By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open “Episode 237”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
July 16, 2026, in Worcester, Massachusetts, at The White Eagle
The lighting is good, and it was easy to see. The crowd was maybe 150. Anthony Greene, “Handyman” Jake Gray, and Ref Scott Robinson provided commentary.
* There is a Produce show happening tonight AND the AEW Collision taping. I just glanced at the first, free match of the Produce show, and it has a lot of wrestlers (including Bear Bronson and Oxx Adams) who are often here. So, considering those shows are both happening in the region, this draw isn’t too bad.
1. “As Above So Below” Ryan Kilganon and Buck Sawin vs. Rickey Shane Page and Erik ChaCha in a spotlight match. Two new faces tonight! I presume these AASB guys are RSP’s students. Jake Gray and Ref Robinson provided commentary on this one. ChaCha opened against Kilganon, who has a thick, bushy beard. Think Jake Doyle but not quite as big. RSP threw ChaCha onto Sawin, then RSP hit a release Sidewalk Slam at 1:30. Both of these guys “grew up in the woods” and look like Wyatt Family rejects.
AASB worked over Rickey Shane Page (and the commentators acknowledged RSP was their trainer). ChaCha got a hot tag and hit some spin kicks. These rookies are big guys, and ChaCha is only about 5’0″, so the height difference is stark. ChaCha hit Yes Kicks on each opponent. RSP flipped Sawin at Erik, who hit a leaping knee strike to the jaw, and ChaCha pinned Sawin. Passable; this is what a “spotlight match should be — rookies breaking in before a live crowd.
Rickey Shane Page and Erik ChaCha defeated “As Above So Below” Ryan Kilganon and Buck Sawin at 5:24.
* Anthony Greene joined Robinson on commentary as the main show began.
2. RJ Rude (w/Rex Lawless) vs. Armani Kayos. Rude sang an obscure Sugar Ray hit from 1999 or 2000 on his way to the ring. (Fun fact: Sugar Ray played at my local county fair last week). Kayos tied a leg lock around RJ’s neck while in the ropes for a modified Tarantula, and he hit some chops. He hit a dive to the floor. Back in the ring, Lawless hopped on the apron at 2:30 and distracted Armani, allowing RJ to take control. He planted his foot in Armani’s throat in the corner and stomped on him.
Rude applied a half-crab at 5:00 and jawed at the crowd. Kayos repeatedly slammed Rude’s face into Kayos’ rear, then he hit a Bronco Buster and a TKO stunner for a nearfall at 6:30. Rude hit a corner fadeaway stunner. He went for a Lionsault, but Kayos got his knees up to block it. Kayos hit the “Rear View” mid-ring buttbump. Rex hopped on the apron to distract Kayos again. RJ accidentally hit a Mafia Kick on Lawless! Kayos immediately got a folding press rollup for the pin. Adequate.
Armani Kayos defeated RJ Rude at 8:17.
* Rex Lawless beat up Kayos. Rex and RJ posed together. (Shouldn’t Rex be mad at Rude? RJ literally kicked him in the face just seconds ago!)
* Ring announcer Rich Palladino introduced the newest referee — Pedro Dones! Ah! Pedro lost a match to BRG that bans him from competing here anymore! Dones came to the ring. This is a good new role for him.
3. Georgio Lawrence vs. Eye Black Jack Pasquale. Robinson noted Jack has lost a bit more frequently; he said he doesn’t want to call it a “sophomore slump,” but it’s like that. Standing switches early on. Jack hit a dropkick, and he posed; Robinson criticized Jack for wasting time with a pose. (Hmmm… interesting story Robinson is pushing here.) Georgio hit an Irish Whip.
Georgio leaned Jack against the ropes and hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest and got a nearfall at 3:30. He hit a bulldog for a nearfall. Jack fired up and hit some clotheslines and a hard back elbow. He nailed an implant DDT, and he hit his twisting uranage for the pin. Solid. Jack needed this win; I was half-expecting another fluke loss with the way Robinson was talking.
Eye Black Jack Pasquale defeated Georgio Lawrence at 5:32.
4. Kylie Alexa vs. Brooke Havok. This feels like a pretty marquee match — both women have competed all across the country. However, Cagematch.net indicates this is a first-ever meeting! A rare match where Havok (maybe 5’5″) has the height and weight advantage, as Kylie is closer to 5’2″. Standing switches early on with neither taking an advantage. Alexa hit some knee strikes to the spine at 4:30 and tied Brooke in a headlock on the mat.
Brooke hit some forearm strikes and a running stunner, and they were both down at 6:30, then a running neckbreaker. She hit a leaping knee to the jaw for a nearfall. Alexa hit a Russian Leg Sweep and her own running knee for a nearfall at 8:00. Brooke hit a pumphandle sideslam for a nearfall. Alexa hit a superkick and a suplex into the turnbuckles. She nailed her running basement dropkick to the face in the corner and scored the pin. By far the best match so far.
Kylie Alexa vs. Brooke Havok at 9:18.
* Brett Ryan Gosselin came out and cut a heel promo. As I noted, Oxx Adams is at the Produce show, so he’s not here to aid BRG.
5. Brett Ryan Gosselin vs. “Handyman” Jake Gray. They traded chops early on. Gray hit a dropkick. Jake clotheslined him to the floor. In the ring, BRG hit an Orton-style DDT out of the ropes at 3:30. BRG flipped Jake snake-eyes into the ring post and got a nearfall at 5:00. BRG hit a top-rope flying axe handle and remained in control. They got up and traded forearm strikes.
