Evolve
Date: April 22, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenburg, Blake Howard

We have a new Women’s Champion in the form of Wendy Choo as things have been shaken up a bit around here. That is likely to continue as we have some fresh faces, which should open up some new options. In addition, we have quite the grudge match already set for this week so let’s get to it.

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

Cappuccino Jones says Brooks Jensen woke him up with that cowbell shot so it’s time for revenge in the bullrope match.

Jensen is ready to beat Jones up.

Opening sequence.

Here is Wendy Choo to get things going. She can’t believe she went from being in therapy just a few months ago be being Women’s Champion. The work begins now and the women’s locker room is deep and Foreman Thatcher has agreed to let her pick her first challenger. Therefore, she is picking someone like her, in the form of Laynie Luck.

Cue Luck, who is very excited as well as honored to be offered this spot. This brings out Nikkita Lyons, who wants to be the first challenger after finishing runner up in the gauntlet. She has received divine messages because she is the Divine Feline but here is Sloane Jacobs to jump Choo and Luck from behind. Choo and Luck clear the ring in a hurry. Lyons getting involved in this is hardly the most thrilling detail.

We meet Romeo Moreno, who wants to create moments and his legacy. He speaks some Spanish about wanting to create and spray paints on a wall.

Kam Hendrix/Harley Riggins vs. Tate Wilder/Luca Crusifino

Wilder and Crusifino jump them in the entrance and the brawl is on, with Wilder and Crusifino hit some dives. Security come out to break it up but we do start things off with Wilder hammering on Riggins. We take an early break and come back with Riggins spearing Wilder and sending him into the corner so Hendrix can hammer away. Back up and Riggins’ basement dropkick gives Hendrix two and a running forearm drops Wilder again. It’s back to Riggins to knock Wilder down again and we hit the chinlock.

That’s switched into an armbar and Hendrix is right there to cut Crusifino off the apron. Hendrix drops Wilder a few times but a high/low leads to a collision. Crusifino is back in to clean house with some running elbows in the corner. A blind tag brings Wilder back in for the Wilde Ride but Riggins makes the save. Wilder flips out of a double belly to back suplex so Crusifino goes up, only to get pulled down Higgins. Lights, Kam, Action finishes Crusifino at 8:39.

Rating: B-. That’s hardly the most surprising result as Crusifino was as thrown out there of a partner as you could get for Wilder. I’m sure the feud will continue and that’s a good thing as Wilder is getting something out of this stuff. Riggins and Hendrix are kind of the remnants of the PC stable but it’s working well enough for a pair of bullies.

Harlem Lewis is ready to accomplish his goal and win the Evolve Title. Now Braxton Cole is involved too and Lewis is going to take him out too. Lewis talks about growing up poor and having to help raise his family. Maybe that makes him sound aggressive, but it’s who he is. Next week it’s a triple threat so he has two targets to take out and become champion. Usually I like this kind of thing but Lewis as the silent, angry force might have been a better presentation for him.

Layla Diggs vs. Kali Armstrong

Masyn Holiday is here with Diggs. Armstrong doesn’t care for these two being funny so it’s time for a beating. Armstrong knocks her into the corner to start but Diggs grabs a rollup for two. A legdrop keeps Armstrong down but Diggs’ moonsault hits raised knees. The Kali Connection finishes for Armstrong at 1:48.

Post match Armstrong calls out Tyra Mae Steele, who comes out but is cut off. Timothy Thatcher comes out to say this isn’t happening tonight because these two are better than this. They can fight but they’re doing it next week and doing it properly.

Braxton Cole talks about being raised with a lot of privileges, but when you live like this, it comes with expectations. Harlem Lewis wasn’t expected to do anything special while Cole is supposed to be the next big superstar. It’s a different kind of pressure and neither Lewis nor Aaron Rourke understand that. This was fine for a pretty simple character like Cole.

Tate Wilder says this isn’t over because he knew Harley Riggins and Kam Hendrix would cheat. Uh, didn’t Wilder and Luca Crusifino jump them before the bell? Anyway, if Riggins and Hendrix are so scared, they should just admit it, because they know they’ll get a beating. This isn’t over until he says it is.

Aaron Rourke says everyone is talking about how he’s putting his title on the line in a triple threat match. Harlem Lewis is talking about his childhood and Aaron Rourke is talking about everything he did to get here. They both think they knew what it takes to be champion but Rourke knows what he has what it takes. Next week, he’ll prove it. Rourke continues to be pretty good on the mic.

Brooks Jensen vs. Cappuccino Jones

Bullrope match with pinfall or submission. Jensen jumps him before they’re even roped up to start but Jones wants to go and the bell rings. Jensen hammers away but gets dropkicked out to the floor. The tug of war lets Jones hit a suicide dive and he pounds on Jensen outside. A cowbell shot misses for Jensen so he crawls underneath the ring, with Jones giving chase.

Jensen stomps away but goes to yell at the wrestlers in the VIP Section. Jones is sent into said section but comes out with a clothesline as we take a break. We come back with Jones grabbing a neckbreaker for two but Jensen pulls him off the top. A cowbell shot to the face sends Jones outside but he uses the ropes to pull Jensen into the post. Back in and Jones hits a running clothesline in the corner, followed by a high crossbody for two.

Jones starts using the cowbell to go after the arm and grabs a Fujiwara armbar, even using the rope to bend the fingers back. With that broken up, they slug it out until Jensen pulls the rope into Jones’ mouth to pull him up. That’s escaped as well and Jones goes up, only to miss an elbow. A sitout chokebomb gives Jensen two and it’s time for a table. Jensen, minus a boot, goes up top but gets superplexed through the table for the big crash. Max Abrams, who was in the VIP section, gets in the ring as Jensen gets up. Abrams’ cowbell shot knocks Jones silly and Jensen gets the pin at 11:51.

Rating: B-. This was a big main event style match and while they telegraphed the finish, it works well enough. Jensen shouldn’t be beating Jones without some help so this was the right way to go, with Abrams getting something to do as well. The rest of the match was good as well, with Jones getting to be a bit more serious and not having everything be a bunch of coffee puns.

Post match Abrams stomps on Jones, with Santi Rivera and Jacari Ball (the other VIP guests) come in to join. It’s Gal comes out to pose with them but CJ Valor runs in to take Gal out and end the show. And we have a new heel stable and…well that makes sense as there isn’t much that makes any of them stand out right now.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was about setting up things for the future more than anything else, with the main event angle setting up some new top heels. Other than that you had a set of promos for the triple threat title match and it boosted things up a bit. I liked this show as it continued Evolve’s streak of having a goal and focusing on it, which makes things feel so much more coherent.

Results
Harley Riggins/Kam Hendrix b. Luca Crusifino/Tate Wilder – Lights, Kam, Action to Crusifino
Kali Armstrong b. Layla Diggs – Kali Connection
Brooks Jensen b. Cappuccino Jones – Cowbell shot

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 8, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

It’s time for more fresh blood and as we have the new female ID prospects debuting this week. That should open up some new doors, just like the men’s versions did last week. Hopefully they can get off to a good start, as it can go a long way in making them into bigger stars right off the bat. In addition, Chazz Hall gets his Evolve Title shot. Let’s get to it.

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

Chazz Hall is ready to become a big star, starting tonight. See you at Wrestlemania. Hold on though as we go to the back where Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins have attacked Tate Wilder and Luca Crusifino.

Opening sequence.

Tristan Angels vs. Romeo Moreno

Angels declares himself Mr. England and says he’s rather handsome. On the other hand, Moreno describes himself as an artist, with Evolve as his canvas. Angels grabs an armbar to start but has to elbow his way out of a waistlock. Moreno picks him up and marches him around, followed by a running backdrop of all things. Back up and Angels stomps him out of the corner, followed by a hard throat first whip into the ropes. Moreno tries to climb those ropes but gets dropped down onto them again and we take a break.

We come back with Moreno getting in a knockdown to start the clothesline comeback. Angels is sent outside for a running springboard dive. Back up and Angels goes after the ribs again, setting up a half crab to keep Moreno down. That doesn’t last long either though as Moreno gets up and hits a suplex before they both head to the apron. Moreno’s running kick is blocked and Angels sends him into the steps. Back in and a running driving knee to the back of the head finishes Moreno at 8:23.

Rating: B-. Moreno stood out here as he has a different style and did some things that felt different. That’s what you need out there, though he might want to put on some weight to enhance his look a bit. At the same time you have Angels, who has a nice look but didn’t stand out quite as much. Still though, nice match, but you’re only going to be able to tell so much in about eight minutes.

Earlier today, It’s Gal praised Santi Rivera and Jacari Ball’s physiques and offered to go train with them. They’re actually in.

It’s time to meet the four new ID signees to the women’s division, with the winner of their upcoming fatal four way going to the gauntlet eliminator for the Women’s Title.

Gianna Capri (formerly known as Valentina Rossi) talks about her years of hard work to get here. She’s wrestled in Shine and in Japan, which has given her the extra sauce.

Sloane Jacobs (Notorious Mimi, who wrestled in NXT back around 2022) is ready to put the other three under her.

Veronica Haven thanks everyone who helped get her here because she’s ready to prove herself.

Anya Rune (described as an anime girl, she has green hair and calls herself the Main Character) is ready to be noticed.

Before their match, PJ Vasa comes in to say the winner is her next victim.

Timothy Thatcher talks about how things have been going around here and puts Tyra Mae Steele in the gauntlet match. He’ll need to make a phone call to get the final participant. In other news, Tate Wilder and Luca Crusifino are out of action due to the attack earlier in the night. Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins should be suspended, but Wilder and Crusifino probably want their match. They can have it when they heal up. Now GET TO WORK. Thatcher as the slightly disorganized boss is working very well.

