WWN/EVOLVE Thread

[TYFDK]

Here's what Gabe had to say about Davey Richards in the most recent WWNLive News Alert:

"Davey Richards is an elite talent in the ring. There is no question about his work ethic and ability. However, when we book a talent we look at both in-ring ability and out-of-the-ring character. Although Davey has made an offer that shows a maturity and a desire to make amends, I still have trust issues. There is nothing more important to me than delivering what we advertise. Sometimes, it is impossible due to injury or travel issues, but I was burned too bad in the past with Davey.

However, I have seen your tweets, Facebook messages, emails and overall demand to see Davey Richards wrestle in EVOLVE. I do admit that the idea of Davey Richards, the winner of the first EVOLVE main event, finally returning to take on EVOLVE Champion AR Fox on the 25th card is very intriguing. Fox, who is approaching one-year as champion, has also asked for this match. Fox has been a fighting champion who has given us an unique and exciting title reign. At this point, he deserves to get a match that he wants.

The bottom line is I just don't feel comfortable advertising Davey Richards, especially for a main event title match on EVOLVE 25. So we will go with this compromise. EVOLVE Champion AR Fox will have an open contract at the EVOLVE 25 live iPPV at WWNLive.com from Ybor City, FL on January 10th. If Davey wants to show up, he can sign the contract. If not, I'm sure someone else who will be a strong challenger for the title will emerge. The scheduled Roderick Strong vs. Uhaa Nation match will now be for a title shot of their choice in the future.

In closing, I just want to take a moment and thank AR Fox for an amazing year as EVOLVE Champion. Fox has exemplified the athleticism and creativity we hoped the EVOLVE Champion would represent. From impromptu title matches to inventing new moves, Fox has risen to the role of champion. We look forward to his biggest title defense yet at EVOLVE 25. Thank you for reading."

So to recap, Roderick Strong vs. Uhaa Nation will be for a future shot at a title of their choosing, while Fox has an open contract (and I can't imagine Richards not being the one to answer it).

In other words...

[DXvsNWO1994]

So here are the cards with more added matches:

EVOLVE 25 - January 10th - Ybor City, FL - Live iPPV At WWNLive.com

EVOLVE Title Match
AR Fox Has An Open Contract

FIP Title Match
Trent Baretta defends vs. Anthony Nese with Su Yung

Epic Six Man Tag Team Match
Johnny Gargano & The Bravado Brothers vs. Rich Swann & The Young Bucks

Hero Runs The Gauntlet Match #1
Chris Hero vs. Ricochet

Winner Gets A Title Shot Of Their Choice
Roderick Strong vs. Uhaa Nation

Plus: Jon Davis, Chuck Taylor, Caleb Konley, Lince Dorado and others!!!

EVOLVE 26 - January 11th - Orlando FL - Live iPPV At WWNLive.com

FIP Tag Team Title Match
Roderick Strong & Rich Swann defend vs. The Young Bucks

Hero Runs The Gauntlet Match #2
Chris Hero vs. Anthony Nese

JUST ADDED - Champions Tag Team Challenge
DGUSA Champion Johnny Gargano & Jon Davis vs. EVOLVE Champion AR Fox & Uhaa Nation

No Hype Needed
Ricochet vs. Trent Baretta

Special Attraction Match
Chuck Taylor vs. Maxwell Chicago

Plus: DGUSA Tag Team Champions The Bravado Brothers, Lince Dorado, Caleb Konley and others!!!

EVOLVE 27 - January 12th - Jacksonville, FL - iPPV Status To Be Determined

The Main Event - Non-Title
Johnny Gargano vs. Roderick Strong

Hero Runs The Gauntlet Match #3
Chris Hero vs. Chuck Taylor

Grudge Match
Rich Swann vs. Jon Davis

Tag Team Challenge Match
AR Fox & Ricochet vs. Anthony Nese & TBD with Su Yung

JUST ADDED - Special Challenge Match
Uhaa Nation vs. Lince Dorado

FIP Showcase Match To Be Announced!!!

Plus: Open The United Gate Champions The Bravado Brothers, The Young Bucks, Caleb Konley plus more to be signed!!!

