WWN Live-Evolve, I-ppv's

[Boon]

Probably seems a silly question, but want to order both Evolve shows this weekend, I saw on Twitter you could get a Freelance show free also, how do I go about that?

 

Getting the free show that is..

[soup23]

Freelance show is going to be streamed on their youtube channel. You don't have to buy the Evolve show to watch Freelance.

[Boon]

Freelance show is going to be streamed on their youtube channel. You don't have to buy the Evolve show to watch Freelance.

Perfect, thank you.

[Luchaundead]

Didn't freelance do this last time as well? Rude Boy Riley in the title main he is quickly becoming one of my boys he's very crisp and very verstile.

[Boon]

Pumped for this weekend shows, both cards are stacked. Ordered both shows and really looking forward to watching these over the next couple of days. With the Cruiserweight Classic qualifiers, this seems like a real break out weekend for Evolve.

[...TG]

Matt Riddle with another gem tonight against Anthony Nese. He's insanely good for having like, 10 matches under his belt.

[...TG]

Johnny Gargano and Marty Scurll just had a great match. I was not impressed with Scurrll in Dallas but he looked great tonight. That finger breaking spot he does is great, and gross.

[...TG]

The Zach Sabre Jr. v Chris Hero rematch was amazing, thought it was better than their match in Dallas.

 

And the TJP/Yehi v Williams/Gulak tag titles match was great too. Evolve is on fire right now, can't wait for tomorrow night.

[Phil Schneider]

Posted my live thoughts over at SC

 

http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2016/05/evolve-60-live-thoughts.html

 

Fervently disagree about Gargano v. Scrull, thought it was the worst match live, indy wrestling at is most indy wrestling

[...TG]

Another great show! The Yehi/TJP and Williams/Gulak matches were both pretty great, and will probably be up on WWE.com soon.

 

 

The show closing angle was wild - you've got the TNA champ and another of their top stars feuding with a part-time WWE worker in a promotion partially funded by WWE. Strange times we live in.

 

[Grimmas]

Greatest twitter exchange ever?

Gabe Sapolsky ‏@BookItGabe 44m44 minutes ago

I want to make it clear we do not condone with EC3 said. However, we are going to let the wrestlers handle this in the ring.

Drew Gulak ‏@DrewGulak 36m36 minutes ago

@BookItGabe you built a Cage of Death before, right?

Gabe Sapolsky‏@BookItGabe

@DrewGulak Zandig built it. With his hands.

 

Drew Gulak ‏@DrewGulak 25s25 seconds ago

@BookItGabe oh good cause we're friends on Facebook. Say the word.

[Luchaundead]

I love Gulak

[Boon]

Finished up this weekends show and both were great. Some random thoughts...

 

- Marty Scrull is awesome at his gimmick as "The Villian". All the little bits he adds to the match from the eye poking to the finger break are all great and adds to his character. Both his matches this weekend were great, with the Zabre match edging it over Gargano for me. Great to see him get a title shot at the July show.

 

- I'll have to agree with what everyone is saying about Fred Yehi and Lio Rush on Twitter, both are great youngster, and I think would make an awesome super team down the road. Yehi is just punishing in everything he does, and always looks for the stomp to break up play. I saw somewhere someone describe Rush as someone who should be one of thebest flyers in the business by the end of the year and I'd have to agree.

 

- The Zack Sabre Jr booking is just intriguing me more and more, he completed his best in the World Series, but hit a wall in the last two matches and then again this week after all the hype. I can see a frustration storyline set in where he leaves and returns down the road, it reminds me a lot of the Danielson story before he left to return and beat Gibson for the title. I could see Zabre going away for a few months to really become the best in the world and coming back, overturning Hero finally and winning the world title from whoever is champion at the time. Zabre-Hero and Srcull both excellent matches.

