Evolve
Date: September 2, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Robert Stone, Blake Howard

The focus is on the titles this week as we have a pair of #1 contender fatal fourways. That’s going to be enough to give the title pictures a new direction for a few weeks, which is more than enough around here. Other than that, I’m sure the Mog Squad will annoy someone else so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Harlem Lewis heads to the VIP Lounge and wants to see who is next for his Evolve Title.

Here is Max Abrams, who has a protective mask on, admitting that he has had work done. Dr. DeNucci says he is recovering faster than anyone ever. No matter what you want to say about him, he is NOT ugly. He wants everyone here to get their phone at and look at themselves. Now ask yourself a question: do I need help?

The fans think Abrams means himself so after a correction, he says everyone here needs help, just like he got. Anyway, he’s healing very fast and the X Factor is coming out. Abrams is going to be #1 contender but for now, CJ Valor is taking his place. This was far from smooth and not exactly good, with Abrams taking far too long to get to the point and having to fix things a few times.

CJ Valor vs. It’s Gal vs. Harley Riggins vs. Cutler James

For a future Evolve Title shot. James and Riggins take over to start, with James spearing Riggins down. Gal Codebreakers James and helps Valor drop him with a double flying shoulder. We pause for Gal and Valor to pose at each other so Riggins gives Gal a running boot. Riggins and James slug it out again with Riggins getting the better of things and kicking Valor in the face. Another knockdown takes Riggins out though and everyone is down as we take a break.

We come back with Gal taking over, including a Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Riggins. James cuts that off but rejects an off of an alliance with Valor, who is planted with a tilt-a-whirl gutbuster. James knocks Riggins down again and then gives Valor a giant swing while also airplane spinning Gal. Riggins is back up to drop James again but Valor gives him a spinebuster for two.

James powerbombs Riggins out of the air for two and Gal clears the ring, setting up a springboard dive onto the other three. We pause for Riggins to go after Harlem Lewis in the VIP section, leaving Gal to gutbuster Valor for two, with Max Abrams pulling the referee out. James is back in with Into The Vortex to finish Valor at 8:08.

Rating: B-. It was your standard “I jump you, he jumps me and so on” four way with Abrams’ interference not exactly working out for him in the end. James is probably the biggest name in the match but he’s also one of the least interesting. That’s not going to make for the best title match, but at least Lewis can beat an NXT star to keep the title.

Sloane Jacobs interrupts Nikkita Lyons’ meditation to talk about tonight’s #1 contenders match. Lyons doesn’t seem to care who she faces.

Zena Sterling tried to fit in when she got here but now she’s going to do whatever it takes to become a star, including cheating.

Cutler James and Sam Holloway almost get into a fight backstage.

Here is WWE ID 1.0 for a chat. Aaron Rourke says he’s still standing and this thing with the Mog Squad ends right now. Marcus Mathers and Cappuccino Jones want the Mog Squad out here right now, with Sam Holloway agreeing. Cue the Mog Squad to insult the team and pose. The ID guys want to fight but here is Timothy Thatcher to say not so fast. Next week it’s an ID Showcase, but it’s also a four on four gauntlet series. As usual, Thatcher knows how to get to the point like no one else.

Skylar Raye and Wren Sinclair get along but they’re both ready to win the four way and challenge Nikkita Lyons for the Women’s Title.

Video on the WWE ID Program.

Sloane Jacobs introduces Nikkita Lyons to the VIP Lounge. Anya Rune is waiting for her but Veronica Haven and Giana Capri lay her out.

Wren Sinclair vs. Zena Sterling vs. Skylar Raye vs. Laynie Luck

For a future Women’s Title shot. They go with the rapid fire rollups for two each to start until Sterling takes over. Sinclair and Luck are smashed in the corner and Raye gives them both a crossbody. Sterling is sent outside and dropkicked off the apron by Sinclair, with Raye diving onto everyone. We take a break and come back with Sinclair and Raye hitting high crossbodies for two each. Luck kicks Sinclair in the head before dropping her with a German suplex.

Back up and Sinclair gets two off an Alabama slam with Sterling making the save. Sinclair facebusters Sterling into the Final Wrench, with Luck making the save. Raye Blockbusters Luck, who DDTs Sinclair, giving Raye a pair of near falls. Sinclair and Raye crash down to the floor with Raye grabbing a tornado DDT. Back in and Luck enziguris Sterling but the lights flicker and The Unknown appears to take Luck out. Raye hits Star Struck to pin Luck at 9:29.

Rating: B-. Raye winning is a bit of a surprise and I’m curious to see how her title match goes. Odds are she doesn’t win but it’s more than she’s done around here thus far. Luck getting to be the first victim of the Unknown is interesting, though we’ll have to see what the Unknown is all about. The result is a bit of a surprise, which isn’t the biggest shock around here, and I’ll take that.

Post match Lyons comes in for the staredown (very down in this case, as she towers over Raye) with Raye to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was all about the title pictures and those things went well. Other than that you had the big eight man tag being set up for next week, which is more than enough. The point here was about getting things ready for the coming weeks and that should be more than enough to carry things forward. In other words, Evolve continues to plan things out and make those plans work. That’s nice to see and it was on display again here with another efficient show.

