wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 7.8.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 7.8.26
-Source: Tubi
-Run Time: 49:51
-Episode: 68
-Plug: Dark Side of The Ring: TNA Part I and Part II
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Robert Stone
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL
-Sloane Jacobs is on the phone and is planning tonight’s celebration for Big Cat Kita! She tells whoever on the phone they better not mess this up. If it’s McAfee, he went to WVU and they apparently know how to throw a party.
-Stone is back on commentary and says he is here to scout talent for NXT.
-The Mog Squad is out first as they continue pushing them to fill the void left by Vanity Project. They have matching gear now. Max says last week was The Mogging of the Century when they swept ID 1.0. They all praise each other and use lingo outside my demo. They ramble for a but and are apparently unstoppable and want to know who is next.
-Timothy Thatcher is out and says he has been speaking with Mr. Stone. CJ is getting a match with Cutler James.
CJ Valor vs. Cutler James
-Thatcher watches from the VIP Lounge in a funny visual. James with a headlock and they work off that for a bit. Valor looks so small in there with James. Valor lands a shot in the corner and mogs, I guess. James spears him but Valor gets an armbar. James lifts him off the mat, but Valor slides down. They keep trading counters and James ends up getting a shoulder tackle. He gets a one count off a hip-toss. Snake Eyes, but Valor goes to the eyes and hits a dropkick to the back. He misses a charge in the corner and James throws shoulders to the gut. Pop-up Euro uppercut from James! The Mog Squad distract the ref, which lets Abrams pull Valor away from a charge in the corner. We got a break at 2:52.
-SNME from MSG! I am sure there will be a Knicks celebration with Danhausen.
-Back at 3:23 with Valor holding a reverse chinlock. James back him into the corner, but Valor hits Chaos Theory in a nice display of power. Valor bounces James from buckle to buckle and hits a spinebuster for two. Short arm clothesline gets two. CJ goes back to a reverse chinlock as the crowd tries to rally James. Valor with a trip and goes up top but misses. James starts running wild and gets a Vortex backbreaker. Gutbuster on one knee and then the other. Dark Matter finishes at 6:56.
Winner: Cutler James via pin at 6:56
-Weird way to follow up the clean sweep last week, but James is on NXT and wasn’t losing here unless we had shenanigans. Valor controlling a much larger opponent just seemed awkward. It was fine though we went from the comeback right to the pin. **
-Thatcher tells Ball and Santi they have a match next.
Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno vs. Jacari Ball and Santi Rivera
-I should have figured something was up when all four members of The MS came out in their wrestling gear. Romeo controls Ball early, so we get tags on both sides. Dar and Santi have a go next. Dar with a reverse chinlock. He gets pushed off and they collide with neither man budging. Dar fires off kicks to the chest and lands a left hand to the face for two. Dar goes to work on the arm, but eats a right hand. Ball back in and he goes after the arm and then to a side headlock. Blind tag to Romeo and we get some double team offense. Romeo with a running boot in the corner and then a slingshot plancha for two. Santi lands a kick from the apron, which lets Ball hit an impressive jump kick to the face. We take a break at 3:22.
-SaudiMania commercial!
-Back at 4:08, but not to the ring. We get hidden camera footage of Sloane talking to guests for the party and it seems Zena is not invited.
-Back to the ring at 4:50 and Romeo is being worked over in the MS corner. He tries to fight his way out but Ball holds him by the leg and Santi hits a running boot. They knock Dar off the apron and Ball uses his leaping ability to hit a dropkick for two. Ball with a reverse chinlock. Romeo punches his way out, but gets caught in the wrong corner again. Santi in and tag back to ball as they try a double clothesline. Romeo ducks a hits both with a clothesline. Hot Tag to Dar and he runs wild with forearms and sends Santi and Ball into each other. Superkick to Ball! He goes for the cross arm breaker and Santi dives in to break it up, but misses and I don’t know if that was on purpose or not. That looked weird. Things get chaotic as all four are in the ring. Romeo lands a head kick on Santi. He kicks Abrams on the floor as well but that costs him as he misses a springboard moonsault. Boat Smasher hits, but Moreno has his foot on the ropes. The Mog Squad bails as they think they have won, but the ref tells them we aren’t done. Romeo with a dive over the top onto the pile. Double team slam gets the pin at 10:06.
Winners: Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar via pin at 10:06
-Took a bit to get going but it ended up being solid if a little choppy at times. **1/2
-I assume Max has a match next. Well, kind of as Thatcher tells Max he is the last one standing but he will give him a week’s notice. Max vs. Starboy is made for next week’s show.
-We have a backstage face-to-face between Harlem Lewis and Evolve Champion, Aaron Rourke. The title match is official and that has to be it for Aaron’s run. They compliment each other, but both note they need to win this match. Rourke tells Lewis he will give him rage and will show he is Glamour and Grit. They fist bump and we are set for next week.
-Club WWE commercial!
-Kale Dixon and his business partner talk about how hot they are while in a photo shoot. They are apparently causing Tubi ratings to go through the roof.
Ulka Sasaki vs. Harley Riggins
-Sasaki is on loan from NOAH and is a MMA veteran with 24 wins and 9 contests in The UFC. This could be interesting! This has also been a weird show. Not saying that’s bad. Ulka offers a handshake and Harley kicks his hand away. Ulka tries a shoulder tackle and nothing. Tilt-a-whirl slam from Harley and he beats Ulka down in the corner. Hard whip to the opposite corner. Ulka with a sunset flip for one and then a jackknife cover for another one count. Small package, but Harley blocks and gets a vertical suplex for two. Reverse chinlock, but Ulka punches out quickly. Harlem slams him down and talks trash to the fans. Ulka avoids a charge in the corner and starts firing off strikes. Discus forearm followed by a kick to the side of the head for two. Harley has had enough and hits a goozle into a knee to the face for the pin at 3:24.
Winner: Harley Riggins via pin at 3:24
-An extended SQUASH. SQUASH
-Oh wow, they replaced Chuey as Adriana Rizzo is our new ringside reporter. She wants to know here Kam is, but Riggins says it is time for The Big Rig to ride alone. With all these changes this was definitely part of a new taping cycle. He calls out Tate Wilder as they aren’t finished yet.
-Elijah Holyfield is working with Noam to learn how to avoid what happened in the loss to Brooks Jensen. They work out in the ring, and Brooks walks in to take a look. Some of the people are the same, but this show just feels so different than what we were getting. Brooks doesn’t do anything and just listens as Noam says Brooks sucks.
-FIFA World Cup commercial!
-Shido Ash and Viktor Zanov video package. They are former judo Olympians and only took the security job because it’s all Thatcher offered. They are coming for everyone.
-We see Kendal Grey winning the NXT Woman’s Championship at The Great American Bash. Future of the WWE Women’s Division.
-Sloane welcomes us to Big Cat Kita’s party and is joined by Gianna Capri and Veronica Haven. She brings out Nikkita and she sings her theme song for us. Sloane invites others to come out to get the party started and crickets. Kita has her cards out and wants to see who her next challenger will be. Wren Sinclair comes out and says she was invited and wants a Title Match. Skyla Raye is out and she would like a Title Match as well since she won season two of LFG. Here’s Layla Diggs and she is moving on her own (we are caught up to after Masyn was released) and also wants a Title Match. Everyone brawls, leaving Nikkita all alone. Laynie Luck sneaks up from behind and puts Nikkita through the table. She stands tall with the Championship Belt.
-Thanks for reading!
