Following an at times lackluster outing at EVOLVE 70, Sunday night saw EVOLVE present what might have been the company’s best show of the year.
While everything on EVOLVE 71 was good, the most surprising bright spot was Timothy Thatcher taking on Drew Gulak in the show’s opener. The iPPV portion of the broadcast opened with Thatcher and Gulak in street clothes ready to go at it after a segment with William Regal before the show started, and Thatcher showed the fire that’s too often been lacking in his EVOLVE matches.
Thatcher and Gulak brawled throughout the arena, and outside of it, in a very good match. And it was Gulak who picked up the win in the non-title street fight after he caught Thatcher in the ropes with a dragon sleeper.
I wasn’t sure what the direction for Thatcher was after getting a decisive win over Ethan Page on Saturday night, and I’m still not sure where his title reign goes from here, but the Thatcher that faced Gulak on Sunday night was the best version of him. Thatcher had teased a more aggressive turn in his match against Gulak in August, and we saw a lot of that in this match.
And we got some idea of what’s next for Thatcher after the match, as he accepted Stokely Hathaway’s proposal to join the Dream Team. The pairing is an obviously odd one, but having Hathaway at Thatcher’s side should provide an interesting element to his character and present a more clear direction.
After losing to Thatcher on Saturday night, Page also got back on the right track at EVOLVE 71. Page got a clean win over Sami Callihan in a hard-hitting sprint after hitting a package piledriver.
Before his match against Callihan, Page promised to bring utter chaos to EVOLVE. And he managed to do so later in the show. Along with The Gatekeepers, Page came out to attack Zack Sabre Jr. after Sabre beat Fred Yehi in an excellent mat-based match. Sabre was stating his intent to challenge for Thatcher’s title when Page hit the ring to lay him out.
In what was likely the best match on the show, Matt Riddle once again delivered in the main event after being positioned as the new face of EVOLVE following Johnny Gargano’s departure. It was a battle between two of 2016’s most impressive wrestlers as Riddle faced off against Chris Hero, and Hero came out on top after hitting an elbow to the back of the head following an excellent finishing sequence.
After the match, Catch Point was more united than ever as they saved Riddle from a beat down at the hands of Hero, DUSTIN, and Drew Galloway.
What made EVOLVE 71 so impressive was the depth of the card. And that was on display in the second match of the night as Catch Point’s Tracy Williams took on Jason Kincaid. The two had a really good match, with Williams getting the win after hitting a big piledriver. Kincaid looked especially good in the match while showcasing some unique offense, and he’s someone that should definitely find a place on future EVOLVE cards.
The show also saw DUSTIN defeat Darby Allin. But if there’s anything the match will be remembered for, it’s Allin’s death-defying Coffin Drop trust fall off of one of the arena’s pillars. It’s going to take a lot to fill the void on the card left by Gargano and TJ Perkins, but having new regulars like Allin is helping to alleviate some of the burden.
The Gatekeepers also again managed to look impressive as they won in a quick squash against Joe Coleman and Eric Locker.
Final thoughts:
EVOLVE 71 was everything that Saturday night’s show wasn’t. It was one of EVOLVE’s best outings of the year, and the depth of the card even after the loss of Gargano and Perkins was impressive. Every match was worth seeing, with Riddle vs. Hero and Sabre vs. Yehi being the show’s most obvious highlights. But picking the match of the night off of this card will really depend on personal preference.
EVOLVE 71 results:
Chris Hero defeated Matt Riddle
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Fred Yehi
DUSTIN defeated Darby Allin
“All Ego” Ethan Page defeated Sami Callihan
The Gatekeepers defeated Joe Coleman & Eric Locker
“Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams defeated Jason Kincaid
Drew Gulak defeated EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher in a non-title street fight
With Johnny Gargano and TJ Perkins bidding farewell at EVOLVE 69 last month, Saturday night’s show represented something of a new era for the company.
But for the EVOLVE Championship, there was unfortunately only more of the same. Timothy Thatcher continued his lackluster title reign with one of its lower points in a title defense against Ethan Page at EVOLVE 70.
Prior to the show, EVOLVE did a good job effectively promoting the match and made it feel like a big deal. It even felt like there was a real possibility of Page winning the title. But, like most of Thatcher’s recent title defenses, the match was again placed in the mid-card and it failed to deliver.
Thatcher won the match and regained his title after tapping Page out with the Fujiwara armbar. Many of the early parts of the match were rough, and the finish was convoluted with interference and multiple ref bumps. A couple of near falls near the end that worked fairly well were the only redeeming parts of the match.
It seemed that Thatcher had taken a more aggressive turn, if not outright went heel after his title defense against Drew Gulak in August. But that wasn’t really evident here.
There have undeniably been high points in Thatcher’s title reign, but it feels like it has overstayed its welcome. After a compelling feud with Catch Point, I’m not sure where Thatcher goes from here after beating Page.
What’s next for Page isn’t clear either. And having him lose in his first match after his angle with Gargano at the conclusion of EVOLVE 69 seems illogical. They had spent months building to Page revealing that his attempts to regain Gargano’s trust were all a ruse, and he seemed to be positioned as one of the top heels in the company as he aligned with The Gatekeepers.
Page losing immediately after that angle felt like an undeniable step backwards. And it undid a lot of what EVOLVE had been effectively building with him. He’s someone that really needs to be booked well and needs to have a clear direction to thrive.
After being positioned as the new face of the company at EVOLVE 69, Matt Riddle got an opportunity to reaffirm that decision in the main event of EVOLVE 70. And Riddle again proved that he was the only correct choice to carry Gargano’s torch. Riddle defeated AR Fox, who filled in for an injured Drew Galloway, with the Bromission in what may have been the match of the night.
By the end of the show, Riddle was realigned with his Catch Point stablemates. DUSTIN hit the ring to attack Riddle after the main event, and Fox joined in on the beat down after the loss. An injured Galloway even made his way into the ring before Gulak, Fred Yehi, and Tracy Williams cleared the ring. Gulak asked Riddle if he was still with Catch Point, and Riddle told him that he never left.
Gulak and Williams were also involved in the other two best matches on the show. Gulak took the loss against Chris Hero after being hit with a roaring elbow to the back of the head, and Williams was defeated by Zack Sabre Jr. after he submitted to a double armbar.
Despite having his thumb broken by Thatcher earlier this year, Stokely Hathaway attempted to recruit the champion to the Dream Team after TJP moved on to WWE. But Hathaway seemed to still be looking for his next client after Thatcher left without giving an answer to Hathaway’s proposal.
Earlier in the show, The Gatekeepers looked impressive in their first EVOLVE tag match since aligning with Page as they dominated Bunk and Funk. And Darby Allin was equally impressive as he again showed his athleticism and willingness to do anything inside of the ring in a win against Anthony Henry.
