NXT’s Roderick Strong will be returning to EVOLVE for a weekend next month.
It was announced yesterday that Strong will be in action at EVOLVE 129 in Queens, New York on Saturday, June 29 and EVOLVE 130 in Brooklyn on Sunday, June 30. Opponents for Strong have yet to be revealed.
Strong will be a special guest at WWN’s seminar/tryout in Brooklyn on June 30.
Strong last wrestled for EVOLVE at two shows in December 2018. He took part in a triple threat match where Austin Theory defeated Fabian Aichner to win the EVOLVE Championship. At the second show, Strong defeated Darby Allin. Allin has since departed EVOLVE and is part of AEW.
EVOLVE also noted that NXT’s Adrian Jaoude and Babatunde Aiyegbusi are scheduled for all upcoming events and that more NXT talent announcements are coming soon.
Former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, who underwent neck surgery in March, will be doing meet and greets at EVOLVE 129, EVOLVE 130, EVOLVE 131 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 13, and EVOLVE 132 in Melrose, Massachusetts on July 14.
A match between two former EVOLVE wrestlers is set for the promotion’s 10th anniversary show.
Matt Riddle vs. Drew Gulak has been announced for EVOLVE 131, which is EVOLVE/Dragon Gate USA’s 10th anniversary event. It’s taking place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13.
The match was set up by a challenge that Gulak issued at last night’s NXT house show in Philadelphia. Gulak got on the microphone and announced his open challenge for the anniversary show, then Riddle appeared on the video screen. Riddle said he’ll be facing Gulak and told him to get ready.
Riddle and Gulak were both members of the Catch Point stable in EVOLVE. Riddle held both the EVOLVE Championship and WWN Championship during his time in the promotion, while Gulak held the EVOLVE Tag Team titles with Tracy Williams.
Riddle departed EVOLVE when he joined NXT in August 2018. Gulak is part of the 205 Live roster and last wrestled for EVOLVE in December 2016.
Adam Cole and Kassius Ohno’s opponents for next month’s EVOLVE shows have been revealed.
It was announced via WWE.com today that Cole will face EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory in a non-title match at EVOLVE 127 in Livonia, Michigan on Friday, May 10. Cole vs. AR Fox is set for EVOLVE 128 in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, May 11.
Theory retained the EVOLVE title against Raul Mendoza at EVOLVE 126 earlier this month. Theory then cut a promo challenging Cole to the non-title match, with Theory bringing up wins that he has against Undisputed Era’s Roderick Strong (in a triple threat match where Theory pinned Fabian Aichner) and Kyle O’Reilly in EVOLVE.
Ohno & Harlem Bravado will face AR Fox & Leon Ruff at EVOLVE 127, and Ohno vs. Josh Briggs has been announced for EVOLVE 128. Ohno will also be a guest trainer at WWN’s seminar/tryout in Indianapolis on May 11.
Briggs is returning to action after suffering a dislocated hip in March. He cut a promo challenging Ohno and calling it a dream match of his.
After the match, Babatunde Aiyegbusi made the save when DMC and Spandex attacked Watts and Summers. Babatunde laid DMC and Spandex out.
– Brandi Lauren defeated Lacey Lane
– Kona Reeves defeated Colby Corino
– Adrian Jaoude vs. Anthony Henry ended in a non finish and they had a pull-apart brawl.
– Shane Thorne defeated Curt Stallion
– Leon Ruff defeated AR Fox and Adrian Alanis in a triple threat match
– Eric Bugenhagen did an air guitar performance. He was interrupted by Eddie Kingston, with Angelo Dawkins making the save to start their match
– Angelo Dawkins defeated Eddie Kingston in a falls count anywhere match
– EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory defeated Raul Mendoza to retain his title
After retaining, Theory cut a promo about having wins against Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong. He challenged Adam Cole to a non-title match next month.
