The EVOLVE promotion returns to Rahway NJ this Saturday Night, March 13 2010, with an explosive line up featuring long time independent wrestling standout superstar Chris Hero in the main event. Hero will be taking on Japanese perennial all star Ikuto Hidaka in a match that will surely be considered a match of the year for any promotion.
Hidaka, currently active in the Pro Wrestling Zero1 promotion, is making his long awaited United States return after almost ten years since his last appearance. Early on in his career, Hidaka appeared for Paul Heyman's promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He didn't find much success during his short time with the promotion before returning home to Japan. Although some may look at Hidaka's time in the US as uneventful, it was a tremendous learning experience for the young warrior, as he would return to his homeland and go onto win several championships. His legendary tag teams with veteran Dick Togo and Minoru Fujita would bring him several championships. Although Hidaka primarily competed in tag team ranks, he has also won major singles titles including the ZERO1-MAX International Junior Heavyweight Championship that he's held since he defeated Prince Devitt in November 2009.
It is interesting to note that along with Munenori Sawa, Hidaka most recently won the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) International Tag Team Championship. Sawa, who competed at EVOLVE 1, defeating TJ Perkins, received a suspension from EVOLVE officials for for attacking his opponent before the opening bell. Sawa will be barred from competing in EVOLVE 2.
Hero's resume is as long as they come. He has been a mainstay in such promotions as Pro Wrestling Guerilla (PWG), Ring Of Honor (ROH), Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), Chikara, Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid South, as well as every major independent wrestling promotion in North America. He also has extensive experience overseas as well, spending time in the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion, as well as competing in all over Europe. There is no doubt about it, Hero has wrestled across the entire globe.
Hero will compete with the size advantage in this match against Hidaka, with the American outweighing his opponent by close to 40 pounds, and hovering above by almost a whole foot. Hero has used his extensive time wrestling across the globe to amass a style that is second to none, completely able to adapt and survive at any offense thrown at him. He will need to use every single weapon he's learned over the years to compete with Hidaka, who's style is that of a shoot fighter who comes directly at his opponent with vicious strikes and punishing submission holds.
Claudio Castagnoli (0-0) vs Bobby Fish (0-1)Fish lost in his EVOLVE debut match against up and coming youngster Kyle O'Reilly back in January. Shortly after the loss to O'Reilly, stepped into the realm of Mixed Martial Arts, and promptly defeated his opponent via TKO. Fish has spent the past eight years honing his craft across the entire independent wrestling world to find himself at this road in his career. He'll be meeting Castagnoli, the Schaffhausen Switzerland native who will be making his EVOLVE debut after compiling an impressive record in such promotions as Chikara, PWG, ROH, and CZW. Together with Chris Hero, Castagnoli has formed the wildly successful "Kings Of Wrestling", and the two have completely dominated in each of the promotions they've competed in. Both men match incredibly well on paper, and could be the most competitive match up of the evening.
TJP (0-1), who came up short in his debut match against Munenori Sawa at EVOLVE 1 is out to prove that he's a much better athlete than his won loss record would show him to be. His bout with Sawa is regarded by some as the best match of the night. A loss is a loss however, and TJP needs a victory. He'll find that to be a daunting task as he steps in the ring with the man who many experts are claiming to be the next big thing in independent wrestling, Kyle O'Reilly (1-0). Although O'Reilly fully expects to be taken to the limit during his match with TJP, along with coach Tony Kozina firmly cemented in his corner, he'll look to make it an even 2-0. It is entirely possible that years from now, we will regard O'Reilly's early matches with the promotion as glimpses of greatness viewed through a crystal ball.
Once Gran Akuma declared that he wanted to compete in the official singles division, fans began speculating who is opponent would be. Originally it was scheduled to be Shane Hollister. Due to an injury, Hollister is a late scratch. So who will step into his shoes and take on Akuma, who over the past few years has quietly built a reputation of being one of the most exciting and hard hitting wrestlers in the United States? Word is that "The Big Rig" Brodie Lee will! Both men fought on the same side of the ring at EVOLVE 1, now they'll find themselves opposite sides of one another at EVOLVE 2. This will no doubt be the biggest challenge of The Gran Akuma's career!
