By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open “Episode 226”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
April 30, 2026, in Worcester, Massachusetts, at The White Eagle
The lighting is good, and it’s easy to see. The attendance was maybe 125. Ref Scott Robinson and the injured Jake Gray provided commentary. (A rare night without Paul Crockett!)
* IWTV has revamped its website. Due to those changes, this show was not made available on their website until Monday.
1. Dustin Waller vs. Joseph “A-Game” Alexander. I thought this could be the headliner! Standing switches to open. A-Game (still with the shoulder brace on) hit a shoulder tackle. He targeted the right knee and twisted the leg, but Waller got to the ropes at 2:00. Waller hit a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Waller hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 4:30. Waller went for a moonsault but landed on his feet and jammed his knee. A-Game immediately hit a Blue Thunder Bomb at 6:00.
A-Game hit a jumping knee in the corner and a Rebound Lariat for a nearfall. Waller snapped A-Game’s neck over the top rope at 7:30. Waller hit a chop block to the back of the knee and tied up the damaged limb on the mat. He locked in a half-crab, but A-Game rolled free at 9:30. A-Game hit a Go To Sleep knee strike for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes, then chops. I didn’t catch the time limit for this one, but Waller hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly at 11:30.
Waller hit a bodyslam. He tried to climb the turnbuckles but his damaged knee gave out. He pulled himself up to the top, but A-Game hit a superplex and a fisherman’s buster for a nearfall! A-Game hit a standing powerbomb with a jackknife cover for a nearfall. This has been really good. Waller hit a Lethal Injection and a suplex for the clean pin.
Dustin Waller defeated Joseph “A-Game” Alexander at 13:12.
* Waller got on the mic, and he called out Corey Duke, who he will face next in the tournament. He said Duke isn’t good enough to even be in the tournament, let alone win it. He vowed to become champion.
2. Liviyah vs. Nessa Ferrari. My first time seeing the debuting Nessa, who looks a lot like TNA’s Daria Rae — same long black, straight hair, and she’s a rookie. (She seriously could be a younger sister). Liviyah hit a dropkick. Robinson said the benefit Nessa has is “there’s no tape on her” for Liviyah to study. Nessa hit some kicks. She applied a headlock on the mat.
Liv fired up, and they traded forearm strikes. Liv hit her flying shoulder tackle at 3:00. Liviyah hit a missile dropkick, then her implant DDT for the pin. (I’ve noted it appears she is using that more and more as a finisher instead of the Eye of the Hurricane.) A decent showing by the debuting Nessa.
Liviyah defeated Nessa Ferrari at 3:50.
* Shane Stetson came to the ring. He’s not dressed to wrestle. He said he can’t focus on becoming the No. 1 contender for the title, because lately, all the Stetson Ranch has been doing is fighting amongst themselves. He said the crowd is spreading rumors that they are about to “kick rocks.” He said Danny Miles has been a good member of the Ranch… even though he cost them the tag titles!
3. “Waves & Curls” Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan vs. “The Residency” Nick Robles and Rex Lawless. Where has RJ Rude been? The big men, Jordan and Lawless, opened. Traevon hit a dropkick on Rex. He slammed Robles to the mat. Brandyn got in and battled Robles. W&C worked over Robles’ left arm. Jaylen hit a Poetry In Motion splash. Rex got in and hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Jaylen, then a guillotine leg drop at 5:00. The Residency worked over Jaylen in their corner. Robles hit a bodyslam and a splash to the mat.
Robles was behind Jaylen and hit some crossface blows. Rex hit a fallaway slam at 6:30. Jordan got a hot tag and hit some clotheslines He nailed a Choke Bomb on Robles for a nearfall, but Rex made the save. Rex and Jordan traded forearm strikes, then they traded Mafia Kicks. Traevon hit a superkick. Waves & Curls hit a Team 3D on Robles for a nearfall at 8:30. Rex hit a spear on Traevon. Robles rolled up Brandyn in an O’Connor Roll, leaned back for added leverage, and scored the clean pin! I didn’t see a clean pin coming there!
“The Residency” Nick Robles and Rex Lawless defeated “Waves & Curls” Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan at 9:29.
4. Chico Adams vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin (w/Oxx Adams) in a “Beat The Clock” challenge. BRG cut a heel promo to draw some heat. My first time seeing Chico, who looks a LOT like Stu Grayson — short, bald, with a long bushy beard. Robinson explained the rules of a Beat The Clock challenge. BRG twisted the left arm. Chico got a backslide, then a rollup for a nearfall. BRG hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall at 2:00. He choked Chico in the ropes. Gray and Robinson noted that BRG should be trying harder to win quickly.
Brett hit a backbody drop and got a nearfall at 4:00. He hit his flying axe handle for a nearfall. Chico hit a suplex, and they were both down. Chico rammed BRG’s head onto turnbuckles in all four corners at 6:00, then a spinning sideslam for a nearfall. Brett finally hit a Gotch-style piledriver for the CLEAN pin; Oxx never got involved! My time matched Lauren St. James’ official time.
Brett Ryan Gosselin defeated Chico Adams in a Beat the Clock challenge at 7:28.
* SO, Pedro Dones must win in less than 7:28! Rain Conway came to the ring, and he made sure the fans knew he has that DOG in him and he’s ready to fight!