– WWN Champion JD Drake defeated Shane Strickland to retain his title
Eddie Kingston and Colby Corino attacked Drake after, but the show ended with Anthony Henry making the save.
– NXT UK Women’s Champion Toni Storm will be returning to Stardom for a few shows next month.
Stardom announced today that Storm will be in action at their shows at Shinkiba 1st Ring on May 3-6. She’ll also be wrestling at Stardom’s show at Korakuen Hall on May 16.
Storm hasn’t wrestled for Stardom since June 2018. She won last year’s Mae Young Classic at WWE Evolution and became NXT UK Women’s Champion by defeating Rhea Ripley at UK TakeOver: Blackpool in January.
– EVOLVE has announced that NXT’s Adam Cole and Kassius Ohno will be wrestling at their two shows in May. Cole and Ohno will be in action at EVOLVE 127 in Livonia, Michigan on Friday, May 10 and EVOLVE 128 in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, May 11.
Opponents for Cole and Ohno will be announced next week.
Cole most recently wrestled for EVOLVE in February, while Ohno was in action at their shows in December.
Adrian Jaoude submitted Harlem Bravado with a kneebar
Kazusada Higuchi defeated Curt Stallion
The former Sumo wrestler and current member of the DDT roster was just too powerful for the LaBoom favorite Stallion. This was a hard hitting ten plus minute match that ended with a Dr. Bomb by Higuchi.
– We had an In-ring interview by Josh Briggs to discuss his recent injury. He thanked the fans for supporting him and vowed to win the EVOLVE championship when he returned. Briggs was interrupted by EVOLVE champion Austin Theory who took a cheap shot and laid out Briggs. As Theory mocked Briggs’ crutches, the big man made it back to his feet and delivered a chokeslam to Theory.
AR Fox and Leon Ruff (w/ The Skulk) defeated The Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds and John Silver)
This was a wild showcase match woith great action by all four men. Fox scored the pin after a 450.
Anthony Henry defeated Darby Allin (w/ Priscilla Kelly) by ref stoppage
Henry was wearing a white version of Allin’s ring gear and similar face paint to mock his opponent as these two have been going at it recently. Henry even went for The Last Supper, the pinning combination that has won countless big matches for Allin the last few years. The referee called for the stoppage as Henry had both Allin’s arms hooked and was delivering stomps to the back of the head. Post match, Brandi Lauren attacked Kelly to make a statement before their mixed tag match Friday with Allin and Theory.
Dawkins won after a pop-up spear. Post match, Dawkins called out anyone else from Corino’s The Unwanted group, but he was interrupted by WWN Champion JD Drake who offered an impromptu title match right now.
WWN Champion JD Drake defeated Angelo Dawkins to retain
This was an exciting and athletic hoss fight which is to be expected from a Drake match. The “Blue Collar Badass” won with a stunner, a cannonball in the corner, and a moonsault. The crowd cheered on both men after the match to show their appreciation.
– A video package was shown to promote the EVOLVE 10th anniversary show on July 13th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
– The former Stokely Hathaway made his return and joked that he hasn’t been released as it’s only been a few weeks. This was his formal goodbye and thank you to the promotion that helped him get to NXT.
Montez Ford defeated Shane Strickland
This was a hard hitting match with “Swerve” using his technical abilities to stretch Ford early on. Ford was down after some vicious strikes yet still kicked out of a Swerve Stomp. A mid rope assisted leg drop followed by a frog splash won it for Ford.
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Eddie Kingston and Joe Gacy defeated DDT’s Takeshita and MAO to retain
The crowd showed major respect for the guests from Japan’s DDT throughout the match including a “Please come back” chant after the match.
EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory defeated Kyle O’Reilly to retain
Each man had ring announcer Trevin Adams pause his introduction multiple times to add extra nicknames. The crowd was into this and taunted Theory with “Ta-Hee-Ree” chants the way Kyle has been pronouncing Austin’s name in the build for this match.
