By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Beyond Wrestling “Americanrana 26”
Replay available via IndependentWrestling.TV
August 28, 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 300; I don’t know what they consider a sellout, but many fans were standing against the walls. It was packed by the time the main show began! Joey T and Brother Greatness provided commentary.
* Mercedes Martinez is injured and unable to attend. She was scheduled for a tag match.
* The first hour was streamed on YouTube; the rest of the show was on IWTV. Entrances weren’t shown on the YouTube stream (presumably because of music rights).
1. “Flyin'” Ryan O’Neill vs. Ichiban. Standing switches to open. Ichiban dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 1:30. They sped it up with some reversals, both missed dropkicks, and had a standoff. Ichiban hit a dropkick and tied up Ryan on the mat. Ryan hit a springboard crossbody block for a nearfall at 4:00. They fought to the floor. Ichiban hit a flip dive to the floor but landed on his feet. In the ring, Ichiban hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 5:30.
Ichiban backed Ryan into a corner and hit some chops. Ryan hit an enzuigiri at 7:30, then a flipping faceplant for a nearfall. Ichiban hit a Mafia Kick and an enzuigiri. Ryan hit a neckbreaker in the ropes, then a guillotine leg drop as Ichiban was tied in the ropes for a nearfall at 9:00. Ichiban hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. O’Neill hit a stunner. Ichiban hit a Stundog Millionaire. Ryan hit his Cleopatra Stunner. He went for a Swanton Bomb, but Ichiban got his knees up! Ichiban immediately hit a Canadian Destroyer for the pin. That’s a great start to the show.
Ichiban defeated Ryan O’Neill at 11:04.
2. Bobby Casale and Danny Miles vs. Nick Battee and DJ Powers. DJ and Casale opened, and DJ hit some chops. Casale threw him into a corner and hit some forearm strikes and a roundhouse kick to the chest, then a senton for a nearfall at 1:00. Battee tagged in; DJ snapped Bobby’s throat across the top rope before exiting. The babyfaces took turns striking Battee in their corner. Miles hopped on Bobby’s back, and they hit a team senton on Battee at 2:30. Nick hit a superplex on Miles, and the heels took control.
Powers hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall and got booed. Battee pulled Danny to the floor. Miles got back in but couldn’t make the tag. Bobby finally got a hot tag at 6:00, and he hit some roundhouse kicks on each guy, then a German Suplex on DJ, then one on Battee. He hit a Facewash in the corner on Battee, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall, but DJ made the save. The heels hit a team faceplant on Casale for a nearfall. Miles hit a top-rope crossbody block and a superplex. Casale hit a Dominator as Miles also hit a slam. The babyfaces made stereo covers for the pin.
Bobby Casale and Danny Miles defeated Nick Battee and DJ Powers at 8:06.
3. Devin Reno vs. Jermaine Marbury. Marbury wore his Raptors-themed jersey. No Benny the Basketball? Early on, Marbury stood over Reno, who was face-first on the mat, and he ‘dribbled’ Reno’s back, pushing him down several times as Reno was trying to get up. I haven’t seen that before! He went for his Eurostep, but Reno grabbed Marbury’s hair and yanked him to the mat at 2:00! Brother Greatness was irate! “You mess with the ‘Fro you gotta go!” BG said. Reno stomped on Marbury and took control. Marbury fired up and hit some clotheslines and the Eurostep neckbreaker at 4:30. He dunked Reno’s head to the mat for a nearfall. Reno hit a faceplant for the pin out of nowhere.
Devin Reno defeated Jermaine Marbury at 5:13.
4. “The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Brian Morris vs. “The Shooter Boys” Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio in a Street Fight for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. (The Monday night shows here are strict about being PG with no swearing, so it’s a bit shocking to hear the crowd chant profanities at the Ranch!) All four brawled at the bell. The Boys hit stereo German Suplexes at 1:00. Ortiz dove through the ropes. Vecchio dove off the top turnbuckle onto everyone on the floor. In the ring, the Boys put Stetson’s legs inside a chair, and Vecchio turned it into a Boston Crab! Morris made the save at 3:00.
