EVOLVE 8

-No intro video or documentary crew/backstage interviews
-Lenny Leonard post match interviews are still a nice touch but don't always have the best angle/lighting on this show
-Rob Naylor... he's off to FCW now so I can't really complain, but his over the top enthusiasm does not compliment EVOLVE's style well
-Nice layout, and I like that they take advantage of the clear DVD case with double sided print
-Back to the DGUSA theme music for the DVD menu, which I wonder if they'll use moving forward since they are now part of the same universe. I hope not as I dug the EVOLVE theme

-Disclaimer: I normally keep my reviews spoiler-free, but for a one night tournament such as this that's not really possible. So for this one review due to the nature of the show I'm going to give some spoilers. This includes talking specifically about a few of the finishes.

-AR Fox VS Rich Swann. I have seen two or three AR Fox matches coming into this show so this will be a good indicator to me if he lives up to the hype or not. This match didn't do anything to convince me, but I have yet to see a Rich Swann match that wasn't actively bad, so I won't hold it against Fox. Still this was everything that's awful about current indy wrestling, full of obviously choreographed, illogical sequences of moves that aren't even hit particularly well, as well as way too overboard for the first match of a one night tournament. I am not trying to sound pretentious, but in all honesty at no point did this look or feel like a pro wrestling match to me.

-Tony Nese VS Jon Davis. This did a decent job of cleansing the palette after the opener. I'm just starting to see the potential in Jon Davis as a singles wrestler, although I still think him and Kory Chavis compliment each other extremely well and am disappointed they are both doing their own thing. However if EVOLVE can continue to book Chavis as they did for this night, I could actually see a money program between Davis and Chavis, unlike most tag team feuds which just feel forced. Anyway this match was good for its spot on the card, Nese didn't bring a lot to the table but he wasn't bad either. I'd need to see more of him to really get a feel for his "standing style" of combat (that will be the one and only time I'm going to comment on the awful style names/choices they came up with for this tournament). Davis hit a lot of great looking power offense and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in singles action after this match.

-Brodie Lee VS Sami Callihan. My only real criticism of this match was that it went a little long and had a few too many nearfalls in the end. Otherwise this was a total blast and one of my favorite matches of the year. This was as nasty and hard hitting as any match the promotion has run thus far, which is especially impressive taking into consideration Sami had two more matches to wrestle that night. The one seated elbow smash he hits on Brodie looks like it could knock out anyone of any size. Brodie's size advantage maybe wasn't played up as much as it could have been, but with the style Callihan wrestles and the way he's being pushed at this point, it doesn't feel like a big man/little man match by any stretch. The finish is ballsy both in terms of booking and for Brodie to agree to, to tap out clean in the middle of the ring like that to someone so much smaller, but they did a great job building to and executing it. Obviously Gabe already made this decision regarding Callihan, but these are two guys that this promotion should be built around. Early on it wasn't clear how Brodie would adapt to EVOLVE but this and his match with Moxley are the proof that he should be at the top of the card here.

-Austin Aries VS Bobby Fish. Wow, Callihan/Lee was a tough act to follow but this was very good as well. They were smart to work a slow paced, methodical, mat based match after the slugfest that was the previous match. I've criticized EVOLVE for lacking in the matwork for a "shooty" promotion, so I have to give credit where it's due- these guys worked some awesome hold for hold wrestling here. The only downside is this also went a little too long and got a bit sloppy during the finishing stretch on top of that. After seeing this and his match VS Danielson, I'm not sure if Fish is ready to go 20+ minutes against anyone who isn't a top level opponent. I still dig his stuff overall though and in a promotion like EVOLVE there's nothing wrong with being a 10-15 minute man. I also dig the Fish Hook (heel hook) as his new finisher and I liked his post match interview here. Aries not surprisingly was great and did an outstanding job putting Bobby over. If you pick up this show, it'll be for this match and the one before it.

-Larry Dallas & Reby Sky interview. Every angle I've seen on an EVOLVE DVD featuring Larry Dallas has felt completely pointless. Reby helps a little but this needs to go somewhere or end already. If they aren't going to let Dallas function like a normal heel manager then they need to find some way that he adds to the product, instead of just paying him fan service by throwing him a segment here and there.