5. Rain Conway vs. Pedro Dones in a “Beat The Clock” challenge. BRG and Oxx were in the crowd, watching the match, and Robinson just pointed it out as I wrote it. Pedro backed him into a corner and hit some chops. Pedro held Conway and hit some squats. BRG hopped on the ring apron, but the ref admonished Brett. Conway hit a backbreaker over his knee at 3:00 and hit some punt kicks to Pedro’s back. Rain threw Dones to the floor, and Oxx hit some stomps!
Rain dragged him into the ring and hit some more stomps. He hit a snap suplex at 4:30. Pedro got a backslide. Rain hit a clothesline, and he threw Dones shoulder-first into the corner, then a suplex at 6:00. Dones hit a bodyslam. He’s running out of time! We got a one-minute warning. Dones hit a Polish Hammer. He did an airplane spin-into-a-Samoan Drop. Brett again distracted Pedro. Oxx grabbed Rain and set him on the stage. Pedro realized this and ran to grab Rain, but the clock expired!
Rain Conway vs. Pedro Dones went to a draw at 7:28 in a Beat the Clock challenge; BRG will get to choose the match stipulation next week.
* Brett got on the mic and said next week’s match will A) be a no-DQ match and B) if Pedro loses, he is out of Wrestling Open forever!!!!!!
6. Tyree Taylor vs. Ray Jaz. Jaz attacked Tyree recently to get his name back in the main event mix. Jaz threw him to the mat, and they traded some punches on the mat. Tyree (again, think Willie Mack-meets-Shane Taylor) has the size advantage, and he hit some bear paw chops to the chest, then a hip-toss. Jaz snapped Taylor’s throat over the top rope at 2:00. Jaz tied Tyree in the corner; he let go before being disqualified, but he continued to stomp on him. Ray hit a big German Suplex for a nearfall at 5:00.
Jaz tied up Tyree’s legs, then he leaned forward and tied up Tyree’s head, too. Ray hit a belly-to-belly suplex, then locked in a cross-armbreaker. Tyree stood up and set Ray on the top turnbuckle to escape. Jaz hit a leg drop for a nearfall at 7:00. Tyree hit a monkey-flip, and they were both down. Tyree hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall at 9:30. Jaz went for a top-rope flying move, but Tyree caught him at 11:30 and tied him in a bear hug. Jaz got the big Tyree across his shoulders, but Tyree escaped, hit the “Brooklyn Zoo” sit-out powerbomb, and scored the pin. Good, intense action.
Tyree Taylor defeated Ray Jaz at 12:19.
7. Christian Darling and Tyler Jordan vs. “The Vibe” Sammy Diaz and Mani Ariez in a street fight. These teams have been feuding for a month or so now. I’ll reiterate that Cleveland-based star Jordan also had a WWE tryout, and he’s in my top 15 unsigned U.S.-based male wrestlers — yeah, he’s really that good. We got the bell, but they immediately began brawling on the floor. They brawled over to the stage — the fans have scattered and given them plenty of room to work. Diaz leapt off the stage and hit a crossbody block onto the heels at 1:30.
In the ring, Diaz hit some chops and punches on Darling. Meanwhile, Tyler threw Mani into the ring post. Tyler hopped in the ring and helped in the beatdown of Diaz. Diaz hit a corner moonsault to the floor at 4:00, earning a “Holy shit!” chant. In the ring, the babyfaces tied Darling in the Tree of Woe, and Diaz hit a basement dropkick onto a chair over Christian’s face at 6:00. Tyler got a chair and slammed it against Sammy’s knee. Darling hit a chair shot across Mani’s back, and the heels were right back in charge.
Mani got a kendo stick, and he struck the heels with it. The heels beat down on Mani and kept him grounded. They tied Mani to the top rope at 11:00 and repeatedly hit him with a kendo stick. Gray said they were “treating him like a piñata.” The heels then beat up Sammy while Mani was still tied to the ropes. Darling hit an elbow drop for a nearfall at 13:00. Darling applied a half-crab. Mani finally broke free! He grabbed the kendo stick and struck each of the heels! Mani hit a Doctor Bomb (gutwrench powerbomb) for a nearfall.
Darling was flipped to the floor. Sammy hit the team Blockbuster on Jordan for a nearfall at 16:00. Mani went under the ring and found a door and he slid it in. Jordan hit a low-blow uppercut on Sammy. Darling hit a powerbomb on Diaz for a nearfall. The heels were going to slam Sammy through the door, but Mani made the save. Mani speared Darling through the door! Sammy hit a low blow on Tyler! Sammy hit a chair shot to Tyler’s knee. Sammy hit the Cradle Shock slam on Tyler across an open chair for the pin!
“The Vibe” Sammy Diaz and Mani Ariez defeated Christian Darling and Tyler Jordan in a street fight at 18:36.
Final Thoughts: Yes, it’s more of my preferred style, but the A-Game vs. Waller opener earns best match, ahead of the main event. That’s my idea of how a street fight plays out — chairs, tables, brawling… but no blood, no dangerous blows to the head or thrown chairs, no pizza cutters, gusset plates, cooking skewers, pizza cutters, or needles.
I’ll go with the intense Jaz-Tyree match for third. It’s good to be surprised sometimes, and I was definitely surprised that the Residency got a big, clean win over the beloved Waves & Curls. I wouldn’t mind a quick rematch, either. A good episode… I wish I could have seen it a few days ago, but it was worth the wait. Again, while this occurred on Thursday, it wasn’t released on IWTV until Monday.
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