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1/1 BEYOND WRESTLING 'WRESTLING OPEN - SOFT OPENING' LIVE REPORT IN WORCESTER, MA

The Wrestival: Beyond Wrestling “Wrestling Open: Soft Opening”

1/1/21 - Worcester, MA

Streaming on IWTV.live

It’s here y’all! Our first official preview of Wrestling Open, Beyond’s newest experiment in wrestling which OFFICIALLY debuts on Thurs Jan 6! It’s sort of an open mic format, wrestlers sign up to be on the card, receive an equal share of the gate and get exposure to the larger IWTV audience. Today’s edition is not the OFFICIAL debut, this is more of a PREVIEW featuring a lot of the talent who are still in town plus workers who were originally coming in for the now-cancelled Blitzkrieg Pro show. Super glad that this show was able to take the slot and keep people working. Paul Crockett and Sidney Bakabella are on commentary. Rich Palladino is your announcer. We have a HUGE card today so let’s go liiiiiiiiive on IWTV!

Devantes and Alec Cipher are out here to kick us off! Devantes is a tank. The Man with the Diamond Hands, Alex Cipher, says that Devantes original opponent backed out of the match due to fear. He gives props to replacement opponent Mortar for stepping up but…he’s getting his wrestling open debut closed down.

Match 1: Mortar v. “The Hoss of Hoss” Devantes (w/ Alex Cipher)

Powerful lockup to a stalemate. And again. Mortar is more than powerful enough for the hoss. They battle to the floor, Mortar rams to the post. Big lariat and senton for two back in the ring. Cipher starts throwing his Diamond gloves to distract Mortar. Big German from Devantes changes the tide of the bout. Big suplex! Two count! Big lariat and an avanlache splash. Powerful bulldog for two. Mortar firing back with a flurry of slaps, splash and a crossbody! Huge spine buster and Devantes kicks out at the last second. Devantes fires up but Mortar hits a head scissor! Mortar comes running into a pop up powerbomb! Kickout! Cipher pulling at the leg of Mortar but he gets kicked back. Devantes joins him and Mortar springboards out with a moonsault! Huge powerslam back in the ring and Mortar picks up the first victory of Wrestling Open!!! Great start!

Winner: Mortar

Match 2: King Crab v. 50 Cal

CRAB IS THE BEST! Huge shotgun dropkick out of the gate. Trading chops until Cal gets a series of fast arm drags and a sunset flip pin. Big boot, two count. Crab plants his face and lariats the back of the head. Spine buster for two! Crab with a suplex but can’t get the job done. Cal fights out of a slam, Crab comes running into a lariat. Back elbow and a lariat but Crab hits his own lariat. Powerbomb? Kick out! They work to the top buckle…Cal with a dropkick! Superplex float over into the three! Really liked this energy!

Winner: 50 Cal

Match 3: “Is That” VSK v. “Tennessee Sunshine” Billy Tipton

VSK with a gutwrench slam right out of the gate. VSK pushes the kid off with ease and laughs it off. Tipton with an arm bar but VSK is out. Tipton catches him running, hitting a series of arm drags. VSK rebounds with a basement dropkick. Shoulder block from Tipton. Gutwrench suplex toss! VSK with a cheap shot and pulls Tipton off the buckles to the mat. VSK chokes him on the second. Back suplex for two. Trading punches and uppercuts, VSK gets one to the back of the head and is overwhelming Tipton. Billy fights out of a headlock, fails to flip out of a back drop and eats a knee. VSK with a fireman’s carry neck breaker but Tipton refuses to quit. Tipton with a dropkick and slingshot bulldog for two! VSK pummels him on the top buckle…Tipton fights him off…flying back elbow..fisherman’s suplex…kick out! Tipton eats a stiff punch and a half and half backbreaker! “You trying to embarrass me?!?” Screams VSK. VSK tries a Dudebuster but Tipton fights out. VSK with a stiff knee and superkick staggers Tipton hard and the Dudebuster connects for the three. Great back and forth action here! Crowd really got behind Tipton.

