100 Percent Fordified: EVOLVE 6: Aries vs. Taylor

Union City, NJ – 11.20.2010

Commentary is provided by Lenny Leonard and Austin Aries.

We get a few promos backstage. Jimmy Jacobs says tonight he will defeat Johnny Gargano and be the points leader in EVOLVE. Drake Younger says he will become the first person in EVOLVE history to go 4-0. Johnny Gargano says that he’s going to knock Jimmy Jacobs off his high pedestal and make his record 4-2.

EVOLVE’s Opening Video: “Welcome to EVOLVE, wrestling’s newest brand. Thank you for your support. EVOLVE follows the inherent rules of sportsmanship. Simply, if it is not tolerated in sports, it is not acceptable in EVOLVE. Any athlete going outside these lines will face fines, suspensions, and even possible banishment from EVOLVE. EVOLVE focuses on win-loss records. It is all about records. Every match has a consequence, and results are never forgotten. The top players in EVOLVE will be determined by the leaders in three major categories: there is a Wins Leader, Winning Streak Leader, and Best Record Leader. This gives everyone on the roster something to aim for, a goal and a target. The competitors on top are the athletes to beat. We have a documentary crew in the locker room capturing everything. We will show you the real man or woman behind the wrestler. Now let’s go to the locker room of the main eventers and get things started!”

Chuck Taylor is asleep on a couch. He gets pissed when the camera man picks up the hoodie off his face. Austin Aries says hello to a few people as he finds a spot to sit backstage. He shoos them off (respectfully) and approves of a barbell nearby.

Drake Younger (3-0) vs. Silas Young (0-1)

“Young & Younger” could be a great television show, or tag team. They trade arm holds looking for an advantage. After reaching a stalemate, Young knocks Younger down with a shoulder block. Younger lands an armdrag and a trifecta of forearms. They both sweep each others legs for a two count. Young backslides Younger for two. He rolls up Younger for two. He hits a dropkick and lays in some punches in the corner. Younger headbutts Young on the apron. He knocks Young to the floor and follows out with a top rope senton. Younger sets up a chair ringside. He looks for a suplex, but Young blocks. Young powerslams Younger on the floor with force. In the ring Younger lands a chinbreaker. Younger dumps Young on his head with a half-nelson suplex. Younger and Young throw haymakers and chops. Younger lands a flying forearm. Younger hits a Death Valley Driver from the second rope for two. Young avoids a clothesline. He delivers a backbreaker and a short-arm clothesline. Younger gets his knees up to block the Peegee Waja Plunger. He hits a Falcon Arrow for two. Young hits a Finlay Roll. He follows up with the Peegee Waja Plunge for the pin at 8:58. Glad to see Young get the win here, as I think he’s severely underrated. It’s cool that he was the one who took out the undefeated Younger and I hope it means good things for his EVOLVE career. **1/2

Rich Swann (0-1) vs. AR Fox (0-0) vs. Tony Nese (0-0) vs. Scott Reed (0-0)

Everyone but Swann is making their EVOLVE debut. Fox’s quickness gets the better of Reed. Swann tags in and engages in a quick exchange of counters and evasions. Fox drops Swann with a brainbuster. Nese attacks Fox from behind. Fox trips him to the floor. Nese levels him with a clothesline before he can dive out. Reed and Swann fight on the floor. Fox sends Nese out with them. He misses a kick flip moonsault and crashes on the floor. Fox recovers and hits a top rope legdrop on the apron to Swann. Once recovering, Swann takes out Fox and Nese and dives onto both of them. Reed poers up Swann and buckle bombs him. Fox hits a springboard ace crusher on Reed. Nese trips Fox and hits a springboard quebrada for two. Fox then comes off the top with Code Breaker for two. Fox tries a crucifix pin on Nese. Nese picks up Fox and slams him chest first. He deadlifts him into a bridging German. Swann breaks the pin with a running shooting star press for two. Swann nails Fox with a superkick for two. Swann hits the standing 450 splash and Nese breaks the pin. Swann avoids a counter attack from Nese and tries a Code Red. Nese blocks and hits the Implant for two. Reed and Nese slug it out. Reed hits a Hero’s Welcome and Fox breaks the pin. Fox turns a suplex from Reed into a stunner. He then hits a Schwein for the pin at 6:38. This was the AR Fox show, as he stole the show from everyone in the ring. Everyone else looked good too, but with the victory Fox got over huge. Of course Swann’s great, and I look forward to seeing more of Nese and Reed in the future. ***

Drake Younger is disappointed in his loss tonight. He’s convinced he had the match won. Ringside, Larry Dallas arrives with two women (one being Reby Sky). He takes a seat at a private table ringside and pours out champagne for both women while responding to some of the fans heckling.