Stetson got a chair, and he cracked it across the back of each Shooter Boy, going back and forth. Stetson removed his leather belt and whipped the babyfaces. The Ranch hit a team Bulldog Slam for a nearfall on Ortiz at 6:00. The Boys hit stereo dropkicks on Stetson. The Boys got thin circular cookie sheets and struck the heels over the head with it. The crowd offered their unique profane chant at Stetson. Vecchio hit a Blockbuster for a nearfall, but Stetson pulled the ref to the floor at 8:30.
Morris worked over Ortiz’ left leg. Stetson got a bat, and he jawed at Ortiz. Vecchio jumped in and stole the bat from Steve! Meanwhile, Ortiz got a crutch wrapped in barbed wire! The Boys each struck Stetson with their weapons. The crutch broke as it went over Stetson’s back at 10:30. The Boys set up a table in the ring. Morris struck Ortiz in the head with the end of a bat! Stetson hit a frog splash on Ortiz, who was lying on the table, for the pin! “What did we just witness?” Joey T asked. The stipulation was that the Shooter Boys could no longer team up in Wrestling Open if they lost!!!
“The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Brian Morris defeated “The Shooter Boys” Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio in a Street Fight to retain the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles at 12:15.
* The show moved to IWTV at 7 p.m. CST. We opened the main show with a video package from Americanranas going back to 2013. Oh, Zack Sabre Jr. competed here in 2016! Penta in 2017! Orange Cassidy, of course, and Eddie Kingston. Rich Palladino took over for Lauren St. James as our head ring announcer.
5. Davey Bang and August Matthews vs. “Bustah & The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver vs. “Simply the Best” Oxx Adams and Brett Ryan Gosselin vs. Slade and Charles Mason in a four-way tornado rules match for the IWTV Tag Team Titles. We’re starting the main show with a marquee match! Okay, this is going to be bonkers with the tornado rules stipulation, too. The champs hit stereo top-rope crossbody blocks, and we’re underway! Bang hit double axe kicks on Slade and Mason. Bang and Matthews traded blows with Price and Oliver.
Bang hit a moonsault to the floor while Matthews hit his flip dive to the floor on the other side of the ring at 1:30. Mason sprayed fluid in the eyes of Bang and Matthews; Slade immediately hit an Exploder Suplex. Price hit a twisting suplex on Mason at 3:00. BRG came off the ropes, but Oliver and Price caught him with kicks. Oxx (fresh off his ROH match a day ago!) hit a double clothesline on Price and Oliver. BRG was suddenly alone in the ring; Slade and Mason crept up behind him. However, Oxx jumped back in and hit a double chokeslam at 5:00.
BRG hit a dive to the floor! In the ring, Oxx hit a loud frying pan-style chop on Bang. Bang hit a handspring-back-elbow on BRG. He tried one on Oxx, but Oxx didn’t budge! Slade hit a Sister Abigail for a nearfall. Suddenly it was just Slade vs. Oxx, and they traded strikes. Oxx nailed a decapitating clothesline at 7:30. Mason jumped on Oxx’s back and tried a sleeper. Mason and Slade hit a team chokeslam on Oxx for a nearfall! Price and Oliver jumped back in. Alec hit a jumping knee on Mason. Slade hit a double back suplex on them. Bang and Matthews hit stereo enzuigiris.
Bang and Matthews flipped Slade and got a nearfall at 9:00. Price hit a Frankensteiner, then a flip dive to the floor. In the ring, he hit a top-rope double stomp. Oliver hit a second-rope superplex on Slade. Matthews missed a Swanton Bomb. Bang and Mason hit stereo 450 Splashes, then Bang hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Mason! Nice! We got the “This is awesome!” chant. Bang tried a Spears Tower, but Oxx didn’t budge. Oxx hit a sit-out powerbomb. BRG hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall at 12:00. Mason hit some Meteoras and his rolling DVD.
