Tag: evolve

Live from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA, it’s EVOLVE’s 10th anniversary show live on WWE Network.

An EVOLVE history package airs with Cesaro, Tony Nese, Ricochet, and Daniel Bryan talking about their pasts. Bryan says that he came up with the name to show how the industry has evolved, while Drew McIntyre credits it for crafting him into who he is today.

Lenny Leonard talks mid-ring about the roster in the ring right now being the future and Josh Briggs grabs the mic and says he’s taking his opportunity. He wants to start things off with Anthony Greene, who gets some great heat with Brandi Lauren and her bedazzled fanny pack.

Josh Briggs pinned Anthony Greene

Josh misses a shoulder charge, but lands a modified backbreaker out of the corner. Greene lands a running rana before eating a backbreaker throw for 2. Brandi grabs the foot and Greene kicks the rope into Josh’s crotch to get an edge. Greene goes for a tope, but gets caught and chokeslammed on the apron. Greene winds up sending Briggs onto the apron several times and clubs the chest. Greene gets 2 off a nice crossbody. Leonard talks about Greene spending four years from his first tryout to get his contract with the company. Greene stomps away at the leg in the corner before Brandi cheapshots him. 

Brandi is outraged at the “Retro sucks” chant, which seems to fire up Briggs for an X plex. Briggs avoids a lariat and lands his own Taker-esque flying lariat with a flip. He charges into a superkick, but winds up trapping him in the corner for a yakuza kick. Briggs lands a series of backbreakers, including an X plex variant for 2. Briggs spins out of a half crab and boots him. Shoulder-mounted Michinoku driver hits and gets 2 for Briggs. Briggs gets slammed hard and locked in a half crab until he gets to the rope.

Greene misses a 450 and gets thrown into the corner, but lands an enziguri and schoolboys him into the buckle. Briggs wants a super iconoclasm, but Brandi grabs the foot and gets ejected. Greene gets a super victory roll after they just wait up top forever, but it only gets 2. Superkick series hits Briggs, but Briggs comes back with Go to Hell and an M6 powerbomb to win it. Lenny Leonard talks about the history of The Unwanted, with Eddie Kingston cutting an intense promo about years of getting paid in hot dogs, that they’re not going to let AR Fox and his buddy beat them on the Network. 

Stephen Wolf won a four-way freestyle match over Sean Maluta, Curt Stallion and Harlem Brovado

Stallion eats a buzzsaw kick from Maluta after a quick failed double team. Wolf lands a slick springboard crossbody before Bravado sends him down. Wolf overshoots on a dive and lands on his feet, and thankfully doesn’t seem to blow his knees out. Stallion lands a Fosbury flop on the pile. Stallion lands a deadlift German on Maluta for 2. Bravado lands a combo DDT/flatliner for 2. Maluta eats a jawbreaker before a double-down off of each man wanting a crossbody and meeting in the middle. Stallion and Wolf seemingly hit stereo kicks in the corner, but the camera misses Wolf. Stereo covers get a 2 count. 

A Stallion/Wolf chant breaks out, so they elbow and forearm each other. Wolf gets a rolling elbow, but Brovado yakuza kicks him. Wolf lands a 619 feint into a nice lariat on Maluta. Bravado lands a pop-up death valley driver on Wolf for 2. Maluta lands a Magnum codebreaker onto Stallion. Nasty standing blue thunder bomb hits for Wolf, but Bravado prevents him from going off the top. Wolf lands a shooting star press on Brovado after Brovado hits the Angels Wings and wins it in 10 minutes. Anthony Henry gets a highlight video showing off his MMA training and talking about all of his experience.

Arturo Ruas pinned Anthony Henry

Lenny talks about Henry winning in MMA by both an armbar and a triangle. Henry goes for an armbar, but Ruas slips out. Henry wants another armbar, but eats a Rampage bomb before eating some quick punches for 2. Ruas lands a series of kicks in the corner and wants a delayed German, but it gets turned into a victory roll and a double stomp. Henry goes for muay thai knees, but Ruas avoids them, but can’t avoid a backdrop driver. Henry wants another armbar, but gets stacked up for 2.

Ruas rolls out and eats a flying knee off the apron. Henry wants a double stomp off the top, but rolls through it and eats a series of knees and a sliding kick for 2. Henry gets an RNC, but gets tossed into the corner before letting go to kick the leg out. Ruas lands a snap German for 2. Henry lands a Jon Jones-style kick to the knee and then buzzsaw kicks him down. 

Henry goes up top, but Ruas tries to take him down only to eat a mushroom stomp to the back. Henry sends him down and lands a double stomp off the top for 2 before getting an ankle lock. Ruas gets a kneebar before they just slap the tar out of each other. They go at it with wild strikes for a while before Ruas lands a high kick for a flash knockout and a pin at around 13 minutes. 

Lenny Leonard talks about the issues between Shotzi Blackheart and Brandi Lauren before we get a recap video of their brawl at EVOLVE 128. Both of them have been in Impact before, with Shotzi coming off like a star thanks to her unique appearance with green hair, while Brandi worked as Ava Storie there briefly and looked good.