 

- Moving onto the world title, Evolve have done a great job at lining up challengers for Thatcher when he returns, Hero, Riddle, Gulak and Scrull. I can see Thatcher coming out on top of redemption storyline with Catch Point and retaining against Hero and Scrull. To me like I said above, I fully see Zabre being the next champion, and quite happy for Thatcher to hold it until then. Although I'm not a great fan of different Catch Point members carrying the belt around.

 

- The closing angle was great, I've always been a fan of EC3 heel work in TNA from what I've seen, although I don't see it lasting long, but it's already given the Florida double shot a fantastic starting point and the Non-Sanction tag match should be blinding.

[soup23]

Evolve 60 thoughts

 

Lio Rush vs. Caleb Konley

 

Good high impact opener. I seem to like Caleb more than most and thought he did good here feeding for Lio when necessary and keeping up the tempo of the match. I kind of like Lio in ROH more than EVOLVE as I think he fits their style better but he had an impressive showing here and this was a really good way to start the show off. ***1/4

 

Devastation Corporation vs. Bravado Brothers

 

This was my least favorite match of the night. I thought the Bravado's took way too much of the match and really didn't have the offense to look convincing in taking it to the much larger Devastation Corp. I sort off found it funny that Lenny Leonard announced Devastation Corp as one of the more decorated teams in chikara history and then proclaimed they had to impress EVOLVE management in a tryout to get a shot on the show. I don't know if they will be used in the future but they looked good enough here and my issues with the match revolved around the structure and me still not being high on the Bravado. **

 

Matt Riddle vs. Anthony Nese

If you ever need confirmation that Riddle already is one of the best wrestlers in the world, this is it. Nese is generic as they come and Riddle allowed him to have a compelling match with getting in his high spots that were timed perfectly along with the grappling and striking of Riddle. Riddle has an out of control nature where every match feels intriguing but yet the opponent doesn't lose their identity either. ***1/2

 

Marty Scrull vs. Johnny Gargano

 

It really feels like people either love or hate The Villain. I am still not buying him or his heel mannerisms and see them as appeasing the crowd too much. I think Hero in the main event did a much more dickish job at being the heel. This did have a lot of stuff I liked, but it also had a lot of stuff I didn't care for. The end result was a good match overall and probably one that many will enjoy more than me, but it felt uneven overall. ***

 

Ethan Page vs. Drew Galloway

 

Not really my bag. Page's angle of redemption has been interesting on screen but he doesn't have much of an identity inside the ring and fails to mesh well with certain people. i thought that was the case here as the story of the match wasn't conveyed to me and it just seemed like a match full of a collection of spots. **1/2

 

Drew Gulak/Tracy Williams vs. Fred Yehi/TJP

 

I am so in the bag for Catch Point it isn't funny. The biggest gaffe I have with EVOLVE booking right now is with Stokley Hathaway's involvement with Catch Point. I thought Catch Point was on their way to an interesting fight club type dynamic where they face each other a lot but remain a part of the stable when all is said and done. i find it very interesting if they won the championship and just kept rotating through each other with the other members vying as gatekeepers keeping the challengers out of contention. Unfortunately, it looks like we are going with a more traditional split with Stokley recruiting TJP and Riddle. This match has gotten good reviews but I thought it was fantastic. It had a relentless pace and really had so many little touches that put it over the top. All of the Catch Point guys have amazing chemistry with each other. Stuff like Yehi stepping on the heel, Gulak doing the slam into the ropes, and then the finish that looks really clever and great on tape. I thought this was right on par with any tag match I have seen worldwide this year. ****1/2

 

Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

 

This really felt like the culmination of the feud with the progression and the uncertainty of Hero as WWN gets more involved with WWE. However, it a great piece of booking, this was simply the next chapter in the best in ring feud of the past year. Sabre is able to beat everyone except his main nemesis. Hero knows this and acts like a dick and bully to him at all costs. It works for me psychology wise that he isn't as aggressive as why should he be. Hero thinks he can afford to clown around and still come out on top. I liked the way that Sabre was able to gain the advantage with his soccer kick and his selling of the neck was top notch throughout. The final tombstone blow by Hero was disgusting. The Mercury Rising match is my current MOTY and this was only a shade below that one IMO and a great chapter in the feud. ****1/4

 

This show built wonderfully and the last two matches were tremendous. EVOLVE keeps on rolling.

