#FloSlam

[closetofanxiety]

lol holy shit

[burningawl]

BASK IN HIS GLORY

[monkeychusetts]

Full circle, finally took my aunt to a wrestling show. #evolvewrestling #floslam (at Melrose Memorial Hall)

[jeff-n-hardy]

#WWN #FloSlam

[discovondoom]

I guess I’m getting FloSlam this month.

[wrestlingwiththoughts]

Evolve 79, February 25, 2016 (Queens, NY)

I thought something was afoot when I saw a group of five paramedics huddled together in the general attendance section in the crowd, but it turns out that these paramedics simply enjoyed their independent professional grappling. There also were noticeably more women in the crowd than in past Evolve shows, and it warmed my heart to hear one woman get very invested in the show. At one point, she yelled, “Wait, this is fake?” Despite that realization, she stayed and cheered Tracy Williams and Darby Allin, chanted “Bro” with the crowd at Matt Riddle, catcalled Timothy Thatcher, and applauded when Zack Sabre Jr. won the Evolve championship from Thatcher. After the show, at the nearby Taco Bell, I overheard a group of young women discuss how they were going to an upcoming WWE show with signs. It was really encouraging to see so many women at this Evolve show, and I hope that they all come back and bring friends. As Zack Sabre Jr. stated later, “Professional wrestling is for everyone; this Earth is for everyone.” 

1. ACH vs. Jason Kincaid

I’ve been watching wrestling for long enough now that I have to value, possibly even over-value, when someone doesn’t move like everyone else. To me, that’s the appeal of someone like Jason Kincaid. ACH is a fine junior heavyweight wrestler, and Ring of Honor missed its chance to capitalize on ACH when he worked for the company. ACH was charismatic, sharing his confusion at Kincaid’s moves with stares at the crowd. When a wrestler interacts with the crowd by directing their reaction to their opponent, is it still breaking the fourth wall? ACH also displayed his athleticism with skillful dives, powerful dropkicks, and enziguri kicks. However, my eyes were drawn to Kincaid, whose movements remind me of Ophidian’s serpentine style, bending in ways that demand great flexibility and moving at angles that are different from other wrestlers. Kincaid slithers over ropes and around the ring to play into his Eastern meditation gimmick (which seems ripe for an eventual heel turn to team with someone like Stokely Hathaway, by the way), and his charismatic really shines through his movements. This was entertaining, and it set the crowd up to stay excited for the rest of the show. 

2. Chris Dickinson vs. Fred Yehi vs. Austin Theory vs. Anthony Henry

Speaking of wrestlers who move at unique angles and have unique attacks, my attention during this match was on Fred Yehi, though Chris Dickinson was the actual focus of the match. Yehi plays into his small stature by attacking his opponent’s joints or areas where everyone, no matter how strong or fast, will be vulnerable, such as fingers and toes. His height also creates a different angle and look for the German suplex, which is ubiquitous in professional wrestling in 2017. The way Yehi bounces off the middle rope instead of the top rope is another way Yehi plays into his small stature to make himself a more compelling figure in the ring, and his work does not go unrecognized with me.

Dickinson, on the other hand, is a beefy fellow who has never impressed me in the ring. He has great looking power moves for a wrestler his size, and he has some blue collar charisma. His nickname, “Dirty Daddy,” is almost repugnant when chanted by the crowd, and he still bears the shame of his reckless chairshot on Kimber Lee and how he tried to defend himself. He reminds me of wrestlers like BJ Whitmer or Brent Albright who can hit some impressive looking offense without ever forming a connection with the crowd. 

Austin Theory is tall and lanky, and he looked lost in some parts of this match, like he was desperately trying to remember when his spots took place during the match so he could impress the crowd. Also, I know that he’s playing with his name, but he really should reconsider wearing tights emblazoned with “Unproven” because it just makes him sound not tried and tested, which is what the word actually means. 

As they say, Anthony Henry should be a crowd pleaser because he has two first names, but he was only slightly more memorable than Austin Theory. He exhibited a frantic sense of energy, and at least he didn’t seem like he was lost in the ring. The spot where he kicked both Dickinson and Yehi was almost believable 

Dickinson won to continue the story of Catchpoint’s implosion by powerbombing Theory to score the pin while Yehi had Henry trapped in a submission hold. It was a creative ending, and it teases his upcoming tag team title challenge with Jaka against fellow Catchpoint members Yehi and Tracy Williams.

