EVOLVE Wrestling provided the following NXT related updates in the latest WWN Newsletter:
Happy New Year! We are ready to start 2020. We will make it bigger and better for you. It starts with the all-star roster of NXT Superstars for Meet & Greets this month in Florida. Let’s get to it…
Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly Return: We’ve heard the fans in Florida ask for the return of EVOLVE. We’ve heard the demands for Meet & Greets with NXT Superstars. EVOLVE will deliver on January 17th in Ybor City, FL and January 18th in Orlando, FL. NXT Champion Adam Cole will be at both events for picture and autograph opportunities. We also have breaking news that Kyle O’Reilly will join fellow Undisputed Era members Roderick Strong and Cole on January 18th in Orlando. Here are the current list confirmed for Meet & Greets:
EVOLVE 143 In Ybor City, FL
-NXT Champion Adam Cole
-NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong
-Dominik Dijakovic
EVOLVE 144 in Orlando, FL
-NXT Champion Adam Cole
-NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong
-NXT Tag Team Champion Kyle O’Reilly
-NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley
-Johnny Gargano
-Candice LaRea
-Dominik Dijakovic
-Cameron Grimes
The Meet & Greets will take place before the EVOLVE events each night. You must have a ticket to the EVOLVE event to take part in the Meet & Greets. Tickets start at just $15 at Etix.com. Meet & Greet pricing will be available soon in the WWNLive.com Shop.
EVOLVE Year-End Awards: 2019 was a great year for EVOLVE with a new yearly attendance record, great matches and unforgettable moments. You voted on the best of 2019 and now we have the results, plus the MVP of 2019 as determined by EVOLVE officials. Thank you to everyone who voted. Here we go:
Wrestler Of The Year
Winner: Austin Theory
Austin Theory ran away with this category with 63.1% of the vote. Theory was EVOLVE Champion for most of the year, including after signing with WWE and reporting to the WWE Performance Center. Thank you for all your contributions to EVOLVE, Austin Theory!
Tag Team Of The Year
Winners: AR Fox & Leon Ruff
Fox & Ruff got 37.2% of the vote to edge out current WWE Raw Superstars The Street Profits. Fox & Ruff won the EVOLVE Tag Team Titles on the WWE Network at EVOLVE 131 and held the championship until the BESTies In The World shocked everyone at the final EVOLVE event of the year. We look forward to seeing what Fox & Ruff bring to EVOLVE in 2020.
Breakout Star Of The Year
Winner: Shotzi Blackheart
Shotzi Blackheart got 41.7% of the vote to Curt Stallion’s 32.6% to win the category. It was a memorable year for Blackheart as she paved the way for a women’s division in EVOLVE before signing with WWE. We wish Shotzi lots of success in NXT in 2020!
Match Of The Year
Winner: WALTER vs. JD Drake from EVOLVE 135
WALTER vs. Drake provided fans with hard-hitting action at EVOLVE 135. It was one of many great matches that both Drake and WWE UK Champion WALTER provided in EVOLVE in 2019. It got 36.3% of the vote to top second-place finisher Austin Theory vs. Darby Allin from EVOLVE 121.
Stipulation Match Of The Year
Winner: Shotzi Blackheart vs. Brandi Lauren at EVOLVE 134
The brutal Kendo Sticks Are Legal match between Blackheart and Lauren took 38.8% of the vote to beat Josh Briggs vs. Kassius Ohno in a Lights Out Match at EVOLVE 137. These are matches you must see for yourself.
Show Of The Year
Winner: EVOLVE 131
EVOLVE 131: The 10th Anniversary Show in Philadelphia made history by being the first non-WWE event to be broadcast live on the WWE Network. You can still watch this event on the WWE Network right now. It got 36..6% of the vote to edge out EVOLVE 125 in Queens, NY from Wrestlemania week.
Moment Of The Year
Winner: Josh Briggs wins EVOLVE Title at EVOLVE 139
Briggs dramatic title win over Theory at EVOLVE 139 at La Boom in NYC dominated with 41.5% of the vote. It’s a moment that every fan in attendance will always remember. Briggs now enters 2020 as EVOLVE Champion.
“Did I Just See That?!?!?” Award
Winner: Velveteen Dream vs. Orange Cassidy at EVOLVE 123
EVOLVE prides itself on delivering things you can only see in EVOLVE. Velveteen Dream vs. Orange Cassidy is a match that will probably only happen once, and it was at EVOLVE 123 in Melrose, MA. There was an unreal atmosphere when Dream and Cassidy squared off. This was the tightest race as Dream vs. Cassidy got 41.6% of the vote to edge out Paul Heyman’s surprise appearance at the former ECW Arena at EVOLVE 131.
Rivalry Of The Year
Winner: Austin Theory vs. Undisputed Era
Theory became a thorn in the side of Undisputed Era in early 2019 with matches vs. Roderick Strong, Adam Cole and culminating with an EVOLVE Title defense vs. Kyle O’Reilly at EVOLVE 125 during Wrestlemania week. This rivalry decisively won the category with 44% of the vote. Theory vs. Briggs finished in 2nd place.
EVOLVE 2019 MVP
Winner: AR Fox
EVOLVE officials have named AR Fox as the EVOLVE MVP of 2019. Fox contributed to EVOLVE in every way possible. He wrestled spectacular singles matches vs. Adam Cole, Anthony Henry, Isiah Scott, Austin Theory and Joe Gacy among others. He and Leon Ruff were the EVOLVE Tag Team Of The Year as voted on by the fans. Fox’s students from the WWA4 school in Atlanta made a huge impact in EVOLVE from Austin Theory’s EVOLVE Title reign to Ruff being half of the tag champs to Liam Gray & Adrian Alanis rising up the card. Fox excelled in any type of match with any opponent. Thank you for everything you do in EVOLVE both behind-the-scenes and in the ring, AR Fox!
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