Evolve
Date: April 15, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenburg
It’s Wrestlemania Week and in this case that means we have a special show around here as well. The big story is the Gauntlet Eliminator match for the vacant Women’s Title. That should be enough to carry the show and there is a good chance that it eats up most of the show. Let’s get to it.
Karmen Petrovic runs down the list of competitors in the Gauntlet Eliminator, which she is apparently in too. They treated it as something of a surprise and…Petrovic isn’t the biggest shock.
Opening sequence.
Here is Aaron Rourke to get things going. He talks about how he is getting used to being champion and doesn’t want anyone thinking that he’s not working as hard as he can. Rourke doesn’t like Harlem Lewis saying Rourke is ducking him so come say it to his face. Cue Lewis, who says he won’t get in the ring and beat him down because it just keeps him from getting what he wants. Rourke says they can do it for the title right now but here is Braxton Cole to interrupt. Cole says he should be the one getting the title shot and Rourke is fine with a triple threat. Lewis isn’t happy with that and Cole jumps both of them to stand tall.
Tristan Angels talks about growing up on a goat farm and then getting into beauty pageants. He’s ready to be amazing here.
Lince Dorado/Mike Cunningham vs. Santi Rivera/Jacari Ball
Hold on though as Cunningham has changed his name to Max Abrams. Yeah that’s a good move, as Mike Cunningham isn’t getting him anywhere. It’s Gal is here with Rivera and Ball. Dorado kicks at Rivera to start but Rivera takes him down, much to Gal’s happiness. Ball comes in but the double team is broken up, allowing Abrams to come in and grab the armbar. Abrams gets taken into the wrong corner so the villains can take turns striking away.
That’s broken up and it’s back to Dorado, who gets to clean house. Abrams even puts on the sunglasses and holds the ropes open so Dorado can hit a heck of a suicide dive. Back in and Dorado’s moonsault hits raised boots, allowing Rivera to grab a Sling Blade for two. Abrams makes a save so Dorado goes up, with Abrams tagging himself in, knocking Dorado off the top anyway. Apparently Abrams’ tag doesn’t count though (need both feet on the mat) and it’s Rivera getting a rollup for the pin at 9:00.
Rating: C+. This worked well enough as you would expect the goofy heels to lose so It’s Gal would have another thing to complain about. At the same time, you have Abrams (thank goodness for the name change) screwing up and costing Dorado the match. This was a nice enough surprise, as we continue the slow build towards Tag Team Titles.
Dorian Van Dux vs. Kai Kavari
Kai speeds around and slugs away to start, which staggers the bigger Dux. That earns Kai a shot to the face and a spinning gutwrench powerbomb. A shooting star press finishes Kavari at 1:41. Well that worked.
Brooks Jensen isn’t sure what Cappuccino Jones was trying to prove last week so he wants a bullrope match.
Women’s Title: Gauntlet Eliminator
For the vacant title and it’s basically a Royal Rumble/Gauntlet match with two minute intervals, eight participants and pin/submission/DQ for eliminations. Laynie Luck is in at #1 and Karmen Petrovic is in at #2. Luck takes her down by the leg to start before they run the ropes for a standoff. They trade rollups for two each and knock each other down as Kali Armstrong is in at #3 (with commentary getting in an important line of the clock not starting until she is in the ring).
We take a break and come back with Armstrong cleaning house until some double teaming slows her down. A double cover only gets two as Armstrong nips up. With Petrovic and Luck knocked down, Wendy Choo is in at #4. Choo whips Luck into Armstrong in the corner and hits a high crossbody on the latter. Petrovic is back up with a superkick for two on Choo and everyone is staggered as Tyra Mae Steele is in at #5. Steele gets to clean some house but picks Armstrong up for some reason, earning a shove away. The Kali Connection gets rid of Petrovic at 7:45.
Luck kicks Steele down but Armstrong is back up to go after both of them. Sloane Jacobs is in at #6 and sends Steele face first into the corner. Jacobs teases working with Luck and then rolls her up for the pin at 10:08. Armstrong isn’t having this and Kali Connections Jacobs for the pin at 10:40. Choo gets back in and Dirt Naps Steele, only for Armstrong to make the save. Nikkita Lyons is in at #7 and suplexes Steele before pulling Lyons in the way of the Kali Connection. Lyons drops Armstrong and a spinning kick to the face gets rid of Steele at 12:31.
They go to the corner for a Tower Of Doom and everyone is down as PJ Vasa completes the field at #8. Choo gets crushed in the corner and Vasa suplexes Choo and Lyons. Armstrong puts Vasa down and tries the Kali Connection, only for Steele to pop up for a distraction. Lyons kicks Armstrong in the face for the pin at 15:51. Lyons tiger bombs Choo for two but can’t do the same to Vasa. The Dirt Nap is broken up and Vasa Samoan drops Choo but misses a splash. Choo hits a DDT and Lyons’ splits splash gets rid of Vasa at 18:14.
We’re down to Choo vs. Lyons for the title with Lyons getting two off a Michinoku Driver. Choo hits a full nelson slam but Lyons drops her, setting up the Vader Bomb for two. The Dirt Nap goes on but Lyons flips out, only for Choo to grab a hurricanrana for the pin and the title at 21:05.
Rating: B-. First and foremost, having this be elimination rules makes it SO much better. Ultimately, Choo survived and got a pin over the only remaining competitor to win. It’s better than having her win off a fluke pin and makes her feel like a winner. I’ll absolutely take this version of Choo as champion, as her issue was always the weird gimmicks rather than talent. Nice main event here and Choo has challengers waiting on her.
We get a bunch of replays and Timothy Thatcher comes out to present Choo with the title to end the show in a nice moment.
Overall Rating: B. This show was about getting a new Women’s Champion and they pulled that off. That’s in addition to the opener and a squash, with the triple threat for the Evolve Title being set up as well. That is a rather efficient use of just shy of an hour and I had a good time with this show. Evolve continues to feel like they know what they want to do week to week and this was no exception.
Results
Santi Rivera/Jacari Ball b. Lince Dorado/Max Abrams – Rollup to Dorado
Dorian Van Dux b. Kai Kavari – Shooting star press
Wendy Choo won the Gauntlet Eliminator last eliminating Nikkita Lyons
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Evolve
Date: April 8, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard
It’s time for more fresh blood and as we have the new female ID prospects debuting this week. That should open up some new doors, just like the men’s versions did last week. Hopefully they can get off to a good start, as it can go a long way in making them into bigger stars right off the bat. In addition, Chazz Hall gets his Evolve Title shot. Let’s get to it.
Chazz Hall is ready to become a big star, starting tonight. See you at Wrestlemania. Hold on though as we go to the back where Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins have attacked Tate Wilder and Luca Crusifino.
Opening sequence.
Tristan Angels vs. Romeo Moreno
Angels declares himself Mr. England and says he’s rather handsome. On the other hand, Moreno describes himself as an artist, with Evolve as his canvas. Angels grabs an armbar to start but has to elbow his way out of a waistlock. Moreno picks him up and marches him around, followed by a running backdrop of all things. Back up and Angels stomps him out of the corner, followed by a hard throat first whip into the ropes. Moreno tries to climb those ropes but gets dropped down onto them again and we take a break.
We come back with Moreno getting in a knockdown to start the clothesline comeback. Angels is sent outside for a running springboard dive. Back up and Angels goes after the ribs again, setting up a half crab to keep Moreno down. That doesn’t last long either though as Moreno gets up and hits a suplex before they both head to the apron. Moreno’s running kick is blocked and Angels sends him into the steps. Back in and a running driving knee to the back of the head finishes Moreno at 8:23.
Rating: B-. Moreno stood out here as he has a different style and did some things that felt different. That’s what you need out there, though he might want to put on some weight to enhance his look a bit. At the same time you have Angels, who has a nice look but didn’t stand out quite as much. Still though, nice match, but you’re only going to be able to tell so much in about eight minutes.
Earlier today, It’s Gal praised Santi Rivera and Jacari Ball’s physiques and offered to go train with them. They’re actually in.
It’s time to meet the four new ID signees to the women’s division, with the winner of their upcoming fatal four way going to the gauntlet eliminator for the Women’s Title.
Gianna Capri (formerly known as Valentina Rossi) talks about her years of hard work to get here. She’s wrestled in Shine and in Japan, which has given her the extra sauce.
Sloane Jacobs (Notorious Mimi, who wrestled in NXT back around 2022) is ready to put the other three under her.
Veronica Haven thanks everyone who helped get her here because she’s ready to prove herself.
Anya Rune (described as an anime girl, she has green hair and calls herself the Main Character) is ready to be noticed.
Before their match, PJ Vasa comes in to say the winner is her next victim.
Timothy Thatcher talks about how things have been going around here and puts Tyra Mae Steele in the gauntlet match. He’ll need to make a phone call to get the final participant. In other news, Tate Wilder and Luca Crusifino are out of action due to the attack earlier in the night. Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins should be suspended, but Wilder and Crusifino probably want their match. They can have it when they heal up. Now GET TO WORK. Thatcher as the slightly disorganized boss is working very well.
Gianna Capri vs. Sloane Jacobs vs. Veronica Haven vs. Anya Rune
They talk trash to start and Capri/Jacobs’ kicks to the ribs are both reversed into suplexes. Hayden’s high crossbody hits Capri and Jacobs for two each. Back up and Capri kicks Hayden off the top, leaving Rune to fire off kicks at Capri and Jacobs. Capri pounds her down for two before Jacobs sends Rune face first into the buckle over and over. Capri’s splits splash gets two on Rune but Jacobs breaks up the cover and isn’t happy. Rune is back up to take over but Hayden rolls up Rune and Jacobs for two each. Jacobs Snake Eyes Hayden and takes out the knee, setting up a Muta Lock for the tap at 5:00.
Rating: C+. Much like last week’s men’s triple threat, you can only get so much out of this kind of a match as it isn’t the kind of a match that lets anyone stand out. Jacobs might have stood out a bit, but it’s not like this was some game changer win. I could go for seeing any of them again, which is the point of having them in Evolve.