Slade hit a chokeslam on BRG. Bang and Matthews scooped up Mason and Slade and slammed their heads together. Bang and Matthews hit their stereo top-rope double stomps. Bang hit the Spears Tower on Slade! Oxx made the save. Bang and Matthews knocked Oxx to the floor. Price and Oliver got back in and hit the team Styles Clash on Bang for the pin! New champions! That match was awesome. Maybe a rewatch later. WOW. The crowd chanted, “You deserve it!”
“Bustah & The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver defeated Davey Bang and August Matthews and “Simply the Best” Oxx Adams and Brett Ryan Gosselin and Slade and Charles Mason in a four-way tornado rules match to win the IWTV Tag Team Titles at 14:52.
* Price got on the mic and said, “We’ve been killing it everywhere we go,” and he thanked the fans. Oliver got on the mic and said they’ll take on anyone, including a “signed team.”
6. Timothy Thatcher vs. Eye Black Jack Pasquale. Thatcher has come here a few times recently to put the young mat grapplers like Conway and Casale through his style of match, and now he’s taking on Jack. Standing switches to open. Jack dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 1:30. Thatcher tied up the left arm and pulled it behind Jack’s head. He switched to a bow-and-arrow at 4:30, then hit a snap suplex for a nearfall. Jack hit a suplex at 6:00. Thatcher threw him shoulder-first into the turnbuckles.
Thatcher hit some European Uppercuts, but they fired up Jack! Jack hit some chops and a hard clothesline. He threw Thatcher shoulder-first into the corner at 8:30, then hit a Bulldog Powerslam. Jack hit a top-rope frog splash for a nearfall, but Thatcher quickly rolled him over and got the flash pin out of nowhere!
Timothy Thatcher defeated Eye Black Jack Pasquale at 9:09.
7. Steph De Lander vs. Sloane Jacobs. Sloane, of course, is under a WWE ID deal, while Steph just worked the ROH Death Before Dishonor show. Sloane attacked SDL from behind, and we’re underway! Steph knocked her down with a shoulder tackle, then she hit a snap suplex. She backed Sloane into a corner and hit some chops! Steph hit a sidewalk slam for a nearfall, then some punches in the corner at 1:30. Sloane hit a clothesline for a nearfall, and she fired back with her own chops.
Jacobs hit a second-rope elbow drop for a nearfall at 4:00; she put her feet on the ropes for leverage, but the ref saw it. SDL hit some running Polish Hammers and splashes in the corner. She clotheslined Sloane to the floor. She dropped Sloane face first on the apron, then hit a snap suplex onto the thin mat at ringside! In the ring, SDL went for a powerbomb, but her legs buckled, and Jacobs got a nearfall. Jacobs hit a Magic Screw twisting neckbreaker off the ropes. She hit a Jaded-style implant buster for a nearfall at 6:00. SDL hit a Helluva Kick, then she slammed Sloane face-first to the mat for the pin. Solid action.
Steph De Lander defeated Sloane Jacobs at 6:51.
8. Kylon King vs. Aaron Rourke. Cagematch.net shows this is their 10th-ever in-ring encounter, with Aaron up 1-0 in singles matches. Standing switches to open. Rourke hit a shotgun dropkick, sending Kylon flying into the corner, then he hit a second-rope missile dropkick, and he clotheslined Kylon to the floor. Kylon hit a neckbreaker in the ropes at 1:30, then he hit a German Suplex against the ring frame! Ouch! In the ring, Kylon hit a spinebuster for a nearfall, and he immediately went to a half-crab.
Kylon hit a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall at 3:00. Rourke hit an Eat D’Feat. Kylon caught him and hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Rourke hit some jab punches and a Lethal Injection at 4:30. He dove through the ropes and crashed onto King! In the ring, Kylon caught him with a piledriver for a nearfall at 6:00! Rourke hit a hard back elbow. Rourke put Kylon across his shoulders and hit a faceplant slam for a nearfall. Rourke hit a Helluva Kick.