-Jon Davis VS AR Fox. This was better than the Swann match but that's not saying a lot. I'm starting to see some of the positives to Fox aside from his obvious athleticism- he has decent natural charisma and his taller stature than most indy high flyers gives some of his offense more impact. Still a lot of his moveset seems superfluous and I'm still not getting the impression he has much of an idea how to put a match together. Davis hits one of the greatest pounces I've ever seen here which sends Fox sprawling into Mike Keener. Past that, there wasn't much to this.

-Sami Callihan VS Bobby Fish. This started with a fun striking feeling out process, and then ended very early. The finish was cool but I wanted more, even as far as short matches go. Please run these two in a rematch!

-The SAT VS The New Havana Pitbulls. No. I do not want to watch this in 2011.

-8 Man Fray. The good parts of this match were Kory Chavis running wild over fools, and Pinkie Sanchez's underdog story. The rest of this was baaaaaad, like even as far as these spotty multiman matches Gabe loves to run, really really bad.

-Sami Callihan VS AR Fox. This was decent, pretty spotty without much substance but a fun match to end the tournament with. I left this event with my stock in Callihan as high as ever but without my opinion of Fox going up very much, which I think was the entire point of the show. I will say that Callihan needs to drop that rope assisted rebound splash though... even when he hits it correctly, it just looks awkward.

This felt like it a minor show for EVOLVE but the tournament itself featured two very good bouts, some fun matchups throughout, and a nice change of pace in general. I'd like to see this become an annual event for EVOLVE, but with some better and more varied styles next year than "Standing Combat," "Rich Swann Style," and "Hybrid." Alright I lied about not bringing that up again. But seriously... c'mon.

I'd give this show a mild recommendation if you were interested in either Callihan/Lee or Aries/Fish, or if the concept of the tournament appealed to you in general.

EVOLVE 5

-This release has EVOLVE's best layout yet. Great color scheme, simple, effective, but different and engaging
-DVD menu is back to the "EVOLVE theme music" I guess you'd call it, I'm into it, much prefer it to the DGUSA theme music. Stick with this from now on!
-We start off with a backstage segment with Chuck Taylor and Up In Smoke. I guess the documentary crew idea is already dead? We're back to the typical pro wrestling fly on the wall style promo here. Decent idea in what they're trying to get across but Taylor can't help but smirk his way through it as usual. Good way to get UIS involved in a promo without having them have to actually do much of any mic work though
-Swann, Younger, Ricochet and Cole give their thoughts on who will win the main event. This is a cool idea for a series of quick promos, very different
-It might be time to redo the intro video, it mentions the documentary crew and features multiple clips of guys who are already out of the company

-Mike Quackenbush VS Chuck Taylor. Aside from the opening matwork, this felt very different from the other opening/early card EVOLVE matches thus far. It was more of a typical indy match but Quack still keeps Taylor reigned in and it wasn't bad at all. The lighting is the worst of any EVOLVE event yet, but it can't really be held against them as this was a day show. The audio on the other hand is spot on.

-Up In Smoke VS Aeroform. Wow, this was by far the best I've seen UIS call a match. They clearly lead Aeroform through this and it works out very well. This is a match where the wins/loss gimmick EVOLVE is based around really feels relevant. Even though UIS are only 2-0, compared to Aeroform's 1-3 you know coming into this the dichotomy of the match and both teams play it up well. Areoform still flub a few spots but on a whole this was a nice spotty tag and a particularly impressive performance from UIS. Decent angle at the end too. This match bodes well for EVOLVE's tag division.

-Larry Dallas segment. I don't know what they're going for here. I mean I know we're leading to Dallas sponsoring fighters, but it sure is taking them a while to get there. I don't care if Larry Davis gets into the show or not. I just don't care.

-Jimmy Jacobs VS Adam Cole. So apparently Jacobs is Tenryucito in EVOLVE, playing the veteran trying to get the young guys over as credible opponents and making them look good. Fair enough, it's a good role for him. He lays into Cole like a son of a bitch here, and Cole responds like a limp wristed bitch. Ironic considering Jacobs is the one playing up the homosexual man crush on Adam leading into this. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was and would gladly sit down to it again sometime down the line.

-Sami Callihan VS Drake Younger. Yet another excellent Callihan performance. It's interesting to hear the crowd so behind Sami and turn on Younger. Is my hatred for him catching on? Younger does give a very good effort here though and I have to admit I enjoyed the match start to finish. Still this was surprisingly long and developed for where it was on an EVOLVE show and once again didn't gel with what I've come to expect from the company.