3. Jeff Cobb vs. Jaka

Part of me wonders if Gabe Sapolsky is tempted to use the same strategy to promote Jeff Cobb the same ways he was able to successfully promote Samoa Joe back in the early 2000s in Ring of Honor. While Cobb is similar to Joe in size and athleticism, the former Olympian Cobb has a grappling legitimacy that Joe could never claim. Unlike Samoa Joe, Cobb does not project a monstrous ferocity or confidence in his striking; though he is a large man, his chops don’t seem to carry the force that they should even though he has incredible physical strength, as he demonstrated with the delayed vertical superplex and the way he caught Jaka for the Tour of the Islands in the finish. I have felt that trying to package Cobb like he is the next Samoa Joe is a mistake because he can dominate opponents with his grappling, and Samoa Joe never excelled at ground-based grappling. Cobb also has incredible strength and surprising athleticism; his standing moonsault and shooting star press look physically impossible given his size. 

Jaka, on the other hand, has great looking strikes, and I wish that they had leaned into this contrast more by making this a grappler vs. striker style match instead of the hoss fight template that they used. The match started violently and was paced to escalate, and it held the crowd’s attention. Nonetheless, I wonder if it could have been better, which seems to be the case with a lot of Jeff Cobb matches. 

4. Keith Lee vs. Tracy Williams

With his bulky knee braces and kinesio tapes on his right shoulder, Tracy Williams looks like he is breaking down under the physical stress of his intense schedule and hard-hitting style. It would be a shame to see Williams sidelined because of his injuries, but it almost seems inevitable given his physical deterioration. His passion in the ring is almost unparalleled on the roster; only Fred Yehi projects intensity like Williams during matches. 

Keith Lee is a large man who feels comfortable throwing his weight around the ring. Because he faced Williams, he was able to deny Williams simple things like Irish whips or suplexes due to the size difference, which set this in the classic “big man vs. little man” match template. 

Williams jump Lee at the start of the match and overwhelm Lee, but Lee’s size advantage allowed him to weather the flurry of offense and grind Williams down with violent offense like belly to belly suplexes and a sitout powerbomb that bounced Williams and Lee off the mat and stunned even Lee with the force of the powerbomb. When Williams’s flurry failed to stun Lee to let Williams score a quick victory, he changed tactics and targeted Lee’s arm, including a hanging armbar in the ropes. However, Williams wasn’t able to stun Lee long enough to really wear out the arm, while every move Lee hit devastated Williams. Because Williams couldn’t grind Lee down to force a submission victory, he had to change tactics again and stand toe to toe with Lee. This was Williams’s undoing because Lee could easily cut Williams’s offense off with his power advantage, and Lee won the match with his Ground Zero move. The match was entertaining, and I appreciated the story they told about how Williams had to change his tactics several times to try to find a way to take Lee out. Williams’s intensity usually gives his matches a sense of purpose, and he works well with larger men, as his matches with Chris Hero and now Keith Lee demonstrate. I think he could have a great match with Jeff Cobb in the future. 

5. Ethan Page w/The Gatekeepers vs. Darby Allin

I have not been a fan of Ethan Page, and this was maybe the first time that I can see him as a viable antagonist in Evolve. Most of the credit goes to Darby Allin, who once again sacrificed greatly in order to make himself a compelling figure in the ring. Allin came to the ring wearing a paper cutout of Page’s face as a mask, which gave him a creepy energy. Page attacked right away to start the match, but Allin was able to escape Page’s package piledriver attempt and send Page to the floor. He then hit the coffin drop trust fall on Page and the Gatekeepers to spark an already hot crowd. Page held the Gatekeepers back and brawled with Allin on the floor. As the larger man, Page gained the advantage and nearly killed Allin by throwing him from the La Boom stage to the ring post, which resulted in a sickening fall. I thought that would be the spot where Darby Allin almost dies, as he usually does during a match, but instead he dies multiple deaths after Page handcuffs Allin after a two count. Page practically begs Allin to give up, but Allin insists to the referee that he wants to continue the match, so Page destroys Allin with slams. Allin forces a comeback with a headbutt and an incredible hands-free hurricanrana on Page and dropkicks to the Gatekeepers. Page stops Allin on the top turnbuckle and hits him with a powerslam from the top rope, but Allin refuses to quit and spits at Page. Page is enraged and hits the RKEgo and a powerbomb to finally pin Allin in this match. 

After the match, Page berated Allin for being a loser who is pitied by the crowd. The Gatekeepers then put Allin in a body bag, and Page declared that Allin should consider his career to be dead. Allin was then taken away, and Page stated his intentions to become the Evolve champion. 

There is an annoying logic hole in the middle of the match where the referee should have disqualified Page for handcuffing Allin, but you could dismiss it by countering that Allin wanted the match to continue. The match served its multiple purposes well, using Allin’s never say die attitude to make Page look vicious and petty while allowing Allin to show resilience and bravery in a unique way. I dread the idea of Ethan Page as Evolve champion, which taps into a metanarrative heel heat as he builds his case to challenge for the Evolve championship.

