FSW WWE ID Championship Tournament
Date: April 18, 2025
Location: FSW Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Jake Black, Trevin Adams

It’s pretty much what the name says, as we started the tournament on Wednesday and now we get the second day here. There is a men’s and women’s version, which means we are going to be seeing some of the prominent ID names getting their chance. The first night wasn’t bad at all and hopefully this lives up that standard. Let’s get to it.

Men’s WWE ID Championship Tournament: Cappuccino Jones vs. It’s Gal

This is a double elimination tournament and Gal powers him around to start. A headlock doesn’t work for Jones so Gal pulls him into a fireman’s carry. That’s broken up and Jones hits a big dropkick before chopping away. Gal shrugs that off and powers him down, meaning it’s time for some pushups with choking included. A legdrop gives Gal two and he grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back.

Back up and Gal chokes in the corner before slapping Jones in the face. That seems to wake Jones up enough to fight back, only for Gal to kick him in the face. Jones manages a quick Stunner into a springboard elbow to the face, followed by a pop up cutter for two. Hold on though as Gal comes up holding his elbow but the referee catches him using the medals. Jones hits him in the face and grabs the Decaffinator for the pin at 7:32.

Rating: B-. This was a pretty nice match actually with Gal getting in the offense but posing too much, leading to him trying to cheat to no avail. Jones is someone with a goofy but simple gimmick and it is starting to take off for him. Both of them are entertaining enough and this was a good way to open the show.

Post match Jones thanks the fans for being here to support them tonight. He would have done anything to get here and now he has a big pot brewing for anyone who wants some. Cue Swipe Right, Jackson Drake and Zayda Steele to lay Jones out. Drake brags about the team’s success so far and more success is coming. He’s ready for Marcus Mathers and Ricky Smokes is ready for Sean Legacy and Brad Baylor is ready for Ice Williams. Even Zayda Williams is ready to win her match! These people don’t have much to say.

Zayda Steele/Mazzerati vs. Brittnie Brooks/Zara Zakher

Steele wants to face Brooks but immediately bails out to the floor, allowing Mazzerati to headlock Brooks instead. Brooks reverses into an armbar, which is broken up just as quickly. Back up and Brooks grabs some armdrags into a snap suplex for two. Zakher comes in for an elbow to the face and a running kick to the back for two. Mazzerati is back with a gutbuster and Steele slaps her in the back for a tag, meaning it’s time to hammer on Zakher. Steele knocks her onto the floor and stomps away but stops to blow a kiss to the camera.

Back in and a dropkick knocks Zakher out of the Tree of Woe but Steele accidentally knocks Mazzerati off the apron. It’s back to Brooks and Mazzerati tags herself back in, only to get forearmed in the face. Brooks grabs a DDT for two but Mazzerati fights up. Steele grabs her by the hair and tags herself back in though, setting up a Gory Bomb for two on Zakher. Mazzerati won’t tag in so Steele shoves her off the apron, which has Mazzerati leaving. Zakher RKOs Steele for the pin at 10:36.

Rating: C. It’s nice to see a story in a match like this, as you have Steele dealing with Mazzerati, complete with commentary pointing out how Mazzerati has recently changed her attitude. Other than that, it wasn’t much of a match but at least it got some time and they were able to showcase themselves. Steele continues to look like a star and if she can back it up in the ring, she’ll be a big deal.

Bodhi Young Prodigy vs. Freedom Ramsey

Bodhi tries a quick sunset flip for two and holds the ropes to avoid the dropkick. Ramsey comes back with an atomic drop and a middle rope faceplant gets two. A jumping legdrop gives Ramsey two but Bodhi comes back with a DDT for a needed breather. The comeback is on and Bodhi hits a high crossbody for two. A Pele drops Ramsey again but he avoids the 450. Ramsey hits a Blockbuster for the pin at 5:47.

Rating: C+. I’ve only seen a bit of these two so I didn’t have much of an idea of what is going on but they pulled me in to Bodhi making his comeback. That’s an impressive thing to do as I don’t have any reason to care about these two but it worked anyway. Bodhi’s comeback was engaging and the fans got into it, which made things even that much better.

Respect is shown post match.

Men’s WWE ID Championship Tournament: Sam Holloway vs. Aaron Rourke

They’ve both lost once so the loser is eliminated. The bigger Holloway shoves him into the corner to start so Rourke grabs a lockup and climbs the ropes. That doesn’t work either so Rourke just opts to hammer away in the corner. A running boot in the corner rocks Holloway and Rourke sends him to the floor for a dive. This works a bit better for Holloway, who crotches Rourke on the barricade and then chops the heck out of him.

Back in and we hit the chinlock to keep Rourke down, only for him to reverse into an Octopus. That’s broken up as well so Holloway cuts him off with a running dropkick (impressive given his size). A top rope splash gives Holloway two and he can’t believe the kickout. Rourke gets up again but gets caught in a powerbomb, which he reverses into a Code Red for the pin to eliminate Holloway at 9:28.

Rating: B-. Rourke got to stand out a bit more here than he did yesterday and that’s nice to see. That’s kind of the point of what you’re supposed to see from these matches as they’re still making themselves known on the bigger stages. Rourke doesn’t have much that makes him stand out but at least he was out there with a bigger guy who gave him a solid opponent.

Men’s WWE ID Championship Tournament: Aaron Roberts vs. Jordan Oasis

Oasis starts fast and knocks him outside for a suicide dive. Back in and Roberts drops him with a clothesline before ramming Oasis’ head into the mat. Roberts slowly hammers away in the corner before dropping down onto Oasis’ back. Oasis finally fights out and manages a good spinebuster. Roberts’ chokeslam gets two but a Vader Bomb is countered into a powerbomb to give Oasis two more. Back up and Roberts pulls out a foreign object for a cheap shot, setting up the Vader Bomb for the pin at 7:07.

Rating: C+. Oasis feels like someone who turn into something so while it’s annoying to see him lose, it might mean that they have a little more for him to do. Seeing him face some adversity could make for a good story and hopefully that is where they’re going. At the same time, Roberts is a pretty standard big man and hasn’t shown me much so far. There will always be a place for someone like him in wrestling, but so far he hasn’t shown me much.

Men’s WWE ID Championship Tournament: Jackson Drake vs. Marcus Mathers

They fight over a lockup to start until Drake pulls him down into a headscissors. That’s broken up and Mathers knocks him outside, followed by some leg cranking back inside. Drake fights up and is dropkicked down almost immediately. Mathers charges into a boot in the corner though and Drake gets in a middle rope knee to the arm to take over. The arm is tied up and Drake gets creative by using his wrist tape to pull back on the arm even more.

The referee sees Drake using the ropes on a cover to give Mathers a breather but Drake is right back on the arm. Mathers’ arm is fine enough to slam him down, followed by a spinning high crossbody. A Blue Thunder Bomb gives Mathers two but Drake pulls him into a Kimura. That’s broken up with a quick slam but the arm gives out and Drake gets a cross armbreaker.

Mathers survives that as well and fights up for a superkick. That means it’s time to go up top, where Drake’s superplex brings him back down in a big crash. Back up and the frustrated Drake hammers away in the corner, setting up a bridging German suplex for two. Mathers blocks the running knee though and a dragon screw legwhip takes Drake down again. A middle rope Canadian Destroyer hits Drake and the Broad Street Buster (fisherman’s buster) gets another near fall. Cue Swipe Right for a distraction, allowing Sam Holloway to post Mathers. Drake adds the running knee for the pin at 18:32.

Rating: B-. Well that was…long. I’m not sure I’d say it was especially good, but it’s nice to see them being able to hold it together for a longer match. Drake is a decent enough villain and Mathers certainly feels like someone who could turn into a bigger star if he is properly developed. For now though, they had a nice match, even if it went on for quite awhile.

Post match, Drake brags about how great he and Swipe Right are. Again.

Men’s WWE ID Championship Tournament: Sean Legacy vs. Ricky Smokes

Legacy isn’t waiting here and dropkicks Smokes to the floor to start. Some chops rock Smokes even more and they head back inside where Smokes can keep chopping away. Smokes gets in a shot of his own in the corner and starts in with his own chops, followed by a kick into the ropes. Legacy fights up and goes to the top but gets dropkicked out to the floor in a heap.

Back in and Smokes drops a knee, followed by the required chinlock. That’s broken up and Legacy strikes away, setting up a middle rope Spanish Fly to leave both of them down. Legacy moonsaults into a lifting reverse DDT for two before grabbing the torture rack, only to have to go after Swipe Right. Smokes kicks him in the head but dives into a Codebreaker. The torture rack flipped into the swinging neckbreaker gives Legacy the pin at 8:32.

Rating: C+. Legacy has definitely felt like the biggest star in the ID program so far and it seems like he’s the centerpiece, at least in the early stages. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him as the first champion, but he’s almost guaranteed to at least make a deep run. Smokes is one half of the annoying heel tag team so Legacy had a reason to beat him, though I’m not sure if there was much drama.