Kyle O’Reilly (2-2) vs. Bobby Fish (0-4)

Fish and O’Reilly waste no time laying in forearms to each other. Fish hits a sole butt but eats more forearms from O’Reilly. Fish tags O’Reilly with a dropkick. O’Reilly applies an ankle lock. Fish rolls out, so O’Reilly kicks the inside of Fish’s leg. O’Reilly kicks him in the back and chest for two. O’Reilly goes for an ankle lock again. Fish grabs the bottom rope to escape. Fish takes O’Reilly over in a knuckle lock for two. O’Reilly takes Fish over with a Northern Lights suplex in a knuckle lock for two. Fish lays in strikes in a side mount. O’Reilly and Fish reach a stand off. Fish and O’Reilly throw kicks to each other’s legs. Fish lays in kicks to O’Reilly’s chest. Fish counters a Regal plex. Fish kicks O’Reilly in the side of the head. Fish german suplexes O’Reilly to the corner. He throws O’Reilly with an overhead suplex and hits a diving headbutt for two. O’Reilly manages to sweep Fish’s legs out to buy more recovery time. O’Reilly hits a pair of butterfly suplexes and a butterfly DDT for two. Fish brings O’Reilly off the top with a super Falcon Arrow. O’Reilly kicks Fish in the back and hits a Tiger suplex for two. In the midst of throwing kicks, they knock each other down with simultaneous kicks to the head. O’Reilly recovers first and attacks Fish in the corner. A tornado DDT and brainbuster gets him two. Fish ducks an attack and hits a Saito suplex for two. O’Reilly gets his knees up to block a moonsault. He puts Fish in a triangle choke. Fish muscles O’Reilly up and powerbombs him. He breaks it again and buckle bombs O’Reilly. Fish hits a knee lift for two. He applies a crossface. O’Reilly and Fish trade forearms after the hold is broken. Fish hits a leaping knee strike and a gut buster. A roundhouse kick gets Fish the pin at 14:21. This was a nice step up from their matchon EVOLVE 1. Fish is the epitome of EVOLVE and they made his first victory seem like a huge deal. To me, this type of match is what EVOLVE is all about. ***1/4

Lenny Leonard interviews Fish, saying some people doubted whether or not he’d be interviewed as a winner after a match. Fish says the feeling of finally winning is pretty damn awesome. O’Reilly recovers and thanks Fish for the fight. They shake hands and embrace. Fish says it’s back to the drawing board and plans on 2011 being a bright year for him.

Up In Smoke (Cheech & Cloudy) (3-0) vs. The Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Player Dos) (0-0)

Uno knocks down Cloudy with a shoulder block and tags in Dos. Cloudy slides to the floor to tag in Cheech. He and Dos go back and forth rapidly until Dos catches Cheech with a huracanrana. Dos then gives him one from the second rope. He hits a spinwheel kick and tags in Uno. They hit a drop toe hold/legdrop combo. Cloudy tags in. He gets tripped and the SSB hit a fist drop/moonsault combo for two. Cloudy gives Dos a chinbreaker and tags in Cheech. The SSB double suplex Cheech for two. The SSB double team Cheech. Cloudy knees Dos in the back from the apron, and Cheech suplexes him for two. Now Cheech & Cloudy team up on Dos. Dos escapes their grasp by ducking a big boot from Cheech. He tags in Uno and gives Cloudy a fallaway slam. Uno knock both of them down with a clothesline. He gives Cloudy a neckbreaker across his knee for two. Dos hits a springboard elbow to Cheech while Uno gives him a side suplex for two. Uno hadoukens Cloudy to the corner. Cheech Superman spears Uno. He suplexes Uno, and Dos catches him with a frogsplash. Cloudy gives Dos a reverse huracanrana. Uno drops Cheech with a flatliner for two. Up In Smoke give Uno a superkick/enzuigiri combo. Cheech assists Cloudy with a tornado DDT to Uno, and Dos breaks the pin. Dos gives Up In Smoke tandem pele kicks. Dos tope con hilos onto Up In Smoke on the floor. Uno Alamaba Slams Cloudy onto Dos’ knees. Cheech breaks the pin. Uno punches Cheech into a superkick from Dos. The SSB hit Jenga for two. Cloudy sends Dos to the corner. Cheech doublestomps Uno into a Yoshi Tonic from Cloudy for the pin at 10:57. These two teams had an unbelievable match in CHIKARA back in 2008, and while it wasn’t as good as that, this match was still pretty great. I really hope the Smash Bros. come back because they’re easily the most underutilized team in wrestling today. ***

Leonard interviews Up In Smoke. Cheech says they’re on top of the team leader board with 4-0 and that 2011 will be their year. Funny enough, they have yet to return to EVOLVE since this match.

