EVOLVE 72

November 12, 2016

From La Boom in Queens, NY

Your hosts are Lenny Leonard and Joey Styles

This was the first EVOLVE show broadcasted on Flo Slam

Matt Riddle vs. DUSTIN

Riddle takes DUSTIN down a few times as the crowd is hot for Riddle. DUSTIN tries and fails to outmaneuver Riddle on the mat but is able to reach the ropes. Riddle grounds DUSTIN again as Styles is trying too hard to be edgy on commentary then he starts hammering away. DUSTIN snaps Riddle’s neck off of the ropes then flies outside with a pescado. DUSTIN hits a missile dropkick then gauges the eyes of Riddle as the crowd boos. DUSTIN stays on the attack but Riddle fights back with chops. Riddle hits a pair of deadlift gutwrench suplexes before hitting a double knee smash in the corner. Riddle gets two with a senton but DUSTIN is able to comeback with a DDT that gets two. Styles tells us Gabe (Sapolsky) said he could not swear tonight because they had to please FloSlam TV. Ha! DUSTIN powerbombs Riddle for two as we get a “let’s go, bro” chant from the crowd. Riddle starts to hulk up as he catches DUSTIN’s leg but ends up running into an enziguiri. Riddle comes back with an upkick the hits the Bro to Sleep before hitting a fisherman’s buster for the win (8:57) ***1/4.

Thoughts: Good match. Riddle’s comebacks were great and DUSTIN held up his part of the match well too. Riddle was the most over wrestler on the show and with good reason, the guy is incredible from his ability to charisma.

Jason Kincaid vs. Fred Yehi

Yehi knocks Kincaid down after telling him he is in big trouble. They work an Irish whip sequence that ends with Yehi taking Kincaid down with a headlock. Kincaid escapes by walking on his hands then he sits cross-legged in the ring as he keeps dodging Yehi’s stomps. Kincaid hits a slam then cartwheels and stomps Yehi before getting two with a springboard blockbuster. Yehi takes Kincaid down and stomps his hand as he grounds and stomps Kincaid in a nice sequence. Yehi wins a slugfest but Kincaid takes out his legs and hits a clothesline. Kincaid goes up-and-over to hit Yehi with a double stomp on the apron before flying out to hit Yehi with a sunset bomb into the guardrail as the fans applaud. Kincaid takes Yehi down with a coast-to-coast dropkick then hits a top rope double stomp for a nearfall. Yehi fights back and hits the vertebreaker for two then shortly after that puts Kincaid away with the Koji Clutch (6:30) **1/2.

Thoughts: Solid match here. Kincaid does some nice stuff and Yehi is great to watch. The crowd dug Kincaid and gave him an ovation at the end. With a lot of talent leaving EVOLVE, they are doing a good job at position others to fill open slots and these two can do just that.

Chris Dickinson comes out with Jaka as he is scheduled to face Darby Allin. However, Dickinson tells Allin how he’s been trying to get a full-time spot in EVOLVE since 2010 but Allin was handed a contract, stating he even destroyed Allin at one point. He then tells Allin there is no chance in hell he will win and bullies Allin some more but Tony Nese comes into the ring and gets a decent reaction. Nese says that Allin wants to be in EVOLVE as much as anyone and that Allin beat himself, a RAW superstar, then asks Dickinson who has he ever beaten. Jaka then wants to make this a tag match and they attack Nese & Allin from behind.

Chris Dickinson & Jaka vs. Darby Allin & Tony Nese

Jaka & Dickinson beat down Allin to start. Nese breaks up a pin attempt after Jaka hit a tree slam while Styles is going off about Dickinson being a muscle head using material that was fresh in 2004. Dickinson & Jaka stay on the attack as the crowd chants for Allin. Dickinson gets a nearfall with a Falcon Arrow as the announcers put over Allin’s heart. Allin tries a crossbody but Jaka shoves him in midair as Styles tells us Jaka reminds him of Haku. Allin counters a splash mountain with a hurricarana then makes the tag as Nese runs wild. Jaka cuts off Nese, who is getting double-teamed. Nese fights them off and flies out with a tope. Allin gets back up and botches a double-jump moonsault twice before just flipping to the outside. Rare botch from Allin there. Back inside, Nese sets Dickinson up for the 450 splash but Allin tags himself in as Nese is confused. Jaka then drags Nese outside as Dickinson kills Allin with a dragon suplex as Allin is put away with the Total Elimination (7:55) **1/2. Styles says that since Jaka & Dickinson beat contracted talents then they both should get signed to EVOLVE.