Post match Swipe Right comes in for the beatdown but Ice Williams and Cappuccino Jokes make the save. And now, the main event.

Men’s WWE ID Championship Tournament: Ice Williams vs. Brad Baylor

Williams starts fast and hammers away, including knocking Baylor to the floor for some uppercuts. Baylor gets in a shot of his own and they head back inside, where Baylor starts going after Williams’ neck. The pace slows again as Baylor hammers away and then grabs a chinlock. That’s broken up and Williams spins around to hit a quick DDT. Williams ties him in the ropes for a kick tot he face and an elbow to the back for two.

Baylor comes back with a snapdragon for two before going up top, where he reverses a superplex into a swinging superplex (ala Kevin Owens). Back up and Williams hits a good looking superkick for two, plus a good shocked kickout face. Baylor brainbusters him onto the knee for two more and goes for a turnbuckle pad. With the referee taking care of that, it’s a low blow for two on Williams. Back up and they slug it out until Williams superkicks him down again. A brainbuster finishes Baylor off at 11:13.

Rating: C+. Baylor feels like the bigger star of Swipe Right, which is quite a big deal at this point given how much they have been featured. At the same time, Williams is another guy who might wind up becoming a star and certainly has the look. He’s already doing well with his early tournament appearances and that should give him a nice next few appearances.

Post match Williams says he’s going to be the first ID Champion and thanks the fans for coming out.

Overall Rating: C+. The show isn’t bad and the action is good enough, but the ID people are starting to lose their charm. They’ve been all over the weekend and you can only see Swipe Right and company run in so many times to do their thing before it stops working. I know we’ll get to the title stuff and some better stories later, but two long shows from these same people in a few days is a bit much. It’s not bad, but there’s a reason these people are prospects rather than the featured stars.

On top of that, the tournament is kind of all over the place. You have some people with one loss, one guy already eliminated and in theory some wrestlers who haven’t debuted yet. What we didn’t have was any kind of graphic or standings showing where people were. Maybe they don’t know all of the entrants yet or they haven’t been announced, but it doesn’t make for the easiest thing to follow, especially with the double elimination aspect. It makes the show feel all over the place and hard to keep track of, which isn’t the kind of feeling you want fans to have. Good enough wrestling, but it needs to be tightened up.

Results
Cappuccino Jones b. It’s Gal – Decaffinator
Brittnie Brooks/Zara Zakher b. Zayda Steele/Mazzerati – RKO to Steele
Freedom Ramsey b. Bodhi Young Prodigy – Blockbuster
Aaron Rourke b. Sam Holloway – Code Red
Aaron Roberts b. Jordan Oasis – Vader Bomb
Jackson Drake b. Marcus Mathers – Running knee
Sean Legacy b. Ricky Smokes – Torture rack swinging neckbreaker
Ice Williams b. Brad Baylor – Brainbuster

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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TJPW Live In Las Vegas
Date: April 18, 2025
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Dave Prazak, Nick Knowledge

So here we have Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, another Japanese women’s promotion coming to America. I’ve seen this promotion before and it’s a bit more over the top and goofy compared to Stardom. It makes for something interesting and fun, which is exactly what you want. On occasion. Let’s get to it

Note that I do not follow the promotion so I apologize in advance for any character or plot points I miss.

As usual in TJPW, we open with a mini concert, this time from the Up Up Girls. It’s certainly energetic and that’s a good way to start things off. They go around ringside and while some fans seem to be very happy, some are also looking a bit confused. Then they go in the ring for a singing/dancing routine and this just kind of keeps going. With the song over, the women say something in Japanese, plus thanking the fans. Now get ready for the show.

Yuki Arai vs. Arisu Endo

They both seem popular. Arai works on a wristlock to start but gets reversed into a headlock. Back up and Endo kicks her into the corner, only to get knocked right back down. They go to the mat with Arai working on the leg for a bit, followed by a quick dropkick. Endo is back up with a running forearm in the corner and a running crotch attack against the ropes.

A hard kick to the face drops Endo again and the camera moves around a bit, showing graphics with the wrestlers’ names included. That’s a very smart move as it might be a case where you don’t know who you’re watching. Simple, yet beneficial. Arai’s Sharpshooter is broken up and Endo pulls her into a camel clutch, which you don’t see that often these days. That’s broken up as well and Arai kicks her in the head again for two. Endo snaps off a suplex, only for Arai to come back with a full nelson slam. An ax kick to the back of the head gives Arai the pin at 7:18.

Rating: C+. This was a mostly to the point match and Arai’s kicks looked good, especially the one at the end. That’s a good way to start things off and the fans seemed to like both of them well enough. It helps that they’re both in bright and colorful gear so the energy is certainly high to start and that’s a nice feeling to have.

Ram Kaicho/Viva Van/Yuki Aino vs. Rika Tatsumi/Shino Suzuki/Vert Vixen

It’s a big brawl to start and they fight to the floor/into the back. Commentary calls it a special look at the casino until Kaicho and Tatsumi come in. Tatsumi blocks a shot to the face and it’s off to Suzuki, who takes too long to send her into the corner. Instead Kaicho kicks her down, allowing for the stomping in the corner. Van comes in and teases a basement clothesline, which has Suzuki covering up.

That has Van pausing, but then she chops Suzuki down for daring to move her hands. Suzuki gets sent into the corner for a string of splashes and Aino hits a springboard spinning splash for two. A missed charge allows Suzuki to get over for the tag to Vixen for the power game. Vixen gets a sitout powerbomb for two on Kaicho but it’s off to Van for a spinwheel kick. Vixen fights back and hands it off to Tatsumi for a running elbow in the corner. A dropkick to the knee has Van in more trouble and the Figure Four goes on.

That’s broken up and Van hits her in the chest to take over. Aino comes back in to backdrop Suzuki but gets caught with a running neckbreaker. A belly to belly puts Aino down and Suzuki grabs a sleeper. Aino rams her into the corner for the break but Tatsumi is in with a hip attack. Vixen is in with a brainbuster but walks into a gutbuster. Kaicho is back in with a Venus (reverse) DDT for the pin on Suzuki at 13:45.

Rating: B. This was a wild enough match with a story that you could follow well enough. One of the best things about this place so far is that it seems easy to tell the good vs. the evil so it isn’t difficult to jump into a match. The action was solid enough here too, with everyone getting in some time to shine.

Maki Itoh/Zara Zakher vs. Max The Impaler/Raku

As usual, Itoh sings her way to the ring. Raku has a pillow with her, because that’s a necessary item. Zakher and Raku start things off…and Raku stops for a nap. The arena gets quiet (not wanting to be rude) and Zakher goes for a cover, only to get small packaged for two. Max comes in to throw the pillow outside, earning a dropkick from Zakher. Raku gets taken into the corner for the tag off to Itoh and the fans are rather pleased.

A facewash in the corner sets up a weird half crab, sending Raku over to the ropes. Raku hits her in the head and hurts her own hand so she switched to chops to the chest. Itoh gets taken down with a faceplant, allowing Max to come in and run Zakher over. Max hits a double shoulder for a double knockdown, followed by a double belly to back suplex.

It’s time to get creative, so Max picks Raku up and throws her at Itoh and Zakher. That lets Raku hit a double splash for two but misses….it looked like a ballerina spin into the corner. Itoh grabs a half crab so Max picks her up for the easy save. Raku accidentally chops Max and Itoh grabs a tornado DDT. Itoh’s running Death Valley Driver to Raku sets up the Itoh Deluxe (a Liontamer Texas Cloverleaf) for the tap at 9:46.

Rating: B-. This was a wacky enough tag match with Raku doing the sleep thing and Max in there as the monster. Itoh is a weird star in her own right and Zakher was there as enough of a straight woman for the others to bounce off most of the time. The sleep stuff was a bit out there but it seems like a regular deal for her and at least it was quick.

Max drags Raku away, apparently due to a bad case of sleep.

International Princess Title: Suzume vs. Jada Stone

Stone is challenging. They stare at each other to start and Stone hits a rather sudden running dropkick. Suzume’s crossbody is countered into a slam but she avoids the standing moonsault. Stone rolls outside and that means a slingshot dive to take her out again. Back in and Suzume rolls into a rollup for two, followed by a basement dropkick. Suzume starts in on the leg before grabbing a crucifix hold in the ropes. Stone is back up with a cartwheel into a kick down, setting up the split legged moonsault for two.

The surfboard goes on, with Suzume rolling out to the floor for a breather. Said breather seems to work as she’s back in with a high crossbody for two, followed by a jumping cutter for the same. Stone is right back up with a Last Chancery, but has to stop to adjust her top. With nothing else working, Stone hits a corkscrew moonsault for two so she goes up again. This time Suzume bulldogs her back down, setting up another jumping cutter to retain at 12:35.

Rating: B-. Stone was getting to show off here as she is quite the athlete. She was flying around here and showcasing just how good she is in the ring, which is always nice to see. Suzume was good as well and more than held her own, making for a nice match here. They were going back and forth here and a title change felt possible, so they definitely pulled me in.