-Danielson warms up backstage and Sawa does the splits. I always appreciate little stuff like this, cool to see.

-Brad Allen VS Johnny Gargano VS Gran Akuma VS Jon Moxley VS Frightmare VS Rich Swann. Super choreographed looking spotfest. Moxley probably looked best here but this was just a waste of booking 6 guys. It's really strange in a promotion that's based around win/loss record that a flukey win in a match like this is just as important to the standings as winning a singles match.

-Mercedes Martinez VS Amazing Kong. Probably the most anticipated match in EVOLVE yet and it's totally ruined by the booking. What the hell? They keep building and building Martinez, can we finally get a worthwhile match for her? This started off really strong but never had the chance to hit its stride. It's a shame because both women looked ready to lay it all out.

-Kyle O'Reilly VS Ricochet. Decent match but fairly disappointing given the upward trajectory of Ricochet's career as of late. This was basically destined for failure as soon as they decided to do the "kicker takes out high flyer's leg" routine as neither guy is good enough to pull this off convincingly yet. There are a few moments where it seems like they might actually make it work, where Ricochet is fighting from his back and selling effectively. They give up on it quickly though and get back to running through their spots. And there are a few great spots, but overall this was underwhelming compared to what I've seen from both thus far.

-Martinez & Homicide segment backstage. Nice promo but Martinez being bummed about the match just accentuates how disappointing it was.

-Moxley comes out and demands a rematch VS Brodie Lee. Sounds great but unfortunately it never happened! Bummer.

-Bryan Danielson VS Munenori Sawa. This had more of a big match feel than the Bobby Fish match did on the previous EVOLVE card. Great intensity from both guys. Sawa has a few good moments throwing kicks off his back, some good slaps and desperation dropkicks, but his performance otherwise is lacking. His selling is inconsistent and it felt like he had a lack of credible offense compared to Danielson. But Bryan gives a great performance and this is up there with Hero/Hidaka among the best matches the promotion has run as of yet.

-Strangely enough this was most likely the best show the company has run in terms of match quality, and yet was one of the least memorable shows. It just didn't feel as much like an EVOLVE event. It started off very good but hit a wall in the second half and Callihan/Younger, the 6 way and O'Reilly/Ricochet all felt like they'd be better off in JAPW or CZW. I'd recommend the DVD to all interested but I'd like to see a return to the shorter, more physical style matches the company was built around. And it'd be especially nice if someone other than Danielson or Quack seemed to give a shit about mat work.

EVOLVE 4

-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.

EVOLVE 2

Like many fans who tried to make the trip, I was not able to get into Rahway to see this show due to flooding. A sad twist of fate for a young company like EVOLVE, as it seems like at least 2/3rds of the audience were turned away. The remaining crowd is small but vocal, and the show doesn't suffer too much from it.


-EVOLVE is still using clear DVD cases, which I really like and helps set their DVD apart
-Box art is better than EVOLVE 1, with some more color and a nice cover playing up the size difference between Hero and Hidaka

-The DVD menu features new music, which helps maintain a better identity than sharing DGUSA's.
-A new EVOLVE intro graphic adds a nice touch.
-Backstage interviews have graphics now as well, featuring the names, which are a welcome addition.

-Bobby Fish gets things started with a strong interview. The sit down confessional style suits the promotion well.

-Aeroform and Chuck Taylor cut decent short interviews.
-They go to a promo video with highlights from the first show. Seems a little premature to do a video like this after just one show, but it's done fairly well.
-The "documentary crew" happens to catch a candid moment where Hero talks to Claudio about Allen calling him out. Funny moment when Hero thinks it was Brad Bradley and not Brad Allen. The set up to this was still awkward and while the documentary girl is cute, the whole documentary angle feels unnecessary at this point. There are probably some organic ways to work it in but they haven't found out how yet.

-The show is shot entirely with two handheld cameras and no steadycam, most likely to cover up for the small crowd. The video quality is good and they use some great angles, but the lack of a steady wide shot is a little disorienting.

-Brad Allen VS Chris Dickinson. This was nowhere near as good of an opener as O'Reilly/Fish from the first show. They tried to do too much, Dickinson shouldn't be throwing out half nelson suplexes in the opener. Dickinson was very... excited to wrestle in this match. There's an obvious joke to make here with his last name, I'll try to take the high road. Allen has a lot of ability but doesn't seem to focus enough on pacing and projecting himself to the crowd.