Thoughts: Another match that was fine. Dickinson & Jaka are two others that we will be seeing a lot more of going forward and it was smart to give them a win here. Allin did a great job at selling here and having him tag in to try and put away the guys who bullied him earlier but failing was a good way to build to a feud if they go that route.

Leonard tells us that Sabre was cleared to wrestle tonight but is less than 100% due to arm & elbow issues. Page’s mic doesn’t work at first then when it does he tells Sabre he does not care about this match and that he needs to calm down so they can do some “pro wrestling,” which is what the fans want to see. Page then threatens to leave if he does not agree so Sabre tells him if that is what he wants, he will do that as he jokingly refers to Page as “darling.” Page’s mic work is very good.

Ethan Page w/ The Gatekeepers vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Sabre grounds Page and stretches him out on the mat, toying with him in the process. Page finally gets in some offense when he hits a slam but Sabre avoids a charge and hangs Page in the ropes. Page shoves Sabre off of the apron and into the guardrail after a break. Page roughs up Sabre on the floor before heading back inside. Page mouths off to Sabre, who fights back. Page cuts off Sabre with a boot to the face then ties Sabre’s arm in the ropes. Page stomps the arm of Sabre then works an armbar on the mat but Sabre counters and bends back Page’s leg. Sabre upkicks Page’s arm but Page catches him and sends him into the corner as Sabre’s arm was behind his back. Sabre catches Page with an uppercut and gets two with the Penalty Kick. Sabre blocks an uranage with a triangle choke but Page picks him up with one hand and hits a buckle bomb. Page then powerbombs Sabre while trapping his hand behind his back as that gets two. Sabre blocks an RK-Ego attempt and puts Page in an octopus hold but Page escapes and hits Sabre with an arm trap uranage for the win (10:53) ***. Leonard points out how Page did not need help from the Gatekeepers tonight while Styles adds that they already did that by attacking Sabre at the last EVOLVE event.

Thoughts: Good match. Sabre kept working the arm here but at the end it did him in as Page kept attacking his injured arm as he defeated the #1 contender, which means Page should be getting a title shot soon.

After the match, Page taunts Sabre while hiding behind the Gatekeepers then he taunts the crowd for pinning their #1 contender. Page then wants to talk about the letters C-O-D-Y as he promises to end his “Independent Fantasy Tour” as he wants to face him next.

“Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams vs. Chris Hero

Hero is rocking an Anthony Mason throwback jersey tonight. Williams hits Hero with a German suplex before the bell then gets two with another suplex. Williams attacks Hero in the corner but Hero fights back. Williams sends Hero outside and flies out with a tope. Back inside, Hero catches Williams with a cravate then takes him down with a discus kick to the face. They brawl outside as Hero kicks Williams down then sits him down and hits a running kick to the face as Williams goes into the guardrail as it collapses. The crowd is going nuts for Hero, who is now lighting up Williams with chops in the corner. Hero then slaps Williams with his own shirt and takes him down with an elbow smash for two. Hero is beating on Williams, who fights back. Williams hits a missile dropkick then blocks a suplex to hit a brainbuster as that gets two. Williams hits a super butterfly suplex then puts Hero in a crossface. Hero reaches the ropes then they trade strikes until Hero hits a rolling elbow before getting a nearfall with a senton. Williams gets two with a backslide but Hero rolls through a sunset flip and hits a piledriver for another nearfall as the crowd goes nuts. Williams refuses to back down as Hero is laying into him then he fires up and starts hammering away. They trade bicycle kicks until Williams clotheslines Hero but only gets a one count. Williams hits a second clothesline for two then puts on the crossface and gets the win (12:34) ****.

Thoughts: An awesome, hard-hitting match. The story here was that Williams was not ever going to back down and would dig as deep as he could in order to win this match. This was the biggest win for Williams in EVOLVE and a match that is definitely worth tracking down.