6. Matt Riddle vs. Drew Galloway

Because Timothy Thatcher missed months of Evolve shows in 2016, Matt Riddle became the unofficial face of Evolve. His development took place most prominently in Evolve. Galloway, a former Evolve champion, was himself once the face of Evolve, but his crusade to save Evolve from itself seemed to fizzle out due to his injuries. Riddle hits a charging knee strike to start the match with a near fall, and he followed up with an exploder suplex and a running senton. Galloway recovered, and they brawled on the floor. Galloway slammed Riddle on the metal guard rail and targeted Riddle’s ankles and feet. Galloway then countered Riddle’s strikes with a short piledriver for a near fall. Riddle arose to continue to hit Galloway with strikes, but Galloway cut Riddle off with a running kick. This only stunned Riddle, who then hit Galloway with the fisherman brainbuster to lay both men out. They rose together and continued their battle, and Galloway got a near fall with the inverted Alabama Slam. Riddle countered the Future Shock with the Bro to Sleep. Galloway countered Riddle’s senton with double knees, set Riddle up on the top rope, and hit the air raid crash from the top. Riddle kicked out and frustrated Galloway. Galloway tried to hit the Future Shock, but Riddle escaped and hit a tombstone piledriver. Riddle then pounced and locked Galloway in the Bro-mission, forcing the referee to stop the match when Galloway appeared like he could not defend himself from Riddle’s hammer fists. 

This was very entertaining, though it felt like Riddle and Galloway could have an even better match in the future. Galloway can claim that he never gave up and was cost the match by the referee stoppage. The finish also plays into Riddle’s MMA background, keeping that aspect of his work firmly in the crowd’s mind. 

Galloway tried to tombstone piledriver Riddle on to a chair and Riddle’s championship belt, but Williams and Yehi drove Galloway away. Larry Dallas and Earl Cooter appeared for a momentum killing segment. Yehi then accused Riddle of being selfish and challenged him to a match. 

7. Evolve championship match: Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

By this point, Timothy Thatcher had become the most hated wrestler employed by Evolve and WWNLive. The string of listless title defenses in 2016 and his disappearance for months in 2016 didn’t help the perception that Thatcher had been exposed as a poor professional wrestler. I have said previously that Thatcher’s skill had been in his attention to detail during his matches; his struggles feel titanic and his matches demanded attention to detail. However, even that skill slipped, and the crowd was frustrated with Thatcher because he seemed unemotional in the ring. This coincided with Matt Riddle’s rise in Evolve, which included unsuccessful title challenges for Thatcher’s championship. 

Zack Sabre Jr. only became more famous in 2016 after his participation in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic. After the recent announcement that he would face Katsuyori Shibata for the Revolution Pro British Heavyweight Championship at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s 45th Anniversary show, Sabre’s chances of winning the Evolve championship seemed to plummet. After all, how could Evolve change from one champion who missed months of shows to another champion who could be similarly limited because he would have commitments to fill with New Japan. 

Sabre and Thatcher charged each other at the opening bell and sought to trap the other in an arm bar. Sabre locks Thatcher in the guillotine, but Thatcher escapes with ground and pound strikes. The crowd began to chant “Ooh, Zack Sabre Jr.” but quickly changed to chanting “Thatcher’s garbage” and “Ooh, Thatcher is garbage.” This finally got Thatcher to react to the crowd; later in the match, Thatcher shouted, “I’m fucking winning” and smirked when Sabre was laid out in the corner. Thatcher used his size advantage to force his way out of Sabre’s holds and change the pace of the match by suplexing Sabre with a belly to back suplex. This match had a more urgent pace than their previous matches, which matched the crowd’s energy. Sabre eventually gains the advantage and locks in the octopus hold, but Thatcher escapes. They trade submission attempts as they enter the nearfall sequence. Sabre traps Thatcher in the double arm bar, but Thatcher counters into a cradle for a two count. Sabre follows up with a bridging German suplex that gets a two count. Sabre tries to press with the penalty kick, but Thatcher counters it with a dragon screw leg whip and follows it up with a gutwrench suplex and an arm bar. Sabre escapes by touching the ropes, Thatcher counters the PK, hits a dragon screw leg whip and follows with the gut wrench suplex into the arm bar. Sabre makes the ropes. Thatcher shouts at the crowd, giving Sabre some much needed breathing space and recovery time. Sabre attempts the O’Connor roll, but Thatcher escapes and locks the sleeper hold. He then transitions to the prawn hold for a near fall. Sabre kicks out and hits the penalty kick. He locks in the triangle choke, but Thatcher escapes. Thatcher hits the knee strike and locks Sabre in the sleeper. Sabre escapes and traps Thatcher in the octopus hold and beats Thatcher with elbows and kicks. Sabre traps Thatcher’s free arm and forces him to submit to win the championship, causing the crowd to erupt in celebration with one of the loudest cheers I’ve ever heard. 