[soup23]

EVOLVE 61

 

Lio Rush vs. Matt Riddle

 

I understand the thought of having Riddle rush through Rush here, but it felt a bit too brief for my liking considering Nese got in more offense the night before and I would expect Rush and Nese to be pretty evenly matched based on presentation and that Rush just beat Nese’s former partner. Also, the ending looked a little awkward. I was really anticipating this and thought it could have used a few more minutes to develop. *1/2

 

Bravado Brothers vs Chris Dickenson/Ethan Page

 

Woof, of the four guys in this match, only Page is someone I find tolerable. The match was about as good as it could have been but again I fail to see anything in the Bravado’s and think they don’t let the match work to a natural structure and are too quick to use flashy moves that don’t look as smooth as I would hope. Dan Barry comes out afterwards. This talent grouping is consistently the low point for me in watching Evolve shows. **1/2

 

TJP vs. Fred Yehi

 

I was interested in how well this match would gel simply because I see both guys as being the contrasting style to offset their opponent. It is a testament to both that they had an organic match that was distinctively characteristic of both Yehi and TJP. The bell ringing was a bit of a buzzkill but they covered for that gaffe nicely and it was good to see TJP win it with the 450 splash which is a rare type move he busts out in WWN making the win feel special and giving Yehi some credibility. Yehi has done really well for himself in getting over with the crowd given his dismal win/loss record. Time for him to start at the bottom and pick up some wins as he rises up the ranks. ****

 

Tracy Williams vs. Drew Gulak

 

Tough not to META think this match but it is amazing that these guys had an amazing tag in Baltimore, worked a matinee in another city with two fun matches and then came out here and absolutely killed it in a match that will likely get them more eyeballs than they have ever had before. This is my current MOTY now and the culmination of what the Catch Point style is trying to achieve up to this point. The gradual progression of everything from the wrestling to the power moves and submissions was amazingly conveyed. I thought the facials in particular were fantastic. Gulak has this deeply intensified look throughout the match that really could toe the line into being goofy but it feels believable here. The grimacing and struggle during the crossface segment was incredibly engaging. This match soaked me in and really stood out even while watching 8 hours of wrestling throughout the day. I also thought the crowd really was engaged by the work and playing to the crowd that the workers did do in certain moments. I am still a big Thatcher fan but I do think these two have passed him by in that regard and this type of match is the apex of that. Gulak’s dragon sleeper is really becoming a deadly submission that can be hit out of anywhere and looks amazing. Wonderful stuff. ****3/4

 

Marty Scurll vs. Zack Sabre Jr

 

These guys have a tough act to follow. Remember how I mentioned right before this that Gulak did good not to overshoot his facials into unbelievable territory. Out comes the Villain that all goes by the wayside. A very good match but one that was hindered from being great due to Scurll’s tendencies and it being pretty bloated overall. There was still a ton of nice work involved even from marty when he is doing the actual mechanics of the match. Sabre never falls to get me to audibly say “ohhhh” once per match and he did it here with some of his armbar attempts while he was elevated by Marty. Afterward, we get more development with the EVOLVE title and I am ready for some resolution there. Also, I like Sabre only being beat by Hero and think him losing here lessens the previous night to a degree. ***3/4

 

Drew Galloway vs. Johnny Gargano

 

Actually a really good match too. Hate filled style brawls is not something I associate with Gargano but he did well here making the hate feel palpable. Galloway does a really good job at being the glue for a lot of these matches and while his offense isn’t the most flashy, it is really effective and helps benefit the matches he is in. I am optimistic (maybe the only one) about ROH ending angle so I will be the same way about the stuff going on here. In some ways the feel similar in that I don’t think Catch Point are good guys to be foils to the TNA invasion in the same way I don’t think Lethal is in ROH. EC3 does his shooty promo and this looks like a big direction for the promotion going forward. ***1/2

Another good show for EVOLVE with my current MOTY. This promotion keeps rolling.