Gianna Capri vs. Sloane Jacobs vs. Veronica Haven vs. Anya Rune

They talk trash to start and Capri/Jacobs’ kicks to the ribs are both reversed into suplexes. Hayden’s high crossbody hits Capri and Jacobs for two each. Back up and Capri kicks Hayden off the top, leaving Rune to fire off kicks at Capri and Jacobs. Capri pounds her down for two before Jacobs sends Rune face first into the buckle over and over. Capri’s splits splash gets two on Rune but Jacobs breaks up the cover and isn’t happy. Rune is back up to take over but Hayden rolls up Rune and Jacobs for two each. Jacobs Snake Eyes Hayden and takes out the knee, setting up a Muta Lock for the tap at 5:00.

Rating: C+. Much like last week’s men’s triple threat, you can only get so much out of this kind of a match as it isn’t the kind of a match that lets anyone stand out. Jacobs might have stood out a bit, but it’s not like this was some game changer win. I could go for seeing any of them again, which is the point of having them in Evolve.

Post match Jacobs celebrates but here is Kali Armstrong to clear most of the ring. Armstrong goes after Jacobs and then takes out Laynie Luck for trying to make a save.

Earlier today, Lince Dorado was training Mike Cunningham when they stopped to look at It’s Gal, Jacari Ball and Santi Rivera lifting. Dorado and Cunningham tell Gal to be more professional so Gal puts Ball and Rivera in a tag match against Dorado and Cunningham. Works for them.

Aaron Rourke is putting his makeup on when Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins come up to call him a pretty boy. Rourke is ready to fight anyone and since they aren’t going to make a move, he’s off to defend his title.

Video on Dorian Van Duks.

Evolve Title: Chazz Hall vs. Aaron Rourke

Rourke is defending and backs him into the corner to start. The lockup actually goes to the mat until Rourke grabs the arm. Hall’s wristlock is broken up and they flip over to a standoff. They both miss dropkicks until Rourke gets a pair of near falls off some rollups. A basement dropkick puts Hall down but he’s right back up with a rather spinny springboard wristdrag. Hall sends him to the floor, where Rourke gets yelled at by Brooks Jensen. Hall’s dive takes Rourke out but here is Cappuccino Jones to take Jensen out.

We take a break and come back with Rourke hitting a pump kick for two. Some handstand knees hit Hall again and Rourke grabs a lifting full nelson. That’s broken up so Rourke kicks him in the head, followed by a Vader Bomb elbow for two. Hall fights up and slugs away, setting up a missile dropkick. A tornado DDT gives Hall two more but Rourke grabs a quick Stratusphere. Rourke misses a leg lariat but comes back with a very spinning Blue Thunder Bomb for two.

Hall is able to get up with a spinning kick to send Rourke outside, setting up a Sasuke Special. Back in and Hall grabs Sliced Bread, followed by a standing corkscrew moonsault. For some reason Hall doesn’t cover, allowing Rourke to catch him on top. Rourke flips out of a sunset bomb and hits some running knees, setting up Over The Rainbow to retain the title at 10:40.

Rating: B. The more I see of Rourke, the more impressed I am. He has something about him that makes me want to see him succeed and he feels like he belongs in this spot. That’s quite the feat and it’s working here. Hall is good at the athletic stuff and his size issues don’t seem to hurt him that much. I’m not sure how far he goes, but he’s off to a nice start.

Post match, respect is shown.

Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins are watching in the back. Harlem Lewis comes in to say Rourke is ducking him.

Overall Rating: B. This was a good show and continued the theme from the last two weeks as they build towards the future. Evolve is like a faster version of the old NXT, as it’s about moving people up and keeping everything going. That makes for some interesting shows and I’m liking what we’re getting around here. Nice job again, and hopefully they can keep this stuff going.

Results
Tristan Angels b. Romeo Moreno – Driving knee to the back of the head
Sloane Jacobs b. Anya Rune, Veronica Haven and Gianna Capri – Muta Lock to Haven
Aaron Rourke b. Chazz Hall – Over The Rainbow

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

We’re in for an interesting week here as there are some fresh names around making their debuts. That’s what you have to do on a show that regularly involves sending names up the ladder to other shows. Other than that, we’re coming up on the Gauntlet Eliminator match for the vacant Women’s Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke recaps the Women’s Title situation, plus the new upcoming stars. Rourke is even willing to let the winner of the match between the new stars be his first challenger. Well that’s nice of him.

Opening sequence.

It’s Gal vs. Dorian Van Dux

Before the match, It’s Gal talks about how the newcomers need to realize he’s the best in the gym but Van Dux (who is rather muscular, is formerly known as Mike Vecchio and is pronounced Van Dukes) interrupts. They shake hands and Dux forearms him to the floor as fellow newcomers Tristan Angels and Romeo Moreno are in the VIP section. Gal gets back in for the opening bell and drives Dux into the corner for some quick forearms.

Dux slugs away to come back but gets dropped throat first across the top rope. Gal’s discus clothesline gets two and a fireman’s carry gutbuster drops Dux again. Some choking pushups have the referee yelling at Gal, who comes back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two more. Dux avoids a charge in the corner though and hits a springboard elbow to drop Gal for a change. A suplex out of the corner gives Dux two and Gal’s German suplex doesn’t do much. Dux hits a hard clothesline and a spinning gutwrench sitout powerbomb finishes Gal at 5:18.

Rating: C+. This was about getting Dux over as a new star and it worked well enough. Beating a goof like Gal means something and Dux’s power and athleticism worked. I remember seeing Dux over last year’s Wrestlemania Weekend and being impressed so it’s nice to see him getting a chance on the bigger stage. He has a long way to go, but at least he’s starting off well.

Zena Sterling begs Timothy Thatcher for a spot in the gauntlet match as she’s done everything right. Thatcher says she needs to win a few more matches and then they can talk. Sterling grabs a chair and beats on the walls.

Tate Wilder is looking for Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins and is ready to hunt them down tonight.

We meet three of the new signees: CJ Valor (formerly Jimmy House), Chazz “Starboy” Hall (Starboy Charlie) and Santi Rivera (Jariel Rivera). Valor is ready for his impressions to bleed into this match and his coaches at the Rhodes Wrestling Academy taught him to just keep steppin.

Rivera is feeling good tonight and he’ll feel better when he gets the title shot next week. He’s wrestled in New England and he’s ready to be the next Evolve Champion. Hall (the fans seem to know him) talks about wrestling on the independents for twelve years, including in GCW (there’s a name you don’t expect to hear on a WWE show), West Coast Pro and in Noah.

CJ Valor vs. Santi Rivera vs. Chazz Hall

Valor and Rivera brawl into the corner to start with Hall breaking it up. Hall is sent outside and Rivera knocks Valor away with an elbow but gets caught with Hall’s kicks. A powerbomb doesn’t work for Valor, who plants Hall for two instead. Rivera slams Hall onto Valor but Hall knocks Rivera down. The standing corkscrew moonsault gives Hall two on Valor but Valor sends him outside. Rivera picks Valor up for a Doomsday Blockbuster, only to get knocked down as well.

We take a break with everyone down and come back with Rivera Sling Blading Valor for two. Hall grabs an assisted Sliced Bread out of the corner to Rivera before kicking Valor in the head. Hall’s wheelbarrow bulldog is countered into a suplex but Valor knocks Rivera down for two more. An enziguri hits Rivera by mistake and Hall follows it up with a double Pele for another near fall.

Valor is back up with a heck of a spear to Hall (ignore that he was aiming for Rivera), followed by most of a cross armbreaker to Rivera. Hall breaks it up with a running shooting star press for two and sends Rivera outside. That means a space flying tiger drop to Rivera, followed by a shooting star press to give Hall the pin on Valor at 10:06.

Rating: B-. This was about introducing a bunch of people at once and that makes it a bit of a trick to pull off. Hall was the speed guy here and that worked well enough, though the overalls and small stature aren’t the best combination. Hopefully he fixes that up a bit, as he was certainly smooth enough in the air. Valor is more of a generic power wrestler, while Rivera showed off some nice personality. In other words, we’ll have to see where they all go, but it was a decent enough start.

Post match Hall says this is almost a surprise. He wants to thank Aaron Rourke for the opportunity, but he’s coming for the title because he’s the Denim Dragon.

Tate Wilder is still on the hunt and finds Luca Crusifino, who doesn’t like this negative energy. Crusifino thinks they need to focus their energy into the ring, say in a tag match. Wilder realizes he needs all of the help he can get so he’ll take it. Crusifino lays down on an anvil case and chills.

Mike Cunningham explains Main Man Energy. Basically it’s “I’m awesome and you should be too”. This actually works for him.

Next week: the women’s ID prospects debut. Cool.

Wendy Choo vs. Laynie Luck vs. PJ Vasa vs. Kali Armstrong vs. Nikkita Lyons

One fall to a finish for the final spot in the gauntlet match for the vacant Women’s Title. Vasa cleans house to start but everyone gets together to go after her. Lyons and Armstrong go after each other but get pulled apart as Vasa returns. Vasa crushes Lyons in the corner and catches Luck, only to get dropkicked down by Armstrong. Luck’s rollup out of the corner gets two on Armstrong but it’s Lyons’ turn to wreck everyone.

Luck is back up with a headscissors to Lyons but gets pulled outside by Armstrong. They knock each other down and it’s Choo going up for a huge dive onto everyone else. We take a break and come back with Vasa getting back in to drop Armstrong and Lyons in a Tower Of Doom. Luck reverses a powerbomb with a hurricanrana though and Choo comes off the top to nail Vasa as well. Choo cleans house for a change and Lyons helps her with a double Sliced Bread.

A double DDT drops Luck and Lyons, followed by Choo’s hammerlock lariat getting two on Armstrong. Back up and Armstrong’s powerslam is countered into a small package for two more. Lyons is back in for a tiger bomb to Armstrong, with Luck rolling Lyons up for two. Vasa is up as well, only to get knocked outside by Lyons, who gets Backstabbered by Choo.

