EVOLVE Professional Wrestling in Orlando Thursday & The Central Florida Professional Wrestling Scene
By Nicholas Ware
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EVOLVE Pro Wrestling, a sister organization of international independent pro wrestling powerhouse Dragon Gate USA, is holding its first Orlando event tomorrow at 7:30pm at the Orlando Armory. Both EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA have been heavily involved in putting on events in Florida, notably at The Orpheum in Ybor City, and are finally headed more inland. The Orlando debut, EVOLVE 20, features a main event title match for the top strap in the organization between champion AR Fox and Nick Jackson of tag team The Young Bucks (who have previously wrestled in nationally-televised Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Generation Me) as well as a co-main event non-title match of Johnny Gargano (current Dragon Gate USA Open The Freedom Gate Champion) against the other Young Buck, Matt Jackson. The Young Bucks are the current Open the United Gate Champions. CHAMPIONS UPON CHAMPIONS! Gargano last appeared in an Orlando ring at the Chikara Pro Wrestling event held in March at the Orlando Downtown Rec Center.
Florida has long been strongly associated with top-level national professional wrestling organizations. Historically, a large number of wrestlers, including the legendary Hulk Hogan, have called Tampa, FL home. This is due to plentiful reasonably-priced national and international flights out of Tampa as well as Florida's generous state income tax laws (which also attract a large number of golfers to the state). World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE's) "minor league" developmental organization, NXT, is currently housed in Tampa (where it was previously known as Florida Championship Wrestling), but will be moving to a brand-new Orlando training and production facility within the next couple months. The brand has been taping, and will continue to tape, its weekly HuluPlus TV show at Full Sail's Full Sail Live venue. These tapings occur once a month on a Thursday, with the next being June 20th. While Orlando did lose the regular TNA tapings that were held at Universal Studios earlier this year when TNA decided to take their show on the road, the city is still a hotbed for professional wrestling talent and events and should continue to be s0.
Additionally, there are two Central Florida wrestling schools. I Believe In Wrestling runs regular shows featuring their students, usually at their training center. Team 3D, who have previously wrestling in ECW and WWE as The Dudley Boys and currently both hold singles titles in TNA, own and operate the Team 3D Academy in Kissimmee.
Many EVOLVE wrestlers have made their way to the national promotions, TNA Wrestling and WWE. Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion and Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan wrestled for EVOLVE, as did NXT wrestler Sami Zayn (as El Generico). Recent featured EVOLVE wrestler Sami Callahan signed a contract with WWE/NXT just this past week and Samuray Del Sol, advertised for Thursday's EVOLVE show, is rumored to join him. Tomorrow's EVOLVE show might be a chance to see the next Stone Cold, The Rock, or even better, the current acrobatic performance art of AR Fox, Johnny Gargano, and the Young Bucks. Having seen video footage of all of them, as well as seeing Gargano live, I can assure you that all four are certain to bring some spectacular simulated combat storytelling and stunt-work to any audience receptive enough to enjoy it.
EVOLVE 20 will be held at the Orlando Armory (2809 S. Ferncreek Ave.) on May 30th. Bell time is 7:30pm. Tickets are available online or, presumably, at the door. $20 for general admission, $35 for reserved ringside seating.
EVOLVE Pro Wrestling, a sister organization of international independent pro wrestling powerhouse Dragon Gate USA, is holding its first Orlando event tomorrow at 7:30pm at the Orlando Armory. Both EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA have been heavily involved in putting on events in Florida, notably at The Orpheum in Ybor City, and are finally headed more inland. The Orlando debut, EVOLVE 20, features a main event title match for the top strap in the organization between champion AR Fox and Nick Jackson of tag team The Young Bucks (who have previously wrestled in nationally-televised Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Generation Me) as well as a co-main event non-title match of Johnny Gargano (current Dragon Gate USA Open The Freedom Gate Champion) against the other Young Buck, Matt Jackson. The Young Bucks are the current Open the United Gate Champions. CHAMPIONS UPON CHAMPIONS! Gargano last appeared in an Orlando ring at the Chikara Pro Wrestling event held in March at the Orlando Downtown Rec Center.
Additionally, there are two Central Florida wrestling schools. I Believe In Wrestling runs regular shows featuring their students, usually at their training center. Team 3D, who have previously wrestling in ECW and WWE as The Dudley Boys and currently both hold singles titles in TNA, own and operate the Team 3D Academy in Kissimmee.
Many EVOLVE wrestlers have made their way to the national promotions, TNA Wrestling and WWE. Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion and Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan wrestled for EVOLVE, as did NXT wrestler Sami Zayn (as El Generico). Recent featured EVOLVE wrestler Sami Callahan signed a contract with WWE/NXT just this past week and Samuray Del Sol, advertised for Thursday's EVOLVE show, is rumored to join him. Tomorrow's EVOLVE show might be a chance to see the next Stone Cold, The Rock, or even better, the current acrobatic performance art of AR Fox, Johnny Gargano, and the Young Bucks. Having seen video footage of all of them, as well as seeing Gargano live, I can assure you that all four are certain to bring some spectacular simulated combat storytelling and stunt-work to any audience receptive enough to enjoy it.
EVOLVE 20 will be held at the Orlando Armory (2809 S. Ferncreek Ave.) on May 30th. Bell time is 7:30pm. Tickets are available online or, presumably, at the door. $20 for general admission, $35 for reserved ringside seating.
