wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 3.18.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 03.18.26
-Source: Tubi
-Run Time: 47:23
-Episode: 52
-Plugs: Retro Rankings: 1993 WCW/WWF, Monday Nitro 11.11.96
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Peter Rosenberg
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
-Then, Now, Forever, Together!
-The Vanity Project are in their backstage Frat House! They reminisce about running Evolve since day one. Drake is going to embarrass Rourke tonight. Vs up!
-Show opening!
Kam Hendrix vs. Dante Chen
-Chen was the Gatekeeper of Level Up and has the same role in Evolve, so I wouldn’t expect any surprises as far as who wins this one. Hendrix works the arm and gets a whip to the ropes. Chen grabs the ropes and Hendrix gets embarrassed trying an arm-drag with nobody there. Chen mocks Kam’s pose and then we get an arm-drag party as Chen hits about a half a dozen of them. Hendrix rolls to the floor and hides behind Harley. He sucker punches Chen and sends him into the post. Back in the ring Kam hits a running clothesline in the corner and another. He hits a third after rolling out of the corner and that gets a two count. Harley tries to get the crowd to start a “Kam” chant and I applaud him for the effort. Hendrix goes for another rolling clothesline, but Chen catches him with a German Suplex. Pump Kick from Chen! He lands a pair of strikes and hits a running uppercut. Super kick and a clothesline sends Kam to the floor. Suicide Dive! Chen heads up top and comes off with a chop to the head. Gentle Touch, but Harley runs it and takes the bullet. Show Time Kick and Lights, Cam, Action finishes at 4:40.
Winner: Kam Hendrix via pin at 4:40
-As expected, Kam gets the win, but Chen looked better in the match. That makes sense though as Chen has more experience and that’s why he is the Gate Keeper. This was fine, though I could have done without the Kam needing Harley to get the win, but heels need to cheat. **
-Our Foreman, Timothy Thatcher, is in his office and says he will leave the vacant Women’s Championship to next week. He announces new prospects from Europe will debut on April 1 during a new prospects special. It’s Gal rushes in and Thatcher yells at him to come correct. Gal shows respect and Thatcher will give him attention as he will part of the April 1 special show.
-Backlash: Tamp commercial!
-Tubi commercials!
-Braxton Cole vignette. He reads Aristotle and brags about being a top academic and athlete from Brown University. He is the perfect conglomeration of brains and brawn. I’ve always been a fan of vignettes.
Laynie Luck vs. Zena Sterling
-This is Zena’s second match on Evolve after getting smoked in her debut. She was a break-out star on LFG and we will see what she can do this second time out. Lock-up and Zena uses her size to back Laynie into the corner. Laynie bridges up off the mat as they trade snapmares. They trade pins as well and miss kicks. They collide and neither woman budges. They shake hands and Zena kisses the hand of Laynie. Zena gets arm control and takes Laynie down. Back up and Zena hits a shoulder tackle. This is definitely looking like a match I would have reviewed on Level Up and that’s fine as these newbies need a place to work and ring time. Luck with a modified Code Breaker through the ropes. She comes off the top with a double stomp on the apron. Splash from Laynie gets a two count. Zena ducks a punch and hits a belly-to-back suplex that leaves both women down. They start trading forearms in the middle of the ring and Zena ends up winning that battle. Modified Scorpion Death Drop gets two! Zena hoists Laynie up on her shoulders, but her abdomen is too hurt from the double stomp and she can’t complete the move. Laynie hits a DVD for the pin at 4:44.
Winner: Laynie Luck via pin at 4:44
-Again, this was what I would get weekly on Level Up. They settled in and this was fine. They need to start rebuilding the division and this was a start for Laynie. I want to see how Zena continues to improve, so keep throwing her out there. *1/2
-Earlier this week, Lince Dorado was greeted by Mike Cunningham, who is a fan. Mike wants a match as he thinks it will be a killer learning experience. Main Main vs. Lucha Lit! Dorado says it sounds perfect to him. They meet next Wednesday!
-CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns! WrestleMania! I’m so sold on this match and I have high hopes they are going to kill it.
