Evolve
Date: June 3, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

The road to Succession III is on and we’re going to need some challengers for the titles. That is probably what we’ll start finding out this week, as Evolve tends to run a pretty tight ship. What matters the most is that there is now a target in sight as it helps things get more focused. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a clip from after last week’s show, with the Mog Squad surrounding Aaron Rourke, only for Sam Holloway, Marcus Mathers and Cappuccino Jones running in for the save. Max Abrams managed to lay Rourke out before the villains left though.

Nikkita Lyons and Sloane Jacobs handle this week’s recap. I do like that this isn’t treated as a conversation, but rather just them recapping the show and talking as they would. It feels so much more natural.

Masyn Holiday vs. Gianna Capri

Layla Diggs is here with Holiday, who spins out of a wristlock and armdrags her down. A dropkick gives Holiday two and we hit the armbar. Back up and Capri is sent into the corner, where she gets annoyed at the dancing and knocks Holiday down. Holiday gets up and they trade the big strikes, with Capri being knocked back against the ropes. A running seated senton hits Capri again but she’s back with a chop block. Capri grabs a rollup and holds the rope for the pin at 3:28.

Rating: C-. That was a weird ending as it felt like they were starting to get going and then ran home as fast as they could. The chop block looked to be setting up whatever they were doing to do next and then it just wrapped up. The match was only so good in the first place and then it never got the chance to improve. Odd choice here.

Wendy Choo is better for Sloane Jacobs, even if Nikkita Lyons is there too.

It’s Gal is standing by some water and talks about how he’s been pulled into too many different directions in Evolve. That isn’t happening anymore because from now on, the only rock and hard place he’ll be between are his big arms. He’s on his own now and that means an open challenge next week. While I can’t stand open challenges, Gal saying his full name and posing every time made up for it.

Harley Riggins vs. Romeo Moreno

Kam Hendrix is here with Riggins and Moreno is ready to show that he can do his best when things are at their worst. Riggins starts fast by knocking him down and grabbing the chinlock. Moreno tries to get up and gets pulled right back down, with the fans staying being Moreno in a good sign.

Back up and Moreno hits an enziguri, leaving both of them down. Some more kicks in the corner have Riggins in trouble but he fights back on top. Moreno’s super Spanish Fly is blocked as Hendrix grabs the leg though, allowing Riggins to hit a knee to the face for the pin at 3:36.

Rating: C. The match was another strange one, with a good chunk of it being spent in a chinlock and Moreno losing again. Moreno is starting to feel like someone who is just a warm body around both Evolve and NXT and that’s only kind of surprising. There isn’t much about him that stands out and until that changes, I don’t quite seeing him having the most success.

Post match Hendrix grabs a chair and Riggins Pillmanizes Moreno’s ankle.

Timothy Thatcher yells at his security guards, who are finally named as Viktor Zanov and Shido Ash, for being too rough last week and injuring Harlem Lewis (I believe, as the audio wasn’t the clearest). With that out of the way, he wants them ready to secure things tonight as he has a big match. That leaves Thatcher with Succession III, which will feature new arrivals and the winner of tonight’s Women’s Title match against Nikkita Lyons. Let’s get to work.

Max Abrams vs. Cappuccino Jones

Abrams manages to pull off his entrance pants while jumping off the top. They start fast with Abrams catching him in a chase and stomping away. Jones is back up with a running elbow in the corner but Abrams sends him to the apron for a springboard kick to the head. Abrams hammers away in the corner, with Jones snapping off a hurricanrana to escape

That lets Jones go up but he dives into a dropkick. A running Blockbuster gives Abrams two but the top rope elbow misses. Jones hits a top rope ax handle for two and a sitout powerbomb gets the same. Back up and some running kicks to the head rock Abrams and they hit stereo crossbodies for another double down.

Cue some of the Mog Squad but security is waiting on them, only for Marcus Mathers and Sam Holloway to jump the Squad from behind. Security gets rid of Mathers and Holloway, leaving Abrams to go outside so Jones can take him out with a big dive. Cue CJ Valor to crotch Jones on top and the Main Objective finishes Jones at 6:27.

Rating: B-. They’re clearly setting Abrams up as the title challenger for Succession and that’s not a bad idea. He’s been positioned as the star member of the Squad and I could go for seeing what else he could do. At the same time, Jones and company are feeling less and less important every week and that’s a really bad sign going forward.

PJ Vasa is here to watch the Women’s Title match.

Elijah Holyfield vs. Kai Kavari

Holyfield powers him into the corner and hits a running shoulder, followed by some running splashes in the corner. A big spinebuster drops Kavari again and an uppercut gives Holyfield the pin at 1:15. This was designed to put Holyfield in the ring and show the very basic stuff he can do. That’s perfectly fine and did well, albeit in a tiny sample size.

Tristan Angels is mad about last week’s loss to Aaron Rourke and doesn’t like a bunch of the people around here. He’s not done coming after the title and isn’t stopping until he has it.

Women’s Title: Sloane Jacobs vs. Wendy Choo

Choo is defending and the winner defends against Nikkita Lyons (in Jacobs’ corner) at Succession in three weeks. Jacobs charges at her to start and gets caught in a running headscissors. A dropkick gives Choo an early near fall and she knocks Jacobs outside as we take a break.

We come back with Jacobs staying on her in the corner and hitting a suplex into a legdrop for two. Back up and Jacobs hits a running boot in the corner, followed by a hanging swinging suplex for two more. The figure four necklock is broken up and Choo gets to fire back for a change. Some clotheslines put Jacobs down and a Molly Go Round (close enough) gets two.

Jacobs is back with a facebuster for two of her own and sends Choo into the corner a few times. Back up and Choo snaps off a brainbuster for two more but the Dirt Nap is broken up. A top rope elbow gets two on Choo and the Muta Lock makes it even worse. With that broken up, Choo is sent into the corner but comes right back with the Dirt Nap to retain at 9:01.

Rating: C+. Jacobs was a completely acceptable challenger for the title, even if there was no reason to think she was going to face Lyons at Succession. At the same time, it is great to see Choo getting to showcase herself in such a better way after the whole sleep deal. It was sad to have Choo wasting away with that nonsense, as this version is quite a good bit better.

Choo and Lyons have a staredown…and PJ Vasa beats up Karmen Petrovic in the VIP section to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Now this show was more like the Evolve style, as it was all about setting things up for Succession. That included making some matches and getting a few stories out of the way. That is the kind of show you need to have and I had a nice time watching them get ready. Good stuff here, and the likely Abrams vs. Rourke title match should be good.

Results
Gianna Capri b. Masyn Holiday – Rollup while holding the rope
Harley Riggins b. Romeo Moreno – Knee to the face
Max Abrams b. Cappuccino Jones – Main Objective
Elijah Holyfield b. Kai Kavari – Uppercut
Wendy Choo b. Sloane Jacobs – Dirt Nap

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: June 2, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re getting closer to…whatever the next big show is going to be but first we have the NXT Title being defended as Kam Hendrix challenges Tony D’Angelo. That should at least be a good match, but we also have the issue of Saquon Shuggars trying to get revenge on Darkstate for turning on him. Let’s get to it.

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

Zaria vs. Lizzy Rain

Zaria goes after her to start but gets dropkicked into the corner. Rain knees her from the apron and snaps off a hurricanrana into the corner. A kick seems to annoy Zaria, who hammers Rain down and pulls her away from the ropes for the crash. Cue Tatum Paxley to taunt Zaria but she’s able to knock Rain outside as we take a break.

We come back with Rain firing off headbutts in the corner but walking into a spear to leave them both down. Back up and Rain wins a slugout, setting up a springboard tornado DDT. Zaria’s F5 is countered so she nails a discus lariat for two. Rain shrugs off some yelling and hits a cutter, only to springboard into a suplex. The F5 gives Zaria the pin at 10:34.

Rating: C+. They kept this moving and Zaria is finally starting to get somewhere with these wins. Odds are she gets a title shot against Paxley at the Great American Bash and it’s nice to see her string together some wins to make that more realistic. Other than that you have Rain, who is still trying to find something to do.

Post match Zaria loads up another F5 but Paxley comes in to offer her a title shot next week.

Tavion Heights and Myles Borne suggest Sean Legacy and Dorian Van Dux team up. They seem somewhat interested.

Izzy Dame, in a referee top, tells the Culling to focus, as she is going to put the Women’s Title on the backburner for now.

Darkstate comes out for a match but Saquon Shuggars sneaks through the crowd and drops Cutler James with a pipe. Apparently we have a schedule change.