[DBSommer]

Wow. Bravados are not getting much respect if they've only booked and hyped one match with them, and a 6 man at that. I thought they were supposed to be the Replacement Bucks since the DGUSA straps are around them.

[Ladrao12]

Wow. Bravados are not getting much respect if they've only booked and hyped one match with them, and a 6 man at that. I thought they were supposed to be the Replacement Bucks since the DGUSA straps are around them.

Easy there, buddy!

I read they're supposed to be defending the belts vs. Los Ben Dejos at 25 or 27, so that should be coming soon.

[DXvsNWO1994]

Wow. Bravados are not getting much respect if they've only booked and hyped one match with them, and a 6 man at that. I thought they were supposed to be the Replacement Bucks since the DGUSA straps are around them.

The fact that they were booked so poorly on the FIP Shows in December doesn't do them any favors.

Here are a few more matches added:

Evolve 25

- Caleb Konley vs. Jon Davis
- Chuck Taylor vs. Lince Dorado

Evolve 26

- Open The United Gate Title - The Bravados vs. Los Ben Dejos

[DXvsNWO1994]

It was just announced that WWNLive will be upgrading, and that from here on out, all Dragon Gate USA/Evolve/Shine/FIP iPPVs and DVD's will be in HD Widescreen, starting with the Evolve Shows this weekend. Also, all three shows this weekend will be iPPV's.

Here are also two more matches added to Evolve 26:

- SHINE Showcase Match - Su Yung vs.Mia Yim
- Special Challenge Match - Caleb Konley vs. Lince Dorado

[DXvsNWO1994]

Three more matches for Evolve 27:

Young Bucks vs. Bravado Brothers Single Challenge Match #1
Matt Jackson vs. Harlem Bravado

Young Bucks vs. Bravado Brothers Single Challenge Match #2
Nick Jackson vs. Lance Bravado

FIP Showcase Match - Six Way Freestyle
Trent Baretta vs. Caleb Konley vs. Jay Rios vs. Eddie Cruz vs. Jonny Vandal vs. Maxwell Chicago

[DXvsNWO1994]

Here's what Gabe & WWN had to say about the WWE Network:

Everyone is talking about the WWE Network, and rightfully so. It is an out-of-the-box, game changer. WWE is basically sacrificing it's DVD and PPV revenue in an effort to gain leverage to negotiate sky high TV rights. They believe their future business model will depend on TV right fees and not the traditional DVD/PPV market. They might be right, this might backfire on them, but either way this is the gutsiest thing they have done since the late 90s and the biggest game changer since Vince McMahon wiped out the territories and went national in the 80s.

So where does this leave independent wrestling?

Promotions like Dragon Gate USA, EVOLVE, SHINE and Full Impact Pro are as mom-and-pop as it gets. WWE is Walmart. The WWNLive Family are the neighborhood grocery store that prides itself on delivering the highest quality and more personal service while adding to the community.

We are dependent on your DVD, iPPV and ticket sales. There will never be a huge TV deal in our future. You can see what happens when networks get involved. Then we wouldn't be who we are. So we are not in a position to take the gamble WWE is sucking us all into with the WWE Network.

Just like Walmart did to the mom-and-pop, WWE is giving you a product at a price that the small guy can't compete with. WWE's goal is to use all this content for $10 a month to bump up the subscribers and then leverage that into more TV fees. In the process, they are lowering the price expectations consumers have for DVDs, PPV and iPPV, similar to what Walmart did for a loaf of bread.

Now we can whine and cry, beg for your business cause we "deserve" it because we bring you good wrestling, or we can do something about it. We can get fired up and figure out ways to produce a more interesting, exciting and creative product to you. This is our attitude going into EVOLVE tonight, tomorrow and Sunday nights.

Whether we like it or not, WWE just aggressively changed the game. They are taking a major risk and doing it balls-to-the-wall. We must adapt to keep your support and interest.

Evolve or die.

[DXvsNWO1994]

If anyone's wondering, I saw Evolve 25 last night on iPPV, and I gotta say it was a really great show. Even though the show only had five matches (due to Strong being pulled b/c of his injury), I think that helped because the matches were able to get more time (especially the Baretta/Nese FIP Title Match). Every match is good to really great and I would definitely go out of your way to check this out on VOD. The new HD iPPV looked pretty good as well. The picture was very clear and their were only very minor streaming issues on my end.

