Evolve 54 Review

Evolve 54

January 23^rd, 2016 | Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex in Orlando, Florida

The tournament to crown the first ever Evolve Tag Team Champions continues, along with a second chance tournament, which is a pretty cool idea.

Second Chance Tag Team Tournament

Team Tremendous def. The Premiere Athlete Brand in 13:42

This tournament goes like this; the four losing teams from Evolve 53 meet in two tag matches. The winners of those matches meet the losers of the Semi-Finals tonight at Evolve 55. The winner of that four way gets a title shot down the line at whoever the first champions are. Team Tremendous was just as fun here as they were at Evolve 53. This worked because they followed a tried and true formula. The PAB are easy to hate and Team Tremendous is so easy to get behind, allowing the hot tag to big Bill Carr to work perfectly. Both teams did some cool stuff and the crowd was mostly hot. The finish was awesome, seeing Team Tremendous hit Book ‘em Dano (doomsday sliced bread) and advance to the four way. Like the rest of the tag matches so far, this was good fun. ***¼

After the match, the Premiere Athlete Brand attacked the winners. Caleb Konley got on the microphone though, saying that he doesn’t need this tag team stuff and he wants the Evolve Title. After he left, Nese continued the assault until Pete Kaasa made the save

Style Battle Round Robin Challenge

Matt Riddle (2-0) def. Fred Yehi (0-2) in 6:03

I mostly liked what I saw from Riddle in his short match at Evolve 53, while Yehi was great against Williams. Both guys impressed again here. They did some early grappling, fighting tooth and nail to try and eke out an advantage. Yehi went nuts, busting out three straight Germans, including one that flipped Riddle over. It garnered some “suplex city” chants. Riddle had to fight from behind, but eventually made Yehi tap out to the heel hook. Solid work from both guys involved. Even though he’s 0-2, I’d love to see more from Yehi. ***

Tommaso Ciampa def. Ethan Page in 17:42

The continuing saga of Ethan Page and his redemption story. Tommaso Ciampa earned massive points with me for having “Psycho Killer” as his entrance theme. I used to play that in Rock Band 2 all of the time. This got off to a really good start. Page was being aggressive but Ciampa had some viciously loud knee strikes that were hard to contend with. Watching Ciampa run all the way from the entrance and around the ring before hitting a knee was pretty damn cool. Now, things dragged a bit for me around the middle. It did pick back up in a furious finishing stretch though, culminating with Ciampa delivering multiple knee strikes to win. I think if they shaved a few minutes off, this could have been really good. The Page story continued to be handled well as he was gracious in defeat while putting up a good fight, like any good babyface. ***

Second Chance Tag Team Tournament

Catch Point def. Sami Callihan and Zack Sabre Jr. in 17:23

Catch Point consists of Drew Gulak and TJ Perkins. They lost to Galloway and Gargano the night before, while Callihan and Sabre lost a physical war to Hero and End. Last night, Sabre was kind of out of place in a match involving three other guys that hit pretty hard. Here, it was Callihan that was the hard hitter in the midst of grapplers. It gave this match, like their previous one, an interesting dynamic. For the first time ever, I was kind of interested in Gulak. He and Callihan went at it in a way I’ve never seen from Gulak. I liked nothing about Solomon Crowe, but as Callihan, he seems more motivated and interesting. I loved the aggression that he brought to the table here. Unfortunately, he and Sabre had multiple miscommunication accidents that led to their downfall. Callihan tapped out to an armbreaker from Perkins. After the match, Callihan was pissed at Sabre and spit at him before challenging him to a match at Evolve 55. Sabre wanted to go right there and they nearly did. Sabre slapped him down and walked off, but the match is set. This was the best bout of the night so far. ***½

Style Battle Round Robin Challenge

Tracey Williams (2-0) def. Peter Kaasa (0-2) in 14:55

Of the four guys in this challenge, Peter Kaasa had the least impressive showing on the first night and the same held true here. Something between these two guys didn’t mesh and it made for a very average performance. Kaasa nearly killed himself on a dive to the outside that didn’t quite come together the way he hoped. I felt like this went a bit long. Take a few minutes off of this and give it to the earlier Riddle/Yehi match, and things may have worked out better for both. Williams made Kaasa tap out via crossface. The worst thing on the show so far. **

Evolve Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Finals

Drew Galloway and Johnny Gargano def. The Bravado Brothers in 19:16

This time around, Johnny Gargano was there for the entire match. Despite one team having two cornerstones of Evolve, the other duo was super over. It seems like the Bravado Brothers won over the fans with their win over the Premiere Athlete Brand at Evolve 53. They were great here, not only once again showing off their fun offensive arsenal, but the Bravados took a beating like champs. Galloway got to play the vicious monster here and it worked even better than normal thanks to the Bravados selling it so well. It was nice to see a full on display of offense from Galloway and Gargano instead of only a few minutes. They managed to work in some really cool double team moves including a breathtaking series of them to end things. Gargano superkicked Harlem while he was held by Galloway. Galloway hit the reverse Alabama slam into the Gargano escape, making Harlem tap. Another really strong tag match. The right guys won as two key cogs of Evolve make it to the finals while the Bravados come out of this as winners anyway. ***½