-Cappuccino Jones is out and he says it will be a crazy rush when Aaron Rourke walks out as Evolve Champion. Before that match, Cap is here to call out Brooks Jensen. I feel old as he notes Brooks can remember matches from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. He says this is personal and about him whooping Brooks’ ass. Next week…..Brooks is out to interrupt. He tells Cap he just ended his own career and we get a GRUDGE MATCH for next week. Again, simple booking and giving us matches to look forward to each week and teasing other things down the line.
-Chuey Martinez is backstage and is with the new Luca Crusifino. This will take some time for me to get used to after his run as the wrestling lawyer. He is going to cruise his way through Evolve! Apparently, he is part of the rave community and it’s all about PLUR: Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect!
WWE Evolve Championship: Jackson Drake (c) (w/ Swipe Right) vs. Aaron Rourke
-This is Drake’s last match in Evolve win, lose, or draw. He is trying to go out as Champion like Kendal did last week. Drake is the first and only WWE Evolve Champion. Blake mentions these two have wrestled on the indies. Thanks for that information! Holloway, Cunningham, and McNair are in the VIP Section. Drake has arm control, but Rourke escapes and gets a roll-up for two. Another one for two. Another one for two. Drake knees him in the face. Suplex, but Rourke flips out and lands a one legged dropkick. We take a break at 1:09.
-WrestleMania Vegas commercial! Curious how many more tickets were sold off the Oba/Brock angle from Monday?
-Back at 1:48 with Baylor messing with Rourke. Drake can’t capitalize though as Rourke gets a head scissors. He adds a slap to the abdomen while maintaining the hold. Drake counters into a Half Crab and stomps Rourke on the back of his head. Cool! Drake drops a knee for a one count. Drake works on the arm and follows with a Side Russian Leg Sweep into a pin for two. Drake with a reverse chinlock, but Rourke runs him into the corner. Rourke charges and gets caught with a knee. He tries to take Drake off the top rope with a head scissors, but Drake shoves him away and comes off the top with a double stomp to the back. Fisherman’s Buster gets two! Rourke gets sent into the middle buckle and Drake plays to the crowd as he soaks in the boos. Right hands from Drake in the corner and we get SIX SEVEN hand motion. That delay costs him as Rourke makes a comeback. He hits a 6-1-9 and a superkick. German Suplex! Rourke runs into an elbow, but he catches Drake with the head scissors off the top this time. Eat De-Feet gets two! Drake back with a German Suplex in the corner. STO from Rourke in the corner. They battle on the ring apron and Drake delivers a suplex off the apron to the floor. Nice! We take a break at 8:46!
-NXT Stand and Deliver: St Louis! April4! I think it will be available on YouTube.
-Back at 9:19 and Drake has some blood coming from his mouth. He tells Rourke that everyone that doubted his was right and he doesn’t belong here. That fires Rourke up and he gets his own Half Crab and stomps Drake on the back. Cartwheel but Drake counters with an UshiGoroshi and hits a punt kick for one. Rourke fires up and hits a sit-out powerbomb for two. The crowd lets the ref know he sucks. The ref gets bumped so Swipe Right hit the ring and hit Super Swipe. The ref comes to, but it only gets a two count which pops the crowd. Rourke sends Drake over the top onto Swipe Right with a backdrop. Rourke with a Moonsault to the floor, but Drake make sure to avoid and Swipe Right took it. He hits a Burning Hammer and The Unaliving for two as Drake is SHOCKED! Drake misses a knee in the corner, but hits an enziguiri. He comes off the middle ropes, but Rourke catches him with a spear and hits The Molly Go Round for the pin at 14:00.
Winner and New WWE Evolve Champion: Aaron Rourke via pin at 14:00
-I admit I thought the Unaliving was the end and they were going to let Drake walk away as Champion like Grey did last week. I would have been okay with it, but they really needed to have him lose on the way out and credit to them for pulling the trigger. I still think Rourke may just be a transitional champion to Harlem, but that’s for the future. Strong match here with the crowd being fully behind Rourke. The drama was good down the stretch and I liked the fire Rourke showed when he needed to get back into the match or when Drake was talking trash to him. Great moment for Rourke and all the best to Drake as he is off to NXT full time after carrying the Championship for nearly a year. ***1/2
-Thanks for reading!