Post match Jacobs celebrates but here is Kali Armstrong to clear most of the ring. Armstrong goes after Jacobs and then takes out Laynie Luck for trying to make a save.
Earlier today, Lince Dorado was training Mike Cunningham when they stopped to look at It’s Gal, Jacari Ball and Santi Rivera lifting. Dorado and Cunningham tell Gal to be more professional so Gal puts Ball and Rivera in a tag match against Dorado and Cunningham. Works for them.
Aaron Rourke is putting his makeup on when Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins come up to call him a pretty boy. Rourke is ready to fight anyone and since they aren’t going to make a move, he’s off to defend his title.
Video on Dorian Van Duks.
Evolve Title: Chazz Hall vs. Aaron Rourke
Rourke is defending and backs him into the corner to start. The lockup actually goes to the mat until Rourke grabs the arm. Hall’s wristlock is broken up and they flip over to a standoff. They both miss dropkicks until Rourke gets a pair of near falls off some rollups. A basement dropkick puts Hall down but he’s right back up with a rather spinny springboard wristdrag. Hall sends him to the floor, where Rourke gets yelled at by Brooks Jensen. Hall’s dive takes Rourke out but here is Cappuccino Jones to take Jensen out.
We take a break and come back with Rourke hitting a pump kick for two. Some handstand knees hit Hall again and Rourke grabs a lifting full nelson. That’s broken up so Rourke kicks him in the head, followed by a Vader Bomb elbow for two. Hall fights up and slugs away, setting up a missile dropkick. A tornado DDT gives Hall two more but Rourke grabs a quick Stratusphere. Rourke misses a leg lariat but comes back with a very spinning Blue Thunder Bomb for two.
Hall is able to get up with a spinning kick to send Rourke outside, setting up a Sasuke Special. Back in and Hall grabs Sliced Bread, followed by a standing corkscrew moonsault. For some reason Hall doesn’t cover, allowing Rourke to catch him on top. Rourke flips out of a sunset bomb and hits some running knees, setting up Over The Rainbow to retain the title at 10:40.
Rating: B. The more I see of Rourke, the more impressed I am. He has something about him that makes me want to see him succeed and he feels like he belongs in this spot. That’s quite the feat and it’s working here. Hall is good at the athletic stuff and his size issues don’t seem to hurt him that much. I’m not sure how far he goes, but he’s off to a nice start.
Post match, respect is shown.
Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins are watching in the back. Harlem Lewis comes in to say Rourke is ducking him.
Overall Rating: B. This was a good show and continued the theme from the last two weeks as they build towards the future. Evolve is like a faster version of the old NXT, as it’s about moving people up and keeping everything going. That makes for some interesting shows and I’m liking what we’re getting around here. Nice job again, and hopefully they can keep this stuff going.
Results
Tristan Angels b. Romeo Moreno – Driving knee to the back of the head
Sloane Jacobs b. Anya Rune, Veronica Haven and Gianna Capri – Muta Lock to Haven
Aaron Rourke b. Chazz Hall – Over The Rainbow
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Evolve – April 1, 2026: Pleased To Meet…Well Most Of You
Evolve
Date: April 1, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard
We’re in for an interesting week here as there are some fresh names around making their debuts. That’s what you have to do on a show that regularly involves sending names up the ladder to other shows. Other than that, we’re coming up on the Gauntlet Eliminator match for the vacant Women’s Title. Let’s get to it.
Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke recaps the Women’s Title situation, plus the new upcoming stars. Rourke is even willing to let the winner of the match between the new stars be his first challenger. Well that’s nice of him.
Opening sequence.
It’s Gal vs. Dorian Van Dux
Before the match, It’s Gal talks about how the newcomers need to realize he’s the best in the gym but Van Dux (who is rather muscular, is formerly known as Mike Vecchio and is pronounced Van Dukes) interrupts. They shake hands and Dux forearms him to the floor as fellow newcomers Tristan Angels and Romeo Moreno are in the VIP section. Gal gets back in for the opening bell and drives Dux into the corner for some quick forearms.
Dux slugs away to come back but gets dropped throat first across the top rope. Gal’s discus clothesline gets two and a fireman’s carry gutbuster drops Dux again. Some choking pushups have the referee yelling at Gal, who comes back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two more. Dux avoids a charge in the corner though and hits a springboard elbow to drop Gal for a change. A suplex out of the corner gives Dux two and Gal’s German suplex doesn’t do much. Dux hits a hard clothesline and a spinning gutwrench sitout powerbomb finishes Gal at 5:18.
Rating: C+. This was about getting Dux over as a new star and it worked well enough. Beating a goof like Gal means something and Dux’s power and athleticism worked. I remember seeing Dux over last year’s Wrestlemania Weekend and being impressed so it’s nice to see him getting a chance on the bigger stage. He has a long way to go, but at least he’s starting off well.
Zena Sterling begs Timothy Thatcher for a spot in the gauntlet match as she’s done everything right. Thatcher says she needs to win a few more matches and then they can talk. Sterling grabs a chair and beats on the walls.
Tate Wilder is looking for Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins and is ready to hunt them down tonight.
We meet three of the new signees: CJ Valor (formerly Jimmy House), Chazz “Starboy” Hall (Starboy Charlie) and Santi Rivera (Jariel Rivera). Valor is ready for his impressions to bleed into this match and his coaches at the Rhodes Wrestling Academy taught him to just keep steppin.
Rivera is feeling good tonight and he’ll feel better when he gets the title shot next week. He’s wrestled in New England and he’s ready to be the next Evolve Champion. Hall (the fans seem to know him) talks about wrestling on the independents for twelve years, including in GCW (there’s a name you don’t expect to hear on a WWE show), West Coast Pro and in Noah.
CJ Valor vs. Santi Rivera vs. Chazz Hall
Valor and Rivera brawl into the corner to start with Hall breaking it up. Hall is sent outside and Rivera knocks Valor away with an elbow but gets caught with Hall’s kicks. A powerbomb doesn’t work for Valor, who plants Hall for two instead. Rivera slams Hall onto Valor but Hall knocks Rivera down. The standing corkscrew moonsault gives Hall two on Valor but Valor sends him outside. Rivera picks Valor up for a Doomsday Blockbuster, only to get knocked down as well.
We take a break with everyone down and come back with Rivera Sling Blading Valor for two. Hall grabs an assisted Sliced Bread out of the corner to Rivera before kicking Valor in the head. Hall’s wheelbarrow bulldog is countered into a suplex but Valor knocks Rivera down for two more. An enziguri hits Rivera by mistake and Hall follows it up with a double Pele for another near fall.
Valor is back up with a heck of a spear to Hall (ignore that he was aiming for Rivera), followed by most of a cross armbreaker to Rivera. Hall breaks it up with a running shooting star press for two and sends Rivera outside. That means a space flying tiger drop to Rivera, followed by a shooting star press to give Hall the pin on Valor at 10:06.
Rating: B-. This was about introducing a bunch of people at once and that makes it a bit of a trick to pull off. Hall was the speed guy here and that worked well enough, though the overalls and small stature aren’t the best combination. Hopefully he fixes that up a bit, as he was certainly smooth enough in the air. Valor is more of a generic power wrestler, while Rivera showed off some nice personality. In other words, we’ll have to see where they all go, but it was a decent enough start.
Post match Hall says this is almost a surprise. He wants to thank Aaron Rourke for the opportunity, but he’s coming for the title because he’s the Denim Dragon.
Tate Wilder is still on the hunt and finds Luca Crusifino, who doesn’t like this negative energy. Crusifino thinks they need to focus their energy into the ring, say in a tag match. Wilder realizes he needs all of the help he can get so he’ll take it. Crusifino lays down on an anvil case and chills.
Mike Cunningham explains Main Man Energy. Basically it’s “I’m awesome and you should be too”. This actually works for him.
Next week: the women’s ID prospects debut. Cool.
Wendy Choo vs. Laynie Luck vs. PJ Vasa vs. Kali Armstrong vs. Nikkita Lyons
One fall to a finish for the final spot in the gauntlet match for the vacant Women’s Title. Vasa cleans house to start but everyone gets together to go after her. Lyons and Armstrong go after each other but get pulled apart as Vasa returns. Vasa crushes Lyons in the corner and catches Luck, only to get dropkicked down by Armstrong. Luck’s rollup out of the corner gets two on Armstrong but it’s Lyons’ turn to wreck everyone.
Luck is back up with a headscissors to Lyons but gets pulled outside by Armstrong. They knock each other down and it’s Choo going up for a huge dive onto everyone else. We take a break and come back with Vasa getting back in to drop Armstrong and Lyons in a Tower Of Doom. Luck reverses a powerbomb with a hurricanrana though and Choo comes off the top to nail Vasa as well. Choo cleans house for a change and Lyons helps her with a double Sliced Bread.
A double DDT drops Luck and Lyons, followed by Choo’s hammerlock lariat getting two on Armstrong. Back up and Armstrong’s powerslam is countered into a small package for two more. Lyons is back in for a tiger bomb to Armstrong, with Luck rolling Lyons up for two. Vasa is up as well, only to get knocked outside by Lyons, who gets Backstabbered by Choo.
Armstrong runs the corner to dive onto Choo and Vasa on the floor, leaving Lyons to miss a Vader Bomb. The Kali Connection sends Lyons outside so Choo grabs the Dirt Nap on Armstrong. That’s broken up and Armstrong powerslams Choo, followed by the Kali Connection. Luck makes the save this time but gets Samoan dropped by Vasa. The Issue gives Vasa the pin on Choo at 9:44.
Rating: C+. This was similar to the triple threat with pretty much nonstop action, but there was only so much of a chance for anyone to stand out with so much going on. This did have the advantage of having people we knew, though Vasa still isn’t overly interesting. Maybe she’ll get molded into a better monster, but I’m not thrilled with the idea of her becoming the next champion.
Overall Rating: B-. They had a really tricky task this week, as the big idea was to introduce new stars. The good thing is they pulled it off pretty well, with Van Dux looking like a star and Hall already being put in the title picture, at least for a week. The main event was fine enough as well and has title implications, so they pretty much accomplished all of their goals here. Not bad for a show with so many fresh faces.