Winner: VSK

Match 4: “The African American Horror Story” Eel O’Neal v. Gal Barkay

This crowd knows and loves Eel. We saw Barkay previously this season in a spotlight match against Love Doug. Eel coming in hot to start, whipping Gal about, hitting arm drags and a stiff back kick. Gal breaks a hammerlock by throwing Eel outside. Gal with a suicide dive but Eel catches him and rams him into the apron. They make it back in the ring. High angle driver to Gal and an ankle lock! Gal escapes and hits a quick ddt for two! Code red for another two! Eel with a gut kick, pop up snake eyes, big lariat! Kick out! Gal catches a blue Thunder bomb, Eel kicks out and traps an armbreaker. Gal gets the rope. Trading chops and forearms. Eel with a package ddt! Gal kick out but sits up into a guillotine choke and has to quit. This was a lot of fun. Eel has had a great 24 hours!

Winner: Eel O’Neal

Match 5: “The Queen Bee” Brooke Valentine v. Kennedi Copeland

Brooke hates the crowd saying her name and Kennedi makes sure it stays in our mouths.   Copeland is going fast and trying to stay ahead of Valentine. Brooke eating several armdrags and roll throughs and is getting angry. Brooke catches a dive and bombs her to the apron. Uranage back in the ring. Foot on the chest pin for two. Kennedi with some weak chops and runs into a sidewalk slam and has to kick out again. Clubbing blows to Kennedi’s back. Copeland slips a Samoan drop, Brooke sent to the outside. Copeland with a running knee and baseball slide. Back into the ring with a senton for only a one. Valentine fights off a German…tries to wheelbarrow her but Copeland rolls her up. Kennedi rolls her up a few times and finally a small package does the trick. Looks like Brooke twisted her ankle maybe in that last stanza so I hope she’s okay but also explains the weirdish finish.

Winner: Kennedi Copeland 

Match 6: “The Real Life Cupid” Love, Doug v. “The Golden Grappler” Travis Huckabee 

Doug wants a new year’s kiss. Huckabee kisses him…on the eye with a headbutt! Doug fighting back because he hearts Huckabees. Travis fighting it off but eats a crossbody. Huckabee goes to the eye and kicks out the knee. Running stomp and Huckabee is getting to torturing the limbs of Love Doug. Eye rake on the ropes into a euro uppercut! Travis going for the ankle and Travis keeps kicking at it. Rocking cradle driver! Gut buster and a running forearm. Doug kicks out! Love is not dead! Huckabee takes out his mouth guard and bites at Doug’s cheek. Doug with a crossbody slingshot but Travis goes to the eye again. Doug flips out of a German, Doug with a boot and a belly to belly! Falcon arrow! Kick out! Travis with a running uppercut and twists up the fingers of Doug. Doug dropped on the back of his head! Travis misses a corkscrew crossbody…Doug with a head rebound lariat! Travis is downed for the three count! This was a fun clash of styles and Huckabee was in his element as the technical predator.

Winner: Love, Doug

Match 7: “The Bodega Boy” Jarrett Diaz v. Armani Kayos

Kayos puts a hand up and needs to fan himself before this really kicks out. Diaz with his own stop to preen and dropkicks Armani’s knee out. Big slams! Kayos tries to take a timeout! Diaz with a plancha out to the floor. Kayos hits the rope and crotches Diaz on the top. Head scissor off the top! Suplex for one. Split legged drop and Diaz is getting pummeled with uppercuts and kicks. Senton for two. Diaz with a ripcord knee into a falcon arrow for two! Kayos uppercuts the back, he tries a cocky pop up moonsault but slips and falls off the rope. Diaz in quick to try and capitalize. Armani playing up a neck injury and lets Diaz run in and post himself. Kayos with a rack attack and Diaz is down for the pin. Fun match but I damn near thought Kayos was dead on that slip.