EVOLVE Championship Match: Drew Gulak vs. Timothy Thatcher w/ Stokely Hathaway

There are no ropes here. Thatcher beats on Gulak to start but fails to hit a suplex as Styles apologizes for flipping out on Hathaway. They trade holds on the mat until it heads outside. Thatcher gets into the face of a fan that taunted him as Gulak starts to fight back. Gulak hits a tope but Thatcher fights back and rolls Gulak into the ring and fixes the ring apron. They are back outside where Gulak gets slammed back into the ring. Thatcher hits a gutwrench suplex for just a one count then works a cross armbreaker. Gulak reverses as Hathaway helps his client break free by taking him outside. Gulak stretches out Thatcher in the ring then hits a German suplex as Thatcher bounces outside. Gulak starts unhooking the ring canvas as Thatcher is out on the floor. Gulak then fishhooks Thatcher with a bungee cord while maintaining a chicken wing but Thatcher is able to escape and sends Gulak into the post. Thatcher now uses the bungee cords that were meant to hold the canvas to the ring and uses it to tie Gulak against the post. He ties him up with help from Hathaway then just hammers away on Gulak. Thatcher and Hathaway take off the ring canvas and padding as the pliwood is exposed. Gulak finally breaks free then Thatcher brings him into what’s left of the ring and hits a slam for just a one count. Thatcher works a sleeper that Gulak eventually breaks with a back suplex as both men are down. Gulak is up first and kicks Thatcher in the face then chokes out Thatcher with his t-shirt, which Thatcher tore apart earlier. Thatcher escapes and works a rear choke as Gulak crawls but starts to fade. Gulak is able to muster up enough strength and takes them both outside. Gulak is up first as he starts removing the wood pallets from the ring as it exposes the steel. Gulak tries a suplex but Thatcher blocks that and they struggle as Gulak is between the frame and boards of the ring. Thatcher spits in Gulak’s face then they brawl as Thatcher traps Gulak between the boards and chokes him out as Gulak breaks that with a stunner and falls below the ring. Gulak then gets up and back standing on what is left of the ring as they engage in a slugfest as Thatcher slips and is now between the boards. Gulak works a hanging dragon sleeper as the crowd wants to see Thatcher tap as Hathaway is screaming but Thatcher escapes. Thatcher gets two with a back suplex then grabs a waistlock but Gulak escapes and gets two with a German suplex. Both men struggle to get up then Thatcher hits a pair of headbutts before getting two with a gutwrench suplex. Back suplex gets two. Gulak blocks a suplex and hits one of his own as Thatcher ends up rolling through the hole in the ring. The ref checks on Thatcher, who refuses to quit, as Gulak starts removing more boards. Thatcher gets up and they trade shots until Thatcher gets the win with a back suplex (29:30) ****.

Thoughts: I liked this match a lot, probably a more than a majority of folks did. The story is that these two hate each other and watching them brawl and tear apart the ring to hurt each other was certainly different. I will say that the match peaked several minutes before it ended though but the crowd was into this and really wanted Gulak to win. Watching Gulak here and then in the WWE, it goes to show you that presenting someone as being important does in fact go a long way when it comes to crowd reactions than it does the ability of an individual.

After the match, Catchpoint checks on Gulak as the crowd applauds. However, Gulak sells disappointment in losing. He then grabs the mic and talks about starting Catchpoint but that he failed. The crowd chants “we still love you” but Gulak gets in Williams face and says as far as he is concerned, Catchpoint is a failure before walking away from his teammates. He then sees DUSTIN and Drew Galloway welcoming him but Gulak just walks away. Galloway & DUSTIN come in as Galloway talks about all he did to come here tonight and talk to Catchpoint. He says that Catchpoint is a failure then mocks Riddle’s bro chant and how it used to mean respect among fellow wrestlers but now fans are saying the word. Galloway said EVOLVE is a disgrace just like how Riddle was a disgrace in the UFC as he vows to save the company and in order to do that he must exterminate him. Riddle takes the mic and says “bro, just chill” and puts down the mic as Galloway goes mental over how he flew all the way just to hear that. Catchpoint leaves while Galloway & DUSTIN remain pissed off. A great segment to close out the show as we appear to be getting a Galloway/Riddle feud and either a new leader of Catchpoint or the group permanently disbanding.

Final Thoughts: Overall, a very good show. However, it was marred in controversy when Joey Styles was fired after the show due to making a comment referencing Donald Trump’s “grabbing pussy” remark when discussing the female ring announcer. Besides that, Styles was just not a good fit at all on commentary with his dated material and constantly trying to shoehorn in just how edgy and controversial he was being.

Anyway, the last two matches were excellent and the company is building new storylines and hyping up new talent as they are having an exodus from the company to the WWE. EVOLVE has had an excellent 2016 and is a promotion every fan should try and seek out.