EVOLVE 70

October 15, 2016

From the Dr. Smith Neighborhood Center in Orlando, FL

Lenny Leonard is your host.

Anthony Henry vs. Darby Allin

Henry boots Allin right after the bell and gets two. Allin gets a springboard armdrag after a nice reversal sequence then flies outside with a Coffin Drop. Back inside, Allin covers for two but Henry cuts him off the top rope and starts kicking Allin from the tree-of-woe position. Henry hits a back superplex for a nearfall then goes back to stomping away. Henry works the arm for a while as a feint chant for Allin breaks out. Allin manages a rolling cradle then lands a few shots but Henry cuts him off with a knee smash. Henry dumps Allin on the ropes with a TKO before knocking him off the apron and flying outside with a tope. Back inside, Henry hits a frog splash but only manages to get a two count then Henry locks on the Regal Stretch. Allin counters that with a cradle but Henry hits him with a German suplex then a powerbomb but that only gets two. Henry turns Allin over with a Texas Cloverleaf. Allin is able to reach the ropes then Henry places him in the tree-of-woe and lands some more kicks. Allin fights back with a headbutt then hits a Coffin Drop for the win (8:15) **1/2.

Thoughts: Solid match. Allin is great as an underdog and continues to improve when it comes to selling. Henry has a decent look and what he does in the ring looks good but from the few times I have seen him, live and on tape, he seems to struggle to connect with the crowds.

Jason Kincaid vs. Nathan Cruz

Cruz is from England while Kincaid has been in the Southern Indy scene for over a decade. Both guys are making their EVOLVE debuts here. Cruz makes the ring announcer refer to him as the first-ever PROGRESS Champion. They mix it up for a bit as Kincaid frustrates Cruz with his athleticism. Kincaid takes Cruz off of the apron with a springboard forearm smash then hits a 619 from the outside as the crowd starts to come alive. Kincaid tries a springboard move but Cruz kicks him in the process then heads outside to beat on Kincaid. Back inside, Kincaid breaks up a sleeper with a jawbreaker but Cruz comes back with a slingshot back suplex for two. Cruz hits a few knee drops before applying a chinlock. Kincaid breaks and hits a powerslam/double stomp combo before getting two off of a dropkick. Cruz tries a springboard but Kincaid follows him and takes Cruz down with a sling blade in a cool spot. Cruz comes back with a codebreaker then they work a reversal sequence that ends with Kincaid hitting a buckle bomb as both men are down. Kincaid is up first and gets a nearfall with a slingshot blockbuster then heads up top but Cruz rolls away from a double stomp then hits a Michinoku Driver before putting on the Cruz Control (reverse cloverleaf) and gets the win (11:20) **1/2.

Thoughts: The match was fine but it did not really click with the crowd. Kincaid is tall and lanky and did some acrobatic stuff that looked fine. Almost resembles a skinny Erick Rowan with hair while Cruz showed decent ability as well. I wouldnt mind seeing these two get another shot.

Fred Yehi vs. DUSTIN

DUSTIN attacks Yehi before the bell. Yehi comes back with a dropkick and starts stomping the knee but DUSTIN is able to roll outside. DUSTIN heads back inside as Yehi takes control. He works the neck for a bit then applies a stump puller as DUSTIN attempts to block the hold. Yehi starts punching the knee then blocks the Sole Food but DUSTIN sends him to the floor and roughs him up. DUSTIN starts stomping on Yehi’s fingers in the middle of the ring then hits a slam before dropping an elbow for two. DUSTIN taunts the crowd as he is in control of the match. Yehi manages a small package for two then comes back with a release German suplex as both men are down. DUSTIN hits the Sole Food but Yehi comes back and hits a pair of Germans then hits a rolling elbow for a nearfall. DUSTIN catches Yehi with a super kick before hitting a DDT for two. DUSTIN takes Yehi off of the top with a belly-to-belly as both men are down again. They get up and slug it out as Yehi wins that battle. DUSTIN then catches Yehi with a Pop-Up Powerbomb and tries for the Awful Waffle but Yehi escapes and takes DUSTIN down with the Koji Clutch and gets the win (11:40) **1/2.

