Evolve 48 Review

Biff Busick & Timothy Thatcher look to settle their rivalry one and for all!

Evolve 48

Deer Park, New York 8/16/15

1.) Anthony Nese (with SoCal Val) vs. “All Ego” Ethan Page (with Rich Swann): **3/4

We kick off the show with a rare heel vs. heel match, though since Nese is from Long Island, I guess he could be considered a face for this particular match. Page comes out with the Open The Freedom Gate Title that he stole from Johnny Gargano the previous night, and also is accompanied by Rich Swann, who turned on Gargano to help Page beat him. As far as this match goes, it was fine, but I wasn’t into it that match. The heel vs. heel dynamic really didn’t interest me. Nese would get the win here over Page, which I think was a mistake. You have Page have a huge moment over Gargano the night before at Evolve 47, and then he lost in the opener on this show?  Didn’t really like that.

After the match, Page cuts a promo, pretending to be a sad Johnny Gargano, saying how he let everyone down. This brings out Gargano, but Swann blocks him before he can get to Page. Gargano didn’t want to fight his former best friend, but Swann punched him in the face, leading to the next match…

2.) Johnny Gargano vs. Rich Swann (with “All Ego” Ethan Page”): **1/2

So the story here was that Gargano was reluctant to fight Swann. Also, Gargano had to fight against Ethan Page on the outside. The action was fine, but the storyline stuff and the outside interference hurt the match, in my eyes. Probably the worst match (match quality wise) these two have had. In the end, Swann gets the win over Gargano. Interestingly enough, this would be Swann’s last match for Evolve before signing with NXT.

Afterwords, Page cuts a promo standing over Gargano declaring that Dragon Gate USA was dead.

3.) Caleb Konley (with SoCal Val) vs. Trent Barreta: ***1/4

Trent Barreta broke away from The Premiere Athlete Brand following the events of Evolve 46. At Evolve 47 the previous night, Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley defeated Trent Barreta & Rey Horus in tag team action, so on this show, Barreta looks to get back at The P.A.B. as he takes on Caleb Konley in singles action. This was a pretty solid match. The first half was fine (the crowd wasn’t into it that much), but they picked things up in the closing stretch and it ended being a good match. A distraction from SoCal Val allowed Konley to pick up the win over Barreta.

After the match, SoCal Val berated Barreta on the mic, but Barreta (also a native of Long Island), got a standing ovation on his way to the back.

4.) Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey & Rey Horus: **1/4

I think this match had the potential to be really good, but it ended up being the worst match of the weekend. The main issue was that this was just WAY too long. It went close to 20 Minutes, and it had no right to go that long (especially since one side is a duo that’s teaming for the first time). If this had been 10 Minutes, I would’ve had no issues with it, but the length made it incredibly boring. The last portion of the match was ok, but it was, on the whole, uninteresting.

5.) Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: ****1/4

When Evolve was in Florida the month before, and on one of those shows (I think Evolve 45), Chris Hero took offense to a fan who said that Zack Sabre Jr. was better than him. Now, these two clash here in Deer Park, and they had a great match! I’ve said this regarding Zack Sabre Jr., but he’s just so good and so entertaining to watch. You can’t take your eyes away from the screen when he’s in the right. I though he worked really well with Hero here as well. Hero showed off his technical skills, but also bullied Zack Sabre Jr. around with size (including a nasty looking piledriver). In the end, Hero was just too much for the Zack Sabre Jr., and put him away with a Rolling Elbow.

6.) Non-Title No Holds Barred Match – Evolve World Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Biff Busick: ****

Here we have the culmination of the Biff Busick/Timothy Thatcher. Interestingly enough, Thatcher’s Evolve World Title is not on the line in this match. Of course, you would expect these two to deliver in a Main Event spot, and that’s exactly what they did. This wasn’t like your usual No Holds Barred Match, in the sense that there weren’t a lot of weapons (or foreign objects) used here. These two just beat the crap out of each other from start to finish, with Busick targeting Thatcher’s previously injured ear, while Thatcher went out Busick’s injured thumb. There was blood (I believe Thatcher was bleeding from the ear, but I don’t recall), and eventually, Busick tapped out, and Thatcher scored the win!