Results
Dorian Van Dux b. It’s Gal – Spinning gutwrench sitout powerbomb
Chazz Hall b. CJ Valor and Santi Rivera – Shooting star press to Valor
PJ Vasa b. Laynie Luck, Nikkita Lyons, Kali Armstrong and Wendy Choo – The Issue to Choo
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Evolve
Date: March 25, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenberg
For the first time in a good while, we have a new Evolve Champion as Aaron Rourke beat the departing Jackson Drake to win the title last week. That means Rourke will need a new challenger and we might find out who that is this week. Other than that, we need a new Women’s Champion and the process should begin soon. Let’s get to it.
Tate Wilder is in the ring and calls out Kam Hendrix for attacking him a few weeks ago. Cue Hendrix, with Harley Riggins and Kai Kavari. None of them like Wilder and find him despicable, but a lot of people want to get his hands on Wilder. For now, Kavari can get his chance. Kavari runs in and gets dropkicked so let’s have a referee in there too.
Kai Kavari vs. Tate Wilder
Wilder is in street clothes and stars fast with a running shot in the corner. Kavari is sent into the corner and knocked to the apron, where he gets in a neck snap over the top rope. A suplex gives Kavari two and we’re off to the chinlock. Wilder fights up and hits some running clotheslines into a spinning suplex. The Wild Ride finishes for Wilder at 3:28.
Rating: C. They didn’t have time to do much here but this was just a quick win for Wilder as he is on his way to getting his hands on the other two. At the same time, Wilder looked a lot better here and that’s a good idea. They seem to think they have something with him and it’s interesting to see getting a more serious push.
Post match Wilde throws Kavari outside in a heap.
Mike Cunningham vs. Lince Dorado
Cunningham is looking a lot cockier than usual here. Dorado takes him down with a flying mare to start so Cunningham runs him over and does something of a dance. Back up and Dorado armdrags him into an armbar but Cunningham takes over on the arm as well. Cunningham dropkicks him off the top and out to the floor, where it’s a twisting dive to take Dorado down again. Back in and Cunningham runs him over, meaning it’s time to go after the arm again.
A spinebuster plants Dorado for two but he’s right back up with a springboard, which is countered into a faceplant. Cunningham works on the arm again but Dorado knocks him outside for the running flip dive. Back in and a cross armbreaker doesn’t work for Dorado so he kicks Cunningham in the head. A handspring Stunner gives Dorado two so he goes up, where it’s a super Falcon Arrow to bring him back down. Cunningham loads up a powerbomb but Dorado reverses into a rollup for the pin at 8:15.
Rating: B-. Cunningham looked better here than he has before but it’s not a big loss to get beaten by someone with this kind of experience. If nothing else, Dorado is someone who can be used to help boost up the younger generation. I could go for more of both of them, as this was a nice surprise.
Post match Dorado thanks Cunningham for the match and is impressed by his skills. Cunningham thanks him for the lessons and promises to learn to get better. They shake hands and everything seems ok.
Timothy Thatcher is annoyed at someone on the phone before hanging up and praising Kendal Grey for setting the standard for the women’s division. In three weeks, it’s an Eliminator Gauntlet to crown a new Women’s Champion. Next week, we have a four way to determine who gets the final spot. In addition, some new prospects debut next week. That should be fun.
Kali Armstrong vs. Masyn Holiday
Layla Diggs is here with Holiday. Armstrong drives her into the corner to start and hits a heck of a running shoulder to the ribs. The powerslam cuts off a comeback attempt and the Kali Connection finishes Holiday at 1:12.
Braxton Cole is rather rich but has to deal with rough things like getting the ice off his Bentley, flying commercial to Cabo and having his lobster be too buttered.
Cappuccino Jones vs. Brooks Jensen
Jensen seems rather annoyed and shoves him out of the corner to start, only for Jones to come off the middle rope with a Stunner. Jones dropkicks him outside and we take a break. We come back with Jensen tying him in the ring skirt and hammering away. Back up and Jones tries to go up top, only to get knocked out to the floor. Jensen’s clothesline gets two and he chokes Jones on the ropes.
A weird stomp, with Jensen’s feet wrapped around Jones’ head as he jumps up, has Jones in more trouble and we hit a full nelson on the mat. That’s broken up and Jones misses a charge into the ropes, allowing Jones to…well slip on the ropes actually. An elbow out of the corner works a bit better for Jones and he strikes away, followed by a Cactus Clothesline. They brawl on the floor and knock the referee away for the double DQ at 8:29.
Rating: B-. It’s another nice match with a result you don’t see that often. Jones is someone who seems like he should be a comedy goof but he’s smooth enough in the ring to rise above that level. On the other hand you have Jensen, who is little more than a middle of the road villain who doesn’t have much to do. Then again they need bodies around here so Jensen does at least have a place.
Post match Jensen lays him out with the cowbell.
Kali Armstrong wants back in the Women’s Title picture and wanted to beat Kendal Grey to get it back. Timothy Thatcher says the goal is to get up to NXT, where she can face Grey again. He does give her something to calm the situation though: she can be in the four way for the final spot in the Gauntlet Eliminator.
Here is Aaron Rourke for his championship celebration. He can’t believe he’s here and while you know him as this confident guy, it wasn’t always the case. When he was a kid, he just wanted to bring his action figures to school rather than play football. People called him names and they made him hate who he was. Wrestling has been his escape since he was five years old, including people like Ric Flair, who inspired him to wear the robe.
Then there is his favorite wrestler, Charlotte, and he’ll be chasing her title record for his entire career. He wants to show people that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from because you can be a success. Don’t be anyone else but yourself because you are good enough and you are great.
He wants to be like the heroes he watched growing up and for people to see him as being outlandish but also himself. We get a rather nice thank you for all of the love and support he has received. He is privileged to be champion and enjoy the ride. Rourke can talk and that’s a rather positive message to be sending. I’ve liked the things he’s been saying in his promos since the beginning and this was rather good again.
Harlem Lewis is in the back and says that title will be his.
Overall Rating: B-. This show was designed to help establish some of the newer stars around here and it’s worked well enough. People like Wilder, Cappuccino and Rourke felt like big enough deals and I like where their stuff is going. At the same time you have Thatcher fitting into his role perfectly and that gives me hope for this show’s future. The next few weeks will show us where things are going, but they’re off to a nice enough start.
Results
Tate Wilder b. Kai Kavari – Wild Ride
Lince Dorado b. Mike Cunningham – Rollup
Kali Armstrong b. Masyn Holiday – Kali Connection
Cappuccino Jones vs. Brooks Jensen went to a double DQ when they both hit the referee
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Evolve – March 18, 2026: Because They Put In The Work
Evolve
Date: March 18, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenberg
It’s time for another title match and one way or another, the title is changing hands tonight. Jackson Drake is defending the Evolve Title against Aaron Rourke in Drake’s last match as part of Evolve and either loses the title or vacates it after winning. That’s quite the big deal for Rourke so let’s get to it.
The Vanity Project is in the back and talk about how they feel like they were just formed a few days ago. They go over the people that Jackson Drake has defeated to retain the Evolve Title and say Aaron Rourke will be light work tonight.
Opening sequence.
Kam Hendrix vs. Dante Chen
Harley Riggins is here with Hendrix. Chen shoves his way out of the corner to start but Hendrix takes him down by the arm. Hendrix cranks on an armbar, which doesn’t last long as Chen snaps off about a dozen armdrags in a row to send Hendrix outside. Back in and Hendrix drops him with a rolling clothesline and we hit the chinlock.
Another rolling clothesline is countered into a German suplex though and Chen gets a breather. Chen knocks him outside for a suicide dive, followed by a springboard chop to the head back inside. Riggins offers a distraction though and it’s Lights, Kam, Action for the pin on Chen at 4:39.
Rating: C. Well at least Hendrix won. Hendrix really got my attention when he helped run the show and hopefully that leads to some better things for him. He certainly has charisma and can talk rather well so it would be nice to see something else. A win is a start, and having Riggins as a sidekick is far from a bad idea.
Post match Hendrix and Riggins call out Tate Wilder.
Timothy Thatcher is in his office and messing with a lamp but he has some updates. The Women’s Title will be addressed next week, but in two weeks, we’ll have some new talent being showcased. It’s Gal comes in to ask about himself and gets a wad of paper thrown in his face. Thatcher asks if Gal wants attention, he can be on the April 1 show. Gal: “It’s Gal. It’s Gal. It’s Gal.” Thatcher: “I’ve got to get a lock for that door.”
Braxton Cole reads Aristotle and says he is the epitome of privilege with an education from Brown University. He is the perfect combination of brains and brawn and you’ll see why he is straight A’s all the way. That’s more than we’ve ever heard about him so I’ll take it.
Laynie Luck vs. Zena Sterling
Sterling works on a headlock to start but gets her leg swept out for a fast two. An armbar works a bit better for Sterling and she drops Luck with a shoulder. Luck is back up to send her to the apron for a Codebreaker, followed by a top rope double stomp onto the apron (ouch). The seated abdominal stretch goes on for a bit until Sterling escapes, setting up a big slugout. Sterling gets in a reverse DDT but Luck is right back with the Death Valley Driver for the fast pin at 4:45.
Rating: C+. Neither of these two have much of anything going on at the moment but it’s nice to see Luck getting a win. She’s been around the independent scene for such a long time and it’s awesome to see her finally getting a chance on a bigger platform. This win isn’t much but much like the opener, it’s certainly better than nothing.
Mike Cunningham talks to Lince Dorado in the parking lot and talks about growing up watching him. Dorado isn’t overly impressed but agrees to a match with Cunningham.
Here is Cappuccino Jones for a chat. Jones is ready to see Aaron Rourke take the Evolve Title tonight and bring it home with everyone in his corner. On his own side though, he’s tired of dealing with Brooks Jensen, who can remember any match but not the time when Jones beat him in the gauntlet match. Now he wants to fight so here is Jensen, who agrees to the match for next week.
