Leighty’s WWE Evolve Succession Review

-Happy Birthday to my youngest son! Love you buddy!

This show should be a celebration as it is the first Tubi Special for Evolve. Sadly, it was kind of rained on as several people were released or didn’t have their ID deals renewed. Since these shows are taped so far in advance, we are likely to see some of these people for a bit. We have both Evolve Championships on the line tonight, plus a bull rope match. Let’s get to it!

Written: 10.15.25

Episode 33

Announce Team: Blake Howard and Robert Stone

Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

Opening video package with classic Evolve footage mixed in with footage from the early days of this show. They note GUNTHER, Cody, and Drew in Evolve and how they went on to be World Champions. Good video package!

First off, no Rosenberg, and now this show looks like NXT now with the same arena setup and a larger crowd than we are used to with this show. Interesting!

Video package covering Swipe Right and the fall out with Bryce Donovan. That leads to our Evolve Championship Match.

Jackson Drake (c) (w/ Vanity Project) vs. Bryce Donovan

Drake slaps Donovan in the face to start. Donovan hits a Black Hole Slam for a two count as they teased ending this one quickly. I wouldn’t have been shocked by that actually. Flapjack from Donovan and he throws clubbing blows to the chest. Brad Baylor on the apron and he takes a clothesline. Big Boot to Ricky Smokes. Zayda distracts long enough for Jackson to hit a suicide dive. VP pose on the apron as Keanu Carver tries to get to the ring, but security pulls him away. We take a break at 2:15.

Tubi commercials!

NXT Halloween Havoc commercial!

Back at 2:55 with Drake hitting a basement dropkick to the knee. He turns Donovan over into a Half Crab as he works the left knee. Donovan gets to the bottom rope and goes after Smokes on the floor. Drake lays in some stomps and drops an elbow on the knee. Donovan kicks away and hits a bit boot, but is hobbled. Backdrop and he does at least sell the knee. Powerbomb followed by a forearm smash gets two. Drake flips out of a choke slam and dropkicks right back to the knee. He goes for another suicide dive, but Donovan catches him and hits a chokeslam on the apron. Ouch! Donovan misses a charge on the floor and goes knee first into the steps. Drake dropkicks the knee against the stairs. Back in the ring he hits a Swanton on the knee, which hurts Drake but did more to Donovan. Cool! Donovan gets cocky as he shows the VP sign, but Drake grabs the fingers and we get some small joint manipulation. Lariat from Donovan! They start trading blows and that likely doesn’t end well for Drake. Chokeslam, but again, Drake counters with a head kick. Drake gets caught with the chokeslam off the middle ropes for two. Donovan hooked the leg so much, Drake ended up getting his foot put on the bottom rope. Drake goes back to the knee and hits Unaliving x 2 for the pin at 8:35.

Winner and Still WWE Evolve Champion: Jackson Drake via pin at 8:35

I enjoyed this because it was all action and Drake got the relatively clean win as we had minimal involvement from VP. I assumed Drake was retaining when that had this open the show. I do thing Carver may have walked out as Champion if he wasn’t hurt, but I assume we get there down the line. Match was on the short side for a Title Match, but it was enjoyable. They had good chemistry. ***

Stevie Turner is backstage on the phone talking about a partnership with AAA. She is excited to have some unnamed person on the show. Bigg Jah is here and I don’t know who he is, so I checked and I guess YouTube person. I’m old and my YouTube content creators of choice that doesn’t have anything to do with wrestling is Crypt, and Ryukahr. Shout-out to the In The Clutch boys as well.

John Cena video package.

Adrenaline Drop backstage vignette.

Chuey Martinez is with Layla Diggs, Masyn Holiday, and Wendy Choo. They talk Women’s Evolve Championship and Wendy wants to say something but gets cut off by Chantel Monroe. Wendy: “AJ Lee says therapy works.” Layla and Masyn are off to see Bigg Jah.

Bull Rope Match: Tate Wilder vs. Brooks Jensen

This is pin or submission only with no DQ and the rope and bell being legal to use. They immediately have a tug-of-war with the rope. Blake brings the history as he mentions JBL/Eddie, Piper/Valentine (chain match), and this match being made famous by Dusty Rhodes. Jensen gets caught in a tough spot and takes a ball shot. We get another tug of war with Jensen on the floor and he pulls Tate into the ropes in a nice spot. We take a break at 1:58.

John Cena goes Garden to Garden one last time! RAW is in Boston and NYC two weeks straight.

Tubi commercials!

