By Liam Byrne @tvtimelimit
EVOLVE 102 was the first ‘known entity’ of the Wrestlemania Weekend treats, though based on my research hadn’t necessarily sold as many tickets as they might have expected for the show, at least in terms of pre-sales due to being up against Wrestlecon (read: Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega). That the same wrestlers could be seen across the WWN experience throughout the weekend may have had a knock on effect on these sales as well, but one thing felt clear – EVOLVE 102 looked like the bigger of the two EVOLVE shows booked over the next few days. Perhaps it is due to the EVOLVE Championship being on the line between Zack Sabre Jr. and Matt Riddle, whilst the second one is headlined by Riddle versus Daisuke Sekimoto in a dream match that is possibly not for the gold? I can only offer fairly mindless conjecture from this vantage point.
EVOLVE is a company I have seen stuff from before, but very limited. Therefore, I’ll be seeing wrestlers I’ve never seen before, I won’t necessarily be privy to the nuances of any storylines (though I have done my research to get up so speed with the promotion) and will be judging the show on its merits as a show watched by a wrestling fan, rather than necessarily an EVOLVE fan.
After an introduction to the show and a thank you to the fans in attendance by Lenny Leonard and Ron Niemi, we head to our first contest with the FIP World Heavyweight Champion, Austin Theory, taking on DJZ, two wrestlers I’ve never seen before. DJZ’s entrance gear, looking like a modern day Max Moon, is certainly eye catching, with a fan audibly saying he looked like a ‘Christmas tree’.
The early grappling is punctuated by a digitised horn sound when DJZ calls his own name, which is…different. He does take the early control of the contest with a headscissors and second turnbuckle back elbow, yet Theory avoids a suicide dive by heading under the ring and greeting DJZ with a dropkick of his own to turn the tide. Theory grabs a two count with a standing moonsault, before a slight video skip sees us jump to him cutting DJZ off with a running forearm, with a second one cutting off DJZ’s attempts to follow him into the ropes in a nice spot that plays off an overused indy trope. A no-sell on a clothesline leads to a DJZ German suplex, only for him to roll into a suplex onto the knee by Theory. The two men end up on the top rope, with DJZ turning a dangerous predicament into a sunset flip bomb, following up with a roll into a DDT for the three count.
Post-match, Theory gets on the microphone to talk about a match on EVOLVE 103 with Keith Lee, which he offers to turn into a champion versus champion match with the FIP and WWN Titles on the line. This makes the result of the match before somewhat strange as you’d think they’d be building Theory to make him look stronger for Lee. It was Theory who stood out in this contest and the match itself was solid enough, if unspectacular. The very definition of a crowd warmer.
The first match as the show moves from Facebook to FITE/WWN only is an exciting prospect on paper as AR Fox meets Will Ospreay. Being a follower of UK independent wrestling, Ospreay has been on my radar for years; I’ve never seen Fox, but I’ve heard good things and am sold pretty early on his entourage (The Skulk) as a really solid addition to solidify his arrogant/irritating persona. Whatever your mileage on Ospreay, it is good to see his spill at Sakura Genesis didn’t cost him his bookings this NOLA weekend. Ospreay’s entrance leads to the Skulk mocking both him and the fans that chant his name. It is noticeable that Ospreay has a LOT of tape around his shoulder and neck.
The usual indy opening grapple exchange is unique as the two men fold in some reversals and avoidances outside of the ring, as well as teases for their respective cutter-style finishers. Fox takes a spill to the outside following a dropkick, allowing Ospreay to do his handspring into his trademark taunt, a sequence that leaves him holding his neck to highlight his clear weakness coming into the contest. The Skulk’s involvement – two members getting up on the apron – leads to Fox taking control with a cutter. Every Fox move targets the neck and throat area: a chinlock with a knee in the back and a vertical splash against the ropes have Ospreay rolling around in agony.
The Skulk would continue to get involved to assist Fox, distracting Ospreay once more to hit a kick flip and a springboard codebreaker for a nearfall. Eventually, Ospreay evens the score as a Space Flying Tiger Drop wipes out Fox and the Skulk as a whole, before a rolling cutter by Fox leads to an exchange that beings with the men trading enziguris and ends with an Ospreay standing Spanish fly that has the fans on their feet. Once more, the numbers game works for Fox as his valet distracts the referee, allowing Fox to hit an Arabian moonsault side slam and a 450 for a two count. However, it is not to be as Ospreay reverses a suplex into a stunner, dives to the outside to wipe out the Skulk and hits the Os cutter for the win. A match the really picked up towards the end, with the start setting the tone well enough (the numbers game, Ospreay’s injury, etc) whilst also protecting Ospreay by toning down his usual high octane style.
