Evolve
Date: February 11, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Robert Stone, Peter Rosenberg

We’re coming up on the season finale, which only means so much when the season premiere is a week later. The big result last week was Jackson Drake retaining the Evolve Title over Kam Hendrix in a bit of a surprise. Other than that, Karmen Petrovic is challenging Kendal Grey for the Women’s Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair recap the recent events in the women’s division in a way that no people would ever actually speak.

Opening sequence.

IMG Credit: WWE

Swipe Right vs. Eli Knight/Mike Cunningham

Tate Wilder is in the VIP section and Jackson Drake is here with Swipe Right. Smokes wrestles Cunningham down to start and it’s off to Baylor, who has to roll out of a wristlock. Cunningham dropkicks Smokes and sends Baylor outside, allowing Knight to come in off the top with a double stomp to Smokes’ arm. It’s back to Cunningham to stay on the arm and a running neckbreaker into a splash gets two.

Smokes manages to bring Baylor back in for a forearm to Knight, who easily rolls over for the tag back to Cunningham. Drake offers a quick distraction though and Baylor shoves Cunningham off the top as we take a break. We come back with Cunningham still in trouble but he hiptosses his way to freedom. Knight comes back in to clean house, including a nice tornado DDT/dropkick combination.

The moonsault doesn’t connect as Knight has to roll through, allowing Baylor to knock him down again. Cunningham breaks up the Super Swipe though and Baylor gets dropped with a hard German suplex. Everything breaks down and Baylor knees Knight in the face, setting up Super Swipe for two as Cunningham makes a diving save.

Smokes and Knight slug it out until Smokes catches him on top with a running knee. Cunningham is back in to pull Baylor off the top and fireman’s carry Smokes, allowing Knight to moonsault off Smokes’ back for two, with a big shove making the last second save. Knight’s Stundog Millionaire into Sliced Bread hits Baylor but a dive hits Cunningham by mistake. The top rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination finishes Knight at 12:20.

Rating: B+. That’s on a bit of a sliding scale as these guys are still relatively new at this level, but dang this wound up being a heck of a match. It felt like they were being asked to go out there and show what they could do and then lived up to the challenge. They pulled me into this one and it’s easily the best match any of them have ever had.

Post match the Vanity Project brags about their win and Jackson Drake says Cappuccino Jones can have his title shot in three weeks at Succession II. This brings out Harlem Lewis to say he earned his title shot so he’ll just have to beat up all three of them. Brooks Jensen runs in to jump Lewis from behind, with the Project approving.

Arianna Grace and Nikkita Lyons are exhausted from trying to be nice. Masyn Holiday and Layla Diggs come in and ask to switch lockers with them, but Lyons snaps because that TikTok video did NOTHING for her personal brand. Diggs reveals that the psychic was her neighbor Doris and a match is made for next week. Grace: “Can we sue?” Thank goodness as this story was not working.

Team PC is mad about Kam Hendrix losing last week so Hendrix wants a PC vs. ID ten man tag.

IMG Credit: WWE

Aaron Rourke vs. It’s Gal

Tate Wilder and Trill London are in the VIP and Rourke jumps over Gal in the corner to start and hits some shoulders to the ribs. Rourke stomps him down in the corner and a headscissors sends Gal outside. The dive connects and Rourke throws in a few spanks, with Gal fighting back and hitting one of his own. Back in and a headscissors is countered into a hot shot, followed by a discus lariat to give Gal two.

Gal tosses him out of the corner and hits a big boot for two. He stops to pose though (again) and Rourke elbows him in the face a few times to start the comeback. The running hip attack connects in the corner for two but Gal’s double knees get the same. Rourke reverses a superplex though and hits Over The Rainbow (Molly Go Round) for the pin at 6:40.

Rating: C+. Rourke continues to interest me as he is someone who would usually be treated as a comedy guy but he plays it seriously for the most part and it’s kind of working. He’s not a top star, but he’s a solid enough hand. Giving him a win like this is a good thing and I’m curious to see where he goes.

Tate Wilder isn’t happy with how the PC guys have been lately and is ready to stand up to them.

Video on Tyra Mae Steele.

Wendy Choo comes up to Kali Armstrong, who doesn’t seem pleased with the interruption. Choo suggests Armstrong go to therapy to fix her issues and gets punched in the ribs for her efforts. Bad talk.

We run down the Succession II card.

Women’s Title: Karmen Petrovic vs. Kendal Grey

Grey, with Wren Sinclair, is defending. Petrovic sweeps the leg for an early two to start and they stare at each other. An armbar takes Grey down but Grey flips around into one of her own. Back up and Grey kicks her down, only to get faceplanted out of the corner. We take a break and come back with a double collision leaving them down.

They pull themselves up and trade running shots against the ropes with Petrovic getting the better of things. Petrovic grabs a Sharpshooter, which stays on for a good while until Grey makes the rope for the break. The cross armbreaker goes on but Petrovic stacks her up for two. Grey’s sitout powerbomb gets two more but Petrovic superkicks her out of the corner. A tornado DDT gives Petrovic two more and she goes up top, where Grey pulls her back down. Shades Of Grey retains the title at 8:16.

Rating: B-. While there wasn’t much drama about retaining the title, it was nice to see Grey having to work to get a hard fought win. Grey continues to be someone who feels like she’s planned for the top level one day and she looked solid here. Petrovic did well too, but this might be her ceiling in WWE and that’s not a great sign for her future.