The finishing sequence saw Theory attempt to leave with the title only to get brought back into the ring, Theory shoved KOR towards the referee before hitting a DDT on the title for a major near fall before then immediately hitting Ataxia for the three count.
Post match, Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong beat down Theory and sent him packing. The three Undisputed boys talked up EVOLVE and said this isn’t the last we’ve seen of The Undisputed Era in EVOLVE.
With the show taking place in Florida, several NXT wrestlers will be appearing at EVOLVE 126.
Four NXT vs. EVOLVE matches have been announced for the show, which will be held at The Orpheum in Ybor City, Florida on Saturday, April 13. Those matches are:
EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory defending against NXT’s Raul Mendoza
NXT’s Angelo Dawkins vs. Eddie Kingston
NXT’s Shane Thorne vs. Curt Stallion
NXT’s Adrian Jaoude vs. Anthony Henry
Kingston & Joe Gacy won the EVOLVE Tag Team titles from The Street Profits (Dawkins & Montez Ford) earlier this month.
Eric Bugenhagen, who has wrestled on one episode of NXT televsion and gotten over on house shows with his air guitar performances, will be performing at The Orpheum. Lacey Lane will also make her EVOLVE debut at the show, though her opponent has yet to be announced.
WWN Champion JD Drake, Shane Strickland, AR Fox (w/ Ayla Fox & The Skulk), Leon Ruff, Harlem Bravado, and Colby Corino are also advertised for EVOLVE 126. The show will air live on Club WWN.
NXT’s Kyle O’Reilly will be challenging for the EVOLVE Championship during WrestleMania week.
At EVOLVE 124 on Saturday night, it was announced that Austin Theory will defend his EVOLVE title against O’Reilly at EVOLVE 125 on Thursday, April 4. The show is taking place at La Boom in Queens, New York and will begin at noon Eastern time.
Theory unsuccessfully challenged for JD Drake’s WWN Championship at EVOLVE 124 on Saturday. Theory cut a promo after the match where he said he only gives 100 percent when his title is on the line. He said there’s no competition for him in EVOLVE, on the indies, or in NXT. A video with O’Reilly and The Undisputed Era then aired, with it setting up Theory vs. O’Reilly for April 4.
Between departing Ring of Honor and signing with WWE, O’Reilly wrestled four matches for EVOLVE in 2017. He also had a stint with the promotion when it began in 2010.
Friday night’s show in Melrose, Massachusetts drew a bigger crowd than the last time EVOLVE was in the same building. I’d say it was at about 90 percent capacity.
The show was fast-paced and easy to watch, but it lacked anything truly outstanding. The crowd was pretty hot and lively for most of the matches, and reacted to certain guys as if they were big stars.
The big attraction was Velveteen Dream, who wrestled Orange Cassidy in the main event. Ricochet was originally announced for the show, but it was changed once Ricochet debuted on the main roster. Dream replaced him in the main event, but Ricochet was still there and available for meet and greets.
– Curt Stallion defeated Colby Corino
Basic, quick match. They did some mat wrestling early before exchanging strikes. Stallion is super pale, so the welts he gets show up really well. Stallion won with a back senton in kind of an awkward finish.
Corino’s group, The Unwanted (led by Eddie Kingston), beat down Stallion after the match and then called out The Street Profits.
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins came out and cut a good promo on the group and agreed to put the EVOLVE Tag Team titles on the line later in the show against Kingston & Joe Gacy. The Street Profits were really over.
– Josh Briggs defeated Darby Allin
Good match, but they didn’t go long. Allin was pretty popular and worked well as the smaller babyface taking on the big heel. Briggs beat him down until Allin made a comeback. Briggs cut him off and hit the M5 (chokeslam into a backbreaker) for the pinfall.
– Adrian Jaoude defeated Rory Gulak
This was basically a squash match for Jaoude, who is an NXT wrestler. They are pushing him as a big-time guy who uses his BJJ to win matches. He beat Gulak in under five minutes with a leg lock.