Thoughts: I liked the intensity here since DUSTIN is part of Galloway’s army feuding with Catchpoint. However, DUSTIN’s brawling is not the greatest and it brought the match down a bit, in my opinion. Nice to see Yehi finally get some wins in EVOLVE as he is currently on a three-match win streak after losing pretty much every match he had this year. Yehi is a unique talent that has a lot to offer and with a lot of key departures in EVOLVE, he is a guy that should get more opportunities.

Bunk & Funk (Rex Bacchus & CT Brown) vs. The Gatekeepers w/ Ethan Page

For those unaware, The Gatekeepers are Blaster McMassive & Flex Rumblecrunch of Devastation Corporation. They are without facepaint here and now proteges of Ethan Page. The Gatekeepers jump Bunk & Funk from behind to start. Brown gets tossed around the Bacchus tags in and lands a few shots to no effect before getting caught with a Black Hole Slam. Bacchus gets drilled with a clothesline then hit a Back Suplex/Elbow Drop combo for the win (1:55).

Thoughts: An effective squash match to build up the Gatekeepers, who have potential. They also have the size the WWE loves.

After the match, Page grabs the mic and announces his men as the most dominant team in EVOLVE. Page switches gears and talks about himself and how he will become the next EVOLVE Champion tonight and that is a good thing as Timothy Thatcher is a terrible champion because he does not interact with the fans, unlike himself. Page promises to carry EVOLVE to its highest height but Thatcher interrupts. Thatcher stares down Page, who is hiding behind his men, as he wants to defend the title now as this match will happen next.

EVOLVE Championship Match: Ethan Page w/ Gatekeepers vs. Timothy Thatcher (c)

Page ducks between the ropes as Thatcher heads over as we get some more stalling from him. Thatcher finally grounds Page until the latter reaches the ropes. Page ducks out and jaws with the fans before heading back inside. Page catches Thatcher with a forearm smash then hammers away in the corner. Thatcher grabs a front facelock but Page backs him into the corner then ends up hitting a suplex. Thatcher takes Page down and tries to work the leg but Page once again reaches the ropes. Thatcher gets a nearfall with a suplex then works the arm. Page escapes as Thatcher is on the mat and scares off Page, who retreats to the floor. Thatcher grabs another headlock then starts hitting a bunch of knee smashes before going back to the arm. Page places Thatcher up top and hammers away before yanking him off for a nearfall. They exchange strikes on the apron until Page hits a poor excuse of a DDT. Page then hits a draping backbreaker as he starts kicking away. Thatcher fights back and knocks Page down before heading inside. Thatcher hits a pair of gutwrench suplexes then applies a cross armbreaker in the ropes. Page kicks Thatcher then slingshots in with the RK-EGO but Thatcher pops right up and starts firing away. He takes Page down with a headbutt then they trade strikes and end up top where Page takes him off with an RK-EGO for a nearfall. Page then signals for the package piledriver but Thatcher runs Page into the corner and into the referee. The ref gets hit again then Page kicks Thatcher low as the Gatekeepers come into the ring. Page has the cameraman get onto the apron as he talks about sending another EVOLVE guy packing like he did to Johnny Gargano. Thatcher avoids an attack from the Gatekeepers as they end up outside but Page whacks Thatcher with the belt. He covers but Thatcher kicks out as that gets a mild applause. The other ref is down then Page tries to choke out Thatcher with something but that gets broken up with a headbutt. Thatcher goes to the Fujiwara Armbar but Page gets out and grabs the tights for a rollup as that gets two but Thatcher re-applies the move and ends up getting the win (18:55) *1/2.

