Evolve
Date: May 6, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

We’re in a bit of a transition period here as a bunch of stars are on their way up to NXT but haven’t quite gotten there yet. As a result, some people here are probably finishing up what they’re doing, which could take a few weeks. We need a new #1 contender to the Evolve Title, with Harlem Lewis being a real possibility after not getting pinned in last week’s triple threat. Let’s get to it.

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

We look at what happened last week after the show went off the air. Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins went after Aaron Rourke, who fought back for a bit and then bailed from the numbers’ advantage.

Wendy Choo is nervous about her first title defense and previews the show.

Opening sequence.

Max Abrams/Santi Rivera/Jacari Ball vs. Cappuccino Jones/Chazz Hall/Romeo Moreno

CJ Valor is with Abrams and company. Abrams starts and immediately hands it off to Ball, who gets punched in the face by Jones. Ball takes over and hands it off to Rivera who misses an elbow by half a mile, allowing Jones to work on the arm. Hall comes in and the good guys clear the ring without much trouble.

We settle down to Abrams taking over on Moreno and handing it back to Ball for the rolling gutwrench suplexes. Moreno is able to knock Rivera to the floor though and it’s back to Hall to flip around a bit. Ball hits Abrams by mistake though and Hall snaps off a springboard headscissors. Everything breaks down again and Hall hits a big dive to the floor, meaning the good guys get to pose as we take a break.

We come back with Hall in trouble and getting sent into the wrong corner. Rivera grabs the chinlock and Hall’s comeback being cut off. As usual, the real tag goes through a few seconds later, with Jones coming in to make Abrams beg off. Abrams gets knocked down and Jones knocks Ball outside. A knee to the head knocks Jones silly though and it’s a Sling Blade to give Rivera two. It’s back to Moreno, who hits a brainbuster on Rivera, setting up Hall’s shooting star press for two with everyone making the save.

Everyone gets up for the three on three showdown with Hall getting suplexed down. Abrams hits a frog splash for two with Moreno making the save. Moreno is left alone with Abrams and hits a super Spanish Fly. Valor gets up for a distraction so here is It’s Gal to go after him. The unnamed security guards drag Gal away (yes he poses while being carried off), leaving Abrams to hit the Main Objective (running Fameasser) to pin Moreno at 15:18.

Rating: B. That’s an especially long match for Evolve but it let the people involved showcase their talents a bit better. Abrams and company needed to get the big win as they haven’t been together that long and could use the boost. Finally, It’s Gal possibly turning good is an interesting way to go as I’ve been a fan of his for awhile now.

Post match the winners brag about their win because they take opportunities, unlike say Sam Holloway and Marcus Mathers.

Laynie Luck is ready for the biggest match of her life tonight. She talks about everything she has been through to get here but she never crumbled and gave up. Then she saw Wendy Choo win the Evolve Women’s Title and it was such an inspiration. Tonight is her chance.

Earlier today, Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons tried to throw Karmen Petrovic out of the gym but she challenged one of them for next week.

Here is Timothy Thatcher, who praises Wendy Choo for a bit before moving on to the Evolve Title. We need a new #1 contender to Aaron Rourke, who joins Thatcher in for the chat. Rourke is ready for anyone and calls himself the diamond because he is built from pressure. He’s ready for anyone so line them up. This brings out Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins, with Hendrix bragging about his GM abilities and wanting a title shot next week.

Brooks Jensen interrupts, who wants a title shot based on winning his bullrope match. Rourke doesn’t look impressed but cue Tristan Angels, who says everyone’s efforts are in vane. Angels demands order but now it’s Dorian Van Dux interrupting. Tate Wilder runs in for a brawl but Thatcher cuts them off and announces Jensen vs. Hendrix vs. Van Dux vs. Angels in a four way next week for a future title shot. As for now, Wilder and Riggins can face each other.

Tate Wilder vs. Harley Riggins

Wilder plants Riggins to start fast and hits a Lionsault but stops to yell at Hendrix. Riggins drops Wilder onto the apron and starts going after the back with some heavy forearms. A swinging Side Effect gives Riggins two but a double clothesline leaves both of them down. Wilder’s twisting suplex gets two but Riggins hits a Backstabber out of the corner for two. Riggins hits him in the ribs and tries a backdrop, only to get reversed into a sunset flip to give Wilder the pin at 6:04.

Rating: C+. A sunset flip? Ok then. Anyway, the match was just a quick way for Wilder to get a win and put him on the show. Wilder feels like someone who is getting a focus and it’s working fairly well. He’s definitely in a better place than he was a few months ago and it would be nice to see what he can do if he keeps developing.

Post match Hendrix lays Wilder out.

Dorian Van Dux is ready to show what he can do and he has a chance next week.

Women’s Title: Wendy Choo vs. Laynie Luck

Luck is challenging and sends Choo down, with Choo not being thrilled with the handshake offer. They go to a test of strength and wind up on the mat, with Choo backflipping but not breaking the grip. Choo’s jackknife rollup gets two and they go into a pinfall reversal sequence. Back up and Choo kicks her in the chest for two more but the Dirt Nap is broken up.