Kylon hit a German Suplex, but Rourke hit a Canadian Destroyer, and they were both down at 8:00, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Rourke went for the Molly Go Round, but Kylon caught Aaron’s legs and hit a powerbomb. Kylon hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Rourke nailed the Molly Go Round (flipping top-rope senton) for the pin. Good action.
Aaron Rourke defeated Kylon King at 10:03.
9. Laynie Luck, Jody Threat, Allie Katch vs. Nessa Ferrari, Angel Ortiz, and Jose Zamora. Jody is an unannounced surprise! Her team all leapt at each other and pushed their chests together. Ortiz also wasn’t announced, but he never misses Americanrana! Zamora just returned from a shoulder injury that kept him out most of 2026. He had his camera around his neck as he records his life 24/7.
Ortiz and Luck opened and shook hands before tying up. Laynie hit some armdrags. Jody tagged in at 1:30 and tied up with Nessa. Jody dropped her with a shoulder tackle. Zamora tagged in at 3:00 to face Katch. They shook hands, but then Jose dragged her to the mat by her hair! Loud boos for that! Katch’s team took turns hitting elbow drops on Jose. Jose hit a Lungblower to Allie’s back for a nearfall at 5:30. The guys hit a team suplex on Allie. Nessa did a cartwheel-into-a-splash on Allie. Ortiz hit a splash on Allie for a nearfall.
Zamora hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 7:00. Allie hit a powerbomb on Ortiz. Nessa tagged in and traded forearm strikes with Jody. Jody hit a Northern Lights Suplex on Zamora at 9:00. Jody hit a double German Suplex on the two guys! She hit a fallaway slam on Nessa for a nearfall. Laynie hit a suplex on Nessa for a nearfall. Nessa hit a double bulldog. Jose and Ortiz began arguing! Jody hit a top-rope crossbody block on Zamora.
Zamora hit a hard back elbow on Jody. Nessa hit a top-rope Meteora on Jody for a nearfall at 12:00. This has been really entertaining. Zamora slammed Allie’s face into the mat. Laynie hit an enzuigiri. Jody hit a spear on Ortiz. Luck hit an enzuigiri on Nessa. On the floor, Laynie hit a superkick on Jose. She threw Jose back into the ring, where Allie hit a piledriver for the pin! Good action. I’ll point out that never once did a guy strike a woman in the face; I approve.
Laynie Luck, Jody Threat, and Allie Katch defeated Nessa Ferrari, Angel Ortiz, and Jose Zamora at 13:19.
10. Mance Warner vs. Bobby Orlando for the IWTV Title. Mance won this belt from Krule over WrestleMania week in Las Vegas, so he’s held it for more than four months. They immediately traded punches to the jaw; no feeling-out process here! They went to the floor, and Mance dropped him with a hard chop. Mance struck him across the back with a chair. They got into the ring, and Mance hit another chairshot to the back at 2:30. They sat down on chairs across from each other and traded more punches.
Mance chokeslammed Orlando through a TV dinner table for a nearfall at 5:00! He grabbed a metal piece and jabbed it across Bobby’s mouth. Mance hit some chops in the corner. From the floor, Bobby threw a garbage can into the ring, and it struck Mance. He threw in a chair that struck Mance at 7:00. (I don’t love these thrown chairs, but they were slow enough that Mance could have avoided them.) Mance was bleeding from his forehead; you don’t see that often here! Bobby slid a door into the ring.
Mance sat down on a chair and applied a rear-naked choke. However, Bobby ran him back-first through the door in the corner and got a nearfall at 9:00. Mance whipped a chair at Bobby’s head; Bobby did get his hands up to block it. Mance hit some jab punches. He hit a leaping tornado DDT through another door for a nearfall at 10:30. Bobby grabbed a trash can and repeatedly struck Mance with it. He missed a moonsault; Mance immediately hit a spear through a door in the corner for a nearfall at 12:00!