Results
Cutler James b. CJ Valor, It’s Gal and Harley Riggins – Into The Vortex to Valor
Skylar Raye b. Laynie Luck, Wren Sinclair and Zena Sterling – Star Struck to Luck

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Evolve
Date: August 19, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Robert Stone

The title situation around here continues to be the main focal point, but that is the kind of thing that can go in a different direction in any given week. Harlem Lewis needs a new challenger while Thea Hail is coming after Nikkita Lyons and the Women’s Title. That’s enough for the time being, along with the rather active midcard stuff. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Thea Hail knows Nikkita Lyons is in touch with her spirit guides or something but Hail doesn’t care who Lyons brings with her.

Opening sequence.

CJ Valor vs. Sam Holloway

The Mog Squad is here with Valor, who jumps Holloway from behind to start. Holloway shoulders him down without much effort and then hits the big dive to take out the Squad. The distraction works though as Valor is back up with a spear on the floor, followed by a top rope shoulder back inside.

Valor gets Holloway up for a pretty impressive spinebuster and we hit the chinlock. Holloway is back up with a clothesline into a heck of a running dropkick to knock Valor silly. Valor is able to reverse a big boot into a powerbomb though and a rolling Chaos Theory gives Valor two. Back up and Holloway tries a powerslam but has to deal with the Squad. That actually works for a change and a sitout chokeslam finishes Valor at 6:38.

Rating: B-. They had a good match here and it’s nice to see Holloway getting a win for a change. I don’t remember the last time he actually got a win so he needs to do something like this every so often, just to keep his value a bit stronger. The Squad continues to be some of the bigger heels around here, but at least someone got to them for a change.

Harlem Lewis talks about how everything changed after winning the Evolve Title. He didn’t expect to get emotional when his brother was proud of him winning the title. His relationships around here have changed because they want the title too. This belt means more to him than any friendship, which is why he had no problem winning the four way a few weeks back. Get used to him being champion.

Cutler James vs. Marcus Mathers

James backs him up against the ropes to start and works on the arm as It’s Gal is in the VIP Section. Mathers gets up and hits a dropkick but gets his legs swept out. That means a giant swing for Mathers, who is right back with a pop up hurricanrana. We take a break and come back with James working on the arm again, followed by a pop up uppercut.

James’ clothesline gets two and we hit the neck crank as this isn’t exactly lighting up the ring. Mathers gets up and sends him to the floor for a rather needed running flip dive. Back in and James pulls him out of the air into a spinning backbreaker, setting up Dark Matter for the pin at 10:44.

Rating: C. I liked the ending, but I wasn’t feeling a lot of this one, as James hasn’t done much for me on his own. I get the idea of giving him something to do around here but it isn’t anything that has stood out. At the same time, I keep holding out hope for Mathers to go somewhere and he hasn’t gotten crushed, though it’s getting harder to believe that he’s going to turn into a top star.

Post match James says Darkstate is for Tuesday but Wednesday is for him alone. He’s coming for the Evolve Title sooner or later.

PJ Vasa doesn’t care if Laynie Luck doesn’t want to be a stepping stone.

Harley Riggins doesn’t like being on a team and is ready to do things on his own.

Aaron Rourke is back next week.

Video on Shido Ash/Viktor Zanov.

Kale Dixon and his blonde friend (apparently named Alix Brooks) don’t like various promises being broken to him. Timothy Thatcher doesn’t want to hear this and gives him Chazz Hall for some hard work next week. With Dixon and Brooks gone, Thatcher isn’t happy with Brooks Jensen driving away from Elijah Holyfield, so next week it’s the first ever Evolve lumberjack match. Zena Sterling comes in to say she thinks she deserves a singles match so she can face Layla Diggs. Sterling seems a bit upset but says ok and leaves. As usual, Thatcher is one of the best things about this show because he does stuff that makes sense.

Women’s Title: Nikkita Lyons vs. Thea Hail

Lyons, as introduced by Sloane Jacobs, is defending. Hail goes right for the Kimura to start and Lyons has to go to the ropes. Back up and they trade big right hands until Hail DDTs the arm. Hail cranks on said arm and snaps off a hurricanrana to take Lyons down again. Lyons is back up to knock her out to the floor with a crash and we take a break.

We come back with Lyons hammering away and a Samoan drop getting two. The reverse chinlock doesn’t last long so Lyons hits a rather rough running clothesline for two more. Hail gets up for another failed Kimura attempt but Lyons misses a charge into the post. Now the Kimura can…well almost go on, as Lyons reverses into a backbreaker for two. The spinning kick to the head gets two on Hail, who is back with a takedown of her own.

Veronica Haven and Giana Capri come out of the VIP section for a distraction so Anya Rune tries to use her anime powers. When that doesn’t work, Rune turns her back on them to panic, leaving Wren Sinclair and Skyler Raye to run in and take them down. The referee yells a lot as Hail gets the Kimura to make Lyons tap. Jacobs makes the save and another spinning kick tot he head retains the title at 10:33.

Rating: C+. This was a main event where they were trying really hard but Hail has lost so many times that I’m not going to buy into her as a champion here. It also doesn’t help that she’s falling into the Nattie/Alberto Del Rio mode of “I have one move and it’s all I try to do”. That’s not exactly great to see and it makes her feel like a one trick pony, which isn’t going to work.

Post match the winning villains celebrate, with Wendy Choo’s face flashing on the screen to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The best thing about this show is it felt like they covered quite a few stories and stars in less than fifty minutes. Evolve continues to feel very well structured and put together, which isn’t something you get with various other weekly shows. The main event did feel big enough, though the Choo tease at the end feels even bigger. Good enough show here, but the more important things to be on the horizon.