Evolve Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Finals

Heroes Eventually Die def. Roppongi Vice in 28:34

The duo of Chris Hero and Tommy End have quickly shown that they have really strong chemistry. Roppongi Vice on the other hand, is an established tag team across numerous promotions. Early on, Roppongi Vice wisely took their opponents to the mat, knowing their opponents are two badass dudes. As things progressed, they unfortunately went away from that strategy in favor of a match that just moved along at a frantic pace. It has been a staple of the tournament so far, but the final few minutes were just pretty great. Both teams exchanged strikes and submission attempts to go along with near falls. Heroes Eventually Die ended up hitting Romero with a sick combination of elbows and knees, putting him down to advance to the finals. Again, I think this was good but not great. It also went a bit long for the work done. Still, this tournament continues to be strong. ***½

Overall: 7/10. Outside of the Kaasa/Williams match, I found everything on this show enjoyable. This was missing what Evolve 53 had, which was one or two great matches. Even without that, you can easily watch this show and come away satisfied. There is a good blend of styles throughout the show, most of it is pretty entertaining and I’d recommend giving this show a watch.

Random Network Reviews: King of the Ring 2001

King of the Ring 2001
June 24th, 2001 | Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey | Attendance: 17,777

The King of the Ring is always an interesting show to review. You have multiple guys pulling double or sometimes triple duty, and it can sometimes be excellent but it can also be awful. Take 1993, which was a really good show, but then reviewed 1995 which was pitifully bad. This one takes place during an odd time for the WWE. They were in the weird in between of the excellent Attitude Era ending WrestleMania X-Seven and the disappointing Invasion angle. Fun fact; I went to both Raw and Smackdown the two nights after this in Madison Square Garden.

The opening video package focuses on the WWF Title match on the show and the DDP/Undertaker rivalry. As we go to the actual arena, DDP opens this with a promo about the Undertaker and Sara. It was still surreal to see DDP in a WWE ring, but turning one of WCW’s best ever faces into a perverted stalker should have been a sign of how the Invasion angle would get booked. He has a ticket and will be sitting in the front row waiting for Undertaker. Commentary tonight is Jim Ross and Paul Heyman.

King of the Ring Semi-Final Match
Christian vs. Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle is the reigning King of the Ring and is also slated to face Shane McMahon tonight. Christian had defeated Big Show and Kane to qualify so I remember REALLY pulling for him when I saw this live. Early on, Angle just throws Christian around the ring with some suplexes and has the crowd FIRMLY behind him. Christian smashes Angle into the steps, but when he goes to capitalize, Angle knocks him off the top rope. They trade shots in the ring, so I’ll use that time to point out that these guys are in a kayfabe stable of sorts. Team ECK wasn’t teaming up weekly but they were still friends at this point. Angle is in firm control throughout until a spinning heel kick from Christian. Shane McMahon strolls to ringside with a WCW shirt. Angle isn’t pleased but the distraction leads him to miss his beautiful moonsault for a near fall. They go into some finisher counters that Christian wins with the Unprettier, but Shane pulls him out of the ring when he covers Kurt. Christian goes back in the ring and is hit with the Angle Slam to end this.

Winner: Kurt Angle in 8:17
Solid opening contest here. Kurt Angle looked great like he needed to, while Christian was resilient and nearly had this won. **¾ 

Steve Austin and Debra are backstage when Jonathan Coachman comes in for an interview. All Austin cares about is finding out where Vince McMahon is. Coach gets past that and asks about the rumor that if Chris Benoit or Chris Jericho beat him tonight, they’re taking the WWF Title to WCW. Austin is shocked.

After a recap of the Undertaker/DDP rivalry, Paul Heyman interviews DDP about his actions. As DDP responds, a video airs on the Titantron of DDP eating earlier today. Someone has been recording him now. GEE, I WONDER WHO IT IS?

King of the Ring Semi-Final Match
Edge vs. Rhyno
So, remember how I said that Team ECK was a thing? Well, Rhyno is really good friends with Edge and Christian, meaning that these final four guys were all intertwined somewhat. Here we have a clash of styles that leads to the match going outside, where they brawl for a bit. Once back inside, Rhyno exposes the middle turnbuckle and sends Edge sternum first into it. I liked that as it is something we don’t’ see often. Rhyno continues to target the midsection, looking to set up of the Gore. Rhyno surprises with a big splash from the top for two. Edge begins to rally but makes a mistake up top and Rhyno stops him. Edge fights through with a top rope sunset flip for two. Heyman plants the seeds of jealously between E&C on commentary. As Rhyno tries the Gore, Edge comes with the Spear and they collide in a cool spot. Rhyno tries a second Gore but Edge dodges and he hits the exposed buckle. Edge nails the Edgecution and is able to advance.

Winner: Edge in 8:52
I’m surprised to say that I enjoyed that more than the opener. It had a slower pace but the midsection work was well done by Rhyno, the finisher collision was great since they such similar moves and having the exposed buckle play into the finish was really good. All around well done. ***¼

WWF Tag Team Championship
The Dudley Boyz (c) vs. Spike Dudley and Kane
On Sunday Night Heat before the show, Spike Dudley challenged his brothers for the titles and chose a mystery partner. He wisely chooses the Intercontinental Champion Kane. Spike is hell bent on getting to his brothers so this starts hot. Bubba press slams Spike into Kane, who catches him and throws him back in a fun little spot. Kane should go down as one of the best tag team wrestlers in history. He had so many different partners and was successful with them all. D-Von plays possum to turn things around. They beat down on Spike for a while until Kane comes in and slams him onto both Dudleys outside. He follows with a flying clothesline for two. Spike hits the Dudley Dog but the pin is broken up. He tries it again, but eats the 3D to finish this.