Winner: Armani Kayos

Match 8: “The Submission Sniper” Jordan Blade v. “The Wild Child” Jody Threat 

Whaaaaaaaat???? A match I didn’t even KNOW I wanted to see. Jordan in to grapple Threat down and work right to the back. Jody escapes but looks a little worried. Jordan tries for the leg but winds up in a side headlock. Transition to a head scissor but Jordan escapes and pops onto her own headlock. Jody rages to her feet and tackles Jordan into the corner. Suplex out of the corner and. Stiff kick to the back. Blade eats a boot to the face and a lariat from two. Threat is staying on Blade with stomps and buckle slams. Whips and corner clotheslines, Blade is looking overwhelmed. Blade tries to get the ankle but takes a suplex. Jordan dodges a charging Threat, rollup into a saito suplex! Jody and Jordan trading shot, Blade with an enziguri! Flying European uppercut! Underhook slam for two! Jordan trying for a heel hook…Jody kicking free till she can get to the ropes! Jody fighting off a wheelbarrow and hits a stunner. Spear from Threat! Kickout! Hangman’s double knee from Jody! Michanoku driver drops Blade on her head for two! Jody comes him but Jordan picks the ankle and falls back into a deep lock. Jody is trapped and has to quit! A couple of hellacious looking bumps in this match but Jordan persevered over a VERY game Jody Threat. 

Winner: Jordan Blade

We go to a quick intermission so Sidney Bakabella can have some “personal time”!

Match 9: “Top Five, Dead or Alive” Sammy Diaz v. “Lil Goat, The Dirty Water Demon” Elijah Six 

A battle of tag team partners! Diaz with some high energy flippy offense to kick us off. Diving blockbuster for two. Six uses the ref as a distraction to dump Diaz off the top to the floor. Backdrop to the apron. Six with a bow and arrow and taunting Diaz mercilessly. Diaz up and over but Six catches it into a single leg crab. Transition to a crossface and torques it back! Back drop back breaker across the shoulder! Cool move! Diaz getting stretched and slammed as the Lil Goat is throwing some confident kicks. Sammy flips out, enziguri , huge lariats! Underhook slam and Diaz is ALIVE! Powerslam into a moonsault for two! Six fights out of a fireman’s carry, comes running and hits a flying European uppercut that KO’s Diaz for the three! Goodness, with the level of combat these two engaged in, you’d never know they were tag partners.

Winner: Elijah Six

Match 10: Ava Everett v. Bobby Orlando v. CPA v. Aaron Rourke 

Ava is thrilled that her friend Rourke is here! Rourke is thrilled that his friend Orlando is here! Ava significantly less so.  I one is thrilled to see CPA…well WE are. Aaron Rourke is clearly conflicted and has to take a lap to clear his head. Everyone agrees to beat up CPA. Ava and Bobby fight over Rourke’s love. CPA shoves them all down. Rourke runs in and gets slow tripped. He tries to choke CPA with his tie but it’s a clip on. Atomic drop and Rourke clotheslined outside. Ava sent packing. Orlando lets Bobby jr take a dive but of course that’s useless. Orlando with his own dive! They get arguing over who hurt Bobby Junior and CPA cannonballs out to them all. Rourke pulls CPA inTo pummel him for making him fight his friends. Rourke sent flying. Orlando in with the sickest trick, a flying cutter for two. Ava kicks CPA out. Ava and Bobby get into it. They hate each other! Big German to Orlando. Rourke is recovered and tries to save Orlando from Ava…who peer pressures him into a superplex….CPA back with a tower of doom spot! CPA with a series of running elbows. CPA hits the slowest 619 ever to everyone. He puts on a new toe and dropkicks Rourke. Ava tries to capitalize and we get chaotic. Bobby tries to save Rourke but eats a DVD. Rourke eats a stunner. Ava tries to save Rourke and gets too caught up in beating up Orlando that she misses Rourke hitting a package Piledriver to COA for the pin! The bell rings as Ava and Orlando try to claim this individually as a victory for their friendship with Rourke. This was such a goofy and entertaining match. Loved it.