Thoughts: This match was not acceptable for a title match. Thatcher has had a poor 2016 and Page, while good on the mic and as a character, is a subpar worker in the ring. What they did never worked and the overbooking did not help things either. Also, after building up Page’s heel turn after he attacked Johnny Gargano at the last show, why would you have him lose in his first match afterwards? Losing this way was especially dumb. The crowd was not into this at all.

After the match, Stokely Hathaway comes out to ringside with two girls. He reminds us how Thatcher broke his thumb a few months ago after putting his hands on the EVOLVE title. Hathaway then points out how he is educated, unlike those in the crowd, and he has been studying Thatcher over the past few weeks. He understands Thatcher not liking to talk or handling paperwork and he can take of that for him. Hathaway then asks Thatcher about forming an alliance but Thatcher decides to just leave. Hathaway then said Thatcher never said “no” as he also leaves ringside. At least they are trying to do something interesting with Thatcher by including Hathaway in the mix.

“Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

These two go back-and-forth to start as they show off their matwork skills. Sabre becomes aggressive as he starts kicking Williams in the corner but Williams fires up and knocks Sabre down for one as these two start laying into each other. Williams ends up catching Sabre with a backbreaker then grabs a crossface. Sabre escapes but Williams hits a back suplex for two. Williams lays into Sabre, who tells Willams to bring it as Williams starts beating the crap out of him. Sabre is able to put on a cross armbreaker but Williams reverses into a crossface as that triggers a series of reversals on the mat that ends in the ropes. Sabre gets two with a Tiger Suplex then works a Dragon sleeper that Williams ends up reversing into an ankle lock as we get more counters. Sabre drops down on a piledriver attempt and uses a jackknife cover for two but Williams starts chopping him against the ropes. Williams now starts kicking Sabre, who hits a Sabre Driver then gets two with a Penalty Kick in a great sequence. They are now on the mat trying to put each other in submission holds and end up slapping and kicking each other until they are both down. Sabre puts Williams in a triangle choke then Williams ends up dropping Sabre for two. Williams rolls through an armbar and hits a piledriver for two as the crowd applauds the effort from both men. They slug it out until Sabre takes down Williams in midair as he applies a double armbar while stepping on the back of Williams head and gets the win (26:45) ****. The crowd applauds after the match as we even hear a “that was awesome” chant.

Thoughts: Excellent match, even though I think it would have benefited from having five minutes shaved off. It was back-and-forth the entire time and got more aggressive as it progressed. Williams is an underrated talent and Sabre Jr. is one of the best technical wrestlers on the planet. Definitely worth seeking out.

Drew Gulak vs. Chris Hero

Hero grounds Gulak, who ends up escaping and hitting an armdrag. They end up in another stalemate then Hero works a standing surfboard as Gulak tries to fight out. Gulak ends up escaping as he stretches out Hero on the mat. Gulak now works a side headlock but Hero gets up and backs Gulak into the corner where he decks him with a right hand. Gulak is able to take Hero back down but Hero gauges his face in the ropes then hits another punch to the face. They trade strikes then Hero attempts a piledriver as Gulak gets low to block the move. Hero decks Gulak, who slips underneath and hits four dropkicks but Hero ends up taking him off of the apron with a bicycle kick. Hero beats on Gulak outside of the ring but Gulak starts to fight back. They are back inside where Gulak applies a Dragon sleeper as Hero reaches the ropes. Hero heads outside where Gulak follows him and gets decked in the face as Hero starts no-selling forearm smashes before destroying him with a rolling elbow. Back inside, Hero hits a senton as that gets two. Hero stays in control as he beats on Gulak, who is refusing to stay down. Gulak tries to suplex Hero but that fails as Hero says there is no way in hell he can lift him off of his feet and toys with him but Gulak does hit a suplex. Gulak starts firing away and hits three straight atomic drops as that gets two. Gulak starts clotheslining Hero in the corner but gets caught with a kick to the face. Hero kicks Gulak in the face but gets spit on as Gulak tries to fire himself up. Gulak lands some more punches and gets a nearfall with a clothesline as both men are down. They have a staredown as Hero yells at Gulak to hit him then he fires away. Gulak fights back and gets a nearfall with a sunset flip before applying the Gu-Lock. Hero reaches the ropes then Gulak yells out for the piledriver but Hero takes him down and gets a pair of cradles for two. Hero then catches Gulak with a short piledriver and follows with a Gotch Piledriver but Gulak is able to kick out. Hero starts toying with Gulak before hitting a rolling elbow to the back of the head as that gets the win (22:15) ***3/4.