-We go to a backstage segment with Johnny Gargano, the unnamed fat blond kid and his cronies, and eventually Jimmy Jacobs. Not bad. Jacobs brings it as usual.

-Brodie Lee VS Gran Akuma. Back to back matches with half nelson suplexes to start the show. Terrible. With such a big roster and so many matches per show, EVOLVE could really use some backstage vets to play the role of road agent and try to prevent this from happening. The match itself was okay, with Lee clearly outshining Akuma. Akuma feels like he gets pushed just by virtue of being on the indies for so long now, but he's never really improved at all. Lee has a distinct look and raw talent, but I'm not sure if he's the right fit for EVOLVE.

-Areoform VS Up In Smoke. This was mediocre. Up In Smoke feel like a fun 90s WWF jobber team at their best, and a pair of sloppy indy spot monkeys at their worst. They weren't at their best here. Cheech in particular looked rather awkward. Both teams hit some nice double team offense. Okay for what it was.

-Tony Kozina talkes to Kyle O'Reilly about Richards leaving and how Kyle needs to get focused on the here and now. Decent segment, short and to the point, had the potential to be much better though. I like O'Reilly a lot in the ring, but he feels uncomfortable during promos.

-Kenn Doane VS Caleb Konley. This is my first time seeing Konley and he looked decent. This was a slower match like Doane tends to work and it did a nice job of telling a simple story and sucking the crowd in. I'm just starting to like what Doane brings to EVOLVE but then he cuts a promo after the match implying he might leave.

-Kyle O'Reilly VS Hallowicked. This was one of the matches I was most looking forward to aside from the main event and I wasn't disappointed. Nothing great but a very solid match that stands out but doesn't try to do too much. O'Reilly is a good whitebread babyface and it was smart to pair Kozina as his manager/trainer to give him a bit more personality. Hallowicked seems like he purposefully bulked up a year or two back, which I liked at the time because it set him apart from the rest of Chikara. He was never able to cut down though and these days just looks doughy. Not trying to knock the guy because I think he's a solid wrestler. But whatever he's doing in the gym, he needs to step it up or try a new approach. O'Reilly works in a lot of kicks and submission spots. I get that he's kind of doing an MMA gimmick but I'd like to see him be a bit more focused with the submissions, instead of just running through them.

-Another Gargano/Jacobs backstage segment with the fat blond kid. They're doing a good job of building this match without much history. Gargano is goofy but seems to have a real chip on his shoulder. I agree with Jacobs that wacky doesn't sell tickets but I think Gargano has the potential to be more than just an ironic 90s reference. Unlike...

-Chuck Taylor VS Ricochet. I loathe Taylor but I know he's worked Ricochet a million times and they have good chemistry, so I'm trying to be fair to this match. I like Ricochet more each time I see him. Which is to say I went from not liking him to being mildly into him. He still has a ways to go but he's constantly improving, which is awesome to see for someone with the natural physical ability he has. His gear and look have come a long way as well, and he should definitely stick with his hair tied back like he did for this match. This was not one of their better matches as it featured Taylor in control for the majority and Ricochet didn't hit anything particularly impressive by his standards.

-Bobby Fish VS Claudio Castagnoli. Other than the main and O'Reilly/Hallowicked this was the only other match I was actively seeking out on this DVD. Man did it deliver! Unlike O'Reilly/Fish from the first show, which was a shorter uptempo match, this had a bit more length and was worked at a deliberate pace that plays to Claudio's strengths. Lots of dead lifts, throws, and tosses in this one. I didn't envision it before his debut, but EVOLVE could be a federation where Claudio makes it as the top dog. His promos won't be as important, he can strip down his offense to his most physical stuff, and the guy flat out looks like a beast these days. He should stick to the short tights in this fed as his look was perfect here, right down to the beard.

Not to take anything away from Fish, who once again has a great showing. He is one of the wrestlers that EVOLVE needs to use for their foundation, along with O'Reilly and TJP. He's the full package for a promotion like EVOLVE and his involvement in MMA adds a nice element of credibility (especially if he can keep a winning record). One thing I particularly liked about this match was the use of the 10 count to tease knock outs, which I expected to be a common thing in EVOLVE matches but hasn't been used much (if at all) up to this point. I also liked how Claudio has started throwing a crushing lariat that simply looks great. They need to protect this as his move in EVOLVE as I don't believe anyone else on the roster uses a lariat as a signature spot. They do something neat post match and have the winner put on some attire from a sponsor, like in MMA. This match was very good and is worth going out of your way to see.

