WE MAY NEVER RECOVER

The first Evolution after Winterfest couldn’t even get 10 seconds in before it was derailed. Igris, the new #1 contender to the Apex Championship, stormed the ring and refused to leave until Eddie Hernandez gave him his title match tonight. It was a tense few moments before the new champ came out to accept the challenge. Hernandez has waited years for the opportunity to represent Evolution as its champion and, according to the man himself, he will not back down from any challenge. That match was swiftly made for the main event.

In the first match of the night, Rookie of the Year winner Takahashi faces down tag team legend Lieter. The rook controlled the early stages of the match but Lieter’s combination of experience and other-worldly power got him back on top. Takahashi was able to counter, though, with vicious strikes and a spinning heel kick that sent Lieter’s jaw into the tenth row. It may be Takahashi’s biggest win of his young Evolution career but he barely had time to celebrate it as Franky Omega entered to a chorus of boos. Omega, ever the heartless man he is, egged the fans on before explaining why he left Andrew Wesley in the middle of a match that could have made the Wing Collectors tag team champions again. Omega said he did not forget when Andrew abandoned him last season in pursuit of Oliver Parker and confirmed he did, indeed, hold a grudge.

Eric and Derrick Cole join forces once more to take on TJ Frost’s bodyguards Dwayne Evans and Aaron Cruise in a tag match. Evans and Cruise showed out in this match, pushing the legendary Underground team to the brink. But HTO was too disciplined and too athletic. They isolated Eric in the ring with Cruise which allowed Eric to hit a Heisman Kick to win. Backstage, the war raged on as Las Vegas Joe and TJ Frost viciously brawled in the parking lot.

Queen Alexia made her return to the ring against the rookie Ava. Ava showed spurts of real promise including narrowly escaping a Queen’s Crown attempt to hit her flatliner. But Alexia turned the tables, hitting Ava as she went into the corner and getting the Queen’s Crown to win. In the surprise main event, Eddie Hernandez defends the Apex Title against Igris. These two have met before and it was obvious how much knowledge they have of each other. This match was a defensive struggle: neither man could get any sort of sustained offense all night. At least… not alone. Because as Hernandez went for the famous Speakeasy, Igris blocked him and sent the champ to outside where Dagonite was waiting. Igris distracted the referee while Dagonite hit Hernandez with two powerbombs, one through the announce table, which left the champ utterly powerless. Dagonite sent him back into the ring, Igris finished him off with a final Reaper’s Embrace to win the Apex Championship. It was a disgusting end to one of the most surprising matches in Evolution history and left a sour taste in our mouths to start our road to Nitro 12.