Quackenbush will present "The Science Of Tag Team Wrestling", as he and partner Jigsaw, will take on three of the teams that have made Chikara the popular promotion that it is. The teams of Incoherence (Frightmare and Hallowicked), The Osirian Portal (Amassis and Ophidian) and The Colony (Green Ant and Fire Ant) will round out the Four Way Elimination match.
Aeroform (0-1), fresh off their loss to The Dark City Fight Club at EVOLVE 1, look to present their own tag team science, this time against another Chikara standout tag team in Cheech and Cloudy. This will surely be a match that will amaze the attendance with it's aerial assaults and high impact maneuvers. Flip and Lyndon will find two opponents who are ready to take the promotion by storm.
Jimmy Jacobs (1-0), coming off a victory over Kenn Doane, and who received the loudest reaction of the night, takes on the popular Johnny Gargano (1-0) who defeated Chris Dickinson in a brutal match at EVOLVE 1. Gargano who has been on a tear as of late, is looking to keep the momentum going. He'll find his hands full with Jacobs, who has been successful everywhere he's been. Jacobs, who appeared humbled by the Rahway reaction, will look to go 2-0, and become the leader of the young promotion.
Chris Dickinson (0-1), coming off his loss in January to the hands of Johnny Gargano, looks to get on track at EVOLVE 2. Dickinson had high expectations for himself in the new promotion, and losing was not an option. but Dickinson is looking to make good on his promises to himself. Just being in the promotion is not enough now, a victory is needed to keep hope alive. He'll have an opportunity on March 13th.
Brad Allen (1-0) had hoped to step in the ring with Chris Hero on March 13th. Prior to his brutal, hard hitting match with Silas Young at EVOLVE 1, Allen heard a rumor that Hero had signed on to participate at the promotion's second show. Following his victory over Young, while being interviewed by Lenny Leonard, Allen would shock the Rahway crowd by laying out a challenge to Hero for a match at EVOLVE 2. To Allen's lament, Hero would state later that the young man wasn't in his league, and that the independent superstar would gain nothing by defeating Allen. Hero had indeed signed on with the promotion, but was demanding to be placed in the main event. Of course Allen had no choice but to accept Hero's statements, and even appeared gracious in withdrawing his challenge. But make no mistake about it, Allen was embarrassed by the situation, and will look to elevate his game enough to force Hero to notice him. Don't be surprised to see these two men come face to face at some point.
Kenn Doane finds himself in the precarious situation of being 0-2. For Doane, this a foreign position to be in, as well as alarming. Doane, trained by legendary grappler Killer Kowalski, made his debut at the age 15. His talents were quickly noticed by executives for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he was signed, and sent to their training camps for seasoning. At the age of 17, just two years into the business, Doane made his WWE television debut. His star was bright indeed.
Somewhere along the line, Ken Doane lost his footing. He fell fast and hard, and quite a long way from the top. Now he finds himself back on the ladder and hopes to make it off the first rung. His loss to Jimmy Jacobs at EVOLVE 1 may have slowed the superstar, but it hasn't halted him completely.
His opponent at EVOLVE 2 will be Silas Young (0-1), who was defeated at the first show by the hand of Brad Allen. For Young, this match will be all about redemption, as he was well on his way to almost certain victory at EVOLVE 1, when he made the fatal error of underestimating the determination of his opponent. It would cost him severely as Allen would walk away the victor.
Young has overcome many obstacles throughout his short life. With Doane, he'll find a man who is desperate to turn things around, desperate to find that one victory that will propel him back into the spot light. It will be a monumental obstacle for Doane to get past, but he's proven time and time again that he can beat anything standing in his way.
On March 6th Mercedes Martinez defended her Women's Superstars Uncensored (WSU) World Title against the number 1 contender Rain, in a grueling battle that went over 30 minutes. She's proven that she's one of the best female competitors on the planet, if not THE best. Whether it's going 75 minutes with Angel Orsini, or 30 minutes with Rain, Mercedes is not afraid to put her body through whatever it takes to win.
After thoroughly trashing her opponent Niya at EVOLVE 1, Mercedes Martinez made a statement that women's wrestling will be evolving as well, but the WSU World's Champion is looking to dominate once again. It has recently come to light that at EVOLVE 2, her opponent will be international independent superstar Sumie Sakai. After defeating Rain at the WSU Anniversary show, Martinez will look to keep the momentum going strong with another victory in Rahway.
For more information on EVOLVE 2 HERO VS HIDAKA, visit EVOLVEWrestling.com