Respect is shown post match.

Princess Tag Team Titles: Kyoraku Kyomei vs. Wakana Uehara/Yuki Kamifuku

Kyomei (Hyper Misao/Shoko Nakajima) are defending. Before the match, Misao (a superhero) introduces herself and Nakajima, who is apparently a giant monster. We start with Misao sending Yuki into the corner for some heroic choking. Misao whips out some spray to blind Yuki, with commentary wondering how that could be legal. Nakajima and Uehara come in for a test of strength until Uehara switches to a dropkick.

They go to the floor where Nakajima hammers away to take over and it’s back inside for a ram into Misao’s boot. A rocking horse sends Uehara’s head into Nakajima’s boot but Uehara manages an elbow to the face. Yuki comes back in with a dropkick and a running boot in the corner (makes sense as she has some long legs). Misao gets in a knee to the face and it’s already back to Nakajima. House is quickly cleaned and Misao comes back in for a rollup, even with feet on the ropes, for two.

Yuki is fine enough to hit another big boot to Misao so Uehara comes back in to work on Nakajima’s arm. Nakajima powers up and manages a double arm DDT and goes up, only to be superplexed down by Yuki. The challengers get stereo holds but they’re both broken up, one through a rope and the other with it just being released. Misao hits a high crossbody but Uehara dropkicks Nakajima. The middle rope Fameasser gives Uehara two but Misao plants her down. Nakajima’s top rope backsplash retains the titles at 13:14.

Rating: C+. Misao is about as over the top of a character as I can remember in this promotion but she’s also one of the few people who stand out around here. I remembered her name the second I heard it again and that’s a good sign for what she’s doing. The match was only fairly good, with Yuki’s long legs making her stand out more than just about anyone else. It was a bit more goofy though, which can be annoying for a title match.

TNA Knockouts Title: Miu Watanabe vs. Masha Slamovich

Slamovich is defending. They fight over arm control to start until Watanabe gets a headscissors for two, with Slamovich backing away in a hurry. Watanabe runs her over with a shoulder and a backbreaker gets two. Slamovich is back up with some big kicks for two and we’re off to a seated abdominal stretch. A whip is blocked though and Watanabe runs her over (with the size differential being mostly ignored), only for Slamovich to fire off some hard clotheslines.

They go to the mat with Slamovich grabbing a weird double arm crank, sending Watanabe to the ropes for a quick break. With the holds not working, they strike it out with Watanabe getting dropped again. Watanabe is right back up with a giant swing for two, followed by a kind of side powerbomb for the same. Another slam drops Slamovich but seems to fire her up, as tends to be the case in wrestling. A spinning kick to the chest knocks Watanabe silly and something close to a package piledriver retains the title at 10:45.

Rating: B-. Slamovich was working hard here in a big spot against a prominent name in Watanabe. It made for a nice showdown and it’s fun to see the Knockouts Title included on an important stage. Slamovich has come a long way and has become quite the star in TNA and elsewhere, which is a great sign for her future. The ending came a bit out of nowhere, but at least Slamovich won clean.

Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki vs. Miyu Yamashita

Mizuki is defending and this is the company’s top title. Yamashita works on the arm to start but Mizuki comes back with a dropkick. Mizuki heads up top but gets caught by the leg and kicked in the head. They go up to the stage, where Yamashita misses a running kick and gets taken down with a running double stomp. Yamashita is back with an AA onto the stage and it’s time to head back to the ring.

Some kicks to the chest give Yamashita two and Mizuki is back with a running dropkick against the ropes. Yamashita is knocked outside for a big dive but she’s able to block a suplex back inside. Something close to an Anaconda Vice sends Mizuki over to the ropes, where Yamashita kicks her in the head again. A desperation sleeper only gives Mizuki a quick breather but she’s back with a double stomp.

Yamashita is back up with a fireman’s carry for some knees to the head, setting up an AA for the big crash. They forearm it out until Yamashita hits a German suplex. Mizuki gets a crucifix driver for two but gets kicked in the head to leave them both down. Some kicks to the head cut Mizuki off but she’s back with a suplex. A running double stomp gives Mizuki two and a tabletop suplex retains the title at 17:37.

Rating: B-. It felt like a showdown with Mizuki overcoming the bigger and stronger challenger to retain. That’s a story that will always work and it certainly did here, with both of them working hard to make it work well. Mizuki is a smaller star and had to fight from underneath, which she made into a good story here. Yamashita did her thing as well and made for a solid challenger.

Post match Mizuki asks if you’re happy but says she can’t really speak English. Yamashita says she isn’t happy and shoves Mizuki away. Mizuki calls the locker room out to thank the fans to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I’ve seen this promotion a few times now and I really can’t get into the whole princess/overly cute stuff. That is far from the only thing going on in the promotion, but it’s the focal point of a lot of what they do and that makes for a bit of a weird setup. What we got here was good enough and the action was fine, but it’s really just not my style.

Results
Yuki Arai b. Arisu Endo – Ax kick
Ram Kaicho/Viva Van/Yuki Aino b. Rika Tatsumi/Shino Suzuki/Vert Vixen – Venus DDT to Suzuki
Maki Itoh/Zara Zakher b. Max The Impaler/Raku – Itoh Deluxe to Raku
Suzume b. Jada Stone – Jumping cutter
Kyoraku Kyomei b. Wakana Uehara/Yuki Kamifuku – Top rope backsplash to Uehara
Masha Slamovich b. Miu Watanabe – Package piledriver
Mizuki b. Miyu Yamashita – Tabletop suplex

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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WWE ID Championship Tournament
Date: April 16, 2025
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Dave Prazak, Trevin Adams

So this is a weird thing as WWE is partnering with GCW for the first batch of matches in the tournaments to crown the first ever ID Champions. We’re getting matches in the men’s and women’s tournaments, plus some bonus matches to round out the card. One of these matches features former Bayley super fan Izzy, which is going to be absolutely bizarre to see. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Note that both tournaments are double elimination so a loss does not end a wrestler’s chances.

WWE Men’s ID Title Tournament First Round: Freedom Ramsey vs. Jordan Oasis

Oasis is the Global Nomad and is here by way of Greyhound. We get a handshake to start and Ramsey grabs a headlock to grind away. Back up and Oasis armdrags him into an armbar, only to get dropped with a running forearm to the face. Something like an X Factor out of the corner gives Ramsey two but Oasis kicks him down. A backsplash gets two on Ramsey and Oasis grabs the chinlock.

Back up and a low bridge sends Oasis outside but he’s right back up for a suicide dive. The chinlock goes on again back inside for a bit before Oasis fires off some big chops in the corner. A hard clothesline gets Ramsey out of trouble and a spinebuster drops Oasis again. Ramsey grabs a Falcon Arrow for two but Oasis pulls him out of the air and hits a brainbuster. A Cannonball to Ramsey’s back against the ropes (or at least in its general vicinity) gets two but Ramsey snaps off a German suplex. Oasis is right back up with a clothesline to the back of the head for the pin at 10:58.

Rating: C. This wasn’t a bad match, but it was dragging in the middle and that hurt it a lot. It started to feel like they were just filling in time by doing moves instead of trying to get a win. Maybe they were trying to showcase themselves and display what they can do, but this probably needed to have a few minutes cut out. Not a bad match, but it only got so far.

Post match they shake hands and Oasis welcomes us to the show. Oasis talks about how the ID Titles will be defended around the independent circuit, including in GCW. He thrives on being on the road and he hopes the people are strapped in for the journey. Decent promo here.

Zara Zakher vs. Izzy Moreno

This isn’t a tournament match but if Moreno wins, she is in the Women’s ID Title tournament. They go with the grappling to start and have a staredown before trading rollups for two each. Moreno’s northern lights suplex gets two and her armbar sends Zakher to the ropes.

Back up and Zakher grabs a few slams but Moreno hits a high crossbody for two. A cross armbreaker goes on so Zakher stacks her up for two. Zakher’s spinebuster gets two but here are Swipe Right, with Jackson Drake and Zayda Steele (from Evolve). Steele uses the distraction to hit Moreno in the head with a shoe, allowing Zakher (who didn’t seem to see Steele interfere) to grab Control Z (RKO) for the pin at 4:53.

Rating: C. The fact that Moreno was in the ring is more amazing than anything else, as so many people are going to remember her as a ten or so year old fan. I’m not sure what kind of a future she has in WWE but getting this far is pretty impressive. Zakher continues to be an impressive enough star and I could see her making a run in Evolve, or even further.

Post match Steele lays out Zakher and Moreno. Swipe Right says Jordan Oasis and Izzy Moreno suck and don’t deserve to be in the ID Program. They brag about their own talents and promise to take over the independent scene. As usual, the team isn’t a bad idea, but they’re not the most imposing looking people.