Post match PJ Vasa comes out and challenges Grey for Succession II.

Overall Rating: B+. The opener was very good and this was a wrestling heavy show, which made for a strong week. Evolve is doing rather well right now and that’s a good sign heading into two of their biggest shows. I want to see where some of these things are going and the stories feel like they have been mapped out well from beginning to end. Now just get the payoffs right and everything works.

Results
Swipe Right b. Eli Knight/Mike Cunningham – Top rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination to Knight
Aaron Rourke b. It’s Gal – Over The Rainbow
Kendal Grey b. Karmen Petrovic – 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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Evolve
Date: February 4, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

It’s a big night as the Evolve Title is on the line, with Jackson Drake defending against Kam Hendrix. This comes after Hendrix had Drake go up against a bunch of monsters last week in a rather smart move. Other than that, it’s time to find whomever might be next for the Women’s Title so let’s get to it.

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

Team PC is ready for Kam Hendrix to win the Evolve Title. Braxton Cole comes in after things got, ahem, messy in the back. Apparently Sean Legacy

Opening sequence.

IMG Credit: WWE

Tyra Mae Steele vs. Carlee Bright

Steele wrestles her down with no trouble to start but Bright picks the leg a few times. That doesn’t get Bright very far as Steele pulls her into a bow and arrow. The chinlock goes on but Bright is back up with a headscissors. That’s broken up and Steele reverses into something like an STF. Back up and they collide for a double down before Bright hits a swinging neckbreaker. Steele pulls her out of the air though and hits Mae Day (Samoan drop) for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Steele continues to be someone with all of the background in the world and some charisma to back it up. If she can put that together with the pro style, she has all of the potential. As for Bright…uh….I’m not sure what she has, though I would have said the same thing about Kendal Grey a year ago so things can indeed change.

The Vanity Project welcomes Team ID in because they need to band together to fight off Kam Hendrix. That doesn’t work well, though Aaron Rourke thinks the Project might have a point. After a huddle, Team ID is actually in, with Rourke hitting on Jackson Drake a bit. Swipe Right doesn’t think much of Mike Cunningham and Eli Knight though and a match is set for next week.

Arianna Grace and Nikkita Lyons are still freaked out by the séance and think they need to be really nice. Layla Diggs and Masyn Holiday come in, with Grace and Lyons trying to play nice. They’ll even do a new TikTok dance with them! This….yeah this isn’t working.

Drake Morreaux vs. Sam Holloway

Morreaux powers him down to start and a running hurricanrana does it again. Holloway is knocked down again for something like a bottom rope Vader Bomb for two but he’s back up with a big boot. Another knockdown gives Holloway another two but Morreaux sends him to the apron for a big boot to the floor.

Holloway goes with the idea of hitting Morreaux in the face, with a springboard elbow connecting for two. A big charge misses for Holloway in the corner though and Morreaux kicks him right back down. Holloway dropkicks him out to the floor, which of course means a big running dive to take Morreaux down again. Back in and Morreaux hits a discus lariat (not exactly a clean one), followed by a regular clothesline for the pin at 6:17.

Rating: B. This was the Big E. Langston special as you had two big men getting in there and hitting each other until one of them couldn’t get up again. That’s exactly what you would have wanted to see out of a match like this and they more than delivered. I had a great time with this and I was even surprised at the result so well done all around.

Post match Morreaux says Team PC doesn’t represent the Performance Center, but he’s coming for the Evolve Title.

Next week: Karmen Petrovic challenges Kendal Grey for the Women’s Title.

Team ID gives Sean Legacy a hard time with his cleaning but Team PC interrupts to help him clean. With the ID guys gone, It’s Gal comes in to mock Team PC but Aaron Rourke stands up for the team and challenges Gal to a match next week.

IMG Credit: WWE

Dante Chen vs. Trill London

Chen works on the arm to start so London reverses into a wristlock of his own. Back up and Chen knocks him down a few times before London dives over Chen, only to possibly hurt his leg. It’s fine enough for London to grab an armbar but it’s a half nelson slam to put him down again. Chen gets two off another slam but misses a boot, allowing London to hit a Whisper In The Wind. A middle rope sunset flip gets two on Chen, who drops London with a superkick. Chen boots him down again though and the Gentle Touch finishes London at 5:31.

Rating: C-. Huh? I’m sorry what now? You build London up as someone interesting with the great athleticism and he gets pinned clean by DANTE CHEN? Maybe it’s that I watched LVL Up for years but I still don’t get what Chen is supposed to offer. London feels like someone interesting with potential and he just….loses here. Odd indeed. On top of that, the match didn’t exactly feel smooth, as it came off more like a tumbling routine than a match, which isn’t a great way to go.

We get a face to face showdown between Kendal Grey and Karmen Petrovic. Grey doesn’t want this to get too personal but she’ll face anyone to keep her title. Petrovic thinks Grey is looking past her when Petrovic has all the momentum. Grey isn’t underestimating her but promises to walk in and out as champion.

The Season Finale will air on February 25 but the season premiere, Succession II, will be the following week.

Kali Armstrong is disappointed by her recent losses and needs to get that dog back in her. Maybe she needs to go back home for a bit and find her old self.