OTM vs. The Culling

Izzy Dame is here with the Culling, who get jumped to start fast with Spears getting elbowed in the face inside. Vance comes in to take over on Price, who avoids a charge in the corner and runs Vance over. Price gets sent outside though and we take a break. We come back with Nima suplexing Spears and getting over for the tag to Price. House is quickly cleaned, with a knee to the face getting two on Vance. The powerslam/neckbreaker combination gets two on Price, who is back up with a superkick to put Vance on the floor. The double swing into the double Angle Slam pins Spears at 9:29.

Rating: C+. It’s another perfectly nice match with the two teams getting to have some ring time. If nothing else, it was nice to see OTM actually win a match for a change. They’ve felt like they have potential to do something for a long time now but it isn’t going to matter unless they get to do this a lot more often.

EK Prosper gives Tate Wilder a pep talk but asks him to maybe let someone else have a chance. Wilder doesn’t seem interested but Kam Hendrix comes in to brag about his own success.

Jackson Drake vs. Tate Wilder

The rest of the Vanity Project is here with Drake. Wilder wrestles him down to start and works on the arm for a bit. Back up and Drake swivels his hips a bit, earning himself a Sling Blade. That’s enough to send Drake outside, with Wilder hitting a quick flip dive. We take a break and come back with Drake winning a brawl on the apron but missing a 450. The TKO connects for Wilder and he powerbombs Drake out of the corner. A UFO Splash gives Wilder two but the Project gets up for a distraction. Myra catches Wilder in a pair of powerbombs and now Drake’s 450 can connect for the pin at 8:38.

Rating: B-. I still like Wilder a bit but he’s firmly in the “getting used to this place” phase. That will pass in time and Wilder hasn’t looked bad this far. On the other hand you have Drake, who is easily the best star of the Vanity Project. The whole group is working well enough thus far and I’m curious to see where they go from here.

Robert Stone is fired up about the Great American Bash but Osiris Griffin comes in to complain about Cutler James being attacked. Jasper Troy comes in to mock Griffin but Darkstate jumps Troy and leaves him laying (with the camera being taken out as well).

We look at Lola Vice retaining the Women’s Title last week.

Here is Vice for a chat. Last week, she knocked out Izzi Dame just as she promised and now she wants to know who is next. This brings out Kelani Jordan, who brags about how she’s gone to TNA to become Knockouts Champion and became a bigger star. Some people criticized her for that, but those same people praised Vice’s success. Now all she needs is one chance but here are Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair to interrupt.

Grey brags about her own success and suggests that she’ll be coming after Jordan for her attacking Sinclair. Vice is sick of this and makes a #1 contenders match between Grey and Jordan for next week (which apparently she can just do). Grey approves and Jordan goes for the belt Vice is wearing, so Vice swings the spinning elbow…which knocks Grey silly by mistake. This all made sense and they didn’t do anything illogical, even with the champ getting to pick her potential challengers.

We preview the Mr. NXT Pageant, which should be either hilarious or stupid. Or both.

Tatum Paxley knows Shiloh Hill will win the pageant. Hill leaves and Zaria runs in to lay Paxley out.

Mason Rook comes up to Tony D’Angelo and says he should be having a title shot tonight. Robert Stone comes in to say Rook can face Naraku (who is in the background) next week.

Men’s Speed Title: Lexis King vs. Romeo Moreno

King, with Birthright, is defending and Moreno has Noam Dar. It’s also a five minute time limit for the title match. Moreno snaps off the sunset flip for an early two and la majistral gets the same. King breaks up something off the top though and gets a frustrated two. They chop it out with Moreno hitting a suplex and grabbing a Rings Of Saturn. With that broken up, Moreno hits a dive onto Birthright at ringside and gets caught in a half crab back inside. With that broken up, King knocks him out again and a Coronation retains the title at 4:34.

Rating: C+. I’m still not sure I get the appeal of Moreno, who is technically fine but there’s just nothing overly interesting about him. It’s WAY too early to write him off of course as he’s been in NXT for about 18 seconds, but I’m not seeing it so far. King is pretty much all he’s going to be right now, though being in a stable is a smart move for him.

Nattie and Jaida Parker argue in the back, with Nattie calling her soft. Parker responds by…looking sad. So yeah, kind of soft.

Keanu Carver comes up to the banged up Tate Wilder but EK Prosper stands up for Wilder.

Kendal Grey is worried about Wren Sinclair’s knee but Sinclair tells her to worry about Kelani Jordan.

Tavion Heights/Myles Borne vs. Darkstate

Borne slugs it out with Lennox to start and it’s off to Heights, who shoulders Griffin in the corner. Darkstate gets cleared out but comes back in to get knocked outside again. Lennox gets launched with a suplex on the floor and we take an early break. We come back with Borne in trouble as Lennox works on his leg.

Griffin hits a backbreaker and Lennox catapults Borne into a World’s Strongest Slam for two. Borne is back up without much trouble and brings in Heights to clean house. Everything breaks down and Lennox breaks up Heights’ spinning belly to belly. That means Heights is sent into the post, setting up a Doomsday Device to finish him off at 11:01.

Rating: B-. That’s a better finisher than anything I remember Darkstate doing otherwise and again, they were someone who needed a win. Heights losing is the best way to go as the champ shouldn’t be taking another fall. Darkstate has issues going on already though and that’s going to involve Saquon Shuggars, as it already has.

Post match Shuggars shows up for a staredown.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

NXT Title: Kam Hendrix vs. Tony D’Angelo

D’Angelo is defending and gets kicked in the face for two at the bell. A neckbreaker gets two more and Hendrix hammers away. D’Angelo is back with a chokeslam attempt to send Hendrix bailing out to the floor. Back in and D’Angelo snaps off some suplexes, with Hendrix heading outside again, only to run into an imposing Naraku.

We take a break and come back with D’Angelo fighting out of a chinlock but getting suplex slammed for two. D’Angelo Hulks Up and fights back, with a fisherman’s suplex getting two. A suplex toss gives D’Angelo two more but Hendrix kicks him in the face. Hendrix’s sitout powerbomb gets two, as does D’Angelo’s powerbomb. Hendrix goes for a chair but here is Mason Rook to cut him off. D’Angelo sends Hendrix onto the table and the spinebuster retains the title at 10:48.

Rating: B-. This got going a lot more at the end and it did pick up, with Rook not being a big factor. It felt like just a quick title defense before D’Angelo gets on to his bigger title opponents. At the same time, D’Angelo doesn’t really come off as the strongest champ and I’m not sure how long I can picture him holding the title. He feels more like a transitional champion, which very well may be the case.

Post match Naraku presents D’Angelo with the title. Naraku vs. Rook is officially a #1 contenders match.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one as much as very little, including the main event for the NXT Title, felt overly important. The good thing is we now have the Great American Bash to build towards and there will be three weeks to get ready for the show. This didn’t do much to get us there and felt like they were just getting done with some stuff before we get to the important material going forward. Not a great show here, but they have time to kick it into the higher gear.

Results
Zaria b. Lizzy Rain – F5
OTM b. The Culling – Double Angle Slam to Spears
Jackson Drake b. Tate Wilder – 450
Lexis King b. Romeo Moreno – Coronation
Darkstate b. Tavion Heights/Myles Borne – Doomsday Device to Heights
Tony D’Angelo b. Kam Hendrix – Spinebuster

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: May 27, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenberg

Last week saw another new face show up as Elijah Holyfield made his debut. That’s quite the impressive looking start and now we get to see where it goes from here. Names have a tendency to start picking up in a hurry on this show and that could be the case again with Holyfield. Let’s get to it.

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

Aaron Rourke previews tonight’s show, including a big announcement from Timothy Thatcher and Harlem Lewis vs. Braxton Cole. Rourke is ready for Tristan Angels too.

Opening sequence.

Harlem Lewis vs. Braxton Cole

Lewis jumps him during his entrance to start fast and the bell rings. The beating doesn’t last long though as Lewis misses a charge into the corner and gets neckbreakered for two. Cole stomps him down in the corner, followed by a backbreaker for two more. It’s time to work on Lewis’ arm, including Cole sitting on it and grabbing something like a Fujiwara armbar. That’s broken up and Lewis strikes away, setting up a release German suplex. They fight to the floor and Cole hits him with a chair for the DQ at 4:54.

Rating: C+. This felt like a preview for a bigger match later, hopefully with Lewis getting to go nuts on Cole in a rather violent way. The match only had so much of a chance to get going, but it wasn’t supposed to be the final showdown, which is a fine way to go. Lewis getting angrier is a good thing for him and the rematch should be a step up.

