Evolve 103
Lenny Leonard and Ron Niemi announce that Travis Banks and Darby Allin are out injured. Chris Dickinson will now face Mark Haskins and Walter will now face Tracy Williams. Jarek 1:20 and Candy Cartwright come out and Jarek says that the real reason Allin was injured is because of what Jarek did to him yesterday. Jarek says he will take Allin’s spot but he is told he can’t. Jarek says he will just keep eliminating people who are above him.
1) Title vs Title: FIP Champion Austin Theory vs WWN Champion Keith Lee– Theory attacks Lee from behind but Lee throws him. Theory continues his attack and Lee keeps throwing him. Theory lays elbows into Lee’s head. Lee throws him overhead and clotheslines him. Lee forearms him to the mat. Theory throws punches but takes another forearm. Lee hits knees to the gut and punches Theory in the corner. They trade forearms and Lee gets the better of it. Lee tosses Theory across the ring. Lee charges Theory in the corner but Theory pulls the referee in the way. Theory trips up Lee and hits a standing moonsault. Theory stomps on Lee and forearms him in the back. They trade strikes and Theory beats Lee down to the mat. Theory lays in forearms as Lee stands up and Lee fights back with chops. Lee goes for a Death Valley driver but Theory lands on his feet and hits a clothesline in the corner. Theory charges Lee who catches Theory and slams him. Lee charges in the corner and Theory leg-trips him into the turnbuckle. Theory hits a dropkick and a blockbuster. Theory punches Lee in the corner but Lee punches him down. They go through this a second time and then start trading strikes. Lee knocks Theory down with a big elbow. Lee goes to the second rope but Theory gets up and grabs him for a powerbomb attempt. Lee punches him away but Theory comes back and puts Lee in a torture rack and does “three seconds around the world” (spinning slam). Theory is celebrating and Lee gets him up for a spirit bomb. Lee gets Theory up on his shoulders but the referee gets knocked down. Theory hits a low blow and a TKO and gets the pinfall to win the WWN championship and become a double champion. Theory will now be on WWE Axxesss. I wouldn’t have called that result but I am sure Lee is going to have other endeavors in his very near future.
2) Dominic Garrini vs Timothy Thatcher– Garrini goes for the arm but Thatcher goes after the leg and moves into guard. Garrini gets on top and throws elbows and goes for a kneebar. Garrini throws knees to Thatcher’s back. Garrini gets on top and gets the arm. Thatcher rolls on top then applies a single leg crab and a facelock. Garrini gets out and crucifixes Thatcher who fights out and punches Garrini in the kidneys. Garrini grabs a kimura from the bottom but Thatcher gets the ropes. Thatcher takes Garrini down and they grapple on the mat. Thatcher kicks him in the face and throws uppercuts. Garrini hits a knee-strike and two German suplexes into a cross armbreaker attempt. Garrini gets it but Thatcher gets the ropes. Thatcher stands and throws some slaps and an enzuiguri. Thatcher gives him a back suplex and a butterfly suplex for the pinfall.
3) Jason Kincaid vs DJZ vs AR Fox vs Chris Brookes– Jarek 1:20 attacks Kincaid before the match. After everyone is in, Fox’s group gets sent to the back by the referee. All four men face off and Brookes takes DJZ down and gives him a senton followed by a wet willie. Fox crisscrosses with Brookes then hits him with a dropkick. Kincaid comes in and clothesline Fox in the ropes. Kincaid hits a handspring knee-drop. DJZ rolls up Kincaid. DJZ charges but Kincaid hits him with a back elbow. DJZ dropkicks Kincaid to the outside. DJZ bits the ropes but Brookes trips him up. Fox chops Brookes and then takes down both Brookes and DJZ. Fox hits an elbow on Brookes in the corner. Kincaid gives a double-rana to Brookes and Fox. DJZ hits a tope con giro to the floor. Kincaid does a coffin drop to the floor. Fox then hits a tope con giro over the turnbuckle. Kincaid sends Fox into the ringpost on the floor. Kincaid takes DJZ in the ring. Fox hits a rolling thunder senton on Brookes and an enzuiguri on Brookes. Brookes does a slingshot cutter on Fox. Brookes goes for a tiger driver on Fox but DJZ stops him. DJZ hits a necbkreaker on Brookes that also results in a DDT on Fox. Brookes and Fox do a double superkick on DJZ. Kincaid goes after Brookes on the top turnbuckle but gets taken down by Fox. Fox gets Kincaid on his shoulders and DJZ jumps off his back for a 450 on Brookes and then suplexes Fox and Kincaid. Kincaid gives DJZ a falcon arrow. DJZ and Kincaid go at it but Brookes comes in and gets lo mein pain and a Fox capture from Fox for the pinfall win.
