wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 7.22.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 7.22.26
-Source: Tubi
-Run Time: 52:09
-Episode: 70
-We are now in the Harlem Lewis era. Also, tonight we have a Women’s Evolve Championship Match.
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Robert Stone
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
-Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons are meditating backstage. Sloane notes it is relaxing, but wonders if Lyons is ready for her title defense tonight. Big Cat says tonight is a lesson in karma. Her divine feline reign will get a proper start.
-Show opening!
Cappuccino Jones and Marcus Mathers vs. Shido Ash and Viktor Zanov
-Cap has a new look! Shido and Ash destroyed Cap and Mathers at Succession III and we have this match. Mathers starts with Viktor. Viktor powers Mathers down and he lands on his face. Another go and Viktor throws Mathers on his ass. The Mog Squad is watching from VIP. Mathers gets a boot up to block a charge and comes off the middle ropes with a cross-body for two. Kick to the face and Mathers brings in Cap. Viktor greets him with a side headlock and tags in Shido. Howard notes that Viktor and Shido have a judo background. Cap gets a flurry of offense but gets caught in the corner and Viktor mows him down with a clothesline from the apron. Holloway is out to support Cap and Mathers. Viktor in and he throws Cap across the ring with a slam. Back to Shido, but Cap flips out of a double team suplex. He ducks a clothesline, but Shido stays connected and hits a gut wrench suplex for two. Shido and Ash start double teaming and Cap gets tossed around the ring again. Cap fights his way out of the corner and dives to make the tag to Mathers. He gets to run wild as he hits Viktor with a running kick and springboard cutter on Shido. Blue Thunder Bomb gets two. Cap gets into it with The Mog Squad and that leads to him and Mathers colliding into each other. Mathers is left alone and Dead End finishes at 5:28.
Winner: Shido Ash and Viktor Zanov via pin at 5:28
-Result made sense as the new heel team wasn’t going to lose. Cap and Mathers got some offense and they were protected a little as it seems we are getting someone turning with the ID kids. I think Cap could pull off a heel turn and the new look might be a sign they are heading that way. This was fine. **
-Laynie Luck talks to Zena Sterling, Layla Diggs, and Anya Rune backstage. Anya bestows upon her the power of friendship and good luck. They wish her good luck and Layla wants the first shot when she becomes champion.
Sam Holloway vs. Dorian Van Dux
-Dorian has been a big part of LFG this season and a few weeks back had the GREATEST MATCH IN LFG HISTORY against Elio LeFleur. Dorian seems to tweek his knee jumping off the ropes during his entrance. Interesting!
-AAA and NXT Labor Day Weekend! Texas!
-Back to the match as they lockup and nothing doing. Another go and Holloway backs DVD into the corner, but DVD switches position. Clean break. Holloway lands a right hand, but DVD slides out of a slam. DVD continues to favor the knee. Powerbomb by Sam, but DVD escapes and twits the knee again. The ref checks on DVD, but he wants to fight. He throws a strike, but Sam grabs him and throws him with a suplex. Another slam by Sam and he comes off the ropes with a springboard elbow for two. They start trading strikes and as we have MEAT SLAPPING! Holloway misses a splash in the corner, but DVD can’t get moving on that bad wheel. Sam catches him with a shotgun dropkick. They fight on top as DVD tries for a superplex and gets it. He continues to sell the knee on the landing. The fans are getting into this one and are behind DVD. He hobbles on one leg and gets a shoulder tackle and then a Thesz Press. He powers Sam up and hits a Samoan Drop off one leg. DVD heads up and usually it would be a Shooting Star, but the leg is gone, so he just does a one legged splash for two. I am digging the psychology! Sam avoids a series of strikes and gets a Rock Bottom for two. Back to trading strikes as it’s ALL MEAT SLAPPING ALL THE TIME! German Suplex by Holloway, but DVD rolls back to his feet and delivers a clothesline. This is an EVOLVE BANGER! Holloway falls to the floor, so DVD heads up and comes off with a top rope moonsault. Both men are down as the ref starts his count and it’s a double count-out at 8:10. Boo!
Double Count-Out at 8:10
-That was getting great before the finish. I dug the little detail of DVD hurting his knee on his entrance and it being the focus of the match. They were hitting each other hard as this was a Big E special. I assume we are getting a rematch. Give them a few more minutes and a proper ending and we are looking at **** territory. ***1/4
-The crowd wants five more minutes and then chants for the officials to let them fight. I agree! They need to run this one back. |
-Tate Wilder talked to Robert Stone and he is coming back to Evolve so he can beat Harley Riggins’ ass. That match is set for next week.
-SNME Atlanta!
-Hey, a Monopoly Go commercial. I love the Simpsons update and I am one 4 Star Gold away from completing the full album.