Ahead of his match with Sabre on Sunday’s show, Yehi picked up the win against DUSTIN after submitting him with the Koji clutch. And in a match where both made their EVOLVE debut, Nathan Cruz defeated Jason Kincaid. Cruz’s win was put over on commentary as a continuation of EVOLVE’s relationship with PROGRESS Wrestling, where Cruz regularly wrestles. PROGRESS will present shows, including a co-branded supershow with EVOLVE, on the World Wrestling Network over WrestleMania weekend next year.
Final thoughts:
The title match was a low point that the show couldn’t quite overcome. Riddle vs. Fox, Hero vs. Gulak, and Sabre vs. Williams are all worth watching but nothing was at the level where you need to go out of your way to see it. EVOLVE return with another show on Sunday night, with Thatcher vs. Gulak, Hero vs. Riddle, and Sabre vs. Yehi as the show’s highlights.
EVOLVE 70 results:
Matt Riddle defeated AR Fox
Chris Hero defeated Drew Gulak
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams
EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher defeated “All Ego” Ethan Page to retain his title
EVOLVE Wrestling couldn’t have asked for a better face of the company to lead them into independent prominence than Johnny Gargano.
Gargano is excellent inside of the ring, but it’s his innate likability and charisma that makes him a truly special professional wrestler. He’s someone who is able to convey the emotion of every moment to the audience. Gargano has been steadily improving to get to the point where he can genuinely be called one of the best wrestlers in the world, and fans have seen that in both NXT and the Cruiserweight Classic.
Gargano’s undeniable heart and passion have been on full display in WWE recently, but it’s EVOLVE and the independent promotions that he’s worked for that have shaped Gargano into a competitor capable of those performances. And it has been obvious even only through watching his path to the summit of pro wrestling that Gargano’s tireless work ethic is a major reason that he’s gotten this far.
Sunday night was Gargano’s final appearance in an EVOLVE ring. He teamed with Cody Rhodes (who was billed only as Cody) to defeat Drew Galloway and Chris Hero in a tag team match in the main event of EVOLVE 69. Gargano locked in the Gargano Escape on Hero and forced him to tap out after Rhodes prevented Galloway from breaking up the submission.
There was a fairly bothersome stream issue during the match, but it seemed to be a solid main event. Gargano and Rhodes did stereo dives to the outside during the match and teed off on their opponents with double superkicks.
After the match, Rhodes cut a brief promo and left Gargano in the ring to say goodbye to the crowd. But Gargano didn’t get the opportunity to give a farewell speech.
Ethan Page attacked Gargano and attempted to prevent him from leaving EVOLVE on a positive note. Page had been trying to gain Gargano’s trust again after turning on him in the past, but revealed that it was all for show during the attack. Page brought out two massive gatekeepers (a tag team known as Devastation Corp) and laid out Gargano with a package piledriver.
Page and the gatekeepers went to the back, but not before Page invited anyone else who wanted to ruin Gargano’s final moments in EVOLVE to come down to the ring. Galloway and DUSTIN took Page up on his offer, burying Gargano under an EVOLVE banner. And after Galloway attempted to recruit Matt Riddle to his crusade against the company and away from his Catch Point partners at EVOLVE 68, Riddle joined Galloway and DUSTIN in the ring.
But Riddle didn’t give in. He faked shaking Galloway’s hand, but instead laid him out with a kick to the head. He took out DUSTIN before helping Gargano to his feet. And Gargano kissed the EVOLVE banner before getting back on the mic.
If the implications weren’t already clear, Gargano pointed to Riddle as the next person who would carry the company before exiting the ring and leaving Riddle alone to bask in the spotlight. Riddle declared that “EVOLVE is bro, bro.”
EVOLVE will surely miss Johnny Gargano, but they once again fortuitously find themselves with one of the best pro wrestlers in the world as the ace of the company. Riddle is equally as special as Gargano, though in different ways. I’m sure that he works just as hard, but wrestling feels effortless to Riddle. It shouldn’t be possible that someone is as good as he is only one year into their career.
In that year, Riddle has developed an almost inhuman feel for the business and the little things that go along with being a great pro wrestler. He has a natural cocky demeanor that could make him a great heel, but he’s so likable and has so much charisma that there isn’t a better choice to be the next face of the company.
Riddle wrestled earlier in the night against TJ Perkins in an excellent match. It peaked near the end with an insane sequence of counters that resulted in Riddle locking on the Bromission for the tap out win.
And with EVOLVE co-founder Gabe Sapolsky coming out to appreciate the moment after the match, Perkins also bid farewell to EVOLVE before he heads to WWE.
In the match of the night, Ricochet defeated Zack Sabre Jr. after connecting with a 630. Their styles meshed well and the result was a borderline contender for the EVOLVE match of the year. At one point, Ricochet attempted a shooting star press, got caught in a triangle choke, but powered his way up to hit Sabre with a one-armed powerbomb.
The night began with a series of new talent showcase matches. Darby Allin earned an EVOLVE contract in the opener after getting a surprise win over Tony Nese. Allin jumped backwards off the top and got caught by Nese, but he transitioned it into a jackknife cradle to pick up the victory. Joey Styles presented him with the contract after the match.
In the second new talent showcase match of the night, Fred Yehi stopped Travis “Flip” Gordon from earning an EVOLVE contract after smoothly transitioning a springboard lariat attempt into a Koji Clutch for the submission win. And Ethan Page fought off a tough challenge from David Starr, who looked good in the match, and got the win with a package piledriver.
The final showcase match of the night saw “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams defeat Chuck O’Neil. Galloway and DUSTIN laid out Williams after the match and attacked his leg with a chair. Williams’ Catch Point friends made the save, though they were without Riddle and Perkins. That led to DUSTIN getting a win over Drew Gulak with help from Galloway in the next match.
Gulak later confronted Riddle and TJP about not being there when Catch Point needed them.
Final thoughts:
The stream problems in the main event were a speed bump, but EVOLVE 69 is definitely worth going out of your way to see. The Ricochet vs. Sabre match was fantastic and Riddle vs. TJP wasn’t too far off. The new talent showcase matches were fun and added some flavor to the undercard. And the main event angle closed the book on Johnny Gargano’s run as the ace of EVOLVE and set up Matt Riddle to run with the torch.
EVOLVE 69 results:
Johnny Gargano & Cody Rhodes defeated Drew Galloway & Chris Hero
Ricochet defeated Zack Sabre Jr.
Matt Riddle defeated TJP
Ethan Page defeated David Starr
DUSTIN defeated Drew Gulak
“Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams defeated Chuck O’Neil
Fred Yehi defeated Travis “Flip” Gordon
Darby Allin defeated Tony Nese to earn an EVOLVE contract
Before heading to WWE/NXT on a full-time basis, Johnny Gargano began his final weekend in EVOLVE on Saturday night with his final singles match in the company.
With genuine likability and charisma, Gargano has become the face of EVOLVE and one of the best babyfaces in the world. And even with an excellent roster full of talented performers, it will be almost impossible for someone to singularly replace what Gargano has meant to the promotion.
In the main event of EVOLVE 68, Gargano faced off against someone who will attempt to become the new ace of the company in Zack Sabre Jr. The two had a very good match, though there were spots where it didn’t quite work and their matches earlier in the year at EVOLVE 56 and in AAW were better.