Backstage Fish is typing in a phone number. Scott Reed congratulates him. Fish tells Reed to keep his head up and says things will turn around. Fish calls someone and says he finally has
good news (his wife, presumably).

Relaxed Rules
Homicide (0-0) vs. Jon Moxley (0-1)

Homicide eyes Larry Dallas ringside as he makes his entrance. They exchange words with one another. Homicide takes out Moxley’s leg, causing a fist fight to break out on the mat. They continue to trade blows on their feet. Moxley hits a lariat. Moxley suplexes him for one. Homicide steps on Moxley’s throat in the corner. Moxley bails to the floor, but immediately gets caught with a senton from the apron by Homicide. Moxley goes for a piledriver on the apron. Homicide blocks and gives Moxley some strikes back in the ring. Moxley chokes him on the mat. Homicide gives Moxley the Three Amigos. Moxley evades a top rope headbutt. He begins to target his attack on Homicide’s shoulder. His onslaught ceases when Homicide breaks a sleeper with a belly to back suplex. Moxley pitches Homicide to the apron and dropkicks him to the floor. Moxley tries to give Homicide a piledriver on the pavement. Homicide backdrops him to counter. Homicide chokes Moxley with a cord in the bleachers. Homicide and Moxley brawl throughout the crowd using chairs and other whatnot. Moxley repeatedly jabs a chair into Homicide’s arm on a steel barricade. Moxley traps Homicide’s arm in the corner and extends it. Homicide frees himself by biting Moxley’s calf. In the ring, Moxley digs a chair into Homicide’s throat. Homicide delivers a chinbreaker and an exploder suplex. Moxley applies a Fujiwara armbar. Homicide escapes and hits an ace crusher. Moxley ducks a lariat and backslides Homicide for two. He reapplies the Fujiwara armbar. Homicide grabs the ropes to escape. Homicide gets enough energy to nail Moxley with a lariat. He then goes for the Cop Killa. His arm gives out, so Moxley puts him in a crossface chicken wing. Homicide can’t escape, so referee Jason Harding calls for the bell at 19:53. This was good, but went WAY too long and didn’t keep its steam in the middle portion of the bout. Moxley’s arm work actually going somewhere made me very happy and it told a good story. **1/2

Homicide is angry at the referee since he never actually tapped out or quit. Homicide boots Harding low. Moxley comes back and says Homicide’s going to get suspended for kicking him. Moxley says he plays by the rules. Homicide gives him an ace crusher. Moxley continues to talk to Homicide. Homicide jabs Moxley in the face with a fork. He then takes the fork and jabs Moxley in the groin. Moxley eggs Homicide on as Homicide digs the fork into Moxley’s forehead. Moxley refuses to fight back since he knows he’d be suspended. Homicide goes back to digging the fork into Moxley’s head. Homicide sticks the blood riden fork into Moxley’s motuh and stabs him in the groin with a screwdriver. Homicide bloodies him up with the fork some more. Moxley gets the microphone and mocks the way Homicide talks. Homicide steps on his crotch and puts a ringbell right next to him (for whatever reason). Moxley trash talks Homicide some more. Homicide comes back and gives Moxley a piledriver on a steel chai. So between this and DGUSA’s Freedom Fight 2010, these two had two post match brawls that went AGES. Enough guys, keep it simple. Now I never want to see these two wrestle again. And why would I? I’ve seen them kill each other already.

Chuck Taylor is trying to sell Johnny Gargano on a “good deal”. Gargano says he’ll worry about that later as he concentrates on Jacobs. Gargano says Taylor should be focusing on Aries. Areis is doing some arm exercises elsewhere.

Lenny Leonard introduces Larry Dallas, as he has paid for promo time. He brings Reby Sky and the other woman with him. Dallas says he is going to begin sponsoring fighters. He tells the female who isn’t Sky that he has gotten her a job as the backstage interviewer for EVOLVE (which was her request apparently). Sky informs the crowd that Dallas’ first acquisition is Chuck Taylor. Taylor says now that he has financial backing, after defeating Austin Aries he will be on top of the world. Taylor heads to the back as Sky and Dallas return ringside.

