There is an absolutely stupid amount of top notch pro wrestling outside of SummerSlam going on this weekend. It’s to the point where if you do not devote the vast majority of your weekend to watching wrestling, you’re almost guaranteed to miss something great. So, let’s start from the top:
Friday, August 19th:
EVOLVE 66: Joppa MD
8pm EST | Order the iPPV ($9.95-$14.95)
EVOLVE has been on fire for some time now, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be cooling off anytime soon, based on how this card looks on paper:
EVOLVE Championship Match (No Holds Barred): Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Matt Riddle
This should be a great match as Matt Riddle is incredible for his experience level. This could also make things extra interesting for PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles, which begins on September 2nd, if Matt Riddle enters the tournament as EVOLVE Champion.
Cody Rhodes vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
This is Rhodes’ first match after requesting his release from WWE, and it’s is a big one, against a top quality opponent. He’s expressed in interviews that he feels he needs to prove himself outside of WWE, and Zack Sabre Jr. is an excellent starting point.
TJ Perkins vs. Cedric Alexander / Drew Gulak vs. Tony Nese
Both of these matches feature guys have looked great in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic. Cedric Alexander in particular had an amazing performance, with an equally compelling post show moment with the crowd chanting for him to be signed and Triple H coming out to acknowledge the chants and Cedric himself.
Other Announced Matches:
Drew Gulak vs. Tony Nese
TJ Perkins vs. Cedric Alexander
DUSTIN vs. Ethan Page
Tracy Williams & Fred Yehi vs. Jigsaw & Peter Kaasa
ROH: Death Before Dishonor XIV
9pm EST | Order the iPPV ($34.95)
Mini Rant: $34.95 for an iPPV/PPV is an extremely tough sell right now. Especially when NJPWWorld offers many of these same talents for less than $10.00 and that’s usually good for several events a month. I do hope the situation becomes such that ROH can be a lot more competitive on pricing in the near future. We’re unable to offer a detailed preview for the show because we don’t currently have a Sinclair affiliate in Albuquerque and I’ve had issues trying to watch the show online as of late. Still, there’s a lot of great talent on the show!
ROH World Title: Jay Lethal (c) vs. Adam Cole
ROH Television Title: Bobby Fish (c) vs. Mark Briscoe
ROH Tag Team Title Triple Threat: The Addiction (c) vs. Naito/Evil vs. Tanahashi/Elgin vs. Kazuchika Okada vs. Dalton Castle (w/ The Boys)
Other Announced Matches:
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Silas Young
Roppongi Vice/Toru Yano vs. Guerillas of Destiny/Yujiro Takahashi
Jay Briscoe vs. Hangman Page
TV Title Contender’s 4-Way: Lio Rush vs. Jay White vs. Donovan Dijak vs. Kamaitachi
Saturday August 20th
NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II
8pm EST | Order WWE Network
NXT Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
There’s a reason people are excited for this one. It has all the makings of an absolute war. It’s the kind of match that fans daydream about, wondering what we’ll see. This could be the match of the weekend.
NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka (c) vs. Bayley
Again, the potential is here for this to be the match of the weekend. Asuka is a killer. Bayley is the sympathetic underdog with heart to spare. It’s the perfect dynamic to have in place for a great wrestling story, no matter who wins.
NXT Tag Team Championship: The Revival (c) vs. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa
The Revival are awesome. Gargano and Ciampa are awesome, as that fantastic match the two had against each other in the Cruiserweight Classic proves. This has all the makings of being another excellent match.
Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay
This match is of special interest because Ember Moon (formerly Athena), comes in with a lot of hype from fans who’ve seen her on independent shows. Having not had a chance to see a lot of her yet, we’re very excited to see more exciting talent enter the Women’s Division.
Other Announced Matches:
Andrade Almas vs. Bobby Roode
No Way Jose vs. Austin Aries
EVOLVE 67: Brooklyn, NY
3pm EST | Order the iPPV
EVOLVE Championship Match (if Thatcher Is Still Champion)
Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Drew Gulak
There seem to be some diverse opinions on Thatcher as champion, though from our perspective he’s been a joy to watch. There are some question here: if Thatcher loses the title to Riddle on Friday, this is no longer a title match. Does that mean Riddle vs. End become the main event? Would this match still go on last? Either way, this should be great.
Cody Rhodes vs. Chris Hero
Chris Hero has a case for being the best wrestler of 2016. Cody, as mentioned earlier, is looking to prove he’s so much more than WWE allowed him to be. If Cody’s right, this could be the sleeper match of the weekend.
Drew Galloway, Ethan Carter III & DUSTIN vs. Tracy Williams, Fred Yehi & TJ Perkins w/ Stokely Hathaway
A continuation of one of the more interesting feuds in wrestling, as it’s coyly been played as a proxy TNA vs. WWE feud. It’s never explicitly stated, but it’s TNA guys wrestling in a company WWE has a working relationship with, and TJP is still a part of WWE’s CWC.
Tommy End vs. Matt Riddle
As mentioned above, the nature of this match might change, because if Riddle wins the title, this could become a title match. Tommy End is a top caliber wrestler, and there’s no reason to believe this won’t be awesome.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Cedric Alexander
Another potentially awesome match, with the story likely being ZSJ trying to ground and grapple and Cedric trying to fly and strike.
Tony Nese vs. Peter Kaasa
Even if this might just end up being the opener, this should be a fun match. Nese is great and Kaasa has been spending a lot of time in Dragon Gate, which has gotten some renewed buzz around his name.
ROH TV Taping: Las Vegas, NV
Live Event Only
The Briscoes vs. Lio Rush & Jay White
RPG & Toru Yano (CHAOS) vs. The Addiction & Kamaitachi
Nothing else announced at this point, but we should probably be on the lookout for some fun matches involving the NJPW wrestlers coming out of these tapings.
Goddamn, that’s a lot of good wrestling!
Click here to check out our preview of SummerSlam!
Written by Daniel Jackson