Luca Crusifino gives Chuey Martinez a friendship bracelet and explains how inspired he was to roll all the way through Evolve. He is most effective when his energy is vibrating with love and it’s all “plur”. That means Peace, Love, Unity and Respect, which needs to be used more in Evolve. This is….I don’t know actually and I think I’d rather keep it that way.
Evolve Title: Aaron Rourke vs. Jackson Drake
Drake is defending. They fight over wrist control to start with Rourke rolling him up for two. Rourke flips out of a belly to back suplex and dropkicks him to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Drake still in trouble but Brad Baylor offers a distraction on the floor. That’s enough for Drake to grab a headlock on the mat, which is quickly reversed into a headlock.
Drake slips out of that and stomps away to take over, setting up a knee drop for two. A Russian legsweep gives Drake two and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up so Drake goes up, where he blocks a super hurricanrana attempt. Drake’s brainbuster gets two but Rourke ducks a superkick and hits a German suplex. Now the super hurricanrana connects and Eat Defeat gets two. A spinning Vader Bomb elbow gets two more and they go to the apron, where Drake manages a fast suplex.
We take another break and come back again with Rourke taking over and grabbing a half crab. Rourke stomps away at Drake, who comes back with a penalty kick for one. Rourke gets fired up but the referee is bumped, meaning Swipe Right can come in for the Super Swipe. That’s only good for two so Drake hits a Burning Hammer, followed by the Unaliving…for two more. Drake goes up but gets speared out of the air. Over The Rainbow gives Rourke the title at 14:08.
Rating: B. This is where Evolve feels different. On the surface, Rourke is not someone who feels like he would be the top star anywhere. It feels like a less than serious character that we’ve seen for years and would mostly be relegated to bad comedy. The difference is that Rourke was treated differently and it started with those vignettes and interviews with him a few months ago. They let you get to know him and made you want to like him, which wound up being the case. Without that kind of stuff, this doesn’t work, but because they put in the groundwork earlier, this is a pretty awesome moment.
As for the match itself, it was another chance for Drake to show what he could do, as he has come a VERY long way during his title run. After basically being just another guy at first, he wound up having a rather nice title reign and that makes Rourke being the one to beat him feel that much more important. This felt like a big time match and that is rather impressive as it wouldn’t seem likely on paper.
Post match the locker room comes in to celebrate with Rourke, who accidentally drops the title before posing with it to end the show.
Overall Rating: B-. This was obviously all about the main event and that worked rather well. That was pretty much the only thing that felt important here, which is why it was nice for this show to be a bit shorter. They didn’t stretch it out longer than necessary and that made things a bit easier. I liked the title change a good bit and Thatcher’s stuff was amusing as usual, so call it enough of a success this week.
Results
Kam Hendrix b. Dante Chen – Lights, Kam, Action
Laynie Luck b. Zena Sterling – Death Valley Driver
Aaron Rourke b. Jackson Drake – Over The Rainbow
Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
Evolve – March 11, 2026: The Vibes Of The Foreman On The First Final Evolution
Evolve
Date: March 11, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenberg
We’re back to the regular shows after a pair of special editions, but the big stuff is not over. In this case there is some kind of a major announcement, which could be a few different things. Hopefully it lives up to the hype, though there isn’t much of a history of big announcements around here. Let’s get to it.
Here is Robert Stone to announce the new Evolve General Manager: Timothy Thatcher. That makes sense, as he has enough credibility and can wrestle if he has to. Thatcher, in what passes for dressing up for him, is thankful but says he’s not a General Manager. Evolve is more like a worksite, so he’s the FOREMAN!
Stone gets to the point: the two Evolve champions are full time NXT stars, so Thatcher says they have to earn their way out. Both of them are going to have one more title defense, called their Final Evolution. If they win, they can vacate the title and leave as champion, but if not, we have a new standard bearer. Tonight, Kendal Grey can defend against Tyra Mae Steele, and next week, Jackson Drake can defend against….and here is Harlem Lewis to say he wants the shot. Thatcher shuts that down immediately, saying he has a match for Lewis right now.
Kendal Grey monologues about leaving Evolve and this will always be her first home. Tonight is different though and she’s staying on top. She’s ready to move on to NXT with momentum. I’m more curious about why all of the labels on the lockers were covered up here.
Harlem Lewis vs. Sam Holloway
Lewis charges at him but gets knocked down, only to put Holloway on the floor. Some hard shots stagger Holloway, who picks Lewis up and launches him at the post. Back in and Holloway’s springboard elbow gets two, followed by a shotgun dropkick for the same. The double arm crank goes on but Lewis is right back out. A middle rope elbow hits a standing Holloway’s back and Holloway misses a splash in the corner. Holloway’s spinning Rock Bottom gets two but a chokeslam is countered with a jumping knee to the face. The Boom Slang finishes for Lewis at 5:52.
Rating: C+. Lewis continues his roll and Holloway continues to look like quite the power brawler. This was two big guys beating each other up until Lewis got the win, which worked rather well for both of them. Lewis almost has to get the title match next week, as there aren’t many other options out there.
Luca Crusifino is now rather smiley and seems obsessed with dance music. He even has a bunch of friendship bracelets and talks about “vibing on the frequency of friendship and fun.” That’s…different and that’s as positive as I can be.
Tyra Mae Steele is rather excited about her title shot because she’s a different kind of amateur wrestler. She’s ready to have her name etched in the history books as the next Evolve Women’s Champion. Steele still isn’t great at this talking thing, but she’s trying.
Harley Riggins vs. Trill London
Kam Hendrix is here with Riggins and we’re told that Tate Wilder, who is not medically cleared, has been forced out of the building. London armdrags him down a few times and grabs an armbar. Riggins reverses into a wristlock of his own but gets wristdragged out to the floor. A dropkick through the ropes connects and a flip dive takes out Riggins and Hendrix. Back in and Riggins bounces him off the top rope, setting up a German suplex. London fights up and sweeps the leg, setting up some running flip dives to the back. Hendrix offers a distraction though and it’s a TKO to finish London at 3:38.
Rating: C. I love a good TKO so the finish looked great. Other than that though, this wasn’t the most thrilling match with London not getting to show much of his great athleticism. He feels like someone who they want to be a big prospect but it hasn’t happened just yet. At least Riggins and Hendrix get to stick together, which makes for a nice pairing.
Post match Hendrix and Riggins are happy with their win but Dante Chen comes out to say he doesn’t like what they’re doing. He respects the ID talent and seems to want a match.
Timothy Thatcher is blinded by a flashlight and is surprised by Aaron Rourke. He believes that opportunities are earned around here and the ID Program won the ten man tag. Rourke believes he’s earned a shot and represents the ID Program, so it’s time for him to stand up and get an opportunity. He wants the title shot to keep the title in Evolve, though Thatcher thinks Harlem Lewis makes a compelling argument. But his time can come, because Rourke gets the shot next week. I wasn’t betting on that one and it still works.
Women’s Title: Tyra Mae Steele vs. Kendal Grey
Grey is defending in her final match in Evolve. They go with amateur wrestling to start with Steele getting a waistlock. Back up and they fight over a hiptoss until settling for an armdrag out of the corner. Grey gets whipped hard into the corner and a belly to belly puts her down. A baseball slide puts Grey on the floor and we take a break.
We come back with Grey getting caught in something like an STF. Grey fights up but gets taken down with a gutwrench suplex and Steele does it again. Steele runs her over and puts on the reverse chinlock, which doesn’t last as long. Back up and another gutwrench suplex doesn’t work, setting up stereo crossbodies to leave both of them down.
Grey is up out of the corner with some elbows to the face and there’s a suplex. The straps come down and Grey goes up top, where she knocks Steele back down. Steele is right back with an Angle Slam for two and they both need a breather. They trade rollups for two each until Grey grabs a quick Shades Of Grey to retain at 12:16.
Rating: B-. This match had one of the best possible aspects, as I didn’t know who was going to win. I could have definitely seen Grey taking a loss to wrap up her time in Evolve and make Steele into an instant star. At the same time, it’s clear that WWE knows they have something special with Grey and they want to protect her. Good enough main event here, as Steele is slowly starting to put it together.
Post match Grey thanks the crowd and hands the title to Timothy Thatcher before leaving.
We get a long video on Grey to wrap it up.
Overall Rating: C+. The ending was the best part of the show, as Grey came off like a star, again. At the same time, Thatcher is an interesting choice for the new boss role and hopefully it works out long term. This was about setting up a new era of Evolve and also acknowledging that the point of this place is for people to move up. Grey and Drake both have to do it and that’s going to create some new openings, which is the entire point. That’s going to take some time, but they took the first steps here.
Results
Harlem Lewis b. Sam Holloway – Boom Slang
Harley Riggins b. Trill London – TKO
Kendal Grey b. Tyra Mae Steele – Shades Of Grey
Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
WWE Vault Grab Bag IV: That’s A Hot One (Includes Full Videos)
WWE Vault Grab Bag IV
Commentators: Marc Lowrance, Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse Ventura, Abraham Washington, Byron Saxton, Brett DiBiase, Matt Martlaro, Jim Ross, Chris Russo
This has become one of my favorite things to do lately as I’ll be looking at a totally random collection of matches from the WWE (or possibly WCW) Vault YouTube channels. You never know what they’re going to drop and it could be something even I’ve never seen before. We’ll be looking at another eleven matches here so let’s get to it.
From WCCW in Dallas, Texas, February 26, 1983.
Von Erichs vs. Freebirds
Lumberjack match. Hayes bails to the floor to start, which isn’t the most logical way to go in this kind of a match. Kerry and Gordy start things off and trade some fists until it’s quickly off to Hayes for the strutting. Hayes sends him into the buckle but gets punched down for two, meaning it’s off to David vs. Gordy.
David takes over rather quickly and hands it off to Kevin for the nice barefoot dropkick but Gordy sends him into the corner. Roberts comes in to choke on the rope and a pull of the trunks keeps David in trouble. A knee drop gets two and it’s back to Gordy to drive him into the corner. David gets a foot up to cut him off and it’s back to Kerry for the big hot comeback.