Orlando hit a top-rope superplex across several open chairs for a believable nearfall at 14:30, earning a “Holy shit!” chant. Brother Greatness was in disbelief that Mance kicked out. They grabbed door shards and took turns whacking each other over the head with them. Orlando leapt off the ropes, but Mance caught him with a clothesline. Bobby got a backslide for a nearfall, but Mance hit a running knee for the pin. I fully thought a title change was possible there. Good brawl; not my style of match, but the crowd was really into it.
Mance Warner defeated Bobby Orlando to retain the IWTV World Title at 16:24.
An intermission at 9:56 local time! (Why?) We still have four matches left! A full 20-minute intermission! It’s getting late there!
11. Rickey Shane Page, “Handyman” Jake Gray, and Erik ChaCha vs. Mark Sterling and “The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny “VSK Scalice. Mark wore a neck brace, and he noted the nasty bump he took on ROH TV a week ago. VSK and Gray opened, and Vinny easily tossed him to the mat. Bryce (about 6’2″) got in and faced ChaCha (maybe 5’3″), and he laughed about the height difference. Erik dropped him with a shoulder tackle! Sterling, wearing Phoenix Suns colors on his singlet, struggled to get through the ropes at 3:30, and then he tried to lift RSP but could not.
Rickey hit a big elbow drop on Sterling, then a splash in the corner. RSP tossed ChaCha onto Sterling. Gray got back in and got a nearfall on Sterling. Bryce chokeslammed Gray on the apron at 5:30, and the heels took control. Gray finally hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread on Sterling, and they were both down at 7:30. Rickey got the hot tag; ChaCha jumped in, too. Erik began hitting Yes Kicks on Vinny and Sterling. Bryce powerbombed two guys in his arms; Vinny hit a frog splash on Gray for a nearfall at 9:30.
VSK hit a superkick on ChaCha, and Bryce hit a Black Hole Slam on ChaCha. They fed ChaCha to Sterling, but Erik got a rollup for a nearfall! Sterling hit RSP with his neck brace, and he hit a bodyslam and celebrated! However, RSP popped up and slammed Mark for a nearfall. Bryce hit a Mafia Kick on Gray. Bryce and VSK hit the Super Swipe (Swipe Right’s finisher!), then a chokeslam-and-flying elbow combo and pinned Gray. Entertaining.
Mark Sterling and “The Verdict” Bryce Donovan and Vinny ‘VSK’ Scalice defeated Rickey Shane Page, “Handyman” Jake Gray, and Erik ChaCha at 11:57.
12. Jonathan Gresham vs. Rain Conway. Rain came out first, got on the mic, and was heavily booed. Gresham immediately tied him up on the mat and locked both arms behind Rain’s back. As is often the case with Gresham’s matches, there is little to describe early on. Rain wanted to shake hands, but he had his fingers crossed behind his back; of course, he kicked Gresham in the gut at 7:30.
Gresham did a monkey-flip, but Conway kept a hold on Gresham’s left wrist. They traded faster reversals on the mat and had a standoff at 10:00. They traded more quick reversals, and Gresham suddenly hooked a leg and got a rollup for the pin. More entertaining than I described it; they really had a mat-based match that didn’t involve going to the ropes or hitting dives. They shook hands afterwards.
Jonathan Gresham defeated Rain Conway at 11:27.
13. Love, Doug vs. Brad Hollister (w/Julio Cruz, Victor Chase) vs. TJ Crawford in a three-way. I wasn’t sure which of these final two matches would headline. The Brick City duo of Cruz and Chase immediately headed to the back. The crowd was 100 percent behind Doug. Joey T noted that “Big Business implodes.” Doug shoved TJ to the mat, so TJ rolled to the floor. TJ snuck back in and shoved Doug into Brad. Doug hit a bulldog on Crawford at 1:30. Crawford hit a suplex on Doug with a high bridge for a nearfall! Brad hit a German Suplex on Doug, then a running buttbump in the corner.
