Evolve 31 iPPV Results
August 8, 2014
Ybor City, Fla.
Report by Sean Radican, PWTorch columnist

(1) Drew Gulak beat Timothy Thatcher in a Style Battle Round Robin Tournament match. Good technical wrestling match. Thatcher worked over Gulak's arm throughout the match, but Gulak managed to counter him and get an ankle lock with a grapevine for the win. (***)

(2) Biff Busick beat James Raideen in a Style Battle Round Robin Tournament match. They exchanged some hard slaps early, but Raideen got the upper hand after hitting a big slam. Busick slipped out of a torture rack and got a sleeper hold, but Raideen got the ropes. Busick charged at Raideen a short time later, but ate a huge clothesline. Busick got a sleeper and then held onto it with a judo throw. Raideen eventually passed out giving Busick the win. Someone has been watching G1. (**1/2)

(3) Lince Dorado & Dos Ben Dejos (Cruz & Rios) beat FIP Tag Team champions Juicy Product (J.T. Dunn & David Starr) & Jesus DeLeon in a six-man tag match. All back and forth action early with Dunn hitting a nice huracanrana off the apron on Rios. Cruz got cut off and they worked him over for a long time. Cruz finally cut off Dunn with a big tornado DDT. Rios, Cruz, and Dorado all hit big dives to the floor to fire up the crowd. Lot of near falls down the stretch with guys breaking up pins. Dorado finally pinned DeLeon with a springboard inverted huracanrana. (**3/4)

(4) Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) beat Johnny Gargano. Sydal began targeting Gargano's leg after getting the better of Gargano during a fast-paced exchange with a big dropkick. Gargano fired back and caught Sydal with a slingshot spear through the ropes. Sydal tried to fire back and hit a standing moonsault, but Gargano kicked him away and brushed off his shoulder. Gargano went for a suplex and Sydal landed on top of him for a near fall, but Gargano got up and wiped him out with a clothesline. Gargano began to target Sydal's back. Sydal mounted a comeback and hit a bulldog. He then hit a standing moonsault for a two count. The fans began chanting for both men.

The pace picked up and they went at it near the apron. They seemed to not be on the same page momentarily, but Gargano eventually hit a slingshot DDT for a two count. Gargano sent Sydal to the floor with an enziguiri and followed up with a dive through the ropes. Gargano went for another spear through the ropes, but Sydal caught him with a knee to the head.

They went back and forth exchanging kicks in the middle of the ring. Sydal took down Gargano with a jumping double knee strike for a two count. Gargano fired back and hit the lawn dart for a nearfall. Gargano caught Sydal going for a splash in the corner and countered it into hurts don't it or a nearfall. Sydal fired back and hit a standing huracanrana with Gargano up top. He then finished off Gargano with a SSP for the win. This was a good match. It dragged a bit at times, but picked up late with some good exchanges. (***1/2)

Gargano freaked out when the interviewer mentioned Sydal facing Open the Freedom Gate Champion Ricochet on the next show. Gargano said Rich Swann had ruined his life and promised to end him on Sunday.

Gargano tried to attack Swann before his tag match, but Swann nailed him with a clothesline. Several officials than dragged Gargano to the back.

(5) Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley (w/Su Yung) beat DGUSA champion Ricochet & Rich Swann (w/Ivelisse). Nese and Konley attacked their opponents from behind and eventually began working over Ricochet. Ricochet tagged in Swann and he ran wild on Konley and Nese. They danced as the fans sang "All Night Long." Ricochet and Swann continued to work over Konley. Ricochet did the people's standing moonsault on Konley. Swann and Ricochet are so smooth with their tandem offense. Yung distracted Swann on the outside and Nese wiped him out from behind. Konley them wiped out Ricochet. Nese then began working over Swann. The fans tried to fire up Swann by singing his theme. Swann began selling his leg after Nese suplexed him into the turnbuckles.

Swann took a sustained beating from Nese and Konley. Nese grabbed a body scissors and then a chin lock on the mat, but Swann fought out of it. Yung distracted Swann again and Nese wiped him out. The crowd is really flat for Nese's heat on Swann. Swann finally cut off Konley and tagged in Ricochet, who ran wild. The fans fired up after Ricochet hit a huge flip dive to the floor to wipe out Konley and Nese. Konley fired back on Ricochet with a German with a bridge for a two count. Ricochet flipped around Konley and muscled him up for a suplex or a near fall. The action broke down and Swann got a dragon sleeper on Nese, but Konley broke it up.

They went to a big sequence and Swann decked Nese with a 360 enziguiri and everyone was down. Nese ate a combination of moves, but Konley broke up the pin at the last second. Konley blocked the benadriller and hit a falcon arrow, but Swann broke up the pin. Konley and Nese hit a combination of moves capped by a 450 on Swann with Ricochet down on the floor for the win. The match dragged during the heat segment on Swann, but was really good late. (***3/4)

Nese and Konley pushed Yung around after the match. Swann got on the mic after the match and said Yung didn't need to hang around with Nese and Konley. He asked her to come party with him all night long. Yung ended up going to the back.

Chris Hero cut a promo before the main event and said he was excited to find out he was wrestling Drew Galloway. He said he wasn't excited about it not being a non-title match, though. Hero says he can't claim to the best when he doesn't put his belt on the line. Galloway got on the mic and asked the crowd what they thought. He said he would be honored to fight for the title.

(6) Drew Galloway beat Evolve champion Chris Hero to capture the EVOLVE Title. Leonard mentioned that Hero had suffered a severe back injury and had only been back in the ring for a couple of weeks. Leonard said Hero had been in a wheelchair for two weeks. Hero got the upper hand with a dropkick and a senton. Galloway fired back and eventually took Hero down with a big clothesline. Galloway worked over Hero and went up top, but Hero crotched him and booted him to the floor. They went back and forth on the outside and Hero hit a short right in the ring for a two count. Galloway fired back, but Hero held on to the ropes and he missed a dropkick. Hero then got a pressing pinning combination for a two count.

Hero mocked the 3MB guitar playing and Galloway fired up and hit several strikes, but Hero cut him off and eventually hit a big kick to the face in the corner. Some of the fans began to boo Hero for mocking Galloway. Galloway caught Hero with a dropkick and both men were down. Galloway signaled coffee finish, but Hero dropped down to a knee and got the ropes. Hero fired back and hit a cravat buster for a two count. Galloway no-sold a boot to the face and took Hero down. Galloway hit a spinning Rock bottom for a near fall. They ended up on the outside and Hero hit a rolling elbow. Hero then missed a rolling elbow and hit the steel pole on the outside. Galloway went right after Hero's arm. Hero fired back at a kick and hit a rolling elbow. Hero held his arm before covering Galloway for a two count.

Galloway blocked the death blow and hit a double arm DDT for the win. This was a very good back and forth contest. Both guys looked good here. There were some lulls in the action, but Galloway looked good here. (***3/4)

Galloway was interviewed after the match. Galloway told Hero they had had a hell of a fight and wanted to shake hands, but Hero bailed. Galloway said if anyone has followed his career they know he's been climbing a steep mountain and tonight he reached the top of the mountain. The fans applauded. Galloway said he was overwhelmed and asked the fans who loves professional wrestling. He said Florida used to be a special territory with sell-outs every night and they have a chance to bring it back again.

Galloway asked the interviewer what Evolve means to her. She said she comes from Britain and Evolve is a rising company in America. Galloway said with the talent in the back, he would be a leader. He said he wants everyone by his side. He asked the boys in the back to stand by his side. He told everyone to tell people Evolve has the best wrestlers on the planet and he's proud to be their champion.

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