10 Observations From Attending EVOLVE 67 Live
5. It's Only Smoke And Mirrors
The big draw for EVOLVE this past weekend was the independent debut of Cody Rhodes. Rhodes left WWE of his own volition in May, and with his no-compete clause having come to an end, he was ready to forge out on his own. His first non-WWE match came in Maryland on Friday evening, where he defeated Zack Sabre, Jr.
The question on many fans' minds regarded how Rhodes would perform in a totally different environment, one where different strengths are emphasized than in WWE. Unfortunately, his match against Chris Hero on Saturday was a letdown in that regard. While not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it felt like there were a whole lot of bells and whistles, as opposed to the traditional great action found in EVOLVE main events.
To start, Hero refused to shake Rhodes's hand, so Rhodes ran around the building shaking hands with fans. After a bit of action, they brawled around the arena and up onto the concession stand. The crowd was hot for it, and once they got back in the ring, they built to the finish, which saw Hero win after Drew Galloway hit Rhodes with a cowbell. It felt more like a WWE-style match than an EVOLVE one, and that's not a compliment.