Leighty’s WWE Evolve Succession II Review

-Written: 3.4.26
-Source: Tubi
-Run Time: 59:15
-Episode 50

-Plug: Nitro 10.28.96

-We have a big one tonight as this is basically Evolve’s version of a PLE. The first Succession delivered and with the card they have in place, this one should as well.

-Announce Team: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard
-Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

-Vanity Project are in their dorm and bragging about their accomplishments and how they are perfect for NXT. They are fans of Hot Megan and mention Joe Hendry (he did not appear).

-Cappuccino Jones pre-taped interview where he runs down tonight’s card, while also hyping his match with Jackson Drake.

-Show intro and it’s specific to this show with new music. I appreciate them treating it like a PLE and I love they are using Roman Numerals. Also, the last Succession was taped in the NXT Arena set-up, while this one is our traditional Evolve Arena look.

Harlem Lewis vs. Brooks Jensen

-Lewis charges and they start trading blows in the corner. Sweet! We don’t need a lockup here. Chops from Lewis and Jensen returns fire. Brooks sends Lewis into the corner, but gets caught with an elbow. Bulldog from Lewis gets a one count. Jensen gets a sleeper, but Lewis runs him into the corner to break. Jensen goes full Sheamus with clubbing blows to the chest. They collide and again and Brooks drops on the third go. Jensen ends up on the floor and Lewis tries a baseball slide, but Jensen pulls out the ring skirt to trap. Jensen throws heavy blows and hits a knee back in the ring. Front facelock but Lewis escapes rather easily and goes back to work on the shoulder. Slam followed by an elbow for two. Brooks slides out of a slam and gets a belly-to-back suplex for two. They trade more strikes and collide to leave both men down as we take a break at 4:10.

-NXT Vengeance Day commercial!

-Back at 4:36 as we see that Jensen hit a rebound clothesline during the break to take control. Clubbing blow to the back of the head gets two. Jensen hooks a reverse chinlock, but Lewis with a suplex to break. Running boot followed by Euro uppercuts in the corner. Short-arm clothesline gets two! Brooks backdrops out of a piledriver attempt, but Lewis rolls through for a sunset flip for two. Rosenberg brings up Big E and Meat Slapping! Jensen hits a heel kick and gets two off a sit-out powerbomb. Running knee gets two! They go back to trading strikes, but Lewis gets an arm-bar. Jensen rolls into a crucifix for two, but Lewis maintains the hold. Jensen misses a knee and back to trading strikes. Definitely meat slapping in this one! Lewis eats the chops and fires back with forearms and elbows. He charges into a big boot, but just screams, so Jensen boots him again. Lewis avoids another strike and gets a lariat. Boom Slam finishes for the pin at 10:05.

Winner: Harlem Lewis via pin at 10:05
-We were promised a hard-hitting match and that’s what they gave us. Lewis winning is the right call and he should be next in line for the Evolve Championship. ***1/4

-Chuey is with Lewis, who says he is next and whoever wins tonight’s Championship Match is just keeping the Championship warm for him.

-Lainey Luck video package!

-We flashback to the few times PJ Vasa SMASHED Kendal Grey.

Street Fight: WWE Evolve Women’s Championship: Kendal Grey (c) (w/ Wren Sinclair) vs. PJ Vasa

-Vasa is dressed for a street fight, which is nice to see. Kendal is also dressed for a street fight and looks rather amazing. Kendal charges and IT IS ON! PJ with a clothesline out of the corner to cut off a Grey flurry. Headbutts from Vasa and Grey rolls to the floor. Vasa pulls her back to the apron by her hair. Grey gets an arm-bar over the ropes and hits a head kick from her back. She pulls a table out from under the ring and yes, it’s a Slim Jim Table! Grey sends PJ into the ring post and goes back to setting up the SJ Table. Vasa eats a superkick and Kendal lifts her, but PJ slides off. They tease various table spots, but nothing doing yet. PJ tosses Kendal onto the apron and hits another headbutt. She sends Kendal into the stairs as we take a break at 2:33.

-Backlash Tampa! May 9th!

-Back at 3:02 with both women back in the ring and PJ has a chair. Kendal fights back enough to get the chair away from PJ, but walks into a Black Hole Slam for two. PJ goes back to the chair and starts wearing Kendal out with shots to the back. Tyra Me Steele is watching in the VIP section. PJ finds a dozen chairs under the ring and slides them all into the ring. Another chair shot to the back of Kendal. Superplex onto the chairs is teased, but Kendal fights back and knocks Vasa down. Grey off the top with a missile dropkick and Vasa falls back into the pile of chairs. Grey with a chair and she starts swinging away! Head kick from Kendal sends PJ to the floor. PJ avoids a dive, but Kendal lands on her feet which lets PJ SPEAR her into the table. Nice! Powerbomb gets two in a really good near fall. PJ brings the stairs into the ring and starts slamming Kendal onto them. PJ preps for a powerbomb on the steps, but Kendal counters and hits SHADES OF GREY ON THE STAIRS for the pin at 9:08.