It has been pointed out that the following Tag Team Scramble Match has stipulations that are fairly odd – Chris Dickinson and Jaka (The Doom Patrol) are in the match as EVOLVE Tag Team Champions, but only if they are defeated will the titles change hands. A bit too convoluted really. Their opponents are The End, James Drake and Anthony Henry, and the Catch Point team of Dominic Garrini and Tracy Williams. This does lead to the humorous sight of Stokely Hathaway running back down the aisle to accompany the champions to the ring, since they are also Catch Point members.
Due to Scramble Match rules, there are no tags required. All three teams go after the End to begin, but as the rules require no tags, the action is all a little hot and hectic with little in the way of structure…or crowd response, for that matter. The initial exchanges lead to the inevitable Catch Point stand-off, with Hathaway telling Garrini to lay down, which he does. Williams is having none of this, kicking Dickinson to break the pin and slapping Garrini around the face.
There is some useful double teaming (and Dickinson almost dumping Drake on his head with an overhead belly to belly suplex) as the match progresses with Dickinson and Jaka getting a nearfall off of a Powerplex on Henry, whilst the End return to the ring after their initial beating to his stereo chokeslams and a super collider. The closest the titles get to changing hands is with a double stomp/moonsault combination by Henry and Drake that sees a pinfall broken up by a Parrow F5. Henry eventually gets defeated by The End, as they land the Hell on Earth for the victory. This was busy, but felt so inconsequential for a title match. The stipulations always screamed Dickinson and Jake losing but regaining the belts, so the tension really wasn’t there. Shame, as there were some good little high spots.
A very intriguing match follows as Darby Allin faces the first of his huge obstacles on this weekend’s EVOLVE shows as he meets Keith Lee – fresh from defeating Kassius Ohno at Wrestlemania Axxess – in a non-title match the day before Allin then steps in the ring with WALTER. Out of the opening collar and elbow tie-up, the ease with which Lee swings Allin around is frightening. A caught suicide dive leads to a tease for a Spirit Bomb on the floor, but Allin escapes, hitting a tope suicida and tope con hilo in quick succession to drop Lee. The resulting attempt at a springboard back elbow is swatted out of mid-air by a Lee pounce.
Allin has some success with a guillotine choke to block a powerbomb attempt, but Lee treats him like a little child as he yanks him from the apron by the jeans and chucks him across the ring. A biel out of the corner almost lands Allin on his head, yet it doesn’t halt Allin for long, who hits a coffin drop following a trip, a rolling stunner and a springboard into a pin for two. Lee’s size turns the tide with ease as he dumps Allin with an overhead throw without leaving his feet and a sliding crossbody for two. Resilient to the last, Allin refuses to stay down, even clawing himself to his feet after a Lee Spirit Bomb. This admittedly just leads to a strike combination and Ground Zero for a Lee victory, but shows Allin as a guy who is willing to push himself to the limit. A really good match that utilised Lee’s power and Allin’s happiness to get pummelled in an effective manner – a match that was very much about the visual.
Post-match, Lee accepts the challenge from Theory, turning the contest the next day into an FIP versus WWN title match. Just as it looks like things are done, Allin claws himself back up Lee’s body, asking for Lee to kick his ass some more. Lee, mercifully for Allin, decides to leave rather than add to the punishment.
EVOLVE may have oversold their hand with the ‘Definition of a Dream Match’ subtitle for the semi-main event, but RINGKAMPF versus Daisuke Sekimoto and Munenori Sawa is the type of interesting contest that this weekend makes a possibility. Even though Sekimoto is a solid man, he is dwarfed by both WALTER and Thatcher, as is the smaller Sawa. Thatcher and Sawa feel each other out, with a Thatcher chickenwing and a Sawa leglock early on, but there is no such a process when WALTER and Sekimoto blast each other with chops and shoulderblocks in their opening exchange. Sekimoto ends up in the RINGKAMPF corner, with tags allowing WALTER and Thatcher to lay down a methodical beating. Sekimoto does try and match up to WALTER’s chops, but like many, comes off the worse for wear.
