wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 3.11.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 3.11.26
-Source: Tubi
-Run Time: 50:15
-Episode: 51
-Plugs: Nitro, Starrcade 93
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Peter Rosenberg
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
-Robert Stone is in the middle of the ring and has the Evolve roster around the ring. He worked with Shawn Michaels to pick the new Evolve GM: Timothy Thatcher. Not shocking and a real good choice. He falls in line with Pearce and Aldis. Thatcher appreciates everyone around the ring and says Evolve is where the work starts. He is not The GM of Evolve, but is The Foreman of Evolve. Nice!
-Stone tells Thatcher he has tough choices and that both his Champions are now NXT Superstars. Thatcher says he asked Kendal and Jackson for one more defense. If they win, their title is vacated and if they lose, a new era starts. Kendal’s final defense is tonight and is against Tyra Mae Steele. Before he can announce who Drake will face next week, out comes Harlem Lewis. He obviously wants the match, but Thatcher says this show won’t go off the rails on his watch. He tells Lewis he has a match for him and it’s right now.
-We cut to the back and Kendal Grey is lacing up her boots. She talks about the fans chanting her name the first time she came out and Evolve will always be her first home. Tonight is about business and she will be damned if she doesn’t finish this run on top. Tyra is next and she is going to walk into NXT full time with all the momentum. It’s time to strap up!
-Backlash: Tampa commercial!
-Tubi commercials!
Harlem Lewis vs. Sam Holloway
-HOSS FIGHT! They start trading blows at the bell and this is what this match needs to be. Holloway gets a slam and another one. Holloway misses a clothesline and Lewis hits his own clothesline that sends Holloway to the floor. Baseball dropkick from Lewis. Holloway grabs Lewis and runs him balls first into the ring post. Cool! Back in the ring Holloway springs off the middle ropes and into the ring with an elbow drop for two. Lewis lands a head-butt and tries a slam, but no dice. Big Boot from Holloway! Lewis tries to fight back but gets cut off and Holloway hits a shotgun dropkick for two. Holloway goes to a submission as he pulls back on Lewis arms and the crowd chants, “tap.” Lewis escapes and hits a dropkick. He lands a kick to the knee and comes off the middle ropes with an elbow to the back. Suplex, but Holloway blocks and hits a gourdbuster. Uranage gets two! Lewis tries another slam, but Holloway escapes and hits a double under hook suplex into the corner for two. Lewis is getting dominated here, which is a choice. Chokeslam, but Lewis blocks with a knee. Lariat followed by the elusive slam. Boom Slam (Jackhammer) gets the pin at 5:55.
Winner: Harlem Lewis via pin at 5:55
-It was a solid HOSS fight, but kind of weird to have the dude that has been wrecking shop and talking about a Title match for weeks, get dominated for most of the match. Maybe they just wanted to see him sell and fight from underneath. **
-Luca Crusifino vignette and apparently he has Evolved from a lawyer to, well, I don’t know what. He is tripping through the light and vibing while he is smiling. He found his inner self and is vibing on the frequency of love, fluidity, and fun. So a hippie on LSD?
-WrestleMania: Vegas! PUNK VS. REIGNS!
-Tyra Mae Steele is very excited backstage as she has been waiting for this moment. It’s her first ever Championship Match in WWE. She can’t afford to lose and won’t be satisfied until her name is etched into the history books as Evolve Women’s Champion.
Harley Riggins (w/ Kam Hendrix) vs. Trill London
-Riggins backs Trill into the corner and sends him across the ring. Trill flips out of the corner and catches Harley with an arm-drag. Harley uses his power to reverse into a hammerlock. Trill flips away, but Harley pulls him down by the hair. Trill bounces off the top rope to escape and sends Harley to the floor with a dropkick. Harley converses with Kam, so Trill hits a dropkick through the ropes. He comes off the top to the both men with a Whisper in the Wind. Back in Harley catches him with a Stun-gun and release German Suplex. Riggins with a delayed dropkick to the side of the head for two. Trill fights back but gets caught with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam for two. Trill fights back again and lands shoulder tackles. He gets a leg sweep followed by a senton and basement dropkick. He takes the shirt off and heads up top, but Kam distracts and Riggens knocks him off balance. TKO finishes at 3:46.
