VSK’s knees. Ortiz finally got a hot tag at 7:30 and hit a flying forearm on VSK. He hit a flying crossbody block for a nearfall. Vecchio hit an Angle Slam on VSK. Bryce nailed a Black Hole Slam on Vecchio for a believable nearfall at 10:00. The heels hit a chokeslam-and-flying European Uppercut combo. Ortiz dove through the ropes onto Bryce! In the ring, Ortiz set up for a suplex, but Sterling grabbed Vecchio’s foot and held it down as VSK got a cheap pin.
Bryce Donovan and Vinny Scalice defeated Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio at 11:41.
2. Brad Hollister vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin (w/Oxx Adams). BRG cut a heel promo and was loudly booed. Now that Big Business has the tag champs, BRG said that when he wins tonight, that will make them No. 1 contenders. BRG stalled in the ropes at the bell. Hollister backed him into a corner and hit some chops. BRG twisted and targeted the left arm. Brad hit a headbutt at 5:30, and they were both down. BRG hit a Divorce Court armbreaker and kept working over the damaged shoulder. Hollister hit a German Suplex but sold the pain in his arm. He hit a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall at 7:30. Oxx jumped in and attacked Hollister, causing the DQ.
Brad Hollister defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin via DQ at 8:12.
3. Bobby Orlando vs. RJ Rude. Crockett talked about Orlando rebounding from losing his Wrestling Open title. Orlando hit a shotgun dropkick. They brawled to ringside. In the ring, Bobby hit a back-body drop and some jab punches. Bobby hit a bodyslam at 2:00. RJ hit a pop-up knee strike, then a suplex for a nearfall. He applied a half-crab, but Orlando reached the ropes at 4:30. Rude grabbed the mic and sang while he stomped on Orlando. Bobby fired up and hit some shoulder tackles and a running neckbreaker. RJ went for a moonsault press, but Orlando hit him. Bobby hit a top-rope elbow drop for the pin.
Bobby Orlando defeated RJ Rude at 6:16.
* Bobby got on the mic and apologized to the fans that “I couldn’t get the job done” when he lost the title to Ryan Clancy. The crowd offered support. He indicated he needs to take time off and see if he should “even be here or not.”
4. Dustin Waller vs. Bear Bronson. Dustin came out first, but Bear came out right behind him. They brawled briefly on the floor, got in the ring, and we got a bell at 00:15 to officially begin. They brawled right back to the floor, and Bronson hit some chops as Dustin was seated in the front row. They looped the ring with Bear hitting more chops, and the crowd chanted, “One more time!” In the ring, Waller choked Bronson in the ropes and took control.
Waller tried an Irish Whip at 5:30 but couldn’t budge Bronson. Waller hit a spinning neckbreaker for a nearfall. He jumped on Bear’s back and applied a sleeper. Bear hit a Black Hole Slam, and he set up for a Fire Thunder Driver, but Kylon King jumped in the ring and attacked, causing the DQ. I don’t love the finish, but it’s undoubtedly setting up for a big singles match later.
Bear Bronson defeated Dustin Waller via DQ at 8:00/official time of 7:45.
* Bobby Orlando ran back into the ring and made the save. He grabbed the mic and said, “Well, I thought about it, and I’m not going anywhere!” He told Kylon and Dustin that they just made the worst enemies they could ever have.
* Ryan Clancy came out in a suit jacket and blue jeans. He took the mic, but the crowd loudly booed him. We got LOUD alternating chants of “You deserve it!” “No, he doesn’t!” He opened the jacket to reveal he was wearing the belt! Ichiban came to the ring. (A few weeks ago, he inadvertently bumped Clancy, who has turned it into a major case of betrayal.) Clancy told Ichiban he wasn’t going to fight.
5. Ichiban vs. DJ Powers vs. Brian Morris vs. Corey Duke in a No. 1 contender’s match. Crockett talked about how Stetson Ranch lost the tag titles last week and how that affects Morris. The crowd chanted, “Not a cowboy!” at Morris. The heels, Morris and Powers, immediately worked together and stomped on Duke. Duke and Ichiban clotheslined Powers to the floor. Everyone fought to the floor, with Powers battling Ichiban, while Duke and Morris fought elsewhere.
In the ring, the heels were in charge, as this looked like a tornado tag match. Powers hit some chops on Ichiban. Those two again fought to the floor, while Duke kept chopping Morris in the ring. Powers hit a superkick on Duke. Ichiban hit some armdrags and an enzuigiri on Powers, then a dropkick in the corner at 5:00. Clancy was still at ringside, taunting Ichiban. The heels took turns chopping Ichiban while Duke was down on the floor. Morris accidentally chopped Powers at 8:00! Morris dropped Ichiban with a back elbow.
Powers spun Morris around, and they argued. Duke hit a top-rope missile dropkick on both of them. Duke hit some punches on each heel. Ichiban hit a top-rope flying knife-edge chop, then the “One!” punches in the corner on Morris. Ichiban hit an armdrag-and-headscissors takedown combo, then a dive to the floor on the heels at 10:00. Morris hit a spinning leg lariat on Ichiban. Duke hit a Fame-asser on Morris. Ichiban hit a second-rope Canadian Destroyer on Powers, and suddenly everyone was down at 12:00!
Duke got up and hit more jab punches on Morris, then a springboard back elbow and a DVD, but he missed a moonsault. Morris whiffed on an enzuigiri; that needed to look better. Ichiban hit his flying Flatliner on Morris, but he argued with Clancy. DJ nearly stole a pin on Morris at 14:00! Duke rolled up Powers and got the pin! “Oh my god! Corey Duke has shocked the world!” Crockett shouted. “The biggest upset in Open history!”
Corey Duke defeated Ichiban, DJ Powers, and Brian Morris in a four-way at 14:29 to earn a shot at the Wrestling Open Championship.
Final Thoughts: A big congrats to Corey Duke. Wrestling Open did this two years ago, taking comedy basketball gimmick Jermaine Marbury and pushed him overnight into the main event with largely positive results. I feel this is pretty similar, as Duke has looked quite solid in his undercard matches in recent weeks, and I have no doubt that Clancy will bring the best out of this kid. It sets a nice stepping stone to what I presume is that eventual Clancy-Ichiban singles match — it’s just a matter of how we get there. A good opener was second-best here, and the Bronson-Waller match earned third, giving us a tease of what’s to come there, too.
My only complaint here is that two DQ finishes are one too many — I really think having more than one on any show is too much. Notably absent tonight was a women’s match. Because of my internet issues on Monday, I hadn’t looked at the lineup to see if anything was canceled late, but it feels that way with just five matches. A short episode, coming in at just 93 minutes.
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