Winners and Still WWF Tag Team Champions: The Dudley Boyz in 8:32
Another solid match on this card. When you look at it, you probably wouldn’t think much of it, but these guys went out and delivered. I don’t think it was great, but that’s three for three in entertaining matches. **½

The Dudley Boyz go to put Spike through a table after the bell, but Kane intervenes and takes out both Bubba and D-Von, putting the former through a table. Next, we see more stalker videos of DDP.

King of the Ring Finals
Edge vs. Kurt Angle
I feel like this is the earliest that the finals of this Tournament have ever gone on. Kurt Angle gets on the microphone before the bell, asking Edge to lie down for him. Edge obviously declines with a right hand. Edge’s hot start is stymied when Angle belly to belly suplexes him over the top and to the outside. Angle takes to wearing Edge down, but the future “Rated R Superstar” slips free for a school boy. Unfortunately for him, he just runs into another belly to belly for two. Angle goes back to a chinlock and it makes sense here. Commentary does a good job reminding us that Angle has a third match scheduled tonight, so rest is important. Each time Edge seems to find an opening, the veteran Angle has an answer. Edge snaps off a top rope hurricanrana for two. Angle tries the Olympic Slam, but it’s countered. Edge tries the Edgecution, which is reversed into the Ankle Lock! Edge gets free, nailing the Edge-o-Matic, but Christian runs down to help. It backfires as it just distracts the official. Angle gets two on a rollup before a ref bump. Edge taps to the Ankle Lock but there’s no referee. It’s funny how Christian just walked away within ten seconds. Shane appears and Spears Angle. Edge hits the Edgecution to become the King of the Ring.

Winner: Edge in 10:21
The streak continues as we get another good but not great match here. Kurt Angle as the veteran who had an answer for everything worked here and Edge looked resilient. I think there were a few too many shenanigans in this one to put it on the level of their 2002 series of matches. ***

Backstage, Tazz interviews Chris Benoit about the WCW rumor. Benoit gets pissed, before laughing and saying the rumor is a pretty good one. I didn’t mention it but he also interviewed Chris Jericho about it, and he also was shady about it. Edge gets interviewed by Jonathan Coachman. They just plant more seeds for the E&C split, which would be held off for a few months because of the Invasion angle. More backstage stuff as Angle complains to random security guards about what just happened.

WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. X-Pac
Due to being part of the X-Factor stable, X-Pac had that weird Uncle Kracker theme. Putting the Light Heavyweight Title on Jeff Hardy was a good move because the belt was almost never on PPV, but a guy like Jeff was pretty must see around this time. After a relatively quick start, X-Pac slows it down with an abdominal stretch. He uses the ropes for leverage, which is always appreciated by me. He hits a spinning heel kick for two. When he tries the Bronco Buster it fails, which thankfully doesn’t rip his ass like it would about a decade later. Jeff begins the rally but they miscommunicate and collide in the corner in ugly fashion. It seems like X-Pac wins shortly after, but Jeff’s foot is on the bottom rope. He tries the X-Factor, only for Jeff to counter into a jawbreaker. He climbs up and, after getting crotched, regroups to hit the Swanton Bomb and retain.

Winner and Still WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Jeff Hardy in 7:11
Decent but rather disappointing. I would have loved to see 1994 Waltman against Jeff Hardy in his prime. Regardless, this wasn’t bad though I wish they weren’t as sloppy. **

In the back, Steve Austin barges into William Regal’s office to call Vince McMahon. He complains about the WCW rumor and urges Vince to show up. While the “Austin loves Vince” thing hurt his tough guy character, it was funny as hell sometimes.

Another voyeur video of DDP airs, which pisses him off and makes him call out the Undertaker again. A final video airs, revealing Sara was recording them. The “pissed off” Undertaker shows up but instead of going right to fighting, he just calmly puts on his gloves. He gets in the ring and they brawl. Want to know how it goes? DDP gets in shots, Undertaker no sells and beats the hell out of him. He even pretty much no sells a nut shot and a chair shot. Sara comes out to record the whole thing. There you go folks, DDP is already dead in this feud and it was a preview of how the Invasion angle would be booked.

Street Fight
Kurt Angle vs. Shane McMahon
Showing how personal this is, Kurt Angle attacks at the bell. He then toys with Shane, getting into position to allow Shane to mat wrestle with him. Shane takes the bait and gets obviously outworked. Angle has a cut from some of Shane’s right hands. I never got the reasoning behind this rivalry. It seemed so random. Angle beats the hell out of Shane, then dares him to wrestle again. Shane is wise this time, kicking Angle in the ribs. Things move outside as Shane leaps off a guardrail to take down Angle. Shane brings out a kendo stick before they spill into the crowd. They brawl until they’re back inside, where Angle kicks out by bridging up on his neck. Shane brings in some weapons, wailing on Angle. Angle kicks out of a pin and just pounds on Shane. He tries an enziguri but Shane ducks and puts him in the Ankle Lock. I’ve now seen it all as Shane applies a Sharpshooter. Angle breaks it with a kendo stick but Shane uses some right hands for a near fall. Shane is really reaching into his bag of tricks, trying a damn Shooting Star Press but Angle moves and he lands on a trash can. The fight now goes up the aisle, where Angle suplexes Shane on the concrete. Now comes the infamous moment where Angle tries to German suplex Shane through glass but it doesn’t break and Shane lands on his damn head. Angle goes for it again, breaking glass this time. Angle goes for it from the inside to the outside but again it doesn’t break twice. He finally decides to just throw him through it and Shane is a bloody mess. Shane is so lifeless that Kurt has to put him on a cart and roll him to the ring. He pins Shane but only gets two! My goodness. A low blow from Shane, some trash lid shots and an Angle Slam from Shane get two. Kurt sets Shane up on the top, using a wooden board as a platform and mercifully ends this with a top rope Angle Slam.