Winner: Harley Riggens via pin at 3:46
-This went about as expected as they know they have something with Trill but they aren’t ready to push him out there. Instead he gets to fight underneath, hit his Jeff Hardy offense and then take the loss. The PC boys needed a win. **
-Dante Chen is out and he welcomes the ID Talent. He calls Kam and Harley a disgrace as he can’t stand by after what they did in the parking lot to Tate. We get Chen vs. Hendrix set for next week.
-WrestleMania: Vegas! We are still 38 days away!
-Our Evolve Foreman is backstage and Aaron Rourke tells him he believes opportunities are earned. He throws his name in the hat as someone who wants to face Jackson Drake for The Evolve Championship. He is the man to make sure The Championship stays where it belongs and he asks for the match. Thatcher gives Rourke the shot. Interesting.
WWE Evolve Women’s Championship: Kendal Grey (c) vs. Tyra Mae Steele
-Win, lose, or draw this is Grey’s last time defending the Evolve Women’s Championship. Rosenberg notes that on paper, Tyra has the advantage because of her Olympic background. Tyra goes to the mat game to start and controls Kendal. She rolls her back for a one count. Kendal gets a go behind, but Tyra counters easily and gets another one count. Fireman’s Carry from Tyra. Kendal gets arm control and uses the ropes to get leverage and sends Tyra across the ring. Dropkick to the knee and one to the face gets a two count. Kendal hooks a front facelock but Tyra backs her into the corner and throws her to the other side of the ring. Hard whip to the corner. Blake notes this is the sixth televised defense for Kendal. She lands a back elbow to block a charge in the corner, but runs into a spinebuster. Kendal rolls to the apron, so Tyra baseball slides her to the floor as we take a break at 3:52.
-Women of WrestleMania commercial!
-Back at 5:03 with Tyra hitting a shoulder tackle in the corner. Another one and she carries Kendal out and hits a slam for a two count. Modified STF from Tyra Kendal uses her free leg to kick and Tyra changes to a standard side headlock. Kendal elbows her way out and starts firing off chops and forearms. Rear View from Tyra in the corner snuffs out that rally. Tyra lifts her off the mat and throws her across the ring with a gut-wrench suplex. She hits another! And another! GUT-WRENCH CITY! Reverse chinlock as this has been a different type of defense for Kendal. Tyra’s superior amateur background and conditioning is something Kendal hasn’t had to deal with. A fourth gut-wrench, but Kendal spins out and they end up colliding as both went for a cross-body. Steele runs into a knee in the corner. Back elbow from Kendal as she continues to sell the midsection. Kendal with a snap suplex and she pulls down the straps. T-Bone Suplex! Corner DDT gets two. That was sweet! I love the DDT and any variations are appreciated. Kendal heads up, but Tyra races up to meet her. Kendal fights her off. Tyra up, so Kendal leaps off and lands on her feet. Tyra with an Angle Slam for two. Kendal escapes one suplex but gets dumped with another. Tyra goes for another, but Kendal reverses to a roll-up for two. Tyra reverses that for two, but Kendal gets to her feet first and catches Tyra with Shades of Grey for the pin at 12:05.
Winner and Still WWE Evolve Women’s Champion: Kendal Grey via pin at 12:05
-I mean, Kendal Grey is kind of incapable of having a bad match at this point. Tyra hung in there with her and as noted, it was a differnet kind of match for Kendal as she had someone that was better than her on the mat. I am cool with Kendal retaining as there was nobody built up enough to take the Title from her, so let her go out with it like Asuka in NXT. ***1/2
-Kendal gets the mic and thanks the fans for supporting her since day one. Evolve gave her a place to find herself and find the confidence inside and outside of the ring. She promises to take over NXT every Tuesday. Timothy Thatcher stands by and gives her a hug after she hands over the Evolve Women’s Championship. “Thank you Kendal,” chant.
-We get a pretty sweet Kendal Grey video package. All the best to Kendal on NXT, but we know she is going to kill it and I look forward to her popping up on Main Event before getting the Main Roster call.
-Thanks for reading!
