wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 5.28.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Happy Heavenly Birthday to my Grandma. I always thought it was cool as a kid that my grandma has a Birthday the day after mine. She passed years ago, but I think of her often and my oldest is getting to the point where he wants to hear about our family that have passed.
-Big night tonight for Evolve as we crown our first WWE Evolve Women’s Champion. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Peter Rosenberg and Robert Stone
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
-Hype video for tonight’s Fatal 4 Way to crown our Evolve Women’s Championship. Good hype video as each women stands by the Championship Belt and tells us what it would mean. Well, except Wendy who just makes faces.
-Show intro!
Triple Threat Qualifier: Jackson Drake (w/ Vanity Project) vs. Lince Dorado vs. Jordan Oasis
-I am having Main Event flashbacks with Dorado showing up. This is pretty cool actually! We see footage of Oasis winning a match with Reality of Wrestling to earn this spot. The winner advances to the Fatal 4 for the Men’s Evolve Championship next week. Oasis gets pitched to the floor. Drake with a powerslam on Dorado and then a kick from the apron to Oasis. He comes off the top with a double axe, but Oasis is back to break up the pin. Jackson tries a rana, but Oasis counters into a roll-up for two as Dorado makes the save. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker from Oasis to Lince. Gutbuster to Drake gets two. Chops from Oasis to Drake in the corner and then Dorado comes in the picture off the top with a head scissors to Oasis. Dorado starts to run wild and hits a handspring into a double cutter. Sweet! He misses a charge in the corner, but lands on his feet. Drake catches him with a modified backstabber. Dive to the floor on Lince and then one on the other side to Oasis. Chops in the corner and Oasis responds with a forearm. Oasis sits on the top rope, but gets caught with an enziguiri. They battle up there and Oasis knocks Drake down. Dorado springs off Drake’s back and hits a kick on Oasis. TOP ROPE RANA! Dorado up again, but Drake kicks him off and gets two even with Baylor trying to hold Dorado’s foot down. Dorado hits a dive on Vanity Project and fights with them to the back. Oasis with a black-out cannon ball for two as Drake is bummed about his backup disappearing. Oasis misses a forearm in the corner and Drake hits a running knee for the pin at 5:54.
Winner: Jackson Drake via pin at 5:54
-Fun match with non stop action which I appreciate it. Drake winning makes sense. Dorado looked good before disappearing but it was nice seeing Drake get a win without needing help. I enjoyed this. ***
-TNT get ready for their tag match later tonight with Cartwheel and Jones!
-June 7! LA: NXT vs. AAA and Money in The Bank!
-Tubi commercials!
-It’s Gal vignette from his pool and he issues a warning to Troy Yearwood (LFG project).
-Kendal Grey is warming up backstage!
-Jackson Drake is still in the ring and gets promo time. Vanity Project is proving to be the hottest thing going in Evolve and they are just getting started. He is going to bring more drip to Vanity Project next week.
-Edris Enofe is out to interrupt and he has a rebuttal. He has been grinding for the past four years and tells Drake he is going home empty handed next week.
-We know where this is going as Sean Legacy is out next to continue to hype next week’s Championship Match. He may have lost to Lexis King, but he is still standing. The crowd starts a “Legacy” chant. He respects Edris’ journey and working his way back to this spot. He has been at this for 8 years and will show The WWE Universe why Legacy will always be super.
-Drake is tired of this and is leaving as he notes nobody in this Fatal 4 Way is qualified like him. He backs into Keanu Carver and things get physical as everyone gets a shot in on Drake, but officials keep anything else from getting out of hand. This was a fine way to get a little more hype on next week’s Championship match.
-Chuey is backstage with Jones and Cartwheel and they also play up the idea that it is their speed vs. the power of TNT tonight.
-Kylie Rae is warming up backstage!
-SummerSlam 2 Nights! New Jersey! MetLife Stadium!
-Kali Armstrong is warming up backstage!
