What's going on fans, so I'm back on Day 5 of the 30 days 30 events and we have a special review of Pro Wrestling EVO Best Show in town. Be sure to check out Pro Wrestilng EVO 3 review so you can prepare for this one but either way it is a great promotion out of NC that really is turning some heads. Lots of fans have been asking me about it and I just can't say enough that it is truly one of the promotions to watch right up there with PWG & CHIKARA if you like action packed wrestling combined with great story telling in the ring. It is a more serious product but still has some great characters and really if you're a fan of that southern style of wrestling then you should be supporting this product. I also had a great interview/podcast with ring announcer Chris Shore which you can FIND HERE so be sure to check that out as well. A fun 40 minute interview in which we not only cover Pro Wrestling EVO but the 80s wrestling hey day and much more.
So before we get into this here is the official preview for the DVD in case you want to go buy it before you read my review: Took place on 09/02/2011 so only a few months ago. It's not too late to go out and buy this DVD and see it first hand for yourself.
Relive what many fans call the best show they have ever seen with a main event that did not disappoint as the showdown between Marcellus King and Zack Salvation took place. Also witness one of the hardest hitting battles in EVO history between Circo and Cedric Alexander. The Manscout Jake Manning put his career on the line once again against his apprentice Caleb Konley and much more!!! If you buy any DVD from the EVO collection, this one is the first one you should choose. Best Show In Town!!!!
Arik Royal vs Trevor Lee
A great fun match to begin with. Trevor Lee is a name I'm keepin an eye on while Arik Royal is already somebody that is getting a lot of good reviews all over the indy scene. You really can't ask for more from these two men who literally are both hybrid wrestlers. Trevor Lee is really only comparable to Kyle O'Reilly in that he can do the high flying but prefers to let his ground work and strikes do the talking. A man after my own heart who I think will carry Pro Wrestling EVO in the future. Arik Royal should be there now. He's a big man in the vein of Willie Mack and Samoa Joe but can do some of the most athletic feats you have ever seen and that is no hyperbole. You watch the finish of this match and you tell me you could do that even at your greatest athletic peak. The man is awesome in the ring and I actually wish this match had lasted a bit longer just because I'm so engrossed in what they are doing. Kicks, strikes, dives, this match as it all and really got the crowd into the match. Trevor Lee though dominates the latter part of this match but comes up short as Arik Royal performs a sick kick and gets the win. It's just that sudden.
But as both men are still down EVO champion Marcellus King and his cohort Cirko come out to take out Arik Royal to get to Cedric Alexander who is not only a former EVO champ but his most persistant challenger to this point. Cirko is merely doing the bidding but these two men are dangerous. Marcellus King needs to be seen to be believed. If you combined Kory Chavis with Jon Davis and added the talking ability of Jake the Snake, you'd have a rough idea of how great Marcellus King is. Trust me when I tell you that EVO is going to take the indy scene by storm and their champion is one of the men you need to pay attention to. Cedric comes to the aide of Trevor Lee but the damage is done and this is not over folks. Not by a long shot.
Mike Merletti vs Jimmy Jack Funk Jr
Merletti is a youngin who wants to make a good first impression here and Jimmy Jack Funk Jr.. not sure his relation to the Funk family other than he was trained by Dory Funk Jr but it is what it is.. is back and just wanting to showcase his dominance in the ring. Funk is a bulky man but it's clear that his in ring ability should not be under estimated. This man can take you down and roll with the best of them. Merletti is still green but he's a young lion and he hopefully will just get better as he goes along. The back story to this is that Big Country, yes his name tells you what you get, was supposed to be in this match with Jimmy Jack Funk Jr but after being hurt on the last show he had to back out and we have this match. The crowd is pretty quiet for this but probably not sure what to think of Merletti who they are seeing for the first time and no one wants to cheer for Funk who showed his colors at the last show attacking people with his trade mark cow bell. One thing that is merely a production note but has to be talked about is that EVO really gives us some great camera angles and we never have that blinding white of the lights in our eyes and even though we can see the stage light it is never a distraction and I have to commend them for this. Even ROH at this point still gives us that blinding white out during the match so kudos for EVO for giving us a high quality product and that alone makes them stand out. You can tell the production team is top notch and they want to give you fans the best product that they can and the more support you give them the more you'll get out.
