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Csonka’s Evolve 74 Review 12.10.16
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Csonka’s Evolve 74 Review 12.10.16
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Drew Gulak defeated Jaka @ 17:10 via submission [***½]
– DUSTIN defeated Chris Dickinson @ 11:00 via pin [***]
– Cage defeated Darby Allin @ 8:10 via countout [***]
– Cody defeated Ethan Page @ 14:15 via pin [**]
– Jeff Cobb defeated Matt Riddle @ 9:15 via pin [***½]
– Evolve Tag team Title Match: Champions Tracy Williams & Fred Yehi defeated Ricochet & Peter Kaasa @ 25:35 via submission [****½]
– Dick Togo defeated Chris Hero @ 19:05 via pin [****]
Drew Gulak vs. Jaka: Jaka attacked at the bell, looking to grapple with Gulak. Not the best of ideas really. Gulak quickly turned the tide, taking Jaka down and isolating the arm. Jaka back to his feet, they work to the corner and go back and forth for a bit. Off the ropes, shoulder blocks by Jaka as we’re largely at a stalemate. Gulak gets aggressive working strikes, hits a clothesline and then grounds Jaka with the side headlock. Jaka works to his feet, but Gulak maintains control. Jaka looks to work for an arm bar; Gulak escapes and lays the boots to Jaka. Jaka fires back with a head butt, Gulak goes into defensive mode and gets the ropes. Jaka hits a suplex, covers for 2 and then works a chinlock. Gulak escapes with strikes, but then fires away with chops and, knee strikes and rights. Gulak escapes and sends Jaka to the floor and hits a suicide dive. Back in they go, and Jaka lands stiff strikes and has control. Gulak finally works forearms, up top and hits a big lariat for 2. Chops and a big boot by Gulak follow, both guys fire up and trade big strikes, with Jaka hitting a rolling kick for 2. The crowd is into the back and forth, neck breaker by Gulak gets 2 and then looks for and get the dragon sleeper. Jaka struggles, and makes the ropes. Gulak then sends Jaka to the corner, but Jaka brings him up top and teases a suplex but Gulak counters out, hitting a superplex for the double down. Gulak then looks for the ankle lock, countered and Jaka hits the sitout powerbomb for 2. Gulak avoids a jumping spin kick and then hits the brainbuster for a near fall. Gulak calls Jaka to his feet, they trade strikes and slaps, Gulak finally gets the dragon sleeper and Jaka has to tap. Drew Gulak defeated Jaka @ 17:10 via submission [***½] This was a very good opener, with Gulak giving Jaka a ton, and Jaka came away looking great in loss.
– Larry Dallas arrives to interview Gulak about the end of Catchpoint. Tracy Williams arrives after Gulak calls Catchpoint a failure. Williams says that Catchpoint is bigger than Gulak and he can’t end it just because he wants to do so. Dallas claims Williams is upset about being in Gulak’s protégé. Gulak pats Williams on the face after he says they are equals, Dallas continue to try and stir the pot and Williams bails.
DUSTIN vs. Chris Dickinson: They circle a bit and then lock up. Dickinson is more aggressive and hits a release German, sending DUSTIN to the floor. Dickinson works over DUSTIN in the corner, lays the boots to him and then lays in the chops. Dickinson hits a RANA off the ropes as he maintains control. Plancha by DUSTIN, up top but drops down and lands a kick, follows with a missile dropkick and works chops before raking the eyes. Eye poke by Dickinson to take control back. DUSTIN lays in some kicks; Dickinson laughs them off so DUSTIN rakes the eyes. DUSTIN tosses Dickinson to the floor, and then uses a shirt to choke out Dickinson. Back in the ring and Dickinson is not amused with DUSTIN, DUSTIN keeps trying to strike with him and largely fails. Belly to back suplex by Dickinson, who fires up and hits some corner clotheslines. Mounted rights follow, DUSTIN cuts him off but Dickinson connects with knee strikes. Soul food by DUSTIN, but Dickinson fights back, but DUSTIN hits a trio of DDTs for the near fall. DUSTIN then works a version of the Tazmission, but Dickinson escapes and then runs into a knee by DUSTIN. Big enziguri by Dickinson, and he hits the falcon arrow (HE DID THE DEAL) and follows with a death valley bomb for 2. Dickinson sets DUSTIN up top, lays in chops, forearms follow and then DUSTIN slips out and hits an awful waffle off the ropes for the win. HE DEAD. DUSTIN defeated Chris Dickinson @ 11:00 via pin [***] Good match overall, the story is that Dickinson is fighting for a contract this weekend and his work feels like that of a desperate man. This also felt like one of DUSTIN‘s better Evolve singles efforts.