Adam Cole (2-1) vs. Ricochet (2-2)

Ricochet and Cole exchange headlocks. Ricochet does a little dancing as they regroup. Ricochet springboards into an armdrag. Ricochet takes Cole down with a headscissors. Ricochet 619’s him in the back. Cole dropkicks his legs out and gets two with La Magistral. Cole comes off the second rope with a leg lariat. Cole suplexes him for two. He tries a slam but gets two again. Cole hits him with a running elbow for two. Cole delivers a backbreaker for two. Ricochet hits a lariat to the back of his head for two. Ricochet kicks him in the spine for another two count. Ricochet nails him with an enzuigiri for yet another two count. Ricochet spins Cole out in a slam and hits a standing moonsault for two. Ricochet’s getting frustrated – why? You have plenty more tricks to dish out before hope’s lost. Ricochet Tiger walks Cole and hits a cannonball senton. Ricochet then connects with a doublestomp for two. Cole hits the Corona Kick. Cole lays in a few forearms. He and Ricochet block each others moves until Ricochet hits the Backslide Driver for two. Cole gives Ricochet a neckbreaker across his knee for two. Ricochet knee strikes Cole and tries a seatbelt pin for two. He rolls forward with a pin for two. Ricochet goes up top, but Cole catches him with a German suplex for two. Cole applies a Boston Crab. Ricochet escapes. He blocks a boot and hits a standing shooting star press for two. Cole and Ricochet trade forearms. Ricochet wheelbarrows up, and Cole catches him with a back cracker on the way down for two. Cole reapplies the Boston Crab. Ricochet escapes. He drops Cole on his face with a suplex. He superkicks Cole and drops him with the Burning Screwdriver for the pin at 14:37. This started of really wonky and it took these guys awhile to mesh. This ended fine, but took some time to get going. I was disappointed, considering how good both of these guys usually are. **3/4

Jimmy Jacobs (4-1) vs. Johnny Gargano (3-2)

Both men aggressively lock up. They criss-cross on the ropes and each look for a quick pinfall. Jacobs puts on a straight jacket choke. Gargano rolls out into a pin for two. Jacobs turns Gargano into a pin from a hammerlock. Jacobs chops Gargano after Gargano skins the cat. Jacobs tries to skin the cat but Gargano dropkicks him to the floor. Jacobs side steps a pescado, causing Gargano to crash into the floor. Jacobs stomps on Gargano on the apron. Gargano moves to evade an elbow drop and then suicide dives onto Jacobs. Jacobs places Gargano on the barricade and dives onto him. Both men fall into the crowd. Back in the ring, Jacobs comes off the top rope with a senton splash for two. Gargano fights off the Contra Code. He gives Jacobs an ace crusher. Gargano gives him a sole butt. Jacobs stomps Gargano down in the corner. Jacobs delivers a running knee while Gargano’s in the tree of woe. Gargano and Jacobs stand across from each other on opposite turnbuckles. They use the light structure in the ceiling, hanging from it and kicking each other. Jacobs kicks Gargano to the mat and comes at him with a flying clothesline. Gargano slingshot spears Jacobs, but Jacobs immediately puts on the End Time. Jacobs duck a superkick and spears Gargano. Gargano applies the End Time himself. Jacobs escapes and hits his own slingshot spear. Gargano kicks Jacobs in the face, but Jacobs fires up with a clothesline. Gargano fires up and hits a superkick. Both men lay on the mat recovering. Gargano drops Jacobs face first on the top rope and then lawn darts him. Jacobs rolls up Gargano to block the Hurts Donut. He gets a two count. Jacobs dives off the top rope and applies the End Time. Gargano escapes. Jacobs springboards into an ace crusher. He hits the Contra Code, but Gargano rolls through and gets the pin at 15:29. I liked both guys using each others’ moves to play mind games and to attempt to get an advantage. Like Fish’s match, the desperation and desire to win came through loud and clear and made the match seem very important. Real good stuff all around. ***1/4

Larry Dallas and Reby Sky come to celebrate with Gargano. Dallas announces Gargano as his second sponsored fighter. Jacobs grabs the mic and tells Dallas to shut up. Jacobs ask Dallas who he is. Jacobs puts down Dallas’ character. Dallas says he’s a different man than he was at the beginning of EVOLVE and offers his services to Jacobs. He leaves Sky with Jacobs as a token of gratitude. Jacobs claims she has herpes, which pisses Sky off. She grabs the mic and slaps Jacobs across the face. Jacobs blocks a second slap and spanks her multiple times. Jacobs leaves as Dallas consoles Sky. They, along with Gargano, head to the back with their bodyguard (who did a crummy jobs guarding Sky come to think of it).