[Dylan Waco]

I need to rewatch Williams v. Gulak. In real time I loved it, but the feed was wonky so it was very stop/start. As a result I thought it was kind of co-MOTY with Yehi v. TJP, but on replay I might end up liking it more.

 

I will defend the Riddle v. Rush match. I thought it was very similar to the great Yehi v. Riddle sprint from Evolve 54, in that the smaller upstart took a bunch of a short match making him look credible, but then was convincingly put away. I would have been fine with a longer match but only if it had been a complete mauling by Riddle with Rush working underneath on the front end. I actually think you can make the argument that Rush looks better losing a quick match he had in control on a flash (but definitive) finish, than getting his ass kicked for a ten or fifteen minutes, working a couple of comebacks, and then getting beat down. I completely reject any argument that the match should have been worked even as it undermines Riddle, and Rush isn't even a full time Evolve guy.

[shoe]

Cedric Alexander getting added to the mix freshens up the cards.

[WingedEagle]

Hoping I get the chance to catch the 2 new shows some time this week as its seems like Evolve has been on a nice run.

 

I'm dying to go to a show when they're in the NY area but their buildings are a bit tougher sell to the wife than MSG.

[soup23]

Evolve 62 is already looking really nice. I don't really like the Bravado's but am interested to see what Catch Point can get out of them. Hero vs. Thatcher could be a title change. We also get the TNA/WWN drama unfolding in what hopefully will be a chaotic scene. Add something like Cedric vs. Yehi and a couple of other matches to round out the card, and you have another winner.

[Boon]

Hero vs. Thatcher could be a title change.

Then Zabre finally defeats Hero and takes the title, it all falls into place.

 

Starting to sound obsessed with my theory now. But I agree, These two shows already looked stacked. EC 3 open challenge also sounds great, Catch Point title defence can't be anything but great.

[Luchaundead]

Evolve 62 is already looking really nice. I don't really like the Bravado's but am interested to see what Catch Point can get out of them. Hero vs. Thatcher could be a title change. We also get the TNA/WWN drama unfolding in what hopefully will be a chaotic scene. Add something like Cedric vs. Yehi and a couple of other matches to round out the card, and you have another winner.

I was on the same page as you on Bravados originally, they seemed like a bad Young Bucks knock off so I thought Young Bucks are bad enough but, now since their return I am really enjoying them as they seem to really have their own unique style and are damn fine in-ring works.

 

I'm happy to see all my recent bitching about Cedric's placement in ROH is paying off with him getting a big return to Evolve. If we do get Ced v Yehi I really hope it doesn't lead to Ced just being another member of Catch Point. What would actually be nice is if, to make Ced seem special, he refuses an offer to join Catch Point.

[oldbirds]

First exposure to Evolve and Gulak, a name I recognized from some lists on this board. Thought he was just on another level than everyone else, specially when it comes to facial expressions, how smooth every move looks, and the pace/layout of the match.

[WingedEagle]

First exposure to Evolve and Gulak, a name I recognized from some lists on this board. Thought he was just on another level than everyone else, specially when it comes to facial expressions, how smooth every move looks, and the pace/layout of the match.

 

I've watched all of 60 other than the main event but very much agree with this, and its consistent with what I've previously seen from Evolve. He stands out as a legit natural who's a step ahead of everyone else on timing, transitions and an incredible smoothness whether working holds, spots, selling and just as impressively flowing between them.

[Troy]

Six best EVOLVE shows?

 

Go.

[WingedEagle]

I'm about ready to tap on ZSJ. His selling is much too limited and brief to mean anything over the course of a match, and while I'm not someone who demands stiffness on offense, his looks so weak that its difficult to take seriously. He moves very well and is pretty quick for someone you wouldn't define as fast, but almost every single outing of his is underwhelming, even against opposition I love. Just not connecting on any level.