Evolve
Date: May 7, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

Things very well may be picking up around here as we have a special announcement from Stevie Turner. That could go in a variety of directions as this show is still young enough that it has a lot of options. If nothing else, we might be seeing some new faces in the coming weeks after the recent string of releases/departures. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here is Stevie Turner for her big announcement: the Evolve Men’s and Women’s Titles. The Women’s Title will be crowned in a four way match in three weeks, with Kali Armstrong, Kendal Grey, Wendy Choo and…someone else who will be determined. The Men’s Title will be crowned in four weeks with Sean Legacy facing three others.

Keanu Carver isn’t happy about not being included and gets in the ring for a showdown with Harlem Lewis. The Vanity Project runs in and are quickly cleared out. Cue Gallus to brawl with them out to the floor. Armstrong and Grey get in a fight of their own, with Armstrong taking out her knee. So we’re going to have Evolve Titles AND ID Titles? That sounds excessive.

We run down the card.

Video on Wendy Choo tormenting Kylie Rae.

Summer Sorrell is scared of facing Wendy Choo but she’s motivated to succeed. Maybe she needs a buddy.

Video on the ID Program, and some names who will be coming to Evolve, including It’s Gal, Marcus Mathers and Jordan Oasis. That has to happen sooner or later.

Nikkita Lyons wants a big match tonight and Stevie Turner announces that she’ll be facing Kendal Grey in the main event. Zayda Steel comes in and wants to be in the Women’s Title match. Turner isn’t convinced but Lyons thinks she could collaborate with the Vanity Project.

Summer Sorrell vs. Wendy Choo

Sorrell, who is rather athletic (believe it or not), cartwheels away from the smiling Choo to start. They run the ropes a few times and Sorrell hits a crossbody for two. Choo runs her over and hits a running shot to the throat. Sorrell gets planted again and the Dirt Nap finishes her off at 2:33.

Post match Choo goes after Sorrell again but Kylie Rae runs out for the brawl. The Dirt Nap is broken up with a snapmare and Choo bails.

Lexis King arrives.

After a break, here is King for a chat. King talks about wanting to come to Evolve back in the day because it was a way to get to the big time. Now it is a portal to NXT and no one knows more about the spotlight than him. He wants the spotlight around here but here is Sean Legacy to cut him off.

Legacy welcomes him to the show but King mocks Legacy for being a pretend locker room leader. That doesn’t work for Legacy, who has paid his dues and been through the sleepless nights for a $20 payoff and a handshake. Legacy isn’t going to let King run over Evolve and the match is made for next week. We get the aggressive handshake and the staredown. Legacy is all but guaranteed to go to NXT sooner or later so this is a preview of things to come

Kendal Grey insists that her knee is fine. Carlee Bright comes in to ask if Grey can fight tonight, which she insists she can.

Keanu Carver is looking for Gallus and Harlem Lewis joins him to do the same. Stevie Turner makes the match for next week.

Drako Knox vs. Jackson Drake

The Vanity Project is here with Drake. Knox gets powered into the corner to start but comes back with a running shoulder. A t-bone suplex sends Drake flying again but he knocks Knox’s hat off to take over. The chinlock goes on but Knox backdrops his way out of trouble. Drake takes him down again but gets crucifixed for two. Drake’s Lethal Injection is countered into something like a Blue Thunder Bomb for another knockdown. A kick to the leg cuts Knox off though and now a Lethal Injection cuts him down. The running knee gives Drake the pin at 5:08.

Rating: C. The Vanity Project getting a win is fine and Knox continues to be someone who can lose without being too damaged. Granted it helps when you don’t have much in the way of status to start. Drake isn’t exactly a star, but the Vanity Project needs a singles star to push rather than just the Swipe Right team over and over.

We get a sitdown interview with Javier Bernal, who had to deal with an eight month injury layoff. Now he’s back to hit the ground running in Evolve but he isn’t Big Body Javi anymore. He never really was Big Body Javi, but now he loves metalcore music. That’s the kind of unity he wants to bring here but It’s Gal comes in to mock him. This would mean a bit more if Bernal wasn’t already gone.

Lexis King runs into the Vanity Project as he leaves and he’ll see them next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Kendal Grey

Grey’s leg is very banged up. The leg gives out early to start and Lyons is right on her, with some mocking thrown in for a bonus. A legdrop on the apron crushes Grey and Lyons wraps the bad leg around the rope. Something like a half crab goes on but Grey kicks her way to freedom. A spinning kick to the face gives Lyons two and she sits down on the leg a few times.

The half crab goes on again but this time Grey makes the rope to escape. Lyons misses a running splash and Grey goes for a cross armbreaker, with Lyons powering her up for the escape. A choke on the back works a bit better for Grey and a middle rope shoulder puts Lyons down for two. Grey tries something off the ropes but the leg gives out again. A Vader Bomb finishes for Lyons at 6:13.

Rating: C+. Perfectly fine story to the match here with Grey trying to fight through the injury and showing heart but coming up short against the more experienced star. At the same time, this continued to enforce Lyons’ status of “not exactly great”, as she didn’t show anything here that makes me think otherwise. I get that she has something in the way of star power, but it isn’t clicking for me so far.

