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By the way, I ordered that EVOLVE 45 show I was going to.
* Heading into the show, there were apparently a lot of injuries, and Gabe Sapolsky said they were going to hot-shot some stuff.
* I'll say that I do like the way there isn't much (well, any) fluff and filler for the EVOLVE presentation. It's match-to-match, and that has a very old-school, sports-based presentation to it. SoCal Val talks in the ring, which is good, but it could use an interview or two to try and hook me on these guys more.
* Caleb Konley vs. Gary Jay was first up. There are too many people out here, in my opinion. The idea is that The Premier Athlete Brand are going to be showcased, but you've got three guys and two girls out here, and one of the girls doesn't even do anything.
* Konley impressed me. There were times he really summoned up a wrestler's presence. He seems like quite a solid worker too. Gary Jay can work and do movez, there's no doubt about it, but I didn't believe him. He's kind of got this "dirty Sami Zayn" vibe to him, and there's definite talent there, but he's sort of working outside his frame. I would have liked to have seen Konley destroy him with a few hope spots, some select moves to show off that Jay can do shit to try and get him over enough to bring back; but there were times this felt like it should have been done but it wasn't.
* Gary Jay would be a GREAT jobber if you are running a promotion. The dude looks crazy enough to get in the ring with an intended Superstar, and he's a good enough worker to take it and make the guy look good. Maybe in time he can find the connection for a few upset wins.
* Next up is Trent Beretta vs. Rich Swann. Mr. All Night Long has a cool entrance and gets people pumped. He's apparently got an intriguing and inspiring life story too. It's no wonder the WWE signed him. He says some stuff on the mic, which I liked, because it sounds thought up on the spot and organic. The dude could get quite over in the WWE, I feel. Beretta knows the little tricks to be a piece of shit heel. He'll be back in the WWE one day, unless he's burnt his bridges or doesn't want to go back.
* I know they're making up for injuries keeping guys out and changing the show, but this is another match where less would have been more. Beretta does like a half-and-half suplex on the ring apron to Swann, and it leads to the Roman Reigns "gets back in the ring at 9" countout spot. Fuck me, just sell a Deathplex occasionally and get people invested in you. Great work from both men though although they sort of lost me after it got turned up to 11 for no reason.
* Andrew Everett came out to challenge Anthony Nese next. It occurs to me at this point that the performers with the best names of the evening so far have been "SoCal Val" and "Caleb Konley." And "Caleb" isn't a tough name for a wrestler...
* This was my first time seeing these guys. Everett is sort of like a less ripped, straighter-haired Adrian Neville from Charlotte, North Carolina. I wasn't too impressed by him, to be honest. I've heard good things, but this wasn't really a great showcase. I sort of turned on the match after Everett did something to make it look like he fucked up his leg on a leap-frog, but then alleged veteran, Nese, didn't do anything to go after it and they stayed on their shit.
* By the way, Anthony Nese looks like he should have been a big star in WCW's Cruiserweight Division. He reminded me of what could happen if Buff Bagwell was a gymnast. He did some really crisp athletic stuff that made me legitimately go "Whoa," but the story of the match was kind of forced. Everett even uses a Shooting Star Press, which makes me think that this guy is really doing his low-rent Neville impersonation. That being said, he's really young and is only going to get better and better.
* Chris Hero vs. Trevor Lee next. This is my first time seeing Lee, who was trained by The Hardy Boyz. I didn't expect Lee to stand out as much as he did. I've read about him in PWG reports and such, but the name is sort of bland and didn't capture my imagination. The dude is tiny, but is kind of like a tiny Luke Harper in black trunks, and actually comes off as savage. The guy is only 21 and can tear it up, has presence and seems to be putting together a lot of what works at such a ripe young age. He'll be a star one day. Apparently he's (in the TV paradigm) one-half of the current TNA World Tag Team Champions with Curt Hawkins. I didn't know that. Good for him. WWE will sign him.
* A lot has been said about Chris Hero, and I was iffy on his NXT run. Something was there, but something was missing too. On the independents, he carries himself like a veteran though. This isn't his first rodeo, he knows his place, and although a lot of people critique his physique -- he makes it believable -- like Kevin Owens in the WWE. I wouldn't put my company's title on him, but if I had a promotion, I'd be using him. He has his own custom theme music which goes a long way to his presentation too. And I like that he wears trunks like he doesn't give a fuck what he looks like.
* Hero and Lee has been my favorite match so far, because it's been based around simple shit, told a story, and a house hasn't been dropped on the other guy to beat him. Kind of wonder if there was more to the story about Hero being dropped from the WWE -- like a personality clash with Triple H or something -- because the dude could be SO valuable working with younger guys and even on house shows.
* Hero cuts a good promo after the match. Like he's just had an epic and cut a good promo that even had crowd interaction. Fucking love Hero after that.
* I've started watching Sabre, Jr. vs. Strong, but I've had to stop because I'm now exhausted from the flow of the show. Every match is being worked like the WrestleMania main event, so I need to go and have a Coke.
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