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9/21 WRESTLING OPEN 'ANTI-HERO' LIVE REPORT FROM WORCESTER, MA

Wrestling Open - “Anti-Hero”

9/21/23 - Worcester, MA

As a point of order, Covid is on the rise again. I just went through it. It sucked. I’m watching at home on IWTV because no big crowds for me this week, thank you kindly. Make sure to have a few tests on hand, mask up when it makes sense and STAY HOME when you’re not feeling good. Now that I’m off my soapbox, let’s get to this here wrasslin’ show.  

Spotlight Match: Nick Robles vs Hammer Tunis

Robles had a great showing in his Test Your Might match with Ichiban so it’s good to see him getting another shot on the green canvas. Tunis isn’t letting Robles take his spot though, unloading with hard chops, chokes and a block that just shoots him inside out. A big spine buster can’t put the kid away. Nick ducks a clothesline and starts firing away. Corner splash! Exploder with a bridge for two! Tunis catches him with a Michanoku driver for two. Robles lands a high kick….he flies into a knee to the chin. Tunis spikes him with a ddt for the win.

Winner - Hammer Tunis

Paul Crockett & Brother Greatness are your commentators. Rich Palladino is your announcer. Let’s kick it off!

Match 1: Brick City (Julio Cruz & Victor Chase) vs The Haven (Jay Onyx & Shawn Knyte)

The Bricks were supposed to face Miracle Generation in Tournament Semifinal action but that’s been put off for a week. In their place, MG’s best friends The Haven! Brother Greatness keeps putting them over as both Brick City MEN but also as potential donors to the Church. Shawn taking the early beatdown but he rallies back with a ddt and superkick, tag to Onyx! Big hip attack/shining wizard combo for two! Onyx gets dropped on his head and Brick City hit Business is Booming for the quick win. Did the Haven manager to soften up Brick City for their friends? Greatness certainly things MG is taking advantage of the situation.

Winners: Brick City

Rich Palladino brings out Brett Ryan Gosselin to break his silence on how he finally turned away from the Stetson Ranch. BRG is ready to talk but Danny Miles hits the ring and attacks. BRG is ready for it, superkick sends him out to the floor. They fight over to the broadcast booth, which allows Steven Stetson to blindside BRG from the storage closet. It’s a two on one beatdown and Stetson has the mic. Oh great, I can’t boo him into silence. Stetson says BRG should go away and never come back. This is his LAST WARNING: A Northern Jersey Lariat drops BRG as the crowd jeers the s*** cowboys. 

 

Match 2: Tyree Taylor (w/ Brother Greatness) vs RJ Rude

RJ wants Tyree’s respect. Tyree doesn’t think RJ is worth his time. RJ catches Tyree with a springboard kick. Superkick to the head and Tyree is shook! But not so shook that he can’t catch a cross body and just toss Rude into the top buckle. Back elbow? Taylor smashes him with a Uranage. Running punt to the ribs. This is getting hard to watch as Tyree stuffs every comeback attempt. Rude hits a codebreaker! Running double knees! Tyree blasts an enziguri and Rude hits the floor. Taylor cares about this match so much that he takes a phone call in the ring. Rj barely makes the 10 count. RJ escapes the Brooklyn Zoo! Knee to the chin! RJ whiffs a moonsault and Tyree turns him inside out with a discus lariat. Tyree pins him with a single finger.

Winner: Tyree Taylor

RJ stirs as Tyree is leaving. IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!? Tyree heads back into the ring. He scoops the kid into a torture rack and leaves him laying again. RJ gets the mic against and says Tyree hasn’t killed him yet. Brother Greatness tries to calm the big man down but he throws the waif of a churchman to the side and starts hitting Brooklyn Zoo bombs until Greatness can finally pull him to the back. 

Match 3: Percy Ryan & Dante Drago vs Better Together (Hadar Horvitz & Ori Gold)

Brother Greatness is back at commentary and a little shaken by what just went down in the ring with RJ Rude. It’s highly unlikely Better Together will be on the same page tonight as Gold does not love their choice of attire (tights with each other’s faces on it). Sri wants to hug it out but Percy Ryan walks the runway between them. Percy hits a jaw dropper for two. Horvitz tries to hit them back but he’s hitting the jaw and that just makes Ryan and Drago mad. Roll through and tag to Gold! Ori blasts a clothesline to the jaw! German to Drago! Drago pushes Percy aside to eat the double roaring elbow. Percy sends them flying and Drago hits the springboard clothesline to Horvitz for the win. 

WInners: Ryan & Drago

Match 4: Ricky Smokes (W/ Brad Baylor) vs Marcus Mathers

Low key banger alert? It could have been….but Brad Baylor is helping from the outside and Smokes is just stomping Mathers out, to the dismay of the Worcester crowd. Float over suplex for two. This is pretty one sided until Mathers hits a back elbow. Flies back into a stunner! Blue thunder bomb into t a moonsault for two! Mathers going for the finish but Baylor getting involved again. Mathers with a cutter and Smokes pops up to block it but Mathers is ready for the second one! Kick out! Mathers goes for the Bozo Buster but Smokes is free….hard knife edge chop! High angle cutter for two! Smokes is furious. The crowd is fired up! Ricky just smacking Mathers around but that just fires the kid up. Snap kicks and a German! This is high velocity back and forth and they both drop with exhaustion after unloading the clip. Mathers ducks a double stomp! Half and half…bozo buster! Brad back on the apron and Mathers blasts him down. Huge dive to the floor!Smokes is still down and Mathers wants the 450….Smokesdodges and comes running into a jumping stomp that crushes the life from Mathers for the three! This was really good.