Brad hit an impressive delayed vertical suplex on Crawford for a nearfall at 3:30. Those two got up and traded chops and forearm strikes. Doug hit a double back elbow on both of them. Doug hit a slingshot crossbody block on TJ, then a flying fist drop on Brad. Crawford hit a double DDT move for a nearfall at 5:30. He unloaded some chops on Doug. Doug hit an Exploder Suplex and a running Penalty Kick on Doug for a nearfall. In an impressive spot, Brad hit a double second-rope superplex at 7:30, and they were all down!
Doug hit a dropkick on Brad for a nearfall. Brad locked in a sleeper and dropped Doug to the mat. TJ got a chair and repeatedly jabbed it on Brad. Cruz and Chase jumped back into the ring at 9:30 and beat up TJ! Those two then stomped on Doug! Brad yelled at them and indicated he did NOT want them to help! TJ and Doug hit some team moves to beat up Cruz and Chase! Doug dove through the ropes onto Brick City. In the ring, TJ immediately kicked Doug and hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 11:30.
Doug hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread on Brad for a nearfall. They all fought on the ropes in the corner, and Brad was pushed to the mat. TJ and Doug both crashed to the mat, and everyone was down at 14:00. They got up and all traded chops and forearm strikes. TJ hit some superkicks on each opponent. Doug threw petals to distract Doug, then he hit the Lariat of Love for a nearfall, but Brick City again jumped in and attacked Doug.
Brick City hit the “Business is Booming” team slam. Hollister covered the prone Doug, but pulled him up at the two-count! Brad yelled at Brick City again, saying he doesn’t want to win like that. TJ attacked Brick City and again knocked them to the floor. Brad nailed a pop-up powerbomb on TJ at 17:30! Doug chopped Brad, so Hollister tossed Doug across the ring and nailed a spear. Brad set up for the Jackhammer, but Doug rolled him up for the flash pin!
Love, Doug defeated Brad Hollister and TJ Crawford in a three-way at 18:10.
* TJ headed to the back. Brick City attacked Doug and expected Brad to join in, but Brad grabbed a chair and struck Brick City with it! The crowd chanted “Hug it out!” Sure enough, Brad and Doug hugged to big cheers.
* A video package aired of Marcus Mathers and Dustin Waller over the past five or so years. This is match No. 102 of the year for Waller and No. 93 for Mathers, according to cagematch.net records. They have shared the ring 26 times, with Waller holding a 4-3 record in singles matches. (It is 11:20 local time, and the crowd has shrunk a bit. It’s gotten late!)
14. Marcus Mathers vs. Dustin Waller for the Opportunity Knocks contract. Marcus wore his Phillies-themed blue gear. They stood nose-to-nose and shoved each other in the chest, then traded forearm strikes. Brother Greatness noted these two don’t usually open a match like this. Mathers clotheslined him to the floor, then dove onto him at 2:00. They traded blows on the floor. They looped the room, and it’s really noticeable that the crowd was smaller now. Mathers hit a running Penalty Kick on the apron. Waller accidentally chopped the ring post at 4:00.
In the ring, Mathers hit his Mule Kick for a nearfall. Waller removed the middle turnbuckle pad and shoved Marcus head-first into the exposed metal hook at 6:00, causing Marcus to bleed immediately. Waller tied up Marcus, and he wiped some blood on his own chest. Gross. Dustin punched at the cut and was in charge. Waller hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 8:00. Mathers hit a top-rope twisting crossbody block at 10:00. Mathers hit a corner fadeaway stunner and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall.
Dustin hit a superkick, and Marcus rolled to the floor. So, Dustin hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor onto Marcus! In the ring, Dustin missed the Mamba Splash, and Marcus immediately whipped Dustin shoulder-first into the corner, and they were both down at 13:00. Dustin sat up, and he was now bleeding from the forehead. Marcus locked in a Sharpshooter and dragged Waller to the center of the ring. Dustin was really bleeding, too. Yikes. He reached the ropes at 15:00 to break the hold.