A snapmare into a knee drop has Gordy rocked but Roberts is right back in. Kerry gets dropped into a hammerlock and Hayes snaps the arm over the top rope. Hayes gets two off a hammerlock backbreaker and Kerry is sent outside where the lumberjacks…throw him back in without getting violent. Kerry manages the tag off to David and everything breaks down. Kerry and Roberts fight to the floor, leaving Hayes to come off the ropes with an ax handle. Kevin breaks up the cover though and David pins Gordy at 11:41.
Rating: B-. As usual, the match itself was only ok, but what mattered the most here was the crowd’s reaction. Make no mistake about it: nothing came close to getting this much heat in wrestling at this point, which is why WCCW is so fondly remembered to this day. It was the hottest feud in wrestling and that was the case for a very long time. Not great, but very entertaining.
Post match the Freebirds are ticked off before leaving. The Von Erichs thank the fans and want the World Title.
From Evansville, Indiana, February 3, 1998 in a dark match before Raw.
One Man Gang vs. Flanagan
The Gang gets quite the nostalgia pop and is a good bit slimmer than he was back in the day. Gang jumps him to start and chokes with a jacket before hammering away in the corner. Flanagan (Flash Flanagan, a longtime OVW star) comes back with a missile dropkick for one and some clotheslines, only to charge into a side slam. Gang splashes him in the corner but Flanagan is back with the usual assortment of strikes. Flanagan charges into a boot in the corner though and a huge clothesline puts him down again. The 747 finishes Flanagan off at 6:10.
Rating: C-. Oddly enough, the Gang didn’t look terrible here. He was out there doing his thing and looked decent doing it. The match wasn’t particularly good of course as Gang wasn’t great on his best day, but this was far from Earthquake’s disaster of an out of nowhere dark match. The other interesting thing is that Gang was only thirty seven here. It absolutely would not have been insane for him to still be going for a few more years so this was definitely worth a shot.
From New York City, New York, September 23, 1985.
Andre The Giant vs. King Kong Bundy
Yes this is the Colossal Jostle, which is a takeoff of Colossal Tussle, which was the planned name for the show that would eventually be dubbed Wrestlemania. Lou Albano and Jimmy Hart are here too. Andre powers him into the corner for the choke to start, with Bundy bailing out to the floor. Back in and Bundy hammers away in the corner but gets dropped with a quick headbutt. Bundy kicks him in the chest and boots him out to the floor for a change. Back in and Andre grabs an armbar and cranks away. Then he cranks some more.
Then they go to the mat with the cranking continues. We’ve been in this same hold for over three minutes now and there is just nothing happening. Wait, they turned over and rolled into the middle of the ring. Bundy FINALLY gets out of it after about four minutes and is headbutted outside for a heck of a bump. Back in and Andre wins a slugout before…well they might be loading up a tango. Bundy knocks him into the corner for more choking on the ropes but Andre cuts off a charge with a raised boot. Andre sits on Bundy’s chest but Big John Studd runs in for the DQ at 13:52.
Rating: D. Oh sweet goodness no. This was one of those matches where they were trying at the start and they could have done better if it was, say, eight minutes shorter. Having Andre work on the arm for almost a third of the match was quite the choice and it was hardly worth watching. They started fast and it was fun for a few minutes, but then reality set in and it got bad in a hurry.
Post match Andre rolls outside and grabs a chair, which he breaks over a table and chases the monsters off. Given that a ticked off Andre was a terrifying sight, I can’t blame them.
From WWC in Caguas, Puerto Rico, August 6, 1993.
Madusa vs. Luna Vachon
I believe that’s the date, as these two fought a few times in Puerto Rico around this time. They go to the mat to start with Vachon working on a hammerlock but getting reversed into a headscissors. That’s broken up and they head outside, with Madusa being sent (a long way) over the barricade.
Back in and Madusa grabs a slam but gets pulled into a nerve hold to put her back down. Madusa fights up and slaps her in the face a few times, setting up a chinlock. Vachon reverses into one of her own but that’s broken up as well, with Madusa grabbing a superplex for two. Back up and the missile dropkick misses for Madusa, allowing Vachon to get the quick pin at 7:30.
Rating: C-. Not exactly great stuff here, but women’s wrestling in 1993 was a very different universe. You could see the talent in there though and they were absolutely trying. It would have been nice to see things had they done this years later, but for now it’s certainly an interesting look at a rather different wrestling universe.
From New York City, New York, July 7, 2017.
US Title: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens
Styles is challenging at a house show. Owens stalls a lot before the bell and we’re clipped to more stalling, though the bell singes to have rang. The threat of a wristlock sends Owens bailing to the floor, with Styles following him out. Back in and Owens hammers away but his ram into the corner is blocked. Styles sends him into the buckle instead and they go outside, with Owens being sent crashing down.
Back in and the Phenomenal Forearm misses, allowing Owens to score with the superkick. Some right hands in the corner let Owens load up the Cannonball but Styles rolls outside, leaving Owens to chill on the top rope instead. A clothesline gives Owens two and we hit the chinlock.
We’re clipped to Styles getting pulled back down into the chinlock but he fights up again. A jumping enziguri puts Owens down as well and Styles hits the seated forearm. The belly to back faceplant gives Styles two but Owens bails from the threat of the Styles Clash. Instead Styles goes with the fireman’s carry backbreaker for two and they’re both down again. Another superkick gives Owens two but the Swanton hits raised knees. The Styles Clash gives Styles two and the Phenomenal Forearm connects to give Styles the pin and the title at 13:04 shown.
Rating: B. It’s no surprise that these two had solid chemistry together, but it’s also fascinating to see something like this happen at a house show. That really wasn’t the case most of the time but as usual, the Garden was just different. They had a good match, and Styles winning the title (even though he wouldn’t hold it long) is an easy way to go as Styles can make just about anything work.
Styles gets to celebrate for a long time and spends some time with the fans on the way out for a good moment.
From FCW in 2010/11. This is a bit different as it’s a look back at an entire rivalry with a few matches.
Queen Of FCW/Divas Title: AJ Lee vs. Naomi Knight
From FCW TV, August 29, 2010. Winner take all and that would be the FCW Divas Title, not the main roster version. There are a bunch of Divas watching at ringside too. Lee shoulders her down to start but runs into the Rear View. A backslide with the splits gives Naomi two as commentary is having WAY too much fun looking at these two. Lee flips her over and hits a running knee for two but Naomi blocks a headscissors on the floor. They crash out to the floor and slug it out until it’s a double countout at 2:31.
AJ Lee vs. Naomi Knight
From FCW TV, September 29, 2010 and a non-title lumberjill match. Naomi grabs a headlock to start but gets kicked to the floor, where she is rather aggressively thrown back inside. Lee grabs the chinlock but Naomi sends her outside, where the lumberjills throw her back inside as well. Washington: “That kind of turns me on.” Sweet goodness this guy is insufferable. Back in and a Rear View drops Lee again but she’s right back with a tornado DDT for two. Lee goes up but gets leg lariated out of the air to give Naomi the pin at 3:23.
Rating: C. Not much to see here, but this was a VERY different time for women’s wrestling. These two weren’t exactly given much time (as we’re at less than six minutes over two matches) and while it seems there is a story, it definitely feels like FCW saying “here’s a women’s match”. You need a bit more than that, though this was on the higher level of women’s wrestling at this point.
Divas Title: Naomi Knight vs. AJ Lee
From FCW TV, January 23, 2011 and Naomi is defending. Lee takes over to start and sends Naomi outside. Back in and Lee grabs a chinlock but Naomi fights up without much trouble. A spinning kick to the head gives Naomi two but a slingshot rollup is broken up. Lee knees her in the face for two, followed by the yet to be named Black Widow. That’s reversed into a backbreaker for two more but Lee is back up with a standing Sliced Bread #2 for the pin and title at 5:04.
Rating: C. This got a bit more time and that did help, but there is still only so much to get from this kind of a match. At least they were able to fit in a bit more with Lee evening the series. They’re also getting the chance to showcase their talents more each time and that was a great thing to see, as it was basically a preview of the coming years.
Divas Title: Naomi Knight vs. AJ Lee
From FCW TV, March 13, 2011 and Lee is defending. Lee takes her down into an early Fujiwara armbar. The Rear View connects but Naomi misses a big crossbody into the ropes for a heck of a crash. Lee is right back on the arm but Naomi kicks her down again. Naomi fires off more kicks, only to get kicked down out of the corner. The standing Sliced Bread #2 finishes for Lee at 1:34. Well that was pretty definitive.
From Portland, Maine, July 21, 1992. This is a dark match from a TV taping (they taped shows for different series that day), including the first ever WWF ladder match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.
Undertaker/Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair/Berzerker
Holy Lethal Lottery match! Paul Bearer, Mr. Perfect and Mr. Fuji are here too and this actually aired on a German WWF show later in the year (plus on a Randy Savage Unreleased DVD). We get the big staredown to start until Savage (the WWF Champion) grabs the mic for an OH YEAH. Savage and Flair start things off as we’re over two minutes in with no contact yet.
Flair does the hand slap and then slicks back his hair, meaning it’s finally time to lock up with about two and a half minutes burned off. Savage’s headlock is quickly reversed but he’s right back with a hammerlock. Flair bails to the rope so Savage slaps him in the face to make it more serious. Another slap has Flair down on one knee, with Perfect not exactly happy with any of this.
Flair does a rare leapfrog before getting dropped with a clothesline, meaning it’s off to Undertaker. The forearms and chops in the corner have as much effect as you would expect so Undertaker hits a gorilla press (and seems to stumble a bit as he slams Flair down). It’s off to Berzerker, who gets choked into the corner but knocks Undertaker outside. That’s fine with Undertaker of course, who sends Berzerler’s hands into the steps for some rather hilarious staggering selling.
Back in and Savage’s top rope ax handle gets two but Berzerker tosses him into the corner to take over. Flair comes in for a running chop and we hit the chinlock. Savage is tossed outside for a cheap shot from Perfect and Berzerker gets to toss him outside as well. The ring mats are pulled up and Savage gets caught underneath them for a bit of a weird spot. Back in and Savage gets tied up in the ropes but gets out and crawls over to Undertaker for the big tag. We don’t waste time as it’s a Tombstone to Berzerker, a clothesline to Flair and the big elbow to pin Berzerker at 13:37.