-Harlem Lewis is out for his Championship Celebration. He says he was a runner-up on LFG and he didn’t wine or complain. He stayed true to himself as he knew it would lead him to this title. He went to Japan for three months and learned he needed to be more violent and dominant. He is ready to turn it up a notch and will do what Kendal did and hold the title until he is forced to vacate when he’s called up to NXT. He welcomes us to The Harlem Lewis Violence World Tour.
-Aaron Rourke is out and he congratulates Harlem on his win. He may have won the battle, but their war is not over. He says the title looks better around his waist and he is owed a rematch. He wants to run it back right now, but here’s Tristan Angels. He’s my pick to take the Championship from Harlem. Here’s Max Abrams and he wants a Title Match as well. He congratulates Harlem, but is going to take the Title and kick of his Hot Boy Summer, but gets cut off by a punch from Rourke before he can finish. Harlem and Rourke clear the ring and then Harlem drops Rourke with a clothesline. So are we getting a tag match before the eventual Four Way? Lewis tells Foreman to line them up and he will knock them down.
-Kale Dixon is getting his photos taken with the woman in red backstage. They are interrupted by It’s Gal. Kale challenges Dixon to a match and It’s Gal just wanted to be friends. He then takes over the photo shoot since Kale walked away.
-Money in The Bank: New Orleans!
Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen
-Brooks gave Elijah his first loss a few weeks back. Brooks tries to stall to start but Elijah follows. He chases Brooks into the ring and hits a shoulder tackle. Clothesline from Elijah gets two. Brooks gets caught with a right hand and falls into the ropes. Brooks goes to the throat and then hits a head kick. He gets a two count off a slam. I am still not a fan of Brooks gear as his jeans with one leg being torn the length of his quad looks weird. Brooks controls for a bit, and takes the cover off the buckle. That’s how he won the first match. Elijah starts a comeback and lands a body shot. Spinebuster and he sets for the uppercut. Brooks suckers him to the corner, but Elijah is ready for it this time. He avoids getting dropped on the exposed steel, showing he has learned. He still needs a bit more to learn though as Brooks reverses a roll-up and uses the ropes for leverage to get the pin at 4:02.
Winner: Brooks Jensen via pin at 4:02
-This was okay as it’s another step in the growth of Elijah. He needs all the reps will only get better. I am okay with the story they are telling. Elijah is learning each match, but Brooks is the veteran and keeps finding ways to win. We will see another match between these two. **
-Another creepy video from Vanta The Unknown! She asks about our biggest fear as we see: losing, being replaced, or the unknown.
WWE Evolve Women’s Championship: Nikkita Lyons (c) (w/ Sloane Jacobs) vs. Laynie Luck
-Sloane introduces Big Cat Kita, but we then get the super special in ring introductions as this is our Main Event. Gianna Capri is in the VIP Lounge. As previously noted this is Big Cat’s first title defense. Lyons shoots in immediately and gets a take down and throws bombs. She misses a charge in the corner. Luck hits a big boot on the floor and we take a break at 37 seconds. That was quick!
-Survivor Series: War Games! Houston, TX!
-Back at 1:09 with Sloane trying to distract Laynie, and it doesn’t work. Well, not at first, but Lyons sends Luck into the stairs and fires her back into the ring. Nice snap suplex by Lyons for two. Reverse Bronco Custer in the corner and that is going to get over on the main roster when Lyons gets there. Laynie ducks a clothesline and drives Lyons face into her knee. A kick sends the champ to the apron and Luck slings out with a double stomp. Lyons back with a right hand, but gets caught with a knee. Tornado DDT by Luck gets two! Luck ends up on the apron and goes for a sunset flip, but Lyons drops down for a pin. The ref catches her using the ropes and won’t finish the count. Luck with a step-up enziguiri and heads up top. Kita knocks her off balance and hits a roundhouse head kick for the pin at 5:00.
Winner and Still WWE Evolve Women’s Champion: Nikkita Lyons via pin at 5:00
-That was kind of quick, but Lyons needed a strong defense in her first bout as Champion. I never bought Luck as having a chance but this was still a solid match. The crowd was into it and they accomplished what was needed. **1/2
-PJ Vasa rushes into the ring and drops Laynie with a Samoan Drop. Capri jumps up to the apron, but doesn’t do anything as PJ uses a chair on Laynie’s ankle. Security is out and they are holding Wren and Skylar back from rushing the ring. They can’t stop Thea Hail though and she helps clear the ring to save Laynie. If this was November in WWE, we would have Regal yelling WAR GAMES, but instead Thatcher is out and says next week it’s an 8 Woman Tag Match. Cool!
-Thanks for reading!