Thoughts: Another really good match. The story was that Gulak refused to back down and kept fighting despite being at a size disadvantage. He looked strong even in defeat.

After the match, Drew Galloway comes into the ring. He offers Hero a handshake but is hand gets slapped away. Galloway then grabs the mic and first congratulates Hero for being a true Independent Wrestling success for story before talking about Matt Riddle. Galloway wants to know who would like Riddle as the crowd starts a “Bro” chant. Galloway says that Riddle only cares about himself and blames Riddle for why he cannot wrestle tonight. Galloway tells Riddle he will never be the face of EVOLVE as long as he goes back to blaming Riddle for his injury and how the doctors told him he was almost paralyzed but will be able to return in eight weeks. Galloway talks about his replacement is the first EVOLVE Champion and that is AR Fox. They are building up to a big Galloway/Riddle match for when Galloway is cleared medically to return. Galloway delivered another strong promo here.

AR Fox vs. Matt Riddle

Fox attacks Riddle on the ramp and tosses him inside. The ref rings the bell as Riddle uses a double leg takedown and tries to choke Fox out. Fox then tells Riddle he must not know who he is then they jockey for position on the mat in a nice sequence that ends with Riddle applying an armbreaker. Riddle beats on Fox in the corner but gets caught with a kick. Fox hits a sling blade then works over the neck. Riddle comes back and takes Fox off of the apron with a springboard knee strike. Riddle slides out where Fox catches him with a knee strike of his own before hitting the Lo Mein Rain. Back inside, Fox gets two with a guillotine leg drop then starts mocking Riddle. Fox cuts off a comeback but gets cocky as Riddle hits him with a brainbuster. Riddle gets up and fires away before hitting the Bro to Sleep for a nearfall as the camera shows an angry Galloway watching from the aisle. Riddle hits some knee strikes and a pair of deadlift gutwrench suplexes before getting two with a German suplex. Fox comes back with a bicycle kick then a jumping Ace Crusher. Fox hits a swanton for two then heads back up top but Riddle dodges a 450 splash and puts him in the Bromission for the win (10:45) ***3/4.

Thoughts: Excellent match that could have gone five more minutes. Fox is a welcome return to EVOLVE and looked great in this match while Riddle’s incredible 2016 continues. Not only is Riddle one of the best rookies in wrestling, he is one of the best wrestlers on the planet.

After the match, DUSTIN comes out to attack Riddle. He hits a DDT then shakes Fox’s hand as its 2 vs. 1 on Riddle. However, the rest of Catchpoint comes for the save. Catchpoint then stares at Riddle as Gulak reminds Riddle about Catchpoint being about respect and not getting in each other’s way. He then asks Riddle if he is with them as Riddle tells him he never left and they shake hands. Great segment to cement Riddle as the top babyface of EVOLVE. He is the star they should be building around.

Final Thoughts: The title match was a failure but the rest of the show had decent action. I liked how they are setting up Riddle as the top face of EVOLVE and moving towards Galloway & his guys against Catchpoint as the top feud. The addition of newer talents to the bottom of the card also keeps things fresh as they are starting to give guys that have been here all year midcard pushes to make up for those who have left the company. EVOLVE is going to a transition period but are at least trying to build towards the future.

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Friday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 4/29/89

Saturday: Mid-South Wrestling 5/6/82

Sunday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 4/30/89

Monday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 5/6/89

Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 5/7/89

Wednesday: EVOLVE 71