Luck sends her outside and knocks her down followed by a step up Swanton for two back inside. An Octopus on the mat is broken up as Choo cradles her for two but Luck’s running dropkick gets the same. The Dirt Nap is broken up again but Choo catches her on top for a superplex. They’re slowly getting up but Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons run in for the double DQ at 7:31.

Rating: C. I get going for the title match in the main event spot as there aren’t many title matches around here. At the same time, the match never really took off and Lyons being involved in any way brings things down. I do appreciate not having Luck take a fall here, though she never felt like a threat to win the title.

Post match the beatdown is on until Karmen Petrovic runs in for the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This started off rather good with the six man tag and fallout but things went a bit down after that. Maybe it’s Lyons dragging the main event down, but the second half of this show only did so much for me. It’s far from bad though and next week’s four way should be good. They’re still pushing a bunch of new people, even if a bunch of them are already in NXT. Either way, it’s a perfectly decent show and the six man was good, which is enough to carry the week.

Results
Max Abrams/Santi Rivera/Jacari Ball b. Cappuccino Jones/Chazz Hall/Romeo Moreno – Main Objective to Moreno
Tate Wilder b. Harley Riggins – Sunset flip
Wendy Choo vs. Laynie Luck went to a double DQ when Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons interfered

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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NXT
Date: April 28, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re in a big period of transition around here as a bunch of stars have either been released or promoted up to the main roster. That’s going to require a lot of switching around and there is a chance that some stars will be moved over to NXT on a regular basis. Either way, they’re going to need the help so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a Revenge recap, featuring a bunch of stars who are now gone.

The bosses (Shawn Michaels, Robert Stone and Matt Bloom) go over the stars who have left, with Stone saying we need some fresh names involved. Michaels says this is what NXT does and Stone is told he can take his time and pick someone….or throw a stick of dynamite in the locker room and see what happens. Stone gets the idea.

North American Title: Saquon Shugars vs. Myles Borne

Shugars, with the rest of Darkstate, is challenging. We get the Big Match Intros and Shugars sends him into the corner. Borne is back up with a release suplex and Shugars bails to the floor, where Borne hits a big running flip dive. Back in and they fight over a backslide, with Shugars flipping him over onto the top rope. Borne gets pulled throat first into the turnbuckle (which has been exposed), followed by a dropkick through the ropes.

We take a break and come back with Shugars dropping a leg and grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Shugars kicks him in the back before taking him up top. The belly to back superplex is reversed into a crossbody to give Borne two and they get back up. Borne gets two off a backslide, plus an Eye Of The Hurricane for the same. Darkstate gets on the apron so Lennox grabs a chair, but Shugars waves him off, saying he wants to win. Borne sends them into each other and a slingshot Borne Again retains the title at 10:02.

Rating: B-. Darkstate’s days seem to be numbered and that’s a good thing, as there doesn’t seem to be much to them these days. Shugars got to have a good match here before dealing with the Borne stuff in the end. At the same time, Borne gets to beat Darkstate in back to back weeks, which is a nice way to make him look like a star.

Post match Borne celebrates but Tristan Angels (from Evolve) pops up in the crowd to say he’ll be around more often. Cue Kam Hendrix (also from Evolve) to jump Borne and lay him out.

Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair are in the back, talking about all of the incoming talents. Kelani Jordan come in to say she’s not impressed and gets mocked for her recent losses. Jordan says Grey is going to turn on Sinclair, with Sinclair issuing the challenge for tonight.

Video on Tony D’Angelo.

Here is Tony D’Angelo for a chat. He says he has been the constant around here and no one on the roster is touch enough to take the title from him. That includes whomever sent him that box last week. You have people from all over jumping stars, Europeans stepping up and Keanu Carver staring him down. He knows the box was a warning…and the lights go out.

It’s…a guy in a rather big robe with his face covered. He gets in the ring and the fans seem to think he’s (very nice, very) EVIL. The man hands him a rolled up something (appears to be a shirt) and unmasks as Evil (the former IWGP World Champion, rumored to have signed with WWE). D’Angelo unwraps the shirt, which has the same symbol as the box from last week. The unnamed Evil leaves and cue Tavion Heights to suplex D’Angelo. An unnamed (looked to be Progress’ Will Kroos) man runs in to moonsault D’Angelo.

Shiloh Hill and Tatum Paxley bury Blake Monroe, apparently ignoring that she’s due to debut on Smackdown? Paxley talks about her issues with attachments and Hill says he’s set up a simulation to find out how Ricky Saints does his moves. They seem to get along well, but he needs to go get ready. She’s going to enjoy the scenery. In the graveyard.

Here is Birthright, who show a clip of the team attacking Dorian Van Dux. Apparently he can’t be in their scheduled match, so here is EK Prosper (Van Dux’s partner) to run in on his own. That earns him a beatdown but Sean Legacy runs in for the save.

Birthright vs. Sean Legacy/EK Prosper

They start fast with Legacy kicking Connors in the back for two and it’s off to Prosper for a double dropkick. A cheap shot knocks Prosper to the floor though and Birthright hit dives as we take a break. We come back with Legacy fighting out of trouble and hitting a reverse implant sitout DDT. It’s back to Prosper as everything breaks down. Connors hits a Swanton but it’s Legacy coming back in to hit Shambles for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: B-. Another nice match here, with Legacy actually managing to get a pin for a change. I’m hoping Van Dux isn’t seriously hurt though, as I was digging what I had seen from him thus far. The same is true for Prosper, who is quite the athlete, though I’m not overly sold on Legacy. As for Birthright…well you pretty much know what you’re getting with them.

