By @specficluchador

EVOLVE’s first show of the new year offered an ensemble of dream indie tag teams in a tournament to determine the inaugural EVOLVE Tag Team Champions. The losers of each match would enter a ‘Second Chance’ tournament in which a four way will determine the new number one contenders to the newly crowned Tag Tiles. In another fascinating tournament, Fred Yehi, Matt Riddle, Tracy Williams and Peter Kasaa compete in the round robbin Style Battle. Elsewhere, Ethan Page’s road to redemption began with PJ Black. Overall, this was a great start to what is a three day extravaganza with a legitimate MOTYC.

The show began with a forlorn Timothy Thatcher lamenting his injury. He was interrupted by So Cal Val and the Premier Athlete Brand…. who both made claims to Thatcher’s title.

EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Quarter Final

Caleb Konnely & Anthony Nese w/So Cal Val vs Harlem & Lancelot Bravado

So Cal Val was typically grating, cheering on her boys from ringside. The commentators talked up The Bravado Brother’s resume whilst Nese and Konnely worked over Lance Bravado. Momentum shifted when Konnely was sent to the outside as a brawl ensued around the ring. Frequent tags worked over Lance before a suplex preceded the match breaking down. Harlem ran wild following a hot tag, scoring a series of near falls punctuated by a nice double team move. Premier Athlete Brand gained the advantage through nefarious means, delivering a spike piledriver followed by a moonsault by Konnely- this only received a near fall. The Bravado Brothers secured the surprise victory following the gory special.

Real fun match with some great near falls towards the end. The finish came as a surprise as I had Premier Athlete Brand down as one of the favourites. I’m not all too familiar with The Bravado Brothers and this was an impressive introduction to their work.

Stars: ***1/2

Joe Coleman vs Jason Cade

The commentators put over Cade and Coleman, two products of the WWN academy. Cade, a high flyer, gained the initial advantage through his speed over the more muscular Coleman. The size of Coleman allowed him to momentarily gain the advantage before Cade’s speed allowed him to evade his offence. Finish came slightly underwhelming following a frogsplash from Cade.

Stars: **

Style Battle Round Robin Tournament match

Matt Riddle vs Peter Kasaa

Riddle, well versed in MMA, grounded Kasaa, immediately looking for the arm bar. Riddle took a breather on the outside but was met with a tope con giro by Kasaa. Following a back and forth in the ring, Kasaa missed a corkscrew moonsault before Riddle locked in the heel hook submisson for the win.

This was great although very short. Ideally, this should have been a little longer but was very clearly constrained by time. I’m a big fan of Riddle’s MMA based style and feel EVOLVE is a good place for him to hone his technique.

Stars: ***

Ethan Page vs PJ Black

Special Attraction Match

This match was built around Ethan Page’s road to redemption following a despicable 2015. Match started off with some mat work before Page gained the advantage, working a cleaner style than usual. Page controlled the match until a superkick allowed Black to land the Blue Thunder Bomb followed by a springboard moonsault. A battle on the apron concluded when Page caught a kick delivering an ace crusher before the Spinning Dwayne for the win. Crucially, Black’s foot was under the ropes. Page, perturbed by the revelation, grabbed the mic and stated he could not accept the tainted victory. Page demanded the match to be restarted as he looked to imitate Garagno’s sportsmanship. Seconds after, Black rolled him up for the victory. The saddest look crossed Page’s face as he left to the back.

Page’s obsession with Gargano is an excellent angle. Since Page’s high profile defeat to Gargano, he has been living in the shadow of his former friend and now looks to imitate him in order to follow in his footsteps. In terms of the match, I felt it was a little disappointing but the conclusion adds an element of intrigue heading into the next couple of shows.

Stars: **3/4

EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Quarter Final

RPG Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Barretta ) vs Team Tremendous (Bill Carr & Dan Barry)

Lots of mat work early on between Romero and Carr before Team Tremendous began to work over Barretta. The momentum shifted back and forth before Carr, who for the first time appeared to me like a more rotund Timothy Thatcher, gained the advantage with a double clothesline, although it didn’t last long. Barry was worked over by the ever exceptional Romero until Carr received the hot tag, laying waste to RPG Vice with a series of power moves.

A series of near falls preceded the conclusion of the match, which came following a rapid trading of offence between the two teams. Barretta delivered a low blow to Barry before nailing the assisted spike piledriver for the win.

RPG were great here although I was expecting more antics from Team Tremendous. RPG Vice, since assembling in the wake of Koslov’s retirement, have been one of the best tag teams in the world and continue to deliver technically sound matches. I was a little surprised with the low blow finish but hey ho.

