By Cam Cunningham

 

 

 

   The Future Hall of Famers took the ring as the show began, and co-commissioner Shawn McHale promised that the secret member of the group that will be revealed at Evolution would capture the IZW Championship in the main event triple threat match. Jordan Jacobs and IZW Champion Double D each came to ring to rebuke McHale, each promising to walk out of Evolution with the title. A frustrated McHale responded by placing each man in a singles match with one half of the IZW Tag Team Champion Diamond Dogs, with Jacobs taking on Graham Bell immediately.

 

 

   This match was a fast-paced, back-and-forth affair, fitting for two former Impact Players of the Year. Jacobs controlled the early portion of the bout, hitting his signature Tentalizer despite Bell’s evasive efforts. A Gatsuga uppercut from Bell slowed Jacobs briefly, but Jacobs came back with a Space Jam. A second attempt was thwarted, and Bell regained control with a devastating German suplex. A desperate Jacobs countered an Irish whip with a leaping kick off the turnbuckles, then proceeded to hit several kicks and the Countdown Knees. Bell cut the 2016 Impact Player of the Year as he ascended for the Lightswitch, but a subsequent avalanche hurricanrana was blocked, resulting in the Diamond Dog crashing painfully to the mat. Jacobs regained his footing on the top rope and connected with the Lightswitch for the victory.

 

 

   Aaron Neil addressed the IZW World in a selfie promo, seeking revenge against Kevin Morgan and co-commissioner Jeff Wolfenbarger, calling them part of a conspiracy to take Neil’s Impact Division Championship. Neil then ambushed Morgan as he entered the building, smashing a prone Morgan’s face with a steel chair. Morgan was rushed to a local medical facility, while Neil gloated to his handheld camera.

 

 

   “The Rightful Queen” issued a challenge for Skylar Slice’s newly created IZW Women’s Championship. Slice responded, but Killista quickly inserted herself into the mix, citing the dubious circumstances of her loss to Slice the prior week. Before Slice could respond, a returning Athena hit the ring, and the lunatic quickly incited brawling between all four women. Shawn McHale appeared on the stage, and made a pair of women’s matches for Evolution, Slice vs Erica for the title, and Killista vs Athena.

 

 

   Erica and Killista teamed against Slice and Athena in a tag team contest. Killista and Erica isolated Slice early, both employing frankensteiners to take the Dominant One off her feet. Nathan Estrada, accompanying Slice at ringside, provided a key distraction by tripping Killista from the outside. Athena and Killistatagged frequently, using multiple power moves to brutalize Killista. Slice went for the kill with the Back Slice, but Killista slipped out and hit a bicycle kick and both women collapsed. Erican and Athena were tagged in simultaneously, and Erica took the fight to Athena. Slice blocked Erica’s attempt at Sliced Bread #2, and seemed in control before an unknown female competitor ran down the ramp to prevent Estrada from giving Slice the title belt. The distraction allowed Erica and Killista to hit a combination Big Boot/Zig Zag to Slice for the win.

 

 

   In a battle of champions, IZW Champion Double D took on IZW Tag Team Champion Luke Langley. Despite Langley’s best efforts to slow D’s momentum, the Captain of the Force eventually stuck with his signature Force Chops. A desperate Langley viciously capitalized on a small opportunity as D jumped to the second rope, shoving the IZW Champion over the top rope and tumbling to the floor. While D was able to mount several comeback attempts, Langley maintained control with timely, well placed strikes. D avoided a corner dropkick, then proceeded to pummel Langley with a flurry of knees and kicks, Langley countered a D-Facer attempt with a short-arm knee strike that appeared to knock D out, but the IZW Champion kicked out by the slimmest of margins.. An incredulous Langley took too much time going for a top rope double stomp, allowing D to evade the attack, spring to the top rope and connect with the Air Force Crossbody to keep the Future Hall of Famers winless for the evening.

 

 

   The runt of the Future Hall of Famer, “Spanish Fly” Nathan Estrada took the ring and demanded respect from the IZW World. He called out Johnny Z and chastised him for previously delivering multiple Big Boots in the Corner to a helpless Estrada. Estrada demanded an immediate match, which the Natural Born LEader happily accepted.

 

 

   Estrada actually proved quite competitive with the owner of IZW, despite Z brutalizing him inside and outside the ring at the beginning of the match. When Z went for his signature diving bulldog, Estrada used his prodigious afro to headbutt his more experienced foe in midair. Estrada used cheating tactics to maintain control for several minutes, but Z would not be denied and eventually connected with the floatover DDT. As Z prepared to apply his boot to Estrada’s face, the Diamond Dogs hit the ring and assaulted the Natural Born Leader, resulting in a disqualification. Fortunately for Z, the calvary quickly arrived in the form of Nemesis, who quickly dispatched the IZW Tag Team Champions. A recovering Z demanded an immediate six-man tag match.

 

 

   The fan favorites easily controlled the early portion of the match, as Nemesis were the only competitors who had not already wrestled earlier in the evening. The Future Hall of Famers eventually were able to isolate Rage Logan, goading Damien Morte into the ring with cheating tactics and exploiting the blind spots of referee Paul Shoemaker. After several minutes of punishment, Logann was able to counter Estrada and hit a brainbuster. Logan tagged in Morte, while Langley and Bell dropped from the apron, leaving Estrada to fend for himself. The Dogs eventually slid in to break up a cover after a Morte DDT, but quickly found themselves thrown from the ring by Morte and Z. Z took to the air and dove over the top rope onto all of the Future Hall of Famers. The Natural Born Leader rolled Estrada into the ring and hit the Big Boot in the Corner, allowing Nemesis to connect with London Bridge and earn an academic pinfall.

 

 

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