Busick quickly went to the back after the match (This would also be Busick’s last appearance before heading to NXT). Thatcher cut a promo after the match, calling out Davey Richards, who has been undefeated in Evolve in 2015. This brings out Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams, and Gulak reminds the Evolve World Champion that he’s never beaten him, and deserves a shot at the title. Then, Chris Hero comes out (with a bag of ice tied to his elbow, after Zack Sabre Jr. worked over it in their match), and knocks out all three of them with deadly Ice Pack Rolling Elbows (though it took two shots to take Thatcher down) to close the show.

Overall: 7.25/10

I have to say that this was probably one of Evolve’s weakest shows in 2015. That’s not to say that there weren’t any good matches on this show, as Chris Hero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Timothy Thatcher vs. Biff Busick are well worth checking out. Many of the issues came with the undercard. Some of the stuff they did in the first two matches really didn’t appeal to me, and the Gulak/Williams vs. Mike Bailey/Rey Horus Tag Team Match went much longer that it should have. Despite those issues, the two Main Events, like are said earlier, are definitely bright spots.

Evolve 47 Review

Zack Sabre Jr. challenges Timothy Thatcher for the Evolve World Title!

Evolve 47

Woodside, New York 8/15/15

1.) Biff Busick vs. Tracy Williams (with Drew Gulak): ***3/4

Busick missed the last set of Evolve shows in Florida due to injury. He returns here in the opening match against Tracy Williams, the protégé of Drew Gulak. The two of them have now started calling themselves “Catch Point”, with the idea that they focus on going for the win in matches, and not listening to critics. As far as this match goes, it was actually really, really good. It was just shy of being great. This was probably the best match I’ve seen Williams in, and while he is a very good wrestler, Biff Busick had a big role in this match being really good as well. Some cool stuff between these two guys. In the end, Williams scored a HUGE upset win when he forced Busick to tap out to a crossface!

Afterwords, Williams offers Busick a handshake, but Busick turns it down and leaves. Drew Gulak then takes the mic to congratulate his protégé, but is then interrupted by Rich Swann, setting up the next match…

2.) Drew Gulak (with Tracy Williams) vs. Rich Swann: ***

Williams stayed at ringside to cheer on his mentor for this match. It was a solid match, but nowhere near the quality of the opener. That being said, I thought it was still enjoyable to watch. Gulak can be hit or miss for some, but I think he worked well here with Swann. The match ended in a cool spot where Gulak countered Swann’s Standing 450 Splash by booting him the face! I really liked the sudden finish to this match. It did a good job putting over the whole Catch Point gimmick.

After the match, Gulak took the mic once again, but this time he called out Johnny Gargano. This brings out the man known as “Johnny Wrestling”, who says that their will be a time for him to fight Catch Point, but tonight, he’s here to fight Ethan Page.

As Gulak & Williams were leaving, Timothy Thatcher made his way out. Gulak had some words with Thatcher before the Evolve World Champion & Open The Freedom Gate Champion got in the ring. Thatcher says that he recalled Gargano’s request from a few shows ago for Drew Galloway to retire the Open The Freedom Gate Title. He mentioned that he never wrestled in Dragon Gate USA (and also noted that CIMA would probably think he was a terrible wrestler), and said that Gargano should be the last one to wear the title. Thatcher says he’s retiring the Open The Freedom Gate Title, and is giving it back to the man who made that title, Johnny Gargano. Rich Swann then helps put the title around his friend’s waist as they go to the back. With this move, the Dragon Gate USA brand is officially done.

3.) Chris Hero vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey: ****1/4

Mike Bailey had some impressive showing during his Evolve debut the last time the promotion was in the New York area, including an incredible match against Biff Busick. I thought this match was awesome!! Once again, Chris Hero continues to have a very good year in Evolve, seemingly putting out great matches every time. I think he worked really well with Mike Bailey here, who also looked great in this match. The story of the much bigger Hero against the much smaller Bailey was very good, and the crowd was into it, especially in the final minutes of the match. Just awesome stuff from these two guys. Hero would eventually score the win with a Rip Chord Elbow, and I believe the two also shook hands after the match.

Up next, we were supposed to get a singles match between Trent Barreta & Rey Horus (which could have been really good), but they are interrupted by The Premiere Athlete Brand. SoCal Val reminds everyone that she fired Trent Baretta from The Premiere Athlete Brand since the events of Evolve 46. Baretta responds by saying that he quit, and challenges Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley to a tag team match right now! SoCal Val initially refuses, but after being taunted by Baretta, they agree to it, and we have a match!