Armstrong runs the corner to dive onto Choo and Vasa on the floor, leaving Lyons to miss a Vader Bomb. The Kali Connection sends Lyons outside so Choo grabs the Dirt Nap on Armstrong. That’s broken up and Armstrong powerslams Choo, followed by the Kali Connection. Luck makes the save this time but gets Samoan dropped by Vasa. The Issue gives Vasa the pin on Choo at 9:44.

Rating: C+. This was similar to the triple threat with pretty much nonstop action, but there was only so much of a chance for anyone to stand out with so much going on. This did have the advantage of having people we knew, though Vasa still isn’t overly interesting. Maybe she’ll get molded into a better monster, but I’m not thrilled with the idea of her becoming the next champion.

Overall Rating: B-. They had a really tricky task this week, as the big idea was to introduce new stars. The good thing is they pulled it off pretty well, with Van Dux looking like a star and Hall already being put in the title picture, at least for a week. The main event was fine enough as well and has title implications, so they pretty much accomplished all of their goals here. Not bad for a show with so many fresh faces.

Results
Dorian Van Dux b. It’s Gal – Spinning gutwrench sitout powerbomb
Chazz Hall b. CJ Valor and Santi Rivera – Shooting star press to Valor
PJ Vasa b. Laynie Luck, Nikkita Lyons, Kali Armstrong and Wendy Choo – The Issue to Choo

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: March 18, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenberg

It’s time for another title match and one way or another, the title is changing hands tonight. Jackson Drake is defending the Evolve Title against Aaron Rourke in Drake’s last match as part of Evolve and either loses the title or vacates it after winning. That’s quite the big deal for Rourke so let’s get to it.

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

The Vanity Project is in the back and talk about how they feel like they were just formed a few days ago. They go over the people that Jackson Drake has defeated to retain the Evolve Title and say Aaron Rourke will be light work tonight.

Opening sequence.

Kam Hendrix vs. Dante Chen

Harley Riggins is here with Hendrix. Chen shoves his way out of the corner to start but Hendrix takes him down by the arm. Hendrix cranks on an armbar, which doesn’t last long as Chen snaps off about a dozen armdrags in a row to send Hendrix outside. Back in and Hendrix drops him with a rolling clothesline and we hit the chinlock.

Another rolling clothesline is countered into a German suplex though and Chen gets a breather. Chen knocks him outside for a suicide dive, followed by a springboard chop to the head back inside. Riggins offers a distraction though and it’s Lights, Kam, Action for the pin on Chen at 4:39.

Rating: C. Well at least Hendrix won. Hendrix really got my attention when he helped run the show and hopefully that leads to some better things for him. He certainly has charisma and can talk rather well so it would be nice to see something else. A win is a start, and having Riggins as a sidekick is far from a bad idea.

Post match Hendrix and Riggins call out Tate Wilder.

Timothy Thatcher is in his office and messing with a lamp but he has some updates. The Women’s Title will be addressed next week, but in two weeks, we’ll have some new talent being showcased. It’s Gal comes in to ask about himself and gets a wad of paper thrown in his face. Thatcher asks if Gal wants attention, he can be on the April 1 show. Gal: “It’s Gal. It’s Gal. It’s Gal.” Thatcher: “I’ve got to get a lock for that door.”

Braxton Cole reads Aristotle and says he is the epitome of privilege with an education from Brown University. He is the perfect combination of brains and brawn and you’ll see why he is straight A’s all the way. That’s more than we’ve ever heard about him so I’ll take it.

Laynie Luck vs. Zena Sterling

Sterling works on a headlock to start but gets her leg swept out for a fast two. An armbar works a bit better for Sterling and she drops Luck with a shoulder. Luck is back up to send her to the apron for a Codebreaker, followed by a top rope double stomp onto the apron (ouch). The seated abdominal stretch goes on for a bit until Sterling escapes, setting up a big slugout. Sterling gets in a reverse DDT but Luck is right back with the Death Valley Driver for the fast pin at 4:45.

Rating: C+. Neither of these two have much of anything going on at the moment but it’s nice to see Luck getting a win. She’s been around the independent scene for such a long time and it’s awesome to see her finally getting a chance on a bigger platform. This win isn’t much but much like the opener, it’s certainly better than nothing.

Mike Cunningham talks to Lince Dorado in the parking lot and talks about growing up watching him. Dorado isn’t overly impressed but agrees to a match with Cunningham.

Here is Cappuccino Jones for a chat. Jones is ready to see Aaron Rourke take the Evolve Title tonight and bring it home with everyone in his corner. On his own side though, he’s tired of dealing with Brooks Jensen, who can remember any match but not the time when Jones beat him in the gauntlet match. Now he wants to fight so here is Jensen, who agrees to the match for next week.

Luca Crusifino gives Chuey Martinez a friendship bracelet and explains how inspired he was to roll all the way through Evolve. He is most effective when his energy is vibrating with love and it’s all “plur”. That means Peace, Love, Unity and Respect, which needs to be used more in Evolve. This is….I don’t know actually and I think I’d rather keep it that way.

Evolve Title: Aaron Rourke vs. Jackson Drake

Drake is defending. They fight over wrist control to start with Rourke rolling him up for two. Rourke flips out of a belly to back suplex and dropkicks him to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Drake still in trouble but Brad Baylor offers a distraction on the floor. That’s enough for Drake to grab a headlock on the mat, which is quickly reversed into a headlock.

Drake slips out of that and stomps away to take over, setting up a knee drop for two. A Russian legsweep gives Drake two and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up so Drake goes up, where he blocks a super hurricanrana attempt. Drake’s brainbuster gets two but Rourke ducks a superkick and hits a German suplex. Now the super hurricanrana connects and Eat Defeat gets two. A spinning Vader Bomb elbow gets two more and they go to the apron, where Drake manages a fast suplex.

We take another break and come back again with Rourke taking over and grabbing a half crab. Rourke stomps away at Drake, who comes back with a penalty kick for one. Rourke gets fired up but the referee is bumped, meaning Swipe Right can come in for the Super Swipe. That’s only good for two so Drake hits a Burning Hammer, followed by the Unaliving…for two more. Drake goes up but gets speared out of the air. Over The Rainbow gives Rourke the title at 14:08.

Rating: B. This is where Evolve feels different. On the surface, Rourke is not someone who feels like he would be the top star anywhere. It feels like a less than serious character that we’ve seen for years and would mostly be relegated to bad comedy. The difference is that Rourke was treated differently and it started with those vignettes and interviews with him a few months ago. They let you get to know him and made you want to like him, which wound up being the case. Without that kind of stuff, this doesn’t work, but because they put in the groundwork earlier, this is a pretty awesome moment.

As for the match itself, it was another chance for Drake to show what he could do, as he has come a VERY long way during his title run. After basically being just another guy at first, he wound up having a rather nice title reign and that makes Rourke being the one to beat him feel that much more important. This felt like a big time match and that is rather impressive as it wouldn’t seem likely on paper.

Post match the locker room comes in to celebrate with Rourke, who accidentally drops the title before posing with it to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was obviously all about the main event and that worked rather well. That was pretty much the only thing that felt important here, which is why it was nice for this show to be a bit shorter. They didn’t stretch it out longer than necessary and that made things a bit easier. I liked the title change a good bit and Thatcher’s stuff was amusing as usual, so call it enough of a success this week.

Results
Kam Hendrix b. Dante Chen – Lights, Kam, Action
Laynie Luck b. Zena Sterling – Death Valley Driver
Aaron Rourke b. Jackson Drake – Over The Rainbow

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

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

Evolve
Date: March 11, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Peter Rosenberg

We’re back to the regular shows after a pair of special editions, but the big stuff is not over. In this case there is some kind of a major announcement, which could be a few different things. Hopefully it lives up to the hype, though there isn’t much of a history of big announcements around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Robert Stone to announce the new Evolve General Manager: Timothy Thatcher. That makes sense, as he has enough credibility and can wrestle if he has to. Thatcher, in what passes for dressing up for him, is thankful but says he’s not a General Manager. Evolve is more like a worksite, so he’s the FOREMAN!

Stone gets to the point: the two Evolve champions are full time NXT stars, so Thatcher says they have to earn their way out. Both of them are going to have one more title defense, called their Final Evolution. If they win, they can vacate the title and leave as champion, but if not, we have a new standard bearer. Tonight, Kendal Grey can defend against Tyra Mae Steele, and next week, Jackson Drake can defend against….and here is Harlem Lewis to say he wants the shot. Thatcher shuts that down immediately, saying he has a match for Lewis right now.

Kendal Grey monologues about leaving Evolve and this will always be her first home. Tonight is different though and she’s staying on top. She’s ready to move on to NXT with momentum. I’m more curious about why all of the labels on the lockers were covered up here.

Harlem Lewis vs. Sam Holloway

Lewis charges at him but gets knocked down, only to put Holloway on the floor. Some hard shots stagger Holloway, who picks Lewis up and launches him at the post. Back in and Holloway’s springboard elbow gets two, followed by a shotgun dropkick for the same. The double arm crank goes on but Lewis is right back out. A middle rope elbow hits a standing Holloway’s back and Holloway misses a splash in the corner. Holloway’s spinning Rock Bottom gets two but a chokeslam is countered with a jumping knee to the face. The Boom Slang finishes for Lewis at 5:52.

Rating: C+. Lewis continues his roll and Holloway continues to look like quite the power brawler. This was two big guys beating each other up until Lewis got the win, which worked rather well for both of them. Lewis almost has to get the title match next week, as there aren’t many other options out there.

Luca Crusifino is now rather smiley and seems obsessed with dance music. He even has a bunch of friendship bracelets and talks about “vibing on the frequency of friendship and fun.” That’s…different and that’s as positive as I can be.

