Leighty’s WWE Evolve Review 8.26.26

-Written 8.26.26
-Source: Tubi
-Run Time: 50:47
-Episode 75

-Plug: Dark Side: Zach Gowen

-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Robert Stone
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

-Then! Now! Forever! Together!

-Brooks Jensen isn’t running from Elijah Holyfield. His snakeskin boots kick a rookie’s ass. Tonight it’s a lumberjack match! This is the Brooks Jensen I can dig.

-Show opening!

Laynie Luck vs. PJ Vasa

-Laynie starts quick as she tries strikes and kicks to knock PJ off her feet. She snaps off a rana that sends PJ to the floor. Laynie with a suicide dive! Nice! She sends PJ back into the ring and flips in with a Senton. She gets caught though and PJ hits a sit-out slam. Running splash in the corner followed by a clothesline. Spear gets two. Huh, I thought that might be the end. PJ hooks a bear-hug as Sloane Jacobs watches from VIP. PJ misses a falling head-butt and then misses a splash in the corner. Rolling kick from Luck followed by a step-up enziguiri and Shining Wizard. PJ rolls to the apron for space, but Laynie comes off the top with a double stomp and rolls PJ back into the ring for a two count. She tries to lift PJ and no dice. PJ with a sit-out powerbomb for two. Laynie counters a suplex with a DDT. Superkick! Now she does lift PJ and hits a DVP (Death Valley Party) for the upset at 4:09.

Winner: Laynie Luck via pin at 4:09
-Nice little match as big vs little is an easy story tell and match to work. Keep it simple and they did that here. Good win for Laynie as I wouldn’t have guessed that outcome when this one started. **1/2

-Sloane complains to PJ.

-Gianna Capri is not here to wait in lines like waiting for cold cuts at the deli. She has wrestled in Japan and was a ballerina for 20 years. She is tired of people telling her what to do. She has an issue with Anyna Rune. Gianna tells us to stay out of the kitchen if we can’t handle the sauce.

-This Sunday: AAA Ola De Calor and NXT Heatwave. Weird they are packing a random Sunday in August.

-Atlanta: Sunday Night’s Main Event!

Chazz “Starboy” Hall vs. Kale Dixon (w/ Alix Brooks)

-Kale has one red boot and one white boot. Never been a fan of that look. Dixon immediately gets a slam for a one count. He sends Hall to the corner and follows with a running clothesline. Powerbomb, but Hall rolls over and gets a sunset flip for two. Another roll-up gets two. Hall handspring back flip over Kale and hits a superkick. He goes for a monkey flip out of the corner, but Dixon blocks. Hall springs off the top and gets a Mexican arm-drag. Dropkick and then he lands thrust kick to the gut. Sliced Bread is blocked as Dixon drops Hall throat first on the top rope. Cappuccino Jones is watching this one from VIP. Dixon pulls Hall in the Tree of Woe and delivers knees before bringing Hall out by dropping him on the back of his head. Forearms to the back of the head and Kale goes to a reverse chinlock. Hall nearly gets a head scissors, but Dixon blocks and drops Hall on his face. He gets too cocky as he tries a falling splash from the middle ropes and misses. Hall starts his comeback with chops and strikes. Dixon misses a charge and this time Hall gets the head scissors. He lands a spinning heel kick and pulls down the straps. Sliced Bread followed by a twisting standing moonsault for two. Superkick is blocked, but Hall lands on his feet from a German Suplex. They trade pin attempts and then Dixon walks into a superkick. Hall springs on the ropes, but Brooks grabs the leg to trip him up. Dixon uses that to hit The 96 for the pin at 5:24.

Winner: Kale Dixon via pin at 5:25
-Solid, but I didn’t get into this one like the previous match. The crowd seemed a little subdued with it as well. Cheating to win is always appreciated. **1/2

-Cappuccino Jones gives Hall a pep talk after the match.

-Elijah Holyfield is backstage and says Brooks has a weak spirit. He is coming from revenge and the biggest mistake Brooks made was talking down The Holyfield name. Tonight, he knocks his ass out for good.

-TKO Boxing: Garcia vs. Benn and Opetaia vs. Mikaelian! Sept 12!

-WWE heads to Europe in Jan on The Road to The Rumble!

Layla Diggs vs. Zena Sterling

-Layla has been a big part of Season Three of NXT. Zena has been a part of all three seasons of NXT. Winner joins Luck, Raye, and Sinclair in a 4 Way next week to determine a #1 contender. Lockup and they jockey for position. Zena gets back control and takes Layla down to the mat. She gets a one count and goes back to a waist-lock. Layla escapes and gets a one count of her own. They continue to work on the mat and trade quick covers. Zena grabs hold off the neck but Layla gets a standing switch. Zena with a knockdown and grabs a side headlock. Layla floats over the ropes and catches Zena running at her. To the corner where Layla stomps away. To the next corner where she lands a shoulder tackle. Running CM Punk knee in the opposite corner gets two. Zena ducks a punch and gets a release suplex followed by a clothesline for a one count. Suplex but Layla escapes and hits a sit-out gourdbuster. Ax Kick misses and Zena gets a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. Layla fights for a sunset flip and we get some choppy pin reversals and Zena gets the last one with her foot on the ropes for the pin at 4:12.