Winner: Kurt Angle in 26:00
An absolute war. Kurt Angle wrestled two matches prior and still went all out here. Easily the best match in Shane McMahon’s career. He has an unreal amount of guts. He took some sick bumps throughout this. It’s seriously a match that you should definitely go out and see. ****¼

WWF Championship
Steve Austin (c) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit won the Tag Team Titles form the Two Man Power Trip a while ago, setting this up. Benoit and Jericho go on the offensive early, leading Austin to try and escape through the crowd. When they get to the ring, Canadians light up Austin’s chest with double chops. Things finally go south for the partners as Jericho inadvertently takes out Benoit with a heel kick, leading to them fighting. As usual with Triple Threat matches, it breaks down into two guys fighting while one guy is laid out, that guy being Jericho here. Austin and Benoit go at it, which is fitting after their Smackdown classic in Edmonton a few weeks prior. Austin tries the Stunner but is shoved off into the official. Benoit then hits the Stunner himself but the ref is too hurt to count in time. Jericho now takes out Benoit before going at it with Austin for a bit. Their exchanges are awesome, as Austin hits a great looking spinebuster. Jericho breaks a sleeper hold and they trade shots before a flying forearm from the Canadian. Benoit tries to come back in but eats a springboard dropkick. Jericho tries the Lionsault but Austin gets his knees up. His Stunner is blocked, but he comes back with a Lou Thez Press. RIGHT HANDS! RIGHT HANDS! THE RATTLESNAKE STRIKES! Benoit brings a chair into play, laying out Jericho but he gets hit with a Stunner. He falls outside, so Austin pins Jericho for two. Austin nails back to back superplexes, which look like they take a ton out of someone. He sets for a third, but Benoit interrupts with FIVE GERMAN SUPLEXES! Shortly after, Austin gets locked in the Walls of Jericho and the Crippler Crossface at the same time, in a call back to a few weeks earlier. Austin taps but nobody wins since they can’t tell which move caused the tap out. This leads to Benoit and Jericho going after each other. Suddenly, Booker T hops the guardrail and attacks Austin. He puts him through the announce table as the crowd pops. This added to the rumor of one guy leaving with the title and going to WCW. He’s chased off by security while Benoit and Jericho perform their usual excellence inside only hurt when Jericho botches a Lionsault. Austin is brought back inside, only for Benoit and Jericho to each hit top rope moves and have their pins broken. Jericho hits a top rope back suplex on Benoit that would put him out of action for nearly a year. Austin slowly crawls over to pick up the pieces and retain.

Winner and Still WWF Champion: Steve Austin in 27:52
Excellent main event. The fact that Steve Austin did two superplexes before taking five Germans is insane. Tons of bumps and drama in a match that delivered. I’m not 100% on the finish but it’s still a great match. ****

Overall: 7.5/10; Very good. That was much better than I remembered. I watched it a while back and didn’t think much of it but nearly everything delivered. The main event is fantastic and the Angle/Shane brawl is a must see classic. Everything else is decent to good, meaning there is nothing bad on this card at all. Next up on “Random Network Reviews” looks like it’s going to be No Mercy 2007!

Evolve 53 Review

Evolve 53

January 22^nd, 2016 | The Orpheum in Ybor City, Florida

After catching a fair amount of Evolve last year and enjoying, I made it a point to make sure I saw more in 2016. That brings us here, to their first show of 2016. This is the first of a triple shot weekend and I hope that I can review them all. It’s a historic show due to the start of a tournament to determine the first ever Evolve Tag Team Champions. As with my PWG Battle of Los Angeles reviews last year, I’m not 100% familiar with everyone on the card.

Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher opened the show to cut a promo since he would be unable to compete due to a staph infection. He was scheduled to team with Zack Sabre Jr. as part of the tournament. He promised that when he returned, he’d settle scores with numerous wrestlers. The Premiere Athlete Brand (Caleb Konley, Anthony Nese, SoCal Val and Andrea) interrupted. Caleb complained that he never got a title shot. Thatcher said people are tired of them talking and wanted to see wrestling. This brought out the Bravados to start the tourney.