Tyra Mae Steele is rather excited about her title shot because she’s a different kind of amateur wrestler. She’s ready to have her name etched in the history books as the next Evolve Women’s Champion. Steele still isn’t great at this talking thing, but she’s trying.

Harley Riggins vs. Trill London

Kam Hendrix is here with Riggins and we’re told that Tate Wilder, who is not medically cleared, has been forced out of the building. London armdrags him down a few times and grabs an armbar. Riggins reverses into a wristlock of his own but gets wristdragged out to the floor. A dropkick through the ropes connects and a flip dive takes out Riggins and Hendrix. Back in and Riggins bounces him off the top rope, setting up a German suplex. London fights up and sweeps the leg, setting up some running flip dives to the back. Hendrix offers a distraction though and it’s a TKO to finish London at 3:38.

Rating: C. I love a good TKO so the finish looked great. Other than that though, this wasn’t the most thrilling match with London not getting to show much of his great athleticism. He feels like someone who they want to be a big prospect but it hasn’t happened just yet. At least Riggins and Hendrix get to stick together, which makes for a nice pairing.

Post match Hendrix and Riggins are happy with their win but Dante Chen comes out to say he doesn’t like what they’re doing. He respects the ID talent and seems to want a match.

Timothy Thatcher is blinded by a flashlight and is surprised by Aaron Rourke. He believes that opportunities are earned around here and the ID Program won the ten man tag. Rourke believes he’s earned a shot and represents the ID Program, so it’s time for him to stand up and get an opportunity. He wants the title shot to keep the title in Evolve, though Thatcher thinks Harlem Lewis makes a compelling argument. But his time can come, because Rourke gets the shot next week. I wasn’t betting on that one and it still works.

Women’s Title: Tyra Mae Steele vs. Kendal Grey

Grey is defending in her final match in Evolve. They go with amateur wrestling to start with Steele getting a waistlock. Back up and they fight over a hiptoss until settling for an armdrag out of the corner. Grey gets whipped hard into the corner and a belly to belly puts her down. A baseball slide puts Grey on the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Grey getting caught in something like an STF. Grey fights up but gets taken down with a gutwrench suplex and Steele does it again. Steele runs her over and puts on the reverse chinlock, which doesn’t last as long. Back up and another gutwrench suplex doesn’t work, setting up stereo crossbodies to leave both of them down.

Grey is up out of the corner with some elbows to the face and there’s a suplex. The straps come down and Grey goes up top, where she knocks Steele back down. Steele is right back with an Angle Slam for two and they both need a breather. They trade rollups for two each until Grey grabs a quick Shades Of Grey to retain at 12:16.

Rating: B-. This match had one of the best possible aspects, as I didn’t know who was going to win. I could have definitely seen Grey taking a loss to wrap up her time in Evolve and make Steele into an instant star. At the same time, it’s clear that WWE knows they have something special with Grey and they want to protect her. Good enough main event here, as Steele is slowly starting to put it together.

Post match Grey thanks the crowd and hands the title to Timothy Thatcher before leaving.

We get a long video on Grey to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: C+. The ending was the best part of the show, as Grey came off like a star, again. At the same time, Thatcher is an interesting choice for the new boss role and hopefully it works out long term. This was about setting up a new era of Evolve and also acknowledging that the point of this place is for people to move up. Grey and Drake both have to do it and that’s going to create some new openings, which is the entire point. That’s going to take some time, but they took the first steps here.

Results
Harlem Lewis b. Sam Holloway – Boom Slang
Harley Riggins b. Trill London – TKO
Kendal Grey b. Tyra Mae Steele – Shades Of Grey

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

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NXT
Date: July 29, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

We’re just under a month away from Heatwave and that means it is time to start putting the show together. We already have a few hints at what to expect, which very well may include Trick Williams defending the TNA World Title. Odds are we get a bit more of the card announced this week so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a ten bell salute to Hulk Hogan and the tribute video from this week’s Raw.

Long recap of last week in Houston.

Jaida Parker vs. Jazmyn Nyx

The rest of Fatal Influence is here with Nyx. Parker gets kicked down to start but blocks a kick to the face. Back up and Parker sends her into the corner and shouts down at Fatal Influence, allowing Nyx to get in a shot of her own. Something like a standing Last Chancery has Parker in trouble, which doesn’t last long as they’re back up for the slugout. Parker hits a Samoan drop, followed by a quick Hipnotique for the pin at 4:11.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time to work here but it was nice to see Parker getting a win. She might be on the way towards the title picture and that is not a bad idea. Parker has all of the charisma she could ever need but it’s going to take some success in the ring to make that happen.

Je’Von Evans runs into High Ryze, who don’t impress him. After that, Evans runs into Chase U, with Andre Chase telling the team to go after the big dogs. Evans is going to do the same right now.

Here is Evans in the arena for a chat. A Hall of Famer told him to go after the biggest dog so let’s do this. Cue Trick Williams, who says the big dog is here. Williams says Evans should watch who he talks to, with Evans bringing up the chokeslam from Undertaker last week. Evans was actually talking about Oba Femi, which doesn’t mean much to Williams. Cue the High Ryze, who says Williams is on a different level from Evans. Lee doesn’t think Evans is making a smart move but Evans tries fighting all of them anyway. The brawl is on and Evans is quickly beaten down.

Chase U goes after Hank & Tank…but can’t decide if it’s 1-2-3 go or go on 3. The result is a standoff, with Hank & Tank giving them the match anyway. Andre Chase comes in and says that’s not what he meant.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Tavion Heights

If Heights wins, he’s out of the No Quarter Catch crew. Heights takes him down a few times to start but Dempsey is back with an armbar. We get a random Joe Hendry shot (I’m assuming that was a glitch) before Heights is back up with a quick leg trip into a headlock takeover. Back up and they collide with stereo crossbodies and we take a break.

We come back with Heights suplexing his way out of trouble. They go outside where Dempsey starts going after the leg, setting up a half crab back inside. Heights rolls out and gets two off a small package, followed by a Death Valley Driver for two more. The belly to belly gives Heights the win at 10:11.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure why it took three weeks to get there but at least Heights is free of the team and he did it with a clean win. Now all that matters is that they do something with him now that he’s out of the team. There is always room for an Olympic wrestler who can do well enough in the ring so see what he can do after a bigger win.

Santino Marella comes in to see Trick Williams and the High Ryze. Marella tells Williams to not get too comfortable with the TNA World Title because it’s coming home soon.

Here is Blake Monroe for a chat. After getting on Booker T. for getting her name wrong, Monroe moves on to Jordynne Grace. Monroe has seen protein shakes with more personality than Grace and we see various shots of Grace looking as “gym material” rather than “championship material”.

On the other hand, Monroe has star power but here is Lola Vice to interrupt. She doesn’t understand how Monroe can be so beautiful on the outside but so ugly on the inside. Vince made a moment by dancing with Nikki Bella at Evolution…and here is Jaida Parker to interrupt. Parker doesn’t need anyone else to make her into a star but here is Kelani Jordan to interrupt. Jordan doesn’t like Monroe, who challengers her to a match next week. Vice and Jordan clear the ring in a hurry.

Tatum Paxley tells Izzi Dame that she wants to challenge Sol Ruca. Dame isn’t sure but the rest of the Culling comes in to say Paxley is indeed getting the title shot. With the team gone, Luca Crusifino pops in to say no family lasts forever.

Lash Legend is ready to beat up Fallon Henley and go after the Women’s Title.

Lash Legend vs. Fallon Henley

The rest of Fatal Influence is here and Henley backs behind Legend for some early posing. Legend hammers away in the corner and drops down onto Henley’s back. Henley sends her throat first into the ropes and stomps away for two. We get another Hendry glimpse so the glitch theory seems to be wrong. A springboard bulldog into a hurricanrana have Legend down but she’s right back with a fall away slam. Legend goes outside and beats up the rest of the team…but gets dropped by Nia Jax of all people. Back in and Henley hits her Fameasser for the pin at 4:10.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what to think of that, but I’m glad Henley didn’t take another fall. At the same time, Legend looks to be getting into a bigger feud, which might be her path up to the main roster. Legend was a star in the Evolution battle royal against the main roster talent and it’s great to see her possibly getting the chance to do it again.

Post match Jax gives Legend the Annihilator.

Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura have to be held apart. Stacks comes in and doesn’t think much of Inamura, who is ready to face him next week.

Wes Lee vs. Je’Von Evans

The rest of High Ryze is here and Trick Williams is on commentary. Evans dives onto Lee to start the brawl in the aisle and they head inside for the opening bell. A springboard high crossbody hits Lee for two but he gets in a knockdown of his own. Lee strikes away until a chop drops him in a hurry. Back up and Lee sends him into the corner for a trip out to the floor, setting up the big running flip dive.

We take a break and come back with Lee holding a front chancery. That’s broken up and Evans kicks him in the head, followed by a German suplex. Some kicks to the face, including the springboard variety, give Evans two but Lee knocks him back as well. A brainbuster gives Lee two but Evans ties him in the Tree Of Woe. Evans flips into a Coast To Coast for two, only for the High Ryze to offer a distraction. One heck of a no hands dive takes them out but Lee hits the Cardiac Kick…for two, as Evans’ foot is in the ropes. Evans is back up with a jumping cutter, followed by the top rope cutter for the pin at 13:03.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a match, with Evans getting to look like a star. He not only beat a former long term champion but he took out Lee’s goons on the way there. That’s a good way to give Evans a nice rub and it looks like he’s going after some gold of his own. Evans can wrestle that fast paced style very well and it worked well here, especially with an opponent like Lee.

Post match Evans and Williams have a staredown but Oba Femi pops up on the platform for the three way staredown.

