Posted March 10, 20169 yr comment_5732740 Probably going to check out the Evolve show in Queens on March 19 with some friends. I have not seen a second of Evolve. Any suggestions on a few things to check out before the show? Literally the only guy I have seen on the show is Chris Hero. Here's the card, for reference on guys I might need to learn about. EVOLVE Championship Match Timothy Thatcher defends vs. Matt Riddle of Catch Point Best In The World Challenge Series - The WWN Icon Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Johnny Gargano Grudge Tag Team Match Team Tremendous of Dan Barry & Bill Carr vs. The Premier Athlete Brand of Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley w/ Andrea Special Challenge Match #1 Chris Hero vs. Tracy Williams Special Challenge Match #2 Sami Callihan vs. TJ Perkins Special Attraction Match Drew Gulak vs. Fred Yehi Bonus Match Ethan Page vs. Mike Bailey
March 10, 20169 yr comment_5732749 Check out the EVOLVE 53 main event and all of EVOLVE 55. That should get you caught up on things.
March 10, 20169 yr comment_5732750 I'd start with the trio of shows they ran in January. They were all good and will give you an immediate sense of what you're in for in Queens. I'm jealous--that main event should be fantastic. If you like the stuff from this year, just start working your way back through last year. The company has been on a hot streak for awhile.
March 10, 20169 yr comment_5732751 Check out the EVOLVE 53 main event and all of EVOLVE 55. That should get you caught up on things. I'd piggy back on this by saying if you can watch the styles battle matches from 53,53,&55 to understand the stories with Riddle & Williams plus it won't hurt to watch those Yehi matches
March 10, 20169 yr comment_5732752 If you want a look into specific wrestlers I'd recommend: Timothy Thatcher vs Zack Sabre Jr (Evolve 47) Sami Callihan vs Brodie Lee (Evolve 8) Drew Gulak vs Timothy Thatcher (WWN A Wrestling Odyssey) TJ Perkins vs Jeff Cobb ([unknown promotion], 12/11/2015) Mike Bailey vs Trevor Lee (PWG's Don't Sweat the Technique) I cannot comment on Bailey/Lee, as I've never seen it, but it got swell reviews over on WKO. Gulak and Thatcher are matwork guys, so I apologise for giving too many similar styles as showcases (I've tried to think of the best of each man's recent matches). Callihan/Lee is a bomb-throwing spectacle that's just pure bananas to watch.
March 10, 20169 yr comment_5732794 Evolve 46 has a very good Zack Sabre vs TJ Perkins match and a fantastic Timothy Thatcher vs Chris Hero match.
March 11, 20169 yr comment_5732989 Finlay vs Sami Callihan I and II from EVOLVE 9 and 11 are arguably the two best indie matches of the decade.
February 7, 20178 yr comment_5787508 Interested in Evolve...can anyone describe the overall style or feel of the promotion? I remember when it first came about and the fact Danielson was involved seemed like a big plus...thinking more mat based wrestling. Obviously that was awhile back...based on the OP's show, it seems like it has a more grounded style still... Any recent shows that are good examples? any input would be appreciated
February 7, 20178 yr comment_5787523 Interested in Evolve...can anyone describe the overall style or feel of the promotion? I remember when it first came about and the fact Danielson was involved seemed like a big plus...thinking more mat based wrestling. Obviously that was awhile back...based on the OP's show, it seems like it has a more grounded style still... Any recent shows that are good examples? any input would be appreciated EVOLVE started out as a Danielson-esque style for big matches. TJP, Danielson, Bobby Fish, Sawa, and then later Finlay and Callihan. That lasted from EVOLVE 1-9. 10 started the time period in which EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA were in the same universe. EVOLVE became Dragon Gate USA without the Dragon Gate guys. Johnny Gargano, Rich Swann, El Generico, Samuray Del Sol, Ricochet, and again, Sami Callihan. Even a guy with as much talent as Chris Hero struggled to fit in during this time. It was a dreadful period for the promotion in terms of attendance and buzz, but the talent pool was top notch. EVOLVE 31 started a reboot for the promotion. They went to weekend W-L records and put a huge emphasis on a top 10 ranking system. This was the start of Timothy Thatcher, Drew Gulak, and Biff Busick being the faces of the promotion. There was a clear transition period between 31 and 44. The undercard was filled with young high-flyers like Matt Cage and Shane Strickland. Guys like Swann, and even for a short time, Johnny Gargano, were pushed down to the midcard as the grapplefuck trio, Drew Galloway, Roderick Strong, and Chris Hero took over the main event scene. This style officially took off at EVOLVE 45, which is oddly enough one of the best EVOLVE shows ever. The Strong vs. ZSJ match is essential viewing. Thatcher won the world title in the main event. EVOLVE 45-57 was the peak of Thatcher being at the focal point in the company (and subsequently getting outshined by the rest of the card). TJP really took off at this time. Hero was starting his insane run that just concluded, Drew Gulak finally started to take off as a legitimate main eventer, and fresh faces like Tracy Williams, Fred Yehi, and Matt Riddle were starting to take off. EVOLVE 58 is when Thatcher was, to me, the official point in which Thatch became a joke. The grapplefuck style was still present, but TJP, Chris Hero, Fred Yehi, Matt Riddle, Zack Sabre Jr, Hot Sauce, Drew Gulak, and Tommy End were all performing lightyears better than Thatcher. 58-69 featured a lot of Thatcher bombing, and various Grapplefuckers giving their farewell speeches to the promotion. 69 was highlighted by Johnny Gargano saying goodbye, which, in my mind, is still a wound the promotion has yet to fix. From 70-now (77), there's been a giant influx in new talent. The grapplefuckers have disappeared, and we're starting to see a new style form. Sammy Guevara, Jason Kincaid, ACH, and Keith Lee will probably be main eventing the promotion by this time next year, and they're a part of this new generation of high-flyers. tl;dr - the promotion is slowly transitioning out of a grapple-heavy style
February 7, 20178 yr comment_5787532 tl;dr - the promotion is slowly transitioning out of a grapple-heavy style Which is highly unfortunate. Hope Thatch never drops the strap.
February 7, 20178 yr comment_5787572 tl;dr - the promotion is slowly transitioning out of a grapple-heavy style Which is highly unfortunate. Hope Thatch never drops the strap. Even if you think Thatcher sucks, I do think this is unfortunate. The time frame from the Royal Rumble shows last year to the Thatcher vs. Hero match and that first show with the TNA invasion were some of my favorite itemized promotional runs I can remember. A grapple heavy style but with engaging characters (Thatcher aside) and overall a different feel that felt like RINGS in 1997 and 1998. I am not as invested in the current crop of talent including guys others are high on such as Kincaid and Darby Allin.
February 8, 20178 yr comment_5787654 This helps a ton especially grouping the shows into different eras. I was paying attention to it or was aware of Evolve early on (1-10 era) and totally got lost into puro for years. Have been getting back into the Indys for past 6-7 months and that should give me and others in the same boat a place to start! Thanks!
February 8, 20178 yr comment_5787655 If Riddle/Sabre/Yehi/Williams at the top of the card means the end of "a grappleheavy style" then I don't know what the fuck to think.
February 8, 20178 yr comment_5787674 How long does a live Evolve show usually run from opening to final bell?
February 26Feb 26 comment_6028061 Been keeping an eye on the WWE Vault YouTube channel. I noticed they're putting out some good compilation videos of WWE guys in Evolve. I never quite got around to getting into Evolve as much as I wanted to but these look like a good place to start. These are probably available elsewhere but I'm not paying for that
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