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Wrestling Open "Episode 145"
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
October 10, 2024 in Worcester, Massachusetts at White Eagle
The crowd appeared to be in the 250 range. Paul Crockett provided solo commentary.
1. Dezmond Cole vs. Nick Robles in a pre-show match. This was underway as I tuned in. A very good competitive match for a pre-show match, too. Robles is the 1980s rocker and he got in plenty of offense. Cole ultimately landed a spin kick with a folding press for the pin.
Dezmond Cole defeated Nick Robles.
* The show officially opened with footage of Brad Hollister recently telling Bobby Orlando he is done just handing out title shots, and Orlando is going to have to earn it.
2. Love, Doug (w/Brad Hollister) vs. Bobby Orlando. Hollister wore a sweatsuit and carried his Wrestling Open Title. Bobby immediately hit some jab punches. Doug yanked Bobby to the mat by his hair at 3:30 and was in charge. Bobby hit a bodyslam and an airplane spin-into-a-Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Doug hit a Sliced Bread for a nearfall at 6:00. Orlando hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. Brad hopped on the apron; Doug nearly collided with him. Bobby got a rollup to pin Doug. Good energy with great crowd heat.
Bobby Orlando defeated Love, Doug at 7:20.
* Outside, Dezmond Cole wants his hands on Bryce Donovan. We flipped to Gabby Forza, who is eager to get her hands on Allie Katch. Tiara James was storming out the door after her loss last week and she said the fans here don't deserve her. Ray Jaz boasted about his win. I'll say it again, I love these quick 10-30 second interviews; it shows you can get a lot of personality and motivations out in a short time.
* Brad Hollister joined Crockett on commentary.
3. Channing Thomas vs. CPA. No sign of Sidney Bakabella tonight, and Crockett immediately speculated on where he is, and how Channing will do without him. CPA did a slingshot into the corner, then got a schoolyard takedown and a Cabana-style Superman cover for a nearfall. CPA peeled off a shirt, revealing another one underneath. Crockett presumed there is at least one more shirt. Channing hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 1:30. He hit a bodyslam and was in charge. Thomas hit a back suplex at 4:30, and he jawed at the fans rather than make a cover. The crowd rallied for CPA, who hit a back bodydrop, then a stunner for a nearfall. Sure enough, CPA peeled off his shirt to reveal another. He leapt off the ropes but Channing caught him and hit a powerbomb. He hit a dropkick and scored the pin. Fun match.
Channing Thomas defeated CPA at 6:34.
* Channing got on the mic and proclaimed he has the best dropkick in Wrestling Open today. (This is clearly a shot at Ryan Clancy.) Sure enough, the crowd chanted for Clancy. Channing said Clancy isn't in his league. He mockingly did Clancy's pose as he headed to the back.
4. Donovan Dijak vs. Seabass Finn. Finn wore his fishing jacket; he has a plain black singlet on. He's going to get killed here. A lockup and Dijak easily backed him into the corner and slapped at Finn's chest. Finn slapped him in the face! Dijak just smiled and walked back to the opposite corner. He locked in a headlock on Finn. He grabbed Finn by the throat but Finn blocked a chokeslam. Finn hit a loud chop and a spinning heel kick at 3:00, sending Dijak to the floor. Finn dove through the ropes onto him, and they brawled at ringside. Dijak shoved him head-first into the apron.
Back in the ring, Dijak was in charge, hitting some chops then hitting a release suplex that tossed Finn all the way across the ring. "I know we can't throw weapons, but can we throw people?" Hollister asked. "He just used a human as a projectile." Donovan hit a backbreaker over the knee and a splash for a nearfall at 6:30. He again tossed Finn across the ring for a nearfall. "Did Seabass do something to him we don't know about?" Crockett asked. Finn hit a second-rope flying European Uppercut and a running buttbump in the corner, then a German Suplex for a nearfall at 9:30! The crowd was now chanting for Seabass. Dijak hit a superkick; Finn hit a Rebound Lariat for a nearfall. Dijak caught Finn's throat and hit a massive sit-out chokeslam for a nearfall at 11:30.
Dijak sat up in disbelief. (Audio on commentary suddenly went out for the rest of the match.) Dijak hit a Buzzsaw Kick that sent Finn flying. He went for his discus Mafia Kick but Finn somehow caught the leg and hit a fisherman's brainbuster. He hit a series of running back elbows in the corner! However, Dijak hit his discus Mafia Kick and the Feast Your Eyes pop-up kneestrike for the pin. That was a blast. I like a good short squash, but this was really entertaining. The crowd chanted "That was awesome!" Easily the best match I've ever seen from Finn.
* Donovan Dijak defeated Seabass Finn at 13:34.
5. Bryce Donovan vs. Stanley Dragowski. Commentary is back on. As per usual, Donovan entered through the side door while holding his gear bag, and security checked him for weapons as he entered. Again, Stanley is the "Polish Eagle" in a red lucha outfit and mask and it could be anyone. (Still waiting for a week when it is someone who surprises a big name and pins him.) Bryce got on the mic and was loudly booed. He was told he is required to apologize to Jermaine Marbury to end his suspension, so he gave a half-hearted apology. Donovan backed Stanley into the corner, and they traded standing switches. Bryce hit a Black Hole Slam at 3:00 and glared at the fans, not going for a cover.