Results
Sam Holloway b. CJ Valor – Sitout chokeslam
Cutler James b. Marcus Mathers – Dark Matter
Nikkita Lyons b. Thea Hail – Spinning kick to the head

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Evolve
Date: July 8, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Robert Stone

We’re on the way towards….I have no idea actually, but the Mog Squad is cleaning house at the moment and ran over a group of ID Program stars last week. That almost has to go well for them and I could go for seeing where the whole thing goes. Other than that, Aaron Rourke seems ready to face Harlem Lewis for the Evolve Title so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Sloane Jacobs wants Nikkita Lyons’ celebration to be the best and it better work out. WWE and NXT stars and celebrities are invited so you better be watching.

Opening sequence.

Robert Stone is back on commentary for some reason. Ok then.

Here is the Mog Squad, in mostly matching gold trunks, for a chat. They’re rather pleased with how well last week’s main event went and they all brag about their individual skills. On top of that, they have the fastest rising team around. The reality is they are unstoppable so who is next. Cue Timothy Thatcher, who has a special guest.

CJ Valor vs. Cutler James

James throws him down to start and grinds away on a headlock. Valor pulls him into a mostly blocked cross armbreaker before going with a regular armbar. Back up and Valor dropkicks him into the corner but misses a charge of his own. That lets James fire off shoulders to the ribs in various corner, followed by a pop up uppercut not in the corner. Back up and James misses a charge into the post as we take a break.

We come back with Valor knocking him into the corner again, followed by James’ shoulder being sent into the buckle. A spinebuster gives Valor two and we hit the chinlock. Valor’s top rope headbutt misses and James starts firing off the uppercuts. A gutwrench gutbuster sets up the Dark Matter to end Valor at 6:57.

Rating: C+. James is getting to do something around here and that’s a good thing, as it’s not like there is anything positive going on with Darkstate. Valor losing a singles match to a star higher up on the food chain isn’t a bad thing so hopefully he is able to find something else to do. For now though, this was a nice way to shut the Squad up a bit, as Thatcher doesn’t care for them running their mouths.

Post match Thatcher says that it’s time for Ball and Rivera to prove themselves.

Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno vs. Mog Squad

Moreno and Ball start things off with Moreno rolling a neckbreaker early on. With that not working it’s off to Rivera, who gets wristlocked by Dar. That’s switched into a chinlock to keep Rivera in trouble for a bit, followed by a left hand to put him right back down. Dar works on the arm only to get taken into the corner so Ball can work on Dar’s arm for a change. That’s shrugged off as well and it’s Dar sending Ball into the corner for a backdrop from Moreno. A cheap shot from the apron slows Moreno down though and Ball kicks him to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with…Sloane Jacobs trying to get some women to come to Nikkita Lyons’ party with Zena Sterling turning it down. I’d be more worried about someone secretly filming in the women’s locker room. Anyway we come back to the arena with Moreno still in trouble, including some running kicks in the corner. Ball hits a nice dropkick for two but Moreno fights out of the corner and brings Dar in for the running forearms.

Ball kicks Rivera by mistake and gets sent into a kick in the corner. A dropkick/Tower Of London combination gets two on Ball as everything breaks down. Moreno misses a springboard moonsault and an assisted German suplex gets two as Moreno’s foot is in the rope. The Squad seems to think it’s over so Moreno is back up with a big running flip dive. Back in and a double slam finishes Ball at 10:07.

Rating: B-. This was a long match for Evolve and while it was technically fine, it still wasn’t the most thrilling match. Moreno and Dar still don’t do much for me with what they’re doing in the ring but at least they’re getting the chance to do something. There is nothing wrong with throwing a team together so maybe they can get it rolling sooner or later.

Hold on though as Thatcher has one more match to announce, but it can wait until next week. That would be Max Abrams vs. Chazz Hall.

Aaron Rourke and Harlem Lewis meet up in the back, with Lewis saying he’s ready for his title shot next week. Rourke doesn’t need to hear Lewis’ backstory because he knows what kind of man Lewis can be. Lewis respects what Rourke has been through to get here (Rourke appreciates that) but every story comes to an end.

They both want to fight for people who are like them and Lewis is directing all of his suppressed anger at Rourke. That’s fine with Rourke, who knows what it’s like to be called all kinds of things. He’s ready to show that he’s glamour and grit. Nice job here of finding a way for two guys to respect each other but want to fight anyway.

Kale Dixon and his still unnamed blonde cohort have a photo shoot with the blonde praising Dixon’s looks, both in and out of his shirt.

Harley Riggins vs. Ulka Sasaki

Sasaki has been in both Pro Wrestling Noah and the UFC. His offer of a handshake is kicked away so Sasaki tries some unsuccessful running shoulders. Sasaki pulls him down into a Fujiwara armbar but Riggins powers out and grabs a tilt-a-whirl powerslam. Back up and Sasaki’s small package is reversed into a suplex for another near fall. Sasaki is able to send him into the middle buckle as the fans actually get behind Sasaki for a change. A kick to the head puts Riggins down for two but Riggins knees him in the face for the pin at 3:24.

Rating: C. They were in a tough spot here as Sasaki was coming in brand new and the fans only had so much of a reason to care about what he was doing. He’s fine with a background that should show what he can do rather easily but he didn’t have a chance to show that here. Riggins is good enough as a monster, but he feels like he would be better as a team, as he has been thus far.

