Hey folks, I could keep up the illusion that I am capable of keeping up with WWE programming at a pace good enough to write about it regularly, but that's just not true. There have been weeks I've had to skip RAW/Smackdown completely, much less have time to write about it.
Something I can control better is reviewing big shows I watch and want to write about as I go for them. This is much better-suited for when I actually have free time. So I'm not going to do a regular column following a specific program, but instead review whatever I want when I want, because this is mostly for my own enjoyment anyway.
This past weekend I finally got to watching EVOLVE 68 and 69 shows. I know that this weekend was also the weekend of EVOLVE 70 and 71 shows, so this is clearly out of date right away, but I'm a little behind on my wrestling watching.
EVOLVE has had an up-and-down year. On one hand, most of the in-ring content has been great. They've worked out something great with WWE that benefits both companies, allowing performers to work WWN shows and WWE shows at the same time. Some of the best matches you'll find all year are on EVOLVE cards.
On the other hand, the booking has been bad. Aside from the Gargano/Galloway feud that evolved into something more along the lines of NXT vs. TNA, there hasn't been much to be inspired about. The company seems to only actually focus on one feud on the time, so it's mostly wrestling for wrestling's sake. That's not necessarily bad, but it's killed plenty a match in the EVOLVE Championship and Tag Team Championship divisions. Championship matches suffer when there's no real heat between the competitors.
EVOLVE 68 and 69 have some of those problems, but the lack of championship matches allows them to avoid some of the biggest issues the company has had. Let's dive in, shall we?
EVOLVE 68
Fred Yehi def. Jigsaw
The opening match of the weekend was extremely my jam. Jigsaw is an underrated performer who deserves more love than he gets, and I'm excited for him to be back with EVOLVE. Meanwhile, Yehi is one of the hottest things in the indies right now, in my opinion. He's got all the tools to be great and has some fantastic matches even though he hasn't received too much of a significant push in the bigger-name indies. With guys like Gargano and TJP moving on up, Yehi's gonna be one of the people that benefits the most. This is a really good match, and pretty much the perfect way to open up a show. Yehi needed a singles win after losing some big matches, and Jigsaw was a good person to get him over. Very solid chain wrestling here, and one of the best matches of the night. A-
"All Ego" Ethan Page def. Dan Barry
I'm not sure why Page is doing comedy matches, as the tension between him and Gargano has been one of the stories that EVOLVE has put the most effort in building. I'm not dissing comedy matches, of course. I love them, but Page continuing to work them seems a bit odd. This was alright with some funny moments. Barry is a very good at comedy, but like I said, it feels weird that this is what they do with Page considering his storyline. B-
T.J. Perkins def. Darby Allin
This weekend was a "must-win" weekend for Allin, who is trying to get a WWN contract. Darby Allin hasn't necessarily blown me away with any of his matches, but I like him a lot. Allin sells this really, really well. He's desperate for that contract, but he's in over his head against somebody like TJP, who's going onto bigger things with the WWE. Allin is super over as an underdog character, and he connects with audiences well. This was a good way to set up his desperation storyline, even though it's short. Well done. B+
"Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams def. DUSTIN
This match initially starts as a standard singles match, but DUSTIN sends Williams to the floor, and Drew Galloway interferes for the DQ. Catch Point arrives for the save, which brings out Joey Styles, who is apparently now an authority figure aside from occasional commentator. He bans anyone else from ringside and makes it an extreme rules match. This is a fun brawl, with the Artist Formerly Known as Chuck Taylor breaking out the thumbtacks, but Hot Sauce gets the upper hand and submits him on the tacks. Some brutal stuff, if not a little too short. I would've liked a little more build, especially with a guy who can do character work like DUSTIN. Still solid. B.
Tony Nese def. Ricochet and Matt Riddle
This is the match of the night, right here. Beforehand, Johnny Gargano comes out and puts everyone over as the future of the company, before the three go into a really great triple threat. It avoids some of the formulaic stuff that you often seen in triple threats, as all three wrestlers were often in the ring. They went wild. You can't say enough good things about Riddle, who is a legitimate star for wrestling for such a short time. Ricochet is Ricochet. Nobody can do what he does in a ring, and he makes his gravity-defying moves look so easy. Tony Nese struggled to start the year with the lame Premier Athlete Brand stuff, but since that broke up he's been very impressive and showed off that he can hang with the big boys. I didn't mind that he got the win over arguably two of the best wrestlers in the world, because he needs the momentum much more. Nese needs the goodwill with fans much more than the more bulletproof Ricochet and Riddle. Only complaint is that these guys have so much more in them. How did they have this kind of match only last ten minutes? A.
Drew Galloway def. Drew Gulak
After a crazy and fast triple threat, the show slows down a bit with Drew Galloway and Drew Gulak facing off. I've gotta say, I think they pulled it off well. It's no small feat to follow up an insane match with a slow-paced, more psychological match, but these guys had the emotion that they needed. It seemed like these guys had legitimate beef with each other. The hatred felt genuine. Galloway kept getting out of tricky situations, and eventually overcame Gulak with a Future Shock DDT. I do wish they gave some of the time this got to other matches, but this was still very good. B+.
Zack Sabre Jr. def. Johnny Gargano
This is a rematch from EVOLVE 56, and if you missed that match, check it out right away. It's one of the best the company has put on this year, and an excellent showcase from two of the best in the world. I mean that. ZSJ is the best technical wrestler alive (don't @ me), and he's been putting on clinics all year. Gargano's always been good, but since he debuted on NXT he's been great for both WWE and the indies. He's a dark horse wrestler of the year candidate, whether in singles competition or tagging with Ciampa. This match is... fine. It feels like they tried a little too hard here, and could've trimmed the fat. I know it's Johnny's last singles match for EVOLVE, but you don't have to make it an epic matchup. Just be yourself and do dope wrestling shit. I liked the match, but it was a tad disappointing. B.