WWE Men’s ID Title Tournament First Round: Aaron Rourke vs. It’s Gal

Gal (rhymes with doll) is quite muscular and is described as a Real Life Action Figure. Rourke on the other hand is billed from Sparkle City. Gal’s grappling doesn’t work to start and Rourke gets in a quick spank. A headscissors takes Rourke down and Gal grabs a headscissors with some pushups thrown in. Back up and Rourke hits a dropkick into the corner and they head outside. That goes nowhere so Gal sends him flying for a faceplant, setting up a big boot for two.

Gal grabs the chinlock for a bit before throwing him out of the corner. A fall away slam sends Rourke flying and a clothesline gives Gal two but he misses a legdrop. Rourke scores with a leg lariat and a DDT, followed by a Helluva Kick. The hip attack gets two on Gal, setting up a Molly Go Round for two more. They lock hands and trade shots to the face before going up top, with Rourke grabbing a sunset bomb. Back up and they get in a fight over Gal’s medals, which are taken away, allowing Gal to hit him low. A Blue Thunder Bomb gives Gal the pin at 8:45.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match here, with Gal getting to show off. They were just different enough to have something that made them stand out while also being similar enough that it made for a fun showdown. Gal has been featured on Evolve before so it makes sense for him to go over, though I’m not sure if he stood out more.

WWE Men’s ID Title Tournament First Round: Atticus Cougar vs. Ice Williams vs. Aaron Roberts

Cougar, a GCW star, has to win to get into the tournament. Roberts, by far the largest of the three, takes over on Cougar to start and avoids Cougar’s attempt at skewering him in the head. Williams is back up with a rope walk Blockbuster to take Roberts down but Cougar is right there to go after him. A DDT plants Cougar and Roberts’ splash crushes him as well. Roberts splashes Williams as well but Cougar is back in with a chair. That just ticks Roberts off and a spinebuster drops Cougar.

Roberts has a seat in the chair, but Cougar is back up with a running boot to send the chair into Roberts’ face. Williams is back up to slug it out with Cougar but Roberts runs both of them over. Back up and Cougar sends them into each other, setting up a moonsault for two on Roberts. Williams elbows Cougar down, only for Roberts to miss a Vader Bomb. Cougar rakes Roberts’ eyes and this a headlock driver but Fuego del Sol runs in to take Cougar out. Williams drops a top rope elbow to pin Roberts at 6:31.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one, with Cougar feeling like he was just thrown in there for some GCW flavor. That doesn’t really work though as you have two guys doing a regular match and Cougar runs in there with skewers to try to stab someone. It doesn’t work and the match was kind of a mess as a result.

Post match Swipe Right and company come out to wreck Williams. Zayda Steele mocks Williams as a loser and promises to make Kylie Rae a loser as well.

WWE Women’s ID Title Tournament First Round: Kylie Rae vs. Zayda Steele

Swipe Right and Jackson Drake are here too. Steele won’t shake hands so Rae grabs a wristlock. A rollup gives Rae two and she does it again to frustrate Steele all the more. Swipe Right trips Rae down though and that’s good for a massive ejection. Steels pulls the arm over the rope and some knees to the chest give Steele two. Rae gets choked down in the corner and Steele gets to strut a bit.

The triangle choke over the ropes keeps Rae in trouble and the rather cocky Steele stays on the arm. Rae gets out of a Disarm-Her and a basement superkick gets two on Steele. Back up and Steele hits a discus forearm for two as the pace slows again. A slap to the face wakes Rae up though and she hits a superkick into a crossface for the fast tap at 8:46.

Rating: C+. That’s a bit of a surprise, as Steele has felt like someone who could be a big star in the division if she was given the chance. At the same time, Rae is one of the bigger names on the Evolve roster and it’s good to see her actually getting a win on a bigger show. This felt like something that could be a step forward for Rae, which she has been needing.

WWE Men’s ID Title Tournament First Round: Marcus Mathers vs. Sam Holloway

No DQ and these two seem to have been feuding for a good while. The much bigger Holloway hits a dropkick to start fast, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two less than thirty seconds after the bell. Some chairs are thrown in but Holloway picks up another, which is dropkicked into his face. Mathers hits a suicide dive and hammers away before posting Holloway.

Back up and Mathers climbs onto the stage, setting up a huge running flip dive. A high crossbody gives Mathers two but Holloway butterfly suplexes him into a chair in the corner. The chair is wedged into the corner but Holloway’s charge misses, giving Mathers a much needed breather. A Van Daminator (Mathers is from Philadelphia so it fits well) gives Mathers two and a German suplex is good for the same. Back up and Holloway drops him through the chair for two of his own and things slow down a bit.

Mathers tries to go up and gets dropkicked off the top for a crash. A powerbomb onto the apron drops Mathers again and a top rope splash gives Holloway another near fall. It’s time to get serious as Holloway takes down the straps, which takes way too long, allowing Mathers to chair him into the Tree Of Woe. Mathers puts a chair in front of Holloway’s face and pelts another chair at him for two more. A chair bridge is set up and a middle rope cutter onto a chair (the bridge broke), setting up a nice 450 to pin Holloway at 12:36.

Rating: B-. You could tell there was a story and feud here, though commentary didn’t exactly explain what those were. What mattered the most here was that the weapons didn’t feel out of place and they didn’t go insane, only using a bunch of chairs. Mathers has shown off some talent in his career and it isn’t a surprise that he is getting this kind of attention. Holloway wasn’t a bad big man either, but he needs something else to make him stand out.

Post match Holloway takes out the referee to blow off some steam.

Swipe Right/Jackson Drake vs. Cappuccino Jones/Jack Cartwheel/Sean Legacy

This is a rematch from the first ever WWE Evolve main event. Drake and Jones start things off and go to the mat to start with Jones sending him crawling over to the ropes. Jones cranks away on the wrist before he sweeps the legs to take Drake down again. Cartwheel comes in to work on Baylor’s arm as well before it’s off to Legacy for more of the same. Jones gets in more arm cranking and it’s Cartwheel coming in for a chinlock.

Smokes comes in and has his arm twisted as well as the good guys have a theme going here. Cartwheel cartwheels away from Baylor and gets two off a slam. The fast tags continue with Legacy moonsaulting next to Smokes, but getting clotheslined down by Drake. Legacy gets taken into the wrong corner though and it’s time to start the alternating beatdown. Drake’s Russian legsweep puts Legacy down and he stomps on Legacy’s fingers in a rather nasty move.

Legacy is fine enough to get over to Cartwheel for the tag and the pace picks back up, with Cartwheel flipping around Baylor. Something from the top is loaded up but Baylor rolls outside, only for Cartwheel to cartwheel dive onto Swipe Right. The good guys hit stereo dives to the floor in a cool visual but Cartwheel gets low bridged outside. The double stomping is on and Baylor grabs a suplex to put Cartwheel down back inside. Jones tries to come in for a save without a tag but Cartwheel is dropped down with a belly to back suplex.

Drake’s butterfly suplex gets two and he hammers away, with Cartwheel fighting…into the wrong corner. Maybe those cartwheels are messing with his brain. Cartwheel finally clotheslines his way out of trouble and brings Jones in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Legacy knocks all three villains down at once. A springboard 450 gets two on Smokes, who is back up with a fireman’s carry onto the knee for two of his own.

Legacy gets over to Cartwheel to fight back but he gets caught with a Lethal Injection for two. Baylor sends Jones outside and then come sin legally but Jones is back in for a right hand into a Death Valley Driver to put Baylor down. A top rope elbow gives Jones two and all six are left down. Cartwheel takes too long going up and gets caught by Drake, who grabs a super poisonrana. The Super Swipe finishes Cartwheel at 20:58.

Rating: B-. Well that was…lengthy. It was a match where it felt like they were out there for the sake of filling in time, which doesn’t help when these guys don’t have a ton of experience to know how to make this work. What we got was good, but it could have been a few minutes shorter to tighten things up again. That being said, this is designed to be developmental stars having a match and it went well enough all things considered.

Post match the beatdown is on again but Freedom Ramsey runs in for the save. That goes badly as well but here are Ice Williams and Jordan Oasis for the real save. The villains are cleared out, with Legacy and Williams promising to be ready for their tournament matches. That lets the good guys pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. All things considered, this was ok, but it did lose its charm after a little while. At the end of the day, these people are mainly still up and coming stars who need to get more ring time and coaching. At some point, they start to run out of things to do and it can take away a lot of interest in their matches. That can make for a fun forty five minute show with something like Evolve, but a two plus hour event, especially with a bunch of tournament matches, it was only so entertaining throughout.

Results
Jordan Oasis b. Freedom Ramsey – Clothesline to the back of the head
Zara Zakher b. Izzy Moreno – Control Z
It’s Gal b. Aaron Rourke – Blue Thunder Bomb
Ice Williams b. Aaron Roberts and Atticus Cougar – Top rope elbow to Roberts
Kylie Rae b. Zayda Steele – Crossface
Marcus Mathers b. Sam Holloway – 450
Swipe Right/Jackson Drake b. Sean Legacy/Cappuccino Jones/Jack Cartwheel – Super Swipe to Cartwheel

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: April 2, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

It’s pretty clear that WWE is actually doing something with this show, as Swipe Right showed up on this week’s NXT, which is more than you would have gotten from LVL Up throughout its history. This show isn’t exactly great, but it’s the definition of something that is quick and to the point, which I can always go for in wrestling. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Commentary runs down the card.

