wrestling / TV Reports
Tremendous Tirades 5.30.13: EVOLVE 20 iPPV
Introduction
As a reminder, this will not be another traditional recap, but instead it will be a mash up of the Rs, Instant Analysis and my usual Twitter ramblings I would do during the shows; completely uncensored and as the ideas flow unfiltered to the old keyboard. Remember, this is a review; and I am here to review the show. Don’t throw that “just have fun and be a fan” junk up in here. That’s for you to do.
Today we shall look at the EVOLVE 20 iPPV, the first of three shows in Florida for the promotion, held over a four-day period. There are lots of new faces and different matches on the card as the company tries to form a solid identity. Also, the Young Bucks will pay their mortgages with all of the Superkicks they throw tonight.
EVOLVE 20 on iPPV
Champion vs. Champion Non-Title Attraction: Johnny Gargano vs. Matt Jackson: : Johnny Gargano vs. Matt Jackson to me was more of a co-main event, but with so much on the card that had the possibility of delivering, I was ok with them putting this non-title bout on to begin the show. By having two recognizable names out there, they hoped to get the crowd engaged and into the shows, which is something they have had an issue with in the past. They worked a smart and clean match, and fired things up towards the end, which saw Gargano win via the Gargano escape. This was a good opener, a good singles outing for Jackson and another good win for Gargano. The only thing I question is pairing them on the show so soon after Gargano’s heel turn; you’d think they would have wanted someone with a big baby face following to help accentuate the new heel Gargano. I think my point was made when during his “disingenuous” post match promo he got treated like a total face. This was an overall good way to kick off the show.
Match Rating: ***¼
Brian Cage vs. Chuck Taylor: I have heard so much good stuff about Brian Cage’s PWG work, and have seen a very little bit of it, so I was very excited to see him get brought in and get a chance. This was immediately killed off when I saw that Larry FN Dallas was set up with him. Chuck Taylor is looking to be more serious, and the Gentlemen’s Club was not there, because he was going on his own this weekend. They had a solid, but lackluster match, Cage looked fine although the appeared to have some issues hitting his finish clean, but won the match. The match was overall flat as they never were able to kick it up a notch and really get the crowd engaged.
Match Rating: **
FRAY! Match: Andrew Everett, Caleb Konley, Jon Davis, Lince Dorado, Shane Strickland, Tommy Taylor: For those that do not know what a FRAY is, the match starts with two competitors, another enters every 2 minutes, eliminations can take place anytime by pinfall, submission or DQ until one competitor is left. This is considered an exhibition style match in many ways, where guys get to show off as much as possible and hopefully gain a crowd following due to that. This was a damn fine example of that, not blow away awesome, but damn good. I felt everyone looked good, but that Jon Davis and Lince Dorado stood out and made the match. Davis, who can be bland, excels in these matches because he can do cool power stuff and in contrast with the high flying, I works very well. Lince Dorado won the match, pinning Tommy Taylor, when he countered a tower of London. Lince Dorado is a guy that thrives in this sort of environment, and was a good choice for the winner. I was actually surprised that Konley didn’t win, as the company seems to want to push him to the moon since the split of the Scene. Anyway, this is exactly what the show needed to get back on track.
Match Rating: ***¾
Dragon Gate Showcase Match: EITA vs. Tomahawk T.T.: EITA and Tomahawk T.T. were a big part of the WM weekend shows, having a great tag match with the Super Smash Brothers, and also as CIMA’s partners in the Dragon Gate six man match. They will partner on Sunday once again to challenge the Young Bucks for the Open the United Gate Tag Team Titles. As for this match, this was awesome and the best thing on the show up to this point. This is the kind of thing the people want featured on these shows, Dragon Gate proper stars, either established or on the rise, putting on great, high paced, Dragon Gate styled matches. The worked so well together at such a crazy pace, it was different, and also refreshing. I do think that it went a LITTLE long, and that the finish should have been crucifix bomb off of the top rope. Instead it was a near fall that happened moments before the finish. Finish on the best note possible, it was awesome and got a great reaction; keep it simple. The Young Bucks then came out, congratulated them on their awesome match, and to send a message for Sunday’s match, they served up a Superkick buffet to the Dragon Gate stars. Mortgages gotta be paid son.
