By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Wrestling Open RI “Episode 44 – One Of These Nights”
Streamed on IndependentWrestling.TV
March 23, 2026, in Cranston, Rhode Island, at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet
This is an attractive two-story, white ballroom, and the lighting is really good. The crowd was perhaps 200. Paul Crockett, Brian Morris, referee Scott Robinson, and Chris Sanders provided commentary over the course of the show.
* They are calling this the “Season 1 finale!”
1. “Wonderboy” Brian Morris vs. Eye Black Jack Pasquale in a spotlight match. Ref Robinson and Chris Sanders provided commentary. Basic brawling early on. Jack hit some armdrags and a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 3:00. Morris hit a crossbody block and some punches. He came off the ropes, but Jack caught him and hit a fallaway slam, and they were both down at 5:30. Jack hit some clotheslines, and he was fired up. Jack hit a Bulldog Powerslam, but Morris blocked the twisting uranage. Morris raked the eyes, then hit an Angel’s Wings faceplant for the pin! I’ll call that an upset, even with Morris cheating.
Brian Morris defeated Eye Black Jack Pasquale at 6:35.
* Morris and Crockett took over on commentary. I have praised Morris’s work on commentary in the past.
2. Notorious Mimi, Laynie Luck, and Kylie Alexa vs. Lili Ruiz, Corinne Joy, and Lady Leigh. All six competitors appeared on the all-women’s show on Sunday. Mimi reportedly is back with the WWE system, having signed a WWE ID deal; she apparently worked the most recent Evolve taping, too. Mimi and Leigh opened. Laynie and Ruiz then tied up; they are both from Chicago, and I’m sure they’ve fought many times now. Corinne entered at 2:00 and hit a pump kick on Laynie, then a handspring-back-elbow. Kylie entered and hit some blows to Joy’s back.
Alexa pushed her butt into Joy’s face, then got a nearfall at 4:00, and she choked Corinne in the ropes and hit some chops. Alexa was jawing with her teammates! Laynie finally, hesitantly, tagged in at 5:30, as they kept working over Corinne. Lili finally got the hot tag at 7:30, and she battled Kylie. Both women are about 5’2″. Ruiz hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall. Kylie rolled to the floor and looked like she was leaving! She bailed on her teammates!
Ruiz dove through the ropes, but her foot got caught in the ropes — she’s lucky she didn’t land on her chin! Lady Leigh got in. Joy hit a frog splash on Luck. Mimi put Joy on her shoulders, but Corinne escaped. Mimi slammed Joy’s head into a turnbuckle. Joy hit a senton. Ruiz hit a series of chops on Luck and Mimi, then a double suplex at 10:00! This has been really entertaining. Luck nailed a spin kick to Lili’s head. Mimi tied Ruiz in a Muta Lock, and Ruiz tapped out. So much great, young talent in this one.
Notorious Mimi, Laynie Luck, and Kylie Alexa defeated Lili Ruiz, Corinne Joy, and Lady Leigh at 10:25.
* Laynie Luck got on the mic and officially informed Notorious Mimi that she is back with WWE! She handed her the black WWE ID folder with her contract in it! Mimi got on the mic, fighting back tears, saying she’s fought for “three long years” to get back to WWE (she had a very brief stint in NXT as Sloan Jacobs). However, Mimi slapped Laynie across the head with the contract and stomped on her!!! (I thought those tears felt a bit forced!) She threw Laynie to the floor. She said this contract “is redemption for me.” She continued to beat up Luck at ringside. Crockett said it was “a disgusting assault.”
* DJ Powers appeared and got on the mic. DJ informed the crowd that Ryan Clancy’s knee “needs a little more time to heal up,” and he isn’t here tonight.