4.) The Premiere Athlete Brand (Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley with SoCal Val) vs. Trent Barreta & Rey Horus: ***1/4

This was a pretty solid tag team match. I think that The Premiere Athlete Brand is started to get a little less annoying than they have been previously, which is a good sign. The match have some solid action, and the last portion of it was very good. In the end, Nese & Konley would pick up the win after Nese hit a 450 Splash on Rey Horus.

5.) Anything Goes Match – Johnny Gargano vs. “All Ego” Ethan Page: ***3/4

The last time we saw these two was at Evolve 44, when Page used Gargano’s old heel tricks against him to get the victory. Now they’re facing off in an Anything Goes Match, and they’re both actually dressed in street clothes! Very fitting. I really enjoyed this. Even thought Evolve has been shifting the focus more & more to the grappling style, I think it’s important to have these kinds of matches on the card every so often to give the show some variety. These two definitely had a really enjoyable Anything Goes Match. They brawled all over the building, from the bar, to the stage, and everywhere in between. Gargano was a great face here, and Ethan Page continues to be awesome as heel. They eventually get back to the ring, and just when it looks like Gargano is going to win, Rich Swann comes out and attacks Gargano!! He then helped Ethan Page get his second win in a row over Gargano. I thought the turn worked very well, and fits perfectly with the story that this feud has been trying to tell, with Page making Gargano’s life a living hell. What better way to do that then to turn your best friend against you?

After the match, Swann takes the mic and explains why he turned on Gargano. He says that Gargano’s actions during the second half of his first Open The Freedom Gate Title reign (when he turned heel), proved that he was only out for himself. Swann didn’t want to be in Gargano’s shadow any longer, and finally, a call from Ethan Page finally convinced him. To throw salt on the wounds of his former best friend, Swann takes the Open The Freedom Gate Title belt and straps it around the waist of Ethan Page.

6.) Evolve World Title – Timothy Thatcher vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: ****1/2

These two had an incredible match nearly a year prior at Evolve 34, which Zack Sabre Jr. won. Thatcher is not only looking to retain his title, but also wants to avenge that loss. I though this match was awesome! Their styles meshed really well with each other, and it made for a great match. Zack Sabre Jr. continues to be awesome in pretty much everything he’s done in the U.S. in the last year or so, while Thatcher had another quality title defense. Some great back & forth action throughout this one. Both men are known for going after the arms of their opponents, but on this occasion, Thatcher went after one of Zack Sabre Jr.’s legs, and that ended up paying off, as Sabre Jr. eventually tapped out. Thatcher retains the Evolve World Title

Overall: 8.5/10

Evolve has put on some really good shows in 2015, and this show definitely continued that trend. A very enjoyable show from start to finish. The two best matches of the night were definitely the Timothy Thatcher/Zack Sabre Jr. Evolve World Title Match and the Chris Hero/Mike Bailey match. We also had another good chapter in the Johnny Gargano/Ethan Page rivalry, which included Rich Swann turning heel, as well as a Biff Busick/Tracy Williams opening match that was certainly better than expected. Once again, a very entertaining show.

Evolve 46 Review

Timothy Thatcher puts his newly won titles on the line against Chris Hero!

Evolve 46

Orlando, Florida 7/11/15

As I mentioned in my Evolve 45 review, this weekend of shows from Evolve was drastically altered because of injuries to Biff Busick & Davey Richards. This show ended up having only four actual matches, but for this review, I included the FIP World Heavyweight Title Match between Caleb Konley & Andrew Everett, which was on the FIP Pre-Show (and is included in the VOD of this show).

1.) FIP World Heavyweight Title – Caleb Konley (with The Premiere Athlete Brand) vs. Andrew Everett: ***1/4

This match was set up on Evolve 45, when Everett, after defeating Anthony Nese, goaded Caleb Konley into putting his FIP World Heavyweight Title on the line against him. I thought this was a pretty solid match. Even though it was technically the pre-show show, these two still put forth a really good effort, and had an enjoyable match. Konley would end up getting the win to retain his title (after interference from The Premiere Athlete Brand, if I recall correctly).