Rating: B-. Oh of course this was fun. There was pretty much no way that they weren’t going to have a good time out there, as it was the always effective idea of combining two feuds into one. I had a good time with this and it’s the kind of rarely seen match that is worth looking at all these years later. Come on. Savage and Berzerker? Undertaker and Flair? What’s not to like?
From Hartford, Connecticut, August 27, 1986, a dark match from a Wrestling Challenge taping.
Hulk Hogan/Junkyard Dog vs. Paul Orndorff/Adrian Adonis
Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart and Bob Orton are here too as Lord Alfred Hayes is ring announcer, which oddly works. Orndorff charges at Hogan and hammers away to start but Hogan fights back with right hands of his own. Hogan clears the ring of all the villains, both the legal and illegal ones, before hitting a jumping knee of all things to Orndorff. They fight out the floor with Hogan hammering away even more, followed by Dog coming in for right hands of his own.
The all fours headbutts have the villains down again and the crowd is going insane for all of this. There’s a bunch of trash thrown in and we settle down to Dog vs. Adonis (which thankfully allows Orndorff to fix his trunks, which were riding up). Dog wastes no time in sending Adonis outside, where Orton gets in a cheap shot to take over. Hogan isn’t having that but gets choked by some kind of a belt to put him down again. Back in and Dog headbutts Adonis, who flips around in quite the bump.
A double clothesline drops Adonis again but he’s able to come back with the sleeper. With Dog down, Orndorff adds a top rope fist drop and draws Hogan in like a moron. The chinlock goes on but Dog fights up and a double right hand puts both of them down again. Adonis is right there to cut off the tag though and a jumping elbow hits Dog. That doesn’t do much good though as Dog is up for the tag to Hogan a few seconds later, meaning right hands can come flying. Everything breaks down and Hart’s interference doesn’t work. Instead it’s the big leg to finish Adonis at 9:18.
Rating: B-. More entertaining stuff here, with Hogan of course being over like free beer in a frat house. You could pretty much put anyone with him and have them feel like a huge star, with the Dog already being a big deal on his own. That’s a pretty good situation to have and it worked again here. At the same time, Orndorff was absolutely white hot at this point and the best villain going, with Adonis being more than able to hang in there with anyone. Fun match.
Post match, a lot of posing ensues.
From the NXT pilot at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, December 7, 2011.
Cody Rhodes/Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus/Daniel Bryan
Rhodes is the Intercontinental Champion and says tonight they have defied time because this is tomorrow’s superstars today. This makes you wonder what happens if tomorrow never comes, so what about the current champions? Rhodes asks the people if they know who he is, because he may be the ugly duckling of the Legacy but he is the future of the WWE. He’s ready to define Daniel Bryan but here is Bryan (with banged up ribs and his Money In The Bank briefcase) to cut him off.
With Rhodes’ future wife Eden Stiles out of the way, we’re ready to go. Rhodes shoulders Bryan down to start but gets kicked in the chest for his efforts. That earns Bryan an elbow to the bad ribs, allowing McIntyre to come in and stay on those ribs. Sheamus comes in and gets knocked into the corner by McIntyre. That doesn’t last long as McIntyre is knocked to the apron for the ten forearms. Rhodes is sent outside as well and Bryan adds a running knee from the apron.
We take a break and come back with Bryan giving McIntyre a dragon screw legwhip but McIntyre goes to the ropes to save himself. Back in and Rhodes goes after the ribs, only to get pulled into a surfboard. Rhodes gets rolled up for two and rolls outside, going all the way into the crowd. Sheamus comes in and unloads with forearms to Rhodes’ back, followed by a forearm to knock Rhodes out of the air. McIntyre gets a blind tag and boots Sheamus in the face for two as we take another break.
We come back with Rhodes’ front chancery setting up McIntyre’s suplex for two on Sheamus. It’s back to Rhodes to stomp away in the corner as JR says that Rhodes has the X factor and will be WWE Champion one day. Fair enough actually. Sheamus picks Rhodes up for a toss and it’s back to Bryan to back up the pace, including the running dropkick in the corner. The Swan Dive misses though and Bryan is sent outside for a drop onto the barricade.
Bryan is thrown back in for an abdominal stretch from Rhodes, which includes an elbow to the ribs. McIntyre’s gutbuster gets two and the abdominal stretch goes on again. This time it’s broken up with a hiptoss and they hit stereo crossbodies. Bryan slides through McIntyre’s legs and it’s back to Sheamus for the powerhouse comeback. The Irish Curse gets two on McIntyre with Rhodes making the save as everything breaks down. The Brogue Kick finishes McIntyre at 25:27.
Rating: B. The time helped here as they were able to tell a lot more of a story, which is always appreciated. At the same time, this is a situation where you have four talented wrestlers who were given the chance of showcasing their skills, which was a big deal on this kind of a show. I got into this one and it was indeed worth a look.
Overall Rating: C+. This started slowly but ended well and that made things good enough. The good thing here is that there was a wide variety of matches, which granted is always the high point of these things. It’s another great mixture of what you can see from the Vault and I had fun with it again, which hopefully continues for a very long time.
Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
Evolve – March 4, 2026 (Succession II): They Can Do This Too
Evolve
Date: March 4, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard
It’s Succession II and that means the season two premiere, after the whole week since the season finale. This show features a pair of title matches, with both the Evolve and Women’s Titles on the line. That should make for a big show and you never know when you might see someone new pop up. Let’s get to it.
Jackson Drake brags to Swipe Right about their success but Brad Baylor thinks they need some female companionship. Either way, tonight the gold stays with the Vanity Project.
Cappuccino Jones talks about the expectations for this show and goes over the card. Jones is going to take the title and make it taste good.
Opening sequence.
IMG Credit: WWE
Brooks Jensen vs. Harlem Lewis
Lewis drives him into the corner to start, with an exchange of strikes sending both of them staggering. A bulldog gives Lewis two but Jensen is back up with a chinlock, which is broken up just as fast. Jensen is able to tie him in the ring skirt and hammer away, which Lewis shrugs off. Lewis sends him shoulder first into the buckle but Jensen’s belly to back suplex gets two. Some elbows to the head slow Jensen down and it’s a double shot to the face to put both of them down.
We take a break and come back with Jensen choking away, followed by a clothesline to the back of the head for two. The chinlock goes on but Lewis sends him flying with a suplex to escape. A hard clothesline gives Lewis two so Jensen kicks him in the head. That sets up a sitout powerbomb for two but Lewis pulls him into a Fujiwara armbar. Jensen rolls out and they trade uppercuts, followed by a hard clothesline to stagger Jensen again. The Boomslay gives Lewis the pin at 10:02.
Rating: B-. This was a good, hard hitting fight and it feels like Lewis is on his way to the title picture. He’s the kind of star who could easily take the Evolve Title from Jackson Drake, as that would have been a heck of a beating. Jensen continues to feel like he is only there to make others look better, which he did well enough here.
Post match Lewis says no one in the back can beat him and he’s coming for the title.
Video on Laynie Lewis, who has been wrestling since she was 21 and it’s time to make an impact around here.
We recap Kendal Grey defending the Women’s Title against the monster PJ Vasa, who has been rather violent with her. Therefore, the only solution is street fighting.
IMG Credit: WWE
Women’s Title: PJ Vasa vs. Kendal Grey
Grey, with Wren Sinclair, is defending in a street fight and goes right after Vasa to start. The early right hands don’t do much good as she gets knocked out to the floor. Back up and Grey grabs an armbar over the ropes, allowing her to whip out a table. Vasa cuts that off and hits a heck of a clothesline back inside. They’re already back on the floor, with Grey slugging away until a big headbutt puts her down again.
We take a break and come back with Grey cutting off a chair shot and striking away. That just earns her a Black Hole Slam to give Vasa two and she unloads with chair shots to the back. Vasa throws in a bunch of chairs (ECW reference), with one of them knocking Grey down again. Grey breaks up something off the top with some forearms to knock Vasa down, followed by a dropkick onto the chairs.
That lets Grey chair Vasa down instead and she kicks Vasa outside, only to get speared through the table. Back in and a powerbomb gives Vasa two so it’s time to bring in the steps. Another powerbomb is loaded up but this one is reversed into Shades Of Grey onto the steps to retain the title at 9:08.
Rating: B-. They’ve got something with Grey and they seem to know it, which is why she’s racking up all of these wins. I can’t imagine she’s holding the title much longer, as it’s time for her to move up to NXT full time. There is no one left in Evolve to give her a real challenge, so move her up and let someone else get the title. Who that might be is kind of hard to determine, but someone has to step up sooner or later.
Post match Tyra Mae Steele, in the VIP section, looks interested in the title. And that might be the stepper upper.
Next week: a Town Hall Major Announcement.
Earlier today, Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins jumped Tate Wilder in the parking lot.
We recap Jackson Drake defending the Evolve Title against Cappuccino Jones. They’ve been feuding on and off throughout Evolve’s history and Jones wants the title after helping Drake retain the title against Kam Hendrix a few weeks ago.
IMG Credit: WWE
Evolve Title: Jackson Drake vs. Cappuccino Jones
Drake, with Swipe Right in the VIP, is defending. Jones starts fast with an armbar, which is reversed into a quickly broken headscissors. Back up and Drake grabs a headlock before walking over Jones’ back to turn up the disrespect a bit. Drake knocks him into the corner but Jones picks up the pace and hits a dropkick out to the floor. Another dropkick through the ropes has Drake in more trouble and we take a break.
We come back with Drake taking over again and hitting the running crotch attack in the ropes for two. Drake starts tying up the legs and dropping some knees to the back, setting up a rather logical backbreaker. The front facelock is broken up so Drake grabs a neckbreaker for two. That means a cravate to slow Jones down again but he eventually fights up with a running dropkick in the corner.