Stars: ***1/2

Style Battle Round Robin Tournament match

Tracy Williams vs Fred Yehi

Heavy grappling early on as both men looked to gain the advantage before a chop battle ensued. Williams, without his Catch Point buddies, worked a series of holds, focusing primarily on the back. Williams cut off Yehi’s comeback with multiple chops and forearms. Yehi ducked a clothesline, proceeding to deliver a series of suplexes before applying a body scissors and crossface combination before another striking exchange. Yehi delivered a series of thunderous forearms which HHH could surely hear down the road. A high angle ddt, followed by a spike piledriver transitioned into choke hold to submit Yehi.

Fred Yehi was a star here. This was a great back and forth match, a real exhibition of both Yehi and William’s abundant talent.

Stars: ****

Galloway informed the audience that he Gargano wasn’t in attendance before proceeding to call him to encourage him to hurry the hell up. The ambassador switched the order of the matches around. Seems a little strange to dedicate time to a banter segment. Would have made more sense to stick that on the Riddle match.

EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Quarter Final

Sami Callihan & Zack Sabre Jr vs Tommy End & Chris Hero

Immediately, Sami Callihan’s enthusiasm appeared to rub Sabre Jr up the wrong way. All these guys chants proceed the bell, Hero and Sabre start the match with handshake. ZSJR worked the arm early on before a blind tag by Callihan, who wrestled in a Halloween hoodie as is seemingly the norm now. End tagged in, delivering a series of brutal kicks before Sabre and End battled for dominance. Awesome dodging of kicks at high pace by ZSJR and End before Hero smashed the fuck out of ZSJR. Hero and End delivered consecutive chops and kicks to ZSJR as frequent tags allowed them to maintain control.

Hero nonchalantly stomped on ZSJR before a hot tag to Callihan, who ran wild upon entry. Match broke down, Hero and End delivered a beautiful suplex/knee combo for a near fall before End unloaded with a series of kicks on Callihan. ZSJR and Callihan delivered an assisted piledriver for near fall. Sabre applied double arm bar whilst Hero kicked him in the face in a failed attempt to break the hold. Hero proceeded to kill ZSJR with a series of devastating knees before unloading Kobashi style machine gun chops followed by a consecutive piledrivers. An attempted avalanche piledriver was broken by Callihan, who delivered a powerbomb. Hero attempted a Gotch style piledriver, reversed into kimura transitioned into an arm bar- Hero powered out to allow, End delivered footstomp from the top rope on ZSJR. End and Hero then delivered a series of kicks and elbows to kill ZSJR for the victory.

This was fucking insane. I don’t think I have ever seen a tag match like that before. No tag match will come close this year. End and Hero were unbelievable to watch. Their strikes, more so then most, retain a degree of realism and produce a wince every time. Combined with two strikers of ZSJR and Callihan’s ability, made for a remarkable match that has to be seen to be believed. OH MY, watch this match. Like right now. Wow.

Stars: ****3/4

EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Quarter Final

Johnny Gargano & Drew Galloway vs Catch Point (TJ Perkins & Drew Gulak)

Galloway informed fans Gargano still wasn’t here. Ethan Page emerged, offering his services to Gargano. Galloway told Page to fuck off before proceeding to fight Catch Point by himself. Galloway tossed Perkins around like he weighed ten lbs before the numbers game caught up with him. Galloway was worked over by a series of holds and double team offence by Catch Point. Galloway fought back, powerbombing Perkins on Gulak.

Moments later, Gargano appeared and received the hot tag as a Johnny Wrestling chant broke out. Gargano unleashed his signature offence. Catch Point delivered an assisted codebreaker before applying ankle locks to both Galloway and Gargano, who both reached the ropes. Soon after, Galloway delivered two Future Shock DDTs before Gulak made a feeble attempt to mount a comeback but received a yakuza kick followed by a third Future Shock for his troubles. Galloway secured the victory moments later.

This match was built around Gargano’s absence and worked towards his return. The work was solid if not slow at times but, considering the match that proceeded them, both teams did a good job even though the majority of the match consisted of Galloway selling.

Stars: ***1/2

Final Word: This show ranged from the average to the downright excellent. Hero/End vs Callihan/ZSJR was legitimately one of the best tag matches I have ever seen. This show is well worth anyone’s time for that match alone but a great match between Yehi/Williams and a series of good matches in the tag tournament make this a can’t miss show.