Post match the beatdown is on again but Evolve’s Tate Wilder (he’s a cowboy) runs in for the save. Wilder tries a shooting star off the apron but lands on his feet and has to settle for a double clothesline.

Jaida Parker and a bunch of the other women talk about the incoming women when Kali Armstrong comes in to say they’re all scared. She’s the difference maker around here and if that starts with Parker, so be it. Parker is not taking that sitting down and they’re held apart.

Shawn Michaels announces that the NXT Premium Live Events will be airing on the CW, starting this summer.

We look at Izzi Dame taking out Lola Vice last week.

Robert Stone welcomes Tate Wilder to NXT. Lola Vice pops in to say she’s going to call out Izzi dame.

Here is Vice in the ring and she gets straight to the point by calling out Izzi Dame. Shawn Spears pops up on the screen for a distraction as the Culling appears behind Vice. She says they got her…and Mr. Iguana (her partner in AAA) pops up for the save.

Saquon Shugars and Dion Lennox are arguing again but are calmed down with talk of getting the Tag Team Titles.

Lizzy Rain vs. Nikkita Lyons

Rain is here to make sure that heavy metal never dies. Before the match, Lyons says Rain is too loud so it’s time to quiet her down. Lyons shoves her down to start but Rain is back up with a springboard elbow. Back up and Lyons kicks her in the head, followed by some forearms. The splits splash connects and Lyons grabs a cobra clutch. Rain fights up and makes the clothesline comeback, followed by a cutter. Lyons is sent into the corner for the chops (fans: “MAKE IT RAIN!”) and a pop up kick to the head (Thunderstruck) finishes for Rain at 4:20.

Rating: C. Oh…yeah I’m not sure about Rain. Thunderstruck is a great name for a finisher but the whole Heavy Metal thing feels like a weird blast from the past and not in a good way. Maybe she’ll have it tweaked a bit, but this wasn’t the best debut. Then again it’s not like Lyons has anything going for her either.

Tavion Heights comes up to Myles Borne, who wants to know what was up with Heights attacking Tony D’Angelo. That’s not the Heights he knows, but Heights asks how it’s different than Borne attacking Ethan Page. Borne backs off a bit and talks about the stars who are coming in. Heights says you can add his name to the dangerous ones. Heights leaves and Keanu Carver comes in to say there are a lot of sharks around here, but he’s the Great White.

The Vanity Project talk about how things are changing around here and Jackson Drake says he feels like he’s on top of the world thanks to Micah (the woman he met last week). Jasper Troy isn’t impressed and wants a match next week.

Wren Sinclair vs. Kelani Jordan

Non-title and Kendal Grey is here with Sinclair. They go to the mat to start with Sinclair grabbing an early leglock. Jordan has to nip her way out of a headscissors, only to get pulled into a headlock. Back up and Sinclair runs her over again, with Jordan heading into the corner. Sinclair misses a charge and gets tied in the ropes, where she avoids a springboard legdrop. Sinclair’s dropkick off the apron connects but Sinclair comes up favoring her knee.

We take a break and come back with Jordan working on the bad leg but Sinclair rolls her up for two. Sinclair fires off some rather loud chops and another rollup gets another two. Jordan is sent to the apron, where she comes back with a spinning springboard cutter. A frog splash hits raised knees though and the Final Wrench goes on, only for Sinclair’s knee to give out. Jordan puts her down and hits One Of A Kind for the pin at 10:58.

Rating: B-. This was a pretty standard story and it worked well, with Jordan working on Sinclair’s bad knee to set up her usual stuff for the ending. Sinclair was doing everything she needed to in there and it made for a good match. Jordan isn’t the most interesting star, but she’s a heck of an athlete and has the in-ring side of things well in hand.

Video on Zaria, who has ended Sol Ruca once and for all. Now she is ready to destroy everything in her way.

Video on Ricky Saints vs. Shiloh Hill.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Shiloh Hill vs. Ricky Saints

Saints jumps him from behind to start and chokes in the corner, followed by some stomping as well. Hill ducks an enziguri though and drapes him over the top to hammer away. Saints 619s him from the apron and Hill bails underneath the ring. He gets pulled out by the boot…and it’s a dummy, allowing Hill to get in a flip dive off the steps. Hill dances with the dummy (who wears a hockey mask) and we take a break.

We come back with Saints hitting a tornado DDT for two and mocking Hill. Back up and another tornado DDT is countered into a tilt-a-whirl slam but Saints pulls him into a choke. With that broken up, Saints spears him down for two and it’s time to slug it out. Hill gets the better of things and goes up but Saints kicks the referee into the ropes for the crotching.

Something like a super Jackhammer gives Saints two so he slaps the tooth out of Hill’s mouth. That just wakes Hill up so he crotches Saints down to break up the dancing Old School. Saints is knocked to the floor, where he hits a Roshambo…and goes after a chair. The referee takes that away and Hill sends him into the chair. Whisper To The Beast finishes for Hill at 12:05.

