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1/5 WRESTLING OPEN 'ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY' LIVE REPORT FROM WORCESTER, MA

Wrestling Open Week 53 “One Year Anniversary”

1/5/23 Worcester, MA

It’s amazing that we’re here. After last week’s excellent “Last Stand”, we are back where it all began. A new year and 52 more Thursdays until forever. And what a main event: A 60 minute Iron Man between our Northeast Beast, our Ace, The Prize Alec Price and WORLD CLass CHANNING THOMAS.

Spotlight Match: Clara Carreras beats Shannon Lavangie with a top rope splash. Good back and forth here and just a fun opener from two fan favorites. 

Match 1: Milk Chocolate (Brandon Watts & Randy Summers) vs Brick City Boyz (Victor Chase & JCruz) vs The Stetson Ranch (BRG & Danny Miles) vs Love Doug & Bobby Orlando (fatal 4-way for a shot at the Eliminator Cup Tag Team Championships)

I love this Love Of Your Mom tandem. Steven Stetson is apparently under the weather this week and has instead sponsored his goons this week. Doug has a card for Summers…Summers hits him with a chocolate bar that he pulled out of his trunk oh nononononooooo. Summers eats a heart punch. Chase in but Orlando handling him early. This is pretty wild back and forth but mostly it’s a lot of Orlando taking a bunch of punishment as the three heel teams are just tagging around and punching our mom. Despite all this, Orlando is hanging on. Big dive party, Love gets the last word and shower of flower petals. Summers get isolated, Orlando in……finish is cut off. Doug turns into J Cruz. He’s popped up for the Brick End and that does it. Hard hitting fun and it sets up another clash between Miracle Generation and Brick City? Yes please!

Winners: Brick City Boyz

We get a retrospective video from when Big Back Brad Hollister returned and started a huge war with Alec Price. 

Match 2: “The Silver Sniper” TJ Crawford vs “Da Big Boofa” Dezmond Cole

Both these guys need a W tonight and they come right in looking for the win. High energy opening, crowd hyping up for the early finish but TJC blocks it. Hangman’s showstopper and Cole is getting unloaded on. Crawford getting distracted by the fans again. Cole with a duck and capo kick! Blue Thunder bomb! Kick out! Hard chop fight! Boofa with a stunner! TJC with a corner spear! He kicks the rope into the neck of Boofa and slingshots in with an uppercut to starch him for the win. A win’s a win but TJ seems upset with how the finish came. Boofa still offers a hand but TJ walks off. Very good match but I’m liking the story we’re telling with TJ right now.

Winner: TJ Crawford

Now we have a retrospective video of Ray Jaz winning matches. Cool. I love Ray Jaz. Oh and he’s here now. F***ing awesome. Oh and I can hear the tip? Wait, Teddy Goodz is here

Match 3: Ray Jaz vs Teddy Goodz

The crowd is already thanking Teddy for interrupting the tip. Jaz doesn’t care and he’s just mauling Goodz. Atomic Drop reversal! Teddy with a pile of punches. Cuts off a dive with a European uppercut. Jaz speared into the corner. He goes for the backpack stunner but Jaz slips it and gets the backslide pin for the three. A new year. Some s*** don’t change. Ray Jaz is never going to lose, huh?

Winner: Ray Jaz

We get a retrospective video of the Open Door War match from Summer Stunner that gave Pedro Dones his “call your shot” contract that he is still holding onto.

But now CPA is out here! He has the mic. It’s been a year of debits and credits…and it’s time for his yearly tax review. And…Bronson (of AEW’s Iron Savages) is here?!? Bronson just runs over CPA. 

Match 4: CPA vs Bronson

Bronson is looking great! CPA rips off another shirt and gets back into this fight! Spills to the apron, CPA still fighting but he gets Germaned and drops to the wood. Body slam onto the floor.  Release German back in the ring. CPA with a dropkick off the top! The 10-99 connects! He comes off the top…Bronson tries a spear but CPA DDT’s him. Kick out! Bronson fights CPA back up to the top….super Olympic slam! CPA kicks out!!! Crowd hot for the kickout but Bronson hits a back drop driver that puts the taxman down. Daaaaaaamn.

Winner: Bronson

We get a retrospective video on Max Caster’s Summer of 10 min/10k challenges. This promo from max was absolutely fire.