Post match Riggins talks to new ringside reporter Adrianna Rizzo (hey she’s back) and says he’s riding alone from now on. He still wants to take out Tate Wilder.

Earlier this week, Elijah Holyfield was training with Noam Dar, who explained that Holyfield lost because he got too emotional. Dar explained some counters and techniques (with Holyfield getting the ideas) but Brooks Jensen was watching from the shadows.

Viktor Zanov and Shido Ash used to be security guards but they were also former judo stars. Now they’re kicking the door in and it’s time to come for everyone.

We look at Kendal Grey winning the NXT Women’s Title at the Great American Bash.

And now, Nikkita Lyons’ championship celebration, with Sloane Jacobs, Veronica Haven and Gianna Capri in the ring. They introduce Lyons, who is nice enough to sing her own theme song. Jacobs praises Lyons and invites out the rest of the guests…and no one comes. Lyons gets out some tarot cards to find her first challenger as Jacobs mocks Wendy Choo and Laynie Luck.

Instead here is Wren Sinclair to say she wants to add the title to the Wren QCC collection. This brings out Skylar Raye and Layla Diggs to say they want title shots. Diggs gets laid out and the brawl is on, with Lyons being left alone in the ring. Luck sneaks in to AA Lyons through the table. Humiliating a bragging champion is always a good thing and this worked out well enough, especially with a bunch of new women ready to come after the title.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked the ending segment well enough and the Rourke/Lewis segment was good but there was only so much to get into about this show. The problem here is that a bunch of the show was built around the Mog Squad stuff and that was a bit dry. That being said, next week is looking rather stacked with the title match alone feeling big enough to make it work.

Results
Cutler James b. CJ Valor – Dark Matter
Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno b. Mog Squad – Double slam to Ball
Harley Riggins b. Ulka Sasaki – Knee to the head

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Evolve
Date: July 1, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

We’re done with Succession III and the big story coming out of the show seems to be Timothy Thatcher’s security going into business for themselves. It’s going to be a little while before we find out about that though as Thatcher is gone this week, with KevOnStage in his place. We also have a six person elimination tag so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

KevOnStage recaps Succession III and previews tonight’s show.

Opening sequence.

Layla Diggs vs. Gianna Capri

Masyn Holiday is with Diggs. Capri misses an early pump kick so Diggs grabs a headlock. Diggs’ sitout gordbuster and a Shining Wizard combine for two but Capri is back with some knees to the ribs. A belly to back suplex gets two but Diggs avoids another pump kick. Diggs kicks her into the corner for a running knee so Capri hits her in the back again. Hold on though as Anya Rune offers a distraction from the VIP section and shoves her hands at Capri, which she calls punishment (I believe it’s a Dragon Ball Z thing). Diggs knocks Capri down and drops a moonsault (that thing looks great) for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C-. So was that the nerd version of Danhausen’s curse? Other than that, the match felt like it was in slow motion with both of them looking like they were trying to remember their next step. Diggs is quite the athlete and she’s already doing more on NXT, though this wasn’t the best work from either of them.

Post match Diggs and Holiday dance but Braxton Cole pops up with the NXT Rule Book, saying that there is nothing that can make him have a No DQ match with Harlem Lewis. Cue Lewis to jump him from behind and sends him into the steps as we take a break.

Braxton Cole vs. Harlem Lewis

No DQ. We come back with the opening bell and Lewis hitting him in the back with a cookie sheet. Said sheet is put into the corner so Cole can whip Lewis into it for the big crash. Cole finds a cane in the VIP area and hammers Lewis down as they go outside again. Somehow Cole finds a belt in the crowd for some whipping before Lewis punches him in the face. That lets Lewis get the belt for some whipping of his own but Cole gets in a sheet to the throat.

A hanging neckbreaker to the floor drops Lewis again and Cole whips out a pool cue of all things. Some more shots to the ribs have Lewis in even more trouble and Cole uses the stick to tie Lewis to the post. That just gets the stick broken but Cole is back with a Crash Landing onto the sheet for two. Cole busts out a trashcan full of more weapons, including a large mop. Said mop is broken over Lewis’ back but another mop is used to hit Cole low. That makes Cole beg off so Lewis puts the mop into Cole’s face. The Boom Slang finishes for Lewis at 7:11.

Rating: B-. I liked this well enough, with Lewis desperately wanting to prove himself and then doing just that, as he absorbed everything Cole threw at him and then won. That’s the story that they set up and then paid it off here, which is always appreciated. Cole got in some nice shots of his own, but this was all about Lewis and that’s how it wound up going.

Post match here is Aaron Rourke to congratulate Lewis on his win. Rourke thanks him for helping him against the Mog Squad, which Rourke never even asked him to do. He thinks they’ve developed some respect for each other so he wants to give Lewis a proper thank you. The fans get ahead of Rourke by asking for a title shot and Rourke is going to try to get it made, but at least for now, he offers a sincere thank you. They shake hands and part in peace, with Lewis staring at the title. That was the logical way to go and it’s nice to see them taking the simple path.

Sloane Jacobs praises Nikkita Lyons for her title win last week. It was Lyons in “her full luminosity.” She wants to thank Lyons so next week it’s going to be a huge championship celebration.

Here is Kale Dixon for a chat. Dixon talks about how he left his ego at the door during his first time in NXT and that got him nowhere. He came from college baseball and turned down MLB contracts to be here. Now he knows that everyone in the back is scared because he is going straight to superstardom. Everyone is jealous of him because they don’t possess the athleticism and abilities that he has.