Evolve Title: Kam Hendrix vs. Jackson Drake

Hendrix, with Jax Presley and Harley Riggins, is challenging while Drake has Swipe Right with him. Drake goes for the leg to start but gets put down with a running shoulder. Riggins and Presley trip Drake so Swipe Right does the same to Hendrix, meaning it’s the rare quadruple ejection. We take a break and come back with Hendrix striking away for two and grabbing the chinlock. Drake fights up and hits an enziguri but gets punched in the face for going up top.

Hendrix’s powerbomb doesn’t work and Drake grabs a German suplex for two. The referee gets bumped and Drake hits a jumping knee to put Hendrix down. Cue Team PC to beat Drake down but Team ID runs in for the big brawl. Swipe Right is back in as well as I wonder how fragile the referee must be to not notice about ten people interfering. Legacy hits a big flip dive and Swipe Right takes Hendrix down. The Unaliving retains the title at 8:38.

Rating: B-. The ending was the kind of wild brawl that makes for an interesting situation, though I’m rather surprised that Hendrix didn’t win. Drake has held the title for a long time now and it’s odd to see the team seemingly changing over to the good side. At the same time, Hendrix and company had been built up fairly well, though I’m not sure what is next for them. It’s a good match, even with a bit of a surprising result.

Post match Cappuccino Jones holds up the title and says he’s coming for this because Drake owes him one.

Overall Rating: B-. Good show here, albeit with a few surprising results. The thing that stuck out to me here was something that made the glory days of NXT work so well: it felt like there was a focus on everything taking place in the ring. The matches and segments were made to feel important and that helps when they come back around later. This is still the most enjoyable show every week and this worked again, even with me being rather surprised more than once.

Results
Tyra Mae Steele b. Carlee Bright – Mae Day
Drake Morreaux b. Sam Holloway – Clothesline
Dante Chen b. Trill London – Gentle Touch
Jackson Drake b. Kam Hendrix – Unaliving

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

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Evolve
Date: January 14, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

Things are changing in a hurry around here and it’s rather interesting to see where they are all going. With a bunch of Evolve names now officially part of NXT, some changes are going to need to be made around here. That could be a good thing, but it’s definitely a thing of some description. Let’s get to it.

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

Team PC arrives and are ready to take over.

The Vanity Project arrives and runs into Aaron Rourke, Cappuccino Jones and Eli Knight. They argue a bit and a six man tag is set for later.

Opening sequence.

Video on the Women’s Title match, with Kendal Grey being ready to face the monsters PJ Vasa and Kali Armstrong.

Women’s Title: Kendal Grey vs. PJ Vasa vs. Kali Armstrong,

Grey, with Wren Sinclair, is defending and Karmen Petrovic is in the VIP section. Vasa powers both of them into the corner to start so Grey slides between her legs to pick up the pace. Some running dropkicks stagger Vasa and a double dropkick sends her outside. That leaves Grey to suplex Armstrong and then kick the returning Vasa back outside. Armstrong spears Grey but gets speared by Vasa, who stands tall as we take a break.

We come back with Vasa cleaning house, including booting Grey down while holding Armstrong in a fireman’s carry. Grey gets the ankle lock on Vasa but Armstrong makes the save. Armstrong drops Vasa with the powerslam and loads up the Kali Connection, only for Grey to springboard in with Shades Of Grey to retain at 5:08.

Rating: B-. Well it was eventful while it lasted, but I was expecting a far longer match than what we got here. At the same time, I was expecting Grey to lose here as it’s pretty clear that she’s getting elevated in the near future. That being said, her holding the title even longer isn’t a bad thing and she got a solid win here.

Post match Petrovic doesn’t think much of Armstrong, who wants to put the sword, uh, somewhere.

Trill London talks about his time in the NFL and is ready to leave you wondering who he is.

Timothy Thatcher vs. Charlie Dempsey

Shockingly enough they go to the grappling to start, with Dempsey getting a cravate, which is broken up without much trouble. A knee to the arm has Dempsey in trouble and Thatcher knocks him outside as we take an early break. We come back with Thatcher still on the arm until Dempsey takes the leg down to switch control. Dempsey ties up the leg and then goes with something close to an STF.

A gutwrench suplex drops Thatcher again and it’s back to the legbar. With that broken up, Dempsey just cranks on the leg for a change. Back up and Thatcher just hits him in the face, which is quite the logical comeback. Dempsey gets something like a dragon screw legwhip but Thatcher pulls him into a Fujiwara armbar.

That’s rolled into a leglock, which is reversed into a cross armbreaker as this is a technical clinic. Dempsey knocks him to the floor and matches Thatcher with a shot to the face back inside. A bridging butterfly suplex (nice) gets two on Thatcher, as does a bridging German suplex. Dempsey switches over to a Fujiwara armbar for the tap at 13:10.

Rating: B. This was a lot of fun as you can tell both of them know this style very well. Dempsey winning is of course the right call as Thatcher is just there to make others look good. That’s what he did here and it came in a rather entertaining match. This isn’t something that works all the time, but when you see this style every so often, it’s pretty awesome.

Video on Harlem Lewis.

Vanity Project vs. Eli Knight/Cappuccino Jones/Aaron Rourke

Rourke frustrates Baylor to start and it’s quickly off to Jones for a nice dropkick. Knight comes in and gets headlocked by Drake but comes back with a nice leg lariat. The villains are cleared out to the floor and, after a quick spank from Rourke, Knight hits a big flip dive over the top. Baylor gets in a jumping knee to the face though and we take a break. We come back with Knight in trouble, including Drake raking his back.

