WWE Evolve Review 10.08.25

Greetings, folks. I’m a day late on Evolve because I wanted to enjoy one last night of Yankees baseball before their season ended last night. I learned a long time ago that, no matter what, you are grateful when your team makes the postseason at all. Therefore, I am thankful to have at least caught some October baseball from my favorite team last night.

Before we begin the review, the big news is that Zayda Steel is no longer under WWE ID contract. I know that this won’t be a big deal for some, as Zayda really hasn’t been impressive in the ring at all since initially being signed, but I’m not sure I’m the only one who is beginning to worry about the program a bit. There have been no new signings, and, really, the only wrestlers under ID deals who I could realistically see growing with the WWE right now are Swipe Right, Jackson Drake, and Sean Legacy. Now, those are four solid talents, but I think we’ve all been expecting more out of this WWE/indie partnership than what we’ve been given. My question to you all is: why is this happening? Have the indies just plain been usurped by the WWE PC/NIL as the best way to develop TV-ready talent? Inquiring minds want to know.

Now that I’ve dangled that question in front of you all, let’s get to some Evolve action.

TOO BEE. TUBI.
THEN. NOW. FORESKINS FOR AUTISM. TOGETHER.

Our Prime Minister, Stevie Turner, is here to announce that Keanu Carver suffered a broken hand last week and will, in fact, NOT be wrestling Jackson Drake for the Men’s Evolve Championship next week at Succession. By the end of the night, Stevie will determine who is the new #1 contender for the title. That really sucks for Keanu, and I think there was a pretty good chance he was getting the belt.

Chuey Martinez starts off IN THE RING tonight, and HISTORY WILL BE MADE next week as Evolve has its first special, Succession, next week. Chuey brings out the two women who are the epitome of Evolve, our goddess, Kendal Grey (looking oh so wonderfully Y2K-y in that outfit), and Kali Armstrong. Kendal and Chuey perform a secret handshake before Kali emerges, looking boss as ever. Kendal calls out Kali taking out Carlee Bright last week. Kali drew a line last week with the attack, and Kendal is going to break her and take her title next week. Kali tells us she took Carlee out because she could, and that neither she nor Kendal is as good as she is. Kendal reminds us that she beat all the guys in amateur wrestling, was 61-0 as an amateur, and that she qualified for the US Olympic trials at 10 (no, sir, I did not know that.). Kali counters with being a three-time All-American, as well as citing her track and field resume. Kali comes from the struggle, and from Englewood, California, the city of champions. She was born with drugs in her system, and still made it. Kendal offers a handshake, with Kali pulling her in. No further shenanigans occur between the two in a very, very solid segment. These two are diamonds, I tell you.

TONIGHT, Wendy Choo will face Nikkita Lyons in a match between two women with nowhere else to go, while poor, partnerless It’s Gal draws Dante Chen in a singles match. We’re really going with the upward mobility tonight, I see.

Kelly Kincaid is backstage with Tate Wilder, who continues to learn from his mistakes and finally got his hand raised. He wants to put his name in the hat for a Succession match…..and here’s Brooks Jensen to attack him before anything else of note happens. Alrighty then.

IT’S GAL VS. DANTE CHEN

It’s Gal being announced from “Mt. Olympus” is a funny indie gag, I must say. It’s the real-life action figure versus the Temu Mortal Kombat action figure. They lock up, as wrestlers often do. Chen grabs the headlock and takes Gal down. Gal reverses into a headscissors and begins to do push-ups. Gal gets the dreaded front chancery on, reversed by Chen. Gal goes squats with Chen on his shoulders, and we get a bit of a pose-off. These first few minutes could have been an email. Gal tries to kick Chen in the gut, but gets punched in the face for his effots. Dante fles, and hits a BIG back bodydrop before Gal escapes to the outside. They fight on the apron, with Dante clotheslining Gal back into the ring. Dante hits a knee off the top, but gets thrown halfway around the ring for his efforts. Gal goes on the attack, hitting a big boot off the ropes. Gal attempts to come off the top, but gets a knee to the family jewels for his efforts. Chen comes back with an atomic drop, some clotheslines, a uranage, and big kick sending Gal out of the ring. Obligatory dive to the outside by Chen, but he misses a move off the top, allowing Gal to hit some uppercuts in the corner. Chen reverses with a powerbomb from the corner. Gentle Touch finishes for Chen.

