PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

LIO RUSH VS. DUSTIN WALLER & MORE: 1/28 WRESTLING OPEN LIVE REPORT FROM WORCESTER, MA

Wrestling Open Week 56

1/28/23 Worcester, MA

Spotlight Match: Curt Robinson vs “Wild Hound” Johnny Rivera 

Curt doesn’t know how to deal with Johnny’s big dog energy. He gets overpowered, he tries a slam and pie but Rivera throws him off. Robinson  is starting to grind him down but Johnny barks himself back to life. Curt wants to come off the top? No sir. Johnny grabs a chokeslam and pulls him off into a powerslam for the win! 

Winner: Johnny Rivera

And we’re liiiiiiive on IWTV. Rich Palladino is your announcer! Paul Crockett & Denver Colorado (tonight in a cape, thanks to a sponsorship). Let’s goooooooo! 

We’re kicking it off with World Class, who are upset they’ve fallen to the opening segment of the card against our resident Cupid. This isn’t going to be a match, it will be a beating, promises Bakabella. Doug is right out here.

Match 1: “World Class” Channing Thomas (w/ Sidney Bakabella) vs Love Doug

Channing knows what’s coming and protects those lips…and Doug blasts him down with a dropkick. Heavy punches! Shots to the face. Channing wasn’t expecting this and goes right to Bakabella playbook of bad behavior to get a hard shot in and starts working him over. Hard spear in the corner and Doug is getting beat up. Big suplex for two. Channing tries to choke the life out of Doug. Channing finally getting some shots in again, Channing misses a charge in the corner and his shoulder is rekt! Bakabella is begging for a time out. Doug has a crossface chicken wing! Channing is tapping out! The ref doesn’t see it. Dammit dammit dammit! Channing with the rollup and a handful of tights and World Class gets another BS win….but still a win.

Winner: Channing Thomas 

Match 2: Anastasia Morningstar vs “Queen Bee” Brooke Valentine

This will be a real test for the enforcer of the church of greatness, who does not often come against someone that matches her in size and power. They are both getting frustrated as their lockups don’t really get anyone an advantage. Test of strength? Anastasia stomps the foot. That just enrages Valentine and she starts chopping Morningstar around the ring. Morningstar powders and needs a little walk. Brooke gives chase and Anastasia tries a legdrop but misses. Queen Bee coming in for the kill and gets uranaged. Huge suplex for two! Brooke trying to come back but she gets Germaned. Morningstar runs into a corner uranage! Huge flurry of chops cut the demoness down. Cannonball! Anastasia trading forearms, both are exhausted. She catches Brooke and hits her swinging facebuster for the win! This was a lot of fun and probably one of the best singles performances we’ve seen from the Demoness. Brooke would definitely be a force to see in Worcester more often but I definitely would like to see this clash again.

Winner: Anastasia Morningstar

Match 3: Ray Jaz vs Jaelyn Brandyn

As is custom, Ray Jaz said words but everyone was booing him so loud even Rich Palladino couldn’t hear him. And Jaelyn is here?!? Welcome back to one half of Waves & Curls!   Jaz wants to show off with jumping jacks and push-ups? Jaelyn dropkicks him in his highly punchable face. Big splash across the ring! Jaz catches Jaelyn with a big cradle suplex. He’s too busy preening and Jaelyn catches him distracted by the crowd! Flying forearm! Suicide dive! He tries a slingshot in but Ray catches him with the cradle bomb and…yeah…that’s that.

Winner: Ray Jaz

Time to model the new Wrestling Open hoodie. EVERY THURSDAY FOREVER. Get yours at shopIWTV.com!

Match 4: Milk Chocolate (Randy Summers & Brandon Watts) vs Fancy Ryan Clancy & TJ Crawford

Watts thinks he’s gonna overpower TJ. Hahahahahahahaha no. TJ is getting fancy! Tag to the Clancy but MC tries to double team him. Summers with an errant elbow drop with a fancy twist and it’s time to just take apart his arm with a series of dives from the top. Big MC slam to Fancy and TJ break it up. Summers thinks he’s gonna tap out Clancy. Nope, tag to TJ! The silver sniper running wild! Watts tossed across the ring! Summers slammed for two. Clancy wipes out Summers and leave Watts for TJ to hit a fancy side Russian for the win!!!! Every time I think TJ might turn, he goes deeper into the alliance. This was a cool moment.

