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Ethan Page (with the Gatekeepers) vs. Darby Allin
Allin came to ringside wearing a photo of Page's face over his own. Page clobbered him with a clothesline at the onset of the match. Page went for a package piledriver but Allin escaped. Page was sent to the floor when Allin ducked and pulled the ropes. Allin did his "coffin drop" dive (sort of a back first stage dive) onto Page and the Gatekeepers, which the crowd went nuts for.
Page was nailed on the floor but pulled Allin off the ring apron, slamming him back into the stage of venue. Page pulled him up onto the stage and press and tossed Allin off the stage, into the ringpost. Well, that was insane. Allin was dumped back into the ring and covered Allin, who kicked up. Page was not a happy man about that turn of events.
Page brought handcuffs into the ring and cuffed Allin. Whatever happened to EVOLVE enforcing strict rules? The referee just allowed that to happen and asked Allin if he wanted to...quit? Huh?? Allin refused and tried to charge Page but was grabbed and slammed backwards into the corner. He tossed Allin hard, flipping him into the buckles. The crowd began chanting for Allin, while others chanted back for Page.
Page charged Allin, who was able to get the boot up. Page backdropped him over (which, for a guy with his hands cuffed behind his back, is really crazy) and continued working over Allin. Seriously, no DQ? Page's reaction to all this and the way he played up to the crowd was top notch.
Allin tried to use his head, literally, nailing several headbutts. Page went for the package piledriver but Allin avoided it and naild a rana. He began beating down Page with headbutts. The Gatekeepers got on the ring apron and he dropkicked them off. Allin climbed the ropes with no hands but Page cut him off. Page powerslammed him off the ropes but Allin again kicked up. Page nailed a RKO and powerbombed Allin for the pin.
Your winner, Ethan Page!
The fact Allin was able to work as hard and as much as he did cuffed was damned impressive. Like Lee, Allin's character makes him stand out, as did his refuse to lose performance here. Page continues to evolve, no pun intended, into a fine top notch heel.
That said, the premise of the entire thing was ridiculous!
Page took the mic after the match and cut a promo, telling the crowd to give it up for the "big loser" Darby Allin. He said this was the third time they've faced and every time Page beats Allin. He said the only time Allin got a win over him was when Zack Sabre Jr. teamed with him and did all the work. He told Allin he was useless trash and now Page was taking the trash out of his company. They stuffed Allin into a bodybag. The crowd chanted, I kid you not, "That's not nice." The Gatekeepers held Allin up as Page said that he wondered why Darby hated him so much. He said that the only reason anyone in EVOLVE knows his name is because of the beatings he's given him and that's made the fans feel sorry for Darby Allin. Page said he should be thanking him, not picking fights. He said Allin should be thankful Page even knows his name. He said Allin's career was now dead. They zipped up Allin and The Gatekeepers carried him out over their shoulders like a big sack of potatoes. Page told the audience to pay their respects to the "first dead career" at his hands. Good promo work from Page.
Lenny Leonard got an awesome line in, saying he never thought he'd see someone more hated than Larry Dallas. Ha!
Page took the mic and said he's previously said he never cared about the EVOLVE title but given how many people are gunning for it, perhaps it's time to make their lives miserable and vowed he would be the next EVOLVE champion.
Matt Riddle vs. Drew Galloway
Huge pop for Riddle's music.
Riddle's charisma is off the charts. Galloway came out with a ton of intensity. Riddle caught him right at the bell with a knee and almost scored a three count, then nailed an exploder. Galloway was beaten with shots across the back by Riddle. Galloway caught him with a big clothesline and muscled him over to the corner, chopping away at him. Galloway nailed a suplex out of the corner and stomped away at him.
Galloway fired away with chops on Riddle. They battled to the floor, exchanging punches and forearms on the floor. Galloway nailed a tiltowhirl, slamming Riddle onto the stage. That was pretty smart strategy. Galloway continued to work over Riddle and beat him around ringside with chops and stomps. Galloway had this pissed off, wide-eyed facial expression that harked back to the days of wrestlers on the covers of magazines in the '60s and '70s. Just great.
Back in the ring, Galloway stomped and kicked his way all over Riddle, continuing to beat him. Riddle mounted some offense but was grabbed and driven with a piledriver down to the mat. Galloway covered him but Riddle kicked out. Galloway began slapping away at Riddle, which only fired him up. They exchanged strikes with a pissed off Riddle coming to life until being cut off. Galloway rebounded off the ropes and nailed the Sick Kick. Riddle countered a move and nailed a fisherman's buster for a two count. A lot of those on this show.
Riddle chopped away at Gallloway, who fired back with forearms. Riddle nailed a series of rights. Galloway dumped him over the ropes and held him outside the ring with a hanging backbreaker, then snapped him over and slammed him down. Galloway covered him for a two count. Galloway went for the Futureshock DDT but Riddle went for the GTS. He nailed it but only received a two count for his efforts.
Galloway pulled his knees up, saving himself from a Riddle senton. Galloway measured and chopped away at Riddle in the corner. He placed Riddle on the ropes and began kicking and headbutting Riddle. Galloway set up Riddle and nailed an Air Raid Crash off the ropes for a close two count. Galloway looked down at Riddle and told him this was the end. He went for the Futureshock DDT but Riddle cradled him for a two count. Drew went for a tombstone but it was countered into an anklelock and then was locked up in a submission as Riddle kept railing away with punches. The referee ruled that Galloway wasn't defending himself and stopped the match.
Your winner, Matt Riddle!
