By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open “Episode 254”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
November 12, 2026, in Worcester, Massachusetts, at The White Eagle
The lighting is good, and it’s easy to see. The crowd was 125. Paul Crockett and “Handyman” Jake Gray provided commentary.
1. Rain Conway vs. Reggie Collins in a spotlight match. At first glance, I thought Collins was Aaron Rourke — he’s white, bald, and wore flashy, glittery silver pants. I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen him before. Rain is now billed as being from Worcester, and he got a mild babyface pop. (Which fits with what happened earlier in the week). Rain tied up Collins’ left arm. Collins stomped on Rain and berated him and the fans. Collins paused a few times to swivel his hips; Crockett said it made him feel ill. Reggie hit a leaping knee drop to the sternum for a nearfall at 3:30. Rain hit some flying back elbows; he barked a few times and the crowd joined in! He hit the Rainmaker short-arm clothesline for the pin!
Rain Conway defeated Reggie Collins at 5:01.
2. “Brick City” Julio Cruz and Victor Chase vs. “The Haven” Shawn Knyte and Jay Onyx in an Eliminator Cup tournament match. A few weeks ago, Cruz lost a hair match and was shaved bald, so he once again wore a lucha mask to the ring. Crockett said The Haven have had “mixed results” over their years here. (I just saw Knyte have a really sharp best-of-three-falls match a week or so ago.) Chase opened against Onyx, and Victor dropped him with a shoulder tackle. He hit a bodyslam and was booed.
The Haven hit stereo dropkicks on Cruz at 3:00. Chase raked Jay’s eyes, and Cruz hit a German Suplex. Brick City took over, with Julio stomping on Onyx. Jay fired up and hit some punches on Victor, but Victor hit a crossbody block for a nearfall at 5:00. Knyte got a hot tag and hit a Pele Kick on Cruz, then an enzuigiri. Those two fought on the top rope, and Knyte hit a Frankensteiner at 7:30.
Onyx hit a corkscrew moonsault on Cruz for a nearfall. The Haven hit stereo superkicks on Cruz. Knyte hit a moonsault! Onyx hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a nearfall, but Chase made the save. Victor hit a sit-out powerbomb on Knyte. Brick City hit a back suplex-and-elbow drop combo to pin Jay. Good action; a really good showing for The Haven.
“Brick City” Julio Cruz and Victor Chase defeated “The Haven” Shawn Knyte and Jay Onyx at 9:07 to advance to the semifinals.
3. Angel Aviles vs. Kylon King. Kylon recently turned babyface here. He has a big brace on his left shoulder. Crockett immediately talked about Kylon’s babyface turn at Episode 250. Standing switches to open, and Aviles hit a superkick. Kylon hit a dropkick, then a spinebuster for a nearfall at 1:30, and he immediately transitioned to a half-crab, but Angel grabbed the ropes. They traded chops.
Aviles hit a hard Irish Whip and got a nearfall at 4:30. They fought to the floor, where Angel hit a superkick, then he slammed Kylon onto the apron. In the ring, Angel hit a bodyslam for a nearfall at 6:30. He leapt, but Kylon caught him and hit a sit-out powerbomb, and they were both down. Kylon hit an Exploder Suplex, then a clothesline into the corner. King nailed a top-rope brainbuster for the pin! No one is getting up after that move!
Kylon King defeated Angel Aviles at 8:26.
* King cut a babyface promo. He said after all the craziness of recent months, he finally feels like he’s back. He talked about his new feud with Angel Ortiz, and he called him out for a match next week.
4. Kylie Alexa and Paris Van Dale vs. Nessa Ferrari and Allie Katch. Kylie was going to start, but she tagged out, so Paris opened against Allie. Nessa splashed onto Paris. Kylie tagged in and whipped Nessa into a corner and hit a running knee. Nessa hit a deep armdrag. Kylie hit a backbreaker over her knee. Paris repeatedly struck Nessa in the heel corner. Kylie hit a stiff kick to Nessa’s spine at 2:30. Kylie hit a running buttbump in the corner, then a snap suplex, then another one, and she got a nearfall at 4:30. Paris hit the splits across Nessa’s chest and got a nearfall.