A fisherman’s suplex gives Drake two and he knocks Rourke and Jones off the apron. The villains take turns beating Knight up in the corner, with a variety of stomps. Knight manages a high crossbody and that’s enough for the tag off to Jones. Everything breaks down and Rourke hits Eat Defeat on Smokes. The Decaffinator takes Baylor down but Smokes shoves Jones off the top. Drake comes back in with the Unaliving to pin Jones at 9:40.

Rating: C+. Pretty standard six man tag here with Drake getting to look like a star in the end. That’s a good thing, as Baylor and Smokes aren’t exactly must see stuff in the ring. I can see why they make for good background people, but that only gets you so far once the bell rings. At the same time, Knight got to showcase himself well here, but it was only for so long.

Post match Team PC comes out, with Kam Hendrix saying they’re running Evolve in two weeks. That’s not when Hendrix wants his title match though, because that’s going to be Drake vs. Carver, Riggins and Presley in a handicap match. Then Hendrix will get his title match the next week. That’s rather brilliant.

Tate Wilder is in the back and says he feels like he’s walking this road alone.

Overall Rating: B-. I still love the way this show is put together, as it feels like every show is designed to keep things moving. This show had a variety of different stuff going on and I wanted to see all of it. That’s not something you often see and the differences make it stand out that much more. Good stuff here, and they kept things moving for the future as well. Nice work, as is almost always the case.

Results
Kendal Grey b. PJ Vasa and Kali Armstrong – Springboard Shades Of Grey to Armstrong
Charlie Dempsey b. Timothy Thatcher – Fujiwara armbar
Vanity Project b. Cappuccino Jones/Eli Knight/Aaron Rourke – Unaliving to Jones

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: January 7, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Robert Stone, Peter Rosenberg

It’s time to get back to Evolve as it hasn’t been around for the last few weeks. In this case we even have a bit title match, with Sean Legacy challenging Jackson Drake for the Evolve Title. It could be quite the interesting time, as several NXT departures mean that some names could be on their way out of Evolve. Let’s get to it.

Here is the most recent show if you need a recap.

Sean Legacy talks about the things that he did in 2025, which was a great year. But it was also LAST year and now he needs to start doing something bigger this year. And what happens to Evolve if he doesn’t win the title? Uh, about the same thing that has been happening for months now?

Opening sequence.

IMG Credit: WWE

Karmen Petrovic vs. Laynie Luck

Luck has been a regular on the independent circuit for the better part of ever and recently won the Women’s ID Title. They trade takedowns to start, with Luck cartwheeling out of a wristlock. Petrovic takes her down into an armbar and drives her into the corner, where Luck gets in an elbow to the face. Luck grabs a suplex and ties Petrovic in the Tree Of Woe, only to miss a charge. A top rope Sling Blade and Eat Defeat rock Luck, who is back with a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. Petrovic shrugs that off and hits a quick Petrifier for the win at 3:35.

Rating: C+. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Luck over the years so it’s very nice to see her getting this kind of a chance. I’m not sure what she’s going to do with it, but she’s absolutely a success story after all those years. Petrovic still needs to step it up a bit, as she’s just kind of the same person she’s been for a long time now.

The Vanity Project isn’t worried about Sean Legacy but run into a bunch of the ID guys. They aren’t impressed with the Project either but cooler heads prevail.

We recap Chantel Monroe vs. Wendy Choo. Monroe called her a freak so Choo cost her a title match, causing Monroe to interrupt Choo’s therapy session. Therefore, it’s time to fight.

IMG Credit: WWE

Chantel Monroe vs. Wendy Choo

No DQ and Choo jumps her from behind during the entrances. Monroe fights back and grabs the weapons as the bell rings. Choo fights back without much trouble and puts Monroe in the trashcan for a running dropkick. The table is brought out and we take an early break.

We come back with Monroe beating her down with a chair, which is wedged in the corner. Choo fights up and of course sends Monroe into the chair (it’s a law), followed by a chair to the back. The Dirt Nap goes…well mostly on, but Monroe grabs some hairspray to blind her way out. A top rope Meteora onto a trashcan gives Monroe two and a DDT onto the chair gets the same. The table is set up but Choo is back with her own hairspray shot. Monroe catches her on top and yells a lot, only to get caught in a Dirt Nap on the ropes. A super full nelson slam sends Monroe through the table for the win at 7:27.

Rating: B-. The ending looked really good and it was cool to see the two of them beating the fire out of each other for a bit. I had a good time with this as Monroe has come a long way since her debut. At the same time, Choo has become far easier to watch now that she has dropped the whole weird evil stuff.

Post match Choo says she wants to show the new her. There is a triple threat for the Women’s Title next week and she wants the winner. Kendal Grey comes out to say she’ll beat Choo again. Choo says Grey can’t beat the new her.

Trill London sees the world differently but he was good enough to play for the Miami Dolphins. Now he’s here to see how he can evolve in the ring. Enjoy the show.

Kam Hendrix says it’s going to be a privilege to see him for the next twenty years. If charisma was water, you would need a life jacket right now.

Arianna Grace and Nikkita Lyons interrupt and mock Layla Diggs and Masyn Holiday for doing Tik Tok videos. They’re suddenly best friends.