Match 5: Tina San Antonio vs Layla Luciano 

Layla has been on the rise later but Tina is known to be VERY resourceful. Tina trying to work but Layla is powering out of everything. Kind of an awkward rope sequence that Tina uses to her advantage to take lead in this dance. Series of elbow drops flatten Layla but she won’t stay down. Layla gets the double leg, she’s going for the giant swing but Layla arches up and takes the eyes. It’s so blatant that the referee is forced to DQ her. 

Winner: Layla Luciano (by DQ)

We get a retrospective video of the heel turn of Mane Event and their alliance with Pedro Dones. And now THIS happened after Heavy Lies The Crown???

Dones & Mane Event are out here to talk about Last Stand. They may have lost but they are just getting started. They took out Rex Lawless as a message. Dones says he’s coming for Rex’s knee. Who does Rex have in his corner tonight?

Match 6: Pedro Dones & The Mane Event (Jay Lyon & Midas Black) vs Rex Lawless & Mutually Assured Destruction (Rip Byson & Perry Vin Vicious) 

MAD is definitely the backup Rex needed! This is a meaty man meat team! Dones trying to jaw and Rip just scoops him up and introduces him to the MAD corner. Midas has an eyepatch on, something Rex can empathize with but it’s definitely giving the big men an advantage. Rex tossing mane event around at will. Dones gets in his face.Lyon with the distract and here comes the chop block. The Shot Callers are swarming to keep Rex isolated but he ends up falling into the tag to Perry. MAD using Mane Event as weapons to batter Dones. Great triple collider. Triple bomb to Dones. They all go to the top?!? Mane a event pulls Pedro to safety…well relative safety. They look like they will make it back in time but choose to stay on the floor for the ten count and draw the lose. They don’t want this fight. Classic walkout heel finish.

Winners: Rex Lawless & MAD

Rich Palladino is back in the ring and we have a table and mysterious covered object on the table? What could it beeeeeee? The Miracle Ones are out here to present whatever this earth shaking announcement is. Flash’s eye is still looking super rough from the weekend. Miracle Generation has a new year’s resolution and they are gunning for a REAL Showdown with Violence is Forever. Time for the big reveal…the Wrestling Open Championship has been revealed!!!!

Yes, the belt has been sponsored by DnA’s Evolution which is my rock band (dnasevolution.com) so like, I hope you understand just how highly I think of the Wrestling Open in general. 

Oh. And here comes Ray Freakin’ Jaz. Great. 

Rich Palladino says there’s going to be a tournament for the belt but Jaz reminds him that he’s been undefeated for a year straight. The Miracle Ones definitely take exception to this. Ichiban especially. Jaz has a tip for him “Be careful what you wish for”. Ichiban cuts him off before he can finish his spiel, and Rayyyyyyymond is maaaaaaad. Next week, Jaz wants Ichiban! It’s a match!

Main Event: “World Class” Channing Thomas (w/ Sidney Bakabella) vs “The Prize” Alec Price (60-min Iron Man Match)

Price has been working a frantic schedule this week and that may be the edge Thomas needs for the next hour. Bakabella is helping Channing stall for time over and over. The crowd is allllll over Channing for being a coward. Sidney tries to hand Channing brass knuckles. Ref Scott Robinson grabs the mic and says it’s not a DQ but he won’t let Sidney spoil this huge match and he ejects him from the building! 

Bakabella is protesting it and begging Denver Colorado for help. Why would he?!) bakabella goes full baseball manager and throws down his wig and kicks mat dust at the ref. Channing says “I got this” as Alec runs in and rolls Channing up for the three!

Price 1-0

Price with an elbow drop to the back of the head. He tries a suicide dive but Thomas decks him. Channing lawn darts him Price into the apron. Sidney Bakabella sneaks onto commentary and we have the best commentary duo in professional wrestling back in the saddle. Price can thrown over the merch table as the ten minute mark expires. This fight has barely started! Price with a tornado ddt off of a fan! Fighting up and off the bar! Channing getting frustrated and Sidney calls for Plan X? Channing hits Alec with a chair and gets a DQ.

Price 2-0

Channing runs in and takes the pin immediately.

