wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 3.26.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Welcome to our weekly dose of Evolve! Quick plug for my review of the first episode of the new season of Dark Side of the Ring can be found here. It was a good episode about a subject we rarely talk or hear about: Hell in a Cell 98! Now, we evolve! Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Paul Rosenberg and Robert Stone
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
-Ava is backstage with Stevie Turner and Chuey Martinez. She is proud of the work Stevie has done in helping her, but now is time for the next step in her journey and she has Chuey take her out to the ring. The roster is standing around the ring.
-Chuey announces that Stevie is the new General Manager of Evolve. She thanks Ava for putting her trust in her and not in Robert Stone. This is where pro-wrestling evolves and will continue to do so under her leadership. She wonders who will become the first ever face of Evolve and it all comes down to who impresses her and the fans, of course. She announces Wolfgang vs. Sam Holloway as the first match tonight.
-Luca Crusifino and Keanu Carver have to be separated in the aisle as they all head to the back.
-WrestleMania: Vegas commercial!
Wolfgang vs. Sam Holloway
-Lockup and Holloway backs Wolfgang against the ropes. Nothing happening, so they lockup again and this time Wolfgang backs Holloway to the ropes. They collide in the ring and neither man budges. Another go and they just keep running into each other with neither moving. It sounds like the crowd is chanting “slap that meat,” and that’s awesome if they are. They start trading heavy chops and then Wolfgang goes to uppercuts. He hits a splash in the corner and heads up top. He comes off with a double axe as we see Joe Coffey at ringside. Holloway gets a knock down and they fight on the apron. Holloway gets a slam on apron and that looked painful. He hit all ass on that one. Probably sucks for your tailbone. Back in the ring Sam climbs over the ropes, but jumps off the middle ropes to drop an elbow. Another slam gets a two count. Sam tries to bully Wolfgang and that fires him up. Sam cuts him off and gets an abdominal stretch. Wolfgang is able to reverse the hold, but Holloway quickly counters with a hip-toss for a two count. He gets into it verbally with Joe and that lets Wolfgang land some shots and then an elbow in the corner. He comes off the top with a shoulder block and fires off forearms in the corner. Hollway sends Wolfgang to the apron and he tries to sling back in and the back gives away. Exploder suplex into the corner gets a two count. Sam runs Wolfgang back first into the corner and buries the shoulder in the ribs a bunch. Superplex is attempted, but Wolfgang punches his way out and knocks Sam to the mat. Wolfgang hits a Senton for the pin at 7:33.
Winner: Wolfgang via pin at 7:33
-Solid HOSS fight, but it lost some steam in the middle. Sam dominated most of the match, and then Wolfgang takes advantage of one mistake for the win. **1/4
-Earlier this week Layla Diggs and Aria Bennett discuss the idea of forming a tag team.
-Later tonight Layla and Aria Haze Jameson and Kalyx
-Our Main Event tonight will see a mystery OG Evolve Champion take on “Super” Sean Legacy.
-Carlee Bright is in the VIP section!
Kendal Grey vs. Zara Zakher
-Zakher is known as the petite powerhouse. Kendal quickly takes things to the mat and they trade reversals. Zakher gets to her feet and is able to get a front facelock. Roll-up by Grey gets a one count. We have another go and Grey gets arm control. Zakher rolls to counter and Kendal flips around to counter that. Robert Stone tells us the strangest place he ever had to change for a show was in a tree house. Yep, that’s kind of weird! Grey shoves off, drops down, and gets a dropkick. She lands a chop in th ecorner and Zakher responds with one of her own. Handspring elbow from Zara followed by a dropkick to the back gets two! We see Carlee in VIP cheering on Kendal. She has pom-poms with her! Kendal responds and she goes back after the arm and shoulder. She sends Zara shoulder first into the buckle and gets a rather weak suplex. That was a little weird looking! She goes for another, but Zara counters, which Kendal then counters. Zara gets the last counter and gets her own suplex. Running forearm from Zara! Running Euro uppercut in the corner. Grey gets in a boot, but runs into a spinebuster that gets two for Zara. It looked like Zara got off the cover for some reason. They trade pin attempts. Enziguiri from Zara! She heads up top but Kendal moves and hits a running boot to the face. Rolling arm-bar forces the tap at 6:07.
