Wrestling Open RI “Episode 63” results (8/17): Vetter’s review of Bear Bronson and Shooter Boys vs. Stetson Ranch and BRG, Marcus Mathers vs. Ryan O’Neill, the start of the Von Erich Classic

By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)

Wrestling Open RI “Episode 63”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
August 17, 2026, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet

The venue is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. The crowd was perhaps 200; they have been holding pretty steady for a weekly show. Paul Crockett, referee Scott Robinson, and Aaron Ortiz provided commentary;

* The Von Erich Classic six-man tag tournament kicks off tonight!

1. Devious Cass vs. Leedz Lewis in a spotlight match. Looks like one more U.S. match for the French indy star Lewis before he heads home. Scott Robinson and Aaron Ortiz provided commentary on this one. This should be really good. Standing switches to open. Leedz caught him with a spin kick to the jaw. Cass hit a hard back elbow for a nearfall at 1:30. Cass took control, and he hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 3:30. Leedz hit a flying headbutt. He nailed a bulldog, then his corkscrew split-legged moonsault for the pin.

Leedz Lewis defeated Devious Cass at 5:02.

* Crockett took over on solo commentary for the main show.

2. DJ Powers, Dustin Waller, and Nick Battee vs. “Team Bio Pro” Eye Black Jack Pasquale, Brett Mettro, and ‘Handyman’ Jake Gray in a Von Erich Classic first-round match. The heels came out first, and each of them cut a short promo. (Why isn’t Kylon King on Dustin’s team?) Waller and Gray opened. Gray hit a huracanrana on Battee and threw Nick into the babyface corner. Brett hit a senton for a nearfall on Nick. Jack entered at 1:30 and clotheslined Nick in their corner.

The heels dragged Jake to their corner and began stomping on him. DJ hit a snap suplex for a nearfall. Battee choked Gray in the ropes. Dustin hit a bodyslam at 4:30. Jake hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread on Waller, and they were both down. Jack got a hot tag and hit some clotheslines on Powers, then a powerslam, and he was fired up. He hit his twisting uranage for a nearfall, but Dustin made the save. Powers hit a small package driver and pinned Jack. Good action.

DJ Powers, Dustin Waller, and Nick Battee defeated “Team Bio Pro” Eye Black Jack Pasquale, Brett Mettro, and ‘Handyman’ Jake Gray at 5:57 to advance in the Von Erich Classic.

* NOTE: I’m having problems with the live stream again; it repeats a two-second clip here and there. I assume the heels cheated before DJ Powers got the win, but I didn’t see it. I had a true Bobby Heenan “my monitor went out” moment.

3. Amira vs. Kalypto. Kalypto had a really good debut last week. I noted this last week — she has long black hair and wears a plain, black sports top and boxer shorts that just give off an authentic “shoot fighter vibe.” Amira is a Portland-based talent who also wrestled on Thursday’s show. They immediately tied up on the mat, then had a standoff.

Kalypto hit some spin kicks to the thighs. Amira hit some splashes in the corner. Kalypto hit a Shining Wizard for a nearfall at 2:30. They traded chops. Kalypto hit a flying back elbow for a nearfall at 4:30. They traded rollups. Amira hit a basement dropkick, then a splash in the corner, and her vicious rolling cannonball and scored the pin. Always good to have Amira here, and Kalypto has looked pretty good in her first two matches.

Amira defeated Kalypto at 5:32.

* The Stetson Ranch and The Shooter Boys had a confrontation on the stage. The Shooter Boys asked for a rematch for the Wrestling Open Tag Team Titles. Steven Stetson rejected their request. The Ranch eventually agreed to a title match… but they want it at Americanrana on Aug. 28. However, if the Shooter Boys lose that night, they can never team up again in Wrestling Open! Ortiz accepted the stipulation!

4. Bryce Donovan vs. Seabass Finn. It’s been a while since Finn has been here! Finn is slender but strong; he has an amateur wrestling background. However, he’s listed at 5’8″ and is giving up a lot of height and overall size to Donovan, who is about 6’2″. No VSK or “Smart” Mark Sterling with Bryce. Finn hit some forearm strikes at the bell. Bryce hit a clothesline and stomped on Finn in the corner.