3. Bobby Orlando vs. Kylon King. Kylon’s teammate, Dustin Waller, competed on the West Coast over the weekend, and it doesn’t appear he’s home yet. Bobby immediately hit a bodyslam. He hit a running neckbreaker for a nearfall at 1:30. Kylon flipped Orlando into the turnbuckles, then stomped on him. He hit a series of chops and kept Bobby grounded. Bobby hit a sunset flip bomb out of the corner, then a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 5:00. Kylon nailed a top-rope superplex for a nearfall. He hit a German Suplex. Bobby got a sunset flip for the flash pin out of nowhere!
Bobby Orlando defeated Kylon King at 6:11.
4. Krule, Davey Bang, and August Matthews vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin, Oxx Adams, and a mystery partner. Krule is the IWTV champ, while Bang and Matthews are the IWTV tag champs. Rain Conway came out of the back and offered to be the tag partner. BRG and Oxx didn’t look happy about this. (Could we see, for the second time tonight, someone walk out on their tag partner?) Krule should never, ever, be a babyface — he’s just too big, and fans want to cheer for the underdog. Bang and Conway opened, with Davey doing some dancing and hitting an armdrag.
BRG entered at 2:30, but jawed with Rain as he got in. Bang and Matthews hit some quick team moves on Bang. Oxx entered and grabbed Bang and Matthews by their throats, but they escaped and hit some kicks. Oxx caught Bang on a Spears tower attempt, and he threw Davey onto August! Oxx slammed Rain onto Matthews for a nearfall at 4:00! The heels continued to work over August. BRG cut off a hot tag to Krule. Krule finally got the hot tag at 7:00, and he cleared the ring.
Krule whipped Rain into BRG in a corner, then he threw Brett into a spear on Conway. Oxx and Krule grabbed each other by the throat, and they traded blows. The other four jumped in the ring and hit dropkicks on the big men. Bang hit the Spears Tower. (Crockett called it a double spear.) Krule clotheslined Oxx over the top rope to the floor at 8:30. Bang and Matthews dove to the floor onto Oxx. Rain tried to attack Krule from behind, but Krule hit a chokeslam to pin Conway. That was a really well-planned-out match and gave just a little tease of an eventual Oxx-Krule match.
Krule, Davey Bang, and August Matthews defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin, Oxx Adams, and Rain Conway at 9:04.
* Brando Lee appeared and got on the mic. He questioned the veracity of Ryan Clancy’s knee injury.
5. DJ Powers and “The Verdict” Vinny “VSK” Scalice and Bryce Donovan vs. Corey Duke and “The Shooter Boys” Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz. No sign of Smart Mark Sterling tonight. Again, cowboy character Duke has the mullet haircut of Turbo Floyd. He opened against Powers, and they traded punches. Duke hit some overhead armdrags and a dropkick. Bryce tagged in at 2:30, and he took Duke’s head off with a hard clothesline. VSK entered and battled Vecchio. Anthony hit an enzuigiri on VSK. The babyfaces worked over DJ in their corner.
All six fought. The Boys hit stereo superkicks on Bryce, and Duke clotheslined Bryce over the top rope to the floor at 6:00. DJ nailed his running Claymore Kick on Duke for a nearfall. The heels took turns working over Duke, with DJ hitting a snap suplex for a nearfall at 8:00. Bryce slammed him into the corner, but Bryce accidentally struck VSK! Vecchio got a hot tag at 10:00, and he hit a flying shoulder tackle on Powers. Ortiz hit a top-rope crossbody block.
Ortiz hit a German Suplex on Powers for a nearfall. Bryce hit the Black Hole Slam on Ortiz for a believable nearfall at 12:00. Duke got a tag and hit a top-rope crossbody block on Donovan, then a Death Valley Driver! Ortiz tagged back in and hit a frog splash on Bryce for a believable nearfall. Bryce nailed a pop-up powerbomb on Ortiz, then a Dragunov-style diving forearm strike for a believable nearfall. This has been insanely good.
