SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
-WWN announced that the WWNLive Experience will return April 4-April 6 in Brooklyn this year. Progress Wrestling will not be part of WWN’s lineup this year during WrestleMania weekend, as they are expecting to put on their own shows in the U.S. at some point next year. Joining EVOLVE to run shows during the WWNLive Experience will be WXW from Germany, DDT from Japan, SHIMMER, and Kaiju Big Battle. Ticket information is available HERE
The complete schedule is as follows:
-WWN Champion Joey Janela suffered a knee injury that will require surgery. He’s expected to be out of action for at least a year. Janela has been stripped of the WWN Championship by WWN. It has been announced by WWN that a new champion will be crowned on Oct. 28 in Ybor, City Fla. at EVOLVE 114. The shows is being promoted as having no rules.
Already announced for the tournament to crown a new WWN Champion are:
Also scheduled for Oct. 28 in Ybor City, Fla is a WWN tryout/seminar with NXT Coach Robbie Brookside.
-EVOLVE returns to Livonia, Mich. on Nov. 9 and Chicago, Ill on Nov. 10. Both events will feature Mustafa Ali from 205 Live. The company also announced they will return to Deer Park, N.Y. on Dec. 16.
-EVOLVE has started a marketing campaign about how the company will be shaped going forward. A WWN email alert featured a text message scree shot that read #WhatIsEVOLVE and was answered with a question mark. Another email alert followed that up by saying people would find out what EVOLVE was about next week at EVOLVE 114, which has had nothing announced outside of a tournament to crown the new WWN Champion.
The company has lost all of its top names in 2018 with Matt Riddle and Keith Lee signing with WWE and Zack Sabre Jr. parting ways with the company. In addition, EVOLVE announced that manager Stokely Hathaway was leaving the promotion last weekend.
EVOLVE booker Gabe Sapolsky sent out a series of tweets recently about this being the time for new talent to step up and become stars in the promotion:
At the same time, it is no secret that we are blowing up the EVOLVE roster. We have lost some main eventers this year, but at the same time we have seen talents like Darby Allin and Austin Theory rise up the cards. I want to find the next Allin and Theory.
— Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) October 19, 2018
I don't want this to all sound like it was a plug, because it is not. All these words are heartfelt and come from my 25 years of experience. However, we do have a WWN Seminar/Tryout with NXT Coach Robby Brookside on 10/28 in Ybor City, FL.
— Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) October 19, 2018
Who is going to make the most of this age of opportunity in pro wrestling?
— Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) October 19, 2018
Several EVOLVE wrestlers responded to Sapolsky’s tweet as part of the storyline about stepping up to the challenge and becoming a main event talent. Anthony Henry was one of the first to respond:
Hmm talking about guys stepping up…I think I have done nothing but that from the first time I was given an opportunity to now. I guess I am not one of the "chosen ones" though. Guess I just have to outwork them then. No problem. Time to step up!
— Anthony Henry (@Antnyhenry) October 19, 2018
J.D. Drake, who has had some really good matches against top talent in EVOLVE also responded to Sapolsky’s tweets as well:
The next Allin or Theory?
How about a guy that was good enough to be a part of history of his Evolve debut?
Tired of being overlooked. My time is now! https://t.co/sx8QmJObAC
— J.D. Drake (@RealJDDrake) October 19, 2018
This angle developing now comes at an interesting time, as PWTorch sources have confirmed that many talents have been frustrated with their push in EVOLVE at the expense of wrestlers that have already made a name for themselves in the past. In a sense some of these tweets seem in some ways to mirror the legitimate feelings of certain members of the EVOLVE roster.
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