[Nigel LikesGuinness]

Picture was excellent on the IPPV, great job to evolve. Good show for sure

[DXvsNWO1994]

Picture was excellent on the IPPV, great job to evolve. Good show for sure

What would you say was Match of the Night? I'd say it's a tossup between Hero/Ricochet & Richards/Fox.

[AmericanDolphin_3]

Last night's show was awesome. The steam, the match quality, and the return of #DickHeadDavey made it such an awesome show.

Dorado was totally out of place in the FRAY!, though. His cat shit was just weird and he was didn't look good in the slightest.

[Ladrao12]

Great shows all weekend, though I missed 26, but luckily got the VODs, so i'll catch 26 some time this week.

From 25 and 27 though, great stuff to highlight:

Nese and Barettas opener of 25 was great, certainly got the crowd into the show early on. And of course, Baretta joining the Premiere Athlete brand is certainly a good pairing, that should lend itself to some great tag matches soon.

Uhaa Nation getting a title shot is certainly something note, and he had a great match at 27. I feel like he gets overlooked a bit, and i'm glad he got that shot, even if it is was sure going to be a loss.

Hero running the gaunlet was great, though I haven't seen the match with Nese yet. The Ricochet match showed his brawling side and Taylor match showed a little more chain wrestling, and both were fun matches to watch.

I'm on the Bravado Bandwagon, have been for years, so it's great to see them have the belts for DGUSA and in a primary feud with the Bucks. They did well in the 6 man tag for 25, and their impromptu brawl with the Bucks was OK, but certainly dominated by the Bucks, and it felt kind of awkward to watch, didn't expect it to go on for so long.

I guess i've got more to say, but I want to watch 26 before I do. It looks like 26 had the biggest crowd of the 3 nights.

[AndyDiaz]

Just finished 25 and I gotta say, it was really good!

Trent vs. Nese was stellar.
Ricochet vs. Hero was awesome.
The Fray was really good and action packed.
6-Way was very good. Gargano is great.
Fox vs. Davey was really good. Dickhead Davey was awesome too. Him spitting on the EVOLVE title was great. Makes me think there might be something else their building towards, depending on Davey's situation.

[ashleyshafferbmw]

I went to both Tampa and the Orlando show. Evan Bourne was there during the first night watching the show and drinking at the bar. I was able to take a shot with Strong at the bar which was pretty cool. The crowd in Orlando wasn't as good as night one, but Xavier Wood along with another NXT guy were there. I was also kind of bummed that Chuck Taylor was Roddy's fill in, for some reason I thought it would be Davey. Every match on Friday night killed it though. Oh yeah Lethal was in Tampa selling the bucks merch during the show.

[DXvsNWO1994]

Two matches have been signed for Way of the Ronin 2014 in Brooklyn, New York on February 23rd:

- Open The Freedom Gate Title - Johnny Gargano vs. Roderick Strong
- Evolve Title - AR Fox vs. Chris Hero

Other talents signed for REVOLT! & Way of the Ronin on February 22nd & 23rd include:

-Rich Swann
-Trent Baretta & Anthony Nese of The Premier Athlete Brand
-Open The United Gate Champions The Bravado Brothers
-2013 Style Battle Winner Drew Gulak
-Chuck Taylor
-Jigsaw
-Caleb Konley
-Shane Strickland
-Biff Busick
-Plus many more to be added including stars from Dragon Gate!!!

[DXvsNWO1994]

Forgot to mention that I believe Chris Hero vs. Trent Baretta and Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano have been announced for the WrestleMania Weekend Shows.

[JustSkiff]

Glad to see Busick and Strickland getting more bookings.

[isles11]

- Open The Freedom Gate Title - Johnny Gargano vs. Roderick Strong
- Evolve Title - AR Fox vs. Chris Hero

Sweet.

[DXvsNWO1994]

Fire Ant vs. Jigsaw in a Grudge Match has been added to Way of the Ronin 2014 in Brooklyn, NY. I'm already sold on this show. Three matches that I'm really looking forward to.