Brinley Reece is a big fitness person but there is more to her than that.

Zayda Steele is the real deal (see, it rhymes) and she always has to have her makeup and hair done perfectly. She was the first WWE ID signing and she’s ready for it all.

Brinley Reece vs. Zayda Steel

They fight over arm control to start as Jackson Drake is in the VIP Area. Steel fights up and slaps her in the face but gets taken down by the arm for her efforts. Reece tries a backslide but flips Steel over for a faceplant (that’s a new one), only for Steel to knock her back down. A kick to the head gives Steele two and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up with a belly to back suplex and Reece makes the clothesline comeback for two. Steel’s rollup with tights gets the same, only to walk into Breeces To Pieces (TKO) for the pin at 5:12.

Rating: C. I was surprised by Steel losing here as it felt like she was being presented as a big deal. At the same time though, Reece is someone who has been around for a bit longer and has something more of a track record. You can tell that WWE sees something in Steel and she looked ok in there, with the stuck up character working well enough.

Post match Swipe Right come out to drag Steel out.

Zara Zakher tries to fire up Kylie Rae, who is a bit scared of Wendy Choo, but she’s ready to fight. Or at least try.

Keanu Carver is always ready and thinks he could be the face of the company.

Luca Crusifino, who is the consigliere of the D’Angelo Family. He’s here on a mission to push the Family’s impact on Evolve.

Keanu Carver vs. Luca Crusifino

Crusifino hammers away to start and grabs a quickly broken sleeper. A slingshot shoulder has Carver down in the corner for a Cannonball as the hot start continues. Another slingshot is cut off though and Carver hits him in the face to take over. Carver sends him crashing out to the floor and we hit the chinlock back inside. That’s broken up so Carver hits a heck of a running basement forearm. Crusifino tries to fight up but his back gives out, only for Carver to miss a running shoulder in the corner. The Lawbreaker (Codebreaker) sets up a running boot for two on Carver, who is looking annoyed. Carver Pounces the heck out of him, setting up a running twisting powerslam for the pin at 5:07.

Rating: C+. Putting these younger stars over someone from higher up on the food chain, event a few steps up, is a good idea. Carver is being presented as a big deal around here and that is how you turn rookies into somebodies. Crusifino isn’t going to be hurt by this loss as he and the Family are already dealing with Dark State on NXT. Everyone wins. Well not Crusifino but you get the idea.

Masyn Holiday vs. Chantel Monroe

Holiday runs her over to start and then does it again for a bonus. A hiptoss takes Monroe to the apron, where a pull of the hair has her more than a bit panicked. Monroe fights back and works on the arm a bit before grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Holiday hits some running shoulders but Monroe takes her down by the arm again. A rollup with trunks pins Holiday at 4:31.

Rating: C-. This was the first match where it felt like you were seeing two people who weren’t exactly experienced veterans in there. You have to start somewhere and they need experience, which was on display here. The match wasn’t terrible or even bad, but it felt rather basic and there wasn’t much in the way of energy, which isn’t a good combination.

Post match Monroe says she’s coming for the WWE ID Women’s Title.

We get a sitdown between Kali Armstrong and Dani Palmer, with Armstrong saying Palmer should be on the ground like Armstrong is going to leave her next week. Palmer says she missed a dive a few weeks ago but they should be working together. Armstrong says that’s a loser mentality, but Palmer gets in her face and says Armstrong isn’t good enough to back up these threats. Violence is promised next week. Palmer wasn’t great here but Armstrong showed more presence than Holiday and Monroe combined.

Joe Coffey vs. Harlem Lewis

They fight over a lockup to start before Coffey snaps off some armdrags. Coffey is pulled out of the air in quite the power display and Lewis sends him throat first into the top rope. Lewis stomps away and runs him over for a few near falls. Coffey fights out of a chinlock and hits a running shoulder. A spinning high crossbody gives Coffey two and another crossbody takes both of them to the floor. Coffey punches the post by mistake though and his hand is banged up. Back in and the hand gives out, allowing Lewis to hit a Jackhammer for the pin at 5:17.

Rating: C+. I know that they aren’t that popular and I can get why but what the heck has happened to Gallus? The team, including Coffey, was a big enough deal in NXT that they should be better than this, but they just aren’t anymore. It’s weird seeing Coffey, who headlined two of the three NXT UK Takeovers, losing to a rookie, but points to Lewis for looking good in his big chance.

Kylie Rae vs. Wendy Choo

Choo pulls back her offer of a handshake to start so Rae takes her to the mat for a headscissors. Choo stands up to escape and grabs a headlock as commentary talks about how scary Choo really is. Back up and Rae flips over her, setting up a quick dropkick. Choo takes her down with a neckbreaker but Rae is back up with another comeback.

The Cannonball gets two but Choo plants her down again. Rae rolls out of the corner and hits a basement superkick, only for Choo to do an Undertaker sit up. Rae says she isn’t afraid of Choo and hits another superkick, setting up a crossface. Choo rolls out and hits a full nelson slam, setting up the Dirt Nap for the win at 6:15.

Rating: C. Choo, or at least what she is currently doing, is the definition of someone I don’t get, as the whole sleep deal has never done anything for me either in NXT or Evolve. She’s talented on her own but instead we’re stuck with…whatever this whole deal is supposed to be. On the other hand you have Rae, who is one of the bigger names coming in for this show and is kind of feeling more like a jobber to the stars thus far.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was focusing on having some of the newer stars getting some big wins and that is what needs to happen eventually. It doesn’t need to take place in every match, but stuff like this is important for their elevation in WWE. This show continues to fly by every week and things are starting to come together, which is nice to see for such a new series.

Results
Brinley Reece b. Zayda Steel – Breeces To Pieces
Keanu Carver b. Luca Crusifino – Running powerslam
Chantel Monroe b. Masyn Holiday – Rollup with trunks
Harlem Lewis b. Joe Coffey – Jackhammer
Wendy Choo b. Kylie Rae – Dirt Nap

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 26, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

We’re getting firmly into the standard operation procedure around here and that includes some matches and stories being set up. Now that so many wrestlers have been introduced, we can see what happens when those wrestlers are put together. That is what we should be seeing this week, likely with a few other big (well, bigger) names included. Let’s get to it.

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

Ava is proud of Stevie Turner’s efforts recently and has her taken to the ring for a big announcement: Turner is officially the General Manager of Evolve. At least they kept this short, as the show doesn’t really need a boss. She is thrilled to get the job and is happy to have been selected over Robert Stone. Everything is up for grabs around here and someone is going to become the first face of Evolve. To get those spots, you have to impress both her and the fans, so we can start with a match. Stone: “We’re doomed.”

As the wrestlers (who were around the ring), Luca Crusifino and Keanu Carver have to be held apart.

Wolfgang vs. Sam Holloway

They fight over a lockup to start and then trade big shoulders to no avail. A headbutt off goes to Wolfgang, who hits a running splash in the corner to really take over. Holloway gets in a shot of his own to send Wolfgang to the apron, where a hard slam has Wolfgang in even more trouble. An elbow drop gets two back inside and Holloway slams him again for the same.

Holloway grabs an abdominal stretch to stay on the ribs but Wolfgang fights out and hits a middle rope elbow. For some reason Wolfgang tries a slingshot flip and hurts his back again, allowing Holloway to suplex him into the corner. Holloway drives in shoulders to the ribs but Wolfgang knocks him off the top and hits the Howling (Swanton) to the back for the pin at 7:35.

Rating: C+. Simple, to the point match here with Wolfgang fighting through an injury to win. That being said, I’m not sure why you would want Wolfgang, who has been presented as a villain in Gallus, to wrestle that way. It’s weird to cheer for him when he’s not the most likable guy, but Holloway did at least look decent in defeat.

Post match Joe Coffey says send anyone who wants some of Gallus.

Aria Bennett and Layla Diggs seem to be friends and perhaps partners.

Carlee Bright, with pom poms, is in the VIP area.

Kendal Grey vs. Zara Zakher

Zakher takes her down and they fight over waistlocks. That goes nowhere so they switch to fighting over wrist control. Zakher gets in an armdrag into an armbar, followed by a handspring elbow in the corner for two. Back up and Grey grabs Eat Defeat onto the shoulder and then sends it into the buckle a few times. Zakher fights up again and hits some shots in the corner, followed by a nice spinebuster for…one as she rolls off of Grey for no apparent reason. They trade rollups for two each but Zakher misses something off the top. Grey kicks her in the face and grabs a cross armbreaker for the tap at 6:09.