With Joey Styles on commentary, the two did a lot of grappling as Sabre worked over the knee that Gargano has been selling as injured since teaming with Tommaso Ciampa against The Revival at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II. Gargano was eventually forced to tap out after Sabre applied a unique submission that pressured Gargano’s leg and arm while stomping on his head.
Sabre cut a promo after the match, saying that he was going to carry the torch after Gargano leaves. Sabre vowed to beat Timothy Thatcher for the EVOLVE Championship. Ricochet then joined Sabre and Gargano in the ring. He put Gargano over and said that he would be missed, but noted that there is so much talent in the EVOLVE locker room that they’ll get by without him. After Ricochet hyped his match with Sabre at EVOLVE 69 on Sunday night, the three men hugged to close the show.
In what was comfortably the best match of the night, Ricochet appeared earlier in a three-way match against Matthew Riddle and Tony Nese. Riddle hit a jumping tombstone and locked in the Bromission on Ricochet, but Nese came off the top rope for a 450 on Riddle for the pin.
All three guys looked great in the match, and Nese especially feels like a different performer after competing in the Cruiserweight Classic. Nese likely had as much to gain as anyone else in the tournament, whether it got him signed to WWE or increased his profile on the indies. He’s felt like a bigger deal since competing in WWE, and he’s gotten a chance to face better quality opponents in singles matches than he usually would.
Nese’s athleticism has always made him feel like someone with almost limitless potential in the ring, and I hope he gets a chance to stay on the indies and further develop into a complete performer.
Riddle and Ricochet were as great as they usually are, and EVOLVE would be smart to book a singles match between the two of them. Gargano also came out before this match started and put over all three participants as candidates to take his spot.
After the match, Drew Galloway attempted to recruit Riddle to his crusade against EVOLVE. He said that wherever Riddle has gone, whether it be in the UFC or EVOLVE, he’s faced injustice. There has been considerable tension between Riddle and his Catch Point stablemates, and Galloway said that Riddle needs people to watch out for him. Galloway called Riddle the uncrowned EVOLVE Champion.
That led to Drew Gulak coming out and starting the next match, but not before sharing an extended glance with Riddle.
Galloway defeated Gulak in a good hard-hitting match after hitting a tombstone and holding on into a transition to a Future Shock DDT. Gulak kept applying submissions on Galloway, including a dragon sleeper in the ropes, but Galloway was always able to use his large frame to force the break.
In addition to Gargano leaving EVOLVE, this is also TJ Perkins’ last weekend with the company. And before facing Riddle on Sunday, he defeated Darby Allin with a kneebar in a solid match at EVOLVE 68. Allin impressed in the match with his athleticism and willingness to do pretty much any high-risk move. And with spots on the card being vacated by wrestlers headed to WWE, it would be nice to see Allin given a chance to further shine in EVOLVE.
It was expected that TJP would get a good reaction given that it’s his last weekend in EVOLVE, but the CWC has seemed to make him more popular with the crowd than even I expected.
Joey Styles got involved earlier in the show after assuming his new role as an authority figure in the company. Galloway interfered on behalf of his tag partner DUSTIN, hitting “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams with a chair for a quick DQ. Styles restarted the match under extreme rules and barred Galloway and Williams’ Catch Point friends from ringside. In a brawl that included chairs, ladders, and thumbtacks, Williams picked up the win over DUSTIN with a sleeper.
Also on the card, Ethan Page defeated Dan Barry with a package piledriver in a largely comedic match. There was a spot early in the match based on Barry’s appearances as a trainer on the WWE Network’s Holy Foley series where Page tried to get Barry to teach him how to wrestle, but Page eventually took control of the match.
And in a good opener, Fred Yehi continued to look impressive as he defeated Jigsaw with the Koji Clutch. Yehi has really broken out this year. He’s one of the talents on the indies that I always look forward to watching.
Final thoughts:
The matches at EVOLVE 68 didn’t reach the highs that last month’s SummerSlam weekend shows did, but the cards were better laid out and the shows felt better off for it. Everything on the show was worth watching, though the three-way match is the only thing that I would recommend going out of your way to see.
On what is sure to be an emotional show, Gargano bids farewell to EVOLVE on Sunday night at EVOLVE 69. Gargano will team with Cody Rhodes against Galloway and Chris Hero. And Ricochet will face off against Sabre. The show kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET.
EVOLVE 68 results:
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Johnny Gargano
Drew Galloway defeated Drew Gulak
Tony Nese defeated Matthew Riddle and Ricochet in a three-way match
Tracy Williams defeated DUSTIN in an extreme rules match
With Joey Styles making his first post-WWE appearance on commentary, Timothy Thatcher walked out of EVOLVE 67 in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday afternoon still holding the EVOLVE Championship.
This weekend was teased as Thatcher’s redemption with title defenses against Catch Point’s Matthew Riddle on Friday and Drew Gulak on Saturday, but the live crowd didn’t seem to think Thatcher was redeemed at its conclusion.
Thatcher defeated Gulak with a stiff head-butt in a 20-plus minute title defense. The result is surprising given all the time spent on the Thatcher vs. Catch Point feud. And though the match wasn’t bad, it was clearly the wrong match in front of this crowd.
Thatcher showed more of a mean streak than usual, but the crowd struggled to retain much interest in the match. They were occasionally vocal in their dislike of Thatcher and actively booed him retaining at the finish. The post-match featured a possible heel turn as Thatcher locked in a sleeper on Gulak as he was trying to show Thatcher respect.
What’s next for Thatcher isn’t immediately clear. Zack Sabre Jr. mentioned challenging for the title earlier in the night and that’s a potential direction. But it felt like a huge missed opportunity to come out of the weekend without a title switch.
There were exciting possibilities for the future if either Riddle or Gulak won the title, and Thatcher retaining feels like starting over after ending a program without the conclusion it required.
In stark opposition to the Thatcher vs. Gulak match, Chris Hero and Cody Rhodes worked the exact match they should have in front of the Brooklyn audience.
The match started with some wild crowd brawling and led to Hero obliterating Rhodes with strikes for much of the match. There was a spot where Hero grabbed a sign of Dusty Rhodes’ head from a fan in the crowd and started beating Rhodes with it. Rhodes made a comeback and kissed the sign.
Hero was able to pick up the win after interference from Drew Galloway. Hero capitalized by hitting three rolling elbows in the corner and following it up with a huge elbow to the back of the head for the victory.
Hero was fantastic in this match, which isn’t surprising given the outstanding year he is having. The dynamic of the match worked well with Hero playing the bully heel and Rhodes taking a great beating.
There was still much to be desired in Rhodes’ work as his offense looked unconvincing when matched against Hero’s, but this was a good second outing for Rhodes as he looks to find his footing outside of WWE. Whether he will be able to adapt when working against opponents that don’t compliment him as well as Hero remains to be seen, and there is still a clear learning curve ahead.