Evolve Tag Team Championship Tournament First Round

The Bravado Brothers def. The Premiere Athlete Brand in 12:57

I love that the Premiere Athlete Brand are introduced and we heard about their combined abs rather than their combined weight. According to commentary, the Bravados, Lancelot and Harlem, haven’t been in Ybor City in over a year. There was a point early o where they picked up the pace and ended up getting stuck, leading to an awkward moment of nothing. The Bravados were the more impressive duo, looking extra motivated to be back. They did the only tope doomsday device I’ve ever seen. There were some good close calls in the end, giving the Bravados a chance to show off some sweet double team moves. A great gory special/STO combo won the match for the brothers. Really solid opening contest. ***¼

Jason Cade def. Joe Coleman in 3:47

Here are two guys that have apparently had some tryouts recently and earned a match on this show. Jason Cade was clearly the more popular guy, but props to Coleman for carrying around “brotein” with him. Cade nearly killed himself at the start, with a tope dive that sent him into tons of chairs. This was short and worked more as a showcase for Cade, who flew around the ring. He won with the shooting star press. For what it was, this was a fine sprint. **

Style Battle Round Robin Challenge

Matt Riddle w/ Drew Gulak def. Peter Kaasa in 4:47

The Style Battle Tournament certainly sounds intriguing to say the least. I’ve never seen Matt Riddle before but apparently he’s a former MMA fighter. Peter Kaasa, from what I’ve heard, is a freakish high flyer. He showed off some of that here, hitting some nice dives to combat Riddle’s grappling style. It didn’t last very long and had one standout moment, though not for the best reasons. Kaasa tried a spiral tap like move from the over but horribly overshot it and just planted on the mat. Riddle made him tap to a heel hook, earning the win. It was short and was fine until that miss. Side note, Riddle has a really cool theme, though he loses points with me for wrestling barefoot. **

PJ Black def. Ethan Page in 9:59

I recently interviewed Ethan Page and I have to say, he’s a pretty cool guy. PJ Black is the former Justin Gabriel. Page is seemingly trying to redeem himself after a 2015 full of heelish antics. He tried to be Johnny Gargano’s partner in the tournament, but Gargano declined so Page asked for a series of matches to prove himself. This was worked at a similar pace and style to a lot of Black’s WWE stuff. It featured relatively fine work but seemed a bit uninspired. Like something was missing. There were some nice spots, like a scary looking powerbomb from Page. Page hit the Spinning Dwayne and scored the win, or so he thought. Black’s leg was under the bottom rope. Page didn’t want to win that way and asked for a restart because that’s what Johnny Gargano would do. Black rolled up him and stole it away. The match itself was solid but the real success of this was as an angle, selling the Page redemption story very well. **½

Evolve Tag Team Championship Tournament First Round

Roppongi Vice def. Team Tremendous in 15:33

Team Tremendous consists of Bill Carr and Dan Barry, both of whom are completely new to me. Carr is sporting IRS like attire, while Barry is rocking a Hawaiian shirt. I liked what these two teams id here. Roppongi Vice is usually a pretty popular duo with the Evolve crowd and that’s how it was early on. Team Tremendous looked good during that time but once Roppongi Vice got in control, they showed off a pretty brash attitude. That really helped the fans rally behind Team Tremendous. They did a good job of that on their own with their fun style of offense. There were more than a few times where I bought in Team Tremendous scoring the upset. Trent hit Barry with a low blow and then Roppongi Vice advanced following Strong Zero. Really solid match that told a good story of RPG Vice acting like heels. ***¼

Style Battle Round Robin Challenge

Tracy Williams def. Fred Yehi in 14:51

Tracy Williams’ nickname is “Hotsauce” like he’s an AND1 baller from the early 2000’s. He’s also part of the same stable as Matt Riddle it seems. I’ve never seen either guy coming into this, but consider me a fan of both after this. This was a war. They began working the mat, building to something bigger. Once things got to the physical part, this was beautiful. Both guys hit each other with strikes that made the fans cringe at times. It’s like they wanted to really hurt each other, which is something I always appreciate. Neither guy wanted to budge, so Williams decided to go to great lengths for the win. He reeled off a piledriver, Brainbuster and a choke which mad Yehi submit. Maybe I gave it a higher score than most, but this is my kind of match. ****

Drew Galloway shows up for the next match but Johnny Gargano is not in the building yet. He worked NXT earlier in the day and raced here. The main event tag is moved up to give Gargano time to arrive.

Evolve Tag Team Championship Tournament First Round

Heroes Eventually Die def. Sami Callihan and Zack Sabre Jr. in 28:13

Consider this show stolen. Heroes Eventually Die is the name for the duo of Chris Hero and Tommy End. Originally, this was to be Sabre and Thatcher teaming up but Callihan replaced the Evolve Champion. That did nothing to negatively impact this as it was great. I’ve become a huge Sabre fan and his match with Chris Hero last year in Evolve was great and really showcased him having to fight from behind in a manner I had never seen before. He was in a similar position here, taking a beating throughout the match from both End and Hero. My only major issue with this match is that I think Sabre could have played the face in peril a bit better. It also may have gone a tad long but other than that, this ruled. Callihan fit right in, matching Hero and End with hard strikes throughout. The finishing sequence in this was spectacular and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better one in a tag match this year. There were some great close calls before a sick knockout combination on Sabre ended it. Fantastic stuff and an early contender for tag match of the year. ****¼

The four men shake hands after the match and help Zack Sabre Jr. to the back.