Chuey Martinez goes to end the interview but Dixon isn’t done, saying it’s not over until he says it’s done. Martinez asks about the woman who was with him last week and she pops up next to them, saying Evolve is about to change forever. Cue Darkstate’s Cutler James, who doesn’t seem to be on the same page as the two of them.

Cutler James vs. It’s Gal

Gal runs in to jump James from behind and we’re ready to go anyway. James sends him into the corner for an eye rake across the rope but Gal gets in an enziguri. Back up and James grabs a swinging backbreaker before cutting off a comeback attempt. A giant swing sends Gal swinging and a pop up uppercut gives James two. The abdominal stretch lets James rip at Gal’s sunburn (DUDE TOO FAR!) but Gal reverses into one of his own. Gal’s clotheslines get two but James buckle bombs him rather hard. Dark Matter finishes for James at 4:51.

Rating: C+. I’m trying to get over the pain of messing with the sunburn, which is just pure evil. James could use the rehab assignment after Darkstate crashed out so hard as there is definitely something for him to do. At the same time, I have no idea what Gal is supposed to do, as he’s little more than a quirky jobber at this point and that isn’t the brightest future.

Elijah Holyfield doesn’t think much of Brooks Jensen cheating to beat him and they’re far from done. In Holyfield’s family, if you don’t fight, you don’t eat, so he’s ready to knock Brooks silly on sight.

Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins come in to see Timothy Thatcher (Why is he here?) and want to get rid of Tate Wilder for good. Thatcher will talk to Robert Stone and figure something out. Viktor Zanov and Shida Ash come in to chase them off but Thatcher yells at Zanov and Ash for going too far last week. They’re fired as security and no they aren’t wrestling, as that would be a reward for their behavior. Zanov and Ash say they know how to do what they want.

Mog Squad vs. Sam Holloway/Cappuccino Jones/Marcus Mathers

Elimination tag and Max Abrams is here with the Squad. Holloway has very banged up ribs after last week so Mathers starts with Rivera. Mathers doesn’t like being backed into the corner to start so he headlocks Rivera down without much trouble. A headscissors doesn’t get Rivera very far as Mathers slams him down and drops a jumping elbow. Mathers’ jumping kick to a seated Rivera gets two and it’s off to Holloway for a springboard elbow

The ribs are banged up again though and Jones has to come in instead. Ball charges into a nice dropkick and Holloway crotches Valor against the post. Back in and Ball hits a dropkick of his own and it’s off to Valor for some quick shots to the throat. Naturally Abrams gets to play cheerleader on the floor but Jones gets over to Mathers for the springboard crossbody comeback. A cutter hits Ball and a superkick puts Valor down, allowing Mathers to moonsault outside onto all three of them. Back in and Ball kicks Mathers in the face, setting up Valor’s Sling Blade Hart Attack for the elimination at 5:24.

Holloway comes in for a heck of a big boot to Rivera and an atomic drop but the ribs are banged up again. Holloway fights out of trouble and makes the tag to Jones to pick up the pace. The Froggy Brew gets two with Valor making a diving save. Holloway distracts the referee like a goof and Rivera gets in a Codebreaker, meaning it’s another Sling Blade Hart Attack to pin Jones at 8:16.

We take a break and come back with Holloway down 3-1 and Valor’s Chaos Theory getting one. A chokeslam drops Valor but Rivera distracts the referee to prevent the count. Ball rolls some gutwrench suplexes for two but Holloway gets in a desperation chokeslam. Rivera cuts off the count AGAIN though and comes in with a sitout Slapjack for two of his own.

Back up and Holloway chokeslams Valor and Rivera at the same time but they both roll outside. Abrams offers a distraction so Holloway punches him down and hits a big flying dive to take out all four of them at once (that looked awesome). The trio gets back inside though and a pop up spear finishes Holloway at 13:05.

Rating: B-. The big thing here is that this match told a story. You had the ID guys trying as hard as they could but not really being a unit. That let the Squad take over and cut them down one at a time, with Holloway having to fight out of desperation. It made for a good ending and the Squad got a much needed win. Nice job here, though it’s frustrating to see Mathers lose so quickly again.

Overall Rating: B-. This show walked a pretty nice line between dealing with fallout from last week and doing a bunch of stuff this week. I liked the wrestling for the most part and there are things set up for the future. It was back to the normal nicely done Evolve and as usual the time went by and they had a good mixture of stuff to keep the show interesting. In other words, it’s the kind of show that makes Evolve one of the better watches of the week. Oh and what was the point of KevOnStage?  I don’t think he was ever around after the opening segment and Thatcher was there anyway!

Results
Layla Diggs b. Gianna Capri – Moonsault
Harlem Lewis b. Braxton Cole – Boom Slang
Cutler James b. It’s Gal – Dark Matter
Mog Squad b. Sam Holloway/Cappuccino Jones/Marcus Mathers last eliminating Holloway

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT LVL Up
Date: November 29, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re coming up on Survivor Series and that means very little about what is going on with this show. Instead, we have the usual efforts around here, which means seeing a bunch of people who have no reason to be in any kind of a story but need ring time. That can make for some nice surprises and maybe they will again here. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Drake Morreaux vs. Harlem Lewis

The much bigger Morreaux powers him up against the ropes to start before they fight over a front facelock. Lewis gets in a shot of his own and hammers away before working on the arm. A running boot to the face and clothesline give Lewis two each but Morreaux is quickly out of a chinlock. They go up to the corner, where Morreaux knocks him off the top and drops a top rope splash for the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C. Morreaux is someone who is going to get a chance because he is athletic and huge, but at the same time, he hasn’t done anything that makes me interested in what he is doing. Lewis is someone who could be a nice lackey for someone, but on his own, I’m not sure I see what is going to work, at least without a new character. Not much to see here, which is kind of the point.