The show peaked in the middle of the card with back-to-back fantastic matches. Riddle followed up his incredible performance against Thatcher on Friday night to defeat Tommy End. The crowd was behind Riddle and it felt even more like not putting the title on him was a mistake given the reception he got.
They worked a hard-hitting match that saw Riddle again show how great he is at legitimately selling offense. Riddle was able to lock in the Bromission on End to pick up the submission win.
End said farewell to EVOLVE after the match as he gets ready to head to the WWE Performance Center soon.
Following that, Cedric Alexander took on Sabre in a WWE Cruiserweight Classic Spotlight match. The crowd was split early, but Sabre became the clear heel as the match went on. He interacted with the segment of the crowd that was taunting him during the match, then finished it in violent fashion as he delivered kicks to Alexander’s head.
The show’s main event featured an out of sync brawl pitting Galloway, DUSTIN, and Ethan Carter III against TJP, Fred Yehi, and Ethan Page with Galloway and DUSTIN’s EVOLVE Tag Team Championship on the line. “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams was supposed to team with his Catch Point partners, but was taken out by EC3 and DUSTIN before the match began.
Page came out during the match to even the odds, but Galloway and DUSTIN retained their titles when DUSTIN hit a second piledriver on TJP after a botched pin on the first one where the referee didn’t count the finish.
Galloway has been leading a crusade against EVOLVE and their relationship with WWE, and he tried to recruit a new member in Brooklyn as he asked Joey Styles to join his team. Styles made a surprise appearance earlier as he opened the show and was on commentary for the title match.
Styles seemed to consider Galloway’s offer, but rejected the group after the match and took shots at Galloway and EC3’s employers in TNA Wrestling. Rhodes made the save after the main event concluded and sent the crowd home with a promo.
Rhodes said that he was born a wrestler and would die a wrestler, and just like the crowd, he was born a wrestling fan and would die a wrestling fan. He thanked the audience as the show went off the air.
Earlier in the afternoon, Page made quick work of Kobe Durst in the show’s opener. And Tony Nese defeated Peter Kaasa in a match that showed the athletic ability of both men.
For just Riddle vs. End and Sabre vs. Alexander alone, this show is worth watching. But the puzzling booking of the title match and the flat main event made it ultimately a disappointment.
EVOLVE will return to New York with EVOLVE 68 in Long Island on September 10th and EVOLVE 69 in Queens on September 11th. The latter show will see Johnny Gargano’s farewell to the promotion, and it was announced on Saturday that Gargano would team with Rhodes to take on Galloway and Hero in his final EVOLVE match.
EVOLVE 67 results:
Drew Galloway, DUSTIN, & Ethan Carter III defeated TJP, Fred Yehi, & Ethan Page with Galloway & Dustin retaining their EVOLVE Tag Team Championship
EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher defeated Drew Gulak to retain his title
On a show that felt more like a prelude to tomorrow’s card in Brooklyn than one of their standout events of the year, Cody Rhodes made his return to professional wrestling on Friday night at EVOLVE 66.
Rhodes faced Zack Sabre Jr. in his first match since leaving WWE earlier this year in the show’s main event and was able to defeat the highly touted British star after tapping him out with a leg submission.
In a promo after the match, Rhodes said he previously claimed that he didn’t take the safe bet after leaving the WWE, but it was EVOLVE and the crowd that actually bet on him. He said he grew up in front of the fans and existed in the shadow of his father, but he was fine with it because he loved that shadow. After the loss of his father, he didn’t know what to do without that shadow until this match.
During the promo, Rhodes refused to join Drew Galloway’s crusade against EVOLVE. Galloway had implied that he and Rhodes had similar interests as Galloway led a group of disgruntled wrestlers against EVOLVE because of their relationship with WWE, but Rhodes said that he has no interest in the past.
Rhodes took everything that Sabre had to offer during the match, always coming back and refusing to be defeated. Rhodes was clearly motivated for the match, and it was solid but far from spectacular. He now turns his attention to tomorrow’s match against Chris Hero in Brooklyn, which may be the biggest test Rhodes faces in his post-WWE run.
Hero has somehow improved on his previous stellar resume of work to turn in what is easily the best year of his career. He’s had so many great matches against so many opponents and worked so many different styles. He’s managed to make it work against almost every opponent thrown at him. And if Rhodes is going to truly shine outside of WWE, it’s going to be in this match.
Timothy Thatcher will also enter tomorrow’s show with something to prove after retaining his EVOLVE Championship against Matthew Riddle.
Riddle has shown this year that he’s not only someone with tremendous potential; he’s actively among the best wrestlers in the world already. It wouldn’t be entirely surprising if Riddle was only a good worker. He has a combat sports background from his time in mixed martial arts and is an excellent athlete. But it’s mind-blowing that he grasps so many of the little things already.
Riddle knows how to work the crowd better than most veterans and already has a defined character. And his ability to realistically sell offense was fully on display in this match. He made you believe that every hold Thatcher was applying and every strike he was dishing out was causing legitimate pain.
This was the best match of the night, and Thatcher was able to pick up the victory by submission with the no holds barred rules allowing him to keep hold of an armbar on Riddle as he tried to escape to the floor.
This felt like the right opportunity to put the title on Riddle before the match, and I’m still not sure that Thatcher retaining wasn’t a missed opportunity. But there is more story to be hold here with Riddle and his Catch Point stablemates.
Thatcher has had a disappointing year as champion, though it has included standouts like his match against Riddle tonight and against Hero at EVOLVE 62. And it feels like tomorrow’s match against Gulak is finally time to switch the title and move on to Riddle eventually challenging Gulak for it.
Gulak competed earlier in the show in one of the night’s best matches against Tony Nese in a WWE Cruiserweight Classic Spotlight match. Their styles meshed well with Nese constantly using his athleticism to escape Gulak’s attempts to ground him. The finish to the match came when Gulak was able to pick up the victory with a well-timed sunset flip.
In the show’s opener, Cedric Alexander followed up his Match of the Year candidate against Kota Ibushi in the CWC two weeks ago by taking on TJP in another tournament spotlight match.
Alexander has become accustomed to opening EVOLVE shows after facing Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and Fred Yehi in openers on the company’s three previous events. And he put in another good performance in a more than solid match against TJP, but it didn’t live up to the great matches that he had against Gargano and Ciampa previously.
TJP worked on Alexander’s leg all match and picked up the victory with a submission targeting it.
Also on the show, Jigsaw and Peter Kaasa defeated the Catch Point team of “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams and Yehi in a shocking upset. Williams slapped Yehi after the match, but it was only to fire his partner up. Yehi responded by laying out Jigsaw with a rolling elbow then hitting Williams with one. The two Catch Point members flashed their group’s symbol and shook hands after the loss.
And in a disjointed brawl full of physicality, Ethan Page picked up a win over one half of the EVOLVE Tag Team Champions when he pinned DUSTIN (the former Chuck Taylor) after hitting a package piledriver.