Back at 2:48 with Brooks choking Tate on the middle rope. He wraps his first with the rope and lands a right hand. He takes a swing with the bell, but hits the post which stings his hands. Wilder can’t follow up though and Brooks runs him down with a clothesline. He drops a fist and then drops Wilder gut first on the top rope. He comes off the middle ropes with a bell shot. Never been a fan of spots where the guy has to hang on the ropes. At least this one didn’t have Wilder holding himself on the ropes in place. Jensen goes to a choke with the rope as Wilder stretches to grab the bell. He can’t use it though as Jensen rains down elbows. He whips Wilder across the chest with the rope and Tate fires up off it. Nice! He fires off left hands and whips Jensen on the back. Home run swing with the rope to the chest followed by a vertical suplex. He hits a standing moonsault for a two count. They start trading blows and Jensen wins that exchange. He can’t get away though since they attached and wilder hits a superkick. Wilder springs off the ropes, but gets whipped in the back and takes the bell. Ouch! That gets two! Jensen up, but Wilder pulls him off and hits a powerbomb! He heads up top and kind of hits a moonsault for the pin at 8:36. That was more like a moonsault head-butt.

Winner: Tate Wilder via pin at 8:36

This was solid and they worked a decent and safe bull rope match. Some fun spots, but I was wanting something more brutal or using the rope/bell as part of the finish. **3/4

WWE ID Program commercial! The next crop of prospects will be announced on Evolve soon. Now we know why we had releases and contracts not renewed.

Video package on Kali/Kendal! Good on them getting the Main Event spot on this show.

Survivor Series: War Games commercial! Very interested who will be on these teams now after Rollins was turfed by The Brons.

Aaron Rourke vignette!

Sean Legacy is backstage with Stevie Turner and he gets a match next week with Edris Enofe after a suggestion from Bigg Jah. Stevie tells Jahh he can be the GM next week for one week only. Poor Stevie! The women find Jah and they want to be in one of his movies. “If I say no, will you beat me up?”

WWE Evolve Women’s Championship: Kali Armstrong (c) vs. Kendal Grey

Super special in ring introductions! We start fast as they shove each other and Kendal shoots in. Kali runs her into the corner and goes to another corner to land strikes and kicks. Kendal is game and responds with her own kicks and some chops. Kendal goes for the arm immediately, but Kali reverses to a pin for two. Kendal gets sent into the buckle, but slides out of a slam and avoids a charge in the corner. Kendal picks the ankle and lands a basement dropkick. Nice! Kali rolls to the floor, so Kendal heads up top and hits a jackknife cross-body to the floor! Sweet! They battle on the apron and Kali teases a piledriver. No dice obviously, but she does trip Kendal as she looked to spring back in. Kali runs her into the apron and lands a heavy right hand as we take a break at 3:10.

Salt Lake City gets SmackDown and SNME on Oct 31 and Nov 1.

Tubi commercials!

Back at 4:44 with Kali landing a running boot and dropping an elbow for a two count. The crowd starts a Kendal chant, but she gets spun backwards and dropped on her face for two. The crowd lets them know this is awesome. There is certainly a lot more energy with a full crowd. Kendal blocks a charge in the corner and gets an overhead throw. She slides to the floorand trips Kali. She sling shots back in with a double stomp and then a DDT for two. Kendal heads up, but is too slow as Kali stops her. They tease a Super German Suplex, but Kendal elbows out and gets a great near fall off a moonsault press for two. Nice superkick from Kendal! Kali eats it though and hits a powerslam for another nice near fall. They are rocking now! Kali sets up for a superplex, but Kendal knocks her down again. Kali sprints back up the ropes and gets a superplex for two. Powerslam is countered into a small package for two. Kali goes shoulder first into the post, but catches Kendal off the ropes with the powerslam. Nice! Kali Connection is attempted, but Kendal hits her own snap powerslam and we have a NEW EVOLVE WOMEN’S Champion at 10:35.

Winner and New WWE Evolve Women’s Champion: Kendal Grey via pin at 10:35

This was fantastic as it started great and just hit a higher gear after the commercial break. Those final few minutes with the near falls was wonderful. Congrats to Kendal and here’s hoping Kali becomes a star on NXT and then beyond. This was so fun to watch! ****

Wren Sinclair and Carlee Bright are out to celebrate with our New Champion. Cool!

Thanks for reading!

8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

This was a wonderful hour of wrestling as they knocked it out of the park. All three matches delivered to some degree and the Main Event gets my vote for best match in this show's brief history. The opener was a lot of fun as well and I was digging the bull rope match, but just wanted something a little more with the ending. One of the two Champions had to lose since this was the first big special and Kali is ready to move to NXT. I am not sure if the move to this set-up is permanent or if it's something they will only break out for specials. If so, I am cool with that as it did the give a bigger feel. Definitely check this one out. Just a fun night of wrestling!