Marcus hit a series of punches. Waller got up, and they traded chops, and Mathers slapped him in the face! They traded forearm strikes. Mathers hit an enzuigiri. Dustin hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 17:00, and they were both down. Waller left the ring and grabbed the green folder that contains his Opportunity Knocks contract. He brought it into the ring. He flipped the folder at Mathers and shouted, “Show me!” He wants to see Marcus fire up! Mathers thought about it, but he didn’t use the folder.
Mathers hit a swinging faceplant and a top-rope 450 Splash for a believable nearfall at 19:30! Waller hit an enzuigiri and a springboard crossbody block, then a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. They fought on the ropes, and Dustin hit a second-rope Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 22:30. Dustin hit a hard forearm strike that dropped Marcus. He hit an enzuigiri in the corner. They fought on the ropes, and Marcus hit a second-rope Blue Thunder Bomb, and they were both down at 24:00. Marcus eventually got a nearfall.
Waller crawled to the corner and called for a time-out! The ref checked on him but ordered the match to continue. Marcus stomped on him. Waller hit a Flatliner and locked his legs around Marcus’s neck! Mathers nearly passed out, but he reached the ropes at 27:30. Dustin dropped him with a forearm strike. He stood over Mathers and yelled at him. Mathers hit a hard clothesline at 29:30. Waller hit a Poison Rana. He went for his Lethal Injection, but Mathers turned it into a German Suplex. Waller hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly. Mathers hit a brainbuster.
They got onto the ring apron, where Mathers hit a suplex, and they rolled to the floor, where Waller hit a brainbuster! The ref was counting! They both got in before a count-out. Waller hit a Mamba Splash, and the Lethal Injection at 31:30, but Mathers kicked out at the one-count. Waller hit another brainbuster for a nearfall! Waller again grabbed his Opportunity Knocks contract folder. He took out a picture from the folder of him and Mathers, and he tore it up. Waller stood over him and yelled at Marcus.
Waller charged, but he accidentally struck the ref in the corner! Mathers hit a superkick. Mathers hit a Tombstone Piledriver onto the thin mat at ringside! Marcus hit a Shooting Star Press! Where did that come from????? The ref got up and made two-count at 35:00. Marcus hit a brainbuster. He went to the top rope, but Waller shoved the ref into the ropes to crotch Marcus! Waller hit a brainbuster, a Mamba Splash, then a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. Awesome. Just awesome.
Dustin Waller defeated Marcus Mathers at 36:29 to retain his Opportunity Knocks contract.
* Both men were down on the mat.
Final Thoughts: Mathers and Waller are two of my favorite guys to watch anywhere in 2026, and they went out there and put on a top-notch clinic. Quite a gas tank on both of them, as they certainly didn’t set a pace like they were going past 30 minutes. This is well worth checking out. If you have IWTV, I don’t know how you’re skipping that match. Waller is now a top-five indy guy who is not currently, nor ever has been, signed to a TV contract.
The four-way tag match to open the main show was a blast, and we had the pleasant title switch to Bustah & The Brain. That takes second, ahead of the Doug-Hollister-Crawford match, coming in at third. The mixed six-person tag was a non-stop sprint and well worth honorable mention.
A long show, but it sure was entertaining. Nearly every top star they use on Mondays and Thursdays was in action tonight. (Bear Bronson, Gabby Forza, Kylie Alexa, and Liviyah are notably absent). This ended just before midnight local time, so it was nearly five hours (minus the 20-minute intermission). So, it’s going to take a lot of people two separate viewings to watch the entire show, but I promise you it’s worth it.
One other thing — I had some issues with the streaming a few times on Thursday, but this was pretty smooth tonight. Glad they got the bugs out before a big show like this one. I watched this live; it should be posted soon on IWTV.
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