Rating: B. That’s easily the biggest win of Hill’s career and it might be the kind of step up to the next level. I’m not sure he’s ready to be a main eventer, but at least he got a win over a former NXT Champion. That’s what they need around here and it’s certainly better than nothing. Sure Saints has already been announced for Smackdown but still.

Post match Hill, with the dummy, celebrates in the crowd.

Tony D’Angelo goes to see the bosses and says he loves the chaos. Shawn Michaels says it’s time for him to prove it. Hill: “LET’S F****** GO!” I was expecting a big debut to end the show but this week was already packed.

Overall Rating: C+. Oh boy this was something else. They had A LOT of rebuilding to do and in this case they seemed to want to do it all in one night. That only works so well, but they seemed to be going with the theory of “get people on the show so fast and figure the rest out later”. That’s certainly an idea, but it’s only so interesting of a way to go for two hours. We’re absolutely resetting things around here again and as Michaels said, that’s kind of how this place works. We just need to see where it goes from here, though it was quite the all over the place start.

Results
Myles Borne b. Saquon Shugars – Slingshot Borne Again
Sean Legacy/EK Prosper b. Birthright – Shambles to Stacks
Lizzy Rain b. Nikkita Lyons – Thunderstruck
Kelani Jordan b. Wren Sinclair – One Of A Kind
Shiloh Hill b. Ricky Saints – Whisper To The Beast

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
Date: April 21, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re back here for something of a finale with Revenge Week 2, as Joe Hendry and Sol Ruca are both freshly on the main roster. They both have to wrap things up in NXT, which will likely happen this week. Ethan Page is also already on Raw, though we might also be saying goodbye to some people who are heading to Smackdown this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

North American Title: Myles Borne vs. Dion Lennox

Borne is defending and the rest of Darkstate is here with Lennox. They charge at each other to start with Lennox taking him down for an early two. Borne is back up with a suplex for two and knocks Lennox outside for the big dive. Back up and Lennox knocks him off the apron for a change and then drops him onto it again as we take a break.

We come back with Borne firing off some clotheslines but getting clotheslined outside. Lennox drops him onto the steps for two but Borne makes another comeback. An AA onto the knee gives Borne two so it’s Darkstate up with a distraction. Lennox gets in a superplex for two more and they slug it out until a double clothesline drops both of them. Darkstate gets up for a distraction but Borne shoves Lennox into Shuggars and grabs Borne Again for the pin at 11:21.

Rating: C+. This was more about furthering the issues between Shuggars and Lennox and that makes sense, as it also gave Borne a title defense. I’m not sure if the team is splitting, but they do seem to have already hit their high point. Borne is starting to become quite the star with the title, though I’m not sure who is going to be his next big challenger.

Blake Monroe is looking at her custom Women’s North American Title while the Vanity Project seems to ignore her. If she needs anything though, she can text them.

Saquon Shuggars tells Robert Stone that Darkstate needs one more chance but Stone says walk with him.

Shiloh Hill gives Tatum Paxley a pep talk before the casket match. He’s ready for Ricky Saints next week too.

Joe Hendry vs. Keanu Carver

Hendry has to slip out of an early slam and Carver charges into a boot in the corner. Carver shrugs that off and whips him hard into the corner over and over, followed by an over the shoulder backbreaker. Hendry manages to send him outside for a breather and we take a break. We come back with Carver snapping off a German suplex and hitting a big backbreaker. Carver’s charge hits the post but he cuts off the spinning pose. Carver unloads with right hands and Hendry is out, with the referee calling it at 9:14.

Rating: C. Hendry is on his way to Raw and he did more than go out on his back, as he got the fire beaten out of him here. That’s a great way to make Carver look like a smashing machine and I could go for seeing more of this version of him. Hendry is going to be fine on the main roster but dang he got rocked here. He could have a rematch, though maybe this is it, which would be a big way to go out.

Lizzy Rain, a heavy metal rocker, is debuting next week.

Speed Title: Lexis King vs. EK Prosper

For the vacant title and Birthright is here with King. Prosper grabs a flipping backslide to start fast and bounces off the ropes to set up a dropkick. A slingshot Fameasser gives Prosper two as we’re a minute into the five minute time limit. Birthright offers a distraction though and King takes over inside.

Back in and Prosper fights back with some right hands and a leg lariat gets two. King hits a Backstabber for two and we have two minutes left. The Coronation is broken up and they head out to the apron to chop it out. Prosper sends him outside and moonsaults down onto the pile with a minute to go. Arianna Grace offers a distraction though and the Coronation finishes to make King champion at 4:32.

Rating: C. It’s good for King to win a title as it gives him something to do, but at the same time it’s just the Speed Title. The title hasn’t meant a thing since it was introduced and that’s likely going to be the case again here. At least he won the thing though and that’s a step in the right direction.

Jackson Drake is waiting for a date to show up when the rest of the Vanity Project comes in. Apparently Drake got stood up and they’re ready to leave. A woman comes in and says she heard Drake got stood up. Oh dead.

Saquon Shuggars tells Darkstate that they are getting another shot at the North American Title. Dion Lennox is happy….but it’s Shuggars getting the shot. Lennox is still happy. Right.