Brandi Lauren pinned Shotzi Blackheart

Natalia Markova jumps Shotzi at the bell before landing a spinning X factor. Markova lands a corner spin kick before Shotzi chops away at her and lands a 619 alongside a missile dropkick. Markova tries to run, but Brandi tries to throw her back in before they eat a dive. Shotzi comes up bloody after this. Brandi goes to hit her with a chair before Shotzi ends that, but Shotzi eats a baseball slide dropkick into the chair to an “ECW” chant.

Brandi sets up a chair bridge and posts Shotzi. Shotzi recovers and sends Brandi through a chair on the floor. Shotzi goes for a rana off the apron before eating an apron bomb that gets 2. Shotzi lands a corner knee and mid-ring knee before a rolling elbow and an enziguri sends Brandi into the buckle. A cannonball sends Brandi to the floor. Shotzi goes for a sliced bread off the apron, but Brandi blocks it. Shotzi sends her into a chair. Greene comes to save Brandi and she goes to dive on him, but misses and goes through the chair bridge. 

Greene throws Shotzi into the ring for 2. Greene hands Brnadi a kendo stick before Curt Stallion comes down to send Grene to the back. A series of kendo stick shots end it and Brandi Lauren wins it at the 13 minute mark. So she gets the win, but it took two others to win it – and Shotzi leaves with a “Shotzi” chant. Colby Corino walks down with Sean Maluta, while Babatunde gets his own chant and Lenny talks about him facing off with Strowman at the Greatest Royal Rumble.

Babatunde pinned Colby Corino (w/Sean Maluta)

Colby slaps him and then gets a chant alerting him that he may have made a large mistake. Babatunde tosses him around as Colby plays the role of his dad in his enhancement match against Balls Mahoney on ECW PPV in ’98. Babatunde tosses Colby on the apron and then chops his chest from the floor – now that’s impressive. Colby hits a sliding knee and a swanton for 2. Colby goes for a splash, but eats a choke bomb into the corner. Corner avalanche leads to a big running elbow and a charging frog splash for the win.

AR Fox and Leon Ruff defeated Eddie Kingston and Joe Gacy to win the EVOLVE tag team titles

Eddie Kingston comes down and asks Colby if he’s okay as he struggles to breathe. Eddie puts over his boys and says he’s the Unwanted King and they’re the EVOLVE tag champs. Eddie says that they’re gonna take out Babatunde and do to him what they did to the Street Profits. AR Fox and Leon Ruff come down and brawl to start off the match. Fox hits a springboard flip dive into the guys on the floor and bonks his head on the barricade.

Fox and Ruff land a billion things in a row to Gacy before a German gets 2. Fox accidentally hits a springboard cutter to Ruff before eating a Lethal Injection from Gacy. The Unwanted land a front and back elbow for 2. Kingston hits a super powerslam for 2. Kingston lands a nasty chop to the chest before superplexing Ruff into a Gacy powerbomb for 2! Fox lands Lo Mein Pain for 2! Gacy lands a big lariat for 2. Gacy grabs a table, but Ruff lands a Ruff Ride onto Gacy before Fox landa a 450 on Kingston to win. This was a crazy 10 minute sprint, but it was a lot of fun. The faces and their entourage dance after the win.

A Drew Gulak EVOLVE history video airs showcasing what Catch Point was in the company and then Riddle talks about his philosophy about the group. Matt Riddle is shown accepting Drew’s open challenge and then they tell the story about Gulak’s own words biting him with Riddle now being a rival. Riddle comes out as the King of Bros, which is a pleasant mild surprise and has Curt Stallion with him. Riddle fist bumps everyone and just comes off as the coolest dude ever. A slew of guys in Catch Point gear and tracksuits run down and Gulak comes off as a real star with his own squad to come through.

Matt Riddle pinned Drew Gulak

Gulak and Riddle exchange some quick matwork. Riddle shoves him into the corner before a clean break. Riddle gets a hammerlock, but Gulak tries to turn it into the Goluck, but Riddle evades. Riddle backs him into a corner for some kicks to the stomach and then a flying knee before a broton gets 2. Riddle wants a Bromission, but Gulak cradles him for 2. Gulak gets a cravat and he demands that the ref ask him if he wants to quit. Gulak chops the back and gets a headscissors that Riddle handstands out of.

Gulak avoids the penalty kick that Riddle throws. Drew catches the foot and gets a powerbomb and stacks him for 2 before locking on a half crab. Riddle lands a V trigger for 2. Gulak sets him up and gets 2 off a belly to back superplex. Drew goes for a single leg before eating a series of kicks to the back and then a PK lands for 2. Riddle gets the Gulock on Gulak before he escapes that, but then eats a triangle before getting to the rope to escape. Gods Last Gift hits and gets 2 for Riddle.

Riddle lands a deadlift German off the apron to a “zowie wowie!” chant. Riddle goes off the top, but lands right in the Gulock! Riddle escapes and lands the Bro Derek tombstone slam to win in about 15 minutes.

