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2/1 WRESTLING OPEN 'ABOVE THE RIM' LIVE REPORT FROM WORCESTER, MA

Wrestling Open “Above the Rim”

2/1/24 Worcester, MA

Spotlight Match: Steven Stetson vs Landon Hale (JGP D block Final)

Lauren St. James (a BioPro student) is guest ring announcer for this one. This is a weird position for the match to be in. More on this later. Landon looking good in the early moments but Hammer trips him up…kind of. Stetson beating Landon hard. Landon with a springboard reversal. Stetson tripped to the buckles, Landon with a 619 and slingshot forearm! He goes for the SPO driver, Stetson slips off, tries the north Jersey lariat. Duck out! Hammer distracts the ref. Landon goes for a handspring…Hammer sent off the apron but Stetson rolls him up and it’s deep and Landon eats the pin. Booooo. I was worried this would be the end result. I definitely think it was a good experience for LSJ to guest announcer the spotlight match but it’s super weird to me to have a tournament match in the spotlight position. Kind of took some of the drama out of the affair? Also the spotlight matches typically don’t make the VOD so it’s weird that we’ll likely have an incomplete tournament? This match could have felt bigger but it was stuck in with the pre-show crowd. 

Winner: Steven Stetson

 We’re live! Rich Palladino is on the announcer’s mic. Paul Crockett and Brother Greatness are at commentary. The Blocks of the Jumbo Grand Prix conclude tonight! We have a huge title grudge match to close the show. Let’s do this!

Match 1: Ray Jaz vs Fancy Ryan Clancy (JGP E Block Finals)

Fancy comes out hot but Jaz is ready to wrestle!  This is QUITE GOOD. Very back and forth, Jaz and Clancy are going fast to start. Jaz with the hard shot and begins to grind Fancy down. He goes for a cross armbreaker, Fancy bombs free! Fancy clotheslines! Running cross body! Ray goes for the backslide….Fancy reverses it. Snap ddt! Ray kicks out! He blocks the side Russian but Fnacy slams him, goes for the fancy splash but takes too long! Jaz with a toss off the top! Clancy kicks out! They trade punches…jaz with a headbutt to the gut. Famouser! Kick out! He goes right for the Jazmission….Clancy pushes him off to the apron! Jaz goes for the slingshot back slide…Clancy reverses it to a backslide of his own and RAY JAZ LOSES TO HIS OWN FINISH! Reallllllly enjoyed this. I may love watching Jaz lose but this match was fantastic start to finish. 

Winner: Fancy Ryan Clancy (E Block Winner)

Match 2: Rex Lawless vs TJ Crawford (JGP F Block Final)

TJ is not excited to be across the ring from a big angry pectoral Poseidon. TJ has wrapped ribs and Rex is having a field day smashing them. Crawford is in deep trouble but he grabs a guillotine…that starts wearing the big man down. Time to kick the legs and ribs of Rex…he took too long. Rex smashes a spear through him. Big toss off the top! TJ with a shove to the buckles stuns the big man…spinning head kick puts him down for the three.

Winner: TJ Crawford (F Block Winner)

Match 3: Brad Baylor vs BRG (JGP H Block Finals)

Did Baylor drink his eight glasses of self tanner today? This is a good start back and forth as each tries to establish mental dominance. Fast scrambles but BRG BLASTS a spear! Do we wanna see Baylor get punched in the face? Of course we do. Baylor rakes the eyes. Time for Baylor to punish and parade around like he’s already won the match. He tries to put Brett to sleep. It’s close. BRG fights off the count! Suplex! Gosselin throws a huge sweet victory ripcord lariat! He’s tuning up the band…he hits the superkick! Kick out! BRG keeps trying to come off the top and Brad has an answer each time. He rolls up BRG after he eats the top rope. A handful of trunks, the ref misses it, Brad takes the block.

Winner: Brad Baylor (H Block Winner)

Match 4: Elle Valentine vs Kennedi Hardcastle

Kennedi is the crowd fave but Elle immediately overpowers her. Kennedi with the trip up and crossbodies her in the corner. She takes too much time warming up the crowd and Valentine dropkicks her on a charge. Hard slam to Hardcastle. Trip to the ropes and Kennedi eats a dropkick to the spine. Elle just punishing her but Kennedi hits a high cross body! Lariats! Shining wizard! Kennedi winds up and hits a v trigger for the win!