We look at Zaria costing Sol Ruca her Raw debut last night.

Women’s North American Title: Blake Monroe vs. Tatum Paxley

Paxley is defending in a casket match. They slug it out to start and Paxley sends her straight into the casket. Monroe panics (as you should) and the fight heads outside. Monroe takes over and teases a headscissors into the casket, with Paxley blocking it without much trouble. Paxley whips out the dollhouse but gets dropkicked into it (ouch) and we take a break.

We come back with Paxley hitting an enziguri and they fight back to the apron. They trade strikes to the face and crash into the casket, which closes. That doesn’t count so they get back onto the apron and slug it out on top of the casket. The Glamour Shot is countered into a Spanish Fly to plant Monroe on the floor and they’re both down again.

Monroe is back up with a fire extinguisher shot and hits the Glamour Shot, which knocks Paxley silly. That’s enough for Monroe to put her in the casket…but Paxley gets the belt up in time to avoid it being closed. Back in and Monroe beats on her with the belt and pours out the bag of diamonds. That earns her a Cemetery Drive, followed by a kick to the head to send Monroe into the casket to retain at 11:45.

Rating: B. I liked this more than I was expecting to and there is a good reason that this sends Monroe up to the main roster. I’m not sure how much sense that makes but at least she might get another fresh start. Paxley on the other hand has become one of the more solid stars in the division and that’s great to see. Let her see what she can do and maybe even move up higher.

We go back to Jackson Drake, who is sitting with the woman who interrupted him. Apparently she used to dissect horses with her bare hands. Oh and she points out that the woman he was supposed to meet seems to be an AI bot. Shiloh Hill is blamed but they leave together and she slaps a man away, which Drake thinks is a good thing. And the rest of the Vanity Project can come with them. Ok then.

Here is Lola Vice for a chat. She talks about all of the good things Jacy Jayne did for the women’s division but now it’s time for her moment. Last week she saw a bunch of women coming after her to make their own moments. Vice is ready for them because she’s a fighting champion ready for anyone. You don’t just walk up to Vice City and come up to her but all it’s going to get you is knocked out and danced on.

Cue Izzi Dame with the Culling, with Dame saying she is indeed a threat, but has Vice started to feel the change yet? The women are going to look at her differently and waiting on her, just like Dame is doing. Vice is ready to fight but the Culling offers a distraction, allowing Dame to boot her in the face. There’s your next challenger and they’re not being subtle with it.

Lexis King is happy with his title win but Dorian Van Dux and EK Prosper come in to say King couldn’t win on his own. A tag match seems likely but Arianna Grace says they have a party to plan.

We get a long form look at Kendal Grey. She was a successful wrestler, including against boys in high school. She kept getting scars over the years, including taking a foul ball at a Yankees game. While she wanted to tell us something about herself, she wants the Women’s Title. Good stuff here, just for the sake of getting to know her a bit.

Robert Stone checks on Lola Vice but Ricky Saints has attacked Shiloh Hill.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tony D’Angelo comes up to Robert Stone and has been sent him a box with a character on it. Keanu Carver comes up and D’Angelo thinks it was him. No, because if he wanted the title then he would take it, but that character means “war”.

Zaria vs. Sol Ruca

Last Woman Standing with Zaria sneaking up on her but getting taken down with a Thesz press. Ruca sends her outside for a quick dive but Zaria is back with a trash can toss. They trade kicks, with Ruca’s hitting a trashcan, and they’re both down. Zaria chokes her with a camera cable but Ruca is back up with the kendo stick shots. A sunset bomb onto the announcers’ table is blocked and Zaria kicks her in the face. An F5 is escaped as well so Ruca spears her through that wooden wall which is broken every few months. They both need a second and we take a break.

We come back with the two of them slugging it out on the barricade until Zaria hits a release F5 to send her crashing through the table. Somehow that’s not enough so Zaria sets up a table, only to get German suplexed on the floor. A running knee puts Zaria down and the table is set up on the floor. Zaria is back up and sets up a second table next to it but Ruca hits her with the cover of the announcers’ table.

Ruca goes up onto the platform, only for Zaria to follow her, right into the Sol Snatcher. Zaria beats the count (again) and they slug it out on the platform with Zaria almost being knocked down. Ruca pulls her back though and Zaria thanks her as this doesn’t seem bright. They hug and apologize…and of course Zaria shoves her off the platform and through one table, with Ruca’s head slamming into the table which doesn’t budge. Thankfully isn’t dead but she is down for the ten count to give Zaria the win at 14:55.

Rating: A-. Well that was outstanding. These two beat the living daylights out of each other and it felt like a fight between two people who were desperate to defeat the other. Zaria gets her revenge and Ruca proves that she’s ready to be a top hero because she couldn’t have looked dumber. This is the biggest win of Zaria’s career and while I’m not sure where she’s going, she had got there in a great match.

Overall Rating: B+. This show was about writing off some of the departing stars and setting up some new things. That’s a hard thing to do but it’s one of the issues that comes with a show like NXT. For now though, they had a heck of a main event and the casket match was good as well, making for a pretty awesome show. It’s one of the better NXT’s in a pretty long time and that has me wondering what is next, which means they’re doing something rather right.