Alec Price emerged from the back at 2:30, hopped on the apron, and jawed at Bryce! It allowed Finn to get a rollup for a nearfall. Finn hit some running European Uppercuts in the corner. Finn hit an impressive German Suplex for a nearfall. Bryce caught Finn coming off the ropes and hit a chokeslam for the pin.

Bryce Donovan defeated Seabass Finn at 4:06.

* Price got in the ring and confronted Donovan. He said Bryce used to be a good guy. (It’s a bit hard to comprehend Alec, as we have a bit of an echo tonight, and of course, Price has a thick Bostonian accent that I struggle at times to get.) Bryce boasted that he’s been Wrestling Open champion before — something Price has never done. Bryce said, “This is my show.” Bryce warned him that if they fight, “you won’t make it out alive.” I just checked on cagematch.net, and Price and Donovan have only shared the ring five times, with Bryce holding a 1-0 one-on-one record after winning a singles match back in 2022. Crockett wondered if their respective teams would meet in the finals of the Von Erich Classic.

5. Paris Van Dale and Kylie Alexa vs. Liviyah and Shannon LeVangie. I’ll reiterate that Shannon and Paris are teammates in nearby Chaotic Pro. Don’t trust her, Liv! Liviyah is back-in-black, so to speak, after wearing new white gear on Sunday. Liv and Kylie opened, but Alexa tagged out before they locked up. Liv bodyslammed PVD three times, then hit a running clothesline in the corner. Shannon entered at 1:00, so Kylie got back in to face her. Shannon hit a spin kick to the side of Kylie’s head.

Crockett noted Shannon’s mouth injury, which loosened some teeth, and noted that she had just returned to action. Paris hit a splits leg drop over Shannon’s neck at 3:00, then a Meteora. The heels worked over Shannon in their corner. Paris hit a hard back elbow in the corner and got a nearfall. Paris hit an X-Factor for a nearfall at 4:30. Shannon finally hit a back suplex on Alexa. Liv made the hot tag and hit some clotheslines on Paris, then a big shoulder tackle.

Liviyah hit a wheelbarrow German Suplex on Kylie, then a TKO stunner on Paris. Shannon got back in and hit some quick kicks on Paris, then an Air Raid Crash for a believable nearfall at 6:30. Shannon went to the top rope for her Twisted Bliss-style frog splash, but Kylie pulled Paris to safety on the floor. The heels stood on the floor near the entrance area and let the ref count them out! The crowd booed them for not re-entering the ring.

Liviyah and Shannon LeVangie defeated Paris Van Dale and Kylie Alexa at 7:35.

* Footage aired of last week, where Marcus Mathers apparently turned heel at the end of his match, and Crockett called him a “snot-nosed punk.” However, Mathers got a nice pop as he came to the ring for the next match! Mathers got on the mic and said he’s excited to be in the Von Erich Classic, teaming with Alec Price and Jordan Oliver. A fan shouted, “Why did you push Bobby (Orlando)?” Mathers suppressed a laugh and said, “I was getting to that.” He apologized to the fans for losing his cool last week. He invited his opponent, Ryan O’Neill, to come to the ring, so he could apologize to him.

6. Marcus Mathers vs. “Flyin’” Ryan O’Neill. Standing switches to open and some good back-and-forth offense. Mathers took control and hit a flying forearm in the corner, then his mule kick to the jaw for a nearfall at 2:30. He hit a suplex. Dustin Waller came to ringside and taunted Mathers! Crockett reminded us that Waller wants to bring out Marcus’s aggression. Mathers planted his knee in Ryan’s spine and kept him grounded. Mathers hit some chops in the corner. Ryan hit some flying forearms.

Ryan nailed a neckbreaker in the ropes, then a guillotine leg drop in the ropes at 6:00. He hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Ryan hit his twisting powerslam for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Mathers nailed his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw for a nearfall at 7:30. Mathers nailed a superkick. Ryan countered with a spin kick to the head and a back suplex. Ryan nailed his Cleopatra stunner, and Mathers rolled to the floor.

