wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 5.27.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 5.27.26
-Source: Tubi
-Run Time: 44:33
-Episode 62
-Plugs: 30 years ago today, Scott Hall walked out on Nitro!
-Sorry for the delay with this one. I was celebrating my birthday (45) with my family. We have a big one tonight with an Evolve Championship Match.
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Peter Rosenberg
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
-Aaron Rourke tells us to clock in, if we aren’t locked in. Tonight it’s Cole vs. Lewis and then Rourke defending against Angels. Rourke notes Angels has earned an ass whopping.
-Show opening!
Harlem Lewis vs. Braxton Cole
-Lewis attacks Cole in the aisle before the bell. He beats him into the ring and then we get a bell as Cole is staggering in the corner. Lewis charges and misses, so Cole gets a neckbreaker. Lewis reverses a whip and hits the elbow in the corner followed by a slam and an elbow drop for two. Xfinity is the mat sponsor! Cole with a Shake, Rattle, and Roll followed by a leg drop for two. He stomps Lewis down in the corner and they are a little weak. Need some more force behind those. Lewis fights back to his feet, but Cole lands a thrust to the throat. Standing switch and Lewis tries a suplex, but Cole grabs the ropes. He drapes Lewis’ left arm over the top rope and then gets another knock down. X-Plex gets two! I nearly typed X-Play because I have been watching old episodes on YouTube. Morgan Webb was a smoke show! Cole goes back to the arm as he is keep Lewis grounded. Lewis powers to his feet and gets a sidewalk slam. Cole charges into a boot and then Lewis starts rallying with clotheslines, while selling the bad arm. There’s a German Suplex! Cole rolls to the floor to slow things down. They fight out there and tease a double count-out, but instead Cole grabs a chair and decks Lewis in the bad arm for the DQ at 4:52.
Winner: Harlem Lewis via DQ at 4:52
-Solid match that looks to be setting up a bigger match down the line. I’m cool with that. **1/4
-Foreman Thatcher lets Tate Wilder know that he is being called up full time to NXT. Thatcher congratulates him and then says he has a big announcement before the Title Match.
-SummerSlam in Minnesota! You don’t think they would run Lesnar/Roman at some point this summer with Roman now clearly a face being cheered against heel Lesnar?
-Video package on Starboy!
-Tristan Angels is warming up backstage by flexing in a mirror.
Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons vs. Wendy Choo and Laynie Luck
-Karmen Petorvic is watching from The VIP Lounge. Lyons and Luck start and trade early pin attempts. Lyons goes to work on the arm, but Luck with a kip up. Sloane gets the tag and drops a leg after a slam by Lyons. Kitta back in and we get a double elbow for two. Luck with an up up-kick and tags Wendy. She hits a running boot in the corner for two. Luck back in and we get some nice tandem offense with a trip, basement dropkick and sling shot dive for two. Head scissors from Luck but she runs into a superkick. Nice! Kitta goes for a split legged splash in the corner, but Luck gets her feet up to block. Everyone battles and Wendy with a cannon ball off the apron to Jacobs. We take a break at 2:51.
-Club WWE!
-Back at 3:17 with Lyons throwing Luck down to the mat. Slingshot under the bottom rope and Lyons starts stomping away. She stands on Luck’s chest and drops a modified Gam Slam. Sloane in with a side slam for two. Jacobs runs into an elbow in the corner, but gets a leg take down and slams Luck head first into the mat. She drops an elbow to the lower back from the middle rope for two. Luck avoids a charge in the corner and gets a head scissors on Lyons. Step-up enziguiri to Sloane. Hot Tag to Wendy and she runs wold. Hammerlock Clothesline to Sloane! Handspring forearm followed by a running boot. Cross-body from the middle ropes gets two. Dirt Nap is blocked as Sloan connects with a knee to the face. German Suplex from Lyons gets two as Luck makes the save. Everyone back in the ring. Lyons with a spinning kick to Choo. Lyons gets knocked to the floor by Luck, but Sloane sends her to the floor and steals the pin at 7:13.
Winner: Nikkita Lyons and Sloane Jacobs via pin at 7:13
-Fun tag match and Sloane is the next challenger. Kitta fakes being happy for her, so that should be interesting. **3/4
-Elijah Holyfield is with Foreman Thatcher and he gets his first Evolve Match next week. Elijah has been part of every season of LFG and you know the WWE wants to push this kid to the moon if he has anything. His dad is Evander Holyfield! You can’t buy that type of brand appeal.
-Thatcher announces Succession III for June 24th right here on Tubi and both Champions will be defending their titles. Thatcher says he is working on something special, but before he can announce it, Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins interrupt. Harley wants a piece of Romeo and Kam is pissed he has to split time here and on NXT while Tate gets a full trip to NXT. Thatcher gives Harley a match with Romeo next week.
WWE Evolve Championship: Aaron Rourke (c) vs. Tristan Angels
-Commercials!
-PJ Vasa next Wednesday!
-Super, special in ring introductions with Mike Rome! It’s Gal is watching from The VIP Lounge. Angels backs Rourke into the corner and tells him, “Sparkle City dies today.” Rourke shoves him down and tells him to shut his mouth. Rourke controls with a side headlock. Angels stomps his foot to escape. He hooks a nerve hold and that I HATE THAT MOVE. Thankfully, it doesn’t last long and he delivers a shoulder tackle in the corner. Rourke flips out of the corner and hits a shotgun dropkick. Missile dropkick gets two! Gal is leading a cheer for Rourke. Handspring Chop in the corner from Rourke. He gets the mounted punches, but Angels slides out and drops the champ. He goes after the arm and then buries a knee to the ribs. He lifts Rourke off the mat by the arm and drops him arm first on the top rope. Rourke throws leg kicks from his back, but Angels stays in control with a slam. Rourke is able to get a single leg Crab, but Angels kicks him into the corner and goes back to work on the left arm. Rourke throws a series of kicks and sends Angels to the apron. He catches him with a knee and another shotgun dropkick with Angels stuck between the ropes. Cool! Meteora from the apron to the floor! Rourke is kind of a dick as he tells Gal he doesn’t need him as the guy is just cheering from The VIP Lounge. Angels takes control due to Rourke gets sidetracked telling Gal to leave. We take a break at 6:30.
-Commercials!
-Back at 7:00 with Rourke still in control. He goes for The Molly Go Round, but misses. He rolls through and catches Angels coming off the top with a spear for two. Rourke throws kicks to the back of the left knee. Spinning toe-hold, but Angels punches his way out. Rourke up top, but Angels lands a step-up enziguiri. Angels brings Rourke back into the ring from the apron with a suplex and he used the ropes for extra height. That gets two! Tornado DDT is blocked and Rourke pulls Angels down by the leg. Figure-Four into The Figure-Eight, but Angels gets to the bottom rope to force a break. Rourke flips out of a suplex and gets a backslide with some extra leverage as he flips over and that gets the pin at 11:00.
Winner and Still WWE Evolve Champion: Aaron Rourke via pin at 11:00
-Good match where they put in work it got better as they went. The ending seemed a little anti-climactic, but Rourke found another way to get a win. ***1/4
-The Mog Squad is out and Max Abrams wants The Evolve Championship. Vanity Project 2.0 surrounds the ring, but Cappuccino Jones, Marcus Mathers, and Sam Holloway are out to even the odds. We get a gang brawl as we fade out with “to be continued.”
-Thanks for reading!