Winner: Kendal Grey via submission at 6:07
-Fun little match with a couple awkward moments, but they worked hard and kept a good pace throughout. **1/2
-Kylie Rae is out to check on Zara and we see the teddy bear from Wendy Choo sitting next to the ring post. Intrigue!
-Drako Knox interrupts the broadcast team and says he can learn from a loss, but he won’t be shown up by the big goof that was in VIP last week. He wants to handle things in the ring.
-We see Swipe Right in VIP now.
-Next week: Double Main Event like it’s WrestleMania VIII: Joe Coffey vs. Harlem Lewis and Wendy Choo vs. Kylie Rae. Also, Dani Palmer and Kali Armstrong take part in an Evolve Face-Off.
Haze Jameson and Kalyx vs. Aria Bennett and Layla Diggs
-Jameson and Kalyx get the already in the ring treatment and don’t seem to like each other. Diggs starts with Kalyx and ends up sending her into Jameson to further their non-trust of each other. Jameson seems distracted by Swipe Right in the VIP section. Bennett gets the tag and flips in for a splash for a one count. Kalyx lands a back elbow and tags Jameson who gets a pin attempt for two. Aria with an arm-drag and then another, but Jameson rolls through it and gets a side headlock. Aria tries to elbow out but gets slugged down. Kalyx with the tag and she hits a running elbow for a two count. Haze is over to the VIP section and takes a sip of champagne. Diggs gets the tag and hits a release suplex where she drops Kalyx on her face for the pin at 2:45.
Winners: Aria Bennett and Layla Diggs via pin at 2:45
-Not much to this one as the Kalyx/Jameson issue seemed to be more important that showcasing Bennett and Diggs. 1/2*
-Timothy Thatcher video package as I guess they are giving away the mystery opponent now. Thatcher was Evolve Champion for 596 days. Thatcher was fun in NXT and I loved the pit match he had during the pandemic era of the show.
-We get a video package on Sean Legacy. He sees himself as a role model and people tell him they are going after their goals because they saw him do it.
Timothy Thatcher vs. “Super” Sean Legacy
-They note Legacy has eight years experience on the indie scene. Legacy hits a dropkick just as the bells sounds and ends up getting a near fall. Thatcher fires off strikes and knees to the back. Legacy back with a kick to the knee and then a stomp. He catches Thatcher with a back elbow and sends him to the floor. He trips Thatcher on the apron and then hits a suicide dive as we head to a commercial at 1:48.
-Clash in Paris! August 31st!
-Back at 2:14 with Thatcher landing strikes, but getting caught with chops in the corner. Thatcher sends Legacy to the apron. He springs in, but Thatcher swats him away as he tried a dropkick. Belly to back suplex gets two. Thatcher ties Legacy up and bends him over his shins to stretch him. He gets a two count off that and then fires away with shots to the stomach. Snap suplex gets two! Nice tight cover there by Thatcher. SMALL JOINT MANIPULATION as he bends the fingers. He throws heavy blows to the back. Legacy fires up and throws his own heavy forearms. Thatcher back with a belly to belly suplex for two, but he stays right on Thatcher and gets a reverse chinlock. He releases to roll Legacy over to get a one count. He uses Legacy’s own arm to apply a choke and then switches to a guillotine choke. Legacy smartly dumps Thatcher to the floor to get a small breather. Thatcher gets knocked off the apron. He gets back up and Legacy brings him back into the ring with a suplex. He fires off some kicks and gets a belly to back suplex. Springboard dropkick gets two! Legacy looks to put Thatcher on his shoulder, but Thatcher lands strikes to stop that noise. Legacy hits a running head kick in the corner and hits Shambles (as Stone called it) for the pin. It was like an inverted FU into a kind of neckbreaker.
Winner: Sean Legacy via pin at 8:47
-Solid match as Thatcher can still go and I am sure he is here to work with the kids. Legacy has some potential and I intrigued to see what they do with him. Fun match! ***
-Swipe Right hit the ring to confront Legacy as they have issues going back to the first show. Cappuccino Jones and Jack Cartwheel are here to back up Legacy. Ice Williams leaves VIP to stand by Swipe Right, but changes his mind and stands next Legacy and crew.
-Thanks for reading!
