5 things you need to know from Evolve 131

#1 Paul Heyman returned to the former ECW Arena

Paul Heyman stood by to perform his duties as the special guest ring announcer

The 2300 Arena was best known as the home to ECW from 1993-2001. Fans of the hardcore promotion saw gallons of blood, sweat and tears poured out in the ring in this legendary Philly venue, all thanks to the extreme superstars that put their bodies on the line every night and Paul Heyman for giving them the opportunity to do so.

Though the company closed in 2001, the arena has always been known as the ECW Arena to most wrestling fans. So when the lights went out before the Unification match between Evolve Champion Austin Theory and WWN Champion JD Drake, the advocate for Brock Lesnar made his way down to the ring.

After the lights came back on, the crowd erupted, chanting "ECW" and thanking Heyman. The new head of Monday Night Raw's creative team cut an emotional promo, thanking the fans for all the support they'd given him, ECW, and now Evolve.

He delved into the importance of Evolve 131 and stated that five years from now, fans around the world would be looking back at this night, and this match, knowing that this was when professional wrestling truly "Evolved."

As expected, his introductions of Austin Theory and JD Drake were incredible. If there's someone you want to introduce yourself in a match, it's Paul Heyman.

About the author

Greg is a pro wrestling writer at Sportskeeda. He has been an avid wrestling fan since he was able to do elbow drops off bunkbeds at the age of three. He's gone through the highs and lows of the Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression, and PG eras and lived to tell the tale, with his favorite wrestler of all time being Diamond Dallas Page. His other favorite star is the late great Bray Wyatt.

Greg has contributed to sites like Bleacher Report before joining Sportskeeda in 2017 as a content writer and editor. If you've ever checked out the various wrestling shows through our live coverage, chances are you've read Greg's work. Apart from the world within the squared circle, he also keeps track of other sports such as American football, baseball, golf, boxing, and MMA.

His goal with his writing is to be able to mentally take readers right into the action through his words. Greg strives to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate information by always checking and using only the best and most reliable sources.

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Edited by Anirban Banerjee