6/10 EVOLVE 62 iPPV Results – CALDWELL’S Complete Live Report (w/Video)

EVOLVE 62 iPPV Results
June 10, 2016
Ybor City, Fla.
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

The event is airing on WWNLive.com or the Fite TV App.

1 — FRED YEHI vs. ANTHONY NESE

The opening match of an EVOLVE iPPV means Premiere Athlete Brand. In this case, Nese was solo against Yehi. Nese went for a top-rope 450 splash, but Yehi avoided and immediately applied a Koji Clutch. Nese tapped out, giving Yehi the opening win. Announcer Lenny Leonard said it was Nese’s first singles win in EVOLVE.

After Yehi left, Nese asked for the mic. He told the crowd to stop clapping for him – clap for Fred – because he has been stuck in a rut for a year. Nese said when he came to EVOLVE, he decided to make a name for himself by creating the PAB. But, it turned into a bunch of a-holes. Nese said the PAB is done with. But, Tony Nese is still here.

Nese said there’s a thing coming up from WWE called the Cruiserweight Classic. Nese said he wants an opportunity to be in the tournament. No, he’s taking his opportunity tomorrow night.

WINNER: Yehi in 13:00.

2 — ETHAN PAGE vs. DARBY ALLIN

Allin does a goofy gimmick like Crazzy Steve, but he suddenly displayed some strong athleticism unexpected for the character. Page had enough of his antics, so he ran across the ring and just chucked him clear over the top rope to the floor. Big sell-job by everyone, with refs spilling out to check on Allin to see if he could continue the match. Allin eventually made his way back into the ring for the match to continue.

Page told Allin that he can stop the match right now, but Allin gave him a chop. So, Page no-sold and booted him in the face. Page toyed with Allin, then nailed a leaping RKO, but Allin kicked out again. Allin suddenly got a small package roll-up, but Page kicked out. Page angrily ended Allin with a Package Piledriver for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Page at 9:20. A memorable match with the big mid-match injury angle enhancing Page as a vile man and Allin as a scrappy underdog in defeat. Well done.

3 — CEDRIC ALEXANDER vs. MATT RIDDLE

This was ROH mainstay Cedric Alexander’s EVOLVE debut. Riddle, looking like a Von Erich with long hair and wrestling barefoot, shook hands with Cedric to adhere to the Evolve of Honor. This was a battle from the start with the two men trading bombs throughout. Alexander delivered a nasty fall-away backbreaker that sent Riddle flying into the air, but Riddle rolled under the ropes to avoid a three count.

As the crowd roared, Riddle returned fire with a mat submission bending Alexander’s neck in an awkward position like a neck crank. Alexander was forced to tap out. Afterward, the crowd applauded both men, then Riddle approached Alexander for a post-match handshake and embrace. Riddle left, then Alexander told the crowd that he is here to stay.

WINNER: Riddle via submission at 10:37. Strong match with two strong competitors battling in a respect match.  This brought the show to the next level.

4 — EVOLVE tag champions CATCH POINT (DREW GULAK & TRACY WILLIAMS w/TJP and Fred Yehi) vs. BRAVADO BROS. — EVOLVE Tag Title match

This was a lengthy tag match that started with both teams evenly matched tagging in and out. The crowd hated the Bravados, who scored a ridiculous number of close calls. Lenny Leonard declared “new tag champions” several times in the match, but Tracy or Drew broke up multiple pinfall or submission attempts. Eventually, all four men collapsed to the mat in a pile of exhaustion. They built to more nearfalls before Tracy eventually smashed Lancelot Bravado with a DDT into a brainbuster suplex for the pin and the win. Slow-building battle going nearly 30 minutes.

WINNERS: Catch Point at 27:30 to retain the EVOLVE Tag Titles. The outcome didn’t seem to be in doubt, but they created some strong nearfalls to give the Bravados a credibility boost pushing Catch Point to the limit.

Post-match, Harlem Bravado asked for some space for his brother as he recovered from the battle. Gulak and Tracy approached the Bravados for a post-match handshake, but Catch Point pulled away to rub it in the faces of the losing tag team. Gulak then took the mic to address still being tag champions.

Gulak also addressed having the EVOLVE Title belt in his bag right now. Gulak said Timothy Thatcher should not let another man sleep with his title belt. He said he wakes up with that title belt and kisses it good morning. Gulak called Thatcher a champion with no title. “Where is Thatcher?” chant from the crowd.

Thatcher’s music eventually played to bring out the EVOLVE champion to address Gulak and Williams. Thatcher stared down Gulak. Long stare down. Thatcher bent down to pick up the mic while continuing to glare at Catch Point. Thatcher said he has to face Chris Hero tonight, but they will all get their title shots in due time. So, leave his ring.

Chris Hero’s music played to bring out Hero for the title shot against Thatcher. Hero told the kids to get out of his ring and go to bed while the men battle for the title. Gulak and Co. took exception, but Gulak said in the spirit of competition, they’ll let this match happen. Before the bell sounded, Hero quipped about fighting for the title without a belt present.

5 — EVOLVE champion TIMOTHY THATCHER vs. CHRIS HERO — EVOLVE Title match

As the champ and challenger felt each other, Leonard talked about Hero’s attempted WWE run, which pre-dated WWNLive’s relationship with WWE. Leonard said if Hero wins the title, he’s going to show it off to the first WWE official he finds. Hero slowed the pace and dominated the weary champion, including blasting him to the floor, where he punched him out of a front-row chair.