Thatcher grabs a two count with a gutwrench suplex with a deadlift setup, but Sekimoto is able to finally make the tag after dropping WALTER with a huge clothesline. Sawa has blistering hand speed, pummelling Thatcher before dropping both members of RINGKAMPF with a simultaneous dragon screw legwhip. Sekimoto targets the back upon his return, nailing two backbreakers on Thatcher and a Boston crab with some added joint manipulation by Sawa, a move halted by another WALTER chop. Thatcher ends up isolated in the corner, but escapes with two enziguris to tag in a fresh WALTER. Sawa gets the worst end of this as a WALTER gojira clutch, German suplex and butterfly suplex come in quick succession.
However, Sekimoto gets the better of the big Austrian, nailing a slam, a missile dropkick and a German suplex after a kick by Sawa. A chop trade that increases in intensity ends with a double clothesline, whilst Thatcher and Sawa’s next exchange ends up with Thatcher slapping a Fujiwara armbar on Sawa. What follows is an excellent visual as Sawa locks Thatcher in an Octopus Hold as Sekimoto lifts WALTER in a torture rack. Some miscommunication follows before the end as RINGKAMPF collides mid-ring and Sekimoto ends up German suplexing Thatcher and Sawa together. Eventually, two huge clotheslines by WALTER on Sawa set up for the gojira clutch and Sawa taps out. An incredibly solid match, made all the better for this being Sawa’s first in seven years, though your mileage may depend on your enjoyment of strike exchanges as a foundation for significant parts of a contest.
Post-match, Stokely Hathaway comes out to lambast Thatcher and WALTER, who are due for a shot at the EVOLVE World Tag Team Titles tomorrow night, offering them a chance to duck out of the contest if they want, including calling WALTER ‘Vladimir Kozlov’. Darby Allin then comes out to talk about having their match right there, an idea that doesn’t really work out for him as WALTER hits him with a powerbomb before leaving.
The main event is next as Zack Sabre Jr. defends the EVOLVE Championship, a belt he has held for over four hundred days (and thirteen successful defences), against Matt Riddle. The two men have met twice before, with the record standing at 1-1, so this is the rubber match. Unsurprisingly, considering the grappling calibre of both men, the early exchanges take place down on the mat, with neither man coming out clearly on top, though a cross armbreaker by Riddle does have Sabre Jr. scrambling quickly for the ropes. Following rolling gutwrenches and kicks by Riddle that look like he is beginning to exert control on the contest, Sabre Jr. stamps on the ankle during a rope break and begins to target the leg with strikes and submissions.
Sabre Jr. is playing fast and loose with the rules, bending the toes of Riddle in the middle of an ankle lock, before Riddle is left scrambling for the ropes as Sabre Jr. bends him in increasingly imaginative ways. Sabre Jr.’s decision to trade strikes with Riddle is a bad one, as he ends up getting caught with a Pele-style kick, though the champion is able to shake off a Fisherman buster and slap on a kimura lock in the middle of the ring. This is also reversed into a Fisherman buster straight into a pin for a Riddle nearfall. The bigger bombs are being thrown by Riddle as a one-armed German (following a Sabre Jr. Pele kick incapacitates one arm), jumping knee strike and powerbomb earn him a two count, before a succession of reversals see Sabre Jr. end up in the Bromission, only to turn it into an incredibly close fall.
Two PKs in a row see Sabre Jr. slap on an ankle lock for the nearest thing to a submission finish so far, with Riddle fighting his way to the bottom rope. The injured knee continues to be a target for the champ, but again Sabre Jr. tries to strike with Riddle, ending up with a Bro2Sleep and German suplex for two. A missed top rope senton sees Riddle fly straight into a cross armbreaker to some groans from the audience, though they are soon clapping as a jump into a triangle choke then ends up with two variations on the Octopus hold from the champ.
Perhaps with the NOLA Athletic Commission in mind, Riddle’s Gotch-style Tombstone as a reversal is more slam than piledriver, earning the challenger a two count. Sabre Jr. does manage to almost put on Orienteering with Napalm Death, the move that he beat Riddle with last time, yet he reverses it into the Bromission for the tapout victory. We have a new EVOLVE Champion – Matt Riddle! Post-match, Sabre Jr. hands the title over to Riddle in a show of sportsmanship, with a fist bump to seal the deal. A very good main event, perhaps only let down by an issue across the show: nothing really felt as big as I expected it to and the crowd reactions seemed fairly muted throughout.
An enjoyable event, though not one to set the world on fire. The main and semi-main were the best contests on the show, though Ospreay versus Fox also did a good job of telling a story around Ospreay’s injury and Fox’s entourage.