Rating: C. This is the kind of showing that makes Grey look like a bigger star as she won a fairly hard fought match against someone who has been built up at least a little bit in the first few weeks. Grey might not be a big star but she’s a bigger deal than Zakher so this isn’t a terrible way to go. Now just do something with Grey in the coming weeks.

Post match Kylie Rae comes out to check on Zakher, but the teddy bear from Wendy Choo is sitting in the corner.

Drako Knox comes to commentary and talks about liking the feeling of putting fists to faces last week. He doesn’t like Swipe Right being in the VIP section and mocking him last week though so he wants to get in the ring.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Ice Williams and Swipe Right are in the VIP section.

Layla Diggs/Aria Bennett vs. Haze Jameson/Kalyx

Diggs takes Kalyx down to start and flips over into an armdrag. Jameson is seemingly flirting with Swipe Right as Bennett comes in with a moonsault for two on Kalyx. Back up and Kalyx takes over on Bennett and hands it off to Jameson, who has to be reminded to come in. Jameson’s wristlock on Bennett doesn’t do much but she gets in another takedown and grabs a chinlock. It’s back to Kalyx for a running elbow but Jameson goes over for a drink in the VIP section. Diggs comes back in with a sitout gordbuster for the pin on Kalyx at 2:47. They packed a good deal of stuff in there.

Post match Kalyx is annoyed and the winners dance a bit.

Video on former Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher, who is back for what appears to be one night only.

Video on Sean Legacy, who has wanted to be a wrestler for a long time and got mocked as a result. Now he is proving that he can do it.

Timothy Thatcher vs. Sean Legacy

Legacy hits a dropkick at the bell and adds a standing moonsault for two only ten seconds into the match. Thatcher is up with the uppercuts but Legacy kicks leg out and hits another dropkick for another two. They go outside with Legacy hitting a suicide dive and we take a break. Back with Thatcher knocking him out of the air and hitting a belly to back suplex for two. Thatcher grabs a surfboard before just wrenching on the fingers for some pain. Legacy fights back and is quickly belly to bellied right back down.

The chinlock goes on to keep Legacy down and a knee to the back does the same. Legacy fights up and sends him to the floor, followed by a suplex back inside. Legacy strikes away and grabs a German suplex to leave Thatcher shaken up. A missile dropkick gives Legacy two more as the VIP stars aren’t impressed. Legacy grabs his torture rack into a neckbreaker (that needs a name) for the win at 8:49.

Rating: B-. This is where things can get interesting, as Legacy seems to be one of the people that WWE wants to get behind on the new show. If that’s who they want to go with, they did something smart here by having him beat someone that fans likely recognize. That’s what you need to do to build someone up as Legacy is still brand new around here. Good main event, with Legacy showcasing himself well.

Post match Thatcher gives some sarcastic applause before leaving. Legacy glares at Swipe Right and Ice Williams. Cappuccino Jones and Jack Cartwheel come out to even the odds but Williams switches to the good guys, sending Swipe Right bailing to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. You really wouldn’t realize that this was the fourth week of the show, as this felt like it was a show that has been around for a good while longer. What mattered here was getting things going at a more steady pace and they made that happen fairly well. The main event was good and they advanced the stories, with quite a few things getting some time. It’s still as low level as you can get in WWE, but it’s a lot more engaging than I was expecting.

Results
Wolfgang b. Sam Holloway – Howling
Kendal Grey b. Zara Zakher – Cross armbreaker
Layla Diggs/Aria Bennett b. Haze Jameson/Kalyx – Sitout gordbuster to Kalyx
Sean Legacy b. Timothy Thatcher – Torture rack neckbreaker

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 19, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

The beginnings of this series continue as we are at the third show. In theory last week should be a sign of where we are going, but you never can tell with a new concept. There have already been some stories set up and now we get to see how some of those are paid off. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Brinley Reece is very excited to be here. She’s into fitness and is very excited.

Masyn Holiday is the valedictorian of Howard University where she was a track star.

Brinley Reece vs. Masyn Holiday

Holiday takes her down by the arm to start but Reece is back up with a takedown of her own. Back up and Holiday takes her down by the head before stomping away in the corner. A backbreaker lets Holiday grab a bodyscissors but Reece is back up with a flipping clothesline. Reece hits a TKO for the pin at 3:37.

Rating: C. This was another short match and that is only going to get them so far. It helps that Reece has been around for a good while now and isn’t an unknown so this was hardly her big introduction. Holiday is the latest on a long list of really athletic people who needs something else to make her stand out.

Post match Reece is very pleased with what she did because that’s a positive mindset.

Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont are in the VIP section. They’re chasing titles and want someone to step up to get beat down.

Jordan Oasis has been wrestling for ten years and was trained by Rikishi. And he has a backpack.

Sam Holloway is a big guy who had to deal with bullying while he grew up. Now he’s going to make everyone learn the hard way because that’s how he got here.

Gallus vs. Jordan Oasis/Sam Holloway

The rather tall Holloway headlocks Joe to start before they strike it out. Mark comes in and gets dropped by Holloway before Oasis comes in (yelling at Holloway on the way) for a headlock of his own. It’s already back to Holloway for a slam before we hit the chinlock. Back up and Oasis sends Mark throat first into the ropes, setting up a Cannonball to the back (that’s a new one).

Mark fights up and makes the tag back to Joe for the house cleaning. The double springboard spinning high crossbody gets two on Oasis with Holloway making the save. Everything breaks down and Mark gets posted but cue Wolfgang (the third member of Gallus) to yell at Holloway. Joe punches Oasis out for the TKO at 5:50.

Rating: C+. This got some more time and it made for a bit of a better showcase, though Gallus has fallen through the floor in WWE over the last few months. They might not be great but they’re good enough for a spot higher than Evolve. Oasis and Holloway got in some offense here, though they didn’t have enough time to really do much.

Post match Oasis has to be held back from going after all of Gallus.

Layla Diggs has self confidence issues but she has quite the athletic background. Now she’s going to prove herself.

Chantel Monroe is a gymnast from Auburn University and cares a lot about fashion.

Chantel Monroe vs. Layla Diggs

Monroe takes her down with a headscissors to start and stomps away. Diggs is back up with a sunset flip for two, allowing her to check her hair. Back up and Diggs hits a powerslam for two but Monroe goes after the leg. Some cartwheel knees to the ribs give Monroe two and the half crab works on the leg some more. That’s broken up as well but Monroe hits her in the leg. A dropkick to the leg has Diggs in more trouble but she goes up for a sunset flip. The leg gives out though and Monroe rolls her up for the pin at 3:27.

Rating: C. Another match designed to showcase a few people but neither of them really stood out for the most part. As was the case earlier in the show, it’s another case of people with athletic backgrounds and nothing that makes them stand out. That’s going to need to change, and having so many such people on the show isn’t helping here.

Haze Jameson played college (shocking I know) volleyball and is the life of the party. She’s a big Dennis Rodman fan….and Kali Armstrong storms the announcers’ desk, demanding a match.

Kali Armstrong vs. Haze Jameson

Armstrong knocks her into the corner to start and hits a not great powerslam. The Kali Connection (a hard shoulder block) finishes Jameson at 49 seconds.

Here is Kylie Rae to talk about what was in the note Wendy Choo gave her last week. Rae doesn’t know Choo and isn’t sure if she wants to, mainly due to fear. There are a lot of talented women in the locker room and she doesn’t have time to focus on the bear or note that Choo gave her, so she throws both of them down. Cue….well Choo’s face on the video screen but Zara Zakher comes out to get Rae out of there instead. Rae was a little more heely there and…I don’t know if that’s a great move.

Drako Knox is from a small town in Georgia and is trying to get out of the same routines that his family have been stuck in for years. This is his lottery ticket out.

Tate Wilder is a cowboy and likes various violent sports. He’s a mixture of Matthew McConaghey and a famous bull rider.

Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont vs. Tate Wilder/Drako Knox

Drako takes DuPont into the corner to start but gets shouldered down for his efforts. Wilder comes in for a dropkick and celebrates with Knox, allowing the tag to Igwe. A face first drop onto the turnbuckle knocks Wilder silly but DuPont running him over knocks him even sillier. A full nelson slam gets two but here are Swipe Right and Zayda Steel (who picks up Wendy Choo’s note to Kylie Rae) to sit in the VIP area. Wilder backflips over Igwe and gets one off an O’Connor roll. Knox comes back in for some forearms but Igwe kicks Knox in the face. The Heartstopper (belly to back suplex/chokeslam combination) finishes Knox at 4:10.

Rating: C+. Wilder and Knox stood out a bit more, mainly because they had something closer to characters that gave them something different. That’s more than a lot of the people on this show can say so maybe there is something for them. Not much to the match, as Igwe and DuPont are bigger stars and mostly dominated, but at least the other two felt more unique.

Oro Mensah is now in the VIP section.

