By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open “Episode 239”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
July 30, 2026, in Worcester, Massachusetts, at The White Eagle
The crowd was maybe 100; it feels really small as the show began — it usually does grow as the show opened. The lighting was good, and it was easy to see. Brother Greatness, TJ Crawford, and referee Scott Robinson provided commentary; no Paul Crockett for this show.
* I see there is a Chaotic Pro Wrestling show happening at the same time, with Alec Price, Tyree Taylor and Sammy Diaz in action.
1. Allin Bayno and Brett Mettro vs. S-U Below in a spotlight match. I missed the opening seconds. The hillbillies were in charge of the rotund Bayno. The hillbillies are a cross between Juice Robinson and the Briscoes. Bayno and Mettro hit a team Flapjack faceplant for the pin. I didn’t see enough of it to get a good feel of the match.
Allin Bayno and Brett Mettro defeated S-U Below at 5:51.
2. Colton Charles vs. Jermaine Marbury. I think this might be Colton’s debut here, but I’ve seen him a few times in NJ-based WrestlePro, teaming with former ROH wrestler LSG. He’s big and strong and comparable to a young Royce Keys. (I have said he needs to stop dancing and get serious, because he’s a BIG man.) Robinson said Colton was a D1 rugby player! Jermaine hit some chops; Colton hit some louder chops, then a powerslam for a nearfall at 2:00.
Colton hip-tossed Marbury across the ring and hit an STO uranage. Colton hit another powerslam for a nearfall at 4:00; Robinson said he can’t recall Jermaine struggling so much early in the match. The crowd chanted “defense!” to rally Marbury. Jermaine hit some clotheslines and he ‘broke Colton’s ankles’ with his sidesteps. Colton hit a Mark Henry-style World’s Strongest Slam, but he missed a Vader Bomb. Jermaine hit a stunner for the pin!
Jermaine Marbury defeated Colton Charles at 5:54.
3. Selena Hekate vs. Nessa Ferrari. This is a rematch from last week, where Nessa pulled out the victory. Hekate is slender with magenta hair and tattoos up and down her arms. Again, Nessa reminds me of Daria Rae, or former WWE diva Victoria. Standing switches to open. Nessa hit a springboard armdrag, and she dropped Selena with a spin kick at 1:30.
Selena hit some punches in the corner, and she slammed Nessa’s head into the turnbuckles, then a Hogan Leg Drop for a nearfall at 3:00. Selena hit a Sidewalk Slam for a nearfall. She hit a Samoan Drop for a nearfall. Nessa hit a tornado DDT, and they were both down at 5:30. Nessa hit some clotheslines and a spin kick to the jaw, then a springboard twisting Lungblower to the chest for the pin. I really liked her take on that finisher.
Nessa Ferrari defeated Selena Hekate at 6:17.
* Ring announcer Lauren St. James got on the mic and challenged Kylie Alexa to face Nessa next week for the women’s title. (Why didn’t Nessa make the challenge? I haven’t heard her speak, so maybe she doesn’t speak English? I don’t know.) Also, St. James is ring announcer tonight, as Rich Palladino is at that aforementioned Chaotic Pro show.
* TJ Crawford joined Robinson in the booth!
4. Julezee vs. Jordan Cruz in a Discovery Gauntlet match. Again, the Gauntlet continues each week with no announced end date. Cruz is no rookie — he’s a top-tier talent in the California indy scene and has appeared in New Japan Strong several times before. He also has a wide frame and is visibly much stronger than Julezee. Cruz threw him into the corner and tied up the scrawny Julezee on the mat. Julezee put a sticker on Jordan’s forehead — why would you want to tick him off?
Julezee hit a huracanrana and his inverted senton for a nearfall at 2:00. Cruz hit a top-rope superplex for a nearfall. He hit a chop that caved in Julezee’s chest. He hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 3:30, then a decapitating clothesline. Julezee hit a Whisper In The Wind top-rope twisting cannonball at 6:00, and they were both down. Julezee hit a running knee for a nearfall. Julezee hit a Jay Driller for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it.
Cruz hit a sunset flip, sending Julezee into the corner. He hit No More Sorrow (shoulder-breaker over his knee) for a believable nearfall. That’s his usual finisher! Cruz hit some forearm strikes. Julezee hit a superkick and a Stundog Millionaire. He hit a leaping headbutt, then a spin kick to the jaw for the pin. The wrong guy won, but Cruz doesn’t live on the East Coast, so I doubt he’ll be around for next week’s match.
Julezee defeated Jordan Cruz at 9:52 to advance in the gauntlet next week.
5. Rickey Shane Page vs. “Wonderboy” Brian Morris. RSP is a big and rotund man and has a significant overall size advantage, and he easily shoved Morris to the mat. He hip-tossed Morris across the ring and hit some hard chops. Morris hit a second-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 3:30, and he beat down RSP for several minutes. Morris missed a second crossbody block at 6:00.
Rickey hit a hard clothesline. He put Morris across his shoulders and slammed him to the mat, then hit a back-body drop with a kick for a nearfall. RSP hit a big frog splash for a nearfall at 8:30. Morris hit a spinning heel kick to the jaw for a nearfall. RSP hit a discus forearm and a DDT. Morris hit an implant DDT for the pin. Meh.
“Wonderboy” Brian Morris defeated Rickey Shane Page at 10:07.