Cappuccino Jones and Jack Cartwheel vs. Tyriek Igwe and Tyson Dupont
-THE BUTTERS! Cartwheel starts with Igwe and as expected Igwe goes to the power while Jones starts doing Cartwheels to move away and keep distance. Igwe traps Cartwheel in the corner and brings in Dupont who gets a sidewalk slam. He misses a splash in the corner and blind tag to Jones. They use tandem offense and a double clothesline sends Tyson to the floor. Stereo Dives don’t happen as Wes Lee is here and he seemingly gives TNT a pep talk. Igwe takes control back in the ring and steps on Jones back while pulling on his hair. Jones fires off a couple shots, but a knee sends him down. Tyson in and this time he hits the splash in the corner. Igwe back in and he misses a charge and hits the post. Roll-up for two! Head kick from Jones and he dives to make the hot tag. Cartwheel runs wild! Double handspring elbow. Sweet! Tornado DDT off Dupont! Cartwheel with a SPACE FLYING TIGER DROP ON DUPONT. Wow! Moonsault hits Igwe and gets two as Dupont makes the save. Everyone in the ring and a double dropkick sends Dupont to the floor. He is able to pull Jones to the floor and lays him out. That leaves Cartwheel all alone and they hit their Belly to Back/Heart Stopper combo for the pin at 5:08.
Winners: TNT via pin at 5:08
-Solid match. Cartwheel looked great and was the star of the match for me. TNT continue to improve since their days I first saw them on Level Up. Wes Lee being with TNT is intriguing. **1/4
-Stevie Turner is backstage and signs Jin Tala (LFG’s Leigh Laurel) to Evolve as part of the women’s roster. Carlee Bright is here as well and Turner tells her nobody is allowed at ringside this week. She then tells Carlee she will face Jin next week and they shake hands.
-Natalya is backstage and is here to present the Championship Belt to the winner of tonight’s Main Event. Cool!
-Clash in Paris commercial!
-TNT and Wes Lee cut a promo backstage and they are off to celebrate. Wes Lee says he will be back next week!
-Also next week: Carlee Bright vs. Jin Tala
-Also, also next week: Fatal Four Way to crown a Men’s Evolve Champion!
WWE Evolve Women’s Championship: Fatal Four Elimination Match: Kendal Grey vs. Kylie Rae vs. Kali Armstrong vs. Wendy Choo
-Super, special in ring introductions! Here we go! As noted this is Elimination Rules. They pair off and everyone ends up on the floor other than Kendal, so she hits a suicide dive and gets two on Rae back in the ring. Grey off the middle ropes with a crossbody on Rae for two. Kali boots her downand we get stereo roll ups which leads to kick outs into crossbodys and they just contiue to trade two counts. Choo gets a double pin attempt on Kali and Rae, but they are out at two. Choo with forearms in the corner and she heads up top. Crossbody to Rae! Grey runs her down and Armstrong hits The Kali Connection. Kylie with a superkick on Kali and then she pins Choo to eliminate her at 3:08. We head to a break at 3:25.
-WWE Crown Jewel: Perth!
-60 seconds of Tubi commercials so I pause the timer!
-Back at 4:06 with Kali missing a charge in the corner and Rae drops her and hits a cannon ball. One for Grey as well and it gets two. Double suplex on Kali is blocked and she brings both women over with a suplex of her own. Shoulder tackles in the corner but a charge eats knees from Grey. Rae and Grey battle up top and Rae ends up getting a roll-up on Armstrong. Grey off the top with a dive on both women and she gets a double two count. She runs wild for a bit and hits a shoulder off the middle ropes. She pulls the straps down and I assume this run is a bad sign for her. She goes to an armbar on Kali, but Kali traps her with a crucifix for the pin at 7:00. That was kind of telegraphed! Kylie gets a two count on Kali and is getting frustrated. Rae hits a spinning kick and goes for another crucifix, but Armstrong is out at two. Rae up top, but Kali runs up the ropes and hits a belly to belly suplex. Kali Connection is countered into a crossface. There are some in the crowd that want a tap. Kali powers up to break and tries a powerslam, but Rae counters into a small package for two. They trade pins and now Kali hits the powerslam. Kali Connection hits this time and we have a New Champion at 9:35.
Winner and First Ever WWE Evolve Women’s Champion: Kali Armstrong via pin at 9:35
-I was expecting this to be more epic and figured this might be rushed when we only had 12 minutes left in the show for a 4 Way Elimination Match. The last few minutes with Kali and Kylie had some nice drama, but I figured Kali was winning and once Grey was eliminated it was a foregone conclusion. Congrats to Kali! **1/2
-Kali takes The Championship from Nattie aggressively and perhaps we see that match down the line. She celebrates with her Championship as we close this week.
-Thanks for reading!