Nessa finally hit a Meteora on Kylie, and they were both down. Paris pulled Allie off the apron so she couldn’t tag in. Allie finally got the hot tag at 7:00, and she hit splashes in opposite corners, then running buttbumps, then rolling cannonballs on each opponent. She hit a clothesline on Paris for a nearfall, then she powerbombed Kylie onto Paris for a nearfall on Paris. Paris hit a jumping knee. She blocked Nessa’s sunset flip, leaned forward and grabbed hold of Kylie’s wrists for added leverage, and scored the tainted pin.
Kylie Alexa and Paris Van Dale defeated Nessa Ferrari and Allie Katch at 8:33.
5. Devin Reno vs. Armani Kayos. Reno mocked Armani’s small frame, so Kayos attacked him. Kayos repeatedly rammed Reno’s face into Armani’s rear at 4:00. Reno hit a hard European Uppercut and got a nearfall. He hit a knee drop to the sternum for a nearfall. Kayos hit a dropkick to the back, then an Eat D’Feat at 7:00. Reno hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall, but he made a lazy cover; Armani rolled Reno over and got a flash pin!
Armani Kayos defeated Devin Reno at 7:37.
* Reno immediately stomped on Kayos, and the crowd booed him. Crockett noted Reno has shown a short temper here.
6. TJ Crawford vs. Tiny Giant. The masked Giant has had several good showings here in the past month or so; this is easily his biggest match. TJ easily threw the smaller Giant to the mat, then did it again. Giant hit a dropkick and an enzuigiri. TJ hit a slingshot suplex at 1:00. He hit a bodyslam, then another, but he missed a senton at 4:00. Giant hit a hard kick to the side of the head. TJ hit a reverse slingshot suplex, dropping Giant stomach-first to the mat.
TJ stomped on Giant several times and kept him grounded. He dropped Giant face-first in the corner. Giant hit a Pele Kick, and they were both down at 6:30. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Giant got a rollup for a nearfall, then a StunDog Millionaire and a satellite DDT. Crawford hit a piledriver along his back for a nearfall at 9:00, and he was stunned he didn’t win there. TJ got angry and began choking Tiny Giant in the corner and wouldn’t let go! The ref admonished him several times before calling for the bell.
Tiny Giant defeated TJ Crawford via DQ at 9:30.
* Two guys got in the ring to make the save. So did Rain Conway! Rain and TJ shoved each other a few times, then they brawled on the mat and had to be separated. (A really smart way to continue this babyface turn for Rain.)
7. “Big Business” Brad Hollister and Love, Doug vs. 23 Hazard and Peter Gianni in an Eliminator Cup tournament match. This is our final first-round match. Paris Van Dale has been associated with Hazard’s motley crew so I’m surprised she didn’t join them to ringside. Hazard and Doug opened. Brad got in and hit a bodyslam at 3:30. He repeatedly stomped on Gianni in a corner. Hollister hit a delayed vertical suplex.
The heels began working over Doug in their corner. Hazard hit a backbreaker over his knee at 6:30. Those two traded rollups. Hazard hit a roundhouse kick to the chest for a nearfall. Doug hit a slingshot crossbody block. Hazard knocked Hollister off the apron so he couldn’t tag in. Gianni hit a fisherman’s buster for a nearfall at 8:30. Hazard applied a headlock on the mat and kept Doug grounded. Doug threw rose petals at Gianni to distract him. Brad got a hot tag and hit some German Suplexes at 10:00, and he was fired up! He hip-tossed Hazard across the ring.