Moxley is backstage muttering to himself about Homicide breaking the rules and feeling good in general. He even staples his leg to make sure he can still feel and bends his finger back with a pair of pliers. He calls himself indestructible and then leaves the room. Well that was just bizarre.

Austin Aries (0-0) vs. Chuck Taylor (4-1)

Aries attempts to school Taylor on the mat, but Taylor gets control for a bit. Back on their feet, Taylor gets in a pair of armdrags and a dropkick. Taylor fails to knock him down with a shoulder block, and Aries instructs him to go to the gym. A flying shoulder block does the trick, and Taylor does some push-ups to show off. Aries runs from corner to corner to tire him out. Taylor pops out of a headscissors with a dropkick. Aries pitches Taylor to the floor and hits the Heat Seeking Missile. Aries strikes Taylor around the ringside area. Taylor puts on a sweatshirt to try and soften Aries’ blows. Aries slingshots into a double axe handle on the ring apron for two. Aries takes Taylor’s sweatshirt off. Aries drops a leaping elbow for two. Aries puts on a modified Stump Puller. He rolls back for a two count. Aries dropkicks Taylor in the back of the head for two. Aries hits the powerdrive elbow for two. Taylor rolls to the floor and trips Aries on the ring apron. Taylor focuses his attack on Aries’ legs. Aries blocks the Awful Waffle so Taylor places him on the top turnbuckle. He goes for a baseball slide. Aries sits up so that Taylor crotches himself on the ring post. Aries comes out of the corner with an ace crusher. Aries throws Taylor into the corner and slingshots in with an elbow. He hits a bulldog and transitions into the Last Chancery. Taylor frees himself. Aries gives Taylor a neckbreaker on the second rope. Aries gives Taylor a double axe handle in the crowd. Aries throws Taylor back into the ring and hits a missile dropkick. Taylor blocks the IED by hitting a big boot for two. Taylor hits two quebrada’s for two. Taylor turns a spinebuster into a jackknife pin for two. Taylor drops him with a DDT. Aries rolls out of the way of a 450 from Chuck. Taylor hits the IED. Aries blocks the Awful Waffle with a shin breaker into a suplex. Aries hits the IED for two. Taylor crotches Aries on the top rope. Taylor hits a super Sole Food. Aries comes back with a brainbuster. He puts on the Last Chancery and Taylor taps out at 22:18. The story of Aries underestimating Taylor as being “just a poor college student” made for an interesting dynamic. You could see Aries’ intensity pick up during the match as realized just how much he underestimated Taylor. Taylor threw Aries’ insults in his face by using some of his own moves. Really solid action put together with a good story made this a very good way to end the show. ***1/2

He says since Taylor dislocated his shoulder and went far in the match, and because of it has earned Aries’ respect. He predicts Taylor will go far in professional wrestling.

Backstage, Homicide shows Adam Cole the bloody fork he used on Moxley earlier. Drake Younger asks Homicide to get some drinks since they had a rough night at the office. Younger turns down Homicide’s request to bring Cole along. Cole wonders if he even belongs in EVOLVE.

Johnny Gargano is backstage. Silas Young approaches him angry. Back at the first show, Gargano asked Young to go out for “just one drink”, but that one drink set him back on the path for alcoholism for 10 months. Young says he’s going to take out the aggression he has on Gargano in the ring.

Bonus Content

“Munenori Sawa: Lost in NYC” – This is a video of Munenori Sawa being lost in the city of New York and being attacked some of the monsters from Kaiju Big Battel. It’s bizzare and wildly entertaining. Sawa is the man. I wish he could be Stateside more often.

The 411: Even though this is EVOLVE's weakest show so far, I give it a recommendation still. The final two matches were strong and the build up to both made them seem important. There was lots of good action in the mid-card with many promising wrestlers making an impact. Unfortunately, EVOLVE wouldn't have another show for five months after this and most of the story progression would be forgotten. Needless to say, EVOLVE 6 is a fun show that progresses the EVOLVE mantra well. Keeping that progression going forward seems to be the bigger issue.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]