Evolve – May 14, 2025: Their First Waiting Period
Evolve
Date: May 14, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone
Things are starting to pick up a lot around here after last week’s introductions of the Men’s and Women’s Titles. Those will be awarded in the coming weeks but there are still spots available in the upcoming title matches. People are going to be interested in earning those shots, but there is other stuff taking place as well. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening recap, focusing on the titles being introduced.
Opening sequence.
Keanu Carver/Harlem Lewis vs. Gallus
Wolfgang is here with the Coffey Brothers and all three of them jump Carver and Lewis on the floor before the bell. Cue Stevie Turner to get rid of Wolfgang and we’re ready to go. Carver slams Joe down to start as Lewis suplexes Mark on the floor. Joe and Carver hit stereo crossbodies for a double knockdown, followed by the big exchange of forearms. Carver isn’t having that and hits a heck of a Pounce to take over before hammering away in the corner.
Lewis comes in for a slam but Carver tags himself in, meaning it’s time for the non Coffeys to argue. The distraction lets Joe come back in with a springboard spinning high crossbody. Mark is back in with a belly to back suplex as everything breaks down. Joe bails to the floor…and Lewis decks Carver. Lewis yells at him and walks out, leaving Carver to get caught with an assisted German suplex. All The Best For The Bells finishes Carver at 6:48.
Rating: C+. Gallus was more or less just here for the sake of setting things up between Lewis and Carver. The two of them are having issues and that’s likely going to be set up for the future, possibly even as part of the title match. I can always go for two big bruisers fighting and that’s what we’re likely going to be seeing from these two.
Sean Legacy comes up to Timothy Thatcher and asks for Thatcher to be in his corner against Lexis King tonight. Legacy respects him, with Thatcher glaring a massive hole right through him. Thatcher is in though.
We get a sitdown interview with the returning Edris Enofe, who is glad to be back after a seven month injury absence. He has built himself up during his time away and now he’s ready to do it on his own. Of course he has his eyes set on the Evolve Title. I could go for having Enofe back.
Masyn Holiday is glad to have Enofe back while Chantrel Monroe is too busy to be in her corner tonight. Holiday tells Monroe to let her know when Monroe is ready to show her true self to the world. Monroe is slightly more interesting between the two of them but they’re nothing great.
Kali Armstrong vs. Masyn Holiday
Armstrong backs her up against the ropes to start and then grinds away on a wristlock. Holiday uses the ropes to spin into a wristlock of her own but Armstrong blasts her with a pop up forearm. Armstrong slams her into something like a seated abdominal stretch, which doesn’t last long. Holiday fights up and hits a dropkick, only to get caught with a quick powerslam. The Kali Connection finishes for Armstrong at 3:18.
Rating: C. Armstrong’s mega push continues and she is going to be a threat to win the Women’s Title. If nothing else, there is always room for a powerhouse like her, with the Connection being a solid finisher. There is something about seeing someone flying through the air to take her opponent out and Armstrong is doing well with a simple concept.
Post match Armstrong says she doesn’t care who else is in the title match, which brings out Zayda Steel. She knows Armstrong is a physical beast but Steel has the brain to know that she’s the only one winning the inaugural title. Cue Chantel Monroe to praise the two of them and saying she’s winning the title.
Kylie Rae interrupts, saying she can be in the final spot, which earns her a SHUT UP from Steel. Rae drops her with a right and the brawl is on, with Armstrong pressing Monroe onto the other two. Cue Kendal Grey to suplex Armstrong to the floor and stand tall, with her knee looking just fine. Grey looked like a star here, along with Armstrong. The others…well they were there too.
Keanu carver is annoyed at Harley Lewis so Stevie Turner makes a match between them for next week.
It’s Gal vs. Javier Bernal
They fight over wrist control to start until Bernal grabs a running headscissors. A dropkick sends Gal into the ropes for a basement superkick. A high crossbody gets two on Gal but he’s right back with a heck of a clothesline. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a dropkick for two on Bernal. Back up and Bernal hits a superkick into a spinning Downward Spiral for two of his own. Gal Gory Bombs him onto the buckle though and hits a running big boot. Bernal is right back with a rollup for the pin at 4:00.
Rating: C. I’ve seen a bit of Gal recently but nothing he’s done has been overly impressive. He’s far from being a failure or even bad, but it feels like something that has been done before. At the same time, it’s not a good sign when you lose to someone who was unemployed shortly thereafter and you would think WWE would have known that coming in.
Post match Gal jumps Bernal from behind and hits some pretty terrible right hands. A Blue Thunder Bomb puts Bernal down, with commentary asking where this was during the match.
Stevie Turner suggests adding Nikkita Lyons to the four way title match, but Lyons wants to face the champion one on one. If that means waiting longer before she’s back, I’m all for it.
Kylie Rae is ready for a four way match next week for the final spot in the four way title match. She doesn’t have time to worry about Wendy Choo.
Troy Yearwood is glad to sign his Evolve deal. It’s Gal comes in to brag about what he just did and argues with Yearwood about his physique.
Sean Legacy vs. Lexis King
Legacy has Timothy Thatcher in his corner to take care of the Vanity Project…who aren’t here. Well that’s not a good look. Legacy works on an armbar to start but King is right out. That earns him a shoulder down and Legacy goes back to the arm. A jumping double stomp to the back hits King, who backs into the corner for a big chop. Back up and King elbows him out to the floor to take over for the first time.
We take a break and come back with King working on the back, including a surfboard hold. Legacy fights out and sends him to the floor for a dive, only to springboard into a superkick back inside (with Legacy landing a few feet in front of King, which telegraphed the heck out of the counter). King stays on the back but Legacy is out with a DDT for a needed breather. Legacy kicks away and puts him down for two.
A kick to the face in the corner rocks King and a springboard 450 connects for a delayed two. Legacy tries Shambles but his back gives out. A Backstabber gives King two but the Coronation is countered into a failed backslide attempt. Legacy grabs a Spanish Fly but here is the Vanity Project to go after Thatcher. A big flip dive takes them down, with Thatcher sending Legacy back inside. The distraction lets King grab the Coronation for the pin at 11:35.
Rating: C+. I know King has the star power and name recognition compared to everyone around here, but he’s not exactly the one you bring in to make someone else look good. Legacy hung in there with him and is likely going to be the big star around here. That’s the point of putting him in a spot like this, with a match against the Vanity Project likely coming sooner or later.
Brinley Reece has been attacked and can’t feel her arm.
Overall Rating: C+. The problem right now is that everything is building towards the title matches, which means we have a little while to wait before we get to the big stuff. There are spots being filled in but at the same time, it leaves the rest of the show feeling a bit less interesting. That left a not so interesting show, but they’re keeping it moving and things are still fun enough. Just get to the big stuff in a few weeks and we’ll see where things go from there.
Results
Gallus b. Keanu Carver/Harlem Lewis – All The Best For The Bells to Carver
Kali Armstrong b. Masyn Holiday – Kali Connection
Javier Bernal b. It’s Gal – Rollup
Lexis King b. Sean Legacy – Coronation
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