2.) Anthony Nese (with The Premiere Athlete Brand) vs. Trevor Lee: ***

The show properly kicks off of with Trevor Lee, who’s coming off an impressive losing effort to Chris Hero, taking on Anthony Nese. The story here is that, if Lee won, he would get an FIP World Title shot against Caleb Konley. This was a good opener. I actually think the Konley/Everett match from earlier in the show was slightly better than this. Still, this was totally fine for what it was. Lee would pick up the win with a rollup on Nese, so I guess he has an FIP World Title shot against Caleb Konley in his future.

3.) Zack Sabre Jr. vs. TJ Perkins: ****

Now this is a match that should be a ton of fun. Both of these men utilize a very fluid technical style, and they ended up having an extremely entertaining match. Both guys worked so well together, and we saw a lot of cool things here. Zack Sabre Jr. would end up getting the win. An awesome match!

4.) Drew Galloway vs. Trent Barreta: ***1/2

So this was originally going to be for the Evolve World Title, but of course, Thatcher won the title from Galloway the night before at Evolve 45. Even though there was no title at steak here, these two still managed to have a really good match. It’s actually a pretty interesting matchup, considering both guys used to be in the WWE. Both guys looked good here in this back & forth match. Galloway scored the victory here, gaining back some momentum after losing his two titles the night before.

After the match, The Premiere Athlete Brand came out and tried to attack Galloway, but Galloway fought of both Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley, and even took a shot at Andrea! He then corned SoCal Val in one of the turnbuckles and started streaming at her, and then ended up taking out an Evolve referee!! These events would lead to Galloway getting suspended from Evolve, and while he would miss the next few shows, he would return before the end of the year.

5.) Evolve World Title & Open The Freedom Gate Title – Timothy Thatcher vs. Chris Hero: ****1/4

This became a title match after Thatcher won both the Evolve World Title & the Open The Freedom Gate Title from Drew Galloway the night before. These two had an incredible encounter back at Mercury Rising 2015, so this is the rematch. While it wasn’t quite as good as their first match, this was still great, and definitely the best match on the show. Hero continues to have a sneaky good year, and Thatcher looked really good here as well. The new champion needed a strong start to this title reign, and he got that with a successful defense against Chris Hero.

Afterwords, Zack Sabre Jr. came out and challenged Timothy Thatcher to an Evolve World Title Match during the next set of Evolve shows in August.

Overall: 8.0/10

This was a very interesting show to watch, as it only had four matches (five if you count the Konley/Everett FIP World Title Match from the FIP Pre-Show, which again, is included in the VOD). Despite being a relatively small card, every match on there was, at the very least, good. Not a single match went under ***. Thatcher vs. Hero and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. TJ Perkins were two great matches, and are definitely worth checking out. Once again, even though the original cards were changed due to a number of injuries. Evolve still pulled out an enjoyable show.

Evolve 45 Review

Despite some key injuries, Evolve manages to put together one of their best shows of the year!!

Evolve 45

Ybor City, Florida 7/10/15

The big story surrounding this particular weekend is that a number of injuries caused some significant alterations to the cards for both shows. Biff Busick was originally announced, but had to pull out after suffering some sort of hand injury (if I recall correctly). Then, Davey Richards suffered a concussion wrestling on an independent show in West Virginia the day before this show, forcing him to pull out. In light of these major injuries, let’s see how Evolve was able to react…

1.) FIP World Heavyweight Champion Caleb Konley (with The Premiere Athlete Brand) vs. Gary Jay: ***1/4

Gary Jay may be known by most independent wrestling fans as a member of The Submission Squad from CHIKARA, but he’s branched out in recent years and has done some more serious work in other promotions. Konley comes into this match as the FIP World Heavyweight Champion, winning it from Rich Swann the week before on a FIP show. As far as this match goes, I thought it was a very solid opener. Konley is quickly becoming one of my favorites, as far as his singles work goes, and Gary Jay looked very impressive in his Evolve debut. While Konley would get the win in this match, Gary Jay showed that he deserves more chances in Evolve.

2.) Trent Baretta (with The Premiere Athlete Brand) vs. Rich Swann: ***1/2

Our next match features Trent Baretta’s return to Evolve! He was seemingly done with the promotion after becoming part of New Japan’s roster (and subsequently a semi-regular in Ring of Honor), but now he’s back, and he’s taking on Rich Swann. I remember really liking the matches these two have had in the past, and this was another very good chapter in their rivalry. Some really good action throughout this match, and both guys looked great. In the end, Baretta would pick up the win with The Dudebuster. This makes The Premiere Athlete Brand undefeated on the night thus far.