VSK hit a piledriver. Vecchio hit a top-rope Blockbuster. Duke hit a moonsault for a nearfall. Duke dove through the ropes, but Bryce caught him. Vecchio dove onto Bryce. Four guys brawled to the back, leaving just Powers and Duke. Duke hit an axe kick to the back of the head for the pin. That was an absolute blast. Duke has come out of nowhere and looks like he belongs in the main event mix.
Corey Duke and “The Shooter Boys” Anthony Vecchio and Aaron Ortiz defeated DJ Powers and “The Verdict” Vinny “VSK” Scalice and Bryce Donovan at 15:35.
6. Cappuccino Jones vs. Starboy Charlie for the WWE ID Title; if Charlie wins, he gets a WWE ID contract. I seriously would not be surprised if Charlie wins it here. The rumors have been out there that he’s already signed to a deal, and the WWE ID Twitter/X feed has really pushed this match for days. Standing switches to open, and Jones threw him to the mat. Charlie is talented, but he is legitimately at 5’6″. Starboy hit some dropkicks. Jones dropped him sternum-first on the top rope at 2:30. They fought on the floor. Back in the ring, Cap took control, hitting a back-body drop for a nearfall.
Cap hit a dropkick at 4:30, and he tied Charlie in an abdominal stretch. He hit a Heulluva Kick at 6:30. He hit a release T-Bone Suplex for a nearfall. Cap nailed the Macchiato Driver for a nearfall at 8:00, but he missed the Froggy Brew elbow drop. (Crockett doesn’t know the move names. That’s fine; Cap isn’t here often.) They got up and traded punches and forearm strikes. Charlie hit a spinning kick to the jaw, then a springboard dropkick. Cap went for the Decaffinator, but Charlie hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread, then the Cosmic Swirl (standing twisting splash) for a nearfall at 10:30.
They fought on the ropes. Charlie came off the ropes, but Cap caught him with a dropkick. Charlie avoided a clothesline and hit a Pele Kick. Cap hit a half-nelson suplex, then the Decaffinator (twisting slam) for a believable nearfall. Charlie hit a series of kicks, then his jump-up Poison Rana at 12:30, then a brainbuster for a believable nearfall. Charlie missed the Shooting Starboy Press. Cap hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. He hit a running punch that showed a bit too much light. Charlie hit a Pele in the corner, then a Sasuke Special to the floor. In the ring, Charlie hit the top-rope Shooting Starboy Press for the pin! New champion!
Starboy Charlie defeated Cappuccino Jones to win the WWE ID Title and a WWE ID contract at 14:45.
* The crowd chanted, “New champ!” Cap handed the belt to Charlie, and they hugged. The crowd chanted “Both these guys!” as the show went off the air.
Final Thoughts: I gotta make an actual list… because I definitely had Starboy Charlie in my top 10 unsigned U.S.-based talents. As I noted, I suspected this title change was coming, given that the rumors were out there that Charlie had signed with WWE. And it was a very good match and topped a notable show.
This was a top-notch show all-around. I’m sure the main event brought extra eyeballs to this night, and I’ll give that Bryce Donovan six-man tag second, ahead of the women’s trios tag. I know that it still hasn’t been the one-year anniversary since Corinne Joy’s first match, and she just exudes star power — like so many other female indy talents, she has a background in gymnastics, and it shows. Kylie Alexa has that same ‘it factor’ star power.
So many athletes lose their NXT deals and simply … vanish. They figure their wrestling dream is over. So give Notorious Mimi a lot of credit — she got cut way too soon in her NXT run, returned to the indy scene, and got even better. If you read my indy roundups, you know I rarely miss out on seeing her matches. She has certainly earned her way back to WWE.
I’m intrigued by the loss for Eye Black Jack. Is he now on a losing streak? Doubting himself? What needs to change to get him back on the winning path? Because, based on how he’s been booked in the past year, he would have beaten Brian Morris. So where is this headed? A notable show from top to bottom. I watched this live. Check this out on IWTV, likely by Tuesday morning.