WWE Purchases EVOLVE
A rumour is now made official.
In confirmation of news that has been known for some time, WWE per PWInsider has formally concluded the purchase of de facto developmental brand EVOLVE in a successful continuation of its "one stop shop" plan to further monopolise a professional wrestling scene that has bloomed outside of its walls in recent years.
PWInsider also reports that "certainly there will be EVOLVE/WWN content added to the WWE Network in some form down the line" via the purchase of the company's video library assets.
Prior to its association with WWE, EVOLVE started life as an offshoot of Dragon Gate USA. It developed a reputation as both an excellent wrestling promotion and, alongside Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, the preeminent modern talent factory in North American wrestling.
In a worrying omen for the future of professional wrestling, an industry that clearly requires different philosophies, genres, outlets of expression and creative structures to grow, statistically, EVOLVE helped mould far more future wrestling superstars than WWE's Performance Center.
A vast assortment of names emerged as players after walking through and out of its doors: Jon Moxley, Ricochet, Keith Lee, Johnny Gargano and Darby Allin, whether they are quick to credit the promotion or otherwise, are a crop within a crop of name talent that honed their acts on its stage.