WINNER: DANTE CHEN

MATCH RATING: C Good enough for house show opener status, as neither of these guys are ever going to embarrass you, nor are they going to give you much more than this.

GAL: C+ It sucks to see Gal with nothing to do other than put Dante Chen over right now. He’s definitely grown as a character and deserves better.

CHEN: B- Typical Dante stuff, very much walking that thin line between “fun underdog face” and “goober.”

Referee Hottie raises the hand of Dante, only mentioned because I hadn’t noticed her in a while. Dante poses for way too long in the gym.

Chuey is backstage with High Ryze, who we haven’t seen in a good while. They’ll probably be beating up our favorite WWE ID geeks, Marcus Mathers and Aaron Rourke, tonight.

I’d give anything to fast-forward through these dumb ads.

The Vanity Project is hanging out backstage, and Bryce Donovan is NOT into whatever is going on. Jackson Drake wants to give everyone a gift, while the rest of the gang wonder who is going to be the new #1 contender. Drake shouts out Donovan for taking Keanu Carver out, and they all leave together…..except for Bryce Donovan, which I’m sure won’t turn into anything at all by the end of the show.

MARCUS MATHERS & AARON ROURKE VS. HIGH RYZE (TYREEK IGWE & TYSON DUPONT, W/ WES LEE)

Wes Lee actually comes out with High Ryze, and I am shocked Wes continues to collect a paycheck here. Injuries really did this dude in, sadly. Rourke and Tyreek start off, and Tyreek easily powers the much smaller Rourke down. Rourke has speed, though, and the Ass Slap of Doom gets Tyreek so steamed that he falls victim to a rana and further double-team from the faces. Mathers is in, and Tyreek remembers he’s strong again. Mathers uses his speed to escape a big slam, but misses the blind tag to Tyson Dupont, and here comes the stockier dude to take Mathers down. Tyreek and Tyson frequently tag back and forth in order to lay a beating down on Marcus. Rourke is going f’ing apeshit in the corner looking for the hot tag. Know where Rourke would work out great? AAA. Tyreek continues to impose his manhood on Marcus Mathers (phrasing). Mathers finally escapes the heels, though, and tags in Aaron Rourke. Rourke with a searies of strikes and knees, rocking Tyreek, and hits a big meteora off the top for two. Rourke sends both heels flying to the outside, and here comes the obligatory Evolve double suicide dive to the only part of ringside there’s room to hit one pn. Back in the ring, we’ve gone Bonzo Gonzo. Rourke and Tyreek are left in the ring, with Rourke missing a sorta-spinning Twisted Bliss. Tyson hits a big boot, and the High Ryzer finishes.

WINNERS: HIGH RYZE

MATCH RATING: B- Nothing really wrong here, as the heels have definitely shown improvement in the ring and the faces are experienced indie guys who won’t let you down and know their role.

ROURKE/MATHERS: B Like with most of the ID talent, I don’t know what their long-term role here unless they hit the gym a bit, but they’re both entertaining guys who I’ll never change the channel on.

HIGH RYZE: B Certainly much improved from the two stiffs they were when they first debuted. There’s good power stuff here, and another shot on NXT wouldn’t be out of place right now.

After a long break, Jax and Harley interrupt Stevie Turner being on her phone and ask for another match with Adrenaline Drip. Jax Pressley calls this the rubber match to end all rubber match, and Harley tries to big-man Stevie by saying Robert Stone would book the match. Stevie books the match, not because of Harley’s comment, but because Adrenaline Drip deserve to show their dominance. Harley Riggins…..apologizes? Hey, it was certainly a different kind of exchange.