Winner: Zena Sterling via pin at 4:12
-The crowd was checked out on this one and it was kind of choppy in spots. Another upset win and we will see what Zena can do next week. **

-Vanta The Unknown is coming! She will harvest our panic and peel away our fake confidence. “I want the version of you that suffocates in The Unknown.”

-Survivor Series: War Games! Houston! I attended my first WrestleMania in Houston!

-WWE Evolve Champion Harlem Lewis is out next! He doesn’t care how Thatcher picks his next victim, but he wants to know who it is. Harley Riggins interrupts and says he will rip the title off Harlem and cool his ass off. He goes over the opponents he has smoked. Harlem asks Harley if he got permission from “daddy” Kam Hendrix to come out here. Harley calls Harlem a bitch and the BRAWL is on. Sweet! Security is out and they get dispatched rather easily. Thatcher is out with more security.

-We cut to the back and a camera runs up and Aaron Rourke is getting beaten down by The MOG Squad.

-Next Week it’s a Fatal 4 Way Special as we get two of them to determine #1 contenders. For the men: Harley vs. It’s Gal vs. Cutler James vs. Max Abrams. For the women: Zena vs. Laynie vs. Wren vs. Skylar Raye.

Lumberjack Match: Brooks Jensen vs. Elijah Holyfield

-Brooks has two wins over Elijah via cheating and this is Elijah’s chance for payback. This is also the first lumberjack match in WWE Evolve history. Elijah is calm, but intense as he knows Brooks can’t run anywhere. Brooks tries his best to stay away, but knows he can’t. He misses wildly on a swing, but goes get a side headlock. Elijah shoves off and goes for a punch, but Brooks slides to the floor. He realizes where he’s at and shoves the lumberjacks before sliding back into the ring. Elijah clothesline sends Brooks back to the floor and he gets stomped by the lumberjacks. Elijah throws him out on another side for more lumberjack comeuppance. Elijah with body punches but walks into a boot to the face. Elijah just keeps coming though and Jensen gets caught in the ropes and dumped to the floor. Holyfield follows, which is a mistake, as Viktor grabs him by the leg and Brooks is able to drop an elbow as we head to a break at 3:20.

-WrestleMania: Saudi Arabia! Still no date!

-Back at 4:05 with Brooks getting a two count. Elijah with more body blows. Brooks delivers a shoulder from the apron and hits a lariat for a two count. Brooks with a forearm across the face and he is starting to feel it in there. Neckbreaker into a reverse chinlock. Elijah tries a suplex to break, but Brooks tightens the hold. Another try and nothing, so Eijah throws body blows and shoves off. Brooks out of the corner with a boot, but misses an elbow. Elijah with a crucifix pin for two. Brooks up first and hits another lariat for two. He slaps Elijah in the back of the head and drops a knee to the face. Elijah blocks a trip into the corner but Brooks gets a roll-up and uses the ropes. The ref catches him though and Holyfield kicks away. Elijah with a flying shoulder tackle and a bulldog. Spinebuster gets two! Brooks goes to the eyes and breaks out an enziguiri. Running knee followed by a teardrop suplex for two. Brooks misses a clothesline and Elijah decks him but Brooks bounces back off the ropes with another lariat. That gets two! Jensen off the middle ropes, but gets caught with a powerslam. That gets two as Brooks gets his foot on the bottom rope. Both men on the floor and we get a giant brawl with all the lumberjacks. Romeo Moreno dives onto everyone! Elijah is standing in the ring and Brooks has his chance to run, but Sam Holloway is out and sends Brooks back into the ring. Holyfield hits The Uppercut and gets the elusive win at 11:01.

Winner: Elijah Holyfield via pin at 11:01
-This was an old school match which isn’t shocking as that is Brooks’ deal. I enjoyed it as it built nicely and they showed the point of the stipulation. You knew a brawl was coming with the lumberjacks and that fit in with Jensen’s character as he was looking for a way to run. It was good to see Elijah in a match that went a bit. This program with Jensen was good for him and we get to see what he can do now. I hope we see more of Brooks though as this character works for him. I was a fan of all of this. ***1/4

-Thanks for reading!

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

I enjoyed the old school feel of that Main Event and it turned a solid show into a good one. We had a couple upsets in the women's division, which is kind of nice to see as we get some fresh faces going after Lyons. The Harley/Harlem brawl was fun, but I wonder if they tipped their hand on the Fatal 4 Way result for next week. As always, Evolve makes the most of their 50 or so minutes and sets things for the future. This show just always makes sense and keeps things rolling along.