Back to the match, it's pretty much Jimmy Jack Funk Jr dominating most of the offense here and really Merletti needs to do more if he expects to impress the crowd but it doesn't help when Funk jr is taking every short cut in the book. IMO this match went a bit long as Funk Jr should have finished Merletti off earlier but that actually shows the resiliance of Merletti. Not a match I'd say you have to go out of your way to see but hey, I'm going to be honest that's not the overall story here. When Big Country comes back, Funk jr is going to regret what he did at the last show. A big elbow drop from the top and it's all over for Mike Merletti. Jimmy Jack Funk Jr is the victor and he of course has to bring out the cow bell to show that he's not the man to mess with.
Kirby Mack vs Chiva-Kid
I don't think I have to tell you fans who Kirby Mack is, but I will anyway. One half of Team MACKTION and a student of Jeff & Matt Hardy. Chiva is one of those CHIKARA-esque characters who believes he's a goat and you'd be hard pressed to disprove him with the mask he wears. Going as far to start out the match by locking horns but it will break down to a wrestling match shortly. Chiva is pretty quick on his feet and really if he was in CHIKARA full time he would not be out of place where as Kirby Mack apparently is going to show those heel tactics by taking the “thumb in the bum” out of Steve Corino's book. Neither of these men are very big but that doesn't mean their strikes aren't any less effective as both of them aren't showcasing that high flying ability early on but I full expect to see it.
Kirby just is not showing any inteligence as he tries to head butt a goat.. come on now it's like head butting a Samoan wrestler. Just going to end up doing more damage to yoursel
f than to your opponent. Pretty soon though Kirby Mack is taking the upper hand in this match but comparatively he is the veteran of this match. I'm looking for Chiva to just start chewing on Kirby's hair though, it being dyed green and all but I digress. Chiva-kid can hold his own and he shows some good technique but it might not be enough against a man as unpredictable as Kirby Mack. Late in this match though we see the high flying begin including a double stomp from the top rope to a prone opponent on the ring apron. Just some crazy stuff here but the fans are getting into it and I'm hoping these two guys don't have some broken ribs following this match. Some good sequences towards the end of the match but after the Overdose Kirby Mack scores the win.
Manscout Merit Challenge where if Jake loses he will have to leave Pro Wrestling EVO: Jake Manning vs Caleb Konley
Konley has been making waves all over including in DGUSA as part of The Scene with manager Larry Dallas and I'm impressed with how much he has improved in the ring from just the first time I've seen him in this promotion back at 'This is Wrestling'. Jake Manning is a man who not only got to train a bit with Ric Flair while grappling with Reid Flair, but also is known for having one of the best minds in the business. So Jake knows what he's doing in the ring but he's got a hand full of tricks up his proverbial sleeve. Caleb is still making a name for himself and he's getting better every time I see him. Some great back-to-basics grappling here for you fans that isn't seen in a lot of places. This match is also the first time we get to here Chris Shore on the commentary table so we here at PWP want to thank him for the time he took with us for the podcast interview that you can get now for free on iTunes and listen to any time any where.
This may sound like a stretch to some but Manning truly reminds me of Ric Flair in the late 70s early 80s. He just does the little things in the ring that make him stand out. He knows what he's doing and is just a superb performer. Some great sequences here with roll ups, jack knife pins, and reversals that will show just how much Manning has learned over the years. Caleb on the other hand though is crisp and while he's still a youngin knows what is on the line and knows he wants that win. A suicide dive from Konley onto Manning that sends them into the fans and really almost looks like Konley's head went straight into the floor but both men still fighting and this match continues. Manning is starting to get desperate and you can tell after a stalled suplex, pin.. then a double underhook suplex followed by another pin. He knows he put his Pro Wrestling EVO career on the line and his desperation is showing. Going for triple pins and really trying to put Konley away quick.