Javier Bernal vs. Luca Crusifino

Crusifino takes him down by the arm to start but Bernal sends him to the apron. That just means a slingshot shoulder but Bernal is back up with a knockdown to the floor. The baseball slide drops Crusifino, who drops him onto the apron. An apron legdrop gets two on Bernal and a kick to the head rocks him again. Bernal is back with a backdrop and a snap half nelson suplex. The tornado DDT gives Bernal two but Crusifino Codebreakers him out of the air. The Case Closed (fisherman’s suplex into a brainbuster onto the knee) finishes for Crusifino at 4:41.

Rating: B-. As has been the case with this show so far, the main event tends to go well, mainly because they have more experience and aren’t out there to establish themselves. Crusifino is a bigger name and Bernal was on his way to getting better before he got hurt. The match was good enough, with Crusifino feeling like the biggest star on the show.

Post match Keanu Carver and Harlem Lewis come out to glare at Crusifino to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The show is still in its early stages and that isn’t a bad thing. They need to get these people out there and start setting them up, which is mostly what we have been doing so far. That can continue for a few weeks, though it does seem like some of these names are starting to interact, which is here things should go from here. For now though, not a bad show at all as they’re not wasting time around here and it feels a lot more interesting than LVL Up did for years.

Results
Brinley Reece b. Masyn Holiday – TKO
Gallus b. Sam Holloway/Jordan Oasis via referee stoppage
Chantel Monroe b. Layla Diggs – Rollup
Kali Armstrong b. Haze Jameson – Kali Connection
Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe b. Tate Wilder/Drako Knox – Heartstopper to Knox

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Evolve
Date: March 12, 2025
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone

We’re back with the second episode after last week’s premiere and that could make for something interesting. Last week’s show was more about getting to know some people and the concept of the show so maybe that is what we will be seeing more of here. The point is getting these people in the ring in front of a camera so there can only be so many expectations. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Stevie Turner hypes up the main event of Oro Mensah vs. Riley Osborne, both of whom are now part of the Evolve roster. We get a tease of some surprises as well.

It’s Gal, Kendal Grey and Carlee Bright are in the VIP section.

We meet Harlem Lewis, who grew up fighting and played football. He can’t stand soft and lazy people.

Braxton Cole went to Brown University and played football, then he tried out for WWE. His mind sets him apart from the rest.

Harlem Lewis vs. Braxton Cole

Lewis hits a clothesline to start and gorilla presses Cole before shouting about getting paid to beat Cole up. A powerslam finishes Cole at 1:15. Total destruction.

Post match Lewis says no one can beat him. Cue Keanu Carver for a showdown but It’s Gal (pronounced Gaul) to say he is the human action figure and he’ll be facing Carver next week. Carver wants to do it now so ring the bell.

It’s Gal vs. Keanu Carver

Carver drives him into the corner to start, setting up a heck of a fall away slam. A pop up faceplant and the Sky High finish Gal at 1:25.

Kylie Rae is all about positive energy and has watched wrestling for a long time. She’s really, really, really excited to be here.

Carlee Bright wants to see the competition. Kendal Grey says there is no competition for her around here. Bright: “You mean how good we are right?” Cue Zayda Steel to ask why she doesn’t have a match.

Zara Zakher is the petite powerhouse but she has overcome the odds her entire life. She has a background as a gymnast and did some things on TV, which is where she got her nickname.

Kylie Rae vs. Zara Zakher

We get a tentative handshake to start before Zara pulls her into a quickly broken headscissors. Some rollups give Rae two and she grabs a crossface, sending Zara straight to the ropes. Back up and Zara backs her into the ropes before hitting a clothesline in the corner. Rae is back with a running shot in the corner, setting up a cannonball for two.

The chinlock goes on as Zayda Steel is yelling about she should be in the ring right now. Zara fights up and hits a spinebuster for two, followed by a jumping knee. One fan: “BOO THIS WOMAN!” And the fans do so, though I’m not sure who they’re talking about. Rae still can’t keep the crossface on so she superkicks Zara for two, only to get rolled up for the pin at 5:15.

Rating: C+. Rae is someone who feels like she should have been a star a long time ago but there have been some issues holding her back. It’s nice to see her getting a chance in WWE, even at the bottom level, but she’s got a long way to go. Zara was fine enough out there but you can only get so much out of someone in a five minute debut.

Post match Zara says that was an upset but it won’t be next time. She shakes Rae’s hand and Rae seems touched but Zayda Steel isn’t happy. Cue Wendy Choo to hand Rae a bear with a note, which we can’t read.

Aria Bennett is a mother who has overcome a lot of obstacles with a gymnastics background.

Wendy Choo vs. Aria Bennett

Choo takes her to the match to start as the fans chant DON’T DIE. Bennett backflips over Choo out of the corner and walks on her hands, only for Choo to hit a spear to the back. Fans: “YOU DIED!” A neck crank sets up a handspring elbow in the corner to Choo, who hits a boot to the face. Bennett’s forearms and enziguri don’t do much as Choo gives her a full nelson slam. Choo chokes her out for the win at 2:07. Bennett is very athletic and did some cool stuff but it wasn’t going to get her very far here.

Post match Choo puts a blanket over her.

Brinley Reece congratulates Carlee Bright and Kendal Grey about their win last week but Grey is only so impressed.

We get a sitdown interview with Javier Bernal and Luca Crusifino, who got into it last week. Bernal has no problem with the D’Angelo Family and just wants a new start around here. Crusifino wasn’t impressed but how can Bernal get a chance when he’s already been written off? Crusifino wasn’t talking about him last week though because he doesn’t think about Bernal.

The reality is Bernal takes himself out so Crusifino doesn’t need to do it. Bernal needs to back up his words so he challenges Crusifino for next week. That’s fine with Crusifino, but remember that Bernal asked for this. Nice segment here, as it explained who these people are and gave them a reason to fight.

Video on WWE ID.

Jack Cartwheel, Sean Legacy and Cappuccino Jones are in the VIP section. Kali Armstrong comes in to ask what they’re doing here and then leaves.

Oro Mensah vs. Riley Osborne

Mensah gets in a hiptoss to start and yells a lot as they’re starting slowly. They go with the grappling on the mat before Mensah avoids an armdrag and gets two off a rollup. Osborne rolls him up for two more and Mensah is a bit surprised. They trade shoves until Mensah snaps off an anklescissors but Osborne hits a nice dropkick. Mensah kicks him to the floor and we take a break, coming back with Mensah dropping him for two more.

Osborne jawbreaks his way out of a chinlock but Mensah suplexes him right back down. A rolling hurricanrana gives Osborne two but Mensah dragon suplexes him for the same. Mensah gets sent outside for a big dive, with Stone saying he could do all of that stuff. Back in and Osborne gets two off a Michinoku Driver so Mensah takes his leg out. Osborne gets planted for two more before coming back to win a strike off. Mensah catches him on top with a flipping kick to the face before a rolling kick to the head finishes Osborne at 8:49.

Rating: C+. This got some time and you can definitely tell that the two of them are more experienced than most of the people on the show. They are capable of going out there and having a much more complete, thought out match and that’s what they did here. Either of these two could be put on NXT and do just fine, which makes them a good choice to be in this spot on the show.

Post match Mensah poses but Swipe Right runs through the curtain. The camera goes backstage to see Gallus breaking a bunch of stuff to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Odds are this is going to be more what the show is like week to week and that’s not a bad thing. This show featured a bunch of people and let us know something about them before putting them in the ring. Throw in setting up some things for the upcoming weeks and this was a fine show, even with the talent being as low level as you can get while still being in WWE.

Results
Harlem Lewis b. Braxton Cole – Powerslam
Keanu Carver b. It’s Gal – Sky High
Zara Zakher b. Kylie Rae – Rollup
Wendy Choo b. Aria Bennett – Choke
Oro Mensah b. Riley Osborne – Rolling kick to the head

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TJPW Live In Philly
Date: April 5, 2024
Location: Penns Landing Caterers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Dave Prazak, Veda Scott

This is Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, a women’s promotion based in Japan. As you might be able to guess, we’re in Philadelphia over Wrestlemania Weekend and that means we’re probably in for a bunch of guest stars. I remember liking the show from last year’s Wrestlemania Weekend so hopefully they can do it again here. Let’s get to it.

Note that I do not follow TJPW whatsoever so I apologize in advance for missing any plot or character points.

As is customary for the promotion, some of the wrestlers come out to welcome us to the show and do a song and dance routine. With that over, they seem to say a promotion catchphrase and we’re ready to go.

Arisu Endo/Suzume vs. Yuki Aino/Zara Zakher

Endo and Suzume’s Princess Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Suzume and Aino start things off with Suzume’s dropkick not working. A shoulder drops Aino and it’s off to Endo vs. Zara. Aino hits the ropes and charges right into a pop up right hand. Everything breaks down and Endo/Suzume take them both down for stereo basement dropkicks. We settle down to Aino taking over on Endo and dropping a backsplash for two.

Zara comes back in for her own basement dropkick but Endo is up with a regular version for the double knockdown. Suzume comes in to pick up the pace…for all of five seconds before Zara drops her with a clothesline. A rope walk bulldog puts Zara down though and it’s Endo coming back in for a knee to the back of Aino’s head.