There was a sense of urgency in this match that was missing from other title defenses, and Thatcher actually showed some personality by smirking at the crowd and interacting with the audience, which is an advantage that professional wrestling has over other forms of performance.

Sabre jumped into the crowd to celebrate, and Thatcher pried the championship belt from Stokely Hathaway’s grip. Before Thatcher could hand Sabre the championship belt, Ethan Page attacked Sabre. Thatcher dropped the belt and walked away; ACH, the next challenger, forced Page to retreat. Sabre then cut his short promo about how wrestling and this planet is for everyone, shook hands with the roster, and left. Keith Lee was the last person to shake hands with Sabre, and they shared an intense staredown before Sabre went behind the curtain. 

Sabre went to his merchandise table as I was on my way out of La Boom, and I wanted to tell him how entertaining his match was. More importantly, I wanted to tell him how proud I was that he believes that professional wrestling is an inclusive art form despite its dubious history of inclusiveness and sensitivity. I felt energized after the show; as much as Timothy Thatcher was key to my entry into Evolve, I feel that Sabre and Evolve’s burgeoning roster can continue to entertain me in some new ways. This was another Evolve show that is easy to recommend. 

[wewerecore]

Press release excerpt

"AUSTIN, Texas (March 2, 2021) – FloSports, a leading sports streaming and original content network, today announced it has received $2.8 million in new funding to accelerate the online sports network’s growth into new sports and expand its existing verticals. Financing was led by Hassan Yatim, President and COO of Yatco Energy and CEO of the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL), and his son, Jawad Yatim, President and General Manager of the Massachusetts Pirates. In addition to their investment, the Yatims have gained ownership of some IPs previously under the FloSports umbrella including the FloSlam vertical and its subsidiaries."

Yatco Presents

CORE Pro #102

They Shoot, We Score

04/11/21

American Postal Workers Union Hall - Tampa, Florida

01. The Vulture Squad (Jigsaw and Jack Evans) vs. Los Golpeadores (Dragon Bane and El Hijo de Canis Lupus)

02. JD Drake vs. Shane Taylor

03. The End (Odinson and Parrow) vs. The New Jersey All-Stars (Dan Champion and Lucky)

04. Laredo Kid vs. A Very Good Professional Wrestler

05. The Doom Patrol (Chris Dickinson and Jaka) vs. FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson)

06. Lio Rush vs. Rich Swann

COal REgion Pro-Wrestling Health and Safety Protocols

- By attending the card, you acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions of the Liability Release Waiver, the Assumption Of Risk And Indemnity Agreement, and the Assumption Of Risk and Double Indemnity Agreement.

- A total of one hundred (100) tickets will be made available to the public. No tickets will be sold at the door. No physical tickets will be distributed to anyone. All ticket holders will be assigned a number and group letter.

- Only verified ticket holders will be permitted to gather in the SOCIALLY DISTANCED HOLDING PEN located in the American Postal Workers Union Hall parking lot. MASKS ARE REQUIRED. Ticket holders will then be placed into groups of ten (10) as determined by their group letter.

- The first group of ten (10) will be directed into AIRLOCK A. Once sealed into Airlock A, the tent will be filled with NON-FATAL LOW CONCENTRATION SANITIZING GAS. After thirty seconds, the group will be permitted entrance into the DELOUSING AREA.

- Once in the Delousing Area, ticket holders will be directed into their assigned individual HOLDING CELLS. Inside the cell, the ticket holders will be required to strip bare and place all their clothing, facial masks, shoes, and all other personal belongings into a labeled plastic bag. The bag will be sealed by the ticket holder and fed through a slot into a CONTAINMENT UNIT. The ticket holder will then put on their assigned MODESTY SMOCK, DISPOSABLE FOOT COVERS, and COMMEMORATIVE FACE MASK and exit the holding cell. Once the entire group is in their modesty smocks, foot covers, and commemorative face masks, the Delousing Area will be filled with a NON-FATAL MEDIUM CONCENTRATION SANITIZING GAS. After sixty (60) seconds, the group will be permitted entrance into AIRLOCK B.

- Once sealed in Airlock B, the group will be exposed to UV-C SANITIZING LAMPS for five (5) minutes. During this time, our staff will fully sanitize the previous staging areas to prepare for the next group. After five (5) minutes, the group will be permitted entrance into the venue.