Bryce stomped on Stanley repeatedly. Stanley hit a flying shoulder tackle at 6:00, then a spinebuster. He peeled down the straps of his singlet, but Bryce caught him and hit a chokeslam, then his twisting Death Valley Driver for the pin. Okay match; if we aren't going to reveal Dragowski as someone under the mask, I don't know why it went this long. Bryce got on the mic and asked if winning here "Was the right way?" Bryce again mentioned he has a sponsor. The crowd chanted, "Who's your sponsor?" He pulled out a corner ring hook, put it around Stanley's fingers, and prepared to snap them. Two security guards and Dezmond Cole jumped in the ring for the save. Cole challenged him to a match next week.
Bryce Donovan defeated Stanley Dragowski at 6:54.
6. Allie Katch and Tiara James vs. Gabby Forza and Little Mean Kathleen. A reminder that LMK is a babyface again, and the crowd LOUDLY cheered them. Allie and Gabby opened, but Allie rolled to the floor at the bell. Allie tied LMK in a headlock and knocked her down with a shoulder tackle. LMK hit a Vader Bomb at 2:30 on Katch. The heels began working over Kathleen in their corner. LMK got a Victory Roll on Allie at 5:00. However, the heels kept LMK grounded. Gabby finally got a hot tag at 7:30. She scooped up Tiara, slammed her into the corner, then hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Gabby slammed teammate LMK onto Tiara. LMK knocked Allie off the apron to the floor. However, Tiara snuck up behind LMK, rolled her up, and scored the pin. She may have had a handful of tights, too.
Allie Katch and Tiara James beat Gabby Forza and Little Mean Kathleen at 8:32.
* Video aired of Joe Ocasio returning last week from his ACL injury after nine months out. He appeared he was going to help Alec Price, but then he beat him up. We then went to a backstage video, where Ocasio said Price "wants to destroy my home, destroy what I love." He told Price "welcome to the explosion."
7. Joe Ocasio vs. Alec Price. Price charged at him but the muscular Ocasio easily scooped him up. Ocasio applied an anklelock. He tossed Alec across the ring at 1:30. He hit an Exploder Suplex and was in complete control. Price ripped at Ocasio's knee brace; Crockett reminded us that Ocasio blew out his knee here in a battle royal in January. Price hit a basement dropkick on the knee at 3:30. He repeatedly stomped on the damaged knee and slammed it into the mat. Price completely ripped the knee brace off at 5:00.
Ocasio flipped Price to the floor and put his brace back on. In the ring, Ocasio suplexed Price into the corner, and he quickly re-tied his brace. He hit some clotheslines and a back bodydrop, then a Stinger Splash, then a fallaway slam at 8:00. Ocasio hit a powerslam, then a twisting uranage for a believable nearfall at 9:00 even and we were told we have just one minute left in the time limit. Price hit a superkick. He clipped the knee and hit a springboard tornado DDT. Ocasio nailed a flying headbutt; Price rolled to the floor to avoid being pinned, and the time limit expired right-on.
Alec Price vs. Joe Ocasio went to a time-limit draw at 10:00.
8. Gal and "Swipe Right" Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. "Church of Greatness" Ichiban, Sammy Diaz, and Tyree Taylor. Gal had his bodybuilding medals around his neck. Ichiban and Tyree held their Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. Hollister boasted that he has beaten each of the three babyfaces; Crockett reminded Brad he had to cheat each time. Ichiban and Smokes traded quick reversals to open. Baylor and Tyree locked up at 2:30; Tyree got him on his shoulders, but Baylor escaped. Gal and Smokes then tagged in and traded chops. Sammy hit a top-rope crossbody block on Gal at 4:30 and the babyfaces began working Gal over. Tyree hit a running body block that leveled Gal. Baylor grabbed Ichiban by his mask, and the heels began working Ichiban over in their corner.
Smokes hit a backbreaker over his knee at 6:30. Gal hip-tossed Ichiban across the ring. Ichiban hit an enzuigiri but Gal blocked him from tagging out, and Gal hit a Blue Thunder Bomb at 10:00. Ichiban hit a second-rope leg lariat on Baylor and they were both down. Tyree finally got the hot tag and he hit shoulder tackles on each opponent. He hit a running spear onto all three in the corner. He hit an enzuigiri on Smokes for a nearfall. Smokes hit a Cave-in style stomp to Tyree's chest, and Baylor hit a standing powerbomb on Tyree for a nearfall. Ichiban hit a top-rope double missile dropkick on SR. Gal hit a double chokeslam at 13:30. He tried to chokeslam Tyree, too, but Taylor blocked it. Tyree clotheslined both Gal and himself to the floor.
In the ring, Sammy and Ichiban hit stereo superkicks, then stereo dives to the floor. In the ring, Gal hit a hard clothesline on Ichiban. Ichiban hit a DDT on Gal, then his leaping Flatliner to pin Gal. That was great stuff. The babyfaces celebrated in the ring as the heels headed to the back.
Ichiban, Sammy Diaz, and Tyree Taylor defeated Gal, Ricky Smokes, and Brad Baylor at 14:40.
Final Thoughts: A really entertaining episode. While the beatdown of Ichiban went on a bit too long, that was great work by all six men in the main event. Everything clicked, and after the hot tag, it was non-stop action. I'll give that best match, ahead of that entertaining Dijak-Finn match. I've never ranked a single Finn match in my "top three" of a show, but he sure looked good here. Kudos to Dijak for not squashing him, too. Ocasio-Price was good for third. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by Friday morning.