Post match the beating continues but the security comes out to carry Lewis away.

Tate Wilder comes in to see Timothy Thatcher, who announces that Wilder is officially on NXT full time. Wilder talks about his time on Evolve and how happy he has been around here. What a wild ride. Thatcher still has a big announcement for later tonight.

Chazz Hall talks about how he plays the air guitar but becomes the Denim Dragon when the straps come down. He’s ready to be a star.

Sloane Jacobs/Nikkita Lyons vs. Laynie Luck/Wendy Choo

Lyons works on Luck’s arm to start so Luck flips up for a standoff. A slam puts Luck down and Jacobs comes in for a legdrop. The double elbow gets two on Luck, who rolls away for a kick to Lyons’ face. It’s off to Choo for a running boot in the corner before Luck comes back in to strike away. Lyons gets crotched in the corner and the villains are knocked down on the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Luck being catapulted throat first into the bottom rope. Jacobs plants Luck for two and pulls her out of the corner for two more. Luck hurricanranas and enziguris out of the corner and it’s back to Choo to clean house. A hammerlock lariat puts Jacobs down and a high crossbody gives Choo two. Back up and Jacobs sends her face first into the corner a few times, with a German suplex dropping Choo again. Luck is back in for the save but Jacobs kicks Choo down and dumps Luck, allowing her to pin Choo at 7:17.

Rating: C+. That’s a good way to set up the next title match and it is something that has worked for the better part of ever in wrestling. Jacobs is still relatively new around here so she’s off to a good start in getting into the title picture. Rather efficient match here and that’s a fine way to go.

Post match Jacobs brags about the win and thanks Lyons as well. They hug, with Lyons rolling her eyes.

Elijah Holyfield is in Timothy Thatcher’s office, with Thatcher welcoming him to the roster. Thatcher says Holyfield has to put in the work, with Holyfield saying line them up and he’ll knock them down. Works for Thatcher, who says the first match is next week. With Holyfield gone, Thatcher makes Succession III for June 24. Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins come in to demand Romeo Moreno, with Thatcher making Moreno vs. Riggins for next week.

Video on PJ Vasa.

It’s Gal is in the VIP area.

Evolve Title: Aaron Rourke vs. Tristan Angels

Rourke is defending and, after the Big Match Intros, grinds away on a headlock. That’s broken up and Angels knocks him down into a chinlock. Rourke isn’t having that either and hits some running boots in the corner, followed by a missile dropkick for two. The flipping chop connects in the corner but Angels knocks him back down for two more.

Rourke is back with a quickly broken half crab as Angels knocks him into the corner. That’s shrugged off as Angels is sent outside for a Meteora from the apron so Gal starts the cheerleading. Rourke tells Gal to get out and gets dropkicked by Angels as we take a break. We come back with the two of them holding hands and trading some hard strikes.

Rourke gets the better of things with some clotheslines, including a cartwheel version. The Molly Go Round misses so Rourke goes after the leg again. A kick to the head sends Rourke to the apron, where Angels superplexes him back inside for another near fall. Back in and Rourke goes right back to the leg, this time with a Figure Four into a Figure Eight. Angels makes the rope so Rourke grabs a backslide and flips onto Angels to retain at 11:18.

Rating: B-. This was another nice title showcase from Rourke, but it never quite got to that next level. Rourke was on offense more than I would have expected as well, though Angels doesn’t have the longest track record around here anyway. It was a good enough main event though, especially with Succession in less than a month.

Post match the Mog Squad comes in to go after Rourke but the ID stars run in for the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Another fine show here, even with the focus already shifting over to next month’s Succession III. You can probably guess a lot of the card from here and that’s not a bad thing this far out. Hopefully they build it up well, and they certainly have time to make that work. It’s not some all time must see show, but it was more about previewing things for later.

Results
Harlem Lewis b. Braxton Cole via DQ when Cole used a chair
Sloane Jacobs/Nikkita Lyons b. Wendy Choo/Laynie Luck – Spinning kick to Choo
Aaron Rourke b. Tristan Angels – Flipping backslide

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: May 20, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

Things are staying interesting around here, even with another change of cast members likely taking place soon. The big story for this week is Tate Wilder getting to face Kam Hendrix in a battle of two people already on NXT. Other than that, we’re coming up on Tristan Angels getting his Evolve Title shot. Let’s get to it.

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

Hendrix talks about Wilder messing with the wrong people in recent weeks.

Wilder is ready to keep fighting no matter what.

Opening sequence.

Anya Rune vs. Layla Diggs

Masyn Holiday is here with Diggs. Rune grabs a headlock takeover to start before an armdrag sets up an armbar. Diggs is back up with a shot to the face and we hit a seated full nelson. That’s reversed into a backslide to give Rune two but Diggs kicks her in the head. A running shot in the corner gets two and we’re back to the full nelson. Back up and Rune avoids a running knee in the corner and forearms her down. Diggs backflips away from a shot to the face and keeps flipping to hit a Pele kick (that was sweet). A great looking moonsault finishes Rune at 4:20.

Rating: B-. That flip into the kick and moonsault looked awesome, with Diggs having one of her best performances in all of her time in WWE. She was able to make everything look smooth and that is quite the trick to pull off. Rune is still mainly just an idea rather than someone who has really gotten to show much skill thus far. That could easily be turned around, but this was much more about Diggs and it worked rather well.

Post match Gianna Capri comes in and mocks Rune, with Diggs and Holiday glaring her off.

Timothy Thatcher talks about everything he does around here, including still wrestling on the independent circuit. He lists off some independent promotions and says he might be showing up to both wrestle and scout. This was basically an ad for the promotions the WWE works with and that’s about it.

Chazz Hall vs. CJ Valor

Before the match, Valor and the Mog Squad are ready to take out Hall and hit the town. Hall grabs a headlock to start and is easily shouldered down. Valor’s gorilla press doesn’t work as Hall is back up with a jumping spin kick to the face. Sliced Bread is countered into Snake Eyes though and Valor turns him inside out with a running clothesline. A hip check gets two on Hall and Valor yells at him, with Hall’s right hands not getting him very far.

Valor mocks Hall’s guitar playing and the neck crank goes on. Hall gets up and hits a jawbreaker, followed by a springboard headscissors. The standing Sliced Bread sets up a standing corkscrew moonsault to give Hall two and he sends Valor outside. The flip dive connects on the floor but a high crossbody is pulled out of the air. Something that was either a tornado DDT or a sunset flip gives Hall two and he kicks Valor in the head. The shooting star press gives Hall the pin at 6:48.

Rating: B-. This was good enough as Hall continues to have some pretty nice success. I’m still not wild on him for the most part, but he’s certainly capable in the ring. Valor is a big guy, though being part of the four man team doesn’t exactly let him stand out much. Then again with so many people to run through the process so fast around here, stables are the most practical way to go.

Laynie Luck and Wendy Choo are in the back with Luck thanking her for the title shot. That being said, neither of them wanted it to end with the double interference. The challenge is officially issued for next week.

It’s contract signing time so here are Tristan Angels and Aaron Rourke. Angels asks the fans if they find Rourke’s time as champion satisfactory. It’s true that Rourke became an overnight sensation and has all of his sparkles and such. If Angels had been around, none of those things would have ever happened. Now it’s time for Angels to burn Sparkle City to the ground.

Angels signs and Rourke does the same before asking if Angels is done. Rourke asks if Angels really calls himself the most beautiful man in England. Rourke finds that cool but thinks we should just call him Mr. Evolve, because it would be cute and fun. Rourke talks about how inner beauty is about bringing people up. Therefore, Angels is an ugly narcissist. Rourke offers to let Angels hit him in the face but security runs in to cut it off. Cue Harlem Lewis to announce that he’s facing Braxton Cole next week. Then Elijah Holyfield (Evander’s son) pops up to say he’s here to look at what is going on.

Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons are ready for their tag match against Wendy Choo and Laynie Luck next week. They’ll even provide the tissues for when Choo and Luck cry. When Lyons pins Choo, she’s coming for the Women’s Title.

Kam Hendrix vs. Tate Wilder

Wilder slugs away to start and knocks him into the corner but a springboard is broken up. Hendrix knocks him out to the floor, setting up a suplex onto the apron. Wilde is thrown into the VIP Area, where he pulls Hendrix inside as well to take over again. A crossbody off the barricade connects but Hendrix backdrops him onto the apron for an even bigger crash

We take a break and come back with Hendrix release suplexing him for two. Wilder fights up and hits some running elbows to the face, only to get spinebustered back down. Back up and Wilder gets a shot of his own and they pull each other up to slowly trade fists. Hendrix gets the better of things but Lights, Kam, Action is blocked. The Wilde Ride gets two and here is Harley Riggins, who is kicked in the face by Romeo Moreno. Wilde is back up with a UFO Splash for the pin at 9:12.