- Your commemorative face mask is required at all times inside the venue, unless actively enjoying one of the many food and drink options available at our REFRESHMENT STAND. As all your belongings will be held in the containment unit for the duration of the event, all food/beverage and merchandise/autograph purchases will be charged directly to the same payment method used to buy your ticket. Hand sanitizing units will be stationed around the building. All personal belongings will be returned to you after exiting the venue.

[count3rcu1ture]

A timeline from negotiation to lawsuit. Where did it all go wrong for WWNLive and FloSports?

[in-my-defens]

I am glued to Twitter. FloSlam isn't airing this weekend's Evolve events. This is messy, messy drama, and while I feel for the wrestlers, I'm fascinated to see where this goes.

[theorpheum]

Tonight we crown the Nova Champion! #shinewrestling #floslam (at The Orpheum)

[raopodcast]

On this weeks episode of RAOP we bring on a very special guest, Stokely Hathaway from EVOLVE Wrestling. And we talk about his role with EVOLVE as the manager of Timothy Thatcher, Vince McMahon's potential biopic, watching BET Uncut back in the day, HOT97's Summer Jam line up and a ton more other topics. Also answer questions and voicemails from the listeners. Remember to send in your listener questions to email us at MAIL@RAOPodcast.com or call 424-260-RAOP to leave a voicemail.

Don't forget to download the FloSlam app at www.floslam.tv/

Go to GAMEFLYOFFER.COM/RANDOM to sign up for a 30 Day free trial and 1 free video game rental.

Go to MAGNUSISGREATER.COM and get 15% on your purchase when you use the promo code "RAOP"

Website: www.raopodcast.com/voicemails Twitter: twitter.com/raopodcast Soundcloud: @raopodcast Audiomack: www.audiomack.com/artist/raopodcast/ Audible: www.audibletrial.com/random

[earpeeler]

The LAW: Live Audio Wrestling – April 21 Edition of Bauer & Pollock

The LAW: Live Audio Wrestling – April 21 Edition of Bauer & Pollock

John Pollock & Court Bauer are back to chat about the WWE’s recent business summit, a look at the direction Impact Wrestling is going, YouTube’s effect on pro wrestling, FloSlam status, free agents, the Katsuyori Shibata injury and lots more. https://cdn.fightnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/LAW-BAUER-POLLOCK-APRIL-21-2017.mp3

[teenpelagius]

[nerdcorp]

BreaksGiving is Over! Bash at the Beach 99 - WrestleCorp #92 Podcast

BreaksGiving is Over! Bash at the Beach 99 – WrestleCorp #92 Podcast

(more…)

[squaredcirclesirens]

Wrestler Of The Year | Su Yung

When thinking of women who had a great 2017, one of the first names that came to my mind was Su Yung. Not only is she the current reigning Queens of Combat Champion she also holds the GirlFight Championship, ICW Women’s Champion, Kuiji Double Danger Tandem Tag Team Championship, and FEST Wrestling Championship. But that’s only the titles she currently holds. This past year she also held the WSU Spirit Title and ACW American Joshi Championship. That’s a heck of a lot of titles to hold in ONE year.

In the beginning of the year, Su started out as one of, if not the hottest acts in SHINE Wrestling as she continued to climb up the card and time and time again having the stand out matches on every SHINE card she was a part of which really became evident once news of her leaving SHINE came out as many fans flocked to social media denouncing the now-defunct FloSlam subscription service.

The undead queen continued her reign of terror in the state of Florida, holding onto the FEST Wrestling title, battling opponents such as Veda Scott, Jessicka Havok, Akane Fujita, and more while also capturing the Kuiji Double Danger Tandem Tag Team Championship, and won the vacant ICW Women’s Championship against Dynamite DiDi.

Yung also traveled quite a bit this year, wrestling for several promotions in the UK such as Lucha Forever, Southside, and Kamikaze Pro during the start of the fall before wrestling in Spain for RCW.

While she lost her Spirit title in WSU, she did score a big win in the first ever War Games match in the promotion and later on in the year teamed with Blackwater to win the King & Queen Of The Ring intergender tag team tournament. But that wasn’t the only tournament she won. In June she won the 9th Annual ACW American Joshi Queen Of Queens Tournament in Texas defeating the likes of Sage Sin, Angel Blue, and Dulce Garcia (yes, THAT one).

Su continued to reign supreme in Queens of Combat, defending her title and even gaveKennadi Brink her final match in the promotion before she went to WWE.