Drew grabs the mic and says that Catch Point was founded on teamwork, opportunity, and respect and he stands here as the WWE Cruiserweight Champion in the middle of an EVOLVE ring, and he respects Riddle. They hug and display the Catch Point pose and Gulak tells Stallion that he hopes he’s up for the test.

A JD Drake vs. Austin Theory video package airs. JD Drake says that he looks like he should be driving the ring truck instead of being the WWN Champion. Austin Theory says that he’ll take JD Drake’s title and go onto Takeover before then main eventing WrestleMania. Drake says he’s lost a marriage and nearly lost his kids over the business. He’s a struggling man who battled addiction, depression, and suicide and he fights for them. Bryan Idol comes down and says nothing to a chant letting him know that the fans would like him to remain quiet. He coughs while the fans chant “Corbin” as the new boring chant.

The lights go out and Paul Heyman returns to the ECW Arena for the first time in 19 years! He gets a thank you chant and thanks the fans and says he’s back home. Heyman says that he doesn’t do conventions and he doesn’t do guest appearances. He wasn’t invited to be here- he asked to be here. Heyman yells back at a heckler and gets a chant to mess him up. Heyman says that he’s here to see the future because he doesn’t want to be the old guy who watches black and white film – he wants to watch the show and learn more about today than he ever has and he wants to announce the next match because in five years, people will say this was the match where the industry evolved. That alone puts over both men in this match in a big way. Heyman shakes the hand of the guys and says that they have pyro and even Raw doesn’t have pyro! Heyman gives them their introductions and JD Drake unveils the largest pair of trunks in human history hiked up higher than Nikolai Volkoff ever did.

Austin Theory defeated JD Drake to unify the EVOLVE and WWN titles

Theory jabs him and each man goes for their finish early, but avoid it and Theory lands a dropkick before Drake responds with one of his own that sends him outside. Drake goes for a tope before eating a forearm. They fight on the floor and Drake chops the tar out of him and turns his chest red three minutes in. Drake wants a piledriver on the ramp, but eats a backdrop. Drake chops him, but eats a PK in the rope. Theory gets 2 off a snap suplex. Drake fights out of the corner with more chops. 

He tells Theory to hit him harder than life has, so Theory gives it a go and doesn’t succeed. Drake lands a desperation lariat. Rolling thunder dropkick by Theory lands and sends Drake into the corner. Drake pops him onto the apron from the floor and slugs him. JD lands a tope and a corner chop. A slam leads to a Vader bomb for 2. Drake goes up, but gets clubbed and then sends Theory down with a super leg lariat. Theory lands a blockbuster for 2.

Theory goes for Ataxia, but Drake just shoves him into the corner to nix that. He puts him up top and overhand chops him. Theory lands a spinning torture rack powerbomb for 2.9! Drake lands a stunner and Theory takes two stunner bumps! Cannonball and a Drillbit hit for 2.9! A Drake moonsault gets 2!  They fight on their knees with Theory landing forearms and Drake landing overhand chops. Standing, they land more forearms and chops before Theory goes for Ataxia, that Drake flips out of and misses the moonsault before eating a trio of superkicks and Ataxia wins it to unify the WWN and EVOLVE Championships.

NXT Champion Adam Cole pinned Akira Tozawa to retain

Cole dominates him into the corner before cheering himself on and bowing. Tozawa grinds away with a long headlock before Cole escapes and shoulderblocks him down. Tozawa gets the Iron Octopus before Cole escapes that. Tozawa goes up, but gets tripped up. Cole snapmares him and knees the back a few times and grinds away with his own chinlock. They exchange a variety of forearm strikes and Tozawa gets the fireman’s carry facebuster.

Cole goes outside and eats a somersault senton off the apron. They go back and forth on German attempts before Cole lands a backstabber. Cole hits an ushigoroshi for 2. More forearm strikes land for each man before Tozawa wins that war and wants a shining wizard, but eats a yakuza kick. Both men land big boots and both go down. Cole goes for a superplex but gets shoves off. Tozawa dives off into a superkick and a brainbuster to the knee gets 2. Cole grabs the belt to hit Tozawa, but Johnny Gargano comes down and distracts Cole for a schoolboy and a 2 count. Tozawa misses one tornado kick, but lands a second. He wants the senton, but Cole gets the knees up and lands the Panama Sunrise and the Last Shot to end it.

Johnny stares a whole through Cole and wants a fight. Cole bails and says Johnny’s on his time and leaves to an ADAM COLE BAY-BAY! Johnny checks on Tozawa and asks for a round of applause for Tozawa. Johnny says that he’s been around EVOLVE for 10 years and beyond that telling him he’s getting old, wrestling in 2019 is pretty cool and it’s due to the fans. Johnny and Tozawa ask if the fans enjoyed the show, to a giant Yes! chant and one guy’s giant YOOOOWWWW, which Johnny was surprised by, so he asks for another and the fan obliges. Johnny says he loves the fans and EVOLVE. Tozawa takes a bow while Johnny slaps hands with the fans and autographs some signs.