EVOLVE
The Orpheum (Ybor City, FL)
EVOLVE Championship
Whereas Nese and Barreta had the framework of a good match that simply went too far, there is no such framework to be found here. Fox and Richards go at it full-tilt from the opening bell and the result is high-energy 20-minute romp that fails to be more than simply a collection of moves. Stylistically, this is more comparable to the Danny Cannon vs. Reed Bentley match from Indiana earlier this month than Nese and Barreta.
At my core, I am an optimist – a glass half full kind of guy. So let me point out that that Fox and Richards are in remarkable condition as they basically go full tilt for 15+ minutes in this one. I also thought the spot where AR Fox kept defiantly sitting up rather than letting Davey bring him to his feet was an effective “fighting spirit” spot without going overboard. The rest though was a pure sprint with a lot moves and little substance.
Richards often gets chastised for that kind of stuff, like running through moves (and big moves at that) with little rhyme or reason. He does do that, but if that was his only problem that would be one thing. The problem is that he just does not have that great of offense and even if we put pacing aside, he still shows very little that sticks out as memorable. Fox can be okay, but Davey Richards is perhaps the worst kind of opponent for him – someone that will exploit his worse tendencies rather than reeling them in.
Spot Fest | Skippable | Hype
