EVOLVE 8 Internet PPV Report
May 20, 2011
Union City, N.J.
Report by Sean Radican, PWTorch columnist

The following is Radican's report from his live Twitter coverage Friday night at Twitter.com/SeanRadican of Evolve's Style Battle tournament Internet PPV.

(1) A.R. Fox beat Rich Swann. Fox kicked out of the standing 450 and won with a top-rope code breaker. (**)

Lenny Leonard talked to Fox after the match. He said he was going to sit back and see who his next opponent was. Swann ducked a handshake after the match.

(2) Jon Davis beat Tony Nese. These style names are hard to get used to. Standing power for Nese. Davis hit an insane powerslam early that popped the crowd. Nees hit a leg lariat and both men were down. Naylor just made a bad joke about eating. Nese hit a top-rope rana, but Davis fired back with a sick clothesline for a nearfall. Davis won with a combination of power moves capped by a sitdown slam. (**3/4)

Leonard interviewd Davis afterward. Davis said he had plenty left. He said he wouldn't disappoint the fans tonight.

(3) Sami Callihan beat Brodie Lee. Both men are beating the crap out of each other early on. Sami with some brutal strikes. Lee hit some sick chops on Callihan. Lee missed a boot and Callihan nailed him with a dive through the ropes to pop the crowd. Callihan kicked out of two Truck Stops. Callihan ran wild with a Saito suplex and a falling flying burrito (WTF), but Lee got the ropes. Lee hit a liger bomb, but Sami kicked out! Sami fired back and hit a DVD for a nearfall! Callihan caught Lee in the brock lock while hitting axe kicks on the ground forcing Lee to tap. (***1/2)

After the match, Callihan said he had just been hit by a truck. He said he had made the baddest man tap out. Callihan said he was just getting started. Good post-match promo.

(4) Bobby Fish beat Austin Aries. Fish looks a lot leaner than I remember. Good back-and-forth action between Aries and Fish. These two are pros. Aries working the arm now. Fish grabbed a knee bar, but Aries screamed and quickly grabbed the ropes. Aries knocked Fish off the ropes and nailed Fish with a Macho Man axe handle to the floor. Aries snapped Fish's neck over the middle rope and locked in the last chancery, but Fish got the ropes! Aries pointed to the sky and hit Macho Man's elbow drop, but Fish kicked out!

Fish fired back, but overshot on a moonsault attempt. This is really good so far and Aries just killed Fish with the HSM. Fish hit a huge diving headbutt for a nearfall. Aries missed a 450 and couldn't apply his last chancery effectively. Fish caught Aries with a heel hook and he had to tap. Really solid match that was given time to build to the finish. (***1/2)

Leonard interviewed Fish after the match. Fish said it was his biggest win ever. He said the heel hook was something he had been caught in by Danielson. He said he had learned from that loss. He said the move is called the Fish hook. Fish said he would take it to the finals. Fish got a mixed reaction.

Lenny Leonard then introduced Larry Dallas and Reby Sky. Leonard said as a result of Dallas's involvement at EVOLVE 7, they have to have be certified. Sky heeled on the fans. The mic is hard to hear. Dallas said that didn't matter. Dallas said his wrestler would tear through the FRAY! and go to DGUSA. Dallas said his wrestler would be the last man into the match. Leonard told Sky and Dallas they had to be inside the guardrail or they would be kicked out.

(5) A.R. Fox beat Jon Davis in a semi-final match. Davis hit a blue thunder powerbomb early after Fox got in some high-flying offense. Davis dominating the action with a big suplex. Fox hit an insane dive running up the post off the apron and nailing Davis on the floor. Davis hit the pounce and took awhile to cover Fox, who kicked out. That was sick. Fox fired back and hit the codebreaker out of nowhere for the pin. Fox advances to the finals. (***)

Davis interrupted Fox's post-match promo. Davis said he was man enough to admit he had been beaten and told Fox to win the finals.

(6) Sami Callihan beat Bobby Fish in a semi-final match. Fish grabbed the Fish hook early, but Sami got the ropes. Good hard hitting action with Callihan mounting Fish and finishing him with forearms for the win. Too bad it was so short. (*1/2)

After the match, they shook hands and Fish said he'd like to do it again. Callihan said he would beat Fox in the finals.

[Intermission time. They showed footage from the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup with Richards vs. TJP.]

(7) SAT beat Ricky Reyes & Alex Colon. Colon with a top rope knee drop on Jose, but Will made the save. SAT's hit the Spanish fly for the win on Colon. This was a fun little tag match. (**1/4)

(8) Pinkie Sanchez won an 8-Man Fray! match. Out first are Scott Reed and Cheech Hernandez. Brian XL is out next! XL with a crazy dive onto Cheech! Winner of this match gets a DGUSA booking. Blaine Rage is out next. Cory Chavis is out next. Chavis eliminated Brian XL. Chavis pinned Rage with a Rock Bottom variation. Next out is Pinkie Sanchez. Reed eliminated Hernandez. Derek Ryze is out next. Davis eliminated Reed with a huge boot. Ryze wipes out Chavis and Sanchez with a blockbuster/DDT combo. Chavis eliminated Ryze with another Rock Bottom variation.

Atu is the mystery man. He eliminated Chavis with a huge spear. Down to Atu vs. Sanchez. Atu dead-lifted Sanchez and tossed him to the floor. Atu getting a "You can't wrestle" chant. Atu putting a beat down on Sanchez. Sanchez fired back and hit a DDT off the top for the win. Atu was hated by this crowd. Sanchez is a good choice to go to DGUSA. (**1/2)

Sanchez said we wouldn't forget his name in the post-match interview and we would see him at DGUSA.

(9) A.R. Fox beat Sami Callihan in the Style Battle finals to win the tournament. Fox hit a springboard 450 to the outside and the crowd went nuts. Callihan evaded a flip kick and hit an exploder on the floor. Callihan nailed Fox with a series of strikes followed by a suplex. He then grounded Fox with a headlock. Fox tried to fire back, but Callihan hit a big boot and a slingshot splash for a two count.

Fox fired back with a springboard ace crusher for a two count. Fox went for a moonsault, but Callihan got his knees up and followed with a sliding clothesline for a two count. Callihan slipped and Fox hit the flying code breaker, but Callihan kicked out.

Callihan with a saito suplex off the top and then another on the mat. He followed with a running forearm, but Fox kicked out. Holy crap - Fox hit a springboard spanish fly off the top for the win. This was a really good, intense match. (***1/2)

Leonard interviewed Fox after the match. Fox said more would come in the future.

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