Wrestling Open just blew up their biggest feud with a garbage finish

The Worcester Screaming Match

Pull up a barstool, grab a cold pint of cheap domestic light beer, and let’s talk about the absolute cluster that went down in Worcester. The White Eagle was packed to the rafters on Thursday night for Wrestling Open’s big "Fireworks" show. It was PWInsider's live report that first clued us in on the madness.

But actually watching the tape on IWTV reveals a booking team that got way too cute for its own good. We got a double dose of disqualifications in the night's biggest matches. Let that sink in.

People pay their hard-earned cash to see actual conclusions, not referee drama. Instead, they got Ref Tiger making a mess of the main event and Steven Stetson kicking his way out of a real fight. It was a classic case of indie overbooking at its absolute worst.

Before we dissect the train wreck, here is the quick rundown of the card for those who missed the stream:

• TJ Crawford defeated Brad Hollister via disqualification
• Danny Miles defeated Steven Stetson via disqualification
• Eye Black Jack defeated Rain Conway via pinfall
• Kylon King defeated Channing Thomas via pinfall
• Bobby Casale defeated Liamo via pinfall
• Armani Kayos defeated Cash McGuiness via pinfall
• CPA defeated Patrick Wheatman via pinfall
• Jake Gray defeated Georgio Lawrence via pinfall
• Devin Reno defeated Brett Mettro via pinfall

The Big Bacon Robbery in the Main Event

Let’s get right to the meat of the evening. The main event featured "Big Bacon" Brad Hollister clashing with his former Big Business stablemate, TJ Crawford. This feud is personal, raw, and had all the makings of a classic physical battle.

Hollister did not even wait for the bell. He charged the ring like a rabid bull, looking to tear Crawford limb from limb. Crawford met him with a stiff spin kick.

He screamed at the top of his lungs:

"Welcome to the Takeover!"

Hollister did not care about the trash talk. He caught Crawford, dragged him to the floor, and smashed his legs against the ring post. He tried to lock in a figure four on the outside, but Crawford pulled him into the post.

The physical intensity was exactly what the crowd wanted. Back in the ring, Hollister caught him with a brutal German suplex. Crawford tried to rally, sweeping Hollister off the turnbuckles and hitting a penalty kick to the head.

But the big man was relentless. Hollister hit a jackhammer, a spin cycle slam, and a heavy senton. The powerhouse was taking out months of built-up aggression.

He hit a devastating Muscle Buster that looked like the end. Somehow, Crawford kicked out at two. Crawford answered with an X-factor and a silver bullet.

He was getting visibly frustrated. Hollister caught him again, hitting a massive popup powerbomb followed by a tornado jackhammer. Again, Crawford kicked out.

Hollister went back to the well, locking in his signature ankle lock. Crawford pushed him off, sending Hollister crashing straight into Referee Tiger. The referee hit the canvas.

Crawford tried to take advantage with a blindside attack, but Hollister caught him in the ankle lock again. Crawford was screaming, tapping out in the center of the ring. But the referee woke up, saw Hollister, and called for the bell.

Except he did not award the match to Hollister. He disqualified the big man for the earlier collision. The match ended at 15:23, and the White Eagle went completely bananas in the worst way.

The Worcester crowd hated the finish. You cannot build a three-month storyline between two top guys only to end it on a referee's ego trip. It protects both guys on paper, but it insults the audience's intelligence.

Crawford got to laugh, Hollister got to scream, and the fans got robbed of a real ending. We deserve better than this classic indie cop-out.

The Stetson Ranch Meltdown

If you thought the main event was the only match that left a bad taste, think again. The co-main event saw Steven Stetson go to war with Danny Miles. This was supposed to be the final nail in the Stetson Ranch’s coffin.

Miles is a human tank. He does not wrestle matches; he survives them. Stetson knew he could not out-power the big man.

He took Miles to the floor early, snake-eyeing him into the steel ring post. Stetson screamed:

"This is what you wanted!"

Miles did not blink. He ate the post, got back in the ring, and started running over Stetson like a runaway train. He trapped Stetson in the tree of woe and hit a crushing cannonball.

