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Csonka’s Evolve 67 iPPV Review 8.20.16
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Csonka’s Evolve 67 Review 8.20.16
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Ethan Page defeated Kobe Durst @ 2:52 via pin [NR]
– Tony Nese defeated Peter Kaasa @ 12:55 via pin [**¾]
– Matt Riddle defeated Tommy End @ 12:30 via submission [****]
– WWE CWC Spotlight Match: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Cedric Alexander @ 15:15 via submission [****¼]
– Chris Hero defeated Cody Rhodes @ 18:20 via pin [***½]
– Evolve Title Match: Champion Timothy Thatcher defeated Drew Gulak @ 21:22 via pin [½*]
– No DQ Evolve Tag Team Title Match: Drew Galloway and Champions Ethan Carter III & DUSTIN defeated Ethan Page and Catch Point @ 10:07 via pin [*]
– Evolve 66 was an overall low range good show, but compared to most of the content this year from Evolve, felt flat. Lets see if they can rebound tonight. The crowd is a big one tonight as they had to add extra GA seats in the final hour before the event. JOEY STYLES is in attendance tonight and will be doing commentary for the Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Drew Gulak main event. Styles says he reached out to Evolve and wanted to call this main event. He put over Lenny Leonard, and said he may be rusty because it’s been eight years since he called a match, but says that he and Lenny may be the best announcing you hear all weekend. “Joey’s going to get me fired and I don’t even work there yet!”
Ethan Page vs. Kobe Durst: Durst is a protégé and impressed in a recent WWNLive camp to get the shot here. Page dominated for the first 90-seconds, Durst came back with a leg lariat and then got cut off almost right away. Package piledriver and Page picks up the easy victory. Post match he said that they have one more weekend with Johnny Gargano in September, and he wants Gargano to forgive him. In closing he said he’d do anything for Gargano to forgive him. They are either setting up the great redemption of Page/passing or Page is going to destroy him to send him out of the territory.
– Reports from the event say people are still filing in and they are standing room only. That’s great news for the promotion.
Tony Nese vs. Peter Kaasa: These two have has issues in the past, but it got derailed by a Kaasa knee injury and then his tour with Dragon Gate. They worked a fun and rally athletic opening stretch before beating the hell out of each other. Nese took control with a series of kicks and knees; Kaasa then fought back with a springboard RANA, sending Nese to the floor and then connecting with a great looking plancha. Back in Kaasa hit a running shooting star press for a near fall. The crowd started to get excited and chant YES and looking away from the ring, I would guess a certain Smackdown GM arrived. Kaasa tried to counter a suplex but Nese deadlifted him up and followed with a running knee strike. Nese sent Kaasa to the floor and followed with a pair of suicide dives, and the crowd was really into it. According to reports, Bryan, Cesaro and Breeze arrived in the building, which explains the chants from earlier. Nese looked to ground Kaasa with a rear naked choke. Kaasa fought to his feet and hit a clothesline and elbows. Kaasa then hit an angle slam, went up top but Nese cut him off as he took too long. Superplex by Nese scored a near fall. They traded strikes and counters, and Kaasa hit a one armed powerbomb for a near fall. Chops by Kaasa, followed by forearms but Nese powered him up for a Michinoku driver. Nese up top, 450 MISSES. Kaasa then up top, and the shooting star press misses. Nese then went back up top and hit the 450 for the win. It dragged too much during the finish, and would have benefited from being a little shorter and being more of a sprint. Add in some flow issues and it was above average.
Tommy End vs. Matt Riddle: is still favoring the arm and ribs following last night’s war with Thatcher, which is appreciated. End was working kicks early so Riddle smartly took it to the ground, but End made the ropes. Riddle then started to light up End with strikes and knees. The ref checked on End, but Riddle kept attacking. End hit a desperation kick, but Riddle connected with more knees into rolling gut wrench suplexes. Riddle then attacked the arm, and then stomped the hell of End before working a triangle and elbows. Riddle is showing great aggression here, End then connected with kicks to finally slow Riddle. Riddle then hit a fisherman’s buster for the double down. Back to the feet and End worked knees and kicks to the bad arm of Riddle, and then hit a double stomp on the arm. Riddle’s selling is so very good, scary good actually. End continued the assault on the arm; Riddle made the ropes and managed a heel hook. End made the ropes, connected with more kicks and went up top. The double stomp missed, they traded knees and forearms and then End hit the double stomp and spin kick for a great near fall. Riddle worked to his feet, ate more kicks and challenged End to throw more. Riddle just fired up eating these kicks; hit an up kick and then the jumping tombstone for an awesome near fall. Riddle went for the twister, but End got a knee bar. Riddle used strikes to escape, got the twister and End had to tap. That was an excellent back and forth, hard hitting match. End of course is really good (he’s WWE bund) and Riddle seemingly grows with each and every outing. End left a wristwrap in the ring on the Evolve logo, so this appears to be his farewell to the company. If you guys aren’t checking out Matt Riddle, you really need to start because the guy is special.