Gray hit a shotgun dropkick into the corner, then a mid-ring Sliced Bread for a nearfall at 7:00. BRG hit his fisherman’s swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall, and he was frustrated he didn’t win there. Jake got a backslide for a believable nearfall. BRG got a rollup with his feet on the ropes, but the ref saw it and stopped counting. Gray rolled him up for the flash pin! Okay action.
“Handyman” Jake Gray defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin at 8:49.
6. Kylon King vs. Jermaine Marbury. No Benny the Basketball tonight! Kylon took control at the bell. Marbury hit a Stinger Splash in the corner. Kylon suplexed Marbury into the corner at 2:30. Marbury hit a top-rope crossbody block, and they were both down. Marbury hit the Eurostep Neckbreaker, and he slammed King for a nearfall at 5:30. Marbury ‘broke King’s ankles” with his side-steps. However, King almost immediately hit a Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. That wrapped up suddenly.
Kylon King defeated Jermaine Marbury at 7:07.
7. DJ Powers vs. Brad Hollister. I don’t recall seeing this one advertised! Cagematch.net says these two have shared the ring seven times in the past 16 months, and Brad is 2-0-1 in singles matches. DJ hit an armdrag and jawed at the crowd. Brad hit a snap suplex, then a German Suplex. DJ hit a dropkick at 2:00. DJ took control and stomped on Brad, and kept him grounded in a headlock. Brad hit a big back-body drop at 5:00, then another one! Brad hit a big senton, and he was fired up. Hollister hit a buttbump in the corner, then hit an Angle Slam for a nearfall.
Brad blocked a superkick and hit a headbutt. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down at 8:30. They got up and traded chops. Hollister nailed a spear at 9:30, and the crowd was hot and into this. DJ got a flash rollup for a nearfall. He hit a Pedigree for a nearfall! DJ went for his Claymore Kick, but Brad caught him and hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 12:00! Nice! DJ hit a DDT onto the ring apron. However, as he was trying to get into the ring, Hollister grabbed him and hit a second-rope superplex for the pin. I liked that a lot.
Brad Hollister defeated DJ Powers at 13:02.
* Hollister wants a street fight next week with TJ Crawford!
8. Dustin Waller and “The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Brian Morris vs. Bobby Casale, Sammy Diaz, and Danny Miles. Waller rolled out so he wouldn’t have to tie up with Sammy, so Sammy opened against Morris. Diaz hit a huracanrana and a dropkick. Waller entered and traded offense with Miles. Danny hit a senton on Dustin at 2:00. Casale got in; Waller went to tag out, but Miles and Stetson wanted no part of Casale and refused the tag! Casale slammed Waller.
The babyfaces worked over Morris. Casale flipped Diaz onto Morris at 4:00. Stetson got in and stomped on Diaz, and the heels worked over Sammy in their corner. Miles got a hot tag at 6:30 and hit a top-rope crossbody block. He hit a release German Suplex. Stetson kicked Danny in the face! Morris hit a flying knee drop to Danny’s forehead at 8:00. Miles hit a second-rope Canadian Destroyer on Waller at 10:00!
Casale tagged back in and hit a back suplex on Miles. Morris leapt off the ropes, but Casale caught him and hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. Nice! Waller and Casale traded chops. Stetson hit a Mafia Kick on Casale at 12:30. Miles hit a spear on Morris, then a rolling cannonball in the corner. Dustin hit a Lethal Injection on Miles. Sammy hit a springboard fadeaway stunner on Waller! Miles hit an Asai Moonsault and landed on his feet!
In the ring, Casale hit a Dominator swinging faceplant on Morris, but Waller hit a Mamba Splash for the save, and everyone was down at 14:30. Rivals Diaz and Waller tagged in and traded forearm strikes. Dustin nailed a superkick. Sammy hit an “Icihiban Kai” leaping Flatliner on Dustin for a believable nearfall! Sammy went to the ropes, but he was tripped! Dustin immediately hit a Falcon Arrow on Sammy for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Sammy hit a double huracanrana.
Casale got a hot tag at 17:00, and he brawled with all three heels. Dustin hit a jumping knee. Stetson and Miles hit their team slam, and Waller hit a Mamba Splash for a nearfall. All six were brawling, and the ref had lost control. Sammy and Dustin fought right out the front door! In the ring, Casale blocked Brian’s Angel’s Wings, and he flipped Morris over and got the pin! Good action, with a really strong second half of the match.
Bobby Casale, Sammy Diaz, and Danny Miles defeated Dustin Waller and “The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Brian Morris at 18:38.
Final Thoughts: Three really good matches stood out of the eight. For a match that wasn’t even advertised, Hollister-Powers was by far the best here. Havok-Alexa earned second, with the main event taking third. The first half of the main event was pretty standard tag stuff, with long periods of the heels working over a babyface. Of course, the final few minutes had everyone hitting their finishers and plenty of false finishes, and they definitely finished it at its peak. Casale looking so good here in the main event reminds me that I’m right about Monday, when it was the wrong booking decision for him to go to a time-limit draw.
The last three or so weeks, we’ve had some undercards that haven’t been the strongest. Not bad wrestling, but none of the other five matches on this show earned a “good” rating from me. Jack-Georgio was the best of those five. If you only had time to watch three matches tonight, make it the three I highlighted. I’ll reiterate that I’d much rather see rookies in that spotlight match than some seasoned veterans, though. I watched this live; it should be available on IWTV by Friday morning.
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