Back in the ring, Hero just kept toying with Thatcher, smashing him over and over with forearms and strikes. Suddenly, Thatcher just grabbed Hero and dropped him with a Saito Suplex to get a breather. Hero responded with more roaring elbows. Thatcher no-sold, slowly got up, took another one, no-sold, slowly got up, and repeat until Hero finally smashed him to the mat for a close two count. Hero followed with a running senton, but Thatcher caught his arm and locked in an armbar submission. Hero had no escape, and he was forced to tap out.

WINNER: Thatcher at 22:50 to retain the EVOLVE Title. Thatcher wrestled a different kind of match doing his “selling” by allowing Hero to land so much offense, which he promptly no-sold by slowly getting up and grimacing. Hero was a beast in the ring, but EVOLVE continued Thatcher’s journey to earn the respect of the roster.

Post-match, Matt Riddle hit the ring along with Catch Point to stare down Thatcher. Drew Gulak had the EVOLVE Title belt with him. Tracy Williams told Thatcher to put the title on the line tomorrow. Drew Gulak spoke that Catch Point will do what Chris Hero was unable to do tonight. Stokely Hathaway then took the mic on behalf of TJP to declare Perkins the un-crowned EVOLVE champion. He said he digs Catch Point, but it’s TJP’s time. Hathaway put the belt around his waist right in front of Thatcher. Thatcher said he’ll defend against Tracy tomorrow. That’s fine. He said he will hurt every single person who has touched the title belt. Hathaway was like, “I got nothing to do with this” and put the belt on the mat.

Matt Riddle told Thatcher that he’s nothing but trash. He vowed to beat him again and take the belt. Riddle held up the title belt right in Thatcher’s face. Thatcher didn’t move, just glared down each member of Catch Point to close the post-match activity. Thatcher bowed to all four corners of the ring before leaving to the back.

Time for the Main Event – an unsanctioned Street Fight between Team TNA and Team EVOLVE.

6 — TNA Hvt. champion DREW GALLOWAY & ETHAN CARTER III vs. JOHNNY GARGANO & T.J. PERKINS (w/Stokely Hathaway) — unsanctioned Street Fight

Galloway entered the arena sans TNA Hvt. Title belt. After the bell sounded, ECIII and Galloway decided to knock out the referee to begin the brawling. The fight moved to the floor to the back of the building in a darkened part of the bar area. Suddenly, they brawled through the back door of The Orpheum onto the street. Gargano and ECIII fought into the back-seat of one of those biker guys transporting people around town. TJP joined Gargano to superkick ECIII after they brawled around a poor bystander trying to walk her dog. Fans gathered around the giant brawl before it spilled back inside the building.

Gargano wiped out both ECIII and Galloway with a suicide dive from the ring. It’s unclear how this was going to end with the referee knocked out in the opening seconds. Back to the bar area, where TJP slid ECIII down the bar into a superkick from Gargano. The duo danced on the bar, then Gargano splashed ECIII. TJP tried it on Galloway, but Galloway caught him in mid-air and bodyslammed him onto the merch table. That turned the tide of the match.

ECIII and Galloway isolated Gargano, delivering a double suplex. ECIII then sent Galloway to the back to find a referee. Galloway grabbed ref Brandon Tolle from the back to get in the ring and start counting. But, Gargano kicked out of a pin. TJP re-entered the ring to even the odds and set up Team EVOLVE for a comeback. Suddenly, Gargano caught Galloway in Gargano Escape and TJP followed with a crossface to ECIII, putting Team TNA in double jeopardy. But, Team TNA eye-gouged to escape.

Gargano and TJP followed with superkicks to Team TNA, then Gargano called for a table. TJP obliged, but they turned around to take simultaneous low-blows from ECIII and Galloway. Gargano fell to the floor, then Team TNA put Perkins through the table with a double powerbomb. They weren’t done. Galloway went looking for Gargano, who desperately chucked a chair into Drew’s face.

Suddenly, Drew Gulak came out to check on TJP. As Gulak checked on Perkins, Chris Hero stormed the ring and piledrove Gulak. Hero then blasted Gargano. Hero wasn’t done, though. He lifted up TJP and chucked him toward Galloway to deliver a Tombstone Piledriver. Hero smirked toward Drew and ECIII, who slowly picked up the scraps of TJP to deliver the One-Percenter. ECIII covered a lifeless Perkins for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Galloway & ECIII at 20:38. This was a wild brawl completing a six-match card where each match was different than the others. Well done.

Post-match, ref Brandon Tolle reluctantly awarded the victory to ECIII and Galloway. And, they promptly punched Tolle in the face. Drew took the mic and said this company needs some heroes. He said this is a case of we’re right, they’re wrong. Galloway said they’re making a statement bigger than the Cruiserweight tournament. Now, with Chris Hero on their side, no one can stop them.

Galloway said now that one guy who used to wear the facepaint is coming. Co-col-Cody Rhodes! Galloway claimed Rhodes is on their side. He said Rhodes is coming for Gargano on August 19. And now the moment they’ve all been waiting for. Galloway said it’s the main event of the evening… ECIII on the mic.

Carter took the mic, but Ethan Page suddenly hit the ring. And, Galloway dropped him with Future Shock. Carter began his promo. ECIII said talk is what he has done. But, apparently there was a reprimand from the office, but he does not work for EVOLVE. He said you can’t dangle a carrot in front of him like the rest of the locker room because that carrot stinks. Suddenly, the feed cut out. And it did not come back on. So, apparently that’s the end of the show. At least they got in the big news of Rhodes vs. Gargano on August 19.