With Wrestlecon just around the corner, promotions across America are putting their best foot forth in an effort to capture the eye of wrestling’s hardest of the hardcore fans. Bursting at the seams with blockbuster matches, and with WWE and ROH events also competing for attention; Wrestlecon is set to simultaneously be merry with a sense of community, and cut-throat with a sense of competition. I know from talking to people attending live, as well as those likely to be watching on iPPV, that this is an opportunity for certain groups to attract new fans, lure patrons interested in their specific niche, and start as they mean to go on with regards to business in 2013.

Gabe Sapolsky’s EVOLVE had a disappointing 2012, in my honest opinion, failing to offer a creative direction worthy of the phenomenal talent on its roster. Shows desperately lacked atmosphere, as reactions had to be dragged kicking and screaming from fans in attendance, who were clearly disconnected from the angles being put forth. There’s no denying the eye for talent, and matches like the epic Generico vs. Del Sol trilogy were worth the asking price in spite of the group’s failings, but in the hyper-competitive indie marketplace, one can’t rely on match quality alone. The emphasis on wins and losses, while a solid foundation for any wrestling group, was not a strong hook and also felt essentially meaningless in a promotion without a title. Both those problems are seemingly remedied however, as EVOLVE’s Wrestlecon showing will see them crown their first champion, and the record-keeping gimmick will be ditched after April 5th, as per a company news alert in February.

evolve

 

With their mind set on change, Wrestlecon is the perfect opportunity for EVOLVE to find their footing, and kickstart some momentum for the rest of 2013. It could be considered a re-debut of sorts – a new champion, a fresh company directive and, hopefully, a weekend-stealing card of action. As mentioned above, I’ve spoken to a few friends who are greatly anticipating the opportunity to enjoy some new wrestling experiences over the course of ‘Mania weekend. CZW is one name I’ve seen pop up quite a bit, with a number of people who have never had time for the group previously opting to attend their event as opposed to Ring of Honor’s. The motivation behind this, more often than not, seems to be the unique and more specialised product offered by CZW, as opposed to “just wrestling.” When looking at the EVOLVE shake-ups, and what they will bring to the table in 2013 other than “just wrestling” – I don’t really have an answer.

Referring back to the press-release from February, one notion being pushed is that EVOLVE “will be the promotion for wrestlers who wish to evolve professional wrestling.” While that might sound like generic marketing speak, and it could be, there is something to be said for trying to be progressive in terms of pure wrestling. While I don’t think it reinvented the genre, concepts like the Style Battle represent a fun and unique approach to wrestling that is tangibly different from that of other groups. Actual ‘divisions’ that stand alone but also play off each other as equals, as opposed to the hierarchy of ‘heavyweights over everyone else’ that we see in the national groups, could be a good selling point for EVOLVE. The flip side of trying to ‘evolve wrestling’ is the potential stigma of being labeled pretentious, but it’s better to accept that knock in the name of trying to move forward than to simply remain stationary in an attempt to avoid it.

Whether that is the driving force behind EVOLVE going forward or not remains to be seen but Wrestlecon should be telling. There needs to be a talking point coming out of the show, and not just “wow, what a fun match.” When you’re shoulder-to-shoulder with the utter wackiness of Chikara, the brutality of CZW, the all-star female cast of SHIMMER, and all you’ve got is great matches – you’re just going to be one of the pack. The talent is there. Behind the talent, you have one of the most notable and acclaimed creative minds in wrestling of the last decade. There is no reason EVOLVE can’t find that last piece of the puzzle to make it a truly compelling product, and make 2013 the year it defined itself. Outshining the indie scene’s best and brightest on its most loaded weekend in recent memory is a damn fine place to start.

Wrestlecon’s official website is here, listing the entire schedule. Check out WWNLive.com for info on ordering the EVOLVE 19 show, as well as a host of other events from Wrestlemania weekend.

If you have any thoughts on this piece, EVOLVE in general, or you just want to talk about wrasslin’ – follow me on twitter and shoot me a message. And while I’m plugging things – be sure to stick with PWPonderings for all your Wrestlecon needs. As you can see on the home page, we are positively over-flowing with content right now, with excellent interviews and news updates from all your favourite groups, including an insightful chat with DJ Hyde about CZW’s past and present. Thanks for reading.

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