He followed it up with a suicide dive to the outside. Miles looked like he was about to put Stetson away for good. Stetson, realizing his Ranch was slipping away, hit a cheap low blow.

The referee immediately called for the disqualification at the 11:02 mark. It was another lazy cop-out. Stetson was not done, grabbing a Ranch t-shirt and attempting to choke Miles out.

Bobby Casale ran down to make the save. Stetson retreated, leaving Casale and Miles in the ring. This is where it got weird.

A winded Miles, confused and angry, shoved Casale. Casale did not take it lying down, shoving Miles back to the mat. Casale yelled:

"you're on your own"

He walked out, joining Stetson in the entryway. The crowd immediately started chanting for Miles to leave the ranch. It is a solid storyline development.

But it was completely undermined by the fact that we had just witnessed another garbage DQ finish. If you want to break up a faction, let them lose a real match first.

Bangers and BIOPro Drama in the Midcard

It was not all overbooked garbage. We did get some actual wrestling matches with actual pinfalls. The match of the night was easily Kylon King defeating Channing Thomas.

I have been saying for weeks that Kylon is incapable of having a bad match. This was a hell of a contest. Both guys traded big moves and slick reversals.

Thomas almost won it after dodging a moonsault and landing a stiff European uppercut. King had to grab the ropes to break the pin. Thomas went for a powerbomb, but King raked the eyes and hit the Kyledriver.

The pinfall came at the 9:36 mark. It was a heel finish, but it was clean enough to keep the crowd engaged.

Then we had the BIOPro student showcase between Rain Conway and Eye Black Jack. The stipulation was pure drama. If Conway won, coach Thomas Santell had to name him the greatest student the school ever produced.

The Ovaltine Dream himself was ringside to watch. Conway worked Jack's arm and ankle, hitting a perfect plex for a close two-count. Jack tried for his uranage, but his damaged arm gave out.

Jack hit an AA but missed a splash. Conway locked in a deep single leg crab. Jack made the ropes, but Conway refused to break.

That brought Santell to the apron. Conway got in his coach's face. Santell did not hesitate; he punched Conway right in the jaw.

That allowed Jack to hit the uranage and collapse into the pin. The referee made the three-count. Santell celebrated with Jack.

It was over-the-top, but the crowd loved seeing the veteran get his hands dirty. The opening matches were a mixed bag. "Handyman" Jake Gray beat Georgio Lawrence.

Lawrence hit some stiff kicks, catching Gray out of the air on a coffin drop. Gray hit a double stomp, a shotgun dropkick, and a coffin drop for the win. There was some confusion on the finish, but Gray got the pin.

Post-match, Gray took the mic to complain that BRG did not show up. He promised sweet victory next week. We also had the Breadwinners saga.

CPA beat Patrick Wheatman in a short match. Cash McGuiness tried to interfere, but CPA used his clip-on tie to distract him. CPA rolled up Wheatman for the win.

The Breadwinners beat CPA down after the match. Armani Kayos made the save, leading to an immediate match where Kayos beat Cash McGuiness. He finished him with a moonsault.

Bobby Casale also beat Liamo in a singles match. Liamo is a classic unlikable heel who takes selfie videos in the ring. Casale beat the tar out of him and finished him with a sitout powerbomb.

And Devin Reno beat Brett Mettro in the spotlight match. He put him away using a Baldbuster.

The Verdict on Fireworks

Wrestling Open's Adam Cardoza's detailed recap shows a promotion with a ton of talent but a serious booking problem. You cannot run a show called "Fireworks" and have the two biggest matches end in wet-blanket disqualifications.

The roster is working their tails off. Kylon King and Channing Thomas put on a clinic. Danny Miles and Steven Stetson beat each other half to death.

The physical effort is there. But the booking needs to reward the fans who show up to the White Eagle every week. We need winners, we need losers, and we need Ref Tiger to stay out of the spotlight.

Let the boys fight. Let the finishes speak for themselves. That is how you build a real wrestling town.