4) Chris Dickinson vs Mark Haskins- Dickinson takes down Haskins briefly before they stand and trade wristlocks. Haskins grabs a headlock but Dickinson moves him into a headscissors. They trade pin attempts and Dickinson goes for a guillotine. Haskins gets into a guard and they stand. Haskins gets Dickinson down and stomps on his wrist. Haskins drives Dickinson’s head into the turnbuckle and dropkicks him. Haskins hits knees to the head. Haskins grabs an armlock and headscissors. Dickinson chops his way out and then shoulder-blocks Haskins. Dickinson hits a back elbow and then gives Haskins a running powerslam. They go to the floor and Dickinson kicks Haskins around ringside. Dickinson bangs Haskins’ head on the ring-steps and then Irish whips him into the steps. They go back inside and Dickinson kicks him in the back. Dickinson Irish whips Haskins hard into the turnbuckles. Dickinson kicks him in the leg repeatedly and works the ankle. Haskins fires back with punches but Dickinson knocks him down and goes for a powerbomb but Haskins fights it off with a backdrop. Haskins lays in punches and kicks and then knees him in the gut. Haskins throws uppercuts in the corner. Haskins charges but Dickinson kicks him in the face and cradles him. Haskins counters into a crossface and then hooks the arms. Haskins charges Dickinson who gets him on his shoulders. Haskins does an O’Connor Roll followed by a Death Valley driver. Haskins kicks Dickinson in the chest and Dickinson rolls him up. Dickinson applies a leglock and Haskins eventually gets to the ropes. Haskins dropkicks Dickinson and goes for a suplex but Dickinson hits a falcon arrow. Dickinson stomps on Haskins’ leg. Haskins gets up and kicks away at Dickinson and gives him a double stomp. Haskins applies a sharpshooter. Dickinson gets out and attempts a pin and then leglocks him again. Haskins taps out to give Dickinson the win.
5) Tracy Williams vs Walter- Walter backs him into the corner and misses a chop. Williams throws a leg-kick but Walter takes him down. Williams gets his back and kicks him in the head. Williams kicks him in the chest but Walter chops him down. Walter bodyslams him and drops an elbow. Williams fights back with a forearm. They trade chops which of course results in Williams being knocked down. Walter gives him a vertical suplex. Williams fights back with slaps. Walter gives Williams a German suplex. Walter stomps on Williams and they trade chops again resulting in more pain for Williams. Walter misses a clothesline but hits elbows to the back of the head. Walter gives him a double-underhook suplex. Walter takes Williams to the top rope and they trade strikes. Williams pushes him off and then kicks him in the chest. Walter pulls him off and bodyslams him. Williams kicks Walter in the leg and throws some slaps. Walter chops him down and applies a sleeper. Walter misses a chop against the ropes. Williams gives Walter a back suplex. Walter takes kicks to the chest but chops Williams on the top rope. Walter goes up and Williams drops him in a DDT on the turnbuckle. Williams then jumps off the top and drops Walter in a DDT. Williams does a top rope splash and goes for a crossface. Walter fights him off and then chops him down. Walter goes for a sleeper but Williams floats over and applies a crossface. Walter gets out but Williams stomps his head and kicks his chest. Walter then catches Williams in a German suplex and then clotheslines him. Walter then chops Williams’ chest and applies a kojira clutch for the submission victory.
