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EVOLVE 19
by SamoaRowe

April 5, 2013

-From Wrestlecon in New Jersey. Our host is Lenny Leonard.

Sami Callihan vs. Jigsaw vs. Rich Swann vs. Samuray Del Sol

We’re joining the match in progress because of technical issues, even on VOD. The sound is screwy too. The winner goes to the EVOLVE Championship tournament semifinals. Del Sol delivers a dive onto the others. All four struggle to their feet and collide in the middle of the ring. Callihan and Jigsaw land super kicks and square off. Double stomp by Jigsaw, but Del Sol breaks the cover. Corkscrew arm drag by Del Sol sends Jigsaw cruising. Swann and Del Sol sprint through a Matrix-like exchange. Callihan the competition, complete with a suicide dive. Swann moonsaults to the floor. Del Sol follows with a springboard cannonball. Sami puts Del Sol into a tree of woe and places Swann on him. This sets up a Del Sol countering with a sunset power bomb/superplex combo, and Jigsaw follows by going coast to coast. Swann bounces back with a handspring Ace Crusher. This leads to all four men hitting finishers and breaking covers in typical fashion. Sami counters Del Sol with the Stretch Muffler for the submission at 10:09 (shown). I don’t think we missed much from the early going, so I feel I can call this a *** spot-fest.
Winner: Sami Callihan

-Lenny Leonard interviews Anthony Nese in the ring. Nese is welcomed back to the WWNLive family. Nese says he’s learned in the last year that it doesn’t matter how good you are, what matters is the brand you build for yourself. He announces plans to form a stable to help get him to the top.

Jon Davis vs. AR Fox

Colt Cabana joins commentary for the match. Davis explodes from the corner but Fox outmaneuvers him. Springboard missile drop-kick by Fox and a pair of suicide dives! Fox caps it off with a third rapid fire dive. Fox springboards one time too many as Davis counters with a spinebuster. Davis takes control with his arsenal of power moves. Davis misses a big boot and hits the apron, allowing Fox an opening. Davis turns it around with a nasty hip toss onto the ring frame! Davis continues to destroy Fox’s back with his methodical offense, including a Buckle Bomb. Davis attempts a choke slam off the apron but Fox counters with a DDT. Fox follows up with a springboard back somersault senton to the floor. Davis counters a senton bomb and nails a running knee strike for a 2 count. Fox counters and nails an Ace Crusher. Davis blocks a second Crusher and nails a Wheelbarrow German Suplex. Three Seconds Around the World by Davis, but Fox kicks out! Davis places a table at ringside for a power bomb from the ring, but the referee blocks it. Davis seemingly inadvertently clotheslines the referee! The bell rings at 14:05, I’m guessing due to a DQ? Good action, confusing finish, **¾.
Winner via DQ: AR Fox

-Davis throws a fit and demands a microphone. He’s pissed about all these stupid rules in EVOLVE.

Drew Gulak and Orange Cassidy (with the Swamp Monster) vs. DGUSA Champion Johnny Gargano and Brian Kendrick

Cassidy pretends to be sleepy in the early going as they square off. Kendrick grabs a microphone and chews Gulak and Cassidy out for not taking this seriously. The youngsters turn up the aggression and double team Kendrick. Gargano gets a tag and cleans the ring of Cassidy and kicks Gulak in the head. Spear and tope by Gargano! Big DDT on Gulak by Gargano gets 2. Gulak and Cassidy turn it around and work over Gargano. Kendrick gets a somewhat hot tag and cleans house. Kendrick holds Cassidy in place for a Gargano super-kick. Gargano places Cassidy for a Kendrick frog splash. Cassidy blocks a Kendrick superplex and dives onto Gargano on the floor. Cassidy drunkenly splashes Kendrick for 2. Gulak suplexes Kendrick into the turnbuckles. Gargano returns and plants both opponents, but soon suffers a wheelbarrow double team slam. Gargano lawn darts Cassidy into the corner. Cassidy sprays orange juice into Gargano’s eyes and Gulak nails a choke slam backbreaker. Kendrick and Gulak trade counters but the Swamp Monster grabs Kendrick! Gargano dispatches of the Swam Monster and Cassidy with a senton. Kendrick finishes Gulak with Sliced Bread #2 at 14:31. This was an athletic showcase enhanced by the strong personalities involved, ***¼.
Winners: Brian Kendrick and Johnny Gargano

EVOLVE Championship Semifinals:
Sami Callihan vs. Chuck Taylor

Sami seems to injure his ankle while leaping into the ring and is having a hard time standing up. The spot seems so awkward, the live crowd can’t tell if this is a work or not. The bell rings and Taylor goes right after the hurt ankle. Callihan blocks a spinning toe hold and they have a miscue as Taylor lands an awkward standing moonsault. Taylor applies the Figure Four but Sami holds on. Taylor misses a moonsault and Sami nails a series of overhead suplexes. Taylor counters into a Half Crab! Sami hobbles through a comeback but Chuck reapplies the Half Crab. Callihan kicks out after taking a slam and kicks Taylor off the ropes. Sit-out power bomb by Callihan and the Stretch Muffler ends it at 8:34. This had zero heat due to the crowd not caring about Sami’s injury, **.
Winner: Sami Callihan

EVOLVE Championship semifinals:
AR Fox vs. Ricochet

Ricochet explodes with a running drop-kick as the bell rings. They run the ropes and sprint through a series of counters and flips until coming to a stalemate. Fox fakes a dive and comes back with a Shooting Star Press off the apron. They take turns hitting rapid fire dives to the floor. The pace slows down with Ricochet in control. Ricochet stretches Fox on his back and smashes his head into the turnbuckles repeatedly. Fox pushes Ricochet off the top and delivers a running dive over the turnbuckles to the floor! Fox hits a guillotine leg drop on the apron for 2. They trade counters until Ricochet nails a standing SSP for 2. Fox comes back with a springboard Ace Crusher. Ricochet counters into an overhead suplex for another near fall. Fox knocks Ricochet off the ropes with an enziguri and nails a flying double knees off the top. Fox builds some steam with rapid fire attacks but Ricochet nails a back exploder superplex! Ricochet misses the 630 splash, allowing Fox to steal the pin at 12:52. This was a great hard-hitting spot-fest that let both guys just breath and show off, ***½.
Winner: AR Fox

-Christina Von Eerie showed up mid-way through the match to scout Ricochet on the orders of Akira Tozawa. Ricochet gets in her face but they leave together.