Overall: B/B+
EVOLVE 68 was a fun show, but the timing was a bit off. Some matches seemed way too short, while others were too long. Check out the Yehi/Jigsaw and the triple threat match for sure. The other upper-card matches are worth a shot too. Not the best show of the year, but it's also much better than the tire fire that was the end of EVOLVE 67.
EVOLVE 69 (NICE)
EVOLVE 69 (nice) had to do some lofty things that are difficult for a company. It was the final show for two of its biggest stars, including its ace. That meant that not only did they have to send their big names off on a good note and celebrate their accomplishments, but also to establish new talents.
Darby Allin def. Tony Nese
Darby Allin established during EVOLVE 68 that he was desperate for a contract. Nese had an impressive victory in a triple threat against two big names. This match told exactly the right story it needed to do. Nese is cocky about everything he's accomplished lately, and Allin just doesn't give up. The crowd was behind him the entire way, and the reaction to Allin getting the surprise win on an overly cocky Nese was perfect. This was such a great way to open the show, and establishes Allin right away as an underdog with huge potential. He's also really fun to watch, especially those top-rope dives. A-.
Fred Yehi def. Travis Gordon
The theme of the undercard tonight is establishing new talents, as we see Travis Gordon get a shot against Fred Yehi. I don't have much to say, but this was a solid short match. Gordon shows off what he can do a bit, but Yehi is ultimately the better wrestler and gets the win pretty quickly. Gordon's solid athletically and I'm interested to see what he can do, but Yehi taking care of him quickly is definitely what's best. B.
"Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams def. Chuck O'Neil
Another match with a veteran and a relative newcomer, but not quite as successful as Yehi/Gordon. This goes on a little too long, and I'm not as impressed with O'Neil as I am with Allin or Gordon. I think part of it is because his thing is he's a former MMA fighter relatively new to wrestling, and there's a certain other person in the company doing that incredibly well. I don't know why they gave this nearly 10 minutes. C.
DUSTIN def. Drew Gulak
DUSTIN desperately needed a singles win since returning to EVOLVE, and this was a good way to do it. The heat between Catch Point and Galloway's stable is very real, and this had some good brawling to start. Eventually while the ref is distracted, DUSTIN gets a low blow and a DDT on a chair while the ref is distracted for the win. I'm not a huge distraction finish guy, but I thought this did a good job setting up stuff for the future as Team Galloway shifts their sights to Catch Point. B.
"All Ego" Ethan Page def. David Starr
Another comedy match for Page for some reason, but this was very good. Starr's debuting after impressing in various other indies including Beyond and CZW. I like him a lot, and he works really well with Page here, doing some great comedy before it finally gets serious. Starr has some real charisma, and the EVOLVE crowd loved him, chanting "Please Come Back" as he went backstage. I'd love to see more of him in the future. B+.
Matt Riddle def. TJP
Whatever your feelings of TJP are outside the ring, it's hard to deny that he's been on an absolute tear this year, putting on some instant classics, especially in the CWC. Then there's Riddle, who could put on a five-star match with a crash test dummy. This is TJP's last chance to shine for EVOLVE as he's gonna a full-timer, unlike guys like Nese and Gulak who get to work the indies as well as WWE. This was a great back-and-forth match with both guys trying to hold onto their respective submissions for a win. I'm happy they had Matt go over here. He's gonna be EVOLVE's top guy for a while, and having him end TJP's win streak was the right decision. Afterwards, Stokely Hathaway celebrated the career of TJP, which was super fun. I kinda wish we got more of the Dream Team before TJP made it big. A.
Ricochet def. Zack Sabre Jr.
This was bound to be the match of the weekend. Even with some of the other impressive contests that we had, this stood out. These are two of the best in the world at what they do. ZSJ is the best technical wrestler in the world; Ricochet is arguably the best high-flyer. There may have been doubt as to how their styles would mesh together, but this was no different than the fantastic clashes ZSJ has had with Will Ospreay. These guys know how to incorporate each other's strengths in these matches, and it's pure magic. These two have great chemistry, and I hope they work together soon. Awesome, awesome match. A.
Johnny Gargano & Cody def. Drew Galloway & Chris Hero
This being Johnny's last match and a tag team, it was sure to be a little more hectic than the last two awesome matches, but this lived up to be a great main event. The crowd was hot for Johnny of course. I was a little bit worried because I haven't been too impressed with Cody's output since leaving WWE. He's been good but hasn't stood out. I'd say he's still the weak link in this match, but that's probably for the best anyway given the circumstance. He still had good chemistry with Johnny as well, and the superkick party they had was a ton of fun. Gargano goes over Hero for the finish, and all is right with the world. Very fun main event. A-.
After the match, Ethan Page attacks Gargano and introduces us to his new cronies, the former Devastation Corporation. They beat Gargano to bits and leave him for Galloway and DUSTIN to finish off. Then Riddle, who's teased joining Team Galloway and has avoided aiding Catch Point members who've been in trouble, made the save. This was great stuff and further sets up the top feuds in EVOLVE.
Overall: A-. The bottom of the card has a lot of fun stuff as they establish new talent in the company, and the top is wall-to-wall killer action, culminating in a really fun main event that sends Gargano off on the right note. Just about everything is worth a watch aside from the Hot Sauce/O'Neil match, which was a bit of a crowd killer. Still one of EVOLVE's best shows this year.
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