Jones charges into a superkick in the corner and gets suplexed into the corner for quite the painful landing. They forearm it out and knock each other down, with Drake going to the ropes. The springboard is broken up and Jones drops him with an elbow to the face. That’s enough to send Drake outside for a suicide dive, which Jones almost overshoots but thankfully avoids a horrible crash.
Back in and Jones gets two off a suplex but Drake kicks him in the head, setting up a bridging German suplex for two. The Unaliving is cut off with a forearm to the face and Jones drops a Froggy Brew for another near fall. Jones tries a springboard but dives into a neckbreaker. They slug it out on the apron, with Drake grabbing a kind of brainbuster to knock Jones loopy.
A 450 gives Drake two but Jones forearms him out of the air to break up a springboard. The Decaffinator gets two but Drake breaks up another Froggy Brew. They both go up with Drake getting choked until he plants Jones back down with a super Burning Hammer. The Unaliving retains the title at 18:33.
Rating: B. I’m a bit surprised by the result, as I wasn’t expecting Drake to keep the title. He and the rest of the Project have moved up to NXT so in theory he should be losing the title sooner than later. That’s possibly going to be with Lewis, though I’m not sure where that leaves Jones. They had a rather good match here and Jones has talent, but he kind of came out of nowhere for the title shot and then lost, which isn’t a great sign for his future.
Post match the Vanity Project celebrates but Harlem Lewis clears the ring. Ricky Smokes offers a distraction though and the Project runs in, only to be cleared out again. Lewis poses to end the show.
Overall Rating: B+. You had three matches, all of which worked, and the first tied into the show closing angle. Nothing was close to bad and it did feel big, though I was expecting one of the titles to change hands. The good thing is that they set this up as a big card and delivered, which is more than some bigger promotions can do. As usual, Evolve does just about everything well, including their specials.
Results
Harlem Lewis b. Brooks Jensen – Boomslay
Kendal Grey b. PJ Vasa – Shades Of Grey onto the steps
Jackson Drake b. Cappuccino Jones – Unaliving
Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
2nd Annual Battle Of The WWF Superstars: We Lost (Includes Full Video)
Battle Of The WWF Superstars II
Commentators: Sean Mooney, Lord Alfred Hayes
Host: Sean Mooney
This is another Coliseum Video and much like a good many of them, it really doesn’t have a theme. The previous edition was only notable for Sean Mooney doing a really bad Patton impression so hopefully they have something better this time around. You never can tell with these things though so let’s get to it.
This is from the summer of 1991.
We open with a preview of some WrestleFest 91. Randy Savage jumps in to say he’ll be hosting the tape, which wasn’t very good.
Sean Mooney is indeed the host again and the Patton stuff continues, thankfully without the voice.
We see Mooney driving up to meet his troops, promising them a lot of action.
From Orlando, Florida, February 18, 1991.
Intercontinental Title: Mr. Perfect vs. Roddy Piper
Perfect, with Bobby Heenan, is defending and this should be good. They take their time to start with Perfect spitting gum into Piper’s face, earning himself a beating out to the floor. The chase gets Perfect back inside so Piper puts the referee in the corner to start the fight. That has Perfect bailing out to the floor again before coming back inside to lose a slugout. Piper even grabs Perfect’s singlet to hold him in place for more right hands.
The singlet is ripped off, leaving Perfect in regular trunks for a weird look. Piper gets up for a double clothesline but can’t follow up, allowing Perfect to putt he singlet on again. Back up and Perfect starts choking before kicking away at the ribs. A dropkick puts Piper on the apron and it’s time to remove a turnbuckle pad. That’ll be for later apparently as they go to the pinfall reversal sequence, before a kickout crushes the referee.
Piper is sent into the exposed buckle, allowing the PerfectPlex to (eventually) get two. Another ram into the buckle is blocked and they go outside, with Piper ramming him into the steps a few times. Piper finds a belt for some whipping but Perfect sends him into the barricade. Perfect goes up top but gets crotched back out to the floor, allowing Piper to beat the count for the win at 12:18.
Rating: B. This is a case where it wasn’t about the action, which was just ok, but rather having a hot crowd and playing along with them. Piper and Perfect knew exactly what to do here and it wound up working so well. Piper could got so much out of so little and when he had someone as good as Perfect to boost it up, things got even better. Very fun match here, even if it was mostly goofy.
From New York City, New York, January 21, 1991.
Nasty Boys vs. Bushwhackers
This is the Fan Favorite match, meaning a fan requested it, and for once I can kind of believe that. Jimmy Hart is here with the Nastys as Luke and Knobbs start things off. Knobbs bails into the corner to start and everything breaks down in a hurry. The brawl sees the Nastys cleared to the ring so whacking can ensue. Back in and Sags takes over on Butch to slow things down a bit. It’s quickly back to Luke and some Battering Rams clear the ring and it’s time to march.
We settle back down to Sags getting in a chair shot to Luke so the villains can actually take over for a change. Butch is drawn in, allowing some elbows to keep Luke down. The big elbow in the corner misses for Sags though and the tag brings Butch in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Luke makes a save, only for Sags to elbow Butch and give Knobbs the pin at 7:48.
Rating: D. And then we go back in the other direction with this drek. This was every bit as bad as you would have expected, with the Bushwhackers doing their comedy and the Nastys doing their best to sell it. The problem is neither team can do much other than brawling and this was more about the comedy, which made for a rough match.
From New York City, New York, November 24, 1990.
Bret Hart vs. Barbarian
Hart is half of the Tag Team Champions at this point and it feels like these two fought a dozen times on Coliseum Video. Barbarian powers him down to start and kicks him in the head. Hart’s attempt at a comeback sees him tossed into the corner but he avoids the rope walk elbow. That lets Hart’s middle rope elbow connect and there’s the running clothesline for two more. Barbarian is right back with a powerslam before he blocks a piledriver. Instead he sits down on Hart and poses, allowing Hart to get the sunset flip for the pin at 4:10.
Rating: C. You could more or less guarantee that was going to be the finish, if nothing else due to how many times they did the EXACT SAME THING. The match itself was fine, but what are you supposed to do with a match this short? This felt like “get Hart on the card on his own” more than anything else, which was fine.
And now, trivia, asked by wrestlers! Well some of them at least.
1. What was the official symbol for Hulk Hogan’s return against Earthquake?
2. What tag team was known as the “Pink & Black Attack?”
3. Why was the Big Boss Man mad at Bobby Heenan?
4. What is Mr. Perfect’s finishing move?
5. What caused Jake Roberts to lose his vision?
Not exactly tricky here.
From Orlando, Florida, February 18, 1991.
Jake Roberts vs. Kato
Mr. Fuji and Tanaka are here too. Roberts is in some weird blue/yellow tights and that’s a very strange look for him. An early wristlock sends Kato bailing over to the ropes but Roberts stays on the arm, even lifting him up by said arm. Kato fights up and is elbowed in the face, followed by another takedown by the arm. The threat of the DDT sends Kato bailing out to the floor, only for his cheap shot to be cut off.
Another attempt at the DDT has Kato on the floor again but he’s back in a bit faster this time. Roberts runs into a knee in the corner and gets sent outside for a cane shot to the back. Tanaka gets in a shot of his own and Roberts finally gets back inside. Some left hands and the short clothesline drop Kato but Tanaka sneaks in to break up the DDT. The DDT connects a few seconds later but Tanaka comes in for the DQ at 7:04.
Rating: D-. Freaking KATO? There is something to be said about protecting wrestlers, but not only was Kato beaten, but Roberts fought all three of them off and had the match won. This was a one sided match against a villain who was in way over his head and he can’t even take a fall. I have no idea what the thinking was here but there was no reason for it to go this way.
Post match Roberts fights the team off and chases Fuji to the back with the snake.
We get a profile on Jim Duggan, meaning the soldiers now have 2x4s.
We start with Duggan in a building made of wood, where he gives us a tour of his collection of 2x4s, one of which is autographed by people with wood related named (Woody from Cheers, James Woods and the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra). Ok that’s at least clever.
From New York City, New York, March 15, 1991.
Jim Duggan vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Non-title flag match and General Adnan and Hulk Hogan (in camouflage) are here too. Duggan slugs away to start and Slaughter is down in the corner early. Actually we’ll make that out to the floor, meaning it’s time to hit the stall button. Back in and they lock up, with Slaugher backing him against the ropes. That earns him a big shove and the right hands, which Duggan always made look good.
Slaughter manages to get in a kick to the face though and some choking on the ropes has Duggan in more trouble. Duggan slugs up again but gets caught in a sleeper to slow him back down. That’s only good for two arm drops before Duggan gets up and sends Slaughter into the buckle. Slaughter knocks him down again and actually goes up for a top rope knee. Hogan even gets jumped from behind, which is enough to let Slaughter go up again but get shoved down for the crash.
Hogan and Adnan just come on in, with Slaughter going outside to beat on Hogan some more. Some cable choking has Hogan down and now it’s back inside for some knee drops to Duggan. The camel clutch goes on so Adnan gets on the apron for the sole purpose of allowing Hogan to hit Slaughter with the board. Duggan eventually gets up and covers Slaughter, which draws in Adnan for the save and DQ at 14:12, because after everything else before that was fine.
Rating: C-. The match itself wasn’t good, but the heat did help a lot. At the same time, it’s rather clear that Hogan is going to win for America at Wrestlemania and Slaughter didn’t even get to look strong here. It was a long match and did feel important, but there was no hiding the fact that Slaughter was on borrowed time and everyone knew it even more this match.
Post match Slaughter and Adnan beat up Hogan and Duggan, allowing them to wave the Iraqi Flag. Slaughter leaves but forgets the title, with Adnan coming back to get it and….yep that’s going to be a beating for him. At least the American flag is waved. Wrestlemania was in 9 days so America would be avenged soon enough.
Duggan goes to a lumber yard to get some fresh 2x4s. And yes, the man who cuts his wood is named Woody. And yes, we watch the board be cut.
From Cedar Rapids, Iowa, April 16, 1991.
Jim Duggan vs. Smash
Mr. Fuji is here with Smash, who was mostly a singles wrestler at this point. They take their time to start, with Duggan of course knowing how to play to the crowd to keep them going. Smash backs him into the corner but gets clotheslined down a few times. The third sends him outside but he comes back in to take over on Duggan in the corner.
