wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 6.18.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Welcome to Evolve on Tubi! We have Champions and we can continue to build challengers. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Peter Rosenberg and Robert Stone
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
-Last month, Kali Armstrong became the first WWE Evolve Woman’s Champion. She has challengers coming and doesn’t want help, but has Natalya as her partner tonight.
-Opening!
Zayda Steel and Nikkita Lyons vs. Kali Armstrong and Natalya
-Figured this would be our Main Event, so I am curious what they have planned for later. Kali and Lyons get us going and they shove each other. Lockup and Armstrong backs Lyons into the corner and offers a clean break. Lyons lands a body blow, but charges into an elbow in the corner. Nattie in and she gets a roll into a sharpshooter attempt, but Lyons kicks off. Kali tags herself in and decks Lyons with a right hand. Steel in and she gets knocked down as well. Nattie back in and gets a roll-up for two. Steel misses a charge in the corner, but blocks a rope assisted bulldog and lands a running kick for a two count. Nattie ends up on the middle rope and Lyons lands a kick from the apron. Lyons back in and she fires off strikes in the corner. We take a break at 2:47.
-Night of Champions commercial!
-Back at 3:23 with Lyons holds a reverse chinlock. Nattie forces a break with an armdrag, but can’t make the tag as she gets run into the opposite corner. Steel in and she hits a CM Punk knee in the corner for a two count. Reverse chinlock from Steel, but she breaks so she can walk over Nattie. That nearly costs her as Nattie gets a roll-up for two. Lyons back in as they have cut Nattie off from her side of the ring. Snap suplex gets a two count and then back to the reverse chinlock. Nattie hits a couple elbows, but Lyons slugs her down and brings Zayda back in. She hits shoulders in the corner and back to Lyons. More kicks in the corner and back to Zayda. Hey, some kicks from her as well. Nattie with an elbow to Zayda, and she crawls to make the hot tag. Kali runs wild with shoulders and clothesline. Spear in the corner to each woman. Spinebuster to Steel gets two as Lyons makes the save. Nattie in and she hits a clothesline on Lyons and they end up on the floor. Kali bitches at Nattie for helping and nearly gets rolled-up for the pin. KALI CONNECTION, but Nattie made a blind tag so she can come in and put on the Sharpshooter for the submission at 8:12.
Winners: Natlaya and Kali Armstrong via pin at 8:12
-This was okay as we know this is leading to Kali vs. Nattie down the line which makes sense. Kind of boring in spots, but they accomplished what they needed. **
-Stevie Turner is in her office and Sean Legacy and Timothy Thatcher are there as well. Legacy wants the first crack at Jackson Drake’s Championship. He offers to run a gauntlet against Vanity Project to earn his spot as #1 contender. Stevie agrees and Thatcher tells her that Sean is going to have to learn. We know, where this is heading as well.
-Chuey Martinez is backstage with Jordan Oasis and Marcus Mathers. They have an ID Showcase match later tonight.
-Great American Bash! July 12!
-Masyn Holiday and Layla Diggs are holding court in the women’s locker room. They all start accusing each other of being the mystery attacker.
WWE ID Showcase Match: Marcus Mathers vs. Jordan Oasis
-If you remember, Jordan is our homeless wrestler that carries a backpack around with him. Marcus has some buzz and I am just hoping I don’t call him Marshall Mathers. Jordan controls early with a side headlock and then knocks Mathers down with a shoulder. Mathers avoids an elbow and gets a crucifix for a two count. Mathers with a flying elbow in the corner and he springs off the middle ropes, but gets caught and thrown with a SOS Slam. They start trading chops and the bigger Oasis wins that exchange. Slam from Oasis and a back splash gets a two count. Rosenberg then mentions Marshall Mathers and Stone tells us he is Stone Shady. Marcus off the top with a cross-body, but he charges into a back breaker followed by a Brain Buster for two. Blackout Cannonball from Oasis though he clearly hit the rope more than Mathers, so it didn’t look all that good. Oasis flips out of a suplex and hits a hook kick. That sends Oasis to the floor and Mathers clears the ropes to land on him with a dive. 450 Splash gets the win at 5:03.
Winner: Marcus Mathers via pin at 5:03
-Mathers looks like he would fit in with The Rascalz or The MCMG. Okay debut as he hit some fancy moves after surviving a run by Oasis. **1/4
-They shake hands, but here is a pissed off Keanu Carver and he wrecks both men. Carver says two ID “clowns” cost him his chance at The Evolve Championship, and he is going to destroy the division. I like that idea of that storyline. It gives Carver something to due until he is inserted into the Championship picture.
-Video package for Tate Wilder, who has a cowboy/country gimmick.
-Gauntlet Match up next!
-SummerSlam commercial! 2 Nights at Met Life Stadium!
-Tubi commercials!
-Wendy Choo/Kylie Rae video package. Next week they meet in Last Woman Standing! Cool!
-Also next week, Zara Zakher vs. Kendal Grey based off the issues they had in the locker room earlier in the show.
Gauntlet Match: “Super” Sean Legacy vs. Vanity Project
-Legacy has to get through three members of Vanity Project to become #1 contender. Legacy and Ricky Smokes start and Legacy gets off to a fast start. Basement dropkick to the knee and a standing moonsault get a two count. Chops send Smokes to the corner, where another chop knocks him on his ass. Kick to the back from Legacy! Smokes ends up on top and knocks Legacy down for a two count. He fires away with right hands and hits a running forearm in the corner. Legacy reverses a whip, but misses a charge and Smokes gets a sling-shot spear for two. He hooks a side headlock and takes it to the mat. Legacy punches his way out and gets a roll into a DDT. That looked like something out of RVD’s playbook. Just don’t sniff that book. Legacy with a German Suplex and he finishes with Shambles at 3:38.
-Brad Baylor is next in and he clips the knee as we take a break at 3:53.
-Clash in Paris commercial! I wants AJ Styles vs. CM Punk at that show.
-Back at 4:27 with Legacy firing off right hands. Baylor back with an elbow for a two count. Legacy misses a clothesline, but hits an enziguiri. Something weird happens as Legacy seems to check the knee, but it seems all good. He hits a missile dropkick for a two count and Legacy goes back to messing with his knee. He misses a knee in the corner and Baylor gets a cutter for a two count. Legacy counters a DDT with a forearm and snaps off a head scissors. Stone brings up ECW and Dreamer trying to run The Gauntlet against Raven’s crew and how it didn’t end well for him. Shambles, but the knees gives out. He does hit a suplex and sells the knee as he lands. Baylor gets dumped to the floor and Legacy hits a Tope con Hilo. He heads up, but Baylor brings him down with a superplex. Legacy turns it in a small package on the landing and gets the pin at 8:59.
-Bryce Donovan is in and immediately hits a big boot for the pin at 9:20.
Winners: Vanity Project via pin at 9:20
-I just couldn’t get into this one for whatever reason. It was clear during the second match how this one was ending and that’s fine. Legacy sold the knee well and it makes sense he couldn’t beat the top heel stable all by himself. This was okay, but I was expecting more. **1/2
-Vanity Project attack after the match, but here’s Lince Dorado with a chair to make the save. He tells them it’s not going down like that, but he is still outnumbered. He didn’t come alone and here’s the LWO (Del Toro and Wilde). That’s two of my 205 Live boys. Cool!
-Thanks for reading!