Rating: B-. Good stuff again here and it’s nice to see Wilder getting a chance to show what he can. He’s starting to show what he can do and it’s turned him from little more than a cowboy to someone who is getting better in general. Granted this is just in Evolve, but he has is going to have to do that on a higher level as well. Then you have Hendrix, who still feels like he could be a big deal with the talent he has but he hasn’t had a chance to do much on his own thus far.

Post match Timothy Thatcher comes out to talk to Elijah Holyfield, who will be introduced next week.

Overall Rating: B. They’re keeping things moving around here and it’s rather nice to see the stories moving around so well. Hopefully they keep the pace going as it makes for a rather fun show to watch every single week. You can see things moving from one place to another and it makes for probably the easiest show to watch week to week. We’re coming up on the big Rourke vs. Angels title match and that feels like an important showdown despite it being set up out of nowhere. I would think that’s a good sign of how things are going here, which has been the case for a long time now.

Results
Layla Diggs b. Anya Rune – Moonsault
Chazz Hall b. CJ Valor – Shooting star press
Tate Wilder b. Kam Hendrix – UFO Splash

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: May 19, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

Things have been going into a slightly new direction around here, mainly because there are all kinds of fresh names around here. Several of the have hit the ground running and that is a good thing to see. If nothing else, it makes things look like the system is working and hopefully that continues this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Myles Borne/Tony D’Angelo vs. Kam Hendrix/Mason Rook

Hendrix powers Borne down to start but Borne is back up with a dropkick. A powerslam plants Hendrix and it’s off to D’Angelo, who gets to face Rook. Some running splashes in the corner crush D’Angelo, who tries a fisherman’s suplex for some reason. When that doesn’t work in the slightest, Borne comes in for a double suplex to Borne and Hendrix is sent outside as we take a break.

We come back with Hendrix chop blocking Borne and Rook hitting a splash. Rook’s Blue Thunder Bomb gets two but Borne fights out of trouble and brings in D’Angelo. House is cleaned and D’Angelo Cactus Clotheslines Rook out to the floor. Cue Tavion Heights to jump Hendrix, who is knocked into Borne. That allows Rook to Death Valley Driver Borne into the corner. Rook Big Bang Catastrophes Borne and Hendrix gets the pin at 12:06.

Rating: B-. This was a fine enough opener, with Hendrix getting to set himself up as the next challenger for Borne’s title. Well in theory at least, as it could be Rook or Heights, or some combination for the three. As for Rook…I’m not sure yet. He looks like King Kong Bundy with hair, which isn’t a terrible thing, but we’ll have to see what he does with some more time.

Darkstate are ready to get the Tag Team Titles back. Dion Lennox and Saquon Shuggars are still having issues though.

Here is Kelani Jordan, who talks about how much success she has had around here. Now though, she can’t even get a title shot, despite making the champion tap out. This brings out Izzi Dame, who says she should get the next title shot, which brings out Lola Vice, who says Jordan talks a lot and Dame dared to hit her in the back of the head. Next week, it’s Vice vs. Dame, which doesn’t work for Dame, or the interrupting Kendal Grey. Jordan complains about Grey and is promptly hit in the back with a crutch by Wren Sinclair. Dame and Jordan are quickly cleared out so the other three stand tall.

Dorian Van Dux and Sean Legacy are ready to get back on track, but Legacy reveals that they’re facing each other in the Speed tournament next week.

Noam Dar gives Romeo Moreno a pep talk. Moreno wants Dar at ringside tonight and Dar is in.

A bunch of women are watching Natalya on a podcast. Jaida Parker comes in and says she isn’t happy. Layla Diggs isn’t impressed with Parker and the match seems likely.

Romeo Moreno vs. Tristan Angels

Noam Dar is here with Moreno, who gets taken down with a spinning wristlock. Back up and Moreno hits him in the face but gets tied up in the corner. A double stomp and suplex give Angels two and a backbreaker has Moreno in more trouble. Cue Shiloh Hill (with a very tall hat) to distract Angels though and Moreno sends Angels outside for a big dive.

We take a break and come back with Moreno getting two off a missile dropkick. Angels catches him on top though and a Backstabber gets two. That earns Angels another dropkick to the floor, where he pulls Moreno onto the apron. Back in and a driving knee (basically a Stomp but with a knee) finishes Moreno at 8:59.

Rating: C+. The action was fine though I’m not exactly getting Moreno’s appeal. He’s fine, but there’s nothing about him that has made him stand out thus far. At the same time, Angels is a perfectly acceptable snooty heel. It’s a character that has been done forever in wrestling and it should work well for him if he is adequate or better.

Post match Angels says Hill belongs with these horrible fans but Hill thinks he should be named Mr. NXT. Hill puts up a photo of Angels looking rather dressed up, complete with a top hat. Angels is livid and says this won’t ruin his debut, even as Hill laughs a lot.

Lola Vice, Tatum Paxley, Myles Borne and Tony D’Angelo talk about how tough it is to keep their titles. Paxley is off for a title defense, leaving D’Angelo alone. Naraku comes in to say evil can show up at any time.

The Culling studies OTM before their match next week but Izzi Dame interrupts. The rest of the team didn’t see what happened to Dame but Shawn Spears calms things down. Well mostly as Dame doesn’t seem thrilled.

Women’s North American Title: Lizzy Rain vs. Tatum Paxley

Paxley is defending and, after the Big Match Intros, grabs an armdrag to start. A headlock doesn’t get Paxley very far as Rain is up with an armbar. That’s broken up as well and Paxley dropkicks her to the floor, only for Rain to come back in for a dropkick through the ropes. We take a break and come back with the two of them hitting crossbodies for a double down.

They forearm it out and then trade kicks with Rain getting the better of things. Rain’s chops in the corner have Paxley in more trouble but she comes back with a kick to the face. Back in and Paxley bounces out of a German suplex but a rolling kick to the head is blocked. They fight over a backslide, with Paxley swinging it into the Cemetery Drive to retain at 11:40.

Rating: B. They got going near the end and that switch into the Cemetery Drive was great. Paxley is starting to feel it and that’s great to see as she’s gone from just kind of there to a featured attraction. At the same time, Rain had her best match to date thus far and that is a good sign for her future.

Post match Zaria runs in and lays them both out with F5’s.

Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair are in the back and Grey insists that Sinclair isn’t a liability. Robert Stone comes in to say this can’t keep happening but Sinclair says she’ll be cleared next week. Shouldn’t Stone know that already?

Keanu Carver vs. Tate Wilder

Wilder gets sent to the apron and tries a sunset flip, which doesn’t work so well. Carver gives him a backdrop and grabs a sleeper, with Wilder managing to send him outside. A big running flip dive connects to put Carver down again and there’s the moonsault to do it again. Carver is right back up to send him into the post and a toss suplex sends Wilder flying again.

Wilder’s eye is busted open as Carver hammers away but Wilder tells him to bring it. A missile dropkick and Sling Blade put Carver down and Wilder sends him into the post. Wilder’s top rope splash gets two but Carver breaks up the Wilde Ride. A spinebuster finishes for Carver at 5:40.

Rating: B-. Much like the previous match, this got going near the end with Wilder trying to get the momentum going against the monster. That only worked for so long though as Carver eventually caught him. I still like Wilder a good deal and he could go somewhere with a lot more time, but Carver is a monster right now and that could take him somewhere.

Jackson Drake gives the nervous Vanity Project a pep talk but Myka Lockwood comes in to say she has the rest of Darkstate covered. The guys don’t get it but they’ll take it.

Shiloh Hill gets OTM to sign his petition to be Mr. NXT. Birthright on the other hand isn’t so interested. This gets Hill a match with Charlie Dempsey next week.

Kam Hendrix is in the ring for a chat and is rather pleased with beating two champions in his first match. He wants the NXT Title but here is Mason Rook to interrupt. Rook wants credit for the win but Hendrix passes, earning himself a beating. I do like them putting this in the ring for a change, as this would usually be a backstage segment.

We look at some recent NXT Live shows. These people getting house show experience is a good idea.

Tag Team Titles: Darkstate vs. Vanity Project

The Project is defending and get jumped before the start. Lennox hammers on Balor to start but Smokes comes in for the cheap shot. Back up and Lennox hits a clothesline but Shuggars hits a dropkick, even as Lennox was thinking double clothesline. A shot to the throat cuts Shuggars off and it’s back to Baylor, who gets monkey flipped. Smokes gets double teamed down and Darkstate clears the ring as we take a break.