After the match, SoCal Val is bragging about The Premiere Athlete Brand’s success so far tonight, but Andrew Everett interrupts her, and it looks like our next match is ready to go!

3.) Anthony Nese (with The Premiere Athlete Brand) vs. Andrew Everett: ***1/2

Andrew Everett made his return to Evolve back at Evolve 42. Another really good singles match. I may be a little bit higher on this match than most, but I really enjoyed it. Everett is such an entertaining high-flyer, and I think he worked well with Nese here. The Premiere Athlete Brand’s winning streak would come to an end in this match, as Everett would get the win over Nese, much to the dismay of SoCal Val.

After the match, Everett taunted The Premiere Athlete Brand, and convinced Caleb Konley to put his FIP World Heavyweight Title on the line in their match the next night.

4.) Chris Hero vs. Trevor Lee: ****1/4

These two have had a number of matches with each other, including PWG, and most recently, at Evolve 43. In all honestly, I thought this was their best matchup yet! Some really exciting stuff throughout this match. Great back & forth action. These two are just incredibly fun to watch. There were a number of points in this match where Lee almost had Hero beat, but he just couldn’t keep Hero down. In the end, Hero would score the win with his Ripcord Elbow. Awesome match! Like I said, I think this is easily their best match together (whether that be in Evolve or PWG). These two just work together really well, and we’ve gotten great matches every time.

5.) Roderick Strong vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: ****3/4

In all the chaos of the various injuries, we were able to get this gem of a match. These two squared off in an amazing match for the PWG World Title at Don’t Sweat The Technique back in April. I came into this wondering whether they could equal their efforts from that PWG encounter, an boy did they ever! This match was AMAZING!!!! Easily one of the best matches, anywhere, in 2015!! I haven’t seen as much Zack Sabre Jr. as some others may have, but he wows me with he technical prowess. You can’t turn away when a Zack Sabre Jr. match pops up. You just have to watch it. It has to be said also that, ever since he started working more in North America, Roderick Strong is EASILY his best opponent. They just mesh so well together. It was technical wrestling vs. strikes and strength, and it played out so well. After an absolute war, Zack Sabre Jr. finally gets Strong to tap out for the victory. This was simply an incredible match.

Interestingly enough, this would be Roderick Strong’s last match for Evolve, as he would go on to sign an exclusive contract with ROH shortly after this show.

6.) Evolve World Title & Open The Freedom Gate Title - Drew Galloway vs. Timothy Thatcher: ***3/4

So originally, this show as going to feature a Main Event of Drew Galloway & Roderick Strong vs. The Premiere Athlete Brand, but of course, the injuries to Biff Busick & Davey Richards caused a number of changes to the card, and this was the Main Event. This was supposed to be a non-title match, but Thatcher requests a shot at the title, and Galloway, being the fighting champion that he is, agreed to it. I thought these two had a really good match. It didn’t match the quality of the previous two matches, but it was still very solid. We saw the usual submission game from Thatcher, and Galloway fought back with his explosive offense. Eventually, Galloway got caught by Thatcher and tapped out to a Fujiwara Armbar!! Timothy Thatcher is the new Evolve World Champion & Open The Freedom Gate Champion!! This was a really big moment. With Thatcher as the new face of WWNLive, it shows that they’re going full-steam ahead with this new grappling-based style. Some might criticize not building this up more, but I think it actually works better that way, since Galloway won the Evolve Title in a similar manner. Thatcher celebrates with his two titles to close the show.

Overall: 9.0/10

Despite all of the issues with the injuries and the card needing to be reshuffled multiple times, Evolve somehow pulled off one of their best shows of the year. Roderick Strong vs. Zack Sabre Jr. was a legitimate Match of the Year Candidate and their 2^nd instant classic of 2015. Chris Hero vs. Trevor Lee was, in my opinion, the best of their three matches thus far (they seem to keep getting better with each match). The Premiere Athlete Brand wasn't as annoying as they usually are, and all of their matches were good. The title change in the Main Event was a big surprise, and while it may have come a bit early, it was understandable given they were backed into a corner with injuries to Biff Busick & Davey Richards. Easily one of the best independent shows of 2015.

Evolve 44 Review

Drew Galloway & Roderick Strong go to war for the final time!