Lainey Reid doesn’t have a tag partner for later but she’ll find one. Kali Armstrong comes in to say she’ll do it, but they are NOT friends.

Lainey Reid/Kali Armstrong vs. Layla Diggs/Tyra Mae Steele

Diggs starts with Reid, who immediately hands it off to Armstrong, like any heel should. Diggs works on the arm as you might have expected before Steele comes in to wrestle Reid down. Armstrong comes back in for a heck of a clothesline to take over, with Reid’s double elbow getting two. The chinlock goes on but Steele fights out and hands it off to Diggs for a rather fired up comeback. Everything breaks own and Armstrong hits a powerslam on Diggs. Back up and Diggs scores with an ax kick to finish Armstrong at 5:47.

Rating: C+. This actually got cooking at the end and I’ll take that for a nice surprise. You don’t really expect much out of four stars who are rather inexperienced but they had a nice match and a good melee segment to wrap it up. Diggs vs. Reid isn’t much of a story but it’s more than most people get around here and I’ll take that for a bonus.

Cutler James and Dion Lennox are fired up over their recent win but Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon interrupt, setting up the main event.

Lainey Reid jumps Layla Diggs in the back with Tyra Mae Steele chasing her off.

Cutler James/Dion Lennox vs. Uriah Connors/Kale Dixon

Dixon whips James into the corner to start and that doesn’t work well, with James sending him into another corner with a bit more force. Lennox comes in with a fall away slam to Connors but Dixon sneaks in with a hot shot to take over. An assisted elbow in the corner gets two on Lennox but it’s a double knockdown for a needed breather. Everything breaks down again and Connors kicks Lenox into a rollup to give Dixon the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Well that was short and they didn’t have time to go anywhere. That’s a bit surprising as these four have been around a bit longer than most of the other people on this show and should be able to have something of a better match. The match wasn’t bad but there is only so much you can do with that little time.

Dixon and Connors are very happy with their first win to wrap things up.

Overall Rating: C+. Who would have thought that the women’s tag match in the middle of the show would have been the best part? The Diggs vs. Reid feud isn’t anything great but at least it is something that they are setting up for a payoff down the road. It’s still not a show you need to watch, but what we got here was good enough for another week.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: November 8, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re still stuck with the shorter form shows due to the main roster being in Saudi Arabia. That doesn’t make a ton of difference around here, but it is at last something to shake up the run of the mill nature of this show. Other than that, we’re at least getting some minor continuity, which is more than we’ve gotten forever. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Dani Palmer vs. Kali Armstrong

Armstrong powers her down by the arm to start but Palmer nips up and grabs an armbar of her own. Back up and Armstrong stomps away in the corner before an elbow drop gets two. The abdominal stretch, with the grab of a leg, has Palmer in more trouble but she fights out in a hurry. An enziguri puts Armstrong down and the moonsault gives Palmer the pin at 4:36.

Rating: C. Not much to this one with Armstrong as a fairly generic “I’m strong and better than you” villain. Palmer is only so much better than that made a fine enough match, albeit rather short. It’s not like Palmer has anything going on at the moment though and that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.

Dion Lennox, Shiloh Hill and Cutler James are ready for Gallus.

Gallus is ready for their six man tag. This is being treated like an actual match.

Dion Lennox/Shiloh Hill/Cutler James vs. Gallus

Wolfgang hammers Lennox into the corner to start but it’s off to Hill for some shoulders to the ribs in the corner. Mark gets taken into the corner by the arm and it’s off to James for a wheelbarrow faceplant. The numbers game gets Cutler in trouble though and a Regal Roll gives Joe two. James manages a backdrop though and the tag brings in Lennox to clean house. Some northern lights suplexes put Gallus down but Joe is back with the Glasgow Sendoff. Hill cleans house but gets sent outside, leaving Lennox to grab a rollup for the big upset pin at 6:13.

Rating: C+. And points for the shock here as I never would have bet on Gallus being in anything resembling trouble here but the young guys won. That’s an actual upset and something that could genuinely boost them up. Gallus has been treated as a big (well big enough) deal around here and to have a bunch of mostly unproven stars beat them was rather stunning.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m still trying to get over the main event as you just do not see results like that around here. I’ve been wanting anything important, or at least interesting, to happen on this show forever and, albeit once, they’ve actually done it. Now do something else to keep it going and turn this into an actual show that has some value for the regulars.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: October 25, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

Things took a bit of a twist last week and it made for a fairly interesting show. Granted the show can only get so far as it’s still fairly limited in pretty much every aspect. There is always the chance that we could get somewhere different this week, though it could always be the norm all over again. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Mark Coffey vs. Dion Lennox

They trade shoulders until Coffey slaps him in the face, which is enough for Lennox to…grab an armbar. Some right hands stagger Coffey but he kicks Lennox throat first into the bottom rope. Lennox strikes away and grabs a northern lights suplex, followed by a spinebuster for two. Cue Gallus for the distraction though and Mark hits a right hand for the pin at 4:23.