We get a sitdown interview with Myles Borne, who talks about his health issues as a baby which led to him losing 90% of his hearing. Communication isn’t easy for him but he knows how to read lips and use non-verbal cues. Now he’s blocking out people like Lexis King.

Ava’s assistants update her on Ricky Saints’ and Jordynne Grace’s health issues. Lexis King comes in to call Myles Borne a phony. Ava makes Borne vs. King for next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Nia Jax interrupts Fatal Influence’s interview and says that’s what Lash Legend gets when she messes with the most dominant force in WWE. Legend just doesn’t measure up.

North American Title: Santino Marella vs. Ethan Page

Page is defending. Marella wrestles him down to the mat to start and gets some early near falls. Page fights back as we get another Joe Hendry blip. Another rollup gives Marella two and Page bails to the floor, where he takes Marella down. A big boot drops Marella again and a neckbreaker gives Page two.

The chinlock doesn’t last long as Marella lifts him up into an airplane spin. The Twisted Grin is countered into a Stunner and the saluting elbow gives Marella two. Page’s kick to the head gets two more but a top rope splash hits raised knees. Marella sends him outside for a slingshot dive but Page uses the referee to avoid the Cobra. That lets Page grab the Twisted Grin to retain at 7:01.

Rating: C. Well that’s a sigh of relief. The match was about all you’re going to get out of Marella, who thankfully did nothing but play the hits here. Page gets to beat a popular star and NXT gets a win over someone from TNA. That’s all this needed to be, even if it doesn’t feel like the biggest main event.

Tony D’Angelo is dining alone at his restaurant, where he tells the server to call him Tony rather than Don…but someone we can’t see is behind him to end the show. That could be interesting.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t the biggest show but they seem to be planting the seeds for some things down the line. That includes Evans getting a choice to go after one of the two top titles and the ending, which could go in a few ways. Next week should be the build towards Heatwave, as they’re only going to have so many weeks left to get ready. Not a bad show this week, but it didn’t feel like their biggest offering.

Results
Jaida Parker b. Jazmyn Nyx – Hipnotique
Tavion Heights b. Charlie Dempsey – Belly to belly
Fallon Henley b. Lash Legend – Fameasser
Je’Von Evans b. Wes Lee – Top rope cutter
Ethan Page b. Santino Marella – Twisted Grin

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

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NXT
Date: July 15, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

We’re officially done with the Great American Bash and the big story coming out of the show is…well not much really. There were no title changes and the main event was little more than a preview for the title match at Evolution. That isn’t much to go on, but we are about five weeks away from Heatwave so let’s get to it.

Here is the Great American Bash if you need a recap.

Great American Bash recap.

We also look at Blake Monroe turning on Jordynne Grace to cost her the Women’s Title at Evolution.

Here is Fatal Influence, with Jacy Jayne (and her banged up voice after an elbow to the throat) not being happy with what the rest of the team did at the Great American Bash. It’s all ok though because she got to shock the world again at the Great American Bash. Shocking people is what Jayne does best and that is what she is going to do again at TNA Slammiversary this weekend.

Cue TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich to say she’ll win the title on Sunday, but Jayne says she’s walking out with both titles. Cue Sol Ruca and Zaria, with Ruca saying she’s already got two titles. Zaria says Ruca was the MVP of the weekend with her three matches (granted she only won one of them) and the brawl is on. Just make the six woman tag already.

Video on Tony D’Angelo’s rise up the ranks of NXT.

Joe Hendry/Mike Santana/Trick Williams vs. Darkstate

Santana dives onto Darkstate on the floor to start fast and the brawl is on outside. They get inside with Santana hammering on Shugars. Williams gets in a side kick but Griffin comes in off a blind tag. Griffin decks Williams as he mocks Hendry and we take a break. We come back with Lennox wrestling Santana down but Santana avoids a charge in the corner.

Santana kicks Shugars away and it’s off to Hendry to clean house. The fall away slam sends Shugars flying and everything breaks down. Darkstate is sent to the floor but Williams wants to run things, earning a double shot to the face from Santana and Hendry. The two of them hit dives onto Darkstate…and here is the System (top heel stable in TNA) to brawl with Darkstate for the DQ at 9:04.

Rating: C+. This was about the big surprise run-in at the end and it worked well enough. That’s also a smart way out of things as Hendry and Santana weren’t going to be able to beat Darkstate on their own. NXT has done a pretty nice job of making Darkstate feel like a threat and they kept that going here.

Arianna Grace suggests she should have been in the battle royal at Evolution. Karmen Petrovic says she should have been in as well but Kali Armstrong (Evolve Women’s Champion) doesn’t want to hear it. The match is set for tonight.

Video on Stacks, who went from the underboss to being Tag Team Champions with Tony D’Angelo before eventually turning on the team

Evolve Women’s Title: Kali Armstrong vs. Karmen Petrovic

Armstrong (a powerhouse) is defending and throws Petrovic down without much trouble. Petrovic tries to kick away but Armstrong slugs her in the face. Cue Jordynne Grace to pull Armstrong to the floor and drop her with a right hand for the DQ at 1:13.

Post match Grace beats up Petrovic (because it isn’t about Armstrong) and demands that Blake Monroe get out here right now. Instead she gets Stevie Turner and Robert Stone to explain that Monroe isn’t here. We get a video from Monroe, who hates everything about Grace. Which of them would you rather be? Grace is invited to Monroe’s singles debut next week. Grace beats the two of them up and yells at Ava and security on the way out.

Team Undertaker (from LFG) is excited for Undertaker to be here next week. Trick Williams comes in and doesn’t want to hear it, even getting in one of their faces. Undertaker calls one of them.

Jasper Troy comes in to see Ava, who isn’t happy with him attacking Ricky Saints. Troy isn’t impressed but Ava makes Troy vs. Saints next week.

Video on Luca Crusifino, the mind behind the D’Angelo Family, who now seems to be on his own.

We look at the Evolution battle royal, won by Stephanie Vaquer, with Lash Legend making a strong showing.

Legend brags about her success and wants a title shot. Jaida Parker comes in

Stacks vs. Luca Crusifino vs. Tony D’Angelo

Stacks and Crusifino grab D’Angelo’s arms to start but he breaks it up and hammers away. Crusifino gets up to tackle D’Angelo down and hits a baseball slide to take both of them down on the floor. A springboard right hand sends Crusifino back out to the floor though and we take a break. We come back with Stacks in control and hitting a pair of running Cannonballs in the corner.

Stacks sends D’Angelo into Crusifino but D’Angelo fights up and they go outside. D’Angelo ducks a crowbar shot from Stacks, who misses a top rope knee as well. A double German suplex sends Stacks and Crusifino down and a Tower Of Doom makes it even worse. Crusifino gets up and hits a brainbuster onto the knee for two on D’Angelo. Stacks sends D’Angelo outside and grabs the crowbar, only for D’Angelo to spear him through a wooden wall. A spinebuster puts Crusifino through the announcers’ table and another one to Stacks gives D’Angelo the pin at 13:35.

Rating: B. This was the way the match needed to go, as D’Angelo is the biggest star of the three but hasn’t done much in recent weeks. The ending saw him get up and ram through both of them, which is a great way to get D’Angelo back on track. Good, hard hitting match here and it worked well.

Tavion Heights complains to Wren Sinclair about losing to Charlie Dempsey last week when Dempsey comes in. They’ll argue about this later, because Sinclair has a match next week. The guys can be in her corner if they want to be.

We look back at Yoshiki Inamura not accepting Josh Briggs’ interference at the Great American Bash, resulting in him his shot at Oba Femi and the NXT Title.

Here is Briggs, who lost an opportunity at the Great American Bash. Why did Inamura get a title shot so soon? Inamura has only been here less than a year and got a high profile title match but Briggs has been here four years and has never gotten a shot. The reality is that Inamura is too nice and if you have a shot, you take it. Cue Oba Femi to interrupt, saying that Briggs ruined the match.

Briggs says that Femi was taken to his limit and Inamura let him up for air. Cue Inamura to say that Briggs does not speak for him, with Femi saying that Inamura has earned a rematch. Inamura cuts Briggs off, saying he is his own man and he will win his way, with honor. Briggs issues the challenge for a triple threat match for the title next week. Game, and fight, on.

Ethan Page brags about his win and how great it is for North America. The big celebration is next week in Houston.

Ricky Saints is sore but ready for Jasper Troy next week.

Undertaker doesn’t like Trick Williams being rude to his LFG team and wants Williams to stay out of his yard.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

The Culling isn’t mad at Tatum Paxley, who is touched by the forgiveness. She has an idea for Sol Ruca.

Fatal Influence vs. Masha Slamovich/Sol Ruca/Zaria

Zaria powers Henley around to start and it’s off to Ruca to work on the arm. Slamovich comes in and gets hit in the throat, which is quickly shrugged off. It’s off to Jayne, who gets rolled up for a fast two but elbows Slamovich in the face for two of her own. Everything breaks down and Jayne gets double teamed, including the double elbow. We cut to Lexis King in the crowd, with Ava yelling at him.

Ruca surfs on Jayne’s back and slams Nyx down onto her for a bonus. Back up and Jayne gets in a cheap shot though and Nyx gets in a superkick to send Slamovich outside. We take a break and come back with Ruca fighting out of a chinlock. A jawbreaker allows the tag off to Zaria to clean house in a hurry. Fatal Influence gets together to strike away at Zaria and get her in the wrong corner for a change.

That’s broken up and it’s off to Slamovich for a rolling kick to the face. A double flapjack into a double flipping faceplant drops Slamovich again. Everything breaks down again but here is the Culling, with Zaria and Ruca taking out Paxley and Dame. Hank & Tank come in to brawl with the rest of the team and they all brawl to the back. That leaves Slamovich three on one…but she kicks Jayne in the head and Snowplows her for the pin at 12:25.