Post match Kali Armstrong runs in to go after Grey’s knee again. Grey is in trouble to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show wasn’t exactly great, but it did a nice job of setting up the title matches. That’s the big story the show has been needing and I’m curious to see where it goes. Hopefully the titles wind up on people who can make the show more interesting, but what matters is there is a structure around here. Now just make the things that have been set up work out, which is the tricky part.

Results
Wendy Choo b. Summer Sorrell – Dirt Nap
Jackson Drake b. Drako Knox – Running knee
Nikkita Lyons b. Kendal Grey – Vader Bomb

 

 

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

 

Evolve
Date: April 23, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

We’re done with Wrestlemania Weekend and that means the ID Title Tournaments have officially begun. That could go in a few different ways as it might take some time to catch up with the taping cycle. Other than that, we have some grudge matches around here and that could make for some interesting options. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Stevie Turner to announce that she will be making an announcement. Cue the Vanity Project to interrupt (as Drako Knox is in the VIP section). Brad Baylor brags about how awesome they are and how everyone wants Zayda Steele so the Vanity Project name is perfect for them. Ava isn’t impressed and announces a match right now (which was announced in the show’s opening.

Sean Legacy vs. Jackson Drake

The rest of the Vanity Project is here as Legacy knocks him into the corner to start. A snap powerslam gives Drake a fast two but Legacy fights back. A standing moonsault gets two but the Project offers a distraction, earning a mass ejection. We take a break and come back with Legacy forearming away as commentary argues over who named the Vanity Project.

A reverse sitout gordbuster drops Drake and some running forearms into a German suplex makes it worse. Legacy hits a springboard missile dropkick for two but Drake is back with a Lethal Injection for two. A double knockdown gives us a double breather before Drake hurricanranas him into a running knee to the face. Back up and Drake strikes away until a poisonrana gets two. Legacy fights up and hits him in the face, setting up the torture rack suplex neckbreaker (thankfully named the Shambles) for the pin at 9:05.

Rating: C+. Legacy continues to feel like the big star around here and that should give him a good future. He’s backing it up well enough in the ring too and that was the case again here. It wouldn’t stun me to see him getting up to NXT sooner than later as he has all of the tools to get there soon.

Post match Legacy talks about being ready for everything in Evolve.

Kylie Rae isn’t scared of Wendy Choo, even if the darkness started to overtake her. They’ll face each other again.

Harlem Lewis and Keanu Carver have a face to face showdown, talking about how they know the title is coming through them. Ava comes in to make the two of them against Swipe Right next week.

Aria Bennett vs. Zara Zakher

Layla Diggs is here with Bennett. An early rollup gives Zakher two and a suplex is good for the same. We hit the armbar but Bennett is up with some headscissors. A high crossbody gives Bennett two but Zakher’s super hurricanrana gets the same. Zakher grabs a neckbreaker (with kind of a weird cover) for two. Back up and a quick Control Z finishes for Zakher at 3:58.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much time get anywhere but Zakher continues to look like someone with potential. Her size issues might be a problem going forward but at least she’s getting some wins to make her seem like a more important star. Bennett is decent as well, but this wasn’t a place where she was going to get much shine.

Post match Zakher is interviewed by the lights dim and a bear, with a note, are left on the mat. The note says “KYLIE, I ACCEPT”.

The Vanity Project is in the VIP section and Brad Baylor’s parent’s lawyer says they have every right to be here.

Carlee Bright vs. Kalyx

Kendal Grey is here with Bright and since I had it drilled into my head for not mentioning it last time, Kalyx is referee Jessika Carr under a mask. Kalyx stomps away but gets kicked in the mask, only to come back with a clothesline. Grey gives Bright a pep talk and it seems to work as the comeback is on, with Kalyx breaking out of a Black Widow. Kalyx’s fireman’s carry is countered into a sunset flip for the pin at 2:30.

Timothy Thatcher vs. Bryce Donovan

Thatcher reverses an early waistlock into an armbar but gets taken into the corner for an elbow to the face. A belly to belly sends Donovan flying and we take an early break. Back again with Thatcher grabbing a half crab and then cranking on the leg, with the Vanity Project not being pleased.

A surfboard is broken up though and Donovan hammers away, setting up a front facelock. The chinlock goes on for a bit before they go outside, where Thatcher is sent into the post. Donovan plants him again for two more but Thatcher fights back and headbutts the arm. A jumping enziguri sets up a butterfly suplex but Swipe Right offers the distraction. Donovan hits a swinging Boss Man Slam for the pin at 8:15.

Rating: B-. These two beat each other up and the interference keeps Thatcher looking like a big deal. He’s the kind of guy who can give some credibility around here and that is a good thing to see. Hopefully he gets to win a match or two without being beaten into the ground, which would kind of defeat his purpose.

Ava isn’t happy with the Vanity Project but Keanu Carver and Harlem Lewis are ready for them.

Overall Rating: C. This show was VERY focused on the Vanity Project and your mileage may vary as a result. The team is fine for what they are, but they don’t feel like the biggest deal. For a team you want to see get taken out, I can go for them, but that doesn’t make them seem like the big bads. Other than that…well there wasn’t much outside of that, with only the two women’s matches really being unrelated. I wasn’t feeling this show as much, as I could go for a bit more variety.

Results
Sean Legacy b. Jackson Drake – Shambles
Zara Zakher b. Aria Bennett – Control Z
Carlee Bright b. Kalyx – Sunset flip
Bryce Donovan b. Timothy Thatcher – Swinging Boss Man Slam

 

 

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