Match Rating: ****
The Bravado Brothers vs. Sugar Dunkerton & Maxwell Chicago: In an effort for EVOLVE to find an identity, they are trying to make their matches all different, or as different as possible. This was labeled an “entertainment match,” so basically to me that meant comedy match. This was actually a fun comedown match from the awesome wrestling, with the guys doing wacky dancing and singing. Lancelot bravado even sang, “Lean on Me,” because it was a favorite of Grandma Bravado. The Bravado Brothers hit Dunkerton with the gentleman’s agreement for the win. It was fun and placed in the right spot on the card, but I generally do not think of comedy matches when I buy EVOLVE and DGUSA shows. Also, I feel that the Bravado Brothers could be used so much better than they have by just about everyone. Again, not bad, and actually fun, but I am not sure if it belongs.
Match Rating: **
Samuray Del Sol vs. Anthony Nese: > Samuray Del Sol vs. Anthony Nese was another match that really delivered in the ring. Both guys have been putting on good matches for some time, and Nese has something with the premiere athlete branding. The key is going to get the crowds to really buy into what he is saying and start to hate him. He hasn’t been able to do that yet, and likely needs more mic time, but the in-ring work is there. Del Sol killed it in 2012 in matches with and against El Generico, and is rumored to be going to WWE any day now due to that work. While EITA vs. Tomahawk T.T. was a “Dragon Gate” style match in work, presentation and pacing, Samuray Del Sol vs. Anthony Nese was a nice mix of Lucha libre and American Independent style. Nese scored the victory with a 450 splash, and continues to step up his game. The other good thing is that his second (the big Mr. A) was “off on business,” which allowed Nese to get a clean win, which also only helps him. But they booked themselves into a corner. With Del Sol is leaving; Nese should win and win cleanly as he did. But then again, Del Sol is booked for a title match on Sunday night, and should have momentum going in. They likely should have reversed the match order or changed the matches.
Match Rating: ***¾
EVOLVE Title Match: AR Fox defends vs. Nick Jackson: In the main event, EVOLVE Champion AR Fox defeated Nick Jackson to retain the titles. I though that the match was a good one, with a slow and somewhat deliberate opening, heat with Matt Jackson trying to screw Fox, and the eventual picking up of the pace, Fox overcoming the odds and retaining. It had good in ring action and a perfectly acceptable story, but didn’t deliver as much as I would have liked a main event to do. I never felt that the crowd was fully into the match, and I think that part of that was the fact that Fox just won the title, and was defending against one half of the tag team champions. I think that due to those factors, no one bought fully that there would be a title change, which hurt the heat of the match. Post match, Fox said that he would take on all comers from all styles for his title.
Match Rating: ***½
Overall this was a good rebound show from the disappointing EVOLVE 19 event on WrestleMania weekend. The promotion is trying to find an identity that they can use going forward, as well as introducing “new to the promotion” talent, which is a good thing. There was some good wrestling, no bullshit and overall it was an enjoyable event. The one major recommendation is to catch EITA vs. Tomahawk T.T., as they delivered and are increasingly fun to watch. Show Rating: 7.6 As a reminder, I will be going by the 411 scale… 0 – 0.9: Torture As a reminder, this is not a basic “how good was the show” number like a TV show, as I have always felt that a PPV is very different from a regular show. I have always judged PPV on how they built to a match, the match quality, crowd reactions to matches and angles, the overall booking, how the PPV leads into the future, PPV price and so on and so forth. I have added this in here for an explanation since so many have asked, and I have previously discussed it on podcasts. I understand that this may seem different, but that is how I grade. Obviously your criteria may be different. |
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