We come back with Shuggars fighting out of trouble and avoiding a charge into the barricade. Shuggars realizes that no one is covering Lennox and the diving tag is on. House is quickly cleaned but Shuggars tags himself back in for a rollup. Everything breaks down and Lennox gives Baylor a slingshot sitout powerbomb for two.

Lennox’s double clothesline puts the champs down and here is the rest of Darkstate, with Myra Lockwood getting in their way. A spinebuster looks to give Lennox two but Shuggars tagged himself in. The top rope elbow gives Shuggars two and Darkstate gets to argue. That’s enough for Smokes to get a small package to retain at 11:33.

Rating: C+. This was an interesting way to go as the Project continues to back their way into wins, which works rather well for them. That’s a good way to go for a basically pretty boy team and it’s going to be fun when someone catches them. Then you have Darkstate and…yeah I’m not sure they’re going to be a thing that much longer. At least not in this form.

Post match all of Darkstate gets in the ring…and beat down Shuggars, apparently siding with Lennox. Shuggars slaps Lennox and is put through the announcers’ table as a result. Well that was one of the ways to go.

Overall Rating: B. This was a better than usual show as they moved a good number of things forward. That’s a good thing to see as it is the kind of show that should get us closer to some big showdowns. I’m still not sold on Rook but the fans certainly seem to like him to start so maybe there’s something to him. Other than that, both Women’s Title pictures are looking interesting and I want to see where those things are going. Nice job here as the new stars are starting to feel like regulars in a hurry.

Results
Kam Hendrix/Mason Rook b. Myles Borne/Tony D’Angelo – Big Bang Catastrophe to Borne
Tristan Angels b. Romeo Moreno – Driving knee
Tatum Paxley b. Lizzy Rain – Cemetery Drive
Keanu Carver b. Tate Wilder – Spinebuster
Vanity Project b. Darkstate – Small package to Shuggars

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: May 13, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

We’re coming up on another Evolve Title match and in this case we have a four way to crown a new #1 contender. That should make for a good main event and I’m curious to see which way they go. Other than that, we might be seeing some of the names who are on their way to NXT wrapping things up around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins arrive and talk about how it’s time for Hendrix to get the Evolve Title. I kind of like these little recaps as done by the wrestlers, as it’s a bit of a change of pace from the usual narrated versions or just showing clips.

Opening sequence.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Karmen Petrovic

Lyons drops outside at the bell before coming back inside so they can both miss some kicks. Legsweeps miss for both of them as well so Petrovic kicks Lyons’ hand. Petrovic grabs a headlock to cut off the kicks, only to get hit in the stomach. Back up and Petrovic hits her in the stomach as well, followed by a hair takedown, allowing Petrovic to mock the hand licking thing.

The headlock goes on again, with Lyons going down to the mat this time. A double arm crank keeps Lyons in trouble as Petrovic is getting a lot of control here. Petrovic switches to a full nelson with her legs but Lyons gets up for a fall away slam. We take a break and come back with Lyons working on Petrovic’s ribs and dropping the splits splash. A running shoulder in the corner stays on the bad ribs and Lyons bends the back over her knee.

Petrovic fights up and grabs a suplex, followed by the sliding kick to the chest. A Sling Blade gives Petrovic two but Lyons knocks her down, only to miss a Vader Bomb. Cue Sloane Jacobs for a distraction but Laynie Luck runs out to cut her off. Wendy Choo pops up to trip Lyons and the Petrifier gives Petrovic the pin at 9:06.

Rating: C+. This was mainly a bunch of strikes and that’s what it should have been, as it’s their signature styles. At the same time, the ending gives Choo some revenge on Lyons and hopefully it wraps up their story. Petrovic doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but at least she got a win here.

Brooks Jensen comes up to Dorian Van Dux, who offers to take Jensen’s advice…and throw it in the trash. Dux says something in French but Jensen doesn’t care where Dux is from because Jensen just wants to beat someone up. Jensen still does not feel remotely important.

Here is Harlem Lewis who calls out Braxton Cole for awakening something inside of him. Cole lost the Evolve Title match so he wants the loser out here right now. Cue Cole, with Lewis getting ready to go after him. The security guards come out and get between them, leaving Cole to mock Lewis for not having as wealthy of an upbringing.

Tate Wilder comes up to a depressed Romeo Moreno. Wilder doesn’t like the mindset and says Evolve is about developing and growing. Wilder lost a lot when he got here and look at how far he has come. It’s just a matter of time before Moreno rises up as well. Moreno seems to appreciate the kind words.

Tristan Angels is ready to become #1 contender because he’s an Englishman facing some Americans and a Belgian. Why would he be worried about someone from a country famous for chocolates and waffles? The Americans are nothing to worry about either because he’s tough and handsome.

CJ Valor vs. It’s Gal

Valor’s friends are here too as he misses a charge into the corner to start. Gal strikes away and wrestles him down to the mat, meaning it’s time for some posing. A running hurricanrana and enziguri drop Valor, setting up a double legdrop for two. Valor fights out of a waistlock and judo throws Gal down for two of his own.

Gal gets whipped hard into the corner and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Gal fights back, including throwing Valor out of the corner. A springboard dropkick gives Gal two but valor pulls him into an ankle lock. That’s broken up and Gal forearms away, drawing Max Abrams to the apron. Jacari Ball chop blocks Gal and a pop up spinebuster gives Valor the pin at 5:25.

Rating: C. Gal as a good guy is still a new experiment but he was so over the top that he had to go in this direction. On the other hand you have the new evil group and it makes perfect sense for them to get a win by cheating. This went fine, though the action was just pretty ok all things considered.

Post match the group gets in the ring, with Abrams bragging about all of their skills and what they bring to the team. Apparently they are the Mog Squad. Howard: “I don’t get it.”

Cappuccino Jones is filmed from behind a bush and is heard on the phone, seemingly bringing in reinforcements.

Gianna Capri blames her first loss on Anya Rune. Veronica Haven doesn’t like the disrespect but Rune gets up to say she’s going to get a match against Layla Diggs. Capri still isn’t impressed.

Dorian Van Dux vs. Kam Hendrix vs. Tristan Angels vs. Brooks Jensen

For a title shot against Aaron Rourke, who is in the VIP area. Dux and Jensen jaw at each other but get jumped and sent outside. Hendrix backslides Angels for two and Jensen rolls Hendrix up for the same. Dux is back up with a double missile dropkick and snaps off a running hurricanrana to Angels.

A flipping clothesline causes Jensen to DDT Hendrix and Angels sends Jensen outside. Dux’s clothesline to the back of Angels’ head gets two but Angels crotches him on top. Hendrix dives onto Dux on the floor and Jensen hits a dive off the top to Hendrix and Angels. Dux moonsaults onto all of them and we take a break.

We come back with Dux tossing Jensen onto Hendrix and powerbombing Angels onto the two of them. They fight up until a 3D gives Jensen two on Angels. Dux and Jensen slug it out until Jensen hits a running lariat. Dux’s Stundog Millionaire gets him out of trouble and a shooting star press hits Angels for two, with Hendrix making a save.

Cue Tate Wilder to go after Hendrix and Jensen removes his boot to knock Dux silly. A Neutralizer hits Dux but Angels steals the cover for two. Dux half crabs Angels until Jensen kicks Dux…to no avail. Jensen hammers away to break it up but gets dropped with a clothesline. Angels’ rollup gets two and Dux gives him a springboard cutter. Jensen knocks Dux outside but gets small packaged to give Angels the pin at 9:12.

Rating: B-. This was a bunch of good action and it had the Jensen vs. Dux feud to keep the match going. Dux got to show off some athleticism here, with the flips and fast paced offense looking impressive. Angels has been treated as an important deal and it makes sense to have him get the title shot. It wouldn’t shock me to see him win the title, which very well may be where we’re going from here.

Rourke and Angels stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I love this kind of show, as it felt like they had a bunch of stuff to cover and they made it work. It was an effective show and covered a few different stories, including setting up Rourke’s next challenger for the title. That’s all you need sometimes as the big show is probably coming soon. It’s not a must see show, but it kept things moving for another week.