Galloway attacked Riddle after the match and grabbed a chair from ringside. He went to piledrive Riddle on a chair but Catchpoint hit the ring to make the save and ran Galloway off.
Good match.
As Riddle was recovering, Larry Dallas said that he had a scoop that was going to change the entire face of WWN and Catchpoint. He said that before that, he needed to address his personal safety as he was shoved by Tracy Williams last night and has been threatened when he's just trying to serve the public interest as a journalist. Therefore, he's gotten persona security in The Big C, Earl Cooter. OK, that's tremendous.
Dallas then said that his sources that EVOLVE is planning a great announcement on Monday, but he's going to leak it right now like a great journalist. He announced Riddle is in the Battle of Champions elimination match on 4/1 in Florida to crown the first ever WWN champion. He than said that both Fred Yehi and Tracy Williams have been added to the match. Riddle said all the titles are his. He went to leave. Yehi, the current FIP champion, took the mic and said that the problem is Riddle makes everything about himself when it's about Catchpoint. Yehi then challenged Riddle to face him in the ring. Riddle acted incredulously to this and walked off.
Main event time!
EVOLVE champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Crowd was solidly behind ZSJ. He and Thatcher went back and forth with punches. ZSJ went for a cross armbreaker right away. They were slugging it out. ZSJ cinched in a front guillotine and brought Thatcher to the mat, trying to choke him out. Thatcher slipped out and mounted ZSJ, beating him down with shots to the mid-section and face ZSJ and Thatcher ended upwith their legs intertwined, upside down as they slapped each other. Lots of back and forth technical wrestling with some angry intensity early.
Sabre fired away with right hands. Thatcher responded in kind. Thatcher cinched his leg and began yanking him into the air. Sabre tried to grab onto Thatcher as they went down to the mat, trying to prevent him from pulling back on the leg. Thatcher began drilling Sabre, kicking away with his other leg. Thatcher and ZSJ slapped the hell out of each other. They broke free and circled each other. Thatcher began working over ZSJ with strikes in the mid-section and face. Sabre went down in the corner with Thatcher continuing to beat him down.
Thatcher used his boot to smother Zack in the corner but Sabre grabbed the leg and cinched on a leglock as they were tied up in the ropes. Thatcher gets free but is caught on the mat as ZSJ worked over his legs, tying them up as he always rained down with elbows to the back and neck. Zabre goes for another cross armbreaker but Thatcher prevents him from locking it in. Lenny Leonard told the story that Thatcher was studying Johnny Valentine tapes in order to control and slow Zack and take the crowd out of the equation.
Thatcher slammed Zack but Sabre escaped and grabbed his leg. Thatcher snatched his arm an attempted a Kimura before slamming Sabre over with a suplex. Thatcher began sneering down at Sabre as he worked over the wrist and fingers of Sabre. Thatcher stomped the hell out of Sabre in the corner. Thatcher worked over Sabre with a chinlock. Sabre came back to catch him in an Octopus and now he was working on the fingers and wrist. Thatcher caught Sabre with a weak belly to belly suplex and scored a two count. He went for another belly to belly but Sabre fired off with strikes and elbows. Thatcher finally crashed down to the mat and Sabre screams in exhileration.
Zack trapped him in an Octopus but Thatcher reversed it into an ankle lock. Sabre countered that into an armbar submission but Thatcher countered it into a pinfall attempt. Thatcher was caught with a belly to back suplex but kicked up at the last second. Sabre nailed a series of kicks to the back of the legs but Thatcher swept his legs. Thatcher nailed a dragon screw legwhip, a side salto suplex and cinched in a Fujiwara armbar. Sabre struggled and finally made it to the ropes.
Thatcher continued to drill Sabre with knees. The champ nailed a butterfly suplex for a two count. He went for a sleeper but was shoved into the corner and hit with an O'Conner role for a two count. Sabre almost scored a second pinfall attempt. Sabre charged with a kick but Thatcher went to catch him and locked him in an armbar. They went back and forth transitioning from submission attempts to strikes to pinfall attempts. At this point, this was pretty damn good.
Sabre and Thatcher kept going back. Thatcher was trapped in a submission attempt and beaten with kicks to the head and finally submitted. Hell of a finish.
Your winner and new EVOLVE champion, Zack Sabre Jr.
ZSJ dove into the crowd as Thatcher sat there, infuriated, from the ring. Stokely Hathaway didn't want to let the championship belt go when it was time for Thatcher to present the belt to the new champ. Thatcher's facial expressions were all disgust and they were great. The crowd chanted at him that he tapped out. Just as he was going to hand it to Zack, Ethan Page hit the ring and attacked the new champion from behind. Thatcher walked off as Page beat down Sabre. ACH made the save and ran off Page.
ACH took the mic and told Sabre that he wanted to be the first to congratulate him for his victory. He said that no match has given him goosebumps the way that match just did. He said that when it comes to being a pro wrestler, there is no one that can do what he does and there is no one more deserving than Zack to carry the belt. He said that it shouldn't be him handing the belt over but he asked Zack to stand tall and show the people what hard work and dedication look like. Zack raised the belt over his head. ACH told him that on 3/30, Zack would hand the belt to him. They shook hands.
Zack took the mic and thanked everyone. He said that pro wrestling and this world is for everyone and should include everyone, quipping "politics speech over." I'm guessing Gabe Sapolsky won't be yelling at him for bringing politics into his promo.
So, it will be EVOLVE champ Zack Sabre Jr. vs ACH on 3/30 in Orlando, Florida.
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