Rating: C. This was shorter than most of the matches around here and I’m not sure why. Lennox is starting to pop up on the main NXT shows but here he is losing in about four minutes. Yeah there was some interference, but at the same time, it wasn’t exactly an impressive showing for Lennox in any way. Kind of a weird match here.

Post match the beatdown is on but Cutler James and Shiloh Hill make the save. I could go for this.

Tyra Mae Steele is ready to beat Izzi Dame for her first win. Dame comes in to doubt it.

Izzi Dame vs. Tyra Mae Steele

Steele powers her back into the corner to start and they go to the mat for a headlock. Back up and Steele wrestles her to the mat again, setting up a rolling shot to the head in the corner. Dame gets in a shot of her own though and stomping ensues to keep Steele down. A Sky High gives Dame two and the chinlock goes on. Steele fights up again and lawn darts her into the buckle, setting up a capture suplex for two. Another rolling something is cut of though and the spinning Side Effect finishes Steele at 5:30.

Rating: C. Steele is still a great prospect but she needs ring time and this is a good place for her to do just that. As much charisma and amateur skill as she has, she has to get more used to doing something new. She looked ok enough here, but that is maybe the third step in a rather long trip.

Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon annoy Drake Drake Morreaux in the gym. Dante Chen comes in and a tag match is set.

Uriah Connors/Kale Dixon vs. Drake Morreaux/Dante Chen

Dixon works on Chen’s arm to start but makes the mistake of talking trash and gets elbowed in the face. Morreaux comes in and gets armdragged but snaps off a slam without much trouble. A belly to back suplex drops Connors and the villains are cleared out to the floor. Chen goes for the chase but charges into Connors’ superkick to put him down. Dixon gets to pose on the ropes and thrust his pelvis a bit before Connors gets to strike away. The chinlock goes on but Chen fights out and makes the tag off to Morreaux to pick up the pace. A chokeslam off the top plants Connors and the Gentle Touch gives Chen the pin at 6:15.

Rating: C. There is something fun about having Chen as the superhero (as he was called in the setup) who never does anything anywhere else. I’m not sure I can imagine him ever going anywhere else, but I guess it’s better than doing nothing. Speaking of nothing, you have the other three here, who have nothing that makes them stand out in the slightest. Even Morreaux’s size is only going to get him so far, but he did well enough here.

Overall Rating: C. This was a show pretty much lacking in anything resembling star power but it did a nicer than usual job of putting the stories together. There is no reason to just have them be the most nothing matches so add in even the slightest something. Even something of a backstage argument better than nothing and it spices things up at bit, which has been needed for the better part of ever around here.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: September 20, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re coming up on the move over to the CW, with only two shows left before the change. While it isn’t likely, there is always the chance that this show could undergo some changes of its own. Last week’s show was different enough and maybe now we can see things getting better around here. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Lash Legend vs. Lainey Reid

Jakara Jackson is here with Legend. Reid works on the arm to start but Legend powers out and does the same. Legend sends her into the buckle over and over before dropping Reid with a suplex. They head outside with Legend getting posted, setting up the chinlock back inside. That doesn’t work for Legend who powers up and plants her down, setting up a fall away slam. A chokeslam gets two on Reid, who snaps off a middle rope hurricanrana for two. Reid goes up but gets kicked out of the air, setting up the back to back faceplant to finish for Legend at 5:57.

Rating: C+. Reid is starting to make some more appearances around here and that’s going to help her out in the long run. She didn’t show much in the way of the whole southern belle here but it was her best in-ring effort, which could be a positive sign for her. Legend continues to look smooth in the ring, which is hard to fathom given where she was just a year or so ago.

Kali Armstrong is ready to bring speed and aggression against Brinley Reece. Believe it or not, she’s a former NCAA athlete who is trying wrestling.

Kali Armstrong vs. Brinley Reece

Armstrong powers her down to start and chokes in the corner but Reece isn’t having any of that. A drop toehold brings Armstrong down and she cranks away on Armstrong’s arm. Reece goes up but gets pulled down for a face first crash. Armstrong clotheslines her down and grabs something like a seated crossface chickenwing. That’s broken up so Armstrong hits a powerslam, only for Reece to come up with a not great TKO for the pin (ignore her shoulders being down too) at 4:44.

Rating: C. This is a weird one as Armstrong was coming off as the better of the two, with her power stuff working well. On the other hand, Reece just didn’t do anything special here and it’s a bit surprising as long as she has been around. There’s nothing to make her stand out and this wasn’t exactly an impressive performance.

Cutler James gives Shiloh Hill a pep talk before the main event. This was as awkward and badly executed as you would have expected.

Shiloh Hill vs. Mark Coffey

Coffey grabs a headlock to start but Hill powers out and drives him into the corner. Hill works on an armbar and then a headlock but Coffey hits an elbow to the face. The chinlock goes on to keep Hill down, only to have him suplex his way to freedom. A double underhook slam gives Hill two but Coffey hits him in the face for the pin at 5:56.

Rating: C. Hill has impressed in recent appearances and it is a good sign that he is getting this kind of a spot. I could go for seeing him getting another chance, as he is one of the better stars in the new crop of NXT rookies. Losing to Coffey isn’t going to hurt him so this was as logical of a main event as you could have gotten.

