EVOLVE 104 results: Matt Riddle vs. Shane Strickland
The first show in EVOLVE’s weekend doubleheader took place in Summit, Illinois last night. They’ll be in the Detroit area tonight with Keith Lee vs. Matt Riddle in what’s being billed as the final war between them.
– AR Fox defeated Zachary Wentz
Great showing by both men in front of a hot crowd, ending when Fox won with the Fox Catcher. After the match, one of Fox’s students, Tommy Maserati, issued an open challenge.
– Josh Briggs defeated Tommy Maserati
Briggs is a standout for Beyond Wrestling who was making his EVOLVE debut. He destroyed Maserati fast.
– Tracy Williams defeated Dominic Garrini (w/ Stokely Hathaway) in a “Catchpoint rules” match
No closed fists, three rope breaks, and a 20 count on the outside were the rules for this. Garrini had the advantage throughout, but Williams wouldn’t quit and was able to lock in a submission for the victory.
Chris Dickinson and Jaka helped Hathaway escape unharmed following the match.
– -Matt Knicks, Chris Castro & Isaias Velazquez defeated J.Spade, Bu Ku Dao & Johnny Flex in a Freelance Wrestling vs. WildKat Wrestling showcase match
They had a wild six-man that was won by the Freelance crew.
– Anthony Henry defeated Stevie Fierce
These two have a long standing rivalry in the local Freelance Wrestling promotion. Henry, who is usually a fan favorite in EVOLVE, was booed throughout. He picked up the victory after a hard-fought match.
– WWN Champion Austin Theory (w/ Priscilla Kelly) defeated DJZ to retain his title
Two of AR Fox’s students were in the ring for a match before Theory and Kelly destroyed them both and said they run the show, calling out DJZ.
DJZ was able to hit a super rana from the top for a near fall, but the distractions of Kelly were too much as she hit a low blow that allowed Theory to get the victory.
– EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Chris Dickinson & Jaka defeated The End in an anything goes match to retain their titles
They had a wild brawl that went all over the place, using barricades and chairs in and out of the ring. Even with the three-on-two advantage, Odinson, Parrow, and Drennan weren’t able to stop Dickinson and Jaka.
– Darby Allin defeated Myron Reed, Snoop Strikes, and Trey Miguel in a four-way match
Incredible action by all involved. Allin opened the match with a Coffin Drop on the other three. Reed also got amazing long distance on a dive over the ring post on Miguel. The fast-paced action was finally cut off by Allin, who applied his Last Supper pinning maneuver to score the win. The crowd loved all involved and gave a standing ovation.
Candy Cartwright then tried to tell Allin that Jarek was coming, but Allin would have none of it and made his way to the back.
– Keith Lee defeated James Drake
An athletic hoss fight with these two doing things that men their size should not be able to do. They did rope running, dropkicks, and ranas until it finally broke down into a slugfest, hitting huge chops and forearms before a great blockbuster by Drake for a near fall.
Lee hit the Ground Zero to win and the crowd showed respect to both.
– EVOLVE Champion Matthew Riddle defeated Shane Strickland by DQ in a non-title match
Strickland attacked Riddle’s left arm from bell to bell. Riddle would get in flurries of offense, including a trio of sentons, his powerbomb/knee strike combo, and even a one-armed German suplex, but Strickland would always cut him off by attacking the arm.
The disqualification came when Strickland applied the key lock and Riddle was in the ropes. The referee called for the break and Strickland, who was upset that this was not a championship match where there would be no rope breaks, wrenched on the hold even tighter to force the referee to call it off.
Strickland attacked Riddle’s arm by placing it in a folded chair and delivering a Swerve Stomp off the top before declaring himself the new most dangerous man in EVOLVE.