Darby Allin vs. Cage: Allin attacked Cage during his entrance, and then back in the ring hit the coffin drop and ran wild early. Cage then took control, using his power game. Cage tossing tiny dudes around is always entertaining. Allin used his speed to escape and avoid more attacks, but Cage snagged him up and hit repeated back breakers. German suplexes by Cage followed, just rag dolling Allin before hitting a standing moonsault for 2. Cage continued to toss the little man around, missed a charge but then tossed Allin to the floor and into the barricade. Cage then hit the dead lift suplex into the ring for the near fall. Allin avoids the lariat; Cage catches him and curls him a few times. LARIOTO and repeated powerbombs by Cage end young Mr. Allin is down. Cage then press slams ALIN OVER THE BARRICADE ONTO THE STAGE FROM THE RING! He dead. Allin was counted out. Cage defeated Darby Allin @ 8:10 via countout [***] That was a hell of a spectacle; Allin vowed not to be pinned by Cage and this was another step in solidifying him as their ultimate underdog.
– Ethan Page came out to gloat, proud that he paid Cage to take out Allin. He then ran down Cody Rhodes, calling him a waste of money and calling his indie run the real American nightmare.
Cody vs. Ethan Page: Page only has one Gatekeeper with him as the other is injured. Cody gets “Too Sweet” chants, now that he’s Bullet Club. Page refused a handshake, we then got some stalling and ballyhoo, some double birds shot at each other and then they started to wrestle. Stalling verticals suplex by Cody hits, but Page cuts him off and hits a jackhammer, and then points at his ass. Ugh, badly done comedy time. It doesn’t play well when you’re attempting to make Page the company’s top heel. They thankfully moved past that as Page worked the heat, laying the boots to Cody. Cody fired up, but ran into the big boot; Page up top, hops back down and they go back and forth, trading strikes and kicks for the double down. They then traded strike forever center ring, Cody picked up the pace, but ran into a side slam for 2. Cody managed to hit an inverted DDT for a near fall, Page fought back with RKEGO, but Cody hits a flatliner to the corner. Moonsault press from Cody basically misses Page. Cody up top again, Page cut him off and hit the powerslam off the ropes for a near fall. And now a ref bump. Cross Rhodes by Cody, Cage arriv3es to attack Cody. Allin returns and gets tossed. Cody too sweets Allin and then tossed him onto Cage and the gatekeeper. Page got the phantom pin, low blow by Cody, cross Rhodes and he wins. Cody defeated Ethan Page @ 14:15 via pin [**] Easily the worst thing on the show, the match was lacking and I hated the overbooked finish. Welcome to Cody’s next 50 indie matches.
Matt Riddle vs. Jeff Cobb: Cobb is likely better known to many as “The Monster Matanza Cueto” in Lucha Underground. Riddle has a hell of a head of cabbage going these days. These two have worked on PWG & AAW to rave reviews. They did some basic back and forth, and then worked into grappling. Riddle got a takedown that surprised Cobb, Cobb then rag dolled Riddle a bit, but Riddle rolled for an arm bar try to cut off Cobb. Cob was an Olympic wrestler for Guam in 2004. Riddle then worked knee strikes and kicks, slowing the big man down and taking control with forearms. XLPLODER by Riddle, and then the standing senton follows for 2. Cobb finally caught a kick and suplexed Riddle across the ring. Big forearms by Cobb followed, more throws by Cobb followed and then a head butt. Snap suplex by Cobb gets 2, he then hits a dead lift gut wrench throw. Riddle then fired up with strikes and kicks, bro to sleep by Riddle into the jumping tombstone for the near fall. Hammer fists by Riddle into the bro mission, but Cobb rolls out, Riddle takes his back but Cobb slams him to the corner, and hits the tour of the islands for the surprising win. Jeff Cobb defeated Matt Riddle @ 9:15 via pin [***½] That was a very good match, with the surprising finish and also delivering a different Riddle match, in a good way, taking Riddle out of his comfort zone.
– Stoklely Hathaway arrives to praise Cobb and recruit him for his dream team. Hathaway offers him a spot on the dream team and a spot on the Evolve roster and promises to take care of him. Cobb tells Hathaway to tell Thatcher that he wants an Evolve title shot.