Evolve 44

Ronkonkoma, New York 5/31/15

Now this has to be one of the most interesting venues that Evolve has used in its history. The show is essentially taking place in a local fire station.

The show kicks off with Johnny Gargano! He talks out how he & Rich Swann retired the Open The United Gate Titles the previous night at Evolve 43, and then talks about his opponent tonight, Ethan Page. Gargano says that he will send Ethan Page packing.

1.) Johnny Gargano vs. "All Ego" Ethan Page: ****

The stipulations here are that if Johnny Gargano wins, then Ethan Page must leave Evolve, but it Page wins, then Gargano must shake Page’s hand. I was actually surprised that this opened the show. Given the fact that this was their first encounter since Page turned on Gargano, I think it was pretty obvious that Page was winning here. Still, this was a great opening match! These two have had really good matches in other promotions (such as AIW), and they continued that trend here in Evolve. The end of the match came when Page kicked Gargano low, and then used a rope to choke him out (much like Gargano did on many occasions during his heel run) for the win. Page, being the cocky heel that he is, shook hands with the unconscious Gargano. A great match with a great ending to keep the feud going.

2.) Trevor Lee vs. Rich Swann: ***

Lee is coming off an incredible effort in a loss to Chris Hero the night before, while Swann retained, and retired, the Open The United Gate Titles. This was a good match, but I was expecting a bit more than we ended up getting here. There were also a number of botched, which definitely hurt the match a good deal. Trevor Lee would pick up the surprise win here over Swann, a veteran of Evolve.

3.) Rey Horus vs. Tracy Williams (with Drew Gulak): **1/4

This was an ok match, but it was very short. Horus would get the win with a flash pin, but got attacked by The Premiere Athlete Brand almost immediately afterword. TJ Perkins came out to make the save, and I guess we have a tag team match on our hands.

4.) The Premiere Athlete Brand (Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley with SoCal Val) vs. TJ Perkins & Rey Horus: **3/4

I thought this match was fine, but it wasn’t anything special. After there was some apparent friction the night before, The Premiere Athlete Brand were able to get their act together and put away Horus & Perkins for the win.

5.) Biff Busick vs. "Speedball" Mike Bailey: ****1/4

These two men are coming off losses at Evolve 43. However, these two men are no strangers to each other, as they have faced off in many other promotions. With that being said, it should come as no surprise that these two had an fantastic match! There was some great back & forth action throughout this match, and both men put forth incredible efforts. After an awesome closing stretch, Busick would score the victory over Mike Bailey. This is definitely a must-see match.

6.) Davey Richards vs. Drew Gulak: ****

I was actually really looking forward to this match coming into this show. This was a great match. Richards showed here that he has the technical skills to hang with the likes of Drew Gulak. There was some really solid action in this match, and both guys looked very good. Eventually, Richards would pick up the win over Gulak, continuing his win streak in Evolve in 2015.

7.) Evolve World Title - Drew Galloway vs. Roderick Strong: ***3/4

These two have had several brutal battles in the months prior, from their first encounter at Evolve 35, to their wild brawl at Evolve 37, to their Steel Cage Match at Evolve 38. Now they’re finally facing off with Evolve World Title on the line. I thought this was a really good Main Event. In terms of quality, I would say this is the 2^nd best match of their series. It wasn’t quite as good as their original encounter, but it wasn’t that far off. This just further proves the great chemistry that these two have. In the end, it would take five Future Shock DDT’s for Galloway to finally put Strong away to retain his Evolve World Title.

After the match, Galloway cut a promo praising Strong as one of the best wrestlers in the world. The Premiere Athlete Brand would then interrupt him, with SoCal Val announcing that Trent Baretta would be returning to Evolve in July to face Galloway for the Evolve World Title. They then attacked Galloway, until Roderick Strong made the save! Even though he made the save, Strong said he didn’t fully respect Galloway yet.

Overall: 8.25/10

Evolve closes out the weekend with another really good show. You had three matches reaching **** or better, which included great storyline advancement with Ethan Page vs. Johnny Gargano, as well as a Biff Busick vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey encounter that was particularly great and is definitely worth checking out. You also had another really good chapter in the Galloway/Strong rivalry. Unfortunately, this show suffered from a lackluster portion of the undercard, which dragged the show down a little bit. Despite those issues, the positives of this show definitely outweigh the negatives, and the end result was another really solid Evolve show in 2015.