Winner: Kennedi Hardcastle

 Match 5: Kylon King vs Brian Milonas (JGP G Block Final)

This match could absolutely f***. King versus Kingpin? Let’s goooooo. SIZE MATTERS, says Milonas. King comes right at him! Milonas weathering the early storm and just BLASTS the IWTV tag champ. Hard toss post to post. King is a rag doll. He comes running and Milonas just bowls him over. The ring is shaking REAL hard with every slam and whip. We are sliding slowly across the floor of the Eagle. King stuns him with a knee to the jaw! He wants that German! Springboard dropkick stuns the big man. King off the top again but get caught into a black hole slam. Ow. Milonas takes Long onto the top for the kill…Kylon slips out! German off the top! He got him! King with a top rope splash! A top rope moonsault! Milonas is DOWN FOR THE COUNT!!!! Kylon advances!!!

Winner: Kylon King (G Block Winner)

 Match 6: Tyree Taylor (vs Brother Greatness) vs Alec Price (JGP C Block Final)

Tyree is behaving perfectly rule abiding to start this off. Maybe his match with Santana over the weekend gave him a little pause about acting for the church so much? These two generally have some pretty excellent clashes. Very back and forth until it hits the floor and Tyree hits a pounce, sending Price into the ring! Back breakers onto the apron! Price with a basement spike rana! Tyree enziguris him out of the damn ring! Price catches him in the tree of woe…double double stomp! Snap dragon rebound of the rope! Tyre won’t stay down! Emergency leg drop! Tyree blocks the Suprize kick with a snap powerslam! Basement enziguri! Price is seething! Running knees! Price caught up on Tyree’s shoulders and drives down with a stomp. God I love this spot when executed right. Price with a dive to the floor! Tornado ddt spikes Tyree! Kick out! The crowd is WILD for this one. Price is serious and takes off his shoulder brace…he goes for the Suprize again. Tyree is ready. Price up on the shoulders…he makes the pose and tries to stomp down again…Tyree catches him in the Brooklyn Zoo bomb for the win. This was F***ING PERFECT. Price and Tyree hug after this one as the crowd LOVED this. 

Winner: Tyree Taylor (C Block Winner)

Brother Greatness in to put Tyree Taylor wayyyyy over for his latest string of matches. Is this a TRUE face promo from Brother Greatness??? Ah, the subject changes to Ichiban. BG invites Ichiban to the ring next week to join the Church of Greatness and accept their help. This was great. 

Main Event: Big Bacon Brad Hollister(c) vs Jermaine Marbury (w/ Benny the Basketball) for the Wrestling Open Championship)

Is this the REAL Benny the Basketball? After last week, I have to ask! Bacon wants vengeance for his busted jaw. Marbury wants to shock the world with a victory over the champ. We don’t like Bradley Baconbits here. Marbury pops us all by swarming Brad at the bell! Brad shoves him out of the corner. Hard suplex. Whips. This is a beating. Brad getting too cocky and Marbury with a palm slam ago the champ. double axe handle from the top! Kick out! They fight to the floor, Brad posts him. Suplex to the floor boards! We’re chanting for defense as Marbury gets the beatdown. Brad sends him to the floor and is more than happy to take a countout win. Marbury in at 9.5! Brad taunts and Marbury starts flying! Switching directions! Kobe!!!!!! Marbury tries for an ankle lock! Brad escapes but Jermaine follows with a dive. He is more than hanging with the champ! Top rope splash! Brad kicks out! Huge slam but his ankle is toast….Brad is stuck in the ankle lock! Brick city hits the ring, distracts the ref. Julio with the blindside! Brad tries the tornado jackhammer…his ankle gives out! Marbury gets the ankle

Lock again. Brick city take out the ref as Brad taps! Waves & Curls hit the ring to take care of Brick City. This is BAAAAAAAANANAS! Marbury and Brad are left in the ring as the two tag teams wipe each other out. Brad grabs the championship belt. Benny pulls his leg! Marbury with a dropkick!!!! Marbury hits Bacon with the belt!!! Benny throws in the ref. Kick out at the last second. There’s TJ. He blindsided Marbury on the top rope and Brad hits the jackhammer for the slow count of three. This was a nuts finish. Bacon is the champ but for a second there, we thought Marbury had pulled it off. This did everything right. Bacon wasn’t losing to Marbury but the stage was VERY set to make it believable that he could, This had shades back to 2004’s Triple H vs Maven where the finishing sequences had you doubt hard reality for JUST a moment. Marbury looks great here so let’s see how he rebounds from this. 

Winner: Brad Hollister

NOW…the crowd IS furious at this finish. Turns out that Worcester hates having their hopes dashed. Marbury assures them that their business with Big Business is faaaaar from over. Hell yeah. 

 

 

https://x.com/WrestlingOpen/status/1753395835969179845?s=20 

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