Ryan hit a flip dive onto him at 9:00 sharp, and we were told we had one minute left in the time limit! Ryan tried a springboard move into the ring, but his leg buckled! The ref checked on him, and Marcus started to back away. From the floor, Dustin shouted at Marcus, “Get on him!” Marcus lunged forward, tied up Ryan’s leg, and Ryan tapped out! Dustin seemed pleased with himself and left. Alec Price jumped back in the ring, clearly dismayed at Marcus for that aggressive action! Price and the ref carried the injured O’Neill to the back.

Marcus Mathers defeated “Flyin’” Ryan O’Neill at 9:40. 

* I mistakenly thought the next bout was a tournament match, but it apparently was not!

7. Bear Bronson and “The Shooter Boys” Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin and “The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Brian Morris. A massive pop for the beloved Bronson. They all brawled early on, and the babyfaces hit stereo bodyslams, sending the heels to the floor to regroup. Ortiz backed BRG into a corner and hit some chops. Stetson jumped in and stomped on Ortiz. The Shooter boys hit a team flipping slam, dropping Stetson face-first at 3:00.

They all locked up, and the three babyfaces hit stereo suplexes, and the heels bailed again. This time, the babyfaces followed. They placed the heels on seats, stood over them, and hit a series of punches while the fans counted along. Crockett said it’s so loud in there he can’t hear himself. In the ring, the heels crotched Vecchio in the corner at 5:30. Stetson immediately hit a top-rope superplex on Vecchio. BRG jumped in and beat down Vecchio as the fans chanted, “The worst! The worst!” at BRG. Morris hit a flying knee drop across the forehead for a nearfall at 8:00.

BRG and Vecchio hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. The Stetson Ranch knocked the babyfaces off the apron so they couldn’t tag in. Bear finally got a hot tag, and he began hitting a series of punches on each of the heels. He hit a double clothesline on the Ranch at 10:00, then a Black Hole Slam on Brett. He set up for the Fire Thunder Driver, but BRG fought free. The Shooter Boys hit stereo dives to the floor onto the Ranch! BRG tried a chop on Bear; Bronson pulled down the straps of his singlet to let Brett hit some more! Bear finally hit a clothesline.

Bear grabbed Stetson and set up for a Choke Bomb but Stetson hit a jumping knee. Bear hit the Choke Bomb on Brett for a nearfall. Ortiz hit a crossbody block on Morris, then a German Suplex on Stetson. Bear grabbed Morris and nailed the Fire Thunder Driver! Vecchio hit the team Blockbuster and scored the pin on Stetson! That was really entertaining.

Bear Bronson and “The Shooter Boys” Aaron Ortiz and Anthony Vecchio defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin and “The Stetson Ranch” Steven Stetson and Brian Morris at 13:15.

Final Thoughts: I should just copy-and-paste what I wrote seven days ago… because Wrestling Open is the best wrestling show on Monday nights, hands down, no questions asked. Yeah, I can watch Mathers and O’Neill do a 30-minute Ironman match. Sign me up! Throw in Waller, Price, Leedz Lewis, Bear Bronson… there is a reason these guys are working three or more matches every week. The talent on this particular episode is just insane. Mathers is under a WWE contract, Liviyah and Kylie are under NWA contracts, Bronson has his TNA deal, Bryce was under a WWE ID deal, and BRG worked MLW for a year. Amira has toured Japan on more than one occasion. The Shooter Boys could easily get a deal. Pasquale had a WWE tryout earlier this year.

I’ll go with O’Neill vs. Mathers for best match, ahead of the main event. The women’s tag takes third. No new faces tonight. I’ll add that newcomer Kalypto has really impressed in her first two matches in Wrestling Open.

Complaints? I’ll say it again — Crockett does a fine job on commentary, but I really wish he had someone in the booth with him. Nick Battee is perhaps the most talented heel commentator on the roster, and Brian Morris is right behind him. Both Waller and BRG are pretty good too. Those four could have easily cycled in and out of the booth to accompany Crockett. And having Price in the building but not wrestling is a disappointment.

Seriously… these shows are so good. The issue I had with the livestream ended after the third match. I watched this live; it should be posted on IWTV by Tuesday morning.