EVOLVE 6: Aries vs. Taylor Review

November 20th, 2010 in Union City
Jimmy Jacobs claims that he will defeat Johnny Gargano again and overtake Chuck Taylor as the wins leader.
Drake Younger wants to be the first man to achieve the record of 4-0.
Johnny Gargano officially welcomes Jimmy Jacobs to the world of 4-2 after a loss tonight.

Opening Match: Drake Younger (3-0) vs. Silas Young (0-1)
They trade control of a wristlock and Young tries a few rollups to no avail. Younger gets caught by a dropkick and falls victim to corner punches. He recovers by forearming Young off the apron and following out with a dive. Young powerslams Younger onto the concrete floor. In the ring, Younger hits a half nelson suplex. They trade strikes and Younger finds success with a michinoku driver from the middle rope. Young responds with a backbreaker followed by a clothesline. He finds knees on the Peegee Waja Plunge and Younger hits a tombstone for a nearfall. Young escapes Drake’ Landing and hits the Peegee Waja Plunge for the win at 8:58. They displayed solid chemistry together and had the crowd invested in the action. Young is deceptively agile and put in a solid performance on his way to attaining a big win over Younger. I would like to see what these two could do with more time. **½

Match #2: Rich Swann (0-1) vs. A.R. Fox (0-0) vs. Tony Nese (0-0) vs. Scott Reed (0-0)
Fox catches Reed with a dropkick and hits a twisting brainbuster on Swann. Nese blocks a dive from Fox with a clothesline. Fox lures Nese to the floor and scarily botches a moonsault. He seems to be okay and the crowd gives him applause. Fox hits a guillotine leg drop on Swann. Swann jumps off of Fox’s back to snap off a hurricanrana on Nese. Reed powers Swann into a bucklebomb. Fox leaps off the middle rope and catches Reed with an ace crusher. Nese lands a springboard moonsault onto Fox, who responds with a flying lungblower. Nese comes back with a dead-lift german suplex but gets caught by a standing shooting star press from Swann. Swann superkicks Fox and lands his standing 450 splash for a nearfall. Nese hits a jig n’ tonic on Swann and exchanges punches with Reed. Fox catches Reed with a stunner and hits an air raid crash for the victory at 6:36. Despite almost injuring himself early on, Fox wholeheartedly won the crowd over by the end of this contest. Hopefully he makes an impact in EVOLVE. Reed and Nese were fine but didn’t receive a chance to stand out in only six minutes. **
Drake Younger is visibly upset backstage.

Match #3: Bobby Fish (0-4) vs. Kyle O’Reilly (2-2)
Larry Dallas takes a seat at ringside to watch the action. These two men actually competed against each other in the first match in EVOLVE history. They trade strikes at the bell. Fish connects with a dropkick but finds himself in an ankle lock. He’s able to reach the bottom rope. They battle over a test of strength and fight for control on the mat. Fish is able to systematically take down O’Reilly with various kicks. Fish hits a german suplex along with an overhead suplex. He connects with a diving headbutt. O’Reilly comes back with a few kicks of his own and hits rolling butterfly suplexes. Fish catches him up top with a falcon arrow. O’Reilly answers with a tiger suplex and both men are down. They exchange kicks and fall to the canvas. O’Reilly hits a tornado DDT and transitions into a brainbuster. He applies an ankle lock but Fish powers out. Fish hits a saito suplex followed by a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. He finds knees on a moonsault attempt and O’Reilly locks in a triangle choke. Fish powers out and hits a bucklebomb. He synchs in a crossface but O’Reilly turns it into a pin attempt for a two count. Fish connects with a flash knee strike and hits a gutbuster. Fish follows with a knockout kick for the win at 14:22. This is just one of those matches that really captures the EVOLVE style. They were given enough time to improve upon their previous encounter and they put together a worthwhile match. I appreciated the characterization of Fish throughout this contest. He entered the ring much more prepared than before and utilized his prior experience of wrestling O’Reilly to pick up the win. Now that Fish is on the winning track, I’m curious to see where he is headed in EVOLVE. ***¼
Lenny Leonard interviews Fish after the match. O’Reilly interrupts and admits that Fish was the better man tonight. They shake hands as Fish celebrates his victory.