Evolve Tag Team Championship Tournament First Round

Drew Galloway and Johnny Gargano def. Drew Gulak and TJ Perkins in 15:31

Gulak and Perkins are members of Catch Point, along with Riddle and Williams from earlier. Gargano still hadn’t made it to the building, so Galloway was alone. Ethan Page came out and offered to be his partner instead but Galloway told him to fuck off due to his past. Galloway was great as the badass monster going it alone. He’s really good in that role, which works on the indies because he is big compared to a lot of guys. This is my second time seeing Drew Gulak and I’m still not sold. He just doesn’t click with me. As Galloway looked to be in big trouble, Gargano made it to the apron. The question and anticipation of his arrival added a fair amount of drama to this thing. That sparked his team to victory and Galloway nailed multiple Future Shock DDTs to seal it. A pretty good tag with the added benefit of the Gargano drama. ***¼

Overall: 7.5/10. I found this to be a very good show. A lot of the time, I see these one or two night tournaments and it can eventually drag on. Evolve did a good job mixing in other things, like the Style Battle stuff and the Ethan Page angle, which seems to be going masterfully well. The Williams/Yehi match was dope and I loved the Hero and End/Sami and Sabre tag match. A strong effort from Evolve, who I’m definitely going to continue watching.

Top Ten Thursday: Potential AJ Styles Opponents

In a move that is still really surreal to me, AJ Styles is now a member of the WWE roster. As a massive AJ fan, I'm excited at this news, but also cautious at how he gets used. The WWE doesn't always have a great track record with guys who became stars elsewhere. Anyway, one thing I can be optimistic about is the potential matches. Regardless of how he's used, AJ Styles can flat out go in the ring. The WWE roster is full of great wrestlers too, meaning a lot of potential dream matches. I narrowed it down to ten guys I'd want to see him face most. Of note, guys like Samoa Joe didn't make the cut since I'm counting matches I have never seen before.

10. Neville

Actually, I’d pretty much love to see Neville against almost anyone. It’s a far cry from when I first saw him as PAC at an ROH show and he severely underwhelmed. He won me over as champion during NXT’s fantastic 2014. Anyway, this could work for a variety of reasons. Neville is a freak athlete and incredible high flyer. That kind of sounds like AJ Styles himself early in his TNA run. I feel like this could work as kind of a look back for AJ. AJ is no longer the risk taker that he once was, but he’ll know what to expect from Neville because that’s how he used to be. It’s similar to the vibe I got when watching Styles wrestle Kota Ibushi in New Japan. AJ kind of gets a glimpse into the past and has to either combat that by going back to those days, or outsmart Neville with his veteran knowhow. Neville is also different from other people on this list because he’s actually faced Styles in the past. I’ve never seen those matches, so I still included him, but I heard some pretty high praise. If that is the case, they should already have chemistry and it could only be better considering how both men have matured over time.

9. Brock Lesnar

This would be a lot higher if we didn’t know the way that Brock Lesnar matches go these days. I’m not complaining about the Brock matches, because I love seeing him toss people around. It’s just not something I’d care for that much when it comes to AJ Styles. It could come off like the pretty bad Seth Rollins/Brock Lesnar match from Battleground. That being said, just seeing AJ Styles share a ring with Lesnar would be pretty rad. It’s actually something that I badly wanted to see in the Royal Rumble, but they never got the chance. If they were given the chance to have a mildly competitive match, it could be fun. Styles is the kind of guy that would bump for Brock very well. Everything that Brock does already looks violent and painful, but Styles would go the extra mile to make them look even better. Plus, during AJ’s G1 Climax runs, he showed that he is one of the most versatile wrestlers in the world. He adapted to any and every one put in front of him and I’m sure he’d do the same if given the chance to work Brock Lesnar.

8. Cesaro 

Like some of the earlier matches I listed, this one isn’t about making the most money for the WWE. Cesaro vs. AJ Styles doesn’t sound like something that would rack up millions of dollars for WrestleMania. What it does sound like, is something that I would not miss by any means. These are of the slickest, best in-ring performers on the planet and it’s almost a guarantee that they would put on a classic match. Cesaro is great at working with smaller guys and while AJ Styles is not small like a Kalisto, their styles could match up well. I would love to see these two be given a platform to just wrestle. I don’t need any extra nonsense thrown in or anything remotely like that. It’s one of those times that I want two wrestlers, in a wrestling ring, having a wrestling match and nothing more. I can just picture some of the spots they would do in my head. I see Styles selling the popup uppercut in tremendous fashion. I can picture both guys teasing their similar finishers, the Styles Clash and Neutralizer. Add in that they’ve never wrestled each other and you’ve got a must see match. Unfortunately, due to Cesaro’s injury, we won’t be seeing it for a while.

7. Randy Orton

I realized that a good chunk of this list are guys that made their names on the indies and away from the WWE. Randy Orton does not fit that mold. Orton screams the WWE mold and has been one of the poster children for the company. He is mostly dull on the mic but is one of the smoothest wrestlers I’ve ever seen. I think that a match against AJ Styles could be pretty fantastic. Orton would have to want the match though. If it’s a case where the WWE books him in it and he’s not interested, Orton has the potential to phone it in and deliver a piss poor performance. When Orton is on and motivated though, he’s easily one of the very best. This would be a collision of two of the crispest workers in the business. I’d like to see it if Orton was working as the vicious “Viper” heel gimmick. It’s him at his best and Styles, while he developed into a good, solid heel, usually does his best work as a babyface. That dynamic could make for magic and a potentially great match. It would even work as a first big program for AJ in case they want to move him up to face guys like Cena or Reigns.