WWE CWC Spotlight Match: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Cedric Alexander: ZSJ tried to use his grappling game right away, but Alexander was game early and went hold for hold with ZSJ. Some really slick work from both men here, working holds and counters with ease. Alexander tried to use his speed, but ZSJ picked the leg and looked to take it to the ground. Alexander’s speed was too much, fighting back and hitting a dropkick. Alexander took control, working chops and kicks, but as he went for a springboard, ZSJ cut him off with an uppercut. ZSJ then attacked the leg of Alexander, looking to slow the quicker opponent. He then worked a cravat, Alexander would get escapes and hope spots, but ZSJ easily cut him off each time. ZSJ was actually getting some heat here from the crowd, they usually love him but they love Alexander more. ZSJ continued to out grapple Alexander, and even tied him up in the ropes in an octopus variation. Alexander finally connected with a few knee strikes and a suicide dive. An enziguri off the ropes then got him a near fall. The crowd is great here, now chanting for both guys. ZSJ with a slick counter into a DDT and a cool dragon sleeper variation. ZSJ is showing more personality here, but as he talked trash Alexander made a comeback and slapped the shit out of him. This led to a triangle by ZSJ, but Alexander powerbombed out and went for a slam but ZSJ countered into a bridging pin for 2. Alexander countered an uppercut unto a backslide driver is the best description for another near fall as the action quickens. Alexander springboards into a uppercut by ZSJ, soccer kick follows but Alexander kicks out. They trades strikes center ring, daring each other to hit harder. Head butt by Alexander, but ZSJ got the hanging guillotine, which got transitioned into a brainbuster by Alexander for a great near fall. ZSJ works an octopus hold, pulled Alexander to the mat and hit repeated kicks to the head of Alexander and he had to tap. This was a styles clash, but they pulled it off very well and while the opening was slow, the second half was really well done and provided some great near finishes and had an awesome atmosphere. ZSJ heading to more of a dick heel role is fun, and Cedric is awesome.
– Zack Sabre Jr. cut a short promo, proclaiming that he wanted to be the champion.
Cody Rhodes vs. Chris Hero: After a brief streaming issue, we were back to the show right at the beginning of the match. Hero tried to attack but Rhodes took control, hitting a delayed suplex and then taking the action to the floor. Rhodes was fired up and they brawled into the crowd. They fought onto the bar and Rhodes ht hero with a beer. They beat the hell out of each other, hero sat Rhodes in a chair and then hit a jumping elbow drop onto him. They made it back to the ring at the four-minute mark where the back and forth continued hero did his flip over the rope to the apron, but then started to favor his knee. IT”S A TRAP as he connected with a jumping kick to Rhodes’ face and took control back, just battering Rhodes with forearms, tossing him to the floor and saying, “We don’t want you here!” Back to the floor for more brawling, Rhodes send Hero into a cameraman and as they went back to the ring, hero lit up Rhodes with elbows and scored a near fall. Rhodes kept trying to fire back, but Hero just walked him down and continued to lay into him. A fan had a big Dusty Rhodes head, so hero grabbed it and beat on Rhodes with it. What an asshole (in the nest way possible). Hero took the head up top, but Rhodes cut him off and took it away. He gave it a kiss and then hit a superplex to Hero. Hero was favoring the knee as Rhodes worked him over, hitting a cool flatliner variation for a near fall. Hero then caught Rhodes with a cutter off of a moonsault attempt, and got a near fall off of that. Rhodes’s moonsault is still really fucking pretty. They went back and forth, Hero hit another elbow and then went for the ripcord elbow, which Rhodes countered into a side effect for a near fall. They worked strikes and head butts, seemingly only pissing Hero off and he hit a bicycle kick and then Rhodes hit one in return. The disaster kick followed and got a near fall. The crowd reactions have really diminished here in the last few minutes for the near falls. Hero shit a tuff piledriver for a near fall; Rhodes ate a ripcord elbow but kicked out. Hero and Rhodes both teased cross Rhodes, which Rhodes finally hit for the near fall. Galloway arrived and distracted Rhodes, allowing Hero to hit repeated elbows as Rhodes was in the corner; he pulled him center ring and hit another and finally put Rhodes away. Hero worked some magic there, he is so good and did everything to make Rhodes look competitive and to make a crowd that loves him hate him. At times it came off as if Cody was trying to be “too indie,” as he wanted to show that he could hang, but still lacks any sort of real in ring identify so far. It’s only two matches into his run, and this was really good, but it was just missing something for me; the fact that the near falls got diminishing returns, against Chris Hero of all people is really telling.. But that’s to be expected in some ways, Cody never did indies and is a complete WWE project. Hero is another guy you need to be watching in 2016, he’s so good with just about everyone.