Su Yung’s unique charisma and superb in-ring work has taken her so far in 2017. Ever since becoming the undead queen her career has skyrocketed and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us in 2018.

website | twitter | tumblr | instagram

[wrestlingwiththoughts]

Evolve 94, October 14, 2017 (Queens, NY)

At a time when the company faced a public relations and a business crisis after its relationship with FloSlam dissolved amid acrimonious accusations of fraud and eventual consolidation under the WWE banner, Evolve needed a killer show and a hot crowd more than ever. Though Evolve 93 in Summit, Illinois, had some great matches and a heated encounter between Matt Riddle and Keith Lee, it was up to the dependable crowd at La Boom in Queens, NY to ensure that Evolve would maintain its momentum despite its business troubles.

At first, I was concerned because the crowd seemed smaller than past crowds at La Boom. I was crammed into the second row on B side; while it was certainly close to the action, I ended up seeing a lot more of the camera operators and photographer than I would have wanted. Also, because the B side seats are crammed between the barricade and one of La Boom’s platforms, there wasn’t much wiggle room, especially after the late-arriving fans who occupied the first row finally arrived to my ambivalence. On one hand, I hate being captured on camera, so I was glad to have a human shield between the cameras and me. On the other hand, I hated losing the leg room that their absence provided. 

1. Dominic Garrini w/Stokely Hathaway vs. Rayo

The show began with Catch Point out in force in the ring. Catch Point’s manager, Stokely Hathaway, introduced Garrini, his new bodyguard and the latest addition to Catch Point. He then introduces Rayo, and Garrini quickly disposes of Rayo with a running knee, a spinebuster, and a kimura lock. Scheduling Garrini for a quick squash makes for an easy introduction, but it’s hard to stand out when the show is full of larger men laying waste to everyone in their path. 

2. Chris Dickinson w/Stokely Hathaway vs. Jason Kincaid

Since Catch Point was still out there, the second match can also get started. Compared to last time, Kincaid received a much warmer reaction, and Kincaid seems more focused, and his offense seemed cleaner and tighter, even though his shiranui is still noticeably slow. Maybe it was intentionally slow since it came so late into the match, but compared to Spanky/Brian Kendrick’s Sliced Bread #2 or Naomichi Marufuji’s shiranui, Kincaid’s seemed more methodical and stiff. The aforementioned late-arriving fans worked really hard to get Hathaway’s attention from the moment they arrived, so at least they entertained themselves and Hathaway. Dickinson didn’t get the reaction that he usually gets from the La Boom crowd, and I wonder if it’s due to his match’s low placement on the card. However, for an undercard match that was effectively the opener, this was really well paced, with momentum swinging from Kincaid and Dickinson in believable ways as Dickinson used his power and Kincaid used his unorthodox movement and offense. I couldn’t believe that Kincaid busted out a Coast to Coast dropkick in the nominal second match on the card. I also couldn’t believe that La Boom had its Halloween decorations up and that the wrestlers insisted on using the corner where there were decorations within grasp for their top rope moves throughout the show starting with a superplex in this match. Dickinson countered Kincaid’s shiranui into an Oklahoma Stampeded and hit the Pazuzu Bomb onto a turnbuckle to finish Kincaid. This was a hot little undercard match, perfectly placed to excite the crowd.

After the match, obnoxiously loud music played as “The End” flared on La Boom’s video screens. Odinson, Parrow, and Drennan who team together in FIP, assaulted Dickinson and Kincaid and returned backstage. Drennan looked like he was pretending to be Jimmy Jacobs circa The Age of the Fall. Referees came out to help Dickinson and Kincaid to the back, and the two sold the violence that The End unleashed on them very well. Dickinson was on my side of the ring, and he looked like he was concentrating very hard to appear incapacitated by The End’s attack. 

However, the logic of the story gets stretched, as you’ll see later.

3. Austin Theory w/Priscilla Kelly vs. Brandon Watts

Brandon Watts is, judging by the reaction he got from the guys in front of me, a wrestler from the Bronx. Though Theory is younger and has fewer matches in his history than Watts, Theory treats Watts with disrespect because Theory is full of himself thanks to his short winning streak after losing to Mark Haskins at Evolve 91. Theory used his height and speed advantage over Watts to stay ahead, but Watts would scrap and claw at any opportunity to try to pin Theory, which made what should have been an extended squash surprisingly engaging. The match itself could have gone for another minute or two, but Watts and Theory worked to tell the story of a journeyman wrestler sneaking up on a conceited, younger, more gifted wrestler well. Theory countered a victory roll into a wheelbarrow half nelson backbreaker to set up his Theory-KO to win the match. Watts gained a lot from the match, even if we never see him again in Evolve. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing what else Watts can do when Evolve is back in NYC.

