-The layouts continue to impress as far as pro wrestling DVDs go, and I like that they're sticking with the clear cases. They are making the right move by focusing on one match on the cover instead of trying to feature multiple talents-This DVD switches back to the DGUSA intro music, which I'm not a fan of them recycling
-We start off with a nice EVOLVE graphic
-They couldn't use the backstage documentary team so all the promos are shot "the next day" one on one. This feels a bit awkward and doesn't add much
-The venue looks great on DVD, small and intimate, almost like a fight club
-Video quality might be the best I've seen from an indy short of being shot in HD. Crystal clear, well lit, and the footage is nicely edited. The tight close ups they get before the match are awesome
-Brodie Lee VS Jon Moxley. Excellent opener that felt organic and violent. It was a bit rough around the edges but that's not always a bad thing. Moxley has little touches to his matches that feel very "unproffesional wrestling" (ha). At one point he pounces on Lee by diving over the guard rail and latches onto his back like a kid in a fight. Both guys make very good use of the unique layout of the venue. Gabe has wanted to book Lee as this unstoppable monster since he started using him back in ROH and this was the best I've seen him execute this gimmick while still letting his opponent look fairly strong. The finish was goofy and if we're just going to retread the code of honor stuff with the "inherent rules of sports" in EVOLVE I'd rather they drop it.
-Ricochet VS Drake Younger VS Chris Dickinson VS Rich Swann. Well this was a mess. I've tried to give Younger a chance but I just don't like the guy and his basketball shorts and his shitty Japanese head dropping offense. What a total waste of Ricochet. Dickinson looked promising, although I still don't have a great read on him as a worker. The four ways don't fit the feel of EVOLVE and I hope they keep them at a minimum or scrap them altogether eventually. This was also the second show where they had half nelson suplexes in back to back matches to start the card. Seriously? Come on!
-Mercedes Martinez squash. Fun for what it is but not much to it. I am looking forward to watching Martinez/Kong.
-Johnny Gargano/Adam Cole. Johnny looked good but Cole was very hesitant and the match was forgettable. I've read interviews with Gargano where he talks about the World of Sport influence on his style, and his matwork usually looks good, I just wish he would use more of it. There was a Jimmy Jacobs angle at the end of the match which was fairly interesting. As I said before I think Jacobs and Gargano work well together and I'm glad they're continuing this program.
-Aeroform VS Chikara Sekigun. This was a good match, probably the best I've seen Aeroform look. Jigsaw's new gear it pretty fresh. Not a lot to say about this one as it was fairly simple, although they did pull off a sick finishing stretch.
-Sami Callihan VS Arik Cannon. This was a nasty brawl in the vein of Lee/Moxley earlier in the show. They tried to do a bit more than that match and it was maybe more than these two needed to do or were capable of. You could feel them lose the crowd in the last few minutes. Had they wrapped it a bit earlier this would have been excellent, but it was still very good. Tons of nasty strikes and a few nice moments on the mat. Also some creative stuff on the outside and while there were some BURNING SPIRIT no sells, they were done properly where the cumulative damage was sold afterward so nothing too egregious. Callihan should keep his straps up or get rid of them... hate to say it but probably the former. The guy is in great shape but there's nothing he can do about his body type due to being so much heavier when he was younger. Besides the singlet gives him a unique look that fits his character.
-Some sort of ongoing Larry Davis angle keeps popping back up. Not interesting in the slightest.
-Up In Smoke VS The Osirian Portal. Not bad, not particularly good, served its purpose on the card. Both of these teams work best under their opponent and neither looked all that comfortable in their control segments. Still this had its moments and wasn't offensive or anything. I've got to say I'm not a fan of the lucha tag rules in EVOLVE, it feels out of place and like an excuse for the tag division to work spotfests where they don't have to worry about the legal man.
-Post match interview spoils the result of the next match, so skip it if you care.
-Jimmy Jacobs VS Chuck Taylor. Jacobs got one of the better matches I've seen out of Gargano on an earlier EVOLVE show and he does something similar with Taylor here. Another match that makes great use of the intimate setting of the Ace arena. Still this had plenty of noodle legged Taylor "run into my foot/fall on my foot" offense and the few punches he threw made me cringe. But he stays fairly focused and this was a solid warm up for the main event.
-Bryan Danielson VS Bobby Fish. Okay this is a minor nitpick that I've made before and I'm sure I'll make again. Bobby Fish is coming into this, and while he's certainly wrestled in front of much bigger crowds, this will no doubt go down as one of the definitive matches of his career. You know Bryan's going to wear maroon. Why would Bobby wear red tights with maroon kickpads? Just something that irks me in big matches. Anyway, I've become a Fish fan in his EVOLVE matches and Danielson is obviously great, so not shockingly this was really good. They tell a good story of Danielson going after Fish's leg with some top notch selling from Bobby. Nice highspots, great strikes, just a solid match all around. There were a few knockout caliber high kicks from both guys that were particularly nasty. A nice main event and a good way to close out the show.
This was another strong card from EVOLVE from start to finish. I feel like I'm going to echo the same sentiments from my EVOLVE 2 review but it all still applies. There were some poor matches but the show moved at a brisk enough pace that it was still fun to watch in its entirety. The promotion is still finding their stride. Some touches like the Lenny Leonard post matches interviews are a great way of incorporating a MMA style presentation. Other stuff, like the backstage interviews, are still very much a work in progress. I also think given the nature of the promotion they're going to need to scale back the amount of multiman matches and spotfest tags. But right now they're trying to book a lot of young talent and see who rises to the top, so they have the need to fit as many guys on the card as possible. Even with Danielson/Fish I wouldn't say there's anything on this show that's must see, but it's a very worthwhile $15 purchase and if you have an interest I'd recommend picking it up.
