10 Observations From Attending EVOLVE 67 Live
4. Point Taken
As mentioned, EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher was only able to score a tainted victory over Matt Riddle in the spring, which led Riddle's Catch Point stable to denounce Thatcher as champion. In response, Thatcher relinquished the physical belt (though not the title of champion) until he could prove himself by beating everyone who was in Catch Point at the time of the Riddle match.
After taking care of TJP and Tracy Williams earlier in the summer, he defeated Riddle in Maryland on Friday. That just left stable leader Drew Gulak, who got his crack at the champ in Brooklyn. The match was very hold-oriented, which probably would have gotten over better in a different place in front of a different crowd. Immediately following the Rhodes-Hero brawl, this felt like a cooldown match, and in an 80-degree building, fans wanted action to keep their minds off the heat.
In the end, Thatcher hit Gulak with a headbutt and pinned him, re-establishing the legitimacy of his reign and ending his feud with Catch Point. After the bout, he continued to beat down Gulak, locking him in a choke and turning heel in the process. Given the recent fan response to the champion, it couldn't have come at a better time.