Price 2-1

Channing destroying Price with the chair during the rest period. It’s not a DQ. Channing with the pin.

Tie 2-2

Piledriver into the chair. Pin.

Channing 3-2

Another immediate pin.

Channing 4-2

Price trying to fight back but Channing hits a fisherman’s suplex and gets the pin. This is like how I used to school my little brother in Smackdown Here Comes the Pain. 

Channing 5-2

Channing tries a one foot pin. Alec kicks out! Price back up…cut in half with a clothesline. With a comfortable lead, Channing is preening as we hit the 20-min mark. Price still trying to come back to life. He almost gets a roll up but Thomas flattens him with a back elbow. Channing starting to work the knee. Price out, leg drop connects! Was that three? No! Alec has his wind back. They’re slugging it out! Enziguri! The knee sequence! Leg lariat! Channing is down!

Channing 5-3

Bakabella is sounding more serious as Price tries to get the score even. Channing has other plans as he dropkicks Price in the ribs and sends him to the floor. Channing sends Price into the trash can as the crowd starts in on those World A** chants. Price firing up again! Channing caught in the tree of woe! Hoodstar Stomp! 

Even Bakabella is amazed at the resilience! Channing is gouging the eyes! Price screaming through it and throwing hands. Sticking and moving! Superkick! Suuuuuuuuuuuprize ki….roll up! Price kicks out! Channing tries the piledriver, back body drop to the floor! Price flies! They hit the floor! Crowd chanting for the Northeast Beast! Another dive! Channing back in and staggers into a block bussssssstah!

Channing 5-4

Price wants to go for the piledriver so he can stare at Sidney while he beats Channing. Thomas powers out and hits a huge German. 

Channing unloading. He wants a piledriver on the apron, Price with a back kick out. Channing hits an outside in suplex but can only get a two off it. We have 16 minutes left on the clock! Channing is looking worried as the score is closer than he likes and Price is still coming. Price with a Jack knife pin! Kick out! Swanton! Kickout! Channing wants a superplex…Price with an enziguri! Rana off the top!!! Ref is checking on both guys. Crowd still fire. Price tries the Suprize…Channing dodges. Channing tries?!? He hurts his knee! Price hits the world class piledriver! He ties it up!

Tie 5-5

Both guys are laid out as we get to the 50-min mark. Price starting to talk from the heart and scream his way back to life. Channing looks barely conscious but Bakabella says there’s a 10-minute plan. Slow trade of hard forearms as they guys are exhausted and swinging for the fences. Double clothesline, double down! Gooooooood I have missed the Crockett/Bakabella team. The chemistry on this call has been fantastic. Channing starting to come back, huge German! Price is alive! Half and half! Hard chops back and forth, Price going full Kobashi! Channing tries a pin with feet on the ropes but the ref catches it. Five minutes remaining. Channing goes for a figure four…rollup…they tumble around but they can’t secure a three on each other. Price looking fired up and Thomas is looking exhausted. Channing dives in and bites at the ear! It’s almost a DQ…but just barely. Thomas gets the piledriver! Alec kicks out but there looks to be some f***ery happening with a ringside fan. DONT TOUCH THE PARTICIPANTS JESUS F***ING CHRIST PEOPLE. Two minutes left. Price hits the cro cop high kick. Surprize kick dodged! Channing tries the piledriver…back drop out! Surprize kick! Three count!

Price 6-5

Channing has thirty seconds. He puts on a Boston crab! It’s deep but Price guts out the pain as the clock runs out for the win! Holy hell, that was an epic match!

Winner: Alec Price 

What they said. But really, this was a phenomenal, classically booked and well timed match. The crowd was hot for an hour straight. It was very hard to find a dead period through the entire thing. Crockett and Bakabella on the call for this was great. You know Sidney was gonna try stuff and they got it out of their system right away and let this match be what it needed to be. Price has worked a hellacious schedule over the past week but let’s not dismiss Channing Thomas. He might be a World clASS showboat with a huge pee-smelling garlic-breathed, bad toupee wearing, match stealing crutch of a manager…but he can GO when he’s let off the leash. Loved this top to bottom, Wrestling Open has thrown down the gauntlet with a legit MOTY contender only five days into the new year. Let us not forget this one when the IWTV awards come calling in 10 months? 

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