Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 5.14.25

-Last week we got the long-waited announcement that Evolve Championships are coming. Tonight we get the tag match that was teased a few weeks ago. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Peter Rosenberg and Robert Stone
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

Keanu Carver and Harlem Lewis vs. Gallus (Mark and Joe Coffey) (w/ Wolfgang)

-This might be Gallus’ swan song as I don’t know how far out they taped these shows. The start brawling on the floor even before we get a bell. Security and Stevie Turner are out to break things up. Stevie tells security to let them go and ring the bell. Good! Keanu and Joe trade blows in the ring while outside Lewis hits Joe with a suplex. Back in the ring we get a double cross-body to leave both men down. Both men back up and they start trading blows. POUNCE from Carver! Suplex from Carver gets two. Carver tosses Mark across the ring, and makes the tag to Lewis. He gets a slam, but Keanu tags himself back in. They get in each other’s face and fight over who gets to hit Coffey. Crossbody from the top by Joe and he makes the tag to Mark. Lewis back in and they clear the ring of The Gallus boys and start arguing with each other again. Lewis has had enough and hits Carver in the back of the head with a clothesline. Lewis takes a walk and Gallus is happy to pick the bones. Carver kicks out of the Line Out. Best for The Bells and that finishes at 4:30.

Winners: Gallus via pin at 4:30
-This was more about the story advancement than the match, but it was a solid BIG MEATY MEN sprint. Would be interesting if this was Gallus last match and they got the win over Carver. It did make sense though for an established team like Gallus to get a win over opponents that don’t like each other. **

-Lewis back out to stare down Carver as Gallus poses over him.

-Sean Lewis is backstage and is looking for backup against Vanity Project and recruits Timothy Thatcher. Cool!

-Legacy faces Lexis King tonight!

-WWE and NXT are invading Tampa with SNME, Battleground, RAW, and NXT over Memorial Day weekend.

-Chuey Martinez is having a sit down interview with Edris Enofe. Oh wow, I forgot he had been on the shelf. We see the gnarly scar from his shoulder surgery. He is here to show Evolve that he is more than just potential and it seems he is a solo act now. I saw lots of Enofe on Level Up/205 Live, so it’s good to have him back.

-Masyn Holiday is backstage and has a match next. She asks Chantel Monroe if she wants to be in her corner. Chantel blows her off and Masyn wants to know when she is going to drop the act and show the world who she truly is. INTRIGUE!

Kali Armstrong vs. Masyn Holiday

-Kali is competing for the Evolve Woman’s Title in a few weeks, so this one should be quick. Lockup and Kali backs Masyn against the ropes and offers a clean break. Side headlock into a take down, but Holiday counters into a head scissors. Kali goes after the arm and works that for a bit. Masyn is able to counter and gets a shoulder tackle. Cross-body gets a two count. Kali lands one shot and takes over. She delivers shoulders in the corner and gets a slam for a one count. Kali hooks a submission and when Masyn fights her way out, Kali drops her with an elbow. Holiday reverses a whip and gets a dropkick for two. Masyn ducks a clothesline but gets caught with a powerslam. The Kali Connection finishes at 3:39.

Winner: Kali Armstrong via pin at 3:39
-Weird one as Kali probably should have been more dominant, but they likely wanted to see a little something from Masyn. *

-Zayda Steel interrupts Kali’s post match promo. She informs Kali she was a brain unlike her as that title has her name on it. Cantel Monroe interrupts as they are getting their own RAW like segment where people keep interrupting each other. Chantel tells Zayda nobody wants to hear her whiny ass voice. Next up is Kylie Rae, who has been losing left and right and probably shouldn’t even think about the Women’s Championship right now. She knows there is one spot left in the Fatal Four Way and she will do everything she can to earn that spot. She is the last person out as Zayda gets too lippy and Kylie punches her in the face. Kali press slams Chantel over the top onto Kylie and Zayda. Kendal Grey is back and health after last week and sends Kali flying with an overhead release German suplex. This was a very main roster like segment which isn’t a bad thing.

-Hey, did you hear WWE and NXT are taking over Tampa?

-Tubi commercials!

-Keanu is in Stevie’s office and he is not happy, so Stevie announces the match we have been waiting for: Carver vs. Lewis next week! Cool!