There was a lot to like on this show, with Thatcher vs. Riddle standing above the rest. But it was far from EVOLVE’s best show of the year and felt a lot like the appetizer to tomorrow’s main course in Brooklyn.
That show starts at 3 p.m. ET and features Thatcher defending his EVOLVE title against Gulak, Rhodes vs. Hero, Riddle vs. Tommy End, and Sabre vs. Alexander as the highlights of the card.
EVOLVE 66 results:
Cody Rhodes defeated Zack Sabre Jr.
EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher defeated Matthew Riddle to retain his title
Drew Gulak defeated Tony Nese
Ethan Page defeated DUSTIN
Jigsaw & Peter Kaasa defeated “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams & Fred Yehi
The World Wrestling Network has announced next year’s schedule for their annual WrestleMania weekend events, and the 2017 edition in Orlando, FL looks to be the biggest weekend in company history.
Britain’s PROGRESS Wrestling will promote its first stateside events for WWN as part of the weekend, with a standalone show on March 31st and a co-branded EVOLVE vs. PROGRESS edition of WWN’s annual Mercury Rising Supershow on April 1st.
Though they didn’t run a show, PROGRESS was part of the WrestleMania 32 festivities in Dallas earlier this year with a title match between Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay on the WrestleCon Supershow.
EVOLVE will promote two standalone events with shows on March 30th and 31st.
Beyond Wrestling and CHIKARA will also join WWN’s weekend events for the first time. And SHIMMER and Kaiju Big Battel will return with shows.
The crowd at Melrose Memorial Hall looked a little bit less than 75% full with floor seating totally occupied except for a few sold tickets that didn’t make it. The general admission seating had more seats taken than were empty.
– Cedric Alexander defeated Tommaso Ciampa
The untold story of this match was that these are two guys that Ring of Honor really mishandled and missed out on. Tommaso Ciampa bet on himself when he left ROH in 2015 and it proved to be the right decision for him. He has since traveled the world having some incredible matches and is now finishing up his final indie dates before becoming a full member of the NXT roster.
Cedric Alexander left ROH earlier this year and it already seems to be paying off. He, along with Ciampa, is a participant in the WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic and caught a lot of people’s attention even on the debut episode.
This was a CWC Spotlight match and it used the same presentation as that tournament. Both guys had the rules of the match explained to them and shook hands before it started. And both guys met in the center of the ring after it ended with the winner having his hand raised.
The match started off with a lot of comedy, largely based around their appearances in the CWC. They joked about being television stars and working the hard cam. The comedy probably went on for a bit too long, but the crowd was into it throughout.
Both guys were really over and this was the right choice for the opener. Alexander might have gotten the bigger reaction. He is noticeably in the best shape of his life after having to cut weight for the CWC.
Ciampa’s strikes looked devastating and he hit a couple of big knees on the outside. The match went for nearly 20 minutes and really started to pick up near the end. Both men got big near falls with Alexander kicking out of Project Ciampa and Ciampa kicking out of a brainbuster.
There was some excellent back and forth near the end with both guys going for pins. Alexander eventually won with the lumbar check.
– Ethan Page defeated Travis “Flip” Gordon
Ethan Page destroyed Travis Gordon in a short squash match, eventually getting the win with a powerbomb followed by a package piledriver.
Page got on the microphone and said that EVOLVE will be returning to New England. He started talking about the show’s Johnny Gargano vs. Drew Galloway main event. Page has been trying to regain Gargano’s trust after previously turning on him, but Gargano has been reluctant to accept the idea that Page has changed.
Galloway hit the ring to attack Page and cut a promo. It was noteworthy that Gargano didn’t make the save.
– Matthew Riddle defeated Marty Scurll
Getting to see both of these guys live for the first time was one of the main reasons I was convinced to attend this show.
It was pretty incredible to see how over both Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre Jr. were with the crowd.
And it really speaks to the global nature of wrestling in 2016 when guys can walk into unfamiliar buildings and get treated like they’re the biggest stars in the world. Sabre Jr. has done some work in Massachusetts for Beyond Wrestling (who ran a show earlier in the day) but Scurll has never worked in the state before.
It is impossible to undersell just how smoothly Matthew Riddle has transitioned from mixed martial arts to professional wrestling. And it’s frightening to think of how good Riddle already is with room for even more improvement.
Riddle only made his professional debut in 2015 after training with the Monster Factory, and few wrestlers have ever become as good as he is in such a short period of time.
If Riddle were only good inside of the ring it wouldn’t be that surprising. He’s from a combat sports background and is an incredible athlete. But the adeptness he already has for the performance side of the business is mind-blowing. He already has a defined character that works for him and gets a great reaction from the crowd.
The actual match was really good, though the dynamic didn’t totally work. The crowd desperately wanted to cheer Scurll and boo Riddle, but Scurll did a lot of heel crowd work messing with the fans.
There was a really good sequence that ended with Riddle hitting his fisherman’s buster. Scurll kept trying to lock in the chickenwing with Riddle able to escape. They traded piledrivers with Scurll hitting a traditional one and Riddle hitting a jumping Tombstone. Riddle was able to get Scurll to tap to the Bromission for the win.
– Catch Point (Drew Gulak, “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams, & Fred Yehi) defeated Chris Dickinson, Jonathan Gresham, & Darby Allin
This was a Catch Point tryout match and whoever got the win for the opposing team would earn a spot in the group. This led to tension on the other team, especially between Chris Dickinson and Jonathan Gresham. Darby Allin went for a tag but Gresham stole it from Dickinson. The two later went at it and Dickinson took out Gresham.
Allin was taped up after taking a brutal looking unprotected bump to the outside on last night’s show, but it seemed to be him mostly playing up the injuries as he hit another dive in this match.
There was a scary moment in the match when Tracy Williams did a dive to the outside and smashed his head on the guardrail. He was bleeding really badly and EVOLVE officials had to go check on him. He appeared to be fine after, but had a huge gash on the back of his head.
Drew Gulak tapped out Gresham for the win. Catch Point is great when they work aggressively and they did for most of this match. Dickinson also looked good with his usual stiff offense.
After the match, Gulak cut a promo and called Riddle out to the ring. There was some tension between Riddle and the rest of Catch Point with him not in their corner for the last match. All of the members of Catch Point are vying for Timothy Thatcher’s EVOLVE title, but Riddle seems to care more about his individual success than the success of the group.
Thatcher and Stokely Hathaway came out next. This led to a big pull apart brawl and the start of our next match.
– EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher defeated TJ Perkins (w/ Stokely Hathaway, Drew Gulak, & Fred Yehi) to retain his title
This started out pretty hot but ultimately fizzled. Thatcher’s EVOLVE title reign has been a bit of a disappointment, though the current angle with Catch Point is a lot of fun. They did a lot of work on the mat before Thatcher got a surprising pin in a pretty flat finish.
Thatcher set his sights on Catch Point after the match, with Hathaway running away after Thatcher had broken his thumb the night prior.
– Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tony Nese
This was another CWC Spotlight match that again borrowed the tournament’s presentation. Zack Sabre Jr. got what was likely the biggest reaction since the start of the show and the crowd was totally behind him.
Though this wasn’t close to the best Sabre Jr. match I’ve ever seen, it was the best performance I’ve seen from Tony Nese. They meshed really well and everything Nese did looked really good.
The match started with the standard Sabre Jr. grappling sequences before picking up. Watching Sabre Jr. live is something that has to be seen. Sabre Jr. hit a pair of Penalty Kicks, including one on the floor. He caught Nese in a really cool looking submission after Nese jumped off of the top.
Nese felt his way into the match towards the end. He missed a 450, which allowed Sabre Jr. to get him in a bridging pin for the win. This was the match of the night so far.
– Drew Galloway defeated Johnny Gargano
Tremendous aggression by both men from the start. They worked the grudge match exactly how they should have. Gargano started the match out hot with a series of knee strikes on the apron. He got Galloway wrapped in the apron and teed of on him before Galloway was able to escape. The crowd was behind Gargano big, with a smattering of support for Galloway.
Gargano showed amazing heart in the match. He was able to hit his spear through the ropes and got Galloway in the Gargano Escape, but Galloway was able to stay on offense for most of it. Gargano kicked out of Galloway’s DDT and two tombstone piledrivers before Galloway hit a big jumping tombstone for the win. This felt like it was comfortably the best match of the night by the end of it.
Galloway again got on the microphone after the match. He continued ranting against EVOLVE management for their relationship with WWE. Galloway commended Gargano’s heart but said that he had to end him now.
Page came out for the save and hit the RKEgo on Galloway before chasing him off. Page tried to cheer up Gargano after the match, but Gargano still wouldn’t trust him. Gargano looked totally crushed after losing.
Page tried to get Gargano to send the crowd home happy, but Gargano wasn’t able to. Gargano walked to the back still looking completely dejected as the fans chanted “Johnny Wrestling” at him.
Page did his best Gargano impression after the match asking fans if they enjoyed the show. He said that not only will EVOLVE be returning to New England, but they’ll be returning to the same building in December.
There isn’t a promotion on the planet I enjoy more than EVOLVE right now and this show was only one of many really fun events they’ve produced this year. There wasn’t anything that will be in consideration for Match of the Year, but it was a good card from top to bottom.
EVOLVE really thrives on how complete their shows are and the roster has tremendous depth on their most loaded cards.
There will likely be some roster attrition after some of the talents are fully signed by the WWE after the CWC, and it will be interesting to see how EVOLVE makes up for those losses.
Great match as both men were appreciated by the crowd. There were superkicks all over the place. Incredible fast-paced action that the people loved. Gargano was able to apply a crossface submission for the win.
Post-match, Drew Galloway attacks Gargano, which leads to Ethan Page making the save to take the attempted chair shots by Galloway. This lead to Drew Gulak making the save as he was scheduled to face Galloway later tonight. Chuck Taylor appears to even the odds for Galloway.
Galloway cuts a promo from outside the ring and is able to convince Catch Point to put the tag titles on the line. Later tonight we will see Catch Point defend their titles against Drew Galloway & Chuck Taylor.
– Tony Nese defeated Darby Allin, Chris Dickinson, & Fred Yehi
Right after the bell rang, Allin was thrown hard to the outside by Dickinson and it was a violent bump. The other three wrestled a bit until Allin rose from the dead and instantly went for high risk moves, including a backwards trust fall type of dive to the outside.
Nese was able to capitalize on a big powerbomb by Dickinson on Allin by hitting a follow-up 450 splash for the pin. The crowd and the other three wrestlers showed Allin respect after the match.
– Ethan Page defeated Wheeler YUTA
Page was still selling the scuffle from earlier. He was angry and took it out on the fresh-faced youngster YUTA. Big power moves by Page and he used an RKEgo, buckle bomb, and package piledriver for the dominant win.
Post-match promo by Page as he continues his attempt at gaining Gargano’s trust.
– Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Jigsaw
This was supposed to be TJ Perkins vs. ZSJ, but Stokely Hathaway had said his client needed the night off to prepare for his title match tomorrow.
Jigsaw, a veteran of the indies, was able to show his own technical ability early on and it only seemed to make Sabre Jr. mad. This resulted in various holds and violent stretches by ZSJ on Jigsaw.
After creating separation, Jigsaw was able to use his speed and flying ability to take control of the match for a while before Sabre Jr. locked in even more vicious holds. The finish was ZSJ nailing a Penalty Kick for the pin. Crowd showed Jigsaw respect after the match.
– Matthew Riddle defeated Roderick Strong
Great match with a fighting pace, both men were going for strikes and holds. Strong hit one of his famed backbreakers, which had Riddle shaking on the mat. Huge superplex by Strong and then a big boot.
This was an intense battle that could have gone either way until Riddle was able to catch Strong in the Bromission and wrenched back forcing a tap.
Strong shook Riddle’s hand and they embraced to show respect for the match they just had. As Strong left the ring, Riddle took the mic to call out “Trashy Tim” as he still has possession of the EVOLVE championship.
Timothy Thatcher made his way out and then Stokely Hathaway made his way to stir the pot. Thatcher then broke Hathaway’s thumb for touching the championship. Riddle laughed it off, took the title, and left as Marty Scurll made his way to the ring for our title match.
– EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher defeated Marty Scurll to retain his title
A well-paced match with strikes, uppercuts, and holds. The Villain tried to manipulate Thatcher’s left arm throughout for the chickenwing. Thatcher is a throwback worker who takes such punishment yet continues fighting.
Scurll actually locks in the chickenwing, but Thatcher bites his hand and escapes. Violent elbows by Scurll until Thatcher reverses and chokes Scurll out with a sleeper. The crowd was disappointed as they were hoping for a title change.
Post-match, TJP is out to lay in to Thatcher. Catch Point follows, and while Gulak and Thatcher have a stare down, TJP takes Thatcher out with a kick. Riddle was chilling on the turnbuckles during the entire altercation laughing and instigating.
Galloway and Taylor (now known as Dustin) make their way out and tell Riddle that he is better than Catch Point and that he should be with them. This leads us to our main event.
– Drew Galloway & Dustin (Chuck Taylor) defeated EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Drew Gulak & “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams to win the titles
There was instant brawling from the moment the bell ring. It was an intense battle with Galloway and Taylor systematically destroying Catch Point. Gulak took the hot tag and ran wild on Dustin, throwing hands and going for his submission. Galloway breaks it up and is able to tag in and destroy Williams with a tombstone piledriver.
Dustin catches Gulak in a leglock choke and arm wrenching submission, yet Gulak is able to get the ropes. After some exchanges, Dustin was able to hit a piledriver for the win. Galloway and Dustin are the new EVOLVE tag team champions.
Galloway and Dustin take the mic and talk down EVOLVE for their hypocrisy. They say EVOLVE wants to be independent yet join on with “The Machine.”
On Wednesday, EVOLVE announced their talent lineups for their summer shows. While all of the matches aren’t officially set, there are a few put in place.