As I said above you really have to follow every move they make and it is story telling in the ring that really is unique to that southern style. I'm not saying that other promotions don't have it or that EVO is THE best at it, but it's up there and I have to say as much as PWG is known for it's hard hitting Californian style of wrestling, EVO truly is an epitome of the southern style. Each moves means something and the two men in the ring are drawing the fans in more and more with each passing moment. May not be in every match but the top end of the cards never seem to disappoint and I'm happy to be able to catch this promotion in their infancy much like I did for ROH back in 2002.
Back to the match these men are putting on a wrestling clinic of reversals and mat grappling but in the end it is Jake Manning coming out with the win and getting to keep his career in tact.
Cedric Alexander vs Cirko
This match has quite the history. A short recap Cirko is part of the Cirkus with Pro Wrestling EVO champ Marcellus King. Marcellus beat Cedric for that title but with the help of Cirko. So Alexander has been waiting for this moment and he now gets to enact some revenge on Cirko and that is where we are now. Cedric getting some more eyes by being a part of the C & C Wrestling Factory in ROH with Caprice Coleman but I had heard of him already and have been impressed with every outing he's had in Pro Wrestling EVO and all over the indy scene. This is not a wrestling match, this is a fight. Cedric is not holding back, power bombs onto the corner of the ring apron & fighting into the crowd. There are no cheap seats at these events so I encourage all of you in the NC area to go to these shows. Keep in mind this is just a normal match so Cedric has to be sure that he doesn't get DQ'ed or counted out.
Cirko though is no push over and he's holding his own against the former heavyweight champ. But Cedric is angry and he's showing it. Some shenanigans of course from Cirko but Cedric angered the Cirkus and he's going to pay for it as you can expect Marcellus King is looking for Cirko to take Cedric out. Also keep in mind there are no mats outside of the ring and it looks like just granite on the floor of this auditorium so with the outside fighting and moves on the ring apron, these men are going to be feeling it later than night. In the end though three kicks combined with his brainbuster/reverse DDT finisher is going to get Cedric's revenge. This is not over though and I can't wait to see where this feud is going.
Pro Wrestling Evo Heavyweight Title Match: Marcellus King (c) vs Zack Salvation
I said it above and I'm going to say it again. Marcellus King is as dangerous of Homicide and as crafty as Jake Roberts. Zack Salvation though is going to have a bright future as he's just as good if not better when it comes to ring technicianship. Yes I just made that word, it's the only word I can think of to describe how good he is in the ring. He's as sharp in the ring as Austin Aries and it would be hard for anyone less than Marcellus King to handle him in the ring. But King knows the ins and outs and the ground game we see in the opening moments of this match brings back memories of watching Bret Hart face Bad News Allen. Yeah I'm only 26 and may not have that great of a memory but the comparisons are easy to make and when you see these two work in the ring, you will most likely say the same thing.
These two men are going to take it to the cheap seats and it's definitely fitting for these two men who just can't stand each other. This may be for the heavyweight title in this match but no matter who wins you can tell this feud is also going to be go beyond this match. Marcellus King though seems one step ahead and as skilled as Salvation is, he may not be able to combat a man who feels he has nothing to lose as long as he gets that win by any means necessary. This whole match has told that story and once again Marcellus King shows he is willing to win by any means necessary. He retains the title but this is a match you have to go out of the way to see this title match.
In the end another great night of wrestling and this has to be a DVD you go out of your way to get. Thanks for following me during this series of blogs and thanks for checking out Pro Wrestling EVO. Please support them at the following links:
ProWrestlingEVO website: http://prowrestlingevo.com/
Buy this DVD for only $15: http://www.prowrestlingevo.com/evostore/index.php?route=product/product&path=20&product_id=53