Winners: Clancy & TJ

Match 5: Mortar vs Ichiban

The crowd is all over Mortar and he is all about tossing our number one dude. Ichiban is too quick and flies in with a lariat! Mortar with a big German. Heavy shots and trash talk “THIS is Number One?l He’s just pummeling Ichiban and trying that step on pin. Ichiban tries a rollup. Mortar with an impressive head kick! Big inside out lariat. Ichiban tornado ddt! He runs in with the jumping flatliner for the win! Ichiban is so fun to watch but Mortar was a damn beast tonight.

Winner: Ichiban

Match 6: Stetson Ranch (Steven Stetson, BRG & Danny Miles) vs Demond Cole, Nolo Kitano & Prince Ahmed

We hate the ranch but we love their opponents. This is a cool trio but I don’t like their chances. Miles and BRG try their luck but it’s up to the head of the ranch to show his boys how it’s done. He doesn’t. Stetson takes a beating from Cole, whose fancy moves can’t be kept up with. Nolo tries to keep it up but Stetson just cuts him apart. Double elbow drop from the ranch hands. Nolo escapes and tags Boofa! Big capo kick to Stetson! Legdrop! Kick out! We get a pile of chaos. Ahmed almost ends it with a pumphandle face buster to Miles. Stetson hits the northern Jersey lariat. Wheelbarrow elbow drop from Stetson and BRG and that’s it. We already know the cow pokes are coming back at some point so we know their night ain’t over. But how about that AmericanSpellingFoundation.com site, huh? XD

Winners: Stetson Ranch

 

Match 7: “The Cure” Lucas Chase vs “The Prize” Alec Price

The northeast beast comes running but Chase is a powerhouse. Price starts to run through his big spots but Chase pops him up and flapjacks him. Chase is definitely giving the Prize a run for his money but if we’ve learned anything. PRICE IS RESILIENT. Price dodges out the corner, Chase is stunned. High cross body and the Worcester Legend is coming back! Big knee series! Chase dodges but eats the flying bulldog for two! Chase dodges the Surprize Kick but not the flying leg lariat! Price wins!

Winner: Alec Price

The Stetson Ranch is back out here. That was quick. Steve wants to congratulate Price and wants a real answer about his offer to join the ranch. He knows Price’s grandfather isn’t doing well and he offers to pay all the bills…as long as Price joins the Ranch as an equal member. Price has the mic. He confirms the deal. Stetson says it’s truth. Price is looking massively conflicted. He says he would do anything for his family…so yes, he’s going to join them. Oh noooooooooooooooooooo! Everyone is upset! Even Price looks miserable as Stetson takes him by the hand and walks his newest member to the back. Gimme a P? R? I? C? E? What’s that spell? We’re sad now. 

Match 8: The Mane Event (Jay Lyon & Midas Black) vs Mutually Assured Destruction (Rip Byson & Perry Von Vicious) 

MAD is owning the early moments but Lyon pulls the wheels out from the monster truck and lets the circus take control. Byson protests but it’s just letting Mane Event hurt Perry more. Midas tries a suplex and that’s as far as the big man lets it go. Huge falcon arrow and tag to rip! Toe to toe with Lyon! Midas booted to the floor! Double boot to Lyon! Midas cuts off the double chokeslam. Lyon with a Superman punch. Belly to belly on rip! Kick out! Lyon tries to spear Byson but he gets caught up and Rip hits a fisherman’s suplex and hooks it for the win! This was precisely the match I expected from these teams but also the right match to get the crowd’s energy back up after the disappointment of the last segment.