Everything breaks down and Endo knocks Aino to the floor, only to have Aino grab an apron suplex to bring them back inside. They switch off again and Suzume grabs a sleeper on Zara, followed by a facebuster. Zara is fine enough to pull her out of the air for a toss, followed by a spinebuster to give Aino two.

Suzume is back up with a high crossbody for two of her own before locking hands with Aino for a slugout. Endo is back in but gets caught with a reverse DDT to send her right back to the floor. Zara loads up what looks to be a fisherman’s buster but Suzume reverses into a rollup for the pin (on the third attempt) at 11:19.

Rating: B-. Starting a show with a tag match is often a good idea as you can get something fast paced like this to fire the crowd up early. I’m not sure why the champs weren’t defending if they were going to win anyway but that’s a minor issue at best. What matters is getting the show off to a good start and they managed to do so rather well.

Hyper Misao vs. Billie Starkz

Starkz has Athena with her and Misao looks like a superhero. She then says she is a superhero, so at least I can recognize a costume. Misao offers her a gift (looks like a stuffed animal) but then hammers Starkz down with it to start fast. They trade rollups for two each until Misao elbows her in the face. Misao ties up the limbs and swings her head first into the bottom buckle in the corner a few times.

Back up and Starkz grabs a German suplex for two but a big kick to the head is cut off. Misao hits a running knee to the back and then plants her on the apron for two. We get a bit wacky as Misao grabs the mascot head that Starkz wore to the ring, which allows Athena to hit her with the stuffed animal that Misao brought. Kind of serves her right for cheating.

The distraction lets Starkz hit a fireman’s carry backbreaker into a Swanton for two, giving us the surprised kickout face. A Nightmare On Helm Street gives Misao two, with Athena putting the foot on the ropes. Misao sprays….something in Athena’s eyes, allowing Starkz to hit a suicide dive. Another Swanton gives Starkz the pin at 6:07.

Rating: C+. Misao was someone who stood out to me the last time I watched this company and she did so again here. Having her as a superhero who cheats is something that worked well enough and made her a bit more interesting, which is the point of such an over the top gimmick. Starkz and Athena are the far bigger names though and it makes sense for them to win, even in a short match like this.

Viva Van/Yuki Kamifuki vs. Trish Adora/Raku

Adora is apparently a substitute. Raku is one of the women who sang to start the show and is carrying a pillow. Van and Raku start things off with Van hitting a clothesline and posing a bit. Raku instead hits her with a pillow, which would seem to be some kind of rule violation. Van and Yuki are put on the pillow for a quiet two but Van gets up and throws the pillow into the crowd.

We settle down to Yuki sending Raku throat first into the rope, allowing Van to grab a Tarantula. A running facebuster gets Raku out of trouble though and Adora comes in to clean house. Van and Adora trade the big forearms until Van grabs a hurricanrana. A running boot in the corner gives Yuki two but Adora plants her with a Samoan drop. Yuki is back with an Octopus, which Adora breaks up and hits a Rough Ryder. Raku comes back in and is quickly kicked in the face but manages to grab a guillotine. Everything breaks down again and Yuki hits a Fameasser to pin Raku at 8:55.

Rating: B-. They kept this one energetic in the not overly long run time and that made for a nice sprint. Yuki and Van seem to be a regular team who work well together while Adora and Raku made for a nice makeshift team. Adora continues to feel like she could be a big deal somewhere but that isn’t going to happen when she keeps losing over and over, even on a show like this.

Mizuki/Vertvixen vs. Aja Kong/Pom Harajuku

Kong gets the big legend entrance and reception, which is more impressive since she’s a replacement for Max the Impaler. Pom and Vertvixen start things off with the latter grabbing a headlock. That’s broken up and we have a standoff before it’s off to Mizuki vs. the much larger Kong. Mizuki bites the arm to limited success so Kong misses an elbow, allowing Mizuki to hit a basement dropkick.

Back up and Kong picks up Pom to throw her at Mizuki for two, which I guess is the same as a tag. Vertvixen slugs away in the corner and the villains (I think?) stomp Pom down. Mizuki steals Pom’s shoe and throws it into the crowd, leaving Vertvixen to hit a hard forearm in the corner. The one shoed Pom manages an anklescissors for a breather and the tag brings Kong back in to wreck the mortals.

The spinning backfist misses and Vertvixen gets in a kick to the head, only for Kong to knock Mizuki out of the air. Pom comes back in for a wristdrag out of the corner but misses a backsplash. Kong seems rather gassed on the apron as Mizuki hits a running shot to Pom’s back, only to miss a top rope double stomp. Mizuki is fine enough to put pom over the middle rope and now the double stomp connects. Kong makes the save but gets Stunnered by Vertvixen. That leaves Mizuki to hit Pom with a shoe, setting up the Beauty Special (kind of a tabletop suplex) for the pin at 10:31.

Rating: C+. The action was fast paced, but this felt more like a way to have Kong in a match, which is more important than anything else. The fans seemed way into what they were seeing (as has been the case all show) and it was cool to see a legend in the ring. Odd name aside, Vertvixen feels like someone who could be a star somewhere, but she has been treated as such a jobber whenever she is in AEW or ROH that she has an even longer way to go.

Shoko Nakajima vs. Rhio

Nakajima stands about 4’10 and is billed as a Big Kaiju (a Japanese monster). The much larger Rhino throws her down to start but Nakajima takes over on the arm. That’s reversed into a headscissors on the mat but Nakajima flips over into a headlock in a nice display. Nakajima flips away from her and hits a dropkick, only to get planted with a high angle spinebuster.

A full nelson goes on to keep Nakajima in trouble and a backbreaker makes it even worse. Rhio goes up but gets caught with a super hurricanrana, allowing Nakajima to hit a slingshot hilo for two. Nakajima sends her outside for the suicide dive, followed by a running flip dive to make it worse. They trade forearms on the floor and then keep it going inside, where Rhio drops her with a headbutt.

A top rope superplex plants Nakajima hard but she’s able to block the package piledriver. Nakajima strikes away until a superkick into a torture rack slam gives Rhio two. Rhio goes up but gets kicked down, setting up a 619 despite being back on her feet. A double arm DDT sets up a top rope backsplash to give Nakajima the pin at 13:24.

Rating: B. This was straight out of the little vs. big playbook and believe it or not, the story still works. Nakajima is a ball of energy who never stops moving and throws everything she has at you to stay in there. Rhio is someone who feels like she could be a star somewhere on the bigger stage after a bit more seasoning, but the talent is pretty clearly there.

Maki Itoh/Miyu Yamashita vs. Miu Watanabe/Rika Tatsumi

Itoh gets a heck of a reception during her entrance. Yamashita and Watanabe start things off and apparently they have been feuding over the company’s top singles title. Yamashita powers her back up against the ropes to start but has to avoids some kicks for a standoff. Tatsumi and Itoh come in for an exchange of headlocks takeovers and a cute-off. Itoh knocks her down and loads up her falling headbutt, only to have Yamashita stand her in place (with Itoh standing there like a board) and roll Tatsumi into place so the headbutt can connect.

Itoh’s right hands in the corner are broken up and Tatsumi takes it to the floor as everything breaks down. Tatsumi chokes Yamashita with a belt as we have to go split screen, much to the surprise of commentary. They tease going back to ringside but head over to the bar, with commentary saying this is a great way to showcase the building if you can’t be here in person. Watanabe buys some beers (and leaves a tip) but Yamashita and Itoh steal the drinks and raise a quick toast.

That’s broken up and the drinks are spilled, much to a variety of chagrins. Back in and Watanabe elbows Itoh down for two before Tatsumi starts in on the knee. The Figure Four has Itoh in trouble but she makes the rope rather quickly. Watanabe tries a reverse Alabama Slam to send Tatsumi onto Itoh but only hits mat. That’s enough to bring Yamashita back in but Watanabe powers her into the corner.

A powerslam puts Yamashita down again and the giant swinging into Tatsumi’s dropkick gets two. Yamashita blocks a Twist of Fate and kicks Tatsumi in the head before Itoh low bridges her to the floor. Back in and Yamashita hits a delayed AA with Tatsumi having to make a save. Everyone is knocked down until Tatsumi and Yamashita strike it out. Itoh is back in and a top rope Codebreaker into a German suplex (not the smoothest of transitions) knocks Tatsumi silly. A Skull Kick gives Yamashita the pin at 19:07.

Rating: B. This felt like a mixture of a fun brawl and a regular match which made for a good back and forth fight. The fans were WAY into Itoh here and it makes sense given her incredible charisma. I had a good time with this and it wound up being probably the best thing on a solid show.

Overall Rating: B+. Rather solid effort up and down here, with the worst match being completely decent. Shows like this are meant to be something of a sampler for fans and they got a good result here, with the whole thing working. I’ve liked everything I’ve seen from this promotion before and while some of it might not be for everyone, there should be something worth seeing here if you’re looking for something different.

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