wrestling / Columns
Stevenson’s EVOLVE 62 Thoughts
Image Credit: EVOLVE
Loading...EVOLVE 62 was yet another enjoyable outing from WWN’s flagship promotion- perhaps a shade beneath the quality of their best events, but considering it featured two ****+ matches, an impressive diversity of wrestling styles, and a hugely anticipated, significant main event, it says more about the quality of their other iPPVs that this could in any way be considered a lesser effort. And, hey, I’m writing this at 4:45am in the UK, so maybe I’m just a bit tired and unappreciative. Certainly any company that can make me stay up all night to watch pro wrestling is doing something right, because I’m really enthusiastic about sleeping.
Fred Yehi and Anthony Nese opened the show with a really likeable match. Yehi continues to look one of the most exciting prospects on the independent scene, and at times during this bout his offense was both unusual and vicious, as he hacked away at Nese’s knee and ankle and even feet. Nese wasn’t super interested in selling the damage but the way Yehi inflicted it was interesting enough that it didn’t feel like a waste of time, especially because the match eventually built to a hot, strike heavy finishing stretch. The right man won as well, with Yehi tapping Nese with the Koji Clutch. Post match, Nese cut a promo in which he lamented the poor run of form he had been on. His solution for climbing out of this hole was to dissolve the Valifornia stable and enter himself into the Cruiserweight Classic flashpoint. It could work!
Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page had no right to be anything, and so I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be something! When Ethan Page military pressed Allin over the top rope and Allin ricocheted wildly off the ring post on his way down, it became apparent that this would exceed expectations. That happened early in the match and understandably the rest of the action couldn’t live up to that spot, but it was still a decent battle. Darby Allin’s oddball gimmick is pretty unconvincing, but much of his offense is really exciting and graceful, and I’d be happy to see him get some more chances.
Matt Riddle vs. Cedric Alexander just kicked ass. It’s a testament to how well Riddle has been booked that he clamped on an armbar about three minutes in and I was pretty convincd the match was over. Happily, it wasn’t- there were still a good few minutes worth of bombs to be thrown, of dazzling, high impact suplexes and intense, meaningful strikes. Alexander looks a good addition to the Evolve roster, but the real story, as it so often is, is Matt Riddle and his ascent into being one of the best pro wrestlers on the continent. He exudes personality, his moveset is perfect, and his selling is really great as well- he has a habit of springing off the mat when he’s driven into it, and it makes whatever move he’s taking look so nasty. He has great matches against pretty much everyone, and could offer something to the WWE roster right this minute; we should appreciate him on the independents while we still can.
Catch Point vs. The Bravado Brothers felt, for much of its run time, like a come down match at a point in the show in which a come down match wasn’t really needed. It was a tag team bout that decided it didn’t need the face in peril/hot tag formula, with everyone tagging in and out roughly as they pleased. It kind of made the match feel like it lacked direction, as if it was a series of moves strung together in a roughly coherent order. There was some fun tag team wrestling in places though, and the finishing stretch was strong enough to earn the match a slightly generous “this is awesome!” chant from the crowd. The Bravados’ dives to the floor are indeed pretty awesome and wild looking, and there were some genuinely believable near falls as well, which is no mean feat in a match where Catch Point were the clear favourites. Eventually the bout started to drag, the 2.999 kick outs falling into a pattern of diminishing returns, and by the time Williams had finally put Lancelot away with a DDT off the turnbuckles, I felt like we’d seen quite an inconsistent, up and down match. The live crowd seemed more into it than I was though, so maybe you will be too! After the victory, Drew Gulak needled Timothy Thatcher over the fact that Gulak is currently sleeping with his title belt, and reminded him that he owes every one of Catch Point a title shot. Thatcher came out to reassure the stable that they’d all get their shot, but that they all needed to leave his ring, because he had to contend with Chris Hero. Cue Chris Hero, who came out and was rather condescending to Catch Point, branding them kids and demanding they get out of the ring. Drew Gulak said he would allow the match to happen “in the spirit of competition,” and with that, our next match was underway!