Winner: Aaron Rourke

 

Match 11: “The Prize” Alec Price v. Ichiban 

They trade crowd reactions over who IS Number One. Ichiban with a quick arm drag to make his point. Price coming in but eats a head scissor and he’s in trouble. Price with a desperate knock on the rope to crotch Ichiban. Running rana off the top and the self-proclaimed Ace starts laying in the beating. Ichiban with a flurry of kicks but Price catches a rana into a flapjack. Clubbing blows as Price screams for Ichiban to do something. Something is done, Ichiban with a flurry of corner punches. 1 of them about 20 times, that is.  Price catches Ichiban in the air into a back breaker and snap dragon for two. Price with a crossface and grinding it in. Ichiban with a head scissor to escape, flying forearms and back elbows! Elbow drop for two! Handspring back elbow. Enziguri into a rana and ddt! Ichiban going for the kill but Price is sandbagging the suplex and fights free. He screeches and runs into a boot. Ichiban with a moonsault. Price rolls out but it’s scouted and Ichiban eats knees. Ichiban tries to roll up the finish but the Prize is too much and hits his flying back head kick for the win! “Please come Back” chant for Ichiban. Lot of great energy from both guys and the crowd fed off of it.

Winner: Alec Price

Sidney Bakabella is here to interrupt Rich Palladino and bring out Sam Laterna to present the IWTV Manager of the Year award of which I don’t recall seeing on the voting sheet. Sidney was the only nominee and therefore won. I guess?

Sidney says that no one in wrestling is World Class anymore. He’s the greatest manager in professional wrestling and this Thursday, he’s bringing class back. He says he hates commentating and quits the table. Paul seems FINE with this. Sidney wants to be where the real money is. Wow! 

Evil manager Sidney is my favorite Sidney so I’m glad to see him coming to Wrestling Open in a manager capacity. Paul will need to find a new partner, I guess?

Main Event: Faith in Nothing (Rickey Shane Page & Vincent Nothing) v. Miracle Generation (Kylon King & Dustin Waller)

I love this as a main event! RSP and Kylon kick this off. King tries to German him but RSP just sits down. The crossbody lands though! Blind tag to Waller! Step up rana flips RSP! Snap body slam to Waller and FiN takes control. Double hip toss, double knee to the back. Waller flips out of a fireman’s carry and Nothing eats a wheelbarrow splash combo!  King caught with a pop up kick to the back. RSP tosses King into another Nothing kick. RSP stunned with and enziguri. Waller with a swanton! RSP with a spinout flapjack! Nothing with stiff back kicks and a two. Waller getting his elbow stomped out. Double throw corner to corner and Walker’s legs blast the buckles. Two count! Waller escapes the chokebreaker! Destroyer to RSP! King gets the tag! Snap dragon to Nothing! Double team kicks to Vincent’s head for two. Nothing with a Gory bomb to a knee! Another knee! RSO frogsplash! FiN with a double gutbuster! Dustin won’t quit. King with a flying knee for two! Superplex to RSP! Waller eats knees on the splash. Nothing turns him inside out with a lariat. FiN running wild on Waller and finish him off with a pop up powerbomb/cutter combo. Wild matchup this was a great main event!

Winners: Faith in Nothing

RSP grabs the mic and says the reason he and Drew started Beyond for guys like Miracle Generation. And that’s it for Wrestling Open! If this was the preview…the Soft Open….I can’t wait for this Thursday’s official debut. The crowd was great for all these unfamiliar names and I hope we keep this welcoming energy up going forward! Lots of fun action today, LOTS of matches on the card today that was a great starting point for the new promotion. The Wrestival continues at 5pm with H20! Until then! 

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