Rating: B-. So in theory, the title match on Sunday should be a total layup right? Slamovich just beat all three members of Fatal Influence on her own, including pinning Jayne clean. That’s quite the big accomplishment, though at the end of the day I’m expecting Jayne to win at Slammiversary. Either way, good enough stuff here with three matches (or likely matches) being advanced at once.

Slamovich hands Jayne her title, which Jayne snatches away.

We run down next week’s show.

Overall Rating: B. In two hours, they managed to follow up on the Great American Bash/Evolution and set up next week’s show at the same time. That’s a heck of a use of a show and the wrestling was good enough. I liked this one a lot and the show flew by, which is always a nice bonus as well. Solid work this week, as it feels well structured and planned out.

Results
Darkstate b. Joe Hendry/Mike Santana/Trick Williams via DQ when the System interfered
Kali Armstrong b. Karmen Petrovic via DQ when Jordynne Grace interfered
Tony D’Angelo b. Luca Crusifino and Stacks – Spinebuster to Stacks
Masha Slamovich/Sol Ruca/Zaria b. Fatal Influence – Snowplow to Jayne

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

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NXT
Date: July 8, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Booker T., Vic Joseph

It’s the last show before both the Great American Bash and Evolution, both of which will have some NXT involvement. Therefore, it’s time to see who is going to be in the Evolution battle royal, plus finding out any last minute additions to the shows. That should make for a nice evening so let’s get to it.

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

Ricky Saints vs. Vanity Project

Gauntlet match, Jackson’s Drake’s Evolve Title isn’t on the line, and if Saints wins, he gets to pick the stipulation for his match with Ethan Page (here too). Brad Baylor starts for the Project and Saints strikes away, including a middle rope dropkick. Baylor gets in a shot of his own though and hammers away, including a spinning butterfly suplex. Saints makes a quick comeback though and hits the springboard tornado DDT for the first pin at 3:09.

Ricky Smokes is in second and grabs a quick suplex for two on Saints. We take a break and come back with Smokes hitting a fireman’s carry backbreaker for two more. Saints comes back again and grabs an overhead belly to belly for two of his own. An atomic drop into a jackknife rollup gives Saints the pin at 8:38 total.

Drake is in third and stomps away in the corner to start fast. A kick to the back gives Drake two and he grabs a surfboard. The fireman’s carry gutbuster gets two more and Drake is getting a bit frustrated. Drake misses a running kick to the chest and Saints gets his knees up to block a springboard Swanton. The Roshambo gives Saints the pin at 12:13 total.

Rating: C+. The Vanity Project is a good choice for something like this as they’re still a level beneath the NXT roster so it’s not like they lose any status here. Saints gets to run through some people and head on to his big match with Page at the Bash. For now, good enough opener for the show and it sets up some things for the future.

Post match Saints makes it an anything goes, falls count anywhere match with Page at the Bash.

Zaria and Sol Ruca are fired up for the Women’s Tag Team Title match at Evolution but Lainey Reid says she should be in the battle royal. She’s asked what she’s done to earn that spot and doesn’t have much of an answer.

Earlier today, Blake Monroe blew off a training session with Jordynne Grace, who wants her to have a glamorous workout. Grace agreed, and we’ll see more of this later.

Tavion Heights vs. Charlie Dempsey

If Heights wins, he is out of the No Quarter Catch Crew. Heights armdrags him down a few times to start and they take turns sending each other to the floor. Back in and Dempsey grabs a cravate to frustrate Heights. That’s broken up so Heights tackles him down and hammers away. They head outside again and knock each other down as we take a break.

We come back with Heights fighting off a crossface chickenwing and throwing him down a few times. They crash out to the floor again, but this time Dempsey crushes the knee with the steps. The half crab goes on back inside, followed by a stepover toehold. Dempsey turns it into an STF and Wren Sinclair throws in the towel at 9:39.

Rating: B-. The idea of Heights trying to get out of the team but not being able to do it is a good way to set something up for him, especially here where he didn’t give up. Sinclair could be going either way here and I like what they’re doing with the story. The match itself was a nice technical vs. power showdown as well, so we’ll call this a nice outing.

Hank & Tank are ready for their match while Lexis King messes with stuff behind them. Je’Von Evans comes in for a pep talk but gets jumped by Jasper Troy.

Mike Santana/Joe Hendry vs. High Ryze

Wes Lee is here with High Ryze. Hendry and Igwe take each other down for an early standoff and it’s off to Santana for a dropkick. DuPont gets sent flying with the fall away slam and we take an early break. We come back with Hendry getting two off a rollup but a clothesline drops him for the same. A series of splashes get two as we see Natalya and Maxxine Dupri arriving in the back.

Hendry muscles Igwe up for a suplex and the tag brings in Santana to clean house. The Rolling Buck Fifty (rolling cutter) hits Igwe and a big flip dive to the floor takes him out again. Everything breaks down and Hendry hits a dive to the floor of his own. Cue Trick Williams for a distraction but Santana hits Spin The Block (discus lariat) to pin DuPont at 8:45.

Rating: B-. Good enough match here, though it continued to show that Hendry isn’t quite as interesting as Santana no matter how he is presented. Santana is just on fire right now and Hendry has already had his moment, but Hendry being there adds some star power to the title match. I’m not sure Santana wins the title, but dang it’s fun to see him in the ring every time.

Post match Williams drops Santana so Hendry goes after him. High Ryze comes back in for the beatdown.

We look at Yoshiki Inamura becoming #1 contender to the NXT Title last week. Various Japanese stars, including THE GREAT MUTA and Iyo Sky say they believe in Inamura.

Darkstate brags about invading TNA and suggest they’re coming for the Tag Team Titles.

Here are Oba Femi and Yoshiki Inamura, with Josh Briggs, for a face to face chat. Inamura says Femi is his greatest challenge but he is ready. He has the support of his friends and family and now he must make them proud. Femi says it’s good that Inamura has support, because maybe those people can pick up his pieces. No one is taking the title from him, but Briggs says Inamura beat Jasper Troy a lot more easily than Femi did.

Inamura may be a man of honor but Briggs isn’t, so he will do everything he can to make Inamura champion. This is “their” chance and the brawl is on, albeit quickly broken up. This was a good showing from Inamura, who feels like someone who is trying to prove he belongs here. At the same time, this is the second straight major event where Femi is defending against a pretty low level challenger, but it brings up a big issue in NXT: who else is there to come after the title?

Jordynne Grace shows up for Blake Monroe’s makeover and rips the sleeves off the robe she is given. They get their nails done and a massage, plus makeup. Grace admits she kind of likes this and they’re ready for the tag match at the Bash.

Kelani Jordan vs. Lainey Reid

They trade early takedowns to start with Jordan grabbing a monkey flip and dropkick out to the floor. Back in and Reid ties her leg up in the ropes and cranks away but a Figure Four attempt is blocked. Reid’s spinebuster gets two and the half crab goes on. Jordan tries to use the free leg to kick her way out but Reid just pulls her into a Boston crab for a smart counter. That’s broken up as well and Jordan hits a handspring elbow into a nipup (impressive after having her leg and back cranked). Reid catches her up top but gets shoved down, setting up One Of A Kind to give Jordan the win at 4:23.

Rating: C. I wasn’t wild about Jordan’s lack of selling but the ending was a nice touch which showed off Jordan’s rather impressive athleticism. The win gives her a boost going into the battle royal, which she isn’t likely to win but at least she could have a good showing. Reid is still finding her footing around here, but she’s far from a lost cause.

Post match here is Thea Hail to brawl to the back with Reid.

Jasper Troy jumps Je’Von Evans in the trainer’s room.

We have a meeting of the former D’Angelo Family, with all four members showing up. Riz tries to talk but gets shut down by Stacks. Riz isn’t having that and talks about what happened between Stacks and Tony. She realizes this can’t be fixed but she has set up a triple threat next week. While she doesn’t know if their paths will cross again, this will be the final battle. Stacks says he’s bigger than all of them and they can’t take it. Next week, he’ll prove it. D’Angelo says he’s done here and everyone stares at each other. That could go in a few different ways and that’s a good thing.

Here is Jasper Troy, who wants in on the NXT Title match. Cue Je’Von Evans to jump him and hit a big dive onto both Troy and security.

Tatum Paxley likes being part of the Culling, who are ready to win the Tag Team Titles.

Tag Team Titles: The Culling vs. Hank & Tank

Hank & Tank are defending and charge in to start the fight fast. We settle down to Spears stomping on Hank, allowing Vance to send him into the turnbuckle. Tank comes in for some dancing into a double splash but Spears is back with a neckbreaker. That doesn’t last long as the champs fight back, only for Hank to miss a top rope clothesline. The Culling runs Hank over on the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Hank knocking Vance off the top, allowing Tank to come in and clean house. Everything breaks down and Vance’s top rope headbutt hits Tank for two. Izzi Dame gets in a cheap shot so Spears can grab an implant DDT for two more. Cue Zaria and Sol Ruca to take out Tatum Paxley and Dame, leaving the champs to hit their powerslam/neckbreaker combination on Spears to retain at 10:49.

Rating: C+. Hank & Tank still don’t feel like the most serious champions, but they’ve at least figured out something that fits for them. That’s a good thing for them to have and it would be nice to see it continue to grow. That being said, if Darkstate comes after the belts, there is no reason to believe the title reign will be lasting much longer.

Great American Bash rundown.

Kale Dixon couldn’t wrestle as scheduled due to high blood pressure, caused by nerves. Andre Chase isn’t happy but seems to understand.

Here is Ava, who talks about the original Evolution, which took place when she was in high school. She’s so proud that NXT will be all over Evolution, with Jaida Parker, Lola Vice, Kelani Jordan, Lash Legend, Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley being in the battle royal. Cue Fatal Influence to interrupt, with Ava saying she just talked about Jacy Jayne. We get a rant from Jayne about how she’s the focal point of the show, but cue Jordynne Grace saying she’ll take the title.