Video on Jackson Drake.

Evolve Title: Sean Legacy vs. Jackson Drake

Legacy, with a bad shoulder, is challenging and chops away in the corner to start. They seem to mess up a bit in the corner and after what might have been a camera edit, Legacy sends him into the corner to put Drake down. A running chop in the corner drops Drake and a jumping stomp to the back gives Legacy two.

We take a break and come back with Legacy stomping away and sending Drake outside. The slingshot dive connects for Legacy but Drake posts him, with the bad shoulder getting banged up. Back in and Drake slowly works on the arm but Legacy tries a sunset flip. That earns him a moonsault knees to the ribs for two as Legacy is in trouble. The Lethal In-Jacksion is blocked though and we take another break.

We come back with Legacy splashing Drake for two and avoiding a high crossbody. Legacy plants him down for two more but Shambles is cut off with an arm snap over the rope. Back up and a Spanish Fly gives Legacy two but the arm gives out on an STF attempt. A crossface has Legacy in more trouble and Drake switches into a triangle choke for some elbows to the head. Legacy powerbombs his way to freedom but Drake hits one heck of an Unaliving, followed by another to the back of the head to retain at 14:29.

Rating: B. That almost has to be it for Legacy around here, as there is nothing left for him to do. He came in as what seemed to be the big prospect and it kind of stayed that way without ever accomplishing anything. Drake has started to stand out a bit more and it should be a big deal when someone finally beats him for that title.

Post match Kam Hendrix and company come out to threaten Drake but Harlem Lewis is back, immediately scaring Drake to death. Lewis gets in the ring and says he doesn’t care about PC or ID (amen), because he only cares about the title. He wants someone to step to him…but the Vanity Project leaves in a smart move.

Timothy Thatcher runs into Charlie Dempsey and asks Dempsey to respect his decision. Dempsey wants to prove himself, but Thatcher says you can do that every time you get in the ring. One more insult from Dempsey is FINALLY enough to get Thatcher to agree to the match to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The thing I like about Evolve is that it feels like the shows have been thought out in advance. We’re back from a few weeks away and they returned with some fresh ideas and names. That’s a great sign and I’m curious to see where some of these things go. I like the ideas that they’re presenting here and hopefully it keeps living up to the hype.

Results
Karmen Petrovic b. Laynie Luck – Petrifier
Wendy Choo b. Chantel Monroe – Super full nelson slam through a table
Jackson Drake b. Sean Legacy – Unaliving to the back of the head

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

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

Evolve
Date: November 19, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenburg, Robert Stone

We’re back to the title picture again as there is a #1 contenders match between PJ Vasa and Kali Armstrong for the next shot at Kendal Grey. Well next after next week’s Gold Rush edition of NXT but close enough. Other than that, Jackson Drake has to get ready for Sean Legacy next week so let’s get to it.

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

Kali Armstrong says she’s going to remind PJ Vasa show the real star is around here.

Opening sequence.

Jax Presley/Harley Riggins vs. OTM

OTM are a surprise set of opponents, as chosen by Timothy Thatcher. Price slams Riggins down to start so it’s quickly off to Presley vs. Nima. An exchange of shoulders goes to Presley, who takes Nima into the corner. It’s back to Riggins for a middle rope ax handle to the shoulder but Nima gets over to Price to fight back. A shinbreaker cuts Price off and it’s time to start kicking at the banged up leg.

Price tries to use one leg to get over for the tag, which works as well as you would expect. A shot to the back cuts him off again but a missed charge allows the needed tag off to Nima for the house cleaning. The running knee gives Nima two with Presley makes the save. Presley is sent outside and Paid In Full finishes Riggins at 6:53.

Rating: C+. This was a pair of hoss teams having a fight and that’s what it should have been. OTM getting the win here is fine as they’re certainly the bigger names of the four, though I could go with Riggins and Presley not losing as often. They’re the kind of big guys who shouldn’t be taking many losses so hopefully they can pick things up a bit.

Post match Timothy Thatcher comes out to point and talk some trash.

Video on PJ Vasa vs. Kali Armstrong.

Zena Sterling vs. Karmen Petrovic

Sterling is from LFG and rather young. She’s trained in a lot of ways, including 24 straight hours on a Stairmaster. She speaks a bit of Ukrainian and we’re ready to go. Hang on as Petrovic says she’s ready and NOW we can get started. Petrovic wins a test of strength to start and grabs a headlock, which is reversed into a wristlock. A suplex sends Petrovic flying and Sterling grabs a chinlock. Back up and Petrovic reverses a tilt-a-whirl slam into a crossbody for two. Eat Defeat staggers Sterling again and a running kick against the ropes connects. The Petrifier finishes Sterling off at 4:58.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one and while Sterling isn’t exactly a seasoned veteran, there wasn’t much to see here. It was a dull match with little in the way of emotion and just kind of came and went. Petrovic is someone who has some cool stuff but it needs something to pull it together.

Tate Wilder is talking to Trill London and wants to be in the Evolve Title picture. They’re ready to go after Swipe Right. Sean Legacy comes in to ask why he wasn’t the partner, but Wilder says London wanted in on things around here, with Legacy saying he understands. With the other two gone, Legacy says he’s going to watch in the VIP section.