EVOLVE 64 Saturday, July 16th | Queens, NY | 4 PM EST (show will be over by time WWE at MSG begins)
– EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Marty Scurll
– EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams
– Johnny Gargano
– Drew Galloway
– Zack Sabre Jr.
– TJP with Stokely Hathaway
– Matt Riddle
– Ethan Page
– Fred Yehi
– Cedric Alexander
– Tony Nese…and more.
EVOLVE 65 Sunday, July 17th | Melrose, MA | 7 PM EST
– EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. TJP with Stokely Hathaway
– EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams
– Johnny Gargano
– Drew Galloway
– Zack Sabre Jr.
– Marty Scurll
– Matt Riddle
– Ethan Page
– Fred Yehi
– Cedric Alexander
– Tony Nese…and more.
EVOLVE 66 Saturday, August 19th | Joppa, MD | 8 PM EST
– EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Matt Riddle — no holds barred
– Cody Rhodes vs. Johnny Gargano
– EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams
– Zack Sabre Jr.
– Marty Scurll
– TJP with Stokely Hathaway
– Tony Nese
– Cedric Alexander
– Ethan Page
– Fred Yehi
– Peter Kaasa…and more.
EVOLVE 67 Saturday, August 20th | Brooklyn, NY | 3pm EDT (show will be over by the time NXT starts)
– EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Drew Gulak
– Tommy End vs. Matt Riddle
– Cody Rhodes
– Drew Galloway
– Chris Hero
– Tracy Williams
– Zack Sabre Jr.
– Marty Scurll
– TJP with Stokely Hathaway
– Cedric Alexander
– Ethan Page
– Fred Yehi
– Peter Kaasa…and more.
Here’s a video recap of their last two events if you’re not familiar with the product:
The show opened with the announcer telling us there were two changes: Tony Nese being added to the cruiserweight match to make it a 5 way elimination match and the non-title Hot Sauce v Tim Thatcher match would now be a title match.
– Dark Match: Joe Coffey def. Rory Gulak via submission
Gulak did some sort of a Tye Dillinger gimmick where he would evade a move and yell “amazing” or something similar. Coffey put him in a ridiculous standing boston crab and Gulak tapped instantly.
– Cedric Alexander def. Fred Yehi via pin
I thought this ended up being the best singles match on the show. It had the stiffest forearms/chops of the evening, and that is saying a lot. It looked like Cedric forearmed Yehi a little too hard and Yehi started to lay them in which looked pretty real to me. There was a dive spot where Alexander knocked the barricade back into the people in the first row. They went into the ring and started exchanging big moves, finally ending with a flurry from Cedric that gave him the victory. Yehi stayed in the ring in shock while Cedric celebrated, Cedric went down to the mat and they exchanged a very manly handshake.
– Bravado Brothers def. Jason Cade and Darby Allin via pin
After some standard tag work in the ring, Bravados took them outside and smashed them into the barricades a few times. Action went back into the ring where Cade threw one of the brothers out of the ring. He then went over the barricade into the crowd. The spot of the night happened when Cade leaped from the apron onto a basketball hoop that was left down in the gym, then hit a hurricanrana on one of the Brothers (I still don’t know which one is which). Action found its way back into the ring where Bravado brothers hit their finish and got the pin.
– Matt Riddle def. Trevor Lee via submission
Pretty blah match except for a spot where Riddle was thrown into one of the barricades and they broke apart, crashing into the people in the first row. Riddle tapped him with the Bro-Mission.
– Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher def. Hot Sauce Williams via submission
Hot Sauce sent the rest of Catch Point to the back because he didn’t want an asterisk next to his name when he won the title. Thatcher then entered with no title belt as Riddle had stole it from him. Thatcher was very technical and kicked out of a few moves that looked devastating. He ended up catching Hot Sauce in an armbar and tapped him.
After the match, Riddle entered with the belt and cut a promo on Thatcher saying he deserved a title shot. Stokely Hathaway then entered and told him his boy TJP earned a spot in the cruiserweight series and neither of the other two had one. He felt TJP deserved the next shot. Thatcher said he would give TJP the next shot, then it would be Riddle in a Last Man Standing match. Thatcher then exited the ring without trying to get his title belt from Riddle.
– Cruiserweight Elimination Match: Tony Nese pinned TJP in a match involved Drew Gulak, Lince Dorado, and Johnny Gargano
Tony Nese entered first and cut a promo on how all he wants is a shot to show to the world what he can do in the WWE cruiserweight tourney. They implied that if he won he would be in the series. All the other entrants came in one by one and cut similar promos. Gargano made some vague WWE references.
Very good match, non-stop action. Gargano was eliminated early via roll-up by Gulak. Lots of dive spots, the barricades were knocked silly this match. Dorado did a moonsault onto the 3 remaining competitors and right as he was setting it up, Drew Galloway and EC3 entered and beat up Gargano. They cut a promo but the mic wasn’t quite working. After the moonsault spot, Gulak slept outside for about 5 minutes. Back in the ring, Dorado was pinned. Next, Gulak was eliminated by TJP. Nese and TJP then battled for a solid 10 minutes. TJP kicked out of a sit out tombstone piledriver. Nese started yelling “I am not losing this match”, went into a hulk-up mode, and hit TJP with another piledriver then a 450 for the pin.
With the win, Nese is now in the WWE cruiserweight tournament.
Match almost immediately left the ring and they fought all over the gym. They tossed a plastic trash can around and Drew grabbed a half full Coke bottle out of it and smashed it on Ethan’s head. Drew went for a suplex on the outside and Page reversed it. Action went back to the ring and Drew emptied the ring of chairs, another barricade, then grabbed a fan’s plastic chair. Page then went outside and grabbed a tiny ladder. He Irish whipped Galloway into the ladder, which was propped up on the ring and barricade. The ladder went flying about 10 feet almost into the crowd. Match went back into the ring and Drew hit his dirty deeds finisher onto a couple of steel chairs for the pin.
After the match, EC3 came out to celebrate with Drew. He said his open challenge was off because he already beat everyone up in the back and there was no one left. Gargano then came out and cut more WWE related promos, said something about him being “best for business” and he “knows how to play the game”. Gargano then said he didn’t want to pin EC3 so this would be a last man standing match. EC3 accepted the challenge and Drew went to the back.
– Johnny Gargano def. EC3 via KO in a Last Man Standing match
Back and forth match, good action. EC3 got mad at the ref for not counting fast enough so he knocked him out. He beat Gargano up and went to the back for another ref. The second ref counted to 9, Gargano got to his feet and EC3 whacked him with a chair. The ref started counting from 1 and EC3 told him “no that’s not 1, its 10”. The ref disagreed and EC3 then knocked that ref out as well.
Galloway came in, and then the Catch Point stable came in to help Gargano. They cleared Drew from the ring and it was left with EC3 surrounded by three men and the third ref. EC3 pleaded to the ref who just patted him on the face, EC3 then turned around to eat a bunch of superkicks. The match ended with EC3 being superkicked into the ref who gave him the Stone Cold salute, then a pretty well executed stunner. EC3 was then tossed over the top onto a table that was at ringside that didn’t break and the ref counted to 10.