Match #4: Cheech and Cloudy (3-0) vs. Player Uno and Player Dos (0-0)
Dos cartwheels out of a headscissors and hurricanranas Cheech. He follows with a spin kick and the Super Smash Brothers take control with their double teaming. Dos hits a slingshot senton on Cheech, who answers with a back suplex after Cloudy interjects himself. Up In Smoke isolate Dos until he avoids a boot from Cheech and makes the tag. Uno catches Cloudy with a fallaway slam and connects with a double clothesline. He hits a pumphandle neckbreaker on Cloudy and a side slam on Cheech. Cloudy walks into a palm thrust from Uno. Cheech suplexes Uno but immediately gets caught by a flying splash from Dos. Cloudy hits a reverse hurricanrana on Dos and all four men are down. Uno hits a flatliner on Cheech but Up In Smoke pepper him with multiple strikes. Cloudy hits a tornado DDT on Uno. Dos catches both of his opponents with a pele kick and lands a dive to the floor. In the ring, the Super Smash Brothers hit a alabama slam-backcracker combination on Cloudy for a nearfall. They follow with a gory slam-cutter combination on Cheech for a two count. Up In Smoke come back with a double stomp-code red combination on Uno for the victory at 10:57. At the halfway point, I was thinking that while everyone was trying hard, the action seemed flat. However, both teams turned the action up a notch down the stretch and got the crowd invested through sheer power of will. This match also went a long way in making me believe that Up In Smoke is the team to beat in EVOLVE. The only problem is that no other team comes close to being able to match their record. ***
In a post-match interview, Cheech claims that 2011 will be Up In Smoke’s year.
In the back, Scott Reed congratulates Bobby Fish on his victory. Fish calls his wife to tell her the good news.

Match #5: Relaxed Rules: Homicide (0-0) vs. Jon Moxley (0-1)
They stare each other down and begin trading punches. Moxley avoids a facewash kick by retreating to the floor. Homicide lands a dive off the apron and hits rolling suplexes back in the ring. Moxley dodges a flying headbutt and starts targeting the left shoulder. Homicide fights out of a sleeper hold and hits a back suplex. Moxley dropkicks him off the apron and connects with a baseball slide. They battle in the crowd where Homicide back drops Moxley onto the concrete floor. Homicide hits a DDT on the bleachers and chokes Moxley with wires. Moxley tries to calm things down with a headscissors but Homicide uses a chair to break the hold. Moxley traps Homicide’s bad shoulder in a piece of guardrail and repeatedly hits it with a chair. In the ring, Homicide hits an exploder but finds himself in a fujiwara armbar. He reaches the bottom rope and hits an ace crusher. Moxley goes back to the fujiwara armbar but Homicide reaches the ropes once again. Homicide connects with a lariat. He goes for the Cop Killa but Moxley counters into a chickenwing for the win at 19:54. While Moxley’s methodical plan of attack was probably the smartest option, it wasn’t necessarily the most exciting option. The crowd brawling was fairly tame and they actually received applause when they brought the action back into the ring. The good news is that Moxley now has some newfound credibility after defeating Homicide in such a decisive fashion. **¼
Homicide yells at the referee for stopping the match. He kicks the referee and Moxley tells him that he’s going to get suspended. Homicide wants Moxley to hit him, but Moxley says that he plays by the rules now. Homicide lays out Moxley with an ace crusher and stabs him repeatedly with a fork. Moxley still won’t hit him, so Homicide continues to use the fork. He even uses a screwdriver at one point to attack Moxley down low. Homicide finally decides to leave but Moxley grabs a microphone and makes fun of Brooklyn. Bad idea. Homicide hits a piledriver onto a chair for emphasis. I wasn’t in love with their match, but this segment provided a lot of effective characterization. The crowd was with them the whole time as well.
Larry Dallas makes his way to the ring for his “paid promotional” time. He is going to start sponsoring fighters in EVOLVE. He gives one of his women the duty of being a backstage interviewer. Reby Sky introduces Chuck Taylor, who promises victory in the main event.

Match #6: Ricochet (2-2) vs. Adam Cole (1-2)
Ricochet snaps off a headscissors and connects with a tiger feint kick. Cole comes off the middle rope with a leg lariat and maintains control. Ricochet fights back with an enzuigiri and lands a standing moonsault. He follows with a corner cannonball but Cole answers with the Corona Kick. They trade strikes and Ricochet hits a backslide driver. Cole catches him with a neckbreaker but almost gets caught by a couple of quick pin attempts. Ricochet tries an intricate maneuver but Cole murders him with a german suplex. Cole applies a boston crab but Ricochet reaches the bottom rope. Ricochet lands a standing shooting star press. Cole hits a wheelbarrow lungblower and goes back to the boston crab. Despite Cole adding extra pressure, Ricochet is still able to force a break. Ricochet connects with a superkick and hits a pumphandle driver for the victory at 14:37. Ricochet’s recent growth as a wrestler was visible here, as he added some personality to his well-executed offense. These two showcased their impressive offensive repertoires but unfortunately didn’t have the necessary crowd reaction to make the action feel special throughout. What could have been an epic exchange simply came off as them trading moves. Still, both men put in a solid effort and this was a worthwhile exhibition. ***