After the match, The End reemerged and Theory pushed Watts into their way so he and Priscilla Kelly could escape. They left, and referees recovered Watts. If you think too deeply about wrestling like I do, you can see the escalation from one segment to another. In the first, The End ambushed Dickinson and Kincaid, catching Catch Point off guard so they couldn’t rescue Dickinson. Furthermore, because the rest of Catch Point is driven by their own self interests, they wouldn’t want to jeopardize their matches later by interfering with The End’s rampage. However, there’s only one entrance at La Boom for wrestlers, so logically everyone is mingling in the same space backstage. Are they invaders? If so, why wouldn’t the referees try to prevent Odinson, Parrow, and Drennan from getting to the ring? 

4. Darby Allin vs. Jarek 1:20

Jarek 1:20 says, “I’m going to get compared to Chris Hero until I cut my hair.” Jarek’s street magician/illusionist/escape artist gimmick caused at least one fan to yell, “A trick is what a whore does for money...or cocaine!” Of course, he actually is a street magician turned professional wrestler, which makes just as much sense as a skateboarder to become a professional wrestler. Jarek is a one-note character who announces that he’s an escape artist every time he is able to counter or escape a wrestling hold, but it’s entertaining enough for now that I would, for example, enjoy seeing Jarek come up against serious wrestlers who can balance comedy like Fred Yehi or even Zack Sabre Jr. Jarek couldn’t escape Allin’s dangerous tope suicida, but he did inspire a “Holy shit!’ chant when he superkicked Allin as Allin was diving from La Boom’s stage to the ring, causing Allin to crash back into the stage and on to the floor in an ugly spill. Staying outside the ring, Jarek hit a flagpole elbow off the ringpost like Matt Cross would in days past, and he was able to keep up with Allin hold for hold inside the ring. Just as the match was building, it comes to a sudden end with Allin locking Jarek in the Last Supper to pin him for the victory. Jarek was more entertaining than I thought he would be, but I don’t have high hopes for his self life. Allin continues to impress with his wildness, and he seems to be finding a balance between his high risk flash and the wrestling acumen that he picked up from his feud with Catch Point and Timothy Thatcher. 

After the match, Jarek conspicuously disappears as the crowd yells for Allin to leave the ring as soon as he could. However, he stayed to fight The End, ambushing Odinson and Parrow with the Coffin Drop. Unfortunately, Parrow caught him and powerbombed him on to some chairs on the stage. The name of the game is escalation as security guards and referees tried to stop The End this time, but they fell to Odinson and Parrow’s power. They finished their rampage with a Doomsday Device on a defenseless Allin. 

5. Tracy Williams w/Stokely Hathaway and Dominic Garrini vs. Fred Yehi

Rather sensibly, Hathaway positioned Garrini by the ring entrance to try to prevent from assaulting him or his prized jewel of Catch Point, “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams. This was the first match between Williams and Yehi since Yehi split from Catch Point, so this was a lowkey important match for both men. I really enjoyed that the two men knew each other so well that the reversals and escapes throughout the match felt natural and expected, but there was a depth of emotion missing from the first match between former partners after a bitter break-up. The technical side of the match was great, and Yehi was able to modify his usual shtick enough to keep it fresh. Williams was also very good, hitting hard as usual and moving with determination and urgency in the match. However, I didn’t feel an emotional engagement from either man, and the finish was disappointing. Hathaway climbed to the apron to distract the referee, which caught Yehi’s attention. Garrini stepped between Yehi and Hathaway, which allowed Williams to whip the rope into Yehi’s throat. Williams hit a lariat and forced Yehi to pass out with a guillotine choke. The usually reliable La Boom crowd seemed subdued, and I think that they sensed the lack of emotion from Yehi and Williams as well.

After the match, Jaka demanded that Odinson, Parrow, and Drennan appear to answer for their attack on his partner, Chris Dickinson. Williams and Garrini seemed upset by Jaka’s impulsiveness potentially earning them a beatdown from the intimidating group, but Jaka seemed to be browbeating them into agreeing to stand by him. However, they didn’t answer Jaka’s challenge. Instead, Zack Sabre Jr. emerged from the back.

6. Jaka w/Tracy Williams and Stokely Hathaway vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Near the start of the match, the fans in front of me kept nagging Tracy Williams to share some of his bottle of water with them. With maybe a sip left in the bottle, he finally gave it to them to their delight and my mild disgust. Meanwhile, Hathaway admonished me for starting a “Fuck him up, Sabre, fuck him up” chant because, in his words, the show “was PG.” 