6. Dean Ambrose

Here’s one of the matches I’ve thought about that has potential to take place within the next few months. With the WWE Championship picture pretty much sealed up heading into WrestleMania, I can’t see AJ Styles involved in that. Add in all of the injuries that leave other top guys like John Cena, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins out, and I could totally see AJ Styles in the Intercontinental Championship picture. Who just happens to hold that title at the time of this writing? Dean Ambrose. Ambrose is the rare Intercontinental Champion in recent memory that is actually booked like a main eventer. Due to that, this won’t seem like a waste of AJ Styles. These two would make for interesting television considering the fact that Ambrose is one of the more intriguing and different guys in all of wrestling. Styles would certainly find a way to adapt to his personality and it should produce a good match. It would also allow for the Intercontinental Title to be a very prominent title as there is almost no way this wouldn’t be heralded as a big deal. Despite spending time on the indies for a while, I don’t believe these two have ever met.

5. Kevin Owens 

There seems to be a very good chance we get this match before any of the others on the list. When AJ Styles debuted in the Royal Rumble, I wanted to see him last until at least the final four to really make an impact. Instead, he was eliminated after about 28 minutes by none other than Kevin Owens. Owens even mocked AJ’s signature taunt after dumping him out. Those planted seeds were enough to make for an intriguing match. During the Rumble, they went into a rough exchange of right hands and the crowd absolutely nuts. Even as Owens threw him over the top, he shouted something along the lines of “welcome to the WWE”. This is something that I could see working better as an actual program than a one-off. Kevin Owens is just so good at drawing heat. He’s so good on the microphone, that he could carry that aspect mostly on his own since it isn’t AJ’s strongest suit. Owens, like Cesaro, is someone that works beautifully with guys of a smaller stature than him, as evidenced by his matches with guys like Balor, Zayn and Neville. He and AJ would engage in a great back and forth of athleticism, power and wits. I’m all for this happening at Fastlane or even WrestleMania 32.

4. Sami Zayn

Of the guys on this list that were indy darlings, my personal favorite is Sami Zayn. He was the first guy to show up at my first live Ring of Honor event and I was hooked on El Generico. He went on to have some of my favorite matches ever. Since moving to the WWE and NXT, Sami Zayn has somehow become someone I like even more. This would be a personal dream match. Sami has shown that he can deliver regardless of the situation. From Adrian Neville and Kevin Owens to guys like Titus O’Neil and Baron Corbin, Sami always has good matches. AJ Styles is of a similar mold in that he can make almost any match work as well as you could expect. As far as I know, they’ve never wrestled during their time on the indies so this would be extra special as a first time ever encounter. Sami is tremendous at getting you emotionally invested into a match and the actual straight up wrestling parts of this would already be great as it is. I’d consider this a heavily wanted dream match of mine.

3. John Cena

TNA and WWE are clearly in VERY different leagues. That much is clear. I don’t think the difference between the man of TNA for so long and the man in WWE for the past decade is anywhere near that large. John Cena and AJ Styles are, love them or hate them, two of the very best and most successful wrestlers of the past twenty years. Of all of the potential matches on this list, this would be the biggest money one. You’ve got the guy that has defined everything the WWE stands for the past decade and the guy that has been the biggest name and best American wrestler outside of the WWE during that time. It would be the best kind of Styles Clash, pun intended. Over the past year, Cena has shown that he can work well with guys that made big splashes in other companies. Hell, his best United States Title matches in 2015 all involved guys like that (Owens, Zayn, Neville, Cesaro). Don’t bill this match as some sort of situation where AJ is a rookie, handle it like AJ wants to prove that he belongs in the WWE. He’s conquered every other endeavor in his career, but beating John Cena would top them all. He should actually beat him to solidify that he is on the best, but I could see it going the other way.

2. Finn Balor

Yea, this one pretty much writes itself. Finn Balor, then Prince Devitt, formed the Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling. After about a year of doing that and building the group to a pretty popular place, Devitt left NJPW to join the WWE. As Devitt stepped away from being the leader, AJ Styles debuted and replaced him. It’s so interesting because they’ve never crossed paths. Right as Devitt left, AJ showed up and now that AJ is in the WWE with Balor, Finn is still in NXT. He also doesn’t seem to be leaving there anytime soon. While the Bullet Club stuff didn’t take place in the WWE, they would be wise not to ignore it. It’s a readymade story. Hell, now that Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson are reportedly headed to the WWE, they could add to this. As for the match itself, I think would be pretty fantastic. Both guys are among my favorites to watch. They both utilize the Bloody Sunday Brainbuster, both take to the sky when necessary and I truly believe they would mesh very well together. We’d either need a Finn call-up or a special appearance in NXT by AJ Styles, but it would be worth it.

1. Seth Rollins

The WWE roster is chock full of incredibly talented performers. There might be more pure talent right now than at any other time in history. One guy stands out above the rest in my opinion and that’s Seth Rollins. When I first saw Seth in Ring of Honor in 2007, I was instantly enthralled. His aerial ability reminded of my favorite wrestler, AJ Styles. I made it a point to follow Seth’s career all the way to his WWE Championship run last year. A match between he and AJ Styles is something I’ve dreamed about for a very long time. It could run in the same way as my suggested Neville/AJ match. Styles could kind of see a lot of his younger self in Seth Rollins. A few months back, Seth was interviewed and asked about a potential match with Styles. He admitted to being of the generation of wrestlers that were inspired by guys like AJ, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, while saying they’re both at the top of their games and it would make for some interesting television. Not only does this top the list as what I want the most, but it also is the one I think would be the best.