Hill lost a tooth on that shot to the face.

Overall Rating: C. Hill and Armstrong showed some promise here, which made for something of an odd night as the two bigger names didn’t do anything special this week. The show went by quickly though and nothing was too bad, but they need to do something a bit more interesting. If nothing else, it’s nice to see some fresh faces on the show and hopefully that keeps up going forward.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: September 13, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

We’re getting closer to the move to the CW, which isn’t likely to have much of an impact on this show. That’s what commentary will be talking about though, as it is certainly the biggest thing to take place in NXT in a good while. Hopefully we get some better action to go with the excitement so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Shiloh Hill/Cutler James vs. Uriah Connors/Kale Dixon

Dixon gets elbowed in the face to start and James starts cranking on his ankle. Connors comes in but Dixon gets a blind tag for a cheap shot on Hill and the villains take over. A slingshot hilo gives Dixon two and Hill’s backsplash gets the same. Dixon grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back before switching to the regular chinlock. Hill fights up and a double clothesline gives us a double breather, followed by the tag off to James. A wheelbarrow faceplant gets two on Connors with Dixon making the save. Back up and James hits a spinebuster to finish Connors at 5:15.

Rating: C+. This was a perfectly fine tag match but the best part was not knowing who was winning. Both teams are pretty much thrown together but that gave it a bit of mystery, as neither was the obvious pick. You don’t get that very often and it made what should have been a run of the mill match a bit better.

Kendal Grey and Carlee Bright are ready for Grey’s match with Tyra Mae Steele’.

Kendal Grey vs. Tyra Mae Steele

Steele wrestles her down to start (as you would expect) and Grey can’t sit out. Instead Grey rolls her into a quickly broken cross armbreaker as Steele muscles her up for something like a powerbomb. A snap suplex gives Steele two and she grabs something like an STF. Grey suplexes her way to freedom but walks into something like a Pounce for two. Steele grabs a dragon sleeper but Grey flips out of it and hooks a small package for the pin at 6:02.

Rating: C. Steele continue to feel like a star in the making and more of a matter of time rather than anything else. Getting her some kind of experience is only going to help her and I could go for seeing her do even more. On the other hand you have Grey, who is still desperately in need of something to set her apart.

Niko Vance, speaking very quietly, is ready to prove himself against Luca Crusifino.

Niko Vance vs. Luca Crusifino

Vance is a former football player and rather large. Crusifino can’t power out of a headlock to start and Vance grinds away for a bit. An armbar slows Vance down until he fights up and fires off some knees to the ribs. The neck crank keeps Crusifino in trouble as we hear about Vance’s football resume. A jawbreaker gives Crusifino a breather though and a running clothesline takes Vance down. Crusifino makes the clothesline comeback and finishes with the Codebreaker at 5:48.

Rating: C. This was much more about giving Vance his first exposure on television and it worked well enough. Vance is the latest in the line of athletes from other sports who look good but need polish in the ring. That’s something that can come with time, but for now, he looked passable enough for his first time in front of a camera.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a bit more of what LVL Up felt like it was supposed to be. The biggest thing here was that it seemed to be more about presenting younger, up and coming stars and that is a good thing to do. The opener had four relatively new names, while Steele and Vance are still pretty much unknowns around here. I can go for that kind of show and it worked well enough this week.

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NXT LVL Up
Date: August 30, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

It’s been a minute since I’ve done one of these and, well, does it really make that much of a difference? The show rarely changes and other than having a few more interviews here and there, it’s basically the same thing you always gt. In this case we should be in for some of the usual good stuff so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Hank Walker/Tank Ledger vs. Kale Dixon/Uriah Connors

Walker and Connors start things off with Walker slamming him down and handing it off to Ledger. Dixon comes in for a front facelock but gets broken up with a backdrop. Everything breaks down and Connors jumps Walker from behind to take over. A clothesline gives Dixon two and we hit the chinlock with a knee in the back. Back up and Ledger blocks a charge in the corner to save Walker, allowing him to hand it back to Ledger. Everything breaks down and the Collision Course finishes Dixon at 5:54.

Rating: C. Hank and Tank continue to be a thing, which tends to be the case despite little success on the bigger shows. Maybe that’s the kind of buildup they’re going for around here but the team still isn’t that interesting. Dixon and Connors might as well have been any other villains here, though they were only presented as a certain level of threatening.

Cutler James interrupts Gallus and thinks he learned a lot in their previous match. Tonight, he wants a rematch and gets Wolfgang.

Uriah Connors wasn’t happy with his loss but OTM (I think) came up to say he needs their help.

Wolfgang vs. Cutler James

The rest of Gallus is here with Wolfgang. James armdrags him down to start and cranks on the arm, followed by a gutbuster for two. Wolfgang is sent to the apron for a throat snap across the top but he gets in a shot of his own to take over. The reverse chinlock goes on until James powers out and starts the comeback, including a slam for two. Back up and Wolfgang hits a spear into the Howling for the pin at 5:30.

Rating: C. James has been around for a bit now and this might have been his best performance to date. The most important thing is that he looked more comfortable out there rather than just kind of being around as he tends to be. Odds are he’ll get another chance because of his size, but this was a nice showcase for him.

Overall Rating: C-. This was the short form version as they went with the smaller format due to No Mercy taking place over the weekend. That being said, this show could barely have felt less important as it was the lowest of the low part on the roster. Just a nothing show here and they had to know that was coming with what they presented.

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