Brad hit a powerbomb on Gianni for a nearfall. Gianni hit a diving forearm strike for a nearfall at 12:00. Brad hit a double suplex, and everyone was down. Doug got a hot tag and hit a springboard double-back-elbow, then flying forearms in opposite corners. Doug hit the Slice of Love (mid-ring Sliced Bread) for a nearfall. Julio Cruz jumped in the ring behind the ref and struck Doug in the face with a weapon! Hazard crawled over and put his arm across the prone Doug and got the pin! Crockett was shocked that Big Business was eliminated in the first round.
23 Hazard and Peter Gianni defeated “Big Business” Brad Hollister and Love, Doug at 14:18 to advance to the semifinals.
8. Omar La Casa vs. Donovan in a Discovery Gauntlet match. La Casa won last week in a match that I didn’t particularly like. I’m not sure if I’ve seen Donovan before; he’s thick, but not heavy, and he has a short, bushy beard. I’ve seen the chubby Latino Omar maybe four times and I admittedly have not been impressed. Basic back-and-forth action early on. Omar hit a dropkick at 2:00. Donovan stomped on him and choked Omar in the ropes.
Donovan hit a bulldog for a nearfall. He dropped Omar face-first into the middle turnbuckle, hit a Facewash Kick, then a rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 4:00. They got up and traded chops. Omar hit a clothesline and a suplex, then a snapmare driver for a nearfall at 5:30. Donovan hit a leaping DDT, then a fisherman’s buster for a nearfall. Omar hit a swinging Flatliner for the pin. Okay match; I’m just not there on La Casa yet.
Omar La Casa defeated Donovan at 6:34 to advance in the Discovery Gauntlet.
9. “Waves & Curls” Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan vs. “Fresh Air” Junior Benito and Macrae Martin. Canadian star Benito also wrestled on Monday’s Wrestling Open. He opened against Jaylen. Macrae and Jordan, the bigger man on each squad, entered at 1:30. They traded shoulder tackles with neither man going down, then they danced and hugged. I’ve said this before, but Macrae has lost some weight around the middle in the past year, and he looks great. Benito dropped Jaylen snake-eyes in the corner at 4:00.
Traevon slammed Jaylen onto Benito and got a nearfall. Benito hit a slingshot senton. Jordan got in, but Macrae slammed Benito onto Jordan and got a nearfall at 6:30. Fresh Air went for a team suplex, but Jordan blocked it, and he hit a double back suplex at 8:00! All three were down. Jaylen got the hot tag and hit a top-rope crossbody block on Junior, then he dove onto Junior. He hit a dive onto Macrae, then another dive onto Junior! Jaylen hit a top-rope crossbody block on Macrae for a nearfall.
Macrae hit an impressive fallaway slam on Jaylen. Fresh Air hit a team slam on Jaylen, with Benito getting a nearfall at 10:00. Traevon got a hot tag and hit a double clothesline, then splashes in opposite corners. He threw both Fresh Air in one corner and hit a splash onto both. Fresh Air hit stereo superkicks on Jordan, then a team suplex on Jordan for a nearfall at 12:00. Benito accidentally hit a 450 onto Macrae’s back! Jordan hit a frog splash onto Macrae for a nearfall. Waves & Curls hit a team Bulldog Powerslam move, and Jaylen got the pin. Good match.
“Waves & Curls” Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan defeated “Fresh Air” Junior Benito and Macrae Martin at 13:49.
Final Thoughts: I feel like I’ve been waiting for a few years for Waves & Curls to get a serious push. They are entertaining and decent wrestlers; they are more than just comedy guys singing and dancing to Whitney Houston. Between this match and their recent bout against Bustah & The Brain, they are getting their opportunity. Good match and best of the night.
While it didn’t have a clean finish, I’ll go with TJ Crawford vs. Tiny Giant for second best of the night, ahead of the Brick City-Haven match for third. I didn’t mind that Big Business lost, since it took outside interference to knock them out of the tournament. Just an okay match; I haven’t warmed up to Hazard or Gianni. A nice surprise win for Armani Kayos.
I watched this live; it should be available on IWTV on Friday.