EVOLVE Tag Team Title Match: Champions Tracy Williams & Fred Yehi defend vs. Ricochet & Peter Kaasa:Williams and Kaasa to begin, Williams looked to ground the speedy big man. Nice pacing early, mostly basic stuff but they never allowed it to feel slow or lazy. Kaasa hit a suplex, but Williams worked the arm. Kaasa then sends Williams to the floor, tag to Ricochet, Yehi also tags in and quickly grounds Ricochet, declaring that Ricochet’s in big trouble. Super back and forth action from Yehi and Ricochet; Yehi makes the simplest things intense and important feeling. Ricochet picks up the pace, hitting the head scissors and a dropkick. Kaasa in now, hitting suplexes on Yehi and then the standing moonsault for 2. Ricochet then worked a series of double teams. Ricochet with kicks to the chest of Yehi before working a modified Gory special. Kaasa back in, more double teams on Yehi, but Yehi hits a lariat on Kaasa and tags Williams in. Williams and Kaasa traded chops, Williams cut him off before he could tag Ricochet back in. Yehi in to help Williams as they take the heat on Kaasa. Yehi worked the stump puller for a bit, Williams tags in and continues to ground Kaasa, hits the flapjack, he and Yehi continue to double team Kaasa, isolating him in their corner. Yehi works strikes until Kaasa hits a powerslam. Tag to Ricochet, but he’s cut off right away. He manages to pick up the pace, sends Yehi into Williams. Yehi counters the Regalplex, but Ricochet counters and finally hits it for the near fall Kaasa back in, it breaks down, double teams to Ricochet, shotgun dropkick by Yehi but Ricochet survives. Ricochet makes his own comeback, starts to run wild and then tags in Kaasa. They double-team Williams, but Yehi makes the save. Yehi sent to the floor by Kaasa, Kaasa then works over Williams, but is sent to the buckle. Ricochet returns, cutter to Williams, running shooting star follows but Yehi makes the save. Williams fires back on Ricochet with chops, Kaasa back in and misses the big elbow drop. Germans by Yehi on Kaasa, Ricochet back in and hits a knee strike to Yehi. Williams in, big break down into the signature move buffet and the crowd loves it. Kaasa hits a cross body, sending both he and Yehi to the floor. Ricochet and Williams go back and forth, with Williams turning Ricochet inside out with a suplex. Yehi works the guillotine on Kaasa, but he powers out into a northern lights suplex. Shooting star press by Ricochet for the near fall follows. William with the big DDT and Lariat to Ricochet. Kaasa back in, but Williams works the crossface. Kaasa misses the shooting star press, cross face by Williams, Yehi cuts off Ricochet and Kaasa taps. Champions Tracy Williams & Fred Yehi defeated Ricochet & Peter Kaasa @ 25:35 via submission [****½] Easily the best thing on the show so far; just when I thought they were going too long, they got the crowd into it big time and kept them until the end. I also feel that this was a showcase for Kaasa, he’s always had potential, but to me this Is the first time (in Evolve) he’s come off like a star, he looked great here. Great work from all involved. The champions earn a hard fought title defense, giving us some cause to care about the titles. I need to see Ricochet vs. Yehi now.
Dick Togo vs. Chris Hero: Togo looks like Gedo tonight, I hope he uses Memphis heel tactics. At 47, Togo is in great shape. Togo didn’t allow Hero to bully him, taking him to the ground. Hero then methodically out grappled Togo, getting to his feet and then they went back and forth, Hero eventually went after the leg, taking Togo down. Hero started to bend Togo’s ankle the wrong way, back to the feet and Togo tried shoulder block, which failed. They then traded kicks to the face, Hero hit another and then the running senton. To the floor they go, Hero abused Togo with some forearm strikes, back in and Hero maintained his control. After some streaming issues, Hero hitter rolling elbow, but Togo survived. Togo then got planted with the piledriver for a near fall. Togo then escaped the tombstone piledriver. Stuff piledriver by hero, Togo goes all Road Warrior Hawk and no sells it and head up top. They battled up top, Togo counters the elbow but hits the DDT of the ropes for the near fall. Togo then looks for a pedigree, escape, elbow, tombstone by Hero but Togo kicks out at two. The crowd loves Togo. Togo fired up one last time, shoots Hero the bird and then they go back and forth beating the shit out of each other. PEDIGREE by Togo! Hero kicks out at 1!Thre superkicks by Togo, pedigree and then Togo up top… big senton by Togo and that gets the win. Dick Togo defeated Chris Hero @ 19:05 via pin [****] This was excellent, Togo never allowed hero to settle in and bully him around, which he does to everyone else. Togo was great as the veteran who takes no shit and was out for one last great war before it is all finished. Pairing him with Hero, who is my most outstanding in ring performer of 2016, and has been having four-star matches with everyone and their mother. Seriously, I think he worked Judy Bagwell in Marietta, Georgia.
– Post match, Hero put over Togo and how happy the crowd should be to have seen him live. Hero is pure fucking class an also puts over the Evolve fans in attendance at La Boom. DUSTIN then arrived and said, “Chris Hero, fuck your 2016.” Hero slapped him and bailed.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
