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Csonka’s Reviews Free Matches With Johnny Gargano, Matt Riddle, Drew Galloway & More
Csonka’s Reviews Free Matches With Johnny Gargano, Matt Riddle, Drew Galloway & More
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– From EVOLVE 55: EVOLVE Tag Team Title Tournament Finals: Drew Galloway and Johnny Gargano defeated Chris Hero and Tommy End @ 25:54 via submission to become the first ever Evolve tag team champions [****]
– From EVOLVE 58: Marty Scurll defeated Fred Yehi @ 9:45 via submission [***½]
– From EVOLVE 55: Style Battle Tournament Finals: Matt Riddle defeated Tracy Williams @ 14:05 via submission [****¼]
EVOLVE Tag Team Title Tournament Finals: Chris Hero & Tommy End vs. Johnny Gargano & Drew Galloway: Hero and End jumped the gun and we’re underway as the match went right to the floor. This was an ass kicking session here, beating the hell out of each other and working into the crowd as the match spilled into the crowd. Galloway slammed End through a merch table, the action was a bit hard to follow at times due to the lighting. The good news is that the crowd was reacting well to the action. They went back ringside, with Galloway and Hero in the ring and exchanging forearms and kicks. End and Gargano then entered the battle, and had a big standoff with Hero demanding that they just fight. Hero and Galloway in particular were just opening up on each other with almost reckless abandon. It settled into a regular tag for a few minutes, but then broke down again to all four throwing big time strikes. Hero and End started to work over Gargano, but Galloway made the save and again traded with Hero. Galloway was able to use End as a weapon against Hero, but then ate their version of total elimination for a near fall. Hero and End got the heat on Galloway, working him over in their corner with forearms and kicks. Hero just bitch slapping Gargano to the floor during this amused me greatly. End and Hero did a good job here on the heat, keeping Galloway grounded while also keeping Gargano out of the equation. Galloway finally got the big tag to Gargano at about 14:00 in and he worked over Hero and started to get revenge after the multitude of bitch slaps he ate. Gargano sent Hero and End to the floor, Galloway about killed End with a tilt a whirl on the apron and then Gargano wiped out Hero with a cannonball off thee apron. Hero would counter the slingshot DDT into a dump suplex, End and Galloway back in and all four men battle with Hero and Galloway continuing to make this personal as they try to one up the other by delivering punishment to their opposition. Galloway and Hero teased piledrivers, and connected with them. They both made covers, but after the kick outs they continued their battle. Hero tossed Galloway, and he and End tried to finish Gargano, but Hero and End had miscommunication and they started to kick the shit out of each other! They eventually got on the same page and went back after Galloway and Gargano. We then got a big superkick/running kick/bicycle kick party from all four men, but neither team could keep the momentum. Galloway and Gargano fought back, and went for the lawn darts, and finally got them. Stereo future shock DDTs connected, but Hero and End survived. It got a little sloppy towards the end as they tried to put some double teams together, Hero and End hit their KO combo, but Gargano kicked out. End and hero had miscommunication again, with End kneeing Hero to the floor. Suicide dive into a tornado DDT by Gargano on Hero. Galloway with the Razor’s edge into the superkick in the corner, and then the spike tombstone on End, but he kicked out. Gargano then got the Gargano escape, but End escaped. Gargano and Galloway hit the superkick into the wheelbarrow into the Gargano escape and End had to tap. EVOLVE Tag Team Title Tournament Finals: Drew Galloway and Johnny Gargano defeated Chris Hero and Tommy End @ 25:54 via submission to become the first ever Evolve tag team champions [****] This was a great match, and a more than fitting main event and close to the tag title tournament. Hero & End were great as the heel foils, which was amplified by Gargano being one of the best babyfaces in all of wrestling. While it went over 25-minutes, it also never felt long. Just great work from all involved.
Fred Yehi vs. Marty Scurll: This was a good and energetic back and forth from both guys, it felt fresh and fun unlike the earlier stuff. Yehi took control, working chops, head butts and a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. Scurll then attacked the arm and shoulder of Yehi, which is being done to set up Scurll’s chicken wing for later. Scurll was a proper dick here, working uppercuts and then slapping around Yehi as he talked smack and then hit more uppercuts. They did some really nice things, playing off of each other’s signature stuff and either countering or coming up with fun ways to work around those spots. Scurll then attacked the hands of Yehi, did the faux finger break spot and then hit a sweet falcon arrow into the chicken wing and Yehi had to tap. Marty Scurll defeated Fred Yehi @ 9:45 via submission [***½] This was a very good and fun match, which felt fresher and a bit more inventive than the average EVOLVE match at the time. It’s a shame Scurll didn’t stick around, but he had some great matches in ROH & NJPW, which more than made up for it.
Matt Riddle vs. Tracy Williams: Catchpoint explodes here. Williams lost to Riddle prior to him joining Catchpoint. Gulak cuts a pre-match promo about his boys going to war for the Style Battle crown. He told them to make him proud and may the best man win. They slapped the shit out of each other to begin, and then Riddle went for an arm bar, and Williams had to get the ropes. Riddle then worked leg kicks, but when he got overly aggressing he missed a charge and spilled to the floor. Williams then hit a high cross from the top all the way to the floor, and almost ate the barricade. Back in and Williams jumped off, and ate a knee strike and Riddle hit a German with the bridge for 2. Deadlift gut wrench by Riddle followed that and he again laid in the kicks. Williams fired up as they slapped each other, big takedown by Riddle who then talked some trash. This allowed Williams to fight back and lock in his crossface but Riddle made the ropes. Williams ran wild with kicks and shotgun dropkicks, showing great fire. The pacing was good, as they worked a methodical style but never slowed it to a crawl. Riddle’s selling has also noticeable improved, partially because he’s had to do more, but also because he’s doing it well. They again were just beating the hell out of each other, and then Williams scored with the octopus hold. They dropped to the mat, with Williams keeping the hold, and Riddle finally getting the ropes. Riddle finally countered a German, dropped down and got a heel hook, but Williams countered into a heel hook of his own, which hasn’t been done to Riddle so far in Evolve. Williams again landed big strikes, including some brutal looking forearms, but it was not enough to defeat Riddle. They traded strikes, Riddle with a takedown and into a kimura try followed. Riddle on the ropes here, but Williams picked him up and hit the shoulder breaker for a near fall. Riddle then went all Memphis and hit a JUMPING TOMBSTONE and both men were down. They fought to their feet, and Williams hit a piledriver that riddle sold so well, almost RVD pop up style. Williams then worked into the crossface; Riddle fought to survive and as he almost had the ropes Williams just stomped on his head. Riddle fought back, slammed Williams to the corner and landed strikes as they worked up top and Riddle looked for the Fisherman’s buster. Williams countered, but then Riddle hit the dragon screw leg whip off the ropes and into the knee bar. Williams then started to kick Riddle in the face, but he wrenched in the hold even more and Williams had to tap. Matt Riddle defeated Tracy Williams @ 14:05 via submission [****¼] That was an great match, working the style perfectly and also serving as a star making performance for Riddle who had been rapidly improving. He went into deeper waters, showed that he can sell, that he can mix in the pro wrestling more and is becoming a more complete performer each time out. Williams had been great in the past and deserves a ton of credit for his work here, but Riddle has constantly improved and has even more importantly booked smartly and put in a position to succeed.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”