Leaked EVOLVE Email Talks About Changing Style to Be More WWE-Friendly

The head of indie wrestling promotion EVOLVE Gabe Sapolsky sent an email on Thursday to wrestlers working this past weekend’s shows. The email said that EVOLVE is going through a “transition” period and it gave wrestlers guidelines for their styles to be more WWE-friendly, telling them to avoid things that Vince McMahon and WWE don’t like.

WWE has an unofficial working relationship with EVOLVE, using them as somewhat of a farm system. When their relationship started, WWE wanted indie wrestlers to go to EVOLVE and not ROH, wanting it to be known that EVOLVE would be the way to get to WWE and ROH would be a “dead end,” according to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Obviously, WWE since gave up on that idea, since they’ve signed several wrestlers from ROH.

The email was leaked to Fightful.com:

Hey everyone,

This is an important email so please read it through.

We are about to enter a transition period. I want to use this weekend to prepare for that. A major part of this will be the in ring work. You are all awesome, obviously, or you wouldn’t be booked. However, I want to change some things you do in EVOLVE to make EVOLVE different and also prepare for what’s next.

I will explain more in person, but this weekend please concentrate on these things:

-Make every lock up on the show count. I saw Regal last week and he was at BOLA. I was surprised for him to say that he didn’t see many good lock ups there. Honestly, he said he barely saw one good lock up. I know this might be surprising, especially since some of you were on the show. This is a major thing. It’s about starting your match up with believability. Please let’s put on emphasis on lock ups where you fight for position rather than go into a spot.

-Don’t look into the floor camera at anytime. This is a Vince/WWE thing. I really don’t care if you look into the camera or not, but this is a habit you will have to break as soon as you go to WWE/NXT, so you might as well break it now. I can explain this more in person. It’s a huge thing there, so don’t discount this.

-Make every kick, strike and chop count. I don’t mean go in there and beat each other up. Just don’t waste your kicks, strikes, chops and sell it. In addition, consider who your opponent is. If Keith Lee is striking you, sell it bigger than if someone smaller was striking you. Keep the situation and opponent in mind with your selling and how you do kicks, strikes and chops.

-Don’t do cool stuff for the sake of cool stuff. Everything should be about winning the match. I’m not saying don’t do cool stuff, but don’t do it just to do it.

Have it make sense in your match.

-Challenge yourself to break your normal routine of spots. I don’t care what match rating you get on Twitter. This is small picture stuff. I want everyone to think big picture and long game. I can explain this better in person.

-I’ve been traveling with Chris Dickinson a lot lately since we are from the same area now. We have talked about this stuff extensively in the car. I feel he has a good grasp of it and can explain it from a worker’s perspective, which I can’t. Please get with him on any questions. I’ve also told Chris to take more of a leadership role and point things out, so please be open to what he has to say. Thank you.

-Some other notes:

-Belltime each night is 8pm. Please be at the venue by 5:30pm.

-Sal is is getting hotel in a little bit. If you are flying in, we’ll tell you where to go soon to hang out. Brandon Tolle is arranging all the rides. Please get with him on rides. If you don’t hear from us by tonight, let me know.

-Please remember the EVOLVE rules when it comes to:

-No swearing

-Nothing derogatory towards minorities, women, ethnicities or any other groups.

-No piledrivers.neck bumps, apron spots, anything that drops you on your head.

-Nothing hardcore without permission -No unprotected headbutts

-No mic work without permission

-Be super nice to kids

-No guests in your hotel rooms! We are not going to pay for an extra hotel room cause someone is your ride or you are bringing someone along. We arrange three per room. We are not budgeted for more hotel rooms. No one gets added to these rooms. It is for the comfort of everyone in the room.

-I will send out booking info late night. This weekend is going to be mostly about wrestling. We aren’t going to go big into storyline stuff or angles during this transition period. I want everyone to really concentrate on their matches, think of the fundamentals and making everything solid and make sense.

-If you need anything call or text me [number redacted]. If you can’t reach me and it’s an emergency contact Sal at [number redacted].

I look forward to a fun weekend. Thank you, Gabe

Sent from my iPhone

Gabe Sapolsky was reportedly furious about the leaked email, contacting the host of an EVOLVE podcast who also received the email to demand that they give up the source of the leak.

Sapolsky claimed, “I’m pretty much done with this whole indie bullshit. This almost cost me my NXT job that I’ve worked 23 years for.”

Sapolsky doesn’t have an official job with NXT, but has been at their TV tapings for the past several months, according to Dave Meltzer.

EVOLVE’s future is up in the air after it was pulled from FloSlam, its streaming host, and is now involved in a lawsuit with them.

The email telling wrestlers to work more of a WWE style definitely has to be worrying for EVOLVE fans, including myself, but Sapolsky claimed on Twitter that the rules have already been in place for months so they’ve already been working that style. However, the email says that EVOLVE is in a “transition period” and wrestlers need to “change some things,” so that seems to contradict that. I would also say that EVOLVE definitely has a different (and much better, imo) style than WWE’s standard watered-down matches.

I see a lot of talk about the "rules" in the leaked email. FYI, these rules have been in place 18-24 months. Just no one noticed because….

— Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) September 26, 2017

….they aren't meant to be noticed. As you can see, we still had cutting edge wrestlng style while following the rules for the past 2 years

— Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) September 26, 2017

I'm very proud of EVOLVE 92 & 93 last weekend. If you question our in ring product, go watch those events.

— Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) September 26, 2017

Last night, Sapolsky said that he found out who leaked the email:

Found out who leaked the email. I love EVOLVE, WWN and our entire locker room of professionals. Can't wait for 10/14 in NY & 10/15 in CT

— Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) September 28, 2017

Possibly related or possibly not, top EVOLVE wrestler Ethan Page said earlier today that he is leaving EVOLVE.

ATTENTION FANS! #AllEgo is making a few changes in his life!

Some would say, I'm EVOLVING …..

Too soon ? pic.twitter.com/Kjsxyewsg8

— All Ego Ethan Page (@OfficialEGO) September 28, 2017

Thank you, Ethan. This was amicable. It was just time to leave the territory after three years. https://t.co/GbXlAwUcXu

— Gabe Sapolsky (@BookItGabe) September 28, 2017

Ethan Page previously denied that he was involved with any “email drama”:

Hey… All this Evolve email drama.
Pls leave me out of it

I'm in the smallest % of wrestlers who treat this LIKE A JOB

Mess w/ some1 else pic.twitter.com/9Z4uC5kqZm

— All Ego Ethan Page (@OfficialEGO) September 25, 2017

Update:

Dave Meltzer reported that he is being told that Ethan Page’s departure was not related to the email leak and he had apparently already planned on leaving by next week.

The wrestler who leaked the email was reportedly someone who isn’t signed with the company.