EVOLVE sees changes & updates

[GrammarNazi82]

The tournament on April 5th to crown the first EVOLVE Champion at WrestleCon will be the start of a new chapter for EVOLVE. Officials have taken this as an opportunity to take an honest look at EVOLVE and decide what is working and what needs adjustments. We have broken everything down into bullet points for you:

- EVOLVE will abandon the Records and Leaderboard concept after April 5th. Here is a statement from EVOLVE Booker Gabe Sapolsky about the change:

"We believe the Records concept can work under the right conditions, but we were never able to get those conditions. We would need monthly shows with a set talent roster to really showcase the strength and importance of keeping Records. If we are able to get a consistent schedule and roster like this one day, we will look at putting all the importance on Records again. The original idea was to give the Leaderboard the same importance as championships. Let's face it, the leaderboard never caught on like that. Now that we are crowning a champion, we have a title holder to base everything around. We will still keep the sports feel of EVOLVE, but now everything will be centered around the champion."

- For those of you that followed the EVOLVE Records, there will be a payoff. The blowoff to the concept will be the seeding of the EVOLVE Title Tournament on April 5th. Those with the best Records will be rewarded with an easier path to the title.

- EVOLVE will still put heavy emphasis on wins and losses. There are different ideas being discussed now on how to do this.

- The theme of EVOLVE will be the promotion for wrestlers who wish to evolve professional wrestling. We will expand on this soon.

- EVOLVE will still put all the emphasis on in ring action. This means that EVOLVE will still follow the inherent rules of sportsmanship. If it would get someone suspended, fined or banned in boxing or MMA, it will do the same in EVOLVE. This includes physical contact before and after the bell, physical contact with officials and interference.

- EVOLVE will award a competitor their own entrance music when they become established on the EVOLVE roster or if they come into EVOLVE with a prestigious resume.

- Basically, EVOLVE will still put all the emphasis on furthering the sport of pro wrestling, but now instead of all the emphasis being on Records it will be on the EVOLVE Championship.

We appreciate your support. The Records concept was very important to the first 18 EVOLVE cards. It all leads to the EVOLVE Title Tournament where Records will determine the seeding. This will be the blowoff to the Records concept. The top three seeds in the EVOLVE Title Tournament on April 5th are:

#1 Seed (1st round bye): Chuck Taylor (10-5)
#2 Seed (1st round bye): Ricochet (5-2)
#3 Seed: AR Fox (7-6)

We can confirm some matches for the EVOLVE Title Tournament. In the first bracket, AR Fox will face the #4 seed (to be announced next week) in a first round match. The winner of that match will then wrestle Ricochet. The winner of that bout will then go to the finals.

The second bracket will have a Four Way Freestyle as the first round match. Samuray Del Sol (2-3) and Sami Callihan (3-7) are the first two entrants in that bout (the complete match will be announced next week). The winner of that match will then fight Chuck Taylor. The winner of that contest will go to the finals.

We can also confirm that there will be non-tournament action with The Young Bucks, The Super Smash Brothers, Uhaa Nation and many others to be signed on the April 5th EVOLVE card. We will have much more info next week.

This should be interesting to see how it all pans out. Looking forward to learning more about the upcoming matches next week and any other changes they may have in store.

 

[Stopspot]

This sounds awesome.

 

[GrammarNazi82]

This sounds awesome.

Agreed. It seems like they're handling it properly and heading in the right direction. Should bring about some positive changes. I love that they actually sat down to review and discuss the overall product and ways to make it better -- figuring out what works and what doesn't, etc. Good on them.

 

[Stopspot]

Agreed. It seems like they're handling it properly and heading in the right direction. Should bring about some positive changes. I love that they actually sat down to review and discuss the overall product and ways to make it better -- figuring out what works and what doesn't, etc. Good on them.

I watched the entire feedback process on twitter when it happened. Was very interesting.

If Evolve can build a stable roster (which they seem) and if they could start running monthly shows I could see them overtake ROH in the future if all goes well.

 

[GrammarNazi82]

I watched the entire feedback process on twitter when it happened. Was very interesting.

If Evolve can build a stable roster (which they seem) and if they could start running monthly shows I could see them overtake ROH in the future if all goes well.

I missed that, but I bet it would have been cool to watch as it unfolded.

I do think they're headed in a great direction, and if they continue the way they are then I agree they'll be a big contender.

 

[Stopspot]

I missed that, but I bet it would have been cool to watch as it unfolded.

I do think they're headed in a great direction, and if they continue the way they are then I agree they'll be a big contender.

Totally. They have guys like Callihan, Low Ki, Gargano, Taylor, Del Sol and Ricochet right now and even if Callihan and Del Sol end up being WWE bound they will do well. Plus with Evolve being the American roster of DGUSA they can throw in some of Japans greatest when given the chance. I can also see a couple of ROH guys jumping ship in the future perhaps to work under Gabe again.