Results
Karmen Petrovic b. Nikkita Lyons – Petrifier
CJ Valor b. It’s Gal – Pop up spinebuster
Tristan Angels b. Brooks Jensen, Dorian Van Dux and Kam Hendrix – Small package to Jensen

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: May 12, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We’re on the way to some big show which I don’t think has been announced yet but you can see some of the stories coming together from here. This includes Tony D’Angelo likely facing Naraku, who is the new big villain on the show. Other than that, it turns out that Keanu Carver is rather smart, which he revealed last week. Let’s get to it.

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

Tatum Paxley/Lizzy Rain vs. Nikkita Lyons/Zaria

Zaria and Rain start things off with Zaria easily shoving her down. A sunset flip doesn’t work for Rain either and Zaria hits a hard clothesline. Paxley comes in and gets to face Lyons, who makes a blind tag. Lyons puts her down but misses a splits splash and everything breaks down. Rain and Paxley hit stereo dropkicks through the ropes and we take a break.

We come back with Rain fighting out of a chinlock but getting caught in a tiger bomb for two. Zaria misses a charge though and it’s back to Rain to make the comeback. Lyons punches her down though and it’s back to Paxley, whose Cemetery Drive is reversed into a spinning kick to the head. That’s enough for Lyons to get over to the rope…and Zaria walks out. Rain comes back in for Thunderstruck for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: C+. Rain seems to be sticking around and while I’m not big on her thus far, she’s at least someone unique enough to stand out and that’s a good start. At the same time, Lyons took the pin here as she should have and I can’t blame Zaria for walking away from her. Paxley can get ready for whomever is next for her, which very well may wind up being Zaria anyway.

Kendal Grey insists that Wren Sinclair isn’t a distraction to her, despite Sinclair’s injury. Lola Vice comes in and Grey is ready to show her that wrestling is better than MMA. Tempers flare.

Naraku vs. Lince Dorado

Naraku starts in on the arm to start and grinds away on a headlock. Dorado slips out and hits a springboard spinning crossbody but gets suplexed into the corner. A hard clothesline puts Dorado down again and we hit the chinlock. Dorado gets up and hits a Golden Rewind, only to get caught in a release fisherman’s suplex. The Abyss (STO/Everything Is Evil) finishes for Naraku at 4:32.

Rating: C. This was a debut and Naraku looked good enough, with Dorado’s offense not getting him very far. It wasn’t exactly a squash but it did what it needed to do, as Naraku looks like he could be a threat to some top stars. He has a long way to go, but at least he started off fairly well.

Post match Naraku says he is pure evil.

EK Prosper is glad to have Tate Wilder and Sean Legacy there to help him. Wilder is still trying to find his spot around here. Dorian Van Dux comes in and is ready to go as well.

Jaida Parker interrupted Natalya’s LFG video earlier today and they got into it again.

EK Prosper/Tate Wilder/Sean Legacy vs. Birthright

Wilder takes Stacks into the corner to start and gives him an armdrag, followed by a dropkick. A shot to the throat allows the tag off to Dempsey, who gets to uppercut Legacy. Prosper comes in for a dropkick and does the same thing to Connors, who crashes out to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Legacy kicking Connors in the corner, allowing Wilder to get the tag. Everything breaks down and Wilder gets caught on top and butterfly superplexed back down.

Prosper makes the save and we get a rather loud NXT chant. Wilder hits a TKO for two more as Stacks makes the save. That means Wilder gets to hit a big running flip dive but looks at Legacy rather than tagging him in. Wilder’s frog splash gets two but Wilder STILL won’t tag. Instead, Wilder misses the Wilde Ride (moonsault), allowing Stacks and Connors to come in with a pair of running boots for the pin at 12:58.

Rating: B. This got wild in the middle and it was rather entertaining, with Wilder getting the chance to stand out. At the same time, it’s interesting to see him not wanting to tag and instead going for everything he could. That’s a curious way to go for him and hopefully it leads to something, as he’s grown on me a lot during his time in Evolve.

Tatum Paxley is so happy with the win earlier tonight that she’ll give Lizzy Rain a title shot next week. Shiloh Hill comes in and says he’s been researching Tristan Angels. Cue Angels, who doesn’t like Hill suggesting he could outclass him.

The Culling wants to get rid of some people, with Izzi Dame focusing on Lola Vice.

Here is Robert Stone to bring in Mason Rook to sign his NXT contract. Rook talks about turning heads around the world, including getting John Cena’s attention. That’s not enough for him though because he’s about to crush people but here is Tony D’Angelo to interrupt. D’Angelo is paying attention to Rook…and here is Kam Hendrix to jump D’Angelo from behind. Rook dives onto them all and then signs his contract as the fans sing about him being big and bad (though it might have been “fat” instead of bad) and something about a hat.

Romeo Moreno praises Noam Dar’s abilities as Dar is ready for his match.

Emily Agard’s newest assignment is to get to know OTM, who are having a cookout. They have some hot dogs and talk to Lucien Price’s brother. Price and his brother had to work to get here and both know how to put in the effort. Apparently Nima plans things out and is also quite the artist. These little vignettes/interviews are a REALLY good idea as they’re letting fans get to know some of these wrestlers who have never had a chance before. That’s great to see and hopefully they keep going.

Jackson Drake vs. Noam Dar

The rest of the Vanity Project is here with Drake. Dar chops him away to start but Dar is back with a shove into the ropes. That just earns him a trip to the floor, where Dar hits a running boot as we take a break. We come back with Dar getting crotched on top and Drake adding a handspring cutter.

Dar grabs a suplex though but enziguried into a fireman’s carry gutbuster. They go to a pinfall reversal sequence until Dar gets two off a European Clutch. Back up and they trade forearms until Dar kicks him in the ribs to break up a handspring. Myka Lockwood offers a distraction though and Drake gets in a kick of his own. The 450 finishes Dar at 10:22.

Rating: B-. Drake needed a win like this just for the sake of building himself up a bit. He hasn’t done much on his own since showing up in NXT so a simple win is a good way to go. Dar is still finding his footing after his return and now we get to see what he can do after his long absence. I like him on his own a lot more and hopefully we get to see how it goes for a bit.

Post match here is Darkstate to stare at the Vanity Project but they don’t come to the ring.

Myles Borne comes up to Tavion Heights and talks about a tag match next week. Heights thinks he and Borne will be teaming together but it’s actually with Tony D’Angelo. Heights takes this as Borne thinking he’s not good enough as a partner anymore, even if Borne denies it. Either way, heights storms off.

Back in the arena and Darkstate is in the ring while the Vanity Project is in the aisle. Darkstate want a title shot but get shot down, with Brad Baylor bragging about taking the titles from Darkstate in the first place. That’s fine with Darkstate, because they’ve already gotten the match made. Hold on though, as Darkstate has a huddle and say the team has to get the title back or it might be time for a change. Either way, the Project runs in from behind and are quickly dispatched.

Robert Stone meets Naraku, who gives him a very intense handshake. Stone leaves and runs into Kam Hendrix and Mason Rook, who aren’t happy with the tag match. They’re basically told to get over it, but here is Tate Wilder, who wants a match next week. Keanu Carver comes in to say he wants one too so Stone makes Wilder vs. Carver. Simple enough.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Kali Armstrong wants to scout the women’s division around here. Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair pop up for a staredown. For you non-fans, Grey beat Armstrong to win the Evolve Women’s Title.

Kendal Grey vs. Kelani Jordan

Wren Sinclair is here with Grey. They fight over a lockup to start until Grey double legs her down. The threat of a cross armbreaker sends Jordan bailing over to the ropes. Back up and Jordan misses a charge into the corner, allowing Grey to hit a dropkick. They head out to the apron, where Grey sweeps the legs and hits a slingshot double stomp back inside

The ankle lock is broken up though and Grey is sent outside, with Jordan hitting a dive. An apron 619 gets Grey out of trouble and she hits a big dive to the floor as we take a break. We come back with an exchange of shots to the face leaving both of them down. An overhead belly to belly drops Jordan again and Grey strings together some suplexes. A hurricanrana out of the corner gives Grey two but Jordan is back with a powerbomb for the same.

Grey snatches the ankle but can’t get a cross armbreaker. Back up and a powerslam gives Grey two as we see Izzi Dame attacking Lola Vice backstage. Jordan catches her up top with a super Spanish Fly as Vice and Dame fight to ringside, with Sinclair being knocked down. That’s enough of a distraction for Jordan to knock Grey off the ropes and hit One Of A Kind for the pin at 12:48.

Rating: B. They were going a bit better before the bell but it was nice to see these two getting a chance to showcase themselves. Grey more than hung in there with the established Jordan and already feels like she belongs in this division. That’s hard to do but she’s making it work rather early on in her NXT run.