Results
Myles Borne b. Dion Lennox – Borne Again
Keanu Carver b. Joe Hendry via referee stoppage
Lexis King b. EK Prosper – Coronation
Tatum Paxley b. Blake Monroe when Paxley closed Monroe in the casket
Zaria b. Sol Ruca when Ruca couldn’t answer the ten count

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

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.

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

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

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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NXT
Date: April 7, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Stand & Deliver and that means it’s time to start getting ready for…whatever the next big show is going to be. The big story coming out of the show is Tony D’Angelo defeated Joe Hendry for the NXT Title. In addition, Lola Vice is the new Women’s Champion. Let’s get to it.

Here is Stand & Deliver if you need a recap.

Stand & Deliver recap.

Here is Tony D’Angelo to get things going. A lot of the fans have been with him since the beginning. He has gone from a boy to a man around here and now he is the only Grand Slam Champion in NXT history. Some of the decisions he has made haven’t been the best but there isn’t a man around here who can take the title from him.

Cue Joe Hendry, who agrees that D’Angelo was the better man. That was just one night though but would it have been the same in a one on one match? Cue Ethan Page to blame Ricky Saints for his loss, which brings out Saints to say the same thing. D’Angelo is ready to go again but here is Darkstate to go after all four of them. We take a break and come back with the fighting having been broken up and Robert Stone making the eight man tag.

Sol Ruca vs. Izzi Dame

Dame has the rest of the Culling with her. Dame powers her into the corner to start but gets taken down with a snapmare. Ruca hits a standing moonsault but Dame is right back with a running clothesline. Some shoulders in the corner have Ruca in more trouble, at least until she grabs an X Factor. A dropkick puts Dame outside and a spinning springboard dive takes her out again.

We take a break and come back with Ruca hitting a springboard flipping clothesline to leave both of them down. Ruca wins an exchange of strikes, followed by a missile dropkick. Dame is able to shove her off the top though and a super Codebreaker gets two. Back up and Ruca knocks her outside, only to miss a moonsault…and get speared by Zaria. Ruca is sent back inside for Dame Over to give Dame the pin at 10:38.

Rating: B-. This worked well enough while it lasted but Zaria vs. Ruca continuing isn’t the most appealing idea. Ruca beat her clean on Saturday and it’s just making Zaria feel whiny to continue the feud. At the same time, I can go for Dame getting more of a push, as she could fit into the title picture rather nicely.

The Vanity Project come into Robert Stone’s office when Blake Monroe (scheduled to meet with Stone) comes in. The Project gives her a fake Women’s North American Title and Stone gives her a mixed tag later tonight.

The injured Elio LeFleur meets with Dorian Van Duks and EK Prosper, saying he wants one of them to win the Speed Title. Duks is ready to go, but so is Prosper.

Keanu Carver vs. Jasper Troy vs. Josh Briggs

It’s a brawl to start with Briggs sending Carver into the post and out to the floor. Briggs takes over but Carver is back in, with Briggs giving him a splash. Carver knocks both of them down, with a clothesline getting two on Briggs. Troy gets beaten up on the floor but Briggs drops both of them as we take a break.

We come back with Carver slugging away at both of them and powerslamming Briggs for two. A spinebuster drops Troy for two and Carver stomps on Briggs in the corner. Troy fights up and chokeslams Carver before covering Briggs for two more. Briggs drops Troy over the top for a big crash, leaving Briggs to kick Carver in the face. A Pounce sends Troy to the floor and another puts Briggs down. The Jackhammer gives Carver the pin at 12:56.

Rating: B-. This was pretty much exactly as advertised, with all three powerhouses beating each other up until one of them got the pin. It was a fine match, though it never really did anything to make it stand out. Carver is being treated as a new force around here so it’s good to see him get a win. If nothing else it seems like he might be in for a big beatdown on Booker T., which would feel like an important deal.

Shiloh Hill and Tatum Paxley are ready for their mixed tag. They also talk about raccoons. Ricky Saints comes in to call them weird but they don’t seem to care.

Ricky Saints/Ethan Page/Tony D’Angelo/Joe Hendry vs. Darkstate

D’Angelo jumps Shuggars to start but gets in trouble in the wrong corner. Lennox comes in and gets driven away, only for Page to steal the tag from Hendry. Page is rammed into Saints, which counts as a tag as well. Saints is taken into the wrong corner but fights out in a hurry, allowing the tag off to Hendry.

A delayed suplex drops James for two and it’s back to Saints for a Fameasser and a near fall. Page and Saints get back together for a double backdrop but D’Angelo gets back in for a change. Lennox actually runs D’Angelo over and we take a break. We come back with Hendry in trouble, with a double suplex getting two. The neck crank keeps Hendry down and he gets swung into a backbreaker.

A running Vader Bomb gives James two but cue Myles Borne to go after Lennox (who attacked him on Saturday). Everything breaks down and Saints dives off the apron with a forearm to James. Hendry hits a big dive and D’Angelo adds a spinebuster to Shuggars. Page tags himself in though and boots D’Angelo in the face. The twisted Grin finishes Shuggars at 15:00.

Rating: B. They had a lot of things going on once here and they managed to make it into a good match. Page stealing the pin in the end and attacking D’Angelo might make him the first challenger for the title. Other than that you probably have Bourne vs. Lennox coming up, which should go well for both of them. Nice job here.