Lash Legend comes out to say she’s going to win the battle royal. Stephanie Vaquer returns to NXT and says Grace will win. Maxxine Dupri and Natalya come out to say they’ll be the last two in the battle royal. Jaida Parker pops up in the crowd to say she’ll win. Everyone gets in and the big brawl is on to end the show. This was more than Raw and Smackdown have done for the show, and that’s not surprising given how much of a focus the women’s division has received around here.

Overall Rating: B. I came into this show not particularly wanting to see either Evolution or the Bash and I left a lot more interested in both. They did a heck of a job building up both shows and there is even some stuff set up for next week’s regular show. That’s a very nice way to go, even if the wrestling was pretty middle of the road this week. What mattered was everything else, and that stuff was quite well done.

Results
Ricky Saints b. Vanity Project last eliminating Jackson Drake
Charlie Dempsey b. Tavion Heights when Wren Sinclair threw in the towel
Mike Santana/Joe Hendry b. High Ryze – Spin The Block to DuPont
Kelani Jordan b. Lainey Reid – One Of A Kind
Hank & Tank b. The Culling – Powerslam/running neckbreaker combination to Spears

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

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NXT
Date: July 1, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

We’re officially in the second half of the year and less than two weeks away from the Great American Bash. The card is starting to come together and we are going to be seeing some more added this week. In addition, TNA’s Joe Hendry is here to face Wes Lee, which should be a fun one. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Joe Hendry vs. Wes Lee

Trick Williams is on commentary and the rest of High Ryze is here with Lee. Hendry takes him down by the arm to start as Williams says his challengers (Hendry and Mike Santana) need to be the ones getting ready for Slammiversary. Lee rolls around and kicks him in the ribs before sending Hendry outside. That’s fine with Hendry, who blasts him with a clothesline.

We take a break and come back with Hendry glaring at the High Ryze, allowing Lee to hit a suicide dive. A middle rope phoenix splash gives Lee two but Hendry suplexes his way out of trouble. The comeback is on quickly but Lee slips out of the Standing Ovation. A fireman’s carry slam gives Hendry two so High Ryze gets up. Cue Santana to cut them off though and the Standing Ovation finishes for Hendry at 9:29.

Rating: B-. Well Hendry wasn’t going to lose here so this was about giving him a victory on the way to his big rematch with Trick Williams at Slammiversary. The good thing is that Lee is someone who can make just about anyone look good. Hendry’s charisma and star power are more than enough to carry him but he can back it up in the ring well enough, which was on display here.

Santana and Hendry stand tall as Williams doesn’t look happy.

We look at Tatum Paxley seemingly joining the Culling, with Zaria and Sol Ruca letting her go.

Here is Luca Crusifino for a chat. He wants to talk to Tony D’Angelo, who comes out to say the tables have turned. They argue over who has done what to whom in the last few weeks but Crusifino doesn’t want to hear it. Crusifino talks about the things he has sacrificed for D’Angelo and the Family and that is loyalty. Cue Stacks to interrupt but Crusifino doesn’t want to hear it. Crusifino decks D’Angelo…and then does the same to Stacks, saying his loyalty belongs to himself. There’s your big moment, with another betrayal/surprise likely coming sooner than later.

Oba Femi wants to see if Yoshiki Inamura has the fire to come after him. Inamura, with Josh Briggs, comes in to say he’s ready, but Femi says he is the hunter rather than the hunted.

Lexis King vs. Myles Borne

They fight over wrist control to start and King steps on his back a bit for some mind games. Borne takes him down and does the Florida Gator chomp, only for King to nail a dropkick on top. A top rope superplex brings Borne down for two and a running corner dropkick gives King two. The seated abdominal stretch goes on for a bit before King hits a running slap in the corner. That’s enough for Borne to fight up, including an Angle Slam for a breather. Borne’s big dropkick sets up a Zig Zag for the pin at 4:40. Well at least it’s a finisher.

Rating: C+. Good enough match here as the idea is to turn Borne into something more important. He had his big moment against Oba Femi and now the goal is to do something to keep him at a higher level. A clean win like this is a good way to start and I could go for seeing more of him. It’s nice to see NXT trying with someone who got a nice reaction and they’re doing it again here, which has potential.

Darkstate says everything that happens around here is because they allow it. They know what they’re going to do next, but we don’t.

Thea Hail vs. Lainey Reid

Hail isn’t happy and takes her down to start for some forearms to the face. Reid drops her face first into the corner and chokes away, followed by a spinning clothesline. A double underhook shoulderbreaker gives Reid two but Hail is back with a Codebreaker to the arm. The Kimura is blocked and Reid grabs a rollup but gets caught caught with her feet on the ropes. Hail’s rollup gets two so Reid kicks her away, setting up a running knee for the pin (while grabbing the rope and with Hail’s hand under the rope) at 4:22.

Rating: C+. And that’s another loss for Hail, who doesn’t really seem to win much of note…ever really. They’ve tried a few things with her but ever since that whole ordeal of Andre Chase throwing in the towel, Hail hasn’t felt like anything important. Reid isn’t that much further ahead, but she seems to be going in a rather different direction than Hail at the moment.

Tavion Heights isn’t happy with still being in the No Quarter Catch Crew. Charlie Dempsey agrees to give him one more “win and you’re out” match but this is his last chance.

Jasper Troy says you should fear him and Oba Femi knows what is coming for him if Troy wins tonight.

Sol Ruca/Zaria vs. Tatum Paxley/Izzi Dame

The rest of the Culling is here with Paxley and Dame. Ruca tries to talk some sends into Paxley to start but Zaria and Dame come in to argue as well. Ruca and Zaria clear the ring without much trouble and it’s Ruca grabbing a waistlock on Paxley. Some arm cranking has Paxley in more trouble and it’s off to Zaria to yell at Dame. They trade forearms until Paxley breaks it up with a high crossbody for two. Back up and Ruca and Zaria clear the ring again and we take a break.

We come back with Paxley tying Zaria up in the ropes for a running dropkick from Dame. A chokeslam drops Zaria again and a running flipping ax kick gives Paxley two more. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Paxley knocks her down again and puts it on for a second go. Zaria powers out without much trouble and it’s Ruca coming in to clean house.

A quick tag brings Zaria back in to clean house and an assisted splash from Ruca gives Zaria two. Dame hits a Codebreaker but there’s no Paxley, only for her to run back in and shove Dame out of the way. That means Zaria spears Ruca by mistake and Zaria is sent outside. A Sky High finishes Ruca at 13:17.

Rating: B-. Zaria and Ruca’s issues continue and it would not stun me to see them split for good in the near future. At the same time, Paxley seems to be finding a place with the Culling, though they don’t feel like the most trustworthy team in the world. There is a good chance that Dame gets a shot at Ruca out of this, and things might change even more once we get to that one.

Ethan Page, with the Vanity Project, and Ricky Saints are in Ava’s office. Page agrees to let Saints get a title shot if he can run the Vanity Project gauntlet (which happened recently on Evolve). Saints is in, but if he wins, he gets to pick the stipulation for the title shot. Deal.

We go to Chase U where Andre Chase actually apologizes. As a result, he has gotten Kale Dixon a match for next week and they hug. Chase does his swearing pep talk, but he does it WITH Dixon rather than at him.

Joe Hendry thanks Mike Santana, who says they’re uniting to fight for TNA. They’re not friends, but they’re fighting together against High Ryze next week. Works for them.

Josh Briggs gives Yoshiki Inamura a pep talk before his #1 contenders match, though Inamura says he has this.

Tatum Paxley is happy with their win and here is Ava to say Izzi Dame gets a Women’s North American Title shot at the Great American Bash. Hank & Tank come in to accuse the Culling of attacking them last week and Paxley talks them into giving the Culling a Tag Team Title shot next week.

Jasper Troy vs. Yoshiki Inamura

For an NXT Title shot at the Great American Bash. Inamura strikes away to start but Try gives him a hard whip into the corner. The chinlock is already on but Inamura powers out and shrugs off some clotheslines. A headlock grinds away at Troy and Inamura hits him with a sumo charges but Troy is right back with a side slam. Back up and Inamura knocks him to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Troy hitting three straight splashes for two and a World’s Strongest Slam gets the same. The abdominal stretch goes on but Inamura is quickly out for a ran into the post. Inamura unloads with shots to the head but walks into a swinging Boss Man Slam (appropriate as commentary compared Troy to Abyss earlier). Inamura muscles him up for a slam and the top rope splash connects for the pin at 11:38.

Rating: B-. I’m a bit surprised by the result but maybe they’re going with the idea of “Inamura isn’t here long, get what we can out of him”. He’s gotten a bit more interesting lately, though maybe that’s due to having him actually get in the ring rather than just talking about it most of the time. Troy is still a good monster, but that aura goes away quickly if he keeps losing.

Post match Oba Femi comes in to stare at Inamura as Je’Von Evans comes in to drop Troy.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here is Jordynne Grace for a chat. Getting here is the hardest thing she has ever done but last week reminded her that she thrives on pressure. Evolution is a major event for women’s wrestling and she will be making history. She’s terrified of being vulnerable though and she has been asking herself if she belongs here. She did everything to get here and became someone you can’t ignore.

Cue Fatal Influence to interrupt, with Jacy Jayne asking if Grace is done yet. Grace can bench press more than Jayne but she can’t carry as much as Jayne. Grace tells her to shut up and says it won’t be a surprise when there is a new champion at Evolution. The beatdown is on but Blake Monroe runs in for the save. Ava comes out to make the tag match for the Great American Bash. Jayne and Fallon Henley run back in and get knocked back down just as fast.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was much more about getting ready for the future with the Great American Bash, which is something that has been needed. At the same time, we’re building towards a big match at Slammiversary and likely some things at Evolution. That’s a tricky path to walk and they did it well enough here. NXT has found quite the balancing act of not having boring television while still setting things up for later. Other shows can’t make that work so well done for figuring out a nice formula.