– AR Fox & Leon Ruff defeated WWN Champion JD Drake & Anthony Henry
They had the best match of the night and probably went the longest as well. The heels beat on Ruff forever and it really worked — because the crowd went crazy when Fox got the hot tag.
There were a lot of dives and big moves when Fox got in and things broke down. Drake went for a moonsault and missed, which got over huge. Fox eventually won with a 450.
– EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory defeated John Silver to retain his title
They didn’t have a ton of time considering this was for the EVOLVE Championship. Theory is really good and has improved a lot since he was last in Melrose working against Matt Riddle last summer.
Theory beat Silver in about 10 minutes with Ataxia, which is his pumpslam into a flatliner finisher.
– Shane Strickland defeated Harlem Bravado
This was weird. Strickland is part of The Unwanted, who were the biggest heels on the show, but he worked this match as the babyface and Bravado was the heel.
The match was sloppy at the start but got a little better. Strickland won with an armbar.
– Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy defeated The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) to win the EVOLVE Tag Team titles
Kingston & Gacy won the titles after Strickland interfered. The match was mostly them beating on Ford until he made the hot tag to Dawkins.
Ford hit a tope con hilo over the post onto everybody. Strickland interfered and Ford chased him out of the ringside area and outside the building. In the ring, Kingston hit a spinning backfist and pinned Dawkins to win the titles. It was funny because it was pouring rain outside and when Ford came back to ringside right as Dawkins was being pinned, he was completely soaked.
The Street Profits were really over and felt like big stars.
– NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream defeated Orange Cassidy
This was a bizarre main event. The match was nothing special, but it was entertaining in its own way. Dream was really over with the crowd, but Cassidy was legitimately just as popular working his lazy, carefree gimmick.
There was a lot of stalling and posing before the match started, with Dream doing his histrionics and Cassidy no selling them and working his gimmick against Dream.
The match was mostly Dream working over Cassidy and Cassidy selling. Dream won with the Purple Rainmaker after about 8-10 minutes, but the crowd really enjoyed it.
With Ricochet making his WWE main roster debut, he’ll no longer be wrestling at EVOLVE’s March shows.
EVOLVE announced today that Velveteen Dream is replacing Ricochet at EVOLVE 123 in Melrose, Massachusetts and EVOLVE 124 in Queens, New York. Ricochet will still be in attendance at both shows and doing meet and greets.
Gabe Sapolsky confirmed that the change means Dream vs. Orange Cassidy will be happening in Melrose. Ricochet had been set to face Cassidy at the show. In Queens, Ricochet & The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) were scheduled to face Eddie Kingston, Shane Strickland & Joe Gacy in a six-man tag match.
This won’t be the first time that Velveteen Dream has wrestled for EVOLVE. He appeared at two EVOLVE shows in September 2018 and defeated Austin Theory and Darby Allin.
EVOLVE 123 is taking place at Melrose Memorial Hall on Friday, March 15, while La Boom is hosting EVOLVE 124 on Saturday, March 16.
Ricochet teamed with Finn Balor to defeat Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush on this week’s episode of Raw. He also wrestled on last night’s SmackDown, defeating Eric Young.
Ricochet is the latest WWE/NXT wrestler to be announced for a two-show return to EVOLVE.
EVOLVE has announced that Ricochet will be wrestling at their shows in March. He’ll be in action at EVOLVE 123 in Melrose, Massachusetts on Friday, March 15 and EVOLVE 124 in Queens, New York on Saturday, March 16. Meet and greets with Ricochet will be available to purchase at both events.
EVOLVE 123 is taking place at Melrose Memorial Hall, while EVOLVE 124 is being held at La Boom.
Opponents for Ricochet have yet to be revealed.