Post match D’Angelo lays Page out.

Jaida Parker is sick of people like Kelani Jordan. They got in a fight at the Performance Center and almost got in another in the parking lot. Parker is ready for her again next week.

Speed Title Tournament First Round: Lexis King vs. Chazz Hall

Hall is freshly debuted on Evolve and is better known as Starboy Charlie. The rest of Birthright is here with King, who charges at him to start fast. That doesn’t get him very far and the Coronation doesn’t work. A standing Sliced Bread gives Hall two and he sends King outside for the big cartwheel dive. Back in and Hall’s shooting star’s press hits raised feet, setting up the Coronation to give King the pin at 2:06. I’m not sure why you would want a newcomer like Hall to lose so soon.

Myles Borne and Tony D’Angelo glare at each other a bit but Robert Stone comes in. D’Angelo wants Ethan Page, which works for Stone. Keanu Carver comes in for the staredown with D’Angelo.

We get a clip of the new Shawn Michaels documentary.

Shiloh Hill/Tatum Paxley vs. Jackson Drake/Blake Monroe

The rest of the Vanity Project is here too. Paxley and Monroe compare belts before the match until Monroe gets shoved down. Monroe is back up with a tackle but Paxley cranks on her arm. Drake comes in to miss an enziguri on Hill and some forearms to the chest have Drake in trouble. A top rope clothesline gives Hill two but Monroe doesn’t want to tag. Hill tags in though and Monroe has to come back in, where the Cemetery Drive is broken up.

Paxley and Hill grab stereo surfboards, both are which are escaped and the villains head outside. We take a break and come back with Hill giving Drake a running shoulder. A belly to back suplex is broken up though and it’s a double shot from behind to put Hill down. Hill easily fights out though and it’s back to Paxley, with Monroe realizing she’s in trouble. The Project offers a distraction so Hill hits a flip dive but the distraction lets Monroe avoid the 450. Drake offers a distraction and it’s the Glamour Shot to pin Paxley at 11:17.

Rating: C+. This is another case of a feud seemingly wrapping up at Stand & Deliver but it keeps going here anyway. I’m not sure what the thinking is behind doing that over and over, but there should be enough names to come after Paxley’s title without going to such a quick rematch. Hill and Paxley did have some chemistry together though and that could work for a bit going forward.

Robert Stone announces that for the next two weeks, it’s NXT Revenge. In the first week, Tony D’Angelo defends against Ethan Page and in week two, it’s Zaria vs. Sol Ruca in a Last Woman Standing match. Hopefully Maya Inca Boy makes one of the cards.

Kali Armstrong is coming (at Revenge).

We look back at the eight man tag and the post match brawl.

Here is Lola Vice for her first chat as Women’s Champion. She’s proud to be the first Cuban American WWE Champion and thought she was ready the second she walked in the door. The reality is she got humbled fast and now she knows she wasn’t ready. Now the reality is she’s undeniable and she knows what it means to have to earn something…and here is Fatal Influence.

Jacy Jayne tells her to enjoy this time because she’s ready to become a three time champion. Jayne says she lost on a technicality and gets annoyed at the fans booing her. Robert Stone comes out to make the match for next week but Fatal Influence jumps Vice from behind. Vice fights them off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure what to think of this show, as it really made Stand & Deliver feel like a rest stop for Revenge rather than the biggest show of the year. What we got here was an ok show which felt like it was telling us to watch for the big show over the next two weeks. That’s a really weird way to go and I hope it doesn’t continue in this style, as it brings the major events way down.

Results
Izzi Dame b. Sol Ruca – Sitout powerbomb
Keanu Carver b. Josh Briggs and Jasper Troy – Jackhammer to Briggs
Joe Hendry/Ethan Page/Ricky Saints/Tony D’Angelo b. Darkstate – Twisted Grin to Shuggars
Lexis King b. Chazz Hall – Coronation
Blake Monroe/Jackson Drake b. Shiloh Hill/Tatum Paxley – Glamour Shot to Paxley

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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AAA On FOX
Date: April 4, 2026
Location: Show Center Complex, Monterrey, Mexico
Commentators: John Bradshaw Layfield, Corey Graves, Rey Mysterio

We’re finally done with Rey de Reyes and it’s time to start doing something new around here. In this case that means we have some title matches coming up, including new Rey de Reyes El Grande Americano challenging Dominik Mysterio for the Mega Title. That should be enough to carry things for a bit, but hopefully there is some more to keep things interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long Rey de Reyes recap.

Tokyo Bad Boys vs. Lince Dorado/El Mesias/Mecha Wolf

The Boys are Nobu, Takuma and Kento. Dorado offers Nobu a handshake to start and kicks him in the ribs but Nobu is back with a dropkick. The other Boys get in some slaps from the apron and it’s off to Wolf vs. Takuma. Wolf tries to pick up the pace but gets kicked down, with Takuma being rather fired up.