Lucha Underground The Dark and the Mysterious Review

Life is so good now that Lucha Underground is back. They continue to do a great of blending the cinema with the wrestling in their opening video package that recaps a lot of top angles like Mil Muertes winning the Lucha Underground Title and the Dario Cueto/Black Lotus saga. Part of this review will be written in the present tense (the segments) while the other parts (the matches) will be written in the past tense as I recap them after watching.

The first guy we see on this show is Prince Puma, working out and thinking about the crushing loss to Mil Muertes. Pentagon Jr. comes up behind him and thanks him for the opening to break Muertes' arm. He says they are partners tonight but Puma may be the next sacrifice. BECAUSE YO SOY PENTAGON JR. AND CERO MIEDO! They get into a sick movie like fight scene that ends with Puma pressing him up against a locker and walking off. Still no words from the first LU Champion.

Mil Muertes is still overlooking the Temple in his throne but he is sporting a sling. Matt Striker asks Vampiro if he was behind Pentagon's attack last week, which Vampiro denies.

Johnny Mundo def. Killshot in 4:34
Mundo was sporting some gold pants that somehow really worked with his heel character. I feel like Killshot is rather underrated. This was an athletic contest, with both guys doing some impressive things. Killshot really got a chance to showcase his skills. He had a sequence of a superkick, DDT and 450 splash that had me believing he would pull off the upset. They did a ref bumpb, which isn't the norm for Lucha Underground. It allowed Mundo to hit a low blow and the End of the World to win. It was as good as I would want a four minute match to be. Killshot got to look good and Mundo picked up a win. ***

Johnny Mundo has some balls on him as he gets a microphone and calls out Mil Muertes. He says that the earthquake that roughed up Mil as a kid is nothing compared to the End of the World. Cage interrupts, calls Muertes' arm injury a boo boo and says that he'll break Muertes in half. The fans do the "I'M A MACHINE" thing with him but Mundo says Cage isn't in his league. Cage brings up that he beat Mundo in their only ever match and he's willing to do it again now. Mundo exits but then attacks Cage from behind. Cage fights him off and Mundo is sent packing. This was a good way to establish Cage as a face and bring up their season one match.

Our first look at Sexy Star this season happens as she is tied to a chair with wounds all over her. Marty Martinez laughs manically and shows off a butterfly. He says that everything done is for her own good so she can blossom into a beautiful butterfly. His sister says it's almost time for her to fly back to the Temple.

A cool vignette (does Lucha Underground do any other kind) is shown to hype the arrival of PJ Black! He's the "Dare Wolf".

The Mack def. PJ Black in 4:42
For those unaware, PJ Black is the former Justin Gabriel. Black has grown some chest hair to make himself look tougher. Mack is a big fella, but uses his size well and is deceptively athletic. They worked a fine match here and I must say that PJ Black fits into the Lucha Underground world perfectly. Black was given ample time to pull off some cool moves and get the fans into him. He made a crucial mistake as his high flying style cost him. He tried to springboard in but was caught with a midair stunner for the 1-2-3. Yes, Black lost in his debut, but he came off looking good and made sense since he just made a mistake. I expect good thing for him this season. **½
 Up next, we are shown another sweet vignette for a new masked female. She kicks the asses of a bunch of dudes before her name, Kobra Moon, is revealed. She debuts next week.

I'd like to point out that I absolutely LOVE the constant shots of Mil watching over everything.

Non-Title Match: Pentagon Jr. and Prince Puma def. The Disciples of Death w/ Catrina in 7:31
All three members of the Trios Champions are competing tonight. I also love that Melissa Santos still announces Pentagon in a somber tone after he attacked her last season. CONTINUITY! Vampiro did a great job on commentary trying to avoid talking about Pentagon and their connection, while also defending him at every turn. Puma and Pentagon played the uneasy partners, with Pentagon even allowing Puma to take a beating at times. There is a coolness factor about Pentagon that not many other guys in wrestling have. Puma hit the 630 but Pentagon blind tagged himself in and stole the win. A solid match, made better by the story of Puma and Pentagon not getting along. ***¼

Pentagon Jr. and Prince Puma come to blows and Pentagon sets up to break his arm. Puma slips free and Pentagon heads outside to end the Temple portions of the show.

The final thing we see is a man in a hood and El Dragon Azteca's mask. Another man is speaking, saying that it was his destiny to take that mask and become El Dragon Azteca but he took a different path so this new guy will do it. The man speaking reveals himself to be Rey Mysterio.

Overall: 7/10. As is usually the case with a lot of shows, the season premiere is hot and the follow up episode slows things down a bit. That's what this one did but that's not a bad thing. This episode worked to set up some things down the line. We got three enjoyable matches, the Cage/Mundo build, more people coming for Muertes and the seeds planted for Pentagon/Puma down the line. Throw in Vampiro being great in his commentary role and the appearance of Rey Mysterio and you've got a good show.

If you do want to check out Lucha Underground and don't get El Rey Network (like me), you can sign up for the streaming service Fubo.TV. It's a great way to support the company and channel while streaming the show online. Get it right here!