Post match Grey and Vice argue but Dame takes Vice out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The most impressive thing that NXT has done in recent weeks is introduce these new stars and turned them into regulars that fast. That’s hard to do and they’ve managed to make it work this well. These new names still have a long way to go, but they’re off to a good start and that is more than I was expecting. That was on display here, as there were a lot of new names on the show and it didn’t feel out of place. It’s far from the days of NXT 2.0 when everyone was just thrown in there with no particular idea. This feels more planned out and that is helping quite a bit.

Results
Lizzy Rain/Tatum Paxley b. Nikkita Lyons/Zaria – Thunderstruck to Lyons
Naraku b. Lince Dorado – Abyss
Birthright b. EK Prosper/Sean Legacy/Tate Wilder – Double boot to Wilder
Jackson Drake b. Noam Dar – 450
Kelani Jordan b. Kendal Grey – One Of A Kind

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: 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: May 5, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We don’t exactly have a big show coming up around here but we do have a bunch of people showing up in a hurry. Last week was one debut after another and that could make for some interesting changes. Hopefully we can find something for them to do though they’re all getting their feet wet. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tony D’Angelo says he isn’t waiting and charges at Tavion Heights for a quickly broken up brawl.

Jaida Parker vs. Kali Armstrong

They shove each other around to start, followed by an exchange of grappling. Parker gets a chinlock before sending Armstrong outside. That means a ram to send Armstrong into the apron and then being sent back inside. A double clothesline leaves both of them down and we take a break.

We come back with Armstrong sending her into the corner and stopping for some pushups. Armstrong drives in some knees and fires off the shoulders in the corner. The mocking of the high steps just wakes Parker up though and she hits the Tear Drop in the corner. Armstrong snaps off a powerslam to cut that off and the Kali Connection (running shoulder) finishes Parker at 9:57.

Rating: C+. This was about presenting Armstrong as a threat and it worked out rather well. At the same time, it’s a bit annoying to see Parker lose again. She’s turning into the latest star who gets start and stop pushes without getting anywhere. Hopefully that isn’t the case, as she has far too much potential otherwise.

Tony D’Angelo comes in to yell at Robert Stone, saying he wants Tavion Heights tonight. Sure.

Video on Jackson Drake vs. Jasper Troy.

Birthright is not happy with what happened last week. Fit Finlay comes in to say they’re not doing well and William Regal, by phone, says he’s sent Charlie Dempsey back to the Snake Pit before they have a six man tag next week. The team sounds more ready.

We look at not Evil debuting last week. Not Evil says that was a proclamation to Tony D’Angelo and they will battle for the NXT Title. His name is Naraku and he debuts next week.

Jasper Troy vs. Jackson Drake

The rest of the Vanity Project are here with Drake. Troy fires off some shoulders in the corner to start but gets caught with a jumping enziguri. The Project offers a distraction and Drake hits a top rope Meteora and we take a break. We come back with Drake grabbing a tornado DDT but Troy nips up and gives him a chokeslam. Troy goes outside to yell at the Project though and here is Myka Lockwood to slam him on the floor. Back in and Drake’s 450 connects for the pin at 7:18.

Rating: C+. I for one am shocked that a Shawn Michaels run promotion would have a muscular female woman as a heater for a young, disrespectful team. That being said, sure why not, as it’s an idea that has worked before and it can work again. The Project needed one more person and this is better than some big silent brooding man as the enforcer.

We look back at Tristan Angel’s debut last week. Angels talks about being better than a bunch of people on the roster.

We get a Rhea Ripley Origins video.

Here is Zaria for a chat. She says it feels different around here and for the first time, there is no one holding her back in the women’s division. Now she has a clear path to the Women’s North American Title. That title is what finally woke her up but here is Tatum Paxley to interrupt. Paxley knows how the title came between Zaria and Sol Ruca but that has nothing to do with her.

Cue Lizzy Rain to say she was the talk of the town last week and it’s time to add some heavy metal to the title. Cue Nikkita Lyons, who takes credit for fans caring about Rain. Paxley will fight everyone and the brawl is on with Zaria standing tall. If Zaria is the challenger then fine, but this just made me even less interested in Rain and Lyons.

The Vanity Project meets Evolve’s Romeo Moreno, who isn’t impressed with them. Noam Dar returns and wants to fight Jackson Drake next week. Myka Lockwood shows up to scare Dar a bit but the match seems set. With the Project gone, Moreno says he is a huge Dar fan.

Kam Hendrix jumps Tony D’Angelo.

Post break Robert Stone grabs a headset and shakes up the card because D’Angelo can’t wrestle at the moment.

Mr. Iguana/Lola Vice vs. Culling

The former’s AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line and it’s Izzi Dame/Niko Vance for the Culling. The men start things off, with Iguana being shoved into the ropes. The dead iguana pose has Vance confused but he picks Iguana up in a Gory Stretch. That’s broken up as Vice tags herself in, allowing Dame to come in and kick Iguana in the head. Dame hits a running shoulder in the corner but Vice chops away and grabs a springboard armdrag. Everything breaks down and the Culling are taken down with back to back seated sentons

We take a break and come back with Vance dropping a headbutt for two. A heck of a discus right hand puts Iguana down again and a tilt-a-whirl faceplant gets two. Iguana manages a tornado DDT though and the women come back in as everything breaks down again. Vice’s running hip attack in the corner gets two on Dame and a spinning kick to the head knocks her silly. Vance breaks up the count but Iguana and Vice grab stereo triangle chokes. Both of them are broken up pretty quickly and Dame’s running knee finishes Vice at 11:30.

Rating: B-. Iguana and Vice are a mostly silly team but they still feel important enough that beating them still means something. What matters is that Dame is now primed to get the next title shot and that should work. Dame is a big, strong star who can give Vice a good challenge. That’s how it should have gone and it’s a nice story to set up.

Tavion Heights still wants to fight Tony D’Angelo and Robert Stone comes in to say the match is tonight’s main event. Stone goes over to Zaria, who wants the Women’s North American Title. She’s not happy about being in a tag match next week, but Stone says that’s what she has to do if she wants a title shot.

Jaida Parker is livid about her loss. Nattie comes in to say Parker has gone soft. End of segment.

Hank & Tank vs. Darkstate

The rest of Darkstate is here with…uh, Darkstate. James elbows Hank in the face to start and it’s off to Tank to grind away on a headlock. Griffin comes in and gets caught in the wrong corner but comes right back with a delayed vertical suplex. A running bulldog out of the corner gets Tank out of trouble as everything breaks down. Darkstate knocks them down on the floor and Dion Lennox grabs a chair, which Saquon Shuggars takes away. The argument ensues and we take a break.

We come back with Tank fighting out of a chinlock but getting caught with a gutbuster. Griffin sends him back into the corner but Tank escapes a gutwrench and brings Hank in to clean house. A double tackle gets two on James, who is back with a spinning backbreaker. The Vader Bomb gets two, with Hank having to make the save. Hank is slammed on the floor and the diving Tank is pulled out of the air for the same result. Back in and an assisted spinning powerbomb finishes Hank at 12:00.

Rating: B-. Oddly enough this wound up being a pretty hot match, with Darkstate finally getting a win to stop their losing streak for the time being. The fact that Lennox wasn’t involved with the result isn’t the best sign for his future, but the team needed to be shaken up. Hank & Tank continue to exist and that’s about as much as I can think of them most of the time.

Kelani Jordan mocks Lola Vice and says she’s coming for the title too. Kendal Grey comes in to say she’s coming after Jordan, who isn’t worried.

Commentary…has tech issues and we can’t hear anything they say. A production worker comes in to try to fix it and we go to a video instead.

New correspondent Emily Agard gets to meet Keanu Carver on her first assignment. He doesn’t want to talk so they put the camera down…which films them anyway. Carver says he’s here to get paid and comments don’t help him take care of people counting on him. He’s told Robert Stone to give him a chance or cut him. Carver knows they’re still filming him so she can ask one last question on the record.

Agard asks about Carver knowing the symbol of war given to Tony D’Angelo last week. Carver says he played college football…but he paid attention in class too. Carver: “The thing about me that y’all don’t know is that I’m smart as s*** for real.” Well that’s a different way to present someone. I like it though, as Carver has been presented as this big brute but having a brain with that kind of force is interesting.

Hey the audio is better.

Backlash rundown.