It’s off to Mesias, with JBL sounding rather pleased on commentary. Some triple teaming slows Mesias down and it’s a triple dropkick to make it worse. That’s shrugged off and Mesias clears the ring in a hurry before it’s Kento getting back inside. Mesias and Wolf hit some clotheslines in the corner, setting up Mesias’ powerslam for two. Wolf suplexes him into a kind of snap Jackhammer (commentary isn’t sure what to call it either) for two more.

Dorado gets in on the near falls with a Backstabber before Mesias hits a sliding lariat for another two. A kick to the face just seems to annoy Kento though and he enziguris Mesias to escape. Nobu is back in to strike away and Takuma adds a missile dropkick to put Mesias outside. Back up and Nobu gets double gorilla pressed onto Mesias, followed by a dive and top rope moonsault onto the other two.

The fans approve of the Boys, including Nobu suplexing Mesias for two more. Mesias is back with a double spear and a powerbomb to Takuma but Kento gets in a clothesline. Dorado hits a double Golden Rewind and a big flipping dive, leaving Mesias to Downward Spiral Takuma for the pin at 11:12.

Rating: B. Mesias was like a big statue who happened to be able to move a bit, though he looked so much different than anyone else out there that it made up for his mobility issues. The other guys were flying all over the place, with the Boys showing off some great speed and athleticism. This was all about getting in as much stuff as they could and it worked better than I would have bet on. Good stuff.

Earlier this week, Nathan Frazer was trying to learn Spanish to come to the show. Axiom came in and it turns out they’re on different teams tonight. They seem cool with it though.

Reina de Reinas: Sussy Love vs. Flammer

Flammer is defending and, after the Big Match Intros, throws her down with ease. Love cuts off a kick so Flammer hits her in the face in a change of pace. Flammer gets tied in the ropes so Love hits a quick springboard elbow. With Flammer on the floor, Love tries to pull her back in by the hair, which doesn’t quite work as Flammer gets in a neck snap. Back in and Flammer grabs a camel clutch but Love is back up with some crossbodies. A German suplex connects for Love and a middle rope moonsault gets two. Flammer is right back with a Codebreaker though and a running dropkick against the ropes retains the title at 4:08.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time here and while I was expecting Love to potentially steal the title right before Flammer’s big celebration, that wasn’t exactly the case. Instead this was Flammer shutting Love down and winning in pretty dominant fashion. Love wasn’t bad, but that wasn’t the point of a match like this one.

Video on Penta agreeing to defend the Intercontinental Title against El Hijo del Vikingo.

Penta talks about all of the changes that have taken place over the last year, which have mainly centered around WWE buying AAA. He loves being a part of the rise of a Mexican wrestling company but would love to see his brother win some gold of his own. The only way to pay the fans back for believing in him is to defend the Intercontinental Title in Mexico and he’s ready to do it against Vikingo. Catchphrases ensue.

Nathan Frazer/Charlie Dempsey/Tristan Angels vs. Elio LeFleur/Dorian Van Dux/Axiom

Angels and Dux (pronounced Dukes) are from Evolve and this is UK vs. Europe. Dempsey and Axiom start things off with Axiom taking him down to work on the arms. That’s reversed into quite the variety of arm cranking from Dempsey, who gets reversed into an Octopus. Dempsey makes the rope so Axiom grabs a suplex to send it off to Frazer for the big partner showdown.

We don’t actually get the fight as Angels tags himself in and gets taken down by Dux’s hurricanrana. LeFleur dives in to take Angels down again but Frazer flips over him in the corner. Frazer and LeFleur trade some flips until Frazer scores with a dropkick. Angels comes in for a suplex and stomps LeFleur out of the corner. Dempsey comes in for two off a wheelbarrow suplex but LeFleur pulls Frazer out of the air with a neckbreaker (nicely done).

A rolling tag brings in the rather muscular Dux to clean house, with a cutter getting two on Angels. Dempsey butterfly superplexes Dux for two, with LeFleur’s diving splash making the save. NOW we get the Fraxiom battle, with Frazer hitting a superkick, only for Axiom to superkick his moonsault out of the air.

Frazer kicks him down again and goes up, where Axiom is waiting with a super Spanish Fly. Angels makes the save and everything breaks down with a parade of knockdowns to leave everyone down. Dux throws Axiom over the top onto Frazer and Dempsey, leaving LeFleur to give Angels a headscissors driver for the pin at 11:54.

Rating: B+. Take two teams, let them go nuts for about twelve minutes. That’s exactly as this was advertised and then it wound up going well. I had a great time with this, which went all over the place and even gave us the teased Fraxiom fight. What matters the most is having everyone get in some stuff and show off, which is what we got here. I want to see more of the people I hadn’t seen much before and that’s a rather nice bonus to the entertaining action.

Flammer promises a big celebration next week to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. It was a total throwaway show with pretty much nothing going on as far as plot points, but dang it was fun with the action we got instead. This was all about the two six man tags, with Flammer’s match being entertaining as well. It’s absolutely not a show that you need to see, but dang it’s a fun sit for under an hour.

Results
Lince Dorado/El Mesias/Mecha Wolf b. Tokyo Bad Boys – Downward Spiral to Takuma
Flammer b. Sussy Love – Running dropkick against the ropes
Elio LeFleur/Dorian Van Dux/Axiom b. Nathan Frazer/Charlie Dempsey/Tristan Angels – Headscissor driver to Angels

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