WENDY CHOO VS. NIKKITA LYONS

We continue with the parade of upstart talent tonight, although I do like whatever they’re doing to rehab Wendy right now. The woman deserves an actual shot. Nikkita absolute makes Wendy look tiny. Wendy continues with the spooky gimmick, but certainly with more of a face feel. Wendy escapes Nikkita’s thunder thighs, meows at her, and gets a headlock. The size difference makes it so that Wendy can barely get up to get Nikkita into a crucifix for two. “Innovative offense” gets two for Wendy, who gets shoved into the corner by Nikkita, then out of the ring. On the outside, Nikkita gets a few shots in, rams Wendy into the apron a few times, and sends her back into the ring. Nikkita does a split in the corner, then rams her ass in Wendy’s face several times. More ass moves lead to a camel clutch by Nikkita. The crowd chants for Wendy, and here comes the quasi-zombie comeback. Wendy takes Nikkita down with a couple of axe-handles and a flying head-scissors. Handspring chop to the elbow leads to, basically, a Helluva kick from Wendy, and crossbody off the second rope gets two. Wendy reverses a full-nelson slam into two. Pearl River Plunge gets a two for Nikkita. Wendy fights out of a firefighter’s carry, and an attempt at the Dirt Nap fails. Nikkita catches Wendy trying to hit another crossbody and slams her, but the splash off the second rope fails. Wendy cinches in the Dirt Nap for the tap.

WINNER: WENDY CHOO

MATCH RATING: B This honestly wasn’t bad at all, as Nikkita’s much, much better as a heel, and slowly getting Wendy away from anything involving sleep could do wonders for her.

WENDY: B+ I’m liking this face turn. The woman still has talent, and could still climb up the ranks here.

NIKKITA: B She’s been far better as a heel, but it’s getting late early for her.

Brooks Jensen calls out Tate Wilder, telling him he’s the reason he hates Evolve. While I like Jensen’s shirt, I literally do not care for anything he’s got to say here. They’re facing each other at Succession, and one backstage attack somehow means we’re getting a bullrope match. Alrighty then.

The Vanity Project will come to the ring after another break which will only feel like forever, I’m sure. Harry and David, the Christmas care package people, somehow make their own wine, in case you want your date to laugh at you.

The Vanity Project, featuring the ghost of Zayda Steel, are out for the big announcement, which I’m sure will not at all involve one other member of the team. Jackson Drake has both the mic and some weird Sharpie mark on his side. The hell is that. Drake wonders who his opponent next week is going to be. Sean Legacy’s music hits. He wants the shot, obviously, but the ghost of Edris Enofe is here to beat Legacy from behind, as this show was obviously taped sometime in March, when circumcisions were PERFECTLY SAFE. Well, it doesn’t look like Super Sean is getting the shot, but every camera angle possible made it obvious that someone was jumping him from behind. Everyone celebrates except one guy. Jackson Drake prematurely says there is no next challenger, and calls for a Vanity Project Appreciation Night instead next week. Drake praises everyone on the team….except for Bryce Donovan, who grabs the contract. Donovan tells Drake to shut the hell up, calls the rest of the team the worst human beings he’s ever met in his entire life, and calls his shot for the title next week. Swipe Right get thrown outside, and Drake goes through the table to end things. Did they telegraph this all night? Sure, but Donovan’s looked solid every appearance he’s been given, and we could do a lot worse as Plan B here.

OVERALL RATING: B- The bad news is that a lot of retreads wrestled tonight. The good news is that the retreads all acquitted themselves very well. Both the opening and closing segements were good as well. Yes, this show needs a massive talent infusion (and maybe LFG can help with that), but they did a lot with a little tonight.