We look at Kendal Grey and Lainey Reid getting in a brawl last week on NXT, setting up their Women’s Title match next week at Gold Rush. We also see Sean Legacy being announced as the #1 contender for the Evolve Title.

Tate Wilder/Trill London vs. Swipe Right

Sean Legacy is watching in the VIP Lounge. London jumps over Smokes to start and takes him down with a headlock takeover. Wilder comes in with a slingshot ax handle to Baylor’s arm, followed by the arm being snapped over the top. It’s already back to London, who stays on the arm before a dropkick gets two. Smokes gets in a cheap shot to take London off the top though and Baylor gets to hammer on the chest.

A boot to the face gets two on London and Baylor pounds him down in the corner. London gets an elbow up in the corner though and it’s back to Wilder to clean house. The villains cut him off with a dropkick Hart Attack as everything breaks down. With Swipe Right on the floor, London hits a big flip dive and Wilder adds a top rope trust fall onto all three of them. Back in and the Wildest Ride finishes Baylor at 6:56.

Rating: C+. Wilder seems to be getting a push up the ladder and while that’s a bit of a strange way to go, at least they’re doing something with someone. At the same time, you have the Legacy factor, which is starting to lose a lot of its impact. He doesn’t win much in the way of big matches and that’s going to need to change or having him around isn’t going to mean much for very long.

Arianna Grace is in the VIP Lounge and is here to watch the main event while giving the fans a thrill.

Kali Armstrong runs into Kendal Grey in the back and they seem cool, with Armstrong saying she’s winning tonight and then coming for the title. Works for Grey.

Drake Moureaux is from the swamps of Louisiana and is coming to Evolve.

There’s no show next week but we’ll be back on December 3.

Timothy Thatcher hopes that Harley Riggins and Jax Presley will respect the Evolve talent after what happened earlier. Those guys go out there and work hard, which is what Riggins and Presley will see in two weeks in an ID showcase.

Kali Armstrong vs. PJ Vasa

For a future shot at Kendal Grey, who is in the VIP Lounge with Carlee Bright, as Arianna Grace leaves. They fight over the lockup to start until Vasa runs her over with a shoulder. Armstrong anklescissors her out of the corner and a dropkick sends Vasa outside as we take a break.

We come back with Armstrong hitting a running shoulder to the ribs in the corner, followed by quite the powerful suplex. Vasa drops her again for a quick two and it’s a Samoan drop into a chinlock. Armstrong fights up and strikes away, setting up a powerslam for two. Vasa gets backed into the corner but walks into a poke to the eyes. Something like an AA powerslam finishes Armstrong at 6:20.

Rating: B-. It worked in 2014 with Kevin Owens as Vasa, Pac as Armstrong and Jerry Mathers as Kendal Grey. Vasa is the new force who took out the former champion on her way to a title match. Now just let Grey find a way around the monster and it should make for a nice situation for everyone.

Post match Kendal Grey glares at Vasa but gets jumped by Chantel Monroe, who is challenging her in two weeks.

Jax Presley and Harley Riggins aren’t happy with what happened and make a phone call to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is starting to feel like one of those older shows as they set things up week to week and find a way to keep you coming back. They’ve got something going here and I continue to enjoy this show more than just about any other weekly series. Now just keep that going with all of the people they have available and it should work for a good while.

Results
OTM b. Jax Presley/Harley Riggins – Paid In Full to Riggins
Karmen Petrovic b. Zena Sterling – Petrifier
Tate Wilder/Trill London b. Swipe Right – Wildest Ride to Baylor
PJ Vasa b. Kali Armstrong – Fireman’s carry powerslam

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 16, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

Things are starting to pick up with Evolve as the ID Title tournaments are officially beginning this week. That should bring some more continuity around here, which could makes things a lot more interesting. I could certainly go for that, despite things already going pretty well in the show’s early weeks. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a preview of the show, which is always appreciated.

Opening sequence.

Commentary runs down the card.

We get a sitdown interview with Kendal Grey, who talks about her amateur wrestling background. She made the boys’ team and now she’s ready to win here too.

Ice Williams is in the VIP section.

Trill London vs. Harlem Lewis

London hits an early dropkick as we hear about him being inspired by Jeff Hardy. Lewis knocks him down without much trouble and talks a lot of trash, as a villain should be doing. London comes back with a slingshot dropkick (cool) but Lewis punches him out of the air. The Boom Slang finishes for Lewis at 1:53.

Post match Lewis’ interview is cut off by Gallus, who are ready to fight.

Gallus vs. Jordan Oasis/Cappuccino Jones/Jack Cartwheel

Joe Coffey powers Cartwheel into the corner to start and it’s off to Mark Coffey for the slugout with Oasis. The brawl is on and Gallus is sent outside for the big double flip dives as we take a break. Back with Cartwheel taking Mark down and handing it off to Jones, who is planted by Wolfgang. Cartwheel DDTs Wolfgang for a needed breather and brings Jones in to pick the pace back up. A running shot to the back hits Joe in the ropes but it’s already back to Wolfgang for a spinebuster. Everything breaks down and Mark knocks Oasis into All The Best For The Bells and the pin at 5:55.

Rating: C+. Gallus is the kind of a team that you have out there to make someone else look good and they did it well enough here. Gallus might not be the most thrilling team but you can’t have them lose time after time. Jones has already made an impression and Oasis has the size to go somewhere. There is always room for someone who can flip around like Cartwheel so this was an interesting showcase.