Timothy Thatcher vs. Chris Hero was a slow burner, but turned out to be immensely rewarding. Thatcher is terrific at conveying a kind of grizzled vulnerability, at being this treble tough guy who has been utterly exhausted by the world and is nearing his breaking point. Chris Hero pushed him further and further towards it with a bullying performance, pummelling him around the ring and out onto the floor with precise, methodical strikes. Thatcher was able to summon enough mojo to fire back some strikes and briefly get Hero in an arm bar, but Hero quickly made the ropes and then got a Gotch piledriver out of nowhere. Thatcher kicked out at two, but the look on his face was so tremendously expressive; he looked like he couldn’t breathe and was genuinely scared. This was all building up to a fighting spirit (!!!!!!!) sequence that had proper emotion behind it, and then some utterly engrossing near falls. Hero clattered Thatcher with a brutal headbutt that managed to get two and three quarters before Thatcher just inched his shoulder off the canvas, seemingly spent both physically and emotionally. But, with one last heroic rally, Thatcher seized an armbar and simply refused to let go, eventually forcing Hero to tap out. It was an excellent, emotional match, and felt like a legitimate redemption for Thatcher. His 2016 has been well below par by his own lofty standards, but this was a reminder of why he’s among the best wrestlers in the world on his day. Catch Point resurfaced post match to stake their claims for title shots, with Thatcher agreeing to defend against Williams the very next night at Evolve 63. Matt Riddle crossed a line by branding Thatcher “trash,” and their third match together should prove rather heated.
And so to the main event- Drew Galloway & Ethan Carter III vs. Johnny Gargano and TJP in a Street Fight. This match was very much unsanctioned, and as such Ethan Carter IIO punched the referee in the face within seconds of the bell. The match then quickly spilled into the crowd, through the bar area, and into the outside world, where everyone threw each other into lamp posts while bemused pedestrians tried to comprehend what was happening. This was completely great, wild and a bit silly and so much fun. I love pro wrestling matches that go outdoors, because they kind of shouldn’t? In the confines of an arena, the baffling rules and customs of pro wrestling vaguely make sense, but when you take it to the streets, you wonder why these people aren’t being arrested for committing such violent acts against each other. But I like that, I like the occasional reminder of the delightful ridiculousness of pro wrestling, and I admire the balls it takes to break the fourth wall so spectacularly. Once the match returned to the ring it became a much more ordinary tag match, which was a shame, but it was still good fun to watch. The dynamic was dead on- Galloway and Carter were obnoxious, oversized pricks, and Galloway and TJP came off like proper heroes, valiantly defending Evolve’s honour. There was a really exciting sequence where Gargano cinched Galloway in the Garga-No Escape, and TJP desperately kept Carter at bay by peppering him with kicks, before transitioning him into an ankle lock. It really felt like that was it, but Carter fought through the pain to rake Gargano’s eyes and save the match. And there was more drama to come! TJP was powerbombed through a table, which concerned Drew Gulak enough to come and check on him. Chris Hero came out, attacked him, and did the same to Gargano and Perkins! Carter spiked Perkins with the One Percenter to secure an academic victory. Post match, Drew and Ethan crowed about their victory, their cause, their addition of Chris Hero to their ranks, and suggested that Cody Rhodes would be joining them come August. Ethan Page tried to disrupt them but was immediately dropped with the FutureShock. Carter then decided to plug Slammiversary, which was apparently such a cardinal sin that EVOLVE had to cut the stream immediately. This wasn’t their usual technical gremlins either, it seemed to happen to everybody. It felt a bit of a goofy way to end the show, because I don’t think anyone believes Carter would say anything that genuinely upset WWE or Evolve management, but it was a nice idea in theory.
MATCH RESULTS/RATINGS
Fred Yehi d. Anthony Nese- ***
Ethan Page d. Darby Allin- *** 1/4
Matt Riddle d. Cedric Alexander- ****
Catch Point d. The Bravado Brothers to retain the EVOLVE Tag Team Championships- ** 3/4
Timothy Thatcher d. Chris Hero to retain the EVOLVE Championship- **** 1/4
Drew Galloway & Ethan Carter III d. Johnny Gargano & TJP in an Unsanctioned Street Fight- *** 1/2
