Evolve 131 10th Anniversary Special Results: Paul Heyman surprises Evolve during title match, Akira Tozawa goes toe-to-toe with Adam Cole
Tonight, the Evolve team got to put on a showcase for all of the members of the WWE Universe, giving us three incredible hours of nonstop action. The Evolve Tag Team Titles were on the line, as the Skulk challenged the Unwanted. Evolve Champion Austin Theory and WWN Champion JD Drake fought each other in a brutal war to unify the titles. Finally, the main event featured the NXT Champion Adam Cole defending his title against the Stamina Monster himself, Akira Tozawa.
Evolve kicked off with several of their stars who had moved onto the WWE over the years. Daniel Bryan, Tony Nese, Drew McIntyre, Richochet, Cesaro, Aleister Black, and more revealed just how important the company was for them, and why without them, they may not be where they are today.
Lenny Leonard stood in the ring with several of the company's top talents, including big Josh Briggs. Leonard thanked the fans for tuning in and kicked off the show rather quickly.
Following a small brawl, Briggs was the last man left in the ring, taking the mic from the ring announcer. Briggs said that tonight is about opportunity, and tonight he'll be taking it. He and his opponent Anthony Greene started off the night.
Josh Briggs vs Anthony Greene w/ Brandi Lauren
Briggs caught Greene rushing in, tossing him into the corner and back across the ring. Greene tried to put some space between them, getting to the apron, but Briggs brought him over with a backbreaker. Greene managed to take Briggs down with a hurricanrana, but the former offensive lineman got right back to his feet, bringing him down with another backbreaker, followed by a mat slam and jumping splash.
Anthony Greene kicked out of the pin attempt, rolling to the apron before Briggs could catch him with a chokeslam. Brandi Lauren held onto him as he tried to get back inside, allowing Greene to damage his leg. A dragon whip left Greene hurt, but after he was knocked off the apron, he caught Greene who launched himself into Briggs via suicide dive. Briggs dropped him on the apron with a chokeslam.
Back on the apron, Lauren distracted Briggs, allowing Retro AG to superkick him and spike him head first thanks to a leaping cutter from the turnbuckle. As Briggs was sent inside, Greene leaped onto him with a rope-walking leaping crossbody. Briggs kicked out.
In the corner, Briggs countered an Irish whip, but a snapmare from Greene sent him into the middle turnbuckle. Greene then went to work on his lower body, targetting Briggs' hip that kept him out of action for some time.
Lauren punched Briggs in the jaw as Greene distracted the referee, and he brought the big man down with a nasty neckbreaker. He brought Briggs up to his feet as the crowd chanted "Retro Sucks" and the distraction allowed Briggs to counter a suplex with a release suplex. A running clothesline nearly turned Greene inside out and sent him into the corner.
However, as he rushed in, Greene stuffed him with another superkick. Briggs shook it off quickly, and a series of running boots in the corner left Greene in a serious daze. A pair of backbreakers nearly gave Briggs the win, but Greene kicked out again.
Greene was rocked by another big boot, and a spinning inverted powerslam nearly brought him through the ring. Still, AG kicked out. Greene got some offense in again, but the series of kicks he delivered only seemed to anger Briggs. Another enziguri did the trick, though, and a back suplex driver took him down for another pinfall. Briggs kicked out, ony for Greene to transition to the single leg Boston crab.
Briggs made it to the ropes, forcing the break. Greene set up for the 450 Splash, and Briggs launched him into the turnbuckle. Greene countered with another enziguri, and took him down with a schoolboy into the bottom turnbuckle. Greene ascended the ropes again, where Briggs met him at the top.
Brandi Lauren tried to interfere, forcing the referee to send her to the back. Greene took Briggs to the mat with a super victory roll. When it didn't finish him off, a series of superkicks rocked Briggs. Still, he countered the third one, and hit a dominant Go to Hell spinout knee strike. The M6 put Greene away.
Results: Josh Briggs defeated Anthony Greene via pinfall.
A short recap of Evolve 130 saw the Unwanted cut a promo on Leon Ruff and AR Fox. Eddie Kingston said that they worked too hard to get beaten on the WWE Network by those two. Cruiserweight Classic competitor Sean Maluta has also joined the group.