At that point, the four men in the ring celebrated and the ref got a nice pop for his stunner. After the cameras were off, the ref attempted a spin-a-roonie and The Worm…which weren’t great.
Yehi won via submission after clamping on the Koji Clutch. Nese did a promo afterward saying despite his losing streak, he wants an opportunity in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic and he wants it Saturday night.
– Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page
Page won after hitting a package piledriver. Earlier in the match, Page gorilla press slammed Allin over the ropes and into a support beam that was said to be a big spot.
– Cedric Alexander vs. Matt Riddle
Riddle submitted Alexander with a neck crank after hitting a fisherman’s buster.
– Evolve Tag Team Champs Catch Point (Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams) vs. Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lancelot Bravado)
Champs retain after Williams pinned Lancelot after a big DDT spot. Post-match, Catch Point are cutting a promo and calling out Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher came out, and told the guys to get lost.
– Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Chris Hero
Said to be a great match. Thatcher retained the gold by submitting Hero with a cross armbar.
Post-match, Riddle, Gulak, Williams, and Stokely Hathaway all came out to contront Thatcher. Williams wants his title shot Saturday and Thatcher agrees.
– Drew Galloway & Ethan Carter III vs. Johnny Gargano & TJ Perkins (Unsanctioned Street Fight)
Wild match that spilled everywhere including on the bar inside the arena and outside the arena. Big action, table spots, you name it. Gulak came out to check on Perkins after Galloway powerbombed him through a table. This brought Hero out who hit a piledriver on Gulak and then booted Gargano and piledrove him to turn on Evolve. ECIII hit the One Percenter on Perkins for the win.
Post-match promos by Galloway and Carter reveal a fourth member of their crew: Cody Rhodes! Rhodes will debut for the promotion on August 19th in Maryland against Gargano.
**********
Evolve 63 card — Saturday from Orlando, FL:
– Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Tracy Williams
– WWE Cruiserweight Tournament preview: Johnny Gargano vs. Drew Gulak vs. TJP vs. Lince Dorado vs. Tony Nese elimination match. If Nese wins, he’s in the tourney.
– Anything Goes: Drew Galloway vs. Ethan Page
– ECIII open challenge to anyone on the Evolve roster
– Matt Riddle vs. Trevor Lee
– Fred Yehi vs. Cedric Alexander
– The Bravado Brothers vs. Jason Cade & Darby Allin
On Saturday, EVOLVE held one of the most talked about shows in Queens with two WWE Cruiserweight Classic qualifiers with TJP (aka TJ Perkins) and Drew Gulak winning their respective matches. The ramifications of this, and the relationship between WWE and WWNLive, will be interesting to keep up with in the future. In another shocking turn of events, EC3 (yes, the former TNA Champion) attacked Johnny Gargano in the main event and seemingly has joined another former TNA Champion Drew Galloway against the EVOLVE locker room, Triple H, NXT and more.
– Matt Riddle def Lio Rush with the cross armbreaker
Riddle tells Thatcher to come get the title. He tosses it over his shoulder, and Stokely Hathaway comes out and grabs it.
– The Bravado Brothers def Ethan Page and Chris Dickinson
Bravados pinned Dickinson after a double team Gory Special. They are made that Team Tremendous got the first Evolve tag title shot since they were the longest Open the United Gate champions. Dan Barry comes out and does some comedy to mock the Bravados. Match is made for the next Queens show, and the Bravados then beat Barry down for fun.
– WWE Cruiserweight Classic Qualifier #1: TJP def Fred Yehi after a 450 splash
– WWE Cruiserweight Classic Qualifier #2: Drew Gulak def Tracy Williams with the Gu-lock
– Marty Scurll def Zack Sabre Jr via tap out to the chicken wing
Scrull gets an Evolve title shot on July 16 in Queens. Stokely comes out and calls TJP the uncrowned champion.
– Johnny Gargano def Drew Galloway via DQ after EC3 runs into the ring and attacks Gargano. Long promo by EC3 as he buries NXT, Triple H, and even Bill DeMott. They lay waste to the Evolve locker room. Ethan Page makes the save.
***Next show is on June 10 with Gargano and TJP versus EC3 and Galloway, plus Ethan Page challenges Drew Gulak.
Today WWE announced qualifying matches for their Global Cruiserweight series.
Announced for the Evolve show on 5/7 in Queens, NY, with Drew Gulak vs. Tracy Williams and Fred Yehi vs. TJ Perkins. Gulak and Williams are the current Evolve tag team champions. The show takes place at La Boom in Queens, NY and will air on iPPV at www.WWNlive.com
Also, announced for the PROGRESS on Sunday April 24th in Camden Town, London, Zach Sabre Jr. will face Flash Morgan Webster. Jack Gallagher will go up against “Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne.
The names WWE has announced thus far for the tournament are Rich Swann, Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Noam Dar, Akira Tozawa, Ho Ho Lun and Lince Dorado. Swann, Ciampa and Gargano are already under contract to WWE. Dar is an independent wrestler from the U.K., Tozawa is a star with Dragon Gate, Lun is from Hong Kong and Dorado is a Florida-based Lucha style independent wrestler.
– Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams b Drew Galloway & Johnny Gargano to win the Evolve tag titles. After the match, Galloway cut a promo and turned on Gargano. He got some good heat for that.
– Chris Hero b Fred Yehi
Note: We are almost an hour in and there’s only been two matches.
– Sami Callihan b Anthony Nese in less than 5 minutes
– Ethan Page b Darby Allin in another very short match.
– Tommy End b TJ Perkins in the USA vs Europe series.
– Matt Riddle b Zack Sabre Jr to even up the series.
The finish surprised the fans as Riddle won by submission and they were not expecting Riddle to win. Riddle will make it to WWE for sure. He has the look, the shape, the uniqueness, he shows a lot of charisma and he’s already good in the ring. I can see why they are interested. Very good match against Sabre Jr. The only reason why it was not a great match is that they kept it a tad too short, especially compared to the length of the first two matches. I would have took 5 if not 10 more minutes of this match. Liked it a lot.
– Marty Scurll b Evolve champion Timothy Thatcher in a non-title match with the chicken wing.
Good match but again too short compare to the first two matches. After the match, Callihan’s music hit and we only heard an audio of him pretty much challenging Thatcher.
– Ricochet b Will Ospreay with the Benadryller.
Freaking awesome match. Tough to say if it was better than Zayn and Nakamura because it was a different match. Crowd was ecstatic for it. And it’s an understatement. Arguably the best match of the weekend so far, probably with Zayn and Nakamura and with Sabre Jr and Ospreay from Evolve 58.
After the match, all the Europeans and Americans involved in the series came to the ring, since the series ended up 2-2, until Kora Ibushi showed up to a huge reaction to build the main-event of the Mercury Rising show presented later tonight.