– Hero said unless you want an ass beating, do not call out the greatest of all time on no silly list. Galloway then called Rhodes a fool, he thought they were brothers. Rhodes was ignorant thinking he could become a big star with out the help of the master, without him. Gulak made the save and ran him off.
Evolve Title Match: Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Drew Gulak: Unless theory have a huge angle planned for the six-man, this is questionable placement. Back and forth grappling to begin, with both guys getting a chance to shine. The problem here is that Thatcher is supposedly looking for revenge against all of Catch Point and is working this like any other match; slow, methodical and really showing no emotion so far. Gulak made a comeback, sending Thatcher to the floor and hitting a suicide dive. In shade of last night, Thatcher worked an arm bar in the ropes on Gulak and then took him to the floor and posted him. After last night it really feels as if they want to take Thatcher heel, which would be fine but there is a disturbing lack of heat here. Thatcher worked the arm off the post again, the crowd threatened to get into it when Gulak tried to make a comeback. Thatcher cut him off, but the violence is not there. Last night he was a man processed in taking out Riddle, but I am not getting that here. Gulak fired up and connected with the backdrop suplex for a near fall. he followed with stomps and went for the dragon sleeper, Thatcher countered so Gulak settled for a back breaker for a heatless near fall. There is some random clapping going on, but the lack of reactions for the near falls was not good. Gulak hit a piledriver to little reaction. The battle continued, they worked up top with Thatcher hitting a gut wrench suplex off the ropes for a near fall. Thatcher made his mean face, worked uppercuts as Gulak also fired back and then got the dragon sleeper but Thatcher got the ropes. The crowd woke up there because they thought Thatcher would lose. They traded strikes and slaps, head butts by Thatcher but Gulak kicked out at 1. They then head butted each other center ring, Thatcher then hit another and picked up the anticlimactic, and rather shit victory. This did not work on any level; the match was too long, both men were too stubborn to change their tactics when the crowd went cold, the Evolve fan base has stopped caring about Thatcher long ago and the finish was not good at all. I mean, they were completely tone deaf to their surroundings. They had the chance last nigh to put the title on the hot hand in Riddle, but missed the chance and then kept it on Thatcher tonight.
This was, unfortunately, hot garbage.
– Gulak went to hand Thatcher the title and Thatcher said no one cared and attacked Gulak and then laid him out with a sleeper. Williams ran out to make to make the save, but EC3 and DUSTIN attacked and worked over his knee. Thatcher bailed. Well, I guess a Thatcher heel turn can’t hurt because what he was doing was not working.
– Galloway then called Joey Styles to the ring, and says they have an opening for a centerpiece, a mouthpiece that knows this business like none other. Fred Yehi & TJ Perkins hit the ring and they brawl and we go to out main event, but Williams is taken to the back so Catch Point is a man down. Galloway demanded that Styles answer him. Yehi said that Galloway and crew were in big trouble, and said that he and Perkins will face then in a no DQ match. Hmmmm, where is brother Matt Riddle?
No DQ Evolve Tag Team Title Match: Drew Galloway and Champions Ethan Carter III & DUSTIN vs. Ethan Page and Catch Point (Fred Yehi & TJ Perkins) w/Stokely Hathaway: If Galloway, EC3 or DUSTIN lose, Catch Point wins the titles and will choose two men to serve as champions. Williams was taken to the back, so it is 3 on 2. They brawled for a few minutes and it started to look bad for Catch Point, but then Ethan Page made the save to make this 3 on 3 again. A lot of this was on the floor and not shot all that well, thankfully they go things back into the rings. Lots of back and forth here, everyone hitting moves and basically just doing shit. But the crowd is into it, unlike the previous match. Yehi and EC3 had some fun back and forth until Galloway introduced a chair and worked over Yehi. Page then attacked but got tossed through the chair, Future shock DDT on Page, but Perkins made the save. We got dives by Perkins and DUSTIN, Perkins was rolling but Galloway threw a title belt at him. Awful waffle by DUSTIN, but for some reason it wasn’t three because the ref messed up. DUSTIN hit a piledriver to end it. This was not god, it felt like a mindless ECW brawl minus the reckless abandon and great heel heat. They did stuff, it was hard to see a lot of the beginning, and then it was just stuff until the finish. This may have been the worst back-to-back matches I have ever seen from Evolve.
– Cody Rhodes hit he ring post match and cleaned house all by himself. Joey Styles then returned and ran down team Galloway, Telling him he is lucky to be in Evolve where fans actually have to pay or tickets. He mocked EC3 for “his aunt” getting Billy Cogan to invest in TNA. Styles then announced that on September 11th, Cody Rhodes and Johnny Gargano will face Galloway and Hero. Cody then cut a promo, noting that he would have sex with his hot wife, but that he was born a wrestler and a wrestling fan. He thanked the fans to close the show.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