Jaka and Sabre’s match at Evolve 87 was a launching pad for Jaka, so hopes were high for their rematch. They confront each other before the opening bell, and shoving and jaw-jacking gives way to chops, stomps, and some light choking from Jaka. Sabre recovered and hit a nasty penalty kick from the apron and targeted Jaka’s leg. Sabre was as wonderful as ever, mixing in strikes and submission holds with an intensity and viciousness to make everything compelling. After the show, I would approach Sabre to 1) buy a shirt from him and 2) tell him that, to me, he is the best wrestler in the world. He received my praise with great humility, and he is a big reason why I continue to support Evolve. 

Jaka baited Sabre into his kind of match; even as Sabre was able to reverse Jaka into submission holds, Jaka would power through and either force Sabre into letting the holds go with strikes or position himself close enough to the ropes to force Sabre to break the hold. Back on offense, Jaka would force Sabre into strike exchanges; while Sabre can hit as hard as anyone, he simply couldn’t absorb damage like Jaka. To my surprise, Jaka took Sabre’s best strikes, hit a spinning wheel kick, and pinned Sabre after a sitout powerbomb. 

When paired with strikers, Sabre is able to show a little more viciousness than usual in order to keep up with bigger, stronger, heavier hitting opponents, and Sabre and Jaka projected intensity very nicely. After the match, Hathaway’s joy and Sabre’s shock and disappointment told the tale of how big a victory this was for Jaka’s career even though he’s one half of the Evolve Tag Team Champions. 

After the match, Jaka left to celebrate with the rest of Catch Point while Sabre contemplated what happened. The fans were yelling at Sabre to get out of the ring before The End attacked, but instead of the brawny men, we got the gaunt Priscilla Kelly. Sabre was uninterested in Kelly, who ran her finger down his chest to signal that Theory would be challenging Sabre for the Evolve championship soon. 

7. WWN Championship Last Man Standing match: Matt Riddle (c) vs. Keith Lee

In a first, Evolve actually used the video screens at La Boom to air the mini-doc about their feud before the match to build anticipation for their main event. I give Evolve credit for trying, even though the video wasn’t the right size for the screens. Riddle just barely escaped with the title after their match at Evolve 87, and the sense of anticipation in the crowd was high. It seems ridiculous to say this about a show attended by no more than 500 people, but this match had a big fight feel. 

Riddle and Lee hit each other with their biggest moves at the start of the match to set the tone. Strikes, suplexes, the Bro 2 Sleep, and the Spirit Bomb were all unleashed within the first five minutes of the match to establish that they these two were going to hit each other until one man could no longer get back up. Because La Boom is so snug, the two had to keep most of the action inside the ring. Lee and Riddle hit the Halloween decorations hanging from the ceiling while suplexing each other, and you could see that Lee was considering tearing the decoration down to use against Riddle. Of course, that probably would have cost Evolve the ability to use La Boom as a venue ever again, which would have been unfortunate since La Boom is Evolve’s most consistently excited venue. 

It would be pointless to try to recount the mad barrage of offense, so suffice it to say that I despaired almost every time it looked like Lee wouldn’t get up to answer the ten count, that I bought Riddle’s frustration that Lee refused to stay down, that I led as many chants for Lee as my voice would allow, and that I cheered as loudly as I could when Lee got up at 9 after a Spirit Bomb from the second rope put Riddle down for a 10 count. I really appreciated that both men stayed aggressive through the match because they knew that not one particular move would be enough to put the other man down. Instead, they had to chain their most devastating offense together to try to press the attack and buy 10 seconds. It was the best laid out Last Man Standing match I’ve seen in some time. 

I was a little disappointed that Riddle didn’t stay to hand Lee the belt, but the crowd more than made up for his absence by cheering for Lee. Lee asked for a microphone to address the crowd, starting with a simple and quiet, “Ouch.” Kneeling because the couldn’t stand after the intense match, Lee thanked the crowd on behalf of Evolve and bid them to continue to bask in his glory.

It’s too bad that the next show is back at the Elmcor Center because the two best matches at Evolve 94 played off of matches at Evolve 87, whereas there isn’t as much material to mine from Evolve 91, the last show at the Elmcor Center, because it was the crossover show with PROGRESS. Furthermore, the Elmcor Center seems too big for Evolve to run effectively at this point, and I’d hate to see Evolve in another poorly lit venue with a crowd that can’t show its excitement because it’s too spread out and ineffectually recorded. I understand that La Boom is small and that it won’t always be available because it is a functioning night club, but I wish that Evolve would only run at La Boom because that is the company’s best venue. 

As for Evolve 94, the best matches were Riddle vs. Lee and Jaka vs. Sabre, but the rest of the show moved well enough that it was a really enjoyable experience.