Match #7: Jimmy Jacobs (4-1) vs. Johnny Gargano (3-2)
They have a nice exchange that ends in a stalemate. Jacobs applies a japanese stranglehold but Gargano rolls out of it. Gargano shows off by skinning the cat. Jacobs tries to do the same but Gargano dropkicks him to the floor. Gargano misses a plancha and Jacobs stomps him on the apron. Jacobs misses a diving elbow and collides with the apron. Gargano lands a dive to the outside. They brawl around ringside. Jacobs sets Gargano on top of the guardrail. He then takes out Gargano with a dive, sending them into the front row. In the ring, Jacobs lands a senton off the top rope. Gargano avoids a Contra Code and hits an ace crusher. He takes control until Jacobs comes back with a flurry of stomps. They climb up opposing turnbuckles and grab hold of a ceiling pillar. They kick each other until Gargano falls and gets crotched on the top rope. Jacobs connects with a flying clothesline. Gargano tries his slingshot spear but Jacobs locks in the End Time. Gargano powers out and synchs in an End Time of his own. Jacobs escapes the hold but eats a superkick. He answers with a slingshot spear. Both men are down. Gargano wins a strike exchange with a superkick. Jacobs attempts a top rope hurricanrana but Gargano counters into snake eyes. Gargano lawn darts Jacobs into the turnbuckles. Jacobs reverses Hurts Donut into a rollup for a nearfall. He jumps off the top rope and applies the End Time. Gargano escapes but falls victim to an ace crusher. Jacobs hits the Contra Code but Gargano uses his momentum to roll through into a pin attempt for the win at 15:29. These two used their time wisely and easily topped their previous encounter in EVOLVE. The action rarely slowed down and they kept the match exciting for nearly its entire duration. From using the ceiling structure to stealing each other’s signature moves, it truly felt like Jacobs and Gargano were trying to prove something to each other. This was the best match that I’ve seen between these two and the EVOLVE format gave the action more meaning. ***½
Larry Dallas enters the ring to celebrate with Gargano. He officially announces that Gargano will be the second fighter that he’ll be sponsoring. Jacobs interrupts and questions Dallas’ credentials, saying that he doesn’t belong in EVOLVE. Dallas offers Jacobs the services of Reby Sky for the night. Jacobs and Sky start bickering and Sky slaps him. Jacobs spanks her to end the segment.
Jon Moxley reflects on his night. He feels indestructible. To test his theory, he staples his leg and puts his pinkie finger in pliers.

Match #8: Austin Aries (0-0) vs. Chuck Taylor (4-1)
They trade control on the mat to start. Taylor snaps off a few armdrags and connects with a dropkick. He takes Aries down with a shoulder block. Aries repeatedly avoids charges from Taylor and connects with a dropkick of his own. There’s a lot of showing off early on until Taylor slaps Aries. Aries throws Taylor to the floor and follows out with the heat seeking missile. After a vicious chop, Taylor hugs a little girl in the front row. He even tries to put on a sweatshirt at one point. In the ring, Aries takes over until Taylor trips him on the apron. Taylor begins targeting the left leg and applies a half crab. He transitions into a bow and arrow but Aries is able to reach the bottom rope. Taylor maintains control until he misses a baseball slide and gets crotched on the ringpost. Aries hits an ace crusher out of the corner followed by a bulldog. He locks in the Last Chancery but is forced to break the hold due to his bad leg. Taylor ends up in the crowd and Aries takes him out with a double axe handle from the top rope. Back in, Aries connects with a missile dropkick. Taylor blocks the IED and connects with a mafia kick. He lands two lionsaults and hits a spinebuster followed by a DDT. Aries finds life with a back suplex and connects with the IED. Taylor sort of hits Sole Food from the middle rope. Aries escapes the Awful Waffle and hits a brainbuster. Aries locks in the Last Chancery for the victory at 22:18. The match started off really well with Taylor trying to prove that he didn’t need to learn anything from Aries. From that point, there was a heavy lull in the action and I don’t think they ever recovered from it. Even down the stretch, there was a significant amount of dead time and the crowd wasn’t as invested in the action as they should have been considering that this was the main event. Perhaps the problem was a lack of familiarity between the two. Taylor apparently dislocated his shoulder during the match as well but it’s impossible for me to say how that affected the match quality. Unfortunately, this was a disappointing main event to cap off a pretty consistent show. **¾
After the match, Aries says that he now respects Taylor. He also states that Taylor dislocated his shoulder about half-way through the match. Aries predicts that Taylor will go far in professional wrestling.
Homicide shows Adam Cole his bloody fork in the locker room. Drake Younger comes in and asks Homicide to hang out. Cole wonders whether or not he belongs in EVOLVE.
Silas Young confronts Johnny Gargano about setting him back on his alcoholic path. Young says that he is going to take out his frustrations on Gargano in the ring.

Overall: While I am going to give EVOLVE 6 a recommendation, I can’t say that I’m incredibly enthusiastic about the promotion. This show features two matches that effectively showcased the concepts behind EVOLVE. First, Bobby Fish picked up his first win in an unsurprisingly solid contest against Kyle O’Reilly. Secondly, Jimmy Jacobs and Johnny Gargano had the match of the night in what should have been the main event. There’s also a few enjoyable matches spread throughout the undercard. The problem is that it took almost four months for this DVD to be released and EVOLVE 7 took place almost five months after this show. While this show is good, it’s not a “must see” event that won’t feel the effects of long periods between shows and DVD releases. EVOLVE 6 has enough quality wrestling to earn a slight recommendation. However, this is probably the weakest offering from the promotion thus far in terms of wrestling quality and interest.