Winner: Ricky Smokes

Match 5: The Prodigal Sons (Sammy Diaz & Lucas Chase w/ Brother Greatness) vs Shook Crew (Bryce Donovan & Bobby Orlando)

Under normal circumstances, the Shook Crew should be able to run through these clowns but with a renewed vigor and an inspirational Brother Greatness at ringside, the Prodigal Sons are getting right under Shook’s skin. One quick distract and Chase takes Bobby’s head right off. Orlando takes a lot of damage from Chase but Sammy can’t keep it going. Bryce in and sends Sammy for a ride. Tree of woe dropkick for two! Shook Crew going for a Steven Flow?!? Prodigals block that but Chase is sent to the floor and Bobby gets a rollup for three! 

Winners: Shook Crew

The Prodigal Sons attack and leave Shook laying. Huge Blockbuster bomb to Orlando and Greatness is all about shouting to the heavens for the church.

Match 6: Big Bacon Brad Hollister (w/ TJ Crawford) vs Big Boofa Dezmond Cole (w/ Fancy Ryan Clancy)

Ring the bell and the brawl is on! Cole is just all aggression and Bacon is just weathering a huge storm of Cole. Bacon tries to throw TJ in between them but Cole just sends TJ Mayo into his former partner in Clancy. Hard chop into the stairs. Running big boot in the corner! It’s not enough but Bacon is having a bad time right now. What goes up? TJ with the distract and Bacon whips Cole into the second buckle face first. Hard stomps to Boofa. The crowd is not happy with Bradley Baconator. Cole with a huge lariat off the ropes! Clancy slapping the apron to rally him! Bacon catches the rolls but he pops Cole up and eats a poisonrana for two! This is hard offense back and forth. A high angle powerbomb can’t keep Boofa down! Even Brother Greatness has to appreciate his resilience. Cole escapes the jackhammer! Split legged stunner! Bacon blocks the spinning capo kick….Jackhammer! Boofa kicks out!!! TJ is interfering again and Clancy is chasing him down while both guys are down. Ref Gina has had enough and Ref Gina throws both managers out of the building! They brawl out of the front door of the venue! Bacon tries a rollup but Boofa hits the gravity! Swanton bomb! Bacon kicks out!!! This match is unreal. Loving this. Boofa goes for a moonsault but Bacon rolls away….Boofa lands bad but Brad rolls him up. BIG handful of tights and Bacon gets the three. This ruled. 

Winner: Big Bacon Brad Hollister

This news dropped earlier today so all eyes are on the main event….

Main Event: Ichiban(c) vs World Class Channing Thomas (w/ Sidney Bakabella) 

Last week, Teddy Goodz did his damndest to soften up Ichiban. The match may have not gone his way…but that wasn’t the point. Bakabella is banking on the post-match beating they gave the champion being a huge factor in tonight’s title contest. Will tonight start the era of World Class? Bakabella is seething with venom as he delivers a very confident promo. Ichiban is clearly favoring his neck after last week. These are two familiar opponents but Ichiban has never beaten Thomas. Ichiban trying to wrap up Thomas but Channing is just walking the champ down with shot after shot. Fight to the floor but Ichiban plants him to the apron. Thomas with a quick neck breaker for ONE. Hard snap suplex! Ichiban kicking free….he tries the spinning ddt but Channing hotshots him. Hard lariat for two! Channing with a stomp to the neck and Bakabella blasts the champ with his hall of fame ring while the ref is otherwise occupied. Channing pulls Ichiban by the tights into a hanging dragon sleeper. Ichiban kicks out of a knee drop from the second but this might be pure instinct. Ichiban drop toe holds….Channing eats turnbuckle! Stunner! Forearms and a back body drop! He goes for the Ichiban Kai but Thomas gut punches him. Spinning ddt! Kick out by Channing. Ichiban with a five star cross body but Channing rolls through for two. Thomas wants the piledriver….Ichiban rolls through with an arm drag….Ichiban Kai? Reversed to a Boston crab! Ichiban breaks it on the ropes as we hit the 15 min mark! Channing is headscissored to the floor! Huge somersault to the floor! Ichiban to the top but Channing catches him up there with a super Plex! Crowd right behind Ichiban! Ichiban tries a half crab but Bakabella has a bag of powder…he blinds the ref! Ref Scott is down and can’t see! Channing Thomas decks him and puts the lights out for good! Ichiban with a Thez press! Ichiban with a double back elbow to both Channing and Bakabella! Bakabella eats the ten punch. Channing with a low blow and a piledriver! The ref is stirring….Ichiban out at one! Channing is shocked! Destroyer! Ichiban Kai connects! Ref Scott making the slow crawl. He makes a very slow count but Channing is KO’d for what amounted to a six count! This was crazy.

Winner: Ichiban

 

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