6) Jaka vs Munenori Sawa- They trade rapid strikes right away. Jaka goes for the cross armbreaker but Sawa gets out and goes after Jaka’s fingers. Sawa applies a crossface. Jaka gets out and applies a guillotine but Sawa gets out and kicks Jaka in the leg. Sawa throws Jaka to the floor where they trade slaps. Jaka starts throwing chops and Sawa sticks with slaps. Sawa headbutts him but takes the brunt of it himself. They trade chops and slaps. Sawa knocks Jaka down and charges him but Jaka avoids it. Jaka punches a seated Sawa and knees him in the face. Jaka takes him back inside and knees him in the face. Jaka throws chops and Sawa misses a kick. Jaka clotheslines Sawa and headbutts him on the mat. Jaka hits a running kapo kick in the corner. Jaka goes for a suplex but Sawa fights out with elbows. Jaka slaps him and gives him a sit-out chokeslam. Jaka applies a sharpshooter and moves into a crossface. They stand and Jaka slaps him and then axehandles his back. Sawa takes him to the corner and throws a flurry of punches and a spinning kick. Sawa sends him into the ropes and hits a jumping kick to the chest. Sawa goes for an Ohtani punch but Jaka stops him. Sawa hits an enzuiguri. Jaka goes for a German suplex but Sawa lands in an armlock. Jaka suplexes Sawa. They’re on their knees trading slaps and headbutts. They start punching. They stand and Jaka hits a headbutt. Sawa hits the punch for a pin attempt and applies an octopus causing Jaka to tap.
After Sawa goes to the back, The End hits the ring and beats down Jaka. Dickinson makes the save but gets beat down by Parrow. Garrini comes out and also gets beat down. The End then corners Stokely Hathaway in the ring but Tracy Williams makes the save and Catch Point runs them off.
7) Evolve title: Matt Riddle vs Daisuke Sekimoto- Sekimoto takes his boots off to match Riddle who takes the mic and says he wasn’t expecting that. Riddle says Evolve is about the evolution of professional wrestling and that all his future title matches will be no rope breaks. They tie up and Sekimoto gets a waistlock. They end up in the ropes with no breaks and Riddle applies a choke but Sekimoto slams him to the mat. Sekimoto does some sumo stretching and Riddle responds in kind. Sekimoto grabs a bearhug. Riddle flips him over and goes for a cross armbreaker. Sekimoto gets out and grabs a kneebar. They’re in the ropes and Riddle chops Sekimoto’s chest. Riddle kicks him in the side twice and Sekimoto catches the third attempt and picks him up. Riddle catches him in a triangle attempt. Sekimoto lifts him up and slams him. Sekimoto stomps away on Riddle and axehandles him in the back. Riddle chops back. Sekimoto seems to like it and then chops him down to the corner. Sekimoto continues chopping and then bodyslams him. Sekimoto turns Riddle over into a Boston Crab. Riddle rolls over and escapes with kicks to the chest. Riddle punches Sekimoto against the ropes. Riddle attempts a pin and Sekimoto tries a rope break until he realizes that doesn’t count. Sekimoto chops him in the corner then hits a clothesline and a gutwrench into a side salto suplex. Sekimoto continues with chops and buries his shoulder in Riddle’s gut. Sekimoto goes for a German suplex but Riddle hangs onto Sekimoto’s ankle. Sekimoto chops him and goes for a suplex attempt but Riddle gets a knee-strike. Riddle gives him a fisherman buster. Riddle does three sentons for a pin attempt. Riddle drives knees into Sekimoto’s ribs and does a Les Artesse Lift into a side salto suplex. Riddle kicks him in the back. They trade strikes and Riddle hits a knee. Riddle goes for the Bro 2 Sleep but Sekimoto escapes and puts him in a torture rack. Riddle grabs a kimura and grabs a headscissors in the ropes. Sekimoto knees him to the floor. Riddle comes back in and they trade several chops until Sekimoto hits a lariat. He goes for a second one and Riddle this an up-kick. Riddle gives him the Bro 2 Sleep and a German suplex for a near-fall. Riddle kicks him in the chest but Sekimoto fights back with chops and they alternate Sekimoto’s chops with Riddle’s kicks. Sekimoto headbutts him and attempts a lariat that Riddle blcoks with a knee-strike. Riddle knocks him down with a knee and starts raining hammer-fists on him and the referee stops it.
This was another strong show. The Dickinson vs Haskins match started a trend of the matches being more shoot style which was great with me. It’s disappointing to have the injury changes but both Haskins and Williams really delivered. Riddle vs Sekimoto was the match of the night and probably my second favorite of the weekend at this point. I don’t think Theory makes for a better champion than Lee but Evolve is about watching good wrestlers become great and becoming champion allows Theory that opportunity. We’ll see where the booking takes us for later tonight. Great show.