* Next week is “Summer Stunner.” I don’t think it’s any different than any other week of Wrestling Open… it just has a nice name to it!
6. Eye Black Jack Pasquale vs. Devin Reno. This feud has been simmering for a few weeks now! The bald, muscular Reno came out first. A clean lockup to open, and Devin pushed Jack into the corner. Jack hit a powerslam and a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 2:00. Reno took control and kept Jack grounded. Jack hit a flying shoulder tackle, then a Cena-style DVD for a nearfall at 6:30. Jack hit a frog splash, and they were both down; Jack went for a cover, but Devin reached the ropes. Reno hit an inverted suplex, dropping Jack stomach-first for the pin! A big upset in my eyes; Jack needed that win.
Devin Reno defeated Eye Black Jack Pasquale at 9:47.
* Rain Conway came to the ring. He wasn’t listed on the match lineup! But he’s “got that dog in me” and wants a match.
7. Rain Conway vs. Love, Doug. They immediately tied up on the mat. Doug hit a bodyslam at 3:00. He hit a slingshot crossbody block. Rain hit a backbreaker over his knee, and he choked Doug in the ropes. Rain hit a fisherman’s suplex with an impressive bridge for a nearfall at 6:30. He switched to a Boston Crab and pulled Doug to the center of the ring. Doug hit a high-angle back suplex, and they were both down at 8:30.
Doug hit a springboard back elbow and was fired up. He hit a bulldog, then a Slice of Love (mid-ring Sliced Bread) for a nearfall at 10:00. Doug went for a slingshot move but Conway caught him with a forearm strike. Conway hit a Takeshita-style spinning Falcon Arrow for a nearfall! He went for the Rainmaker clothesline, but Doug blocked it. Doug nailed the Lariat of Love (rebound clothesline) for the pin. This would have been a good time to pull the trigger on a big win for Conway.
Love, Doug defeated Rain Conway at 11:44.
* TJ Crawford hopped in the ring to celebrate with Doug, but Doug clearly didn’t want TJ there. I’ll also note that the crowd is legitimately twice the size it was during that spotlight match. I’m just surprised how many fans show up late!
8. Dustin Waller, 23 Hazard, and Christian Darling vs. Mani Ariez, Brother Greatness, and Brad Hollister. Two really random teams here. I was just noting it’s been far too long since Darling has been here! He won last year’s Discovery Gauntlet, scoring victories in his last eight or nine matches. Dustin attacked Brother Greatness, and we’re underway! Mani jumped in and chopped Hazard at 1:30. The babyfaces took turns hitting clotheslines and stomps on Hazard in their corner. Brad hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 3:30.
Hollister hit some chops on Darling, as the babyfaces remained in control early on. BG hit a running splash to the mat for a nearfall. They did the spot where the three babyfaces suplexed the three heels at 5:30, then a triple noggin’ knocker, and the heels bailed to the floor to regroup. Brother Greatness dove through the ropes on the heels. In the ring, he hit a top-rope crossbody block on Darling for a nearfall. Darling hit a uranage on BG at 8:00, and the heels began working over Greatness in their corner.
Darling is a BIG guy, and he caved in BG’s chest with some chops and some crossface blows. Hazard hit some kicks. All the heels stomped on BG. Waller choked BG with a do-rag at 11:30. BG finally hit a dropkick on Hazard. Ariez and Darling brawled, and Mani clotheslined them both to the floor. Brad got a hot tag, and he tossed Waller to the mat and hit a senton. Brad hit some buttbumps and an Angle Slam. He hit a Muscle Buster on Hazard for a believable nearfall. Waller repeatedly stomped on Hollister in the corner, then hit a 619. Hazard hit a spinning faceplant on Brad for a believable nearfall.
Mani got a hot tag at 15:30, and he brawled with Dustin. Mani hit a hard clothesline and a swinging powerbomb for a nearfall. Brother Greatness tagged back in. Waller hit the Lethal Injection. BG hit a second-rope Canadian Destroyer. Brad hit a pop-up powerbomb on the big Darling! TJ Crawford came to ringside to distract Brad, and Brad chased him to the back! Mani hit a Samoan Drop on Hazard for a nearfall. Waller hit a springboard clothesline on BG. Hazard hit a Hidden Blade to the back of BG’s head for the pin!
Dustin Waller, 23 Hazard, and Christian Darling defeated Mani Ariez, Brother Greatness, and Brad Hollister at 18:44.
Final Thoughts: A really strong main event. I assumed Brother Greatness was in there to eat the pin, as 23 Hazard has been getting quite a solid push of late. Waller is making his case for being East Coast MVP. According to cagematch.net stats, this was already Waller’s 90th match of the year, after hitting 135 last year. Doug-Conway is a distant second. I liked the effort from Cruz-Julezee, but this was just clearly an example where the younger, newer local got the win over a talented vet from out of state. That’s fine — I get it — but just reiterating that Cruz is the more talented guy. The only new faces were the scruffy hillbillies in the spotlight match.
For the past few months, the Monday shows in Rhode Island have blown away the Thursday shows in Massachusetts. RSP and Reno just do nothing for me. This lineup feels like it was missing some star power and a lot of the top-tier local talents that have been here recently. I watched this live and just started AEW. Hey! It’s the Motor City Machine Guns! Okay, this should be available on IWTV on Friday.
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