EVOLVE 58 Review

EVOLVE 58
April 1st 2016

-From Dallas, TX. Lenny Leonard and Rob Naylor do an in-ring introduction announcing that this is the highest attended EVOLVE show in history. Ah, the wonders of getting into business with WWE.

EVOLVE Tag Team Championship:
Johnny Gargano and Drew Galloway (c) vs. The Premier Athlete Brand (Anthony Nese and Caleb Konley, with So Cal Val and Andrea)
Drew Galloway rallies the troops with a promo putting over EVOLVE for his life after WWE. Gargano surprises Drew and the fans by bringing out Kota Ibushi for their corner. Apparently, if Nese and Conley lose, they can never team up again. The PAB kick things off with a good old fashioned cheap shot from behind. Galloway catches Konley in a dive and slams him on the apron. Nese cartwheels over Drew but gets caught by Johnny's tope. Gargano goes on a chopping spree and nearly finishes Nese with an Ace Cutter. Gargano gets isolated and plays a nice face in peril. Drew gets a hot tag and gets to play a big man role, plowing through Nese and Konley. The match breaks down, and Konley blocks Gargano's spear, leaving him in a draping position for Nese's flying crossbody! Konley gets caught with stereo enziguris on the top rope and sets Drew in a tree of woe. Drew sits up and powerbombs Konley off the top! DDT by a sneaky Johnny earns a 2 count and "This is awesome" chant. All four men trade super kicks and near falls for a standing ovation. The PAB hit a nasty neckbreaker combo but Gargano implausibly kicks out. Nese prepares to use string, but Ethan Page runs in to neutralize him. Konley powerbombs Galloway into the buckles and drops Gargano onto him. Galloway uses a wheelbarrow suplex to set Konley up for the GargaNo Escape for the apparent submission, but the ref isn't calling for the bell at 13:01. The fans chant "this ref sucks" while the match is award to Gargano and Galloway after all. That confusing finish hurt what had been a tight spot-fest, ***.
Winners and still EVOLVE Tag Team Champions: Drew Galloway and Johnny Gargano

EVOLVE 39

March 26, 2015

-From San Jose, CA. This is a part of the WWNLive Experience at Wrestlecon, which took place over Wrestlemania 31 weekend. Our host is Lenny Leonard.

-Before the opening contest, Drew Gulak asks for a chance to speak. He says that professional wrestling as a business that has lost sight that what really matters is winning matches. He wants to make wrestling real enough so you can feel it.

Timothy Thatcher vs. Drew Gulak

They kick things off with a technical wrestling clinic. Both guys are decked out in black tights, making this a true “no nonsense” affair. Leonard on commentary provides a nice backstory that this is the fourth encounter between these two on WWNLive programming, and Gulak has won every time. Gulak scores the first big power move with a German suplex. The crowd has been quiet, but attentive, making for a unique viewing experience. Thatcher escapes an arm breaker and applies a Fujiwar armbar, but a rope break stops a finish. Thatcher saves himself from an ankle lock and begins to sell frustration. A judo throw sets up another arm breaker for Thatcher. Gulak escapes and wraps himself into a Figure Seven ankle lock. Thatcher reverses, nails a judo throw, and stomps the wrist to set up a Kimura. Snap suplex by Thatcher gets a 1 count, so he goes back to the cross arm breaker. Gulak slaps the back to break, but Thatcher blocks a submission to muscle him up for a hard back bump. Dead lift suplex by Thatcher, followed by uppercuts, changes the tone of the contest. Gulak scores a flying forearm for 2. Thatcher reverses an ankle lock, but Gulak does the same. Gulak blocks the Kimura and rolls Thatcher into a crucifix pin for the win at 13:09. Just tremendous professional wrestling by two rising stars, ****.
Winner: Drew Gulak

EVOLVE 36

EVOLVE 36
January 9th 2015

-It’s become a New Year’s tradition for me to try to get back on board with the good folks at WWNLive. Here we go again.

-From Ybor City, FL. Our hosts are Lenny Leonard and someone who’s name I couldn’t catch over Johnny Gargano’s music.

-New Open the Freedom Gate Champion Johnny Gargano comes to the ring to talk. He recently reclaimed his coveted Freedom Gate title during WWNLive’s uber-successful tour of China. Gargano thanks the fans for their support throughout 2014 and helping them put on the best wrestling in the world. Gargano puts over the young, hungry locker room but states that he wants more fresh talent to join the WWNLive family. Therefore, members of the official roster will have the chance to endorse new wrestlers for opportunities. FIP Champion Rich Swann joins Gargano in the ring and reminisces about how they climbed to the top together as part of RONIN and as rivals. Since Gargano’s scheduled opponent is out, Swann endorses Shane Strickland as the replacement. Gargano is open to giving a title shot to the unproven challenger.

DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Championship:
Johnny Gargano © vs. Shane Strickland

They feel each other out with some chain wrestling and Gargano wins the exchange. Gargano gets the upper hand in a Roman-Greco knuckle lock and applies a crossface variation. Gargano throws some nice knife edge chops, which wakes Strickland up to maneuver into a drop-kick. They tease dives, but Strickland kicks Johnny in the face and lands a flying cross body for 2. Strickland repays the chops and nails a “brain kick.” Gargano catches Strickland on the turnbuckles and hits a backstabber. Gargano applies a modified cloverleaf and wrenches the fingers. Strickland looks shaken as he absorbs jabs and chops. They block suplexes and trade stiff shots until Shane rolls into an Ace Crusher! Gargano counters with a double stomp to the head, but Strickland SWERVES with a gut-buster for 2. Gargano avoids a moonsault on the floor and nails a suicide dive! Shane counters with a twisting slam for another 2 count. They trade more stiff offense until Strickland nails a DDT off the turnbuckles. Gargano gets his knees up on Strickland’s Red Arrow, but Shane still makes the cover. Strickland springboards into a super-kick and Gargano lawn darts him into the turnbuckles. The GargaNO Escape ends it at 14:25. Fun match with an appealing story, though a tad INDIE-RIFFIC, ***.
Winner and still DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Champion: Johnny Gargano