Ricochet lost the NXT North American Championship to Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: Phoenix this past weekend. A brawl between Ricochet, Velveteen Dream & Aleister Black and Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa & Adam Cole took place after TakeOver, and it sets up Ricochet, Dream & Black vs. Gargano, Ciampa & Cole in a six-man tag match at the return of Halftime Heat on Sunday (February 3).
NXT’s Adam Cole is set to wrestle for EVOLVE at two shows next month, and his opponents for the events have now been revealed.
WWE.com announced today that Cole will face Shane Strickland at EVOLVE 121 in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, February 15. At EVOLVE 122 in Concord, North Carolina on Saturday, February 16, Cole will take on Darby Allin.
EVOLVE 121 is taking place at the Kroc Center in Atlanta, while EVOLVE 122 is being held at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center in Concord.
Cole last wrestled for EVOLVE in June 2018. He was the NXT North American Champion at the time and defeated WALTER to retain the title.
The Street Profits (NXT’s Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) will defend their EVOLVE Tag Team titles against AR Fox & DJZ at the Atlanta show. Allin vs. Josh Briggs is also set for it.
In Concord, Ford will challenge for JD Drake’s WWN Championship and EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory will defend his title against Anthony Henry.
Both of Johnny Gargano’s matches have now been revealed for his EVOLVE return weekend.
It was announced last night that Gargano will team with AR Fox against EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory & Josh Briggs at EVOLVE 119 in Brooklyn, New York on Friday, January 18. The match is being hyped as icons of the promotion facing the new generation, and Gargano’s return is promoted as being for one weekend only.
As was confirmed earlier this month, Gargano will face Theory in a non-title match at EVOLVE 120 in Queens, New York on Saturday, January 19. Theory became EVOLVE Champion by defeating Fabian Aichner and Roderick Strong in a triple threat match at EVOLVE 117.
Gargano hasn’t wrestled for EVOLVE since departing the promotion in September 2016, which was when he signed a full-time deal with WWE. In NXT, Gargano has been involved in the feud between NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa and Aleister Black. Last Wednesday’s episode of NXT included video of a promo from Ciampa where he suggested that Gargano should go after the North American Championship.
One of Johnny Gargano’s opponents has been revealed for his EVOLVE return weekend.
It was announced via WWE.com today that Gargano will face EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory in a non-title match at EVOLVE 120 in Queens, New York on Saturday, January 19, 2019. Theory became EVOLVE Champion by defeating Fabian Aichner and Roderick Strong in a triple threat match at EVOLVE 117 this past weekend.
Aichner had been EVOLVE Champion heading into that match. Theory pinned him to win the title.
At EVOLVE 117, the announcement was made that Gargano would be returning to EVOLVE for “one weekend only” when the promotion comes back to New York in January. In addition to facing Theory at EVOLVE 120, Gargano will be wrestling at EVOLVE 119 in Brooklyn, New York on Friday, January 18. His opponent for that show hasn’t been announced yet.
The January shows will be the first time Gargano has wrestled for EVOLVE since he departed the promotion in September 2016 after signing a full-time deal with WWE.
NXT’s Johnny Gargano will return to EVOLVE Wrestling for two shows next month.
It was announced during EVOLVE 117 last night that Gargano will be returning for “one weekend only” when EVOLVE comes back to New York in January. The shows will be taking place in Brooklyn on January 18 and Queens on January 19.
Gargano tweeted about the announcement: “I’m a firm believer that you should NEVER forget where you’ve come from.. you stay loyal to those who have been loyal to you. I can safely say that I wouldn’t be the wrestler I am today without EVOLVE. January 18th & 19th.. NYC.. The kid comes back for one special weekend.”
Gargano hasn’t wrestled for EVOLVE since his departure in September 2016. He was the face of the promotion before joining WWE/NXT full-time.
After an angle where Eddie Kingston interfered and fought with both teams during The Street Profits’ EVOLVE Tag Team title defense against JD Drake & Anthony Henry last night, Montez Ford challenged Kingston to a match on the January 19 show in Queens.