-They do an angle in front of the crowd where Dickinson comes out to say something, and the fat blond kid and his cronies come out and start to heckle him. Dickinson loses his temper and is ready to throw down but Tony Kozina cools him off. Not a bad segment, and it's good to see they have something in mind for Dickinson to build to. He's a long ways off but I think he has the potential to be a solid midcarder for this promotion.

-Mercedes Martinez VS Sumie Sakai. This starts off with the fat blond kid's crew heckling the women. They get some legitimate heat from the crowd. This "stable" (I guess?) is an odd angle that is not what people expected from a fed like EVOLVE. It reminds me a bit of the early angles Gabe tried in ROH though and while it's a bit strange, it's doing a good job of giving a few different parts of the roster some focus. Martinez has a more competitive match this time around, as Sakai uses some interesting offense to work over her arm. Building the women's division around Martinez was a smart move for EVOLVE. It breaks up the card and Martinez fits the promotion like a glove with her no-nonsense attitude. She cuts a good intense promo after the match. I'm looking forward to seeing what else they do with Martinez. Yet another match with SDR seems inevitable, and I mean that in the best way possible.

-Jimmy Jacobs VS Johnny Gargano. These two work a good creative match where both pull out some stuff I've never seen before. They do enough to deliver a good match and please the crowd, but leave enough where there's plenty of room for a rematch. I wouldn't mind seeing that at all as everything involving the build to this match was fun and effective.

-Bobby Fish is being taped during a phone conversation unbeknown to him. We can't tell if the conversation is with a loved one or a colleague or what. He notices the camera and leaves. Good segment that makes better use of the documentary crew, but once again doesn't actually require we see the crew documenting it.

-Chikara 4 Way Elimination Tag. This was better than the Chikara multiman match from the first show, but I still don't like the way Chikara has been used for these tags. In Dragon Gate USA these types of matches fit the promotion perfectly and are a great way to break up the card. In EVOLVE it's a styles clash that feels like an exhibition, especially with the focus on the standings here. This was a little less sloppy than the 6 man on EVOLVE 1 and had more dynamic personalities thanks to Osirian Portal. There were some good spots but no real psychology to speak of. I would much rather see something like O'Reilly/Hallowicked or mixing the Chikara tags in with Aeroform or Dark City Fight Club than keeping them isolated like they have so far.

-Chris Hero VS Ikuto Hidaka. This was the match that made me attempt the trip to Rahway to see this show. Ikuto Hidaka has been a personal favorite of mine for a long time and I would have loved to have a chance to see him live. This was a treat for the fans that were able to make it and I regret not being there to see it myself. They work a large portion of the match on the mat which both guys do very well. They also get into some hard strikes and some great nearfalls. There are a few awkward moments not surprisingly considering the size difference and language barrier, but overall this is a very good, borderline great match. It probably won't go down as a MOTY or anything, but it will be one of the matches I look back most fondly on from 2010. I feel bad for Hidaka, when he came to ROH previously it was to a rather small crowd, and then the weather ruins the attendance for this show. I hope that EVOLVE brings him back if he's willing, because there's still a lot they could do with him.

-The show closes with another Jacobs/Gargano segment. Jacobs brings the best out of Gargano and I hope they keep them involved in some sort of angle for a while.

Like EVOLVE 1 this is a strong show that's an easy watch start to finish. There are some weaker matches but nothing that drags the show down. The promotion keeps a good pace, generally keeps their matches short and to the point (in a good way), and has used a varied enough roster thus far to keep the show fresh. There is very little dead weight on this roster, with my only issues being with the Chikara guys and Chuck Taylor. The potential is there to mix at least part of the Chikara roster in effectively, the key will be to make them feel like members of EVOLVE and not just Chikara exhibition matches. They are still in the process of bringing new guys in as well, like Jon Moxley, Drake Younger and Sami Callahan, which is a good thing. The key to EVOLVE will be booking fresh matches with a unique presentation, as they've done with O'Reilly/Fish, TJP/Sawa, Claudio/Fish and Hero/Hidaka. They are still figuring out the backstage stuff and the overall hierarchy of the roster, but if and when they can get those aspects worked out, EVOLVE could become something special.