Shiloh Hill is walking around in the dark and he’s happy about beating Ricky Saints last week. He also finds Tristan Angels to be a bit ridiculous and hopes he’s allergic to sheep.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tavion Heights vs. Tony D’Angelo

Non-title. Heights wrestles him down to start and they trade waistlocks. A fireman’s carry faceplant drops D’Angelo and he realizes the amateur stuff isn’t going to work here. Instead D’Angelo hits a John Cena Throwback for two but gets driven into the corner for a beating. Heights throws him down with a suplex but D’Angelo is up for a shove off the top as we take a break.

We come back with D’Angelo fighting out of a chinlock, only for Heights to gutwrench suplex him for two. A pretty impressive top rope splash gives Heights two…and makes D’Angelo Hulk Up. Some German suplexes put Heights down but his capture suplex gets two more. Forget About It gives D’Angelo two of his own and they forearm it out. A spear drops puts Heights down again but he’s back up with his spinning belly to belly. Cue Kam Hendrix for a distraction so Heights beats him up, with Myles Borne running in to give Hendrix a running flip dive. They brawl off and D’Angelo chokeslams Heights for the pin at 10:22.

Rating: B-. They got rolling near the end here and were trading one big shot after another. The Hendrix and Bourne stuff didn’t really help, but D’Angelo gets to beat someone on the way to his next big challenger. That could be a few people, though Naraku seems likely. Heights still feels like he has potential, but this came off more as him just being someone for D’Angelo to beat.

Post match respect is shown but the big guy from last week runs in again and lays them both out. He introduces himself as Mason Rook and says he has arrived.

Overall Rating: B. This was the follow up to last week’s show with all of the people debuting and this week seemed to be more about them pairing off and getting settled into their new spots. That’s good to see and it’s something that has to happen around here, as it’s the nature of NXT. The wrestling was more good than bad and the show accomplished enough so I’ll call it a good show.

Results
Kali Armstrong b. Jaida Parker – Kali Connection
Jackson Drake b. Jasper Troy – 450
Culling b. Mr. Iguana/Lola Vice – Running knee to Vice
Darkstate b. Hank & Tank – Assisted spinning powerbomb to Hank
Tony D’Angelo b. Tavion Heights – Chokeslam

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: April 29, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

So about half a dozen Evolve names showed up this week on NXT and that means their time in Evolve is likely numbered. At the same time though, there is not likely to be much in the way of change here, as this show, which features a triple threat for the Evolve Title, was likely taped weeks ago. In other words, enjoy these people while you can. Let’s get to it.

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

Harlem Lewis is ready to finally win the Evolve Title.

Opening sequence.

Kali Armstrong vs. Tyra Mae Steele

The fans certainly seem to think positively of Armstrong and this is fallout from Steele causing Armstrong to be eliminated from the Women’s Title gauntlet match. They go with the grappling to start and shockingly enough, the Olympic gold medal winning wrestler easily takes over. Armstrong gets back up to shoulder her down but Steele is right back with a headscissors. That’s reversed back into the headlock before Armstrong snaps off some right hands.

A headscissors attempt out of the corner results in Steele being tossed out to the floor, where she blocks a baseball slide. Steele starts cranking on the ankle and we take a break. We come back with Steele snapping off some gutwrench suplexes before going back to the ankle. Armstrong fights up and hits some shots to the face but Steele pulls her down into the ankle lock. That’s broken up but Steele gets it right back on, which is broken up again. This time Steele tries the Angle Slam so Armstrong reverses it into a powerslam. The Kali Connection finishes Steele at 8:37.

Rating: C+. Armstrong winning is hardly a surprised as Steele was released earlier this week. Maybe it’s because she’s yet another Olympian/amateur wrestler who does the same Kurt Angle style offense. That stuff feels so lame, as it has been done multiple times and just feels like a played out concept. Find something new, which might be in a different promotion going forward.

Post match we get a THANK YOU KALI graphic and she talks about how she grew up around here and she’s the first ever Evolve Women’s Champion. She built this place, and now it’s time to let others live in it. Until she gets hers, it’s all gas, no brakes.

It’s Gal talks about how he is treated as a machine but he has feelings too. He’s lost partners, been ignored by the teams and been misunderstood by the new boss. Is he the dummy? Where does he go from here with these feelings? It’s time to peak like no stud has peaked before.

Romeo Moreno vs. Chazz Hall

Hold on though as here are Max Abrams and his new team from last week. Abrams mocks Hall and even takes off his sunglasses before offering Hall a spot on the new ID squad. Hall isn’t feeling that but Santi Rivera isn’t feeling his lack of feeling. Moreno tells the team goodbye and Jacari Ball jumps him from behind. Hall comes in to break it up but CJ Valor beats him down as well. No match.

Timothy Thatcher offers congratulations to Kali Armstrong (not here) for moving up to NXT. He moves on to the new ID talent but someone knocks on the door. Two men come in and say they would like an opportunity. Thatcher does have a job he needs to get done and that’s security, mainly dealing with Max Abrams and company. They’re in.

Tristan Angels talks about the pressure of being the future of WWE. No one has the shoulders to carry that weight but he is from Dorset, England and ready to do it.

Masyn Holiday/Layla Diggs vs. Ayna Rune/Gianna Capri

Diggs and Rune start things off and go to the mat, with Holiday coming in for a dropkick. It’s off to Capri, who knocks Diggs down for two and grabs the chinlock. That’s broken up so Diggs gives Rune a fall away slam. Everything breaks down and Diggs ax kicks Rune for the pin at 4:35.

Rating: C. I’m getting close to giving up on Holiday and Diggs. They’re good enough in the ring, but the TikTok dancing stuff has lost the limited charm and still feels like their main trait. They have talent, but I’m going to need something a bit more interesting than “they dance a lot” to care about them. Rune and Capri are still finding their footing, though at least they’ve started.

Post match the winners dance and Capri yells at Rune for ruining this.

We get a sitdown interview with Laynie Luck and Wendy Choo. Luck talks about how this is the biggest chance of her career and people, like luck, can turn on you in an instant. She doesn’t know which version of her you’ll get out there but she’s not letting her guard down. Choo says her past has been all over the place and yes it was questionable, but she isn’t changing anytime soon. Choo meant what she said when she wanted Luck to get the first shot, but the title isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Cappuccino Jones apologizes to Romeo Moreno and Chazz Hall. He wanted to see them have a match and is sick of everyone thinking they can do whatever they want around here. They need to do something, maybe like a six man tag next week. Hall: “Oh Hall yeah!”

Evolve Title: Aaron Rourke vs. Harlem Lewis vs. Braxton Cole

Rourke is defending and says he’s build from pressure and thrives in it, so now all eyes are on him. Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins are in the VIP section and we’re ready after the Big Match Intros. Cole jumps Lewis to start fast and slams Rourke as well. That earns Cole a trip out to the floor so Rourke gives Cole La Mistica into a Russian legsweep. Lewis is back in to take Rourke out but Cole sends both of them outside as we take a break.

We come back with Cole hitting a suplex neckbreaker for two on Rourke as things slow down a bit. Lewis is back in and Rourke gets dropped ribs first over the top rope. Cole sends Lewis into the corner and neckbreakers him for two more. Lewis comes out of the corner with a clothesline and hits a basement dropkick for two of his own. Rourke is back in to assist Lewis on a DDT before going after Lewis’ knee. There’s a Backstabber to Cole and a middle rope Codebreaker drops him to give Rourke two more.

Rourke goes up and gets caught on top, meaning it’s a Tower Of Doom to bring everyone down. Back up and Rourke kicks Cole in the face, leaving him to slug it out with Lewis. A flip leaves Rourke on his face though and the Boom Slang connects, with Cole pulling Lewis to the floor for the save. Rourke sends Cole back inside for the Molly Go Round to retain at 11:12.

Rating: B. That’s pretty much the only way this could have gone, as you don’t want Rourke losing in his first really big defense and Cole was there to avoid Lewis from taking the fall. That’s all they needed to do and the match was a good, back and forth triple threat. Rourke feels like a champion, and that’s a great sign for his status.

Post match Brooks Jensen comes out for the staredown, with Rourke telling him to bring it. Hendrix and Riggins get on the apron and slowly come after Rourke to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The Armstrong sendoff and main event were good, though I’m a bit hesitant to get into another stable war. The catch though is that with so many people on this roster and how fast everyone moves in one direction or another, having stables make sense as a way to present a bunch of people as fast as possible. I’m not sure if it’s going to make for the best show, but Evolve has earned the benefit of the doubt.

Results
Kali Armstrong b. Tyra Mae Steele – Kali Connection to Steele
Masyn Holiday/Layla Diggs b. Ayna Rune/Gianna Capri – Ax kick to Rune
Aaron Rourke b. Harlem Lewis and Braxton Cole – Molly Go Round to Cole

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