Winners: MAD

Match 9: Eel O’Neal vs “Big Bacon” Brad Hollister

Helllllllllllllllllll yeah! We’re pretty stoked for Eel. Braaaaaaadley doesn’t look impressed. Big power lockup! Brad thinks he has the win fast? Oh no sir. Eel blasts a lariat and powerslam…but only gets one! Brad needs a moment to compose his emotions but he comes back swinging…Eel ducking and moving! He’s ready to come off the top but flies into a lariat. Brad is preoccupied with the crowd but hits a huge hip attack to a dazed O’Neal. Bacon has this slowed down and is picking Eel apart. Big suplex. Big back elbow! Kick outs! Eel fights but eats a german for another two. Brad gator rolls him. Eel with the trip! Sitout powerbomb! Kick out! Brad with his own spinning sitout powerbomb! Eel kicks out! Brad wants the twisting jackhammer…Eel with the enziguri and suplexes him off the top! Brad tries to power out but Eel shotguns him! Bacon with the dodge and eel is posted. Twisting jackhammer connects and Eel is done for tonight. Yoooooooooo, this was good. That was really really good. Bacon is just a phenomenal s***bag, especially when he gets into it with the crowd but this energy from

Eel tonight was excellent. We will gladly take more of this.

Winner: Brad Hollister

Brad gets the mic and calls us all scrubs. He has some newwwwws. This Sunday, he goes one on one with Fancy Ryan Clancy! Bacon is the biggest stud of all and he’s ready to kick Fancy’s butt. 

Main Event: Dustin “Flash” Waller (w/ Kylon King) vs “The Bad Child” Lio Rush

Lio Rush hasn’t been to Beyond in so many years and i THINK this might be his first time in Worcester. This is a ridiculously huge opportunity for Waller tonight. How long will it take for this to go full speed? Waller says this is our house but he wants an honorable handshake. Lio and flash shake but it’s intense. Lio wants to concentrate and thinks we’re too hot for this matchup. Ha. They finally get into the wrist lock and Flash hops back and up and out. Good staredown. Aaaaaaa-very fast sequences to a stalemate. This is speed chess. Lio Rush respects what he’s faced with tonight. Flash shows Rush his best combos and strikes a pose. Rush has one to return in kind. They can’t out flip each other so let’s unload some chest damage. Lio with a ridiculous flurry of kicks and almost puts Waller to sleep. Lip with a handspring sends Walker off the apron. This spills to the floor for a moment. Lio tries to go big but Waller is there to dropkick him out of the sky. How have ten minutes already flown by??? Flash with the slam…heads to the top…Lio rolls away…flash is frustrated and almost falls victim to a roll up. Huge back elbow and a two from rush. Rush unloading big chest kicks. He kicks the f***ing soul out of Waller! Back suplex for two! Crowd chanting for both! Lio up top but Waller rolls away…Dustin tries the trap pin! They are rolling around! Almost a double pin! Waller with a springboard lariat! Lio is cut in half. Rush back with a flurry of strikes, Waller reverse to a falcon arrow! Kick out! We pass the fifteen minute mark! Rush sends Waller flying. Torpedo dive into the crowd! Huge spear! Waller turned inside out but kicks out! This is ridiculously hot. Rush’s gets his foot caught and unloads a slap on Flash! Waller is mad! DVD! Huge kick! Handspring Cutter! Running shooting star! Rush kicks out! Dustin misses a dive, Rush drops with a Spanish fly and hits a frog splash for the win. Nineteen minutes and change and this was INDEED awesome. 

Winner: Lio Rush

Rush has the mic. He’s clearly winded from this high speed war. He calls that match something truly amazing and Waller pretty damn good. Rush talks about the last time they shared a ring and Waller got KO’d in a multi-man match. From that day, Lio knew they were destined to meet one on one…and he can’t be happier with how it went. But the night isn’t over…he has some business to take care of…Lio Rush faces Alec Price this Sunday at “Miight Snow”! He calls out Price. He suggests Alec needs permission from

His “Cowboy Daddy”. This brings Price right out for the brawl. The Stetson Ranch follows fast to pull him back while Miracle Generation holds back Lio. This is a full on pull apart brawl and it can’t be contained. Alec is sent to the back and Lio says “your a** is mine”. 

And that’s it for this week. This was already a very good episode top to bottom but this main event was something absolutely awesome. It’s wild to think Wrestling Open has two very legit contenders for match of the year on their books and we’re not through with January yet! We’re back in Worcester this Sunday for Beyond Wrestling’s “Miight Snow”. Until then! 

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

• Tweet