It’s Gal vs. Javier Bernal

-Cherish these last few appearances from Big Body! We at least get to see what this new version looks like. Stone and even Rosenberg crush the idea that Bernal found himself at a Metal-Core concert. Bernal with a head scissors and he lands a kick from the apron. Stone basically says to ignore It’s Gal’s wrestling and focus on his personality. He hits a discus clothesline for a two count. That looked pretty solid! Gal throws heavy blows in the corner and hooks a reverse chinlock. It seems Gal always needs to look “minty fresh.” Gal flexes and then misses a leg drop. Basement dropkick from Javie and he runs wild with forearms and then a backdrop. Dropkick in the corner! Superkick and a Flatliner gets a two count. I thought that was the finish so they got me. Gal counters a hold and hits a modified Snake Eyes followed by a running boot. Bernal gets the last counter into a roll-up for the pin at 3:58.

Winner: Javier Bernal via pin at 3:58
-Another short match in a series of them tonight. That’s two wins by people that were shown the door, but all of this was taped before so who knows where all of this was leading. **

-Gal attacks Javie after the match and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb.

-Nikkita Lyons is with Stevie and she is told she can come back whenever she wants. Lyons doesn’t want to qualify for the Four Way and tells Stevie to call her when she crowns a Champion.

-SummerSlam is two nights!

-Chuey is with Kylie and she lets us know that next week is a play-in match for the final spot in the 4 Way and as expected it involves the 3 women that interrupted Kali earlier in the show, plus Aria Bennett. Why didn’t they have her come out to interrupt then?

-Troy Yearwood (from LFG) signs an Evolve contract with Stevie. Troy is an athletic freak so I am curious to see what he can do. It’s Gal interrupts and Troy is ready to throw down, but Gal backs away while flexing.

-Next week Carver vs. Lewis with the winner advancing to the Men’s Fatal Four Way. Would have thought both would be in that match, but it gives stakes to their first one on one meeting.

”Super” Sean Legacy vs. Lexis King

-Super special in ring introductions as is customary in Evolve. The crowd is pretty pumped to see Lexis. Rosenberg immediately mentions that Stone was retired by King, but Stone notes all wrestlers are only semi-retired. Preach! Legacy tries for an early pin, but King out before one. He controls the arm but King is able to flip his way out and gets a kick to break. Nice spot as King calmly walks over Legacy’s back off a drop down. Legacy returns the favor. Double stomp to the back followd by a dropkick from Legacy. They each miss a chop in the corner, but Legacy hits one on his second try. Float over in the corner and Legacy hits an elbow. He tries to head up, but King dropkicks him to the floor and we see that Thatcher is at ring side to support Legacy. I assume he turns on him down the line. We take a break at 3:23.

-Stephanie’s Places on ESPN Plus!

-Back at 3:55 with King in control in the ring. He lands a kick to the back which angers Legacy. King tries a suplex, but it’s blocked and Legacy gets him up and releases King on his face. Standing moonsault, but King gets the knees up to block. He bends Legacy back first over his knees, but Legacy is able to roll over for a two count. He sends King to the floor and hits a dive. He tries to spring back in, but King catches him with a boot to the face on the way down. Back breaker from King and he holds it to work a submission. Legacy punches his way out and then flips out of suplex and hits a DDT to leave both men down. Legacy wins a forearm exchange and hits a sping kick to the gut and then a snap German Suplex. Springboard missile dropkick gets two! Legacy tries to spring in again but misses. He shakes it off and hits a springboard 450 for a two count. He can’t get King up for Shambles as the back gives out. He tries again and can’t lock him in as King grabs the ropes. Charge in the corner misses and King hits a modified Back Stabber for two. Half-crab from King to continue the work on the back. Legacy turns it over and punches his way out, but walks into a boot. Coronation is countered into a back slide, but no pin as the shoulders weren’t down. Elbows from Legacy but he eats a chop. Superkick from King! Standing Spanish Fly from Legacy to leave both men down. Here’s Swipe Right and they attack Thatcher. Legacy flips over the top and lands on Swipe Right. That is a mistake though as King catches him with a knee and hits Coronation for the pin at 11:33.

Winner: Lexis King via pin at 11:33
-This was a solid match to help the show out in the end. King winning shouldn’t shock anyone as he is seen as a bigger star at this point, but they may sure Legacy had an out thanks to Swipe Right interfering. I enjoyed this! ***

-We head to the back where Brinley Reece has been attacked and is holding her arm.

-Thanks for reading!

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

Another episode building to the eventual crowning of New Champions. Knowing Gallus and Bernal were released made this a weird one to get into as you know their wins don't mean anything. Next week should be fun with Lewis and Carver giving us a Meat Slapping Fest! The Main Event carried the in ring work this week, and that's fine as sometimes you need more story driven episodes. This continues the run of average shows, which is still an easy and enjoyable watch all things considered. I am curious to see how much this show starts getting flooded with LFG contestants.