Evolve 131
| Evolve 131 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuring various Evolve and WWE wrestlers | |||
| Promotion | Evolve | ||
| Date | July 13, 2019 | ||
| City | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||
| Venue | 2300 Arena | ||
| WWE Network event chronology | |||
| |||
| Evolve chronology | |||
| |||
Evolve 131,[1] also known as Evolve's 10th Anniversary Celebration,[2] is an upcoming professional wrestling event produced by the American promotion Evolve in partnership with WWE. The event is scheduled to air on the WWE Network, making it the first Evolve show and the first independent wrestling show to broadcast live on the platform.[3] It will take place on July 13, 2019, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] The show will feature current Evolve wrestlers and alumni, and wrestlers from WWE's NXT and 205 Live brands.
Production
Background
In October 2008, Gabe Sapolsky, long-time booker of Ring of Honor, was released from the promotion.[4] In 2009, Sapolsky founded Dragon Gate USA, with the group holding its inaugural event on July 25 of that year.[5] The following year, Sapolsky founded Dragon Gate USA's sister group, Evolve.
In 2015, WWE entered into a partnership with Evolve, with the smaller promotion being used as a scouting group for WWE's developmental brands.[6] In 2017, WWE began exploring deals that would see content from independent wrestling promotions air on their WWE Network streaming service.[7]
Over two years later, WWE announced that Evolve's 10th Anniversary Celebration, an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of Dragon Gate USA's founding, would air live on the WWE Network on July 13, 2019. This will mark the first Evolve event and the first independent wrestling event to air on the WWE Network.[2]
Storylines
The card composed of matches resulting from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT and 205 Live brands.[8] Storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television programs, NXT and 205 Live, and on Evolve events.[9][10]
On June 26, it was announced that Adam Cole would defend the NXT Championship against Akira Tozawa, a wrestler dubbed the "Dragon Gate USA MVP" by WWNLive.com.[11] It was also announced on June 26 that WWE Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak would face former Evolve Champion and current NXT wrestler Matt Riddle in a non-title match.[3] The two wrestlers had previously been a part of the Catch Point stable during their tenures in Evolve.[3]
On July 2, it was announced that JD Drake would face Austin Theory in a Winner Takes All match for both the WWN and Evolve Championships.[12] Additionally it was announced that Eddie Kingston and Joe Gacy would defend the Evolve Tag Team Championship against AR Fox and Leon Ruff.[12]
Matches
| No. | Matches* | Stipulations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Briggs defeated Anthony Greene | Singles match The Future Is Now Showcase match[1] | ||||
| 2 | Stephen Wolf defeated Curt Stallion, Sean Maluta, and Harlem Bravado | Fatal Four-Way match[12] | ||||
| 3 | Anthony Henry vs. Arturo Ruas | Grudge match[12] | ||||
| 4 | Adam Cole (c) vs. Akira Tozawa | Singles match for the NXT Championship[2] | ||||
| 5 | Drew Gulak vs. Matt Riddle | Singles match Catch Point Reunion match[1] | ||||
| 6 | JD Drake (c – WWN) vs. Austin Theory (c – Evolve) | Winner Takes All match for both the WWN Championship and Evolve Championship[12] | ||||
| 7 | Babatunde vs. Colby Corino | Singles match Special Challenge match[12] | ||||
| 8 | Eddie Kingston and Joe Gacy (c) vs. AR Fox and Leon Ruff (with Ayla and The Skulk) | Tag team match for the Evolve Tag Team Championship[12] | ||||
| 9 | Brandi Lauren vs. Shotzi Blackheart | Singles match[13] | ||||
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See also
References
- ^ a b c d "EVOLVE 131 – JULY 13TH – PHILADELPHIA, PA". WWNLive. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c "EVOLVE's 10th Anniversary special to stream live on WWE Network". WWE. June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c Johnson, Mike (June 26, 2019). "EVOLVE 10th ANNIVERSARY EVENT IN PHILADELPHIA TO AIR LIVE ON THE WWE NETWORK". PWInsider. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- ^ "MORE DETAILS ON GABE SAPOLSKY'S DEPARTURE FROM ROH". PWInsider. October 27, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- ^ Caldwell, Jaspn (2009-06-17). "DGUSA News: Dragon Gate USA announces PPV distribution deal with ROH's previous distributor". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
- ^ "411Mania – WWE/WWN Live Partnership Boosing EVOLVE Seminar Numbers, More". Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "A Much-Beloved U.K. Indie Wrestling Promotion May Head To WWE Network". January 17, 2017. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Triple H Conference Call Report: Discusses 205 Live, NXT Takeover: Toronto, Says HBK Working at the Performance Center and More - 411MANIA". 411mania.com.
- ^ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Akira Tozawa Signed For Special Appearance". WWNLive. June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "EVOLVE's 10th Anniversary Celebration match lineup revealed". WWE. July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ "BREAKING NEWS.... You voted yes with a resounding 89% of the vote! Shotzi Blackheart vs. Brandi Lauren has been added to this Saturday's EVOLVE 10th Anniversary Celebration from Philadelphia live on the WWE Network! Blackheart is also added to #EVOLVE132 this Sunday in MA!". EVOLVE Wrestling on Twitter. July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.