Chantel Monroe comes from a college gymnastics background and she loves fashion/looking right. She’ll be in the four way tonight and has been training hard.

Luca Crusifino is in the VIP area.

Kali Armstrong is from Inglewood, California and that means she is destined to be a champion. The four way is about the mental side of things and she’ll be the strongest.

Oro Mensah vs. Javier Bernal

Bernal goes after the arm to start but Mensah kicks away. An armdrag out of the corner sets up a headscissors and a dropkick has Mensah on the ropes. Mensah wins a slugout but spends too much time talking trash, allowing Bernal to kick him down. A high crossbody lets Bernal start the comeback, including a facebuster.

Bernal hits a loud superkick to really stagger Mensah, setting up a running DDT for two. Mensah is back with a tornado DDT to send Bernal throat first across the top rope. Stone: “I told you he’s an innovator!” Or he’s seen a Kenta match. A top rope kick to the face hits Bernal and the rolling kick to the head gives Mensah the pin at 4:46.

Rating: B-. Pretty nice stuff here with a match from the more established people on the roster. Neither of them are going to be doing anything anytime soon but it’s nice to have them in the ring here rather than sitting on the sidelines. Mensah is still someone who could do something on the bigger shows, but Bernal has lost what made him special. Figure that out or he’s going to be in trouble.

Brinley Reece is always open to new possibilities and that leads her to new opportunities.

Stevie Turner previews next week’s show.

Carlee Bright is in the VIP section.

Kali Armstrong vs. Brinley Reece vs. Chantel Monroe vs. Kendal Grey

Armstrong gets triple teamed to start, which makes sense as she has been the monster thus far. With Armstrong sent outside, the other three trade rollups for two each. That’s broken up when Armstrong comes back in to clean house, including a triple shoulder in the corner. Reece and Armstrong throw the other two out and go with the grappling. Reece bodyscissors Armstrong and we get a four person chain submission.

Armstrong breaks that up and puts Reece in a Boston crab while Monroe has Reece in a headscissors. Grey breaks that up as well and Armstrong is back up to take Grey down. Reece and Monroe pull Armstrong to the floor, where Grey is right there for a big dive. We take a break and come back with Reece sending the other three down in a Tower Of Doom. A cartwheel clothesline hits Armstrong and Reece adds a spinebuster to Monroe.

Back up and Monroe hits a Hennig necksnap on Reece and cartwheel knees to the ribs get two. Monroe hits a running shooting star press on Armstrong (not a great landing) with the other two making the save. Grey and Reece slug it out with Grey getting to clean house for a change.

Even Bright (with pom poms) is happy as Grey tries the cross armbreaker on Reece. Armstrong breaks that up with a splash and she powerslams Grey for two with Reece making a save. Reece’s rollup with feet on the ropes (Eh?) gets two, with Reece claiming she didn’t know what she was doing. The Kali Konnection knocks Reece silly and a powerslam gives Armstrong the pin on Monroe at 10:04.

Rating: B. I was getting into this one by the end and it was a fun match with all four going for it out there. By the end, it felt like something out of a video game with everyone trying to steal the pin. Armstrong getting the win is the right call as she has been treated as a big deal thus far. Evolve seems to be picking someone to get behind and that is a good idea this early on. Nice stuff here and a solid main event.

Post match Stevie Turner comes out to applaud Armstrong to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Evolve has found its footing and this was a good show with the names that they have already established starting to get somewhere. That is what they need to do, but it is going to take some time to really sink in. What they are doing thus far is a nice start though and this was an enjoyable show, with the main event being quite the showcase.

Results
Harlem Lewis b. Trill London – Boom Slang
Gallus b. Jordan Oasis/Cappuccino Jones/Jack Cartwheel – All The Best For The Bells to Oasis
Oro Mensah b. Javier Bernal – Rolling kick to the head
Kali Armstrong b. Kendal Grey, Brinley Reece and Chantel Monroe – Powerslam to Monroe

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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Evolve
Date: March 5, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenburg, Robert Stone

So here we have the debut of a new weekly series and I’m not quite sure what to expect. The show is kind of a souped up version of NXT LVL Up, though this one seems likely to have more storylines and character development rather than just match after match after match. That could be a good thing to see so let’s get to it.

Shawn Michaels joins NXT GM Ava to address the roster. They are here to show the world that wrestling evolves and for one night only, he is here to make the matches. We go over the card and with that out of the way, we’re ready to go.

Kali Armstrong/Dani Palmer vs. Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey

Grey and Bright are really athletic and regular friends, but they don’t have a ton of success. Commentary points out that Armstrong and Palmer don’t have much in common but they are both former NCAA athletes. Armstrong powers Grey into the back to start and puts her on top for a pat to the head.

Palmer tags herself in, which doesn’t work well for Armstrong, even as Grey works on Palmer’s arm. It’s off to bright, who gets armbarred down but she comes out with a headscissors. A basement crossbody gives Palmer two as we get some mini bio graphics in the corner for a very nice touch. Bright is back up with a headscissors so Armstrong tags herself back in, where she is armbarred down as well.

Armstrong reverses into an armbar of her own and cranks away until Bright dropkicks her way out. For some reason Grey doesn’t want to tag in before coming in and working on her own armbar. Bright comes back in for ANOTHER armbar as this is somehow less interesting than it sounds. Armstrong powers out and yells into the camera about how she’s going to win the first match on the show.