No Disqualifications:
Scott Reed (with Caleb Konley, Larry Dallas, and Trina Michaels) vs. Arik Cannon

The bell rings and I already want this match to be over. Reed shows off his physique and earns a beating from Cannon. Reed comes back with a shoulder tackle. Cannon nails a swinging neck breaker but Konley breaks the cover. Scissor kick by Konley gives Reed a chance to grab a chair. The Scene places a chair over the groin of Cannon and Reed swings a bat into it. Cannon recovers hilariously quickly to fight back but takes a hard DDT. Reed accidentally chops Konley and tease dissension. Cannon fights off The Scene, despite Trina distracting from the apron. Trina offers herself to Cannon to allow a chop block from Dallas. All hope seems lost until Uhaa Nation struts to the ring to make the save. Trina hits on Nation but Marti Bell runs in for a catfight. Cannon is allowed to put Reed down with a Brainbuster for the win at 7:27. This was overbooked nonsense that put Nation over more than anything else, *.
Winner: Arik Cannon

The Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno and Player Dos) vs. The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson)

Nick Jackson starts off trading holds with Player Dos. Player Uno tags and overpowers Nick. Matt Jackson charges in and gets faked out on an eye attack. Uno nails a swinging DDT on Matt. The SSB tag and double team Matt with a combination attack. The Young Bucks retaliate, playing air guitar while working over the legs of Player Dos. SSB turn the momentum and pose Anime-style. The Bucks make a blind tag while Dos administers an Atomic Drop to turn the tide yet again. The Bucks manage to isolate Dos for an extended beating. Dos finally hits a back hand spring kick on both Bucks to make a hot tag. Player Uno cleans house with his slight size advantage. Uno suplexes Nick while dropping Matt off his back. The match breaks down with bodies flying everywhere. Dos plants Matt after rolling through a cross body for a near fall. Uno piledrives Matt while Uno wipes Nick out with a dive. The Bucks counter everything the SSB try to do. SSB come back. Launching Nick into Matt in the turnbuckles. The SSB hit a power bomb/Codebreaker combo! A series of super kicks overwhelm the SSB. A Buckle Bomb/Enziguri combo by the Bucks! More Bang for Your Bucks is blocked, but Nick hit’s a 450 splash anyway. Reverse-rana by Dos sets up the Fatality on Nick for the win at 14:12. These guys make high impact spot-fests look easy, ***½.
Winners: The Super Smash Bros.

-The SSB want to shake hands but they only get super kicks from the Bucks.

-Lenny Leonard interviews Sami Callihan before the main event. Sami says it’s been a tough night for him and it doesn’t mean shit to the live crowd. Like it or not, he will become the first EVOLVE Champion.

-Leonard interviews AR Fox as well. Fox is sporting a hurt neck from the earlier matches but he claims he can’t feel the pain. He wants to show his old nemesis, Callihan, what a true champion is.

EVOLVE Championship finals:
Sami Callihan vs. AR Fox

It’s worth noting that these two also squared off in the finals of the Styles Battle tournament a couple years ago. Sami scores first with a open hand slap to the jaw and goes after the hurt neck. Fox desperately drop-kicks Callihan off the top ropes. Fox connects with a dive over the ropes to the floor. They brawl around the ring and Fox smashes Sami against the barricade with a running SSP. Fox lands a guillotine leg drop on the apron. Suicide dive by F ox but he gets caught on the ropes on a second attempt and hits the barricade in sickening fashion. Callihan backdrops Fox into the guard rail! Fox is almost counted out but rolls into the ring to suffer a curb stomp. Sami destroys the knees and scoop slams Fox onto the apron. Fox suffers another scoop slam on the bare concrete floor. Fox takes a nasty beating but somersaults into a rolling senton! Fox mounts a comeback with a springboard Ace Crusher. Swanton Bomb by Fox only gets 2. Sami counters a 450 splash and nails a running knee to the head. Fox absorbs a series of slaps and hits a Death Valley Driver. The 450 splash gets a 2 count! Callihan counters with a German superplex! Powerbomb by Callihan and the Stretch Muffler! Fox comes back with a springboard power slam off the ropes for the win at 19:08. This featured as nasty a beat down as I’ve ever seen and managed to get a frustratingly quiet crowd into the match. Fitting match to crown the first EVOLVE Champion, ****.
Winner and first ever EVOLVE Champion: AR Fox

-Callihan insists on handing the title belt to Fox and storms off. Leonard interviews Fox in the ring, putting over the gutsy performance Fox just turned in. Fox dedicates his win to the #2 high-flier, Ricochet. He promises to defend the championship against any challenger, no matter what style, who can “bring it.” The Young Bucks interrupt and offer handshakes. They say that tonight was Fox’s night but he’s in trouble because he’s got to face them on the next show. They vow to take the DGUSA tag titles away from Fox and CIMA, and then it will be their night.

Final Thoughts: There was some goofy booking in the early portion of the show but it all came together for a great main event finale between Callihan and Fox. Thumbs up for a strong ending and a historic moment.

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