Winner: Kendal Grey via pin at 9:08
-Fantastic finish there! I thought they would pull the trigger but I am glad they didn’t as Kendal is awesome and she can defend still while staying in NXT. She is going to be a big deal when she gets to the main roster. They worked a formula that was right out of Sting/Vader and it usually always works. ***1/2

-Next week we are getting an Evolve Town Hall Meeting!

-We get security footage from earlier in the day as Tate Wilder gets assaulted by Kam and Harley.

-Video package on the history between Cappuccino and Jackson Drake.

WWE Evolve Championship: Jackson Drake (c) vs. Cappuccino Jones

-Drake is the only WWE Evolve Champion as he has held the Title for nearly a year. Swipe Right are in the VIP Section. Mat wrestling to start and Cap gets arm control. Drake counters with a head scissors. Jones kips up, but Drake takes him down and Jones goes back to the head scissors and ends up getting a two count. We go again and Drake gets a side headlock. Jones shoves off and drops down, but Drake holds the ropes and walks over the back in sweet heel move. That irritates Jones and he gets emotional and Drake takes advantage. He gets a one count off a throw and stomps the hand of Jones. They trade chops in the corner and Cap wins that exchange. Drake chokes on the ropes, but Jones comes back with a dropkick after a double leap frog. Dropkick through the ropes as we head to a break at 3:35.

-WrestleMania commercial with a QR code so you can order tickets.

-Back at 4:10 with Jones getting a two count in the ring. Sunset flip is blocked and Drake twists Cap’s neck with his feet. Drake ties Jones up in a pretzel and mocks him. Modified neckbreaker followed by a boot to the back gets a one count. Jones back with a forearm, but Drake cuts him off and hits a reverse neckbreaker for two. Drake works a neck crank as we are told Tubi is going to stay with this as long as it takes. Well, considering there are 13 minutes left in the run time, that kind of spoils how long we have. Jones escapes and sends Drake into the corner. He hits a series of dropkicks, but Drake stops a third attempt with a running boot and then a suplex into the corner. Both men are down, but Drake is up first and talks trash as he asks Cap if he has an NXT contract. That ticks off Cap and he fires away with strikes. They trade forearms and Cap throws jabs. Drake misses a head kick and Cap continues to jab with his left hand. Drake goes for a leg sweep, but Cap jumps to avoid and hits a splash on the back. Peter brings up Dan Marino getting to a Super Bowl early and never getting back. That’s right, he lost to my Niners! Forearm from Drake in the corner, but Cap sends him to the apron. Drake drops down to snap Cap’s neck off the top rope. Springboard, but Cap knocks him off balance and Drake falls on his balls. Cap sends Drake to the floor and follows with a suicide dive. Back in the ring Cap runs wild with clotheslines and hits a Pump Kick. German Suplex into a roll-up gets two! Drake back with a jumping knee and a head kick. German Suplex into a bridge gets two! Nice! Un-Aliving is blocked as Jones was ready for it. Cap off the top with The Froggy Brew Elbow for two! Jones with a springboard, but gets caught with a reverse neckbreaker. Jones smartly rolls to the apron and they start trading blows out there. Loud chops! Drake goes to the throat and hits a NASTY looking brainbuster on the apron. OH MAN! DRAKE OFF THE TOP WITH A 450 SPLASH FOR TWO. Drake hit that clean! Drake back up top again but Cap springs up. Drake avoids and knocks Cap down. Springboard, but Cap catches him with a punch on the way down. De-Caffeinator gets two! Cap struggles to get to the top and Drake uses the opening to knock him off balance. They fight up top and Drake gets caught with a choke. Drake turns that into a Torture Rack and hits a modified Burning Hammer. Wow! Un-Aliving connects and Drake gets the pin at 18:32.

Winner and Still WWE Evolve Champion: Jackson Drake via pin at 18:32
-The crowd seems bummed they didn’t change the title, but I didn’t think Jones had been built up enough. With that said this was a great match and they went all out after the commercial break. They had me believing Cap could win and that’s all I needed. It started slow, but that’s fine as they built to what they needed and delivered a fantastic Main Event. ****

-Harlem Lewis is out and charges the ring, but is outnumbered. He holds his own and tosses Ricky Smokes onto Baylor and Drake. He screams at Drake and says the title is his and he owns Drake.

-Thanks for reading!

9.0

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

This show delivered in every way for me. All three matches were good to great, and it was just an hour of fun, hard hitting wrestling. I was surprised both Champions retained, but sometimes you have to do that so a change isn't always expected on one of these shows. I am not sure who is next for Kendal (I assume Tyra), but we know Harlem is next for Jackson. This gets my vote for best show in WWE Evolve history. Spend the hour to watch this one.