We take a break and come back with Palmer coming in but having her standing moonsault hitting raised knees. Grey comes back in and starts cleaning house, only for Armstrong to hit a running powerslam for two. Armstrong gets superplexed but Grey stays down, allowing Palmer to hit a heck of a frog splash for two, with Bright making what looked to be a late save (though Grey kicked out in time on her own).

Palmer’s Sliced Bread is broken up and Grey hits a hard spear for two, with Armstrong making the save this time. With everyone else on the floor, Palmer goes up for a corkscrew dive but hits Armstrong by mistake. Back in and Grey cross armbreakers Palmer for the win at 12:10.

Rating: C. This was WAY longer than it needed to be given the amount of armbars in there. On top of that, they were playing up the idea that Bright and Grey didn’t know each other very well, which is weird as they were friends and partners for a long time in LVL Up. Palmer got to show her athleticism and Armstrong had some good charisma, but the match just wasn’t that interesting and that’s a problem.

Post match Bright is winded but she’s excited. Grey is a bit less enthused and she wants to be remembered for dominating the division. The team’s future might not be so strong.

We look back at the original Evolve, including names such as Cody Rhodes, Gunther (well, Walter at the time), Drew McIntyre and many, many more.

We meet Jackson Drake, Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes, who will be in tonight’s main event. Baylor and Smokes are apparently known as Swipe Right and they are ready to win in their first match. Smokes is more interested in the women outside the ring and is told to focus a bit more. This is already more character development than we got in several months of LVL Up.

Luca Crusifino and It’s Gal are in the VIP section.

Sean Legacy, Cappuccino Jones and Jack Cartwheel (the other half of the main event)

Keanu Carver grew up without a father and he learned to fight as a result. He’ll fight anyone he has to in order to move forward.

Trill London is from New York and likes to be different, from how he looks to how he acts.

Keanu Carver vs. Trill London

London used to play for the Miami Dolphins and was influenced by Jeff Hardy. Carver runs him over to start and sends him flying with a fall away slam. A Pounce sends London flying and a Sky High finishes him at 1:39. Total squash.

Luca Crusifino is here as a representative of the D’Angelo Family and he runs things on Evolve. These young stars are good, but they haven’t faced a heavy hitter like him.

We meet some more names who will be debuting soon, some of which were regulars on LVL Up.

Sean Legacy/Cappuccino Jones/Jack Cartwheel vs. Jackson Drake/Brad Baylor/Ricky Stokes

The fans tell Swipe Right to SWIPE LEFT, which I guess counts as a burn. Smokes (thankfully with his initials on his tights) takes Jones down to start and it’s off to Legacy, who gives Drake a release gordbuster. A standing moonsault gives Legacy two and it’s off to Cartwheel for an anklescissors into a dropkick.

Everything breaks down and we get the six way showdown before Jones gets to clean house. A clothesline puts him on the floor though and Baylor hits another back inside. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Drake’s fisherman’s suplex gets two. Jones finally dives over for the tag to Cartwheel and the pace picks way up. Cartwheel sweeps the leg and hits a slingshot elbow, followed by a triple dive to take the villains out.

We take a break and come back with Drake hitting a heck of a gutbuster for two on Cartwheel. Swipe Right double suplexes Cartwheel for two and the chinlock goes on again. An assisted neckbreaker gets two more on Cartwheel but he tornado DDTs his way out of trouble. The diving tag brings in Legacy to clean house, including the AJ Styles moonsault reverse DDT on Drake. Back up and Drake hits a running knee to the head but Jones makes a save.

Jones grabs a flipping neckbreaker (Decaffinator) on Drake and a Froggy Bow gets two as Baylor makes the save. Baylor gives Legacy a spinning double butterfly suplex but Cartwheel is back with a crucifix driver. Smokes double stomps Cartwheel but Legacy is back in with a springboard double dropkick. A torture rack flipped into a swinging neckbreaker (or something close, though it’s called the Shambles) gives Legacy the pin on Baylor at 11:58.

Rating: B-. This was described as a showcase match for the ID Program (which they never actually explained) and it worked out pretty well. You had a bunch of people getting some ring time and it was nice to see them getting more than a minute or two each. It’s not a great match or anything, but it did just fine all things considered, with Legacy and Drake standing out a bit more than the others.

Post match Kali Armstrong comes out yelling about how she didn’t lose and needs her match.

Shawn Michaels puts the show in Ava’s hands and she has ideas for next week.

Overall Rating: C+. This is a show where you need to consider what it is supposed to be. The show isn’t designed to be anything more than a way for these younger stars to get their feet wet and it’s already doing better than LVL Up, which was about half of the length. At some point you need to get people in the ring and let them show what they can do. That’s what this show is offering and the action was acceptable enough. Get some more stories and angles in there (which you can’t get right off the bat) and the show would be more entertaining. For now though, not a bad way to get things started.

Results
Kendal Grey/Carlee Bright b. Kali Armstrong/Dani Palmer – Cross armbreaker to Palmer
Keanu Carver b. Trill London – Sky High
Sean Legacy/Cappuccino Jones/Jack Cartwheel b. Ricky Smokes/Brad Baylor/Jackson Drake – Shambles to Baylor

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