Some forearms in the corner set up a neck crank, followed by a legdrop for two. We’re back to the neck crank, which allows Duggan to fight up and slug away in the corner. That means Duggan gets to tell the referee to LAY OFF MY BACK, as was his custom. Fuji’s distraction doesn’t work and it’s the three point clothesline to finish Smash at 6:11.
Rating: C-. Well at least Duggan got the pin. It was just over Smash, who was kind of hanging around until he got something fresh at this point, but at least Duggan got the win. That’s not much of a focus on Duggan, but that’s oddly the case with a lot of these Coliseum Video profiles, which was always a weird way to go.
Mooney is lost but finds his way to the next match.
From Ft. Wayne, Indiana, October 30, 1990.
WWF Title: Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage
Savage, with Queen Sherri, is challenging and this is a dark match from after the fourth Main Event. Warrior runs in, clotheslines him down, hits the usual, and it’s the gorilla press into the Warrior Splash to retain at 1:32. Warrior didn’t even have his face painted and commentary pointed out that something had to be wrong with Savage.
From Savannah, Georgia, January 29, 1991.
Ted DiBiase vs. Tugboat
Ok then. DiBiase tries to jump him to start but gets clotheslined outside instead. Back in and a rake to the eyes just makes Tugboat mad so he whips DiBiase into some corners. DiBiase needs a timeout on the floor and comes back in to get elbowed in the face. The elbow drop misses for Tugboat and DiBiase bails again, this time with Tugboat giving chase.
That goes as well as you would expect, with DiBiase catching him on the way back inside. Some choking has Tugboat down again and they go outside, with DiBiase choking against the barricade. Tugboat manages to post him and they go back inside for some splashes in the corner. DiBiase gets in a shot of his own and tries the Million Dollar Dream, which is broken up rather quickly. Tugboat misses a charge into the corner though and DiBiase gets a rollup for the clean pin at 6:41.
Rating: D. Another rather lame match as Tugboat is the biggest example of “I liked him when I was a kid but wow he does not hold up.” There’s just nothing to him here and DiBiase had nothing to work with, which is why they got out of there pretty quickly. The change to Typhoon would help, but there was only so much that Tugboat in any form was going to be able to do.
Mooney uses binoculars to see….the Tag Team Match Of The Month logo. Are we sure that’s not a Viewmaster?
From Chattanooga, Tennessee, January 8, 1991.
Power & Glory/Warlord vs. British Bulldog/Legion Of Doom
Slick is here with the villains. Hawk glares around a lot to start before punching Roma in the face a few times. The top rope clothesline misses though and Roma stomps away in the corner. Something resembling a dropkick sends Roma outside, where he actually takes over. Back in and Roma hits a much better looking dropkick but Hawk pops back up with a neckbreaker.
Animal and Warlord come in for the power off, with an exchange of shoulders going to a standoff. Animal’s flying clothesline (which almost goes over the head) drops Warlord and it’s off to Hercules for a clothesline of his own. Bulldog comes in and gets knocked down as well, with Warlord adding the elbow drops. Warlord ducks his head so Bulldog can get in a leapfrog but Roma cuts off a powerslam attempt. The villains take turns stomping on Bulldog until Warlord gets most of a full nelson. Bulldog starts to power out and everything breaks down….for a double DQ at 7:17.
Rating: D+. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Power & Glory were about to lose to the LOD in less than a minute at Wrestlemania but they can’t do a job here in a six man tag off a fluke rollup or something? After the rest of this wretched tape, you would think we could have one more actual win for the good guys but nah, let’s just keep doing weak stuff like this to wrap up the tape.
Mooney wraps it up and is driven away in a jeep (or tank, according to HHH), but isn’t pleased with his driver’s abilities. Yeah seriously that’s all they have for the big closing. You’re surprised?
Overall Rating: D. Piper vs. Perfect aside, this was one of the worst tapes I can remember coming from Coliseum Video. It’s one pitiful match after another with people not being able to take a pin for whatever reason, despite this being released months later. Some of these finishes actually had me getting mad, which came after seeing some of what we were watching (Roberts vs. Kato actually being booked is amazing in its own right). Absolutely horrible stuff here, though Piper vs. Perfect is definitely worth a look.
Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
Evolve
Date: February 25, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenberg
It’s the season finale, meaning we’re only one week away from Succession II. This show should be a big one as well though, as we have another PC vs. ID ten man tag, albeit with more traditional rules. This time though, Tate Wilder is also here as the guest referee. Let’s get to it.
Earlier today, Team PC planned strategy but it seems Drake Morreaux is nowhere to be found, so Cyrus is here instead. Who’s Cyrus? Someone making his debut and he’s a former football player.
Tyra Mae Steele vs. Zena Sterling
Steele suplexes her to start fast and an AA gets two. Sterling gets sent flying again and it’s a spear into a bridging German suplex to give Steele the pin at 1:18. Total destruction.
Post match Steele says she’s going to watch the Women’s Title match next week. She gives a bit of a preview of the match until Kali Armstrong’s entrance cuts her off. Armstrong and Steele even dance a bit during Armstrong’s entrance.
Kali Armstrong vs. Wendy Choo
Choo grabs a quickly broken Dirt Nap to start before snapping off some armdrags. A dropkick puts Armstrong on the floor and there’s the running flip dive off the apron. We take a break and come back with Armstrong being sent outside again, where she trips Choo down and hammers away.
Back in and the running shoulders in the corner set up a running boot in the same corner for two. The chinlock doesn’t last long and Armstrong misses a charge. A hammerlock lariat puts Armstrong down again and Choo kicks her down. Another running boot gives Choo two but Armstrong powerslam gets the same.
Armstrong’s superplex doesn’t seem to hurt Choo, as she pops back up with a brainbuster for two of her own. The Dirt Nap goes on and they roll outside with the hold still on, with Armstrong tapping outside. That doesn’t matter so they go back inside, where Armstrong crotches her on top, setting up the Kali Konnection for the pin at 7:58.
Rating: B-. Well Armstrong definitely needed the win and it’s nice to see her getting back to what worked for her before. Armstrong is still someone who seems like she has a spot higher up on the card going forward and it would be nice to see what else she can do. The powerhouse athlete will work for awhile and hopefully the development continues.
The Vanity Project meets up with Team ID and they seem ready to be on the same team.
Harlem Lewis isn’t happy with Brooks Jensen for attacking him and is ready to fight at Succession.
Team PC vs. Team ID
PC: Kam Hendrix, Harley Riggins, Braxton Cole, Cyrus, Keanu Carver
ID: Sean Legacy, Aaron Rourke, Mike Cunningham, Brad Baylor, Ricky Smokes
One fall and Tate Wilder is guest referee. After the tease of a pre-match brawl, Legacy tries Shambles on Hendrix but gets it broken up and everything breaks down. Carver cleans house and comes in to face Legacy, who can’t get very far by striking away. Cyrus shoulders Legacy down and hands it off to Hendrix, who can’t get anywhere with a sunset flip.
Legacy goes over to tag Rourke but Smokes breaks that up and Baylor tags himself in instead. It’s quickly off to Smokes, who gets backdropped down, allowing Baylor to come back in. The running Downward Spiral drops Riggins, who brings Carver back in for a bunch of clotheslines as we take a break. We come back with Hendrix hammering on Smokes in the corner, who manages to climb over Hendrix for the tag off to Baylor.
Riggins takes him into the corner but can’t keep him there, allowing the tags off to Legacy and Cyrus. Legacy takes over for a bit, only for Riggins to take over and drop Legacy again. That’s enough for Legacy to go over to Cunningham, who comes in with a high crossbody. A cheap shot lets Riggins put Legacy down so Jackson Drake gets inside and yells at Wilder.
That earns Drake a shot to the face so all three members of the Vanity Project walk out, even despite Cappuccino Jones trying to cool them off. With Jones staying at ringside, Cunningham keeps getting beaten up in the corner, with Riggins’ running elbow getting two. The double arm crank is broken up but Hendrix is back in to forearm Cunningham in the face.
Cunningham manages an enziguri out of the corner but Carver knocks Jones into the steps. Everything breaks down and Cunningham gets dropped throat first onto the top rope. Team ID is down on the floor and we take a break. We come back with Cunningham still in trouble and Hendrix dropping him with a forearm.
Cunningham finally fights out and brings in Rourke to clean house, including Eat Defeat to Riggins. Carver is back in and everything breaks down, with Jones kicking Carver in the head. Hendrix is put down for Rourke’s split legged moonsault. Lights Cam Action is broken up and Hendrix accidentally runs into Wilder. Hendrix helps him up but walks into Over The Rainbow to give Rourke the pin at 18:58.
Rating: B. I’m not entirely sure what to think of this one, as I’m still not entirely sure why the PC and ID teams are these mortal enemies. I get that the ID stars have different contracts, but it doesn’t exactly feel like a reason for a blood feud. That being said, the match did feel big and it came off as something that belonged on a bigger show like this one. Team ID winning despite being down makes them feel more important, and you could go in a few ways with what happened and how we got there.
Post match Jones puts over Team ID and says tonight is Legacy’s last night on Evolve. The team thanks him for everything he’s done and Jones wants a speech. Legacy thanks the fans for always believing in him and seeing how far he has gone. He thanks the people who are taking the future in their hands, though he doesn’t mention Cunningham, who does not look pleased. Legacy goes on to thank the fans to wrap up the show.
Overall Rating: B. This felt like the first half of a big double show and that’s a good way to go. The main event definitely felt like the most important part and Legacy leaving is quite the moment. What matters the most here is that the show felt important, which is pretty impressive given how this is as low as it gets on the WWE ladder. Next week already feels even bigger, so they even have something else ready to go. Nice job here, as they know how to do the big matches and shows.
Results
Tyra Mae Steele b. Zena Sterling – Bridging German suplex
Kali Armstrong b. Wendy Choo – Kali Konnection
Team ID b. Team PC – Over The Rainbow to Hendrix
Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