Results
Joe Hendry b. Wes Lee – Standing Ovation
Myles Borne b. Lexis King – Zig Zag
Lainey Reid b. Thea Hail – Running knee while holding the rope
Tatum Paxley/Izzi Dame b. Sol Ruca/Zaria – Sky High to Ruca
Yoshiki Inamura b. Jasper Troy – Top rope splash

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

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NXT
Date: June 24, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Corey Graves

While the Great American Bash is coming up in a few weeks, tonight is about Evolution, as we have a four way match to crown a new #1 contender for the pay per view. Other than that, we should be finding out who is next in ling for Oba Femi and the NXT Title, which could go in a few different ways. Let’s get to it.

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

Lash Legend, Izzi Dame, Jaida Parker and Jordynne Grace all say they’re going to win tonight and go on to Evolution. Three out of four people lying is not a great ratio.

TNA World Title: Trick Williams vs. Josh Briggs

Briggs, with Yoshiki Inamura, is challenging and sends Williams into the corner a few times to start. Williams’ whip is blocked and Briggs hits a running clothesline for two. A hot shot onto the buckle cuts Briggs off and Williams takes him down with a headlock. Back up and they trade some running shots to the face until Williams is knocked outside. Briggs gets in a big boot and we take a break.

We come back with Briggs countering a side kick into a suplex and hitting a splash. Williams gets in a middle rope knee for two and flips out of a chokeslam. A powerbomb doesn’t work for Briggs, who is right back with a chokeslam for two. Briggs misses the moonsault though and the Trick Shot retains the title at 11:30.

Rating: C+. This was a case of giving the champion a fairly safe title defense where he had to work for it anyway. Briggs didn’t even get a pin to earn the title shot so he was playing with the house’s money in the first place. It’s a fine way to open the show, though I could still go for seeing more of Briggs actually winning something.

Post match Williams says he wants respect but here is Joe Hendry from behind to clear the ring as we’re told that Hendry gets the title shot at Slammiversary.

Tavion Heights (in a Ribera Steak House jacket) is ready to win tonight and escape the No Quarter Catch Crew. Charlie Dempsey doesn’t seem thrilled.

Myles Borne is talking to some football players when Lexis King interrupts. King mocks all of them and leaves.

Je’Von Evans vs. Tavion Heights

If Heights wins, he’s out of the No Quarter Catch Crew. Heights easily wrestles him down to start and gets two off an early cradle. The armbar goes on to keep Evans down but he’s back up with a springboard headscissors. Heights is sent to the floor for a big dive and we take a break. We come back with Evans getting the better of a slugout until Heights hits a Pounce for two. A German suplex gives Heights two but he charges into a superkick in the corner. The spinning top rope splash gives Evans the pin at 8:52.

Rating: C+. The result surprised me a bit, as while I wasn’t certain that Evans was going to win, I was surprised that he did it completely clean. Heights and Myles Borne both leaving the No Quarter Catch Crew in the span of a few weeks would have been a lot, but I was expecting Charlie Dempsey to get involved if nothing else. I’m sure Heights will keep trying to get out, but that was a pretty painful loss.

Post match Jasper Troy comes in to drop Evans.

We recap Tony D’Angelo vs. Stacks for the Heritage Cup. Stacks was set for the title match but Noam Dar was injured. As a result, D’Angelo was given the spot for the vacant title instead. The question is about Luca Crusifino, who is working for one of them but it isn’t clear whom.

Ricky Saints vs. Ashante Thee Adonis

They slug it out to start with Adonis fighting out of the corner. A crisscross lets Saints kick him in the face and throw Adonis outside as we take a break. We come back with Saints fighting out of the corner but getting caught with an AA for two. Saints fights back and grabs suplex like a backdrop into a tornado DDT for two of his own. Roshambo gives Saints the pin at 7:58.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here with almost half of the match taking place in the break. Saints gets a win to help reestablish himself a bit, though Ethan Page is what really matters for him. This was a fine way to get Saints back on track though and that’s what Adonis should be used for most of the time.

Post match Ethan Page pops up on screen for a distraction but here is Page to jump Saints from behind. Page hits his own Roshambo.

Darkstate says they’ll be front and center with chaos and destruction.

Here is Oba Femi for a chat. He has been NXT Champion since January and since then, a variety of stars have come for his title but wound up as footnotes. Femi loves the fight and wants someone to come step up to him. Cue Yoshiki Inamura to say he’s here to chase gold. He missed Josh Briggs but he also missed NXT, with its culture and the passion of the fans. Femi admires his moxie but says it won’t go well for Inamura. That’s fine with Inamura, who is ready, only for Jasper Troy to take him out. I’d rather have Troy over Inamura, but at least we should be getting a #1 contenders match out of this whole thing.

Izzi Dame gives Tatum Paxley a doll but Zaria and Sol Ruca come in. Paxley walks off with the doll and meets up with Dame and the rest of the Culling. Dame takes Paxley with her.

High Ryze comes in to see Trick Williams and next week, it’s Wes Lee vs. Joe Hendry. Williams approves.

Heritage Cup: Stacks vs. Tony D’Angelo

For the vacant cup. Round one begins with D’Angelo knocking him into the corner but Stacks hammers right back. A trip to the apron and a backdrop get D’Angelo out of trouble. With the wrestling not working, they go back to straight brawling to end the round at a standoff. Round two begins with D’Angelo hitting a running clothesline and adding a spear for the pin at 37 seconds of the round and 4:07 overall.

We take a break and come back with Stacks hitting Cement Shoes for a very near fall as round three ends. Round four begins with D’Angelo slugging away but his knee (which was attacked during the break) gives out on the spinebuster attempt. Stacks gets a small package for the pin at 18 seconds of the round and 9:03 overall.

Cue Luca Crusifino to suddenly be D’Angelo’s corner man. Round five begins with Stacks tying up the leg but D’Angelo fights out and hits the spinebuster. Stacks is sent outside where D’Angelo goes after Stacks’ goons. Crusifino comes in to help but accidentally hits D’Angelo in the back with a bucket. A running knee gives Stacks the pin and the cup at 1:41 of the round and 14:21 overall.

Rating: B-. I’m rather impressed by how they’re managing to find new ways to keep up the mystery about Crusifino’s loyalties. At the end of the day, it could go either way as you could say it’s all a bunch of mistakes or he’s being subtle with his backstabbery. That’s a good way to keep the story going and they’re making it work rather well.

Post match D’Angelo lays out Crusifino.

Fatal Influence isn’t impressed with Blake Monroe and Jacy Jayne is ready for the four way tonight, as she’ll find out who loses next.

Thea Hail rants about recent issues when Lainey Reid comes in to mock her. Lash Legend comes in to say she has a match so they can’t be arguing right now.

Ava yells at Ethan Page for attacking Ricky Saints but Page just wants Saints away from him. They’ll settle it in her office next week. Hold on though as Hank & Tank have been attacked.

Joe Hendry is ready to take out Trick Williams and get the TNA World Title back at Slammiversary. He’ll be around here until then, including next week against Wes Lee.

Andre Chase tells his students that they need to toughen up. The attitude is what made the university a success….but Kale Dixon says it’s what killed it as well. Dixon and Uriah Connors leave, saying it was supposed to be different this time. Apparently they’re the ones who stopped Chase when he was closing the university in the first place (which isn’t that big of a reveal).

Lash Legend vs. Jaida Parker vs. Izzi Dame vs. Jordynne Grace

Fatal Influence is watching as Legend slams Grace to start. Dame takes Grace’s place before the other two come back in. Grace and Parker are sent outside again, leaving Dame to slug it out with Legend. That doesn’t work for Legend, who sends Dame outside before missing a charge into the post.

Back in and Grace gets two off a fisherman’s suplex, followed by Dame’s flapjack getting two on Grace. Legend breaks up the Hipnotique but gets taken down by Grace, who is chokeslammed onto the apron by Dame. Cue Tatum Paxley, so Zaria and Sol Ruca grab her and take her back.

We take a break and come back with Parker hitting a Tear Drop each to Grace and Dame. A fireman’s carry to Grace is cut off by Dame’s big boot but Legend puts Dame on top. Parker cuts that off with a Backstabber to Legend and a sunset flip gets two. Since there are four people involved in the match, we get the Tower Of Doom with Parker getting the worst of things, leaving Grace to get two each. Grace misses the Vader Bomb and Legend gives Parker the over the back faceplant. Dame makes the save, leaving Grace to give Parker a spinning torture rack bomb for the pin at 12:52.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure if this earned the THIS IS AWESOME chants it was getting, but I can go with what we were getting here. If nothing else, Grace is someone who could massacre Jayne if given the chance, but that’s what was supposed to happen when Jayne got her title shot in the first place. This was pretty much Grace’s to lose, but the other three hung in there well enough to keep it interesting.

We run down next week’s card to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They started to look towards both the Great American Bash and Evolution here and that’s something that needed to happen. There are still a few weeks to go, but what matters is that the corner is starting to be turned. As is often (but not always) the case around here, nothing on here is worth going out of your way to see, but it makes for a good overall presentation. Simple, easy to follow stuff and acceptable action tends to work well for NXT and they did it again here.

Results
Trick Williams b. Josh Briggs – Trick Shot
Je’Von Evans b. Tavion Heights – Spinning top rope splash
Ricky Saints b. Ashante Thee Adonis – Roshambo
Stacks b. Tony D’Angelo 2-1
Jordynne Grace b. Izzi Dame, Lash Legend and Jaida Parker – Torture rack powerbomb to Parker

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

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