WWE Evolve Review – 11.05.25

Hey everyone! Sorry, I’m late with the Saturday Night’s Main Event Oh Wait That Never Happened on this Blog Evolve review, but I had to stay home and wait for a grocery delivery this morning, and figured, hey, no better time than now. Tip your Instacart drivers, folks. Of all the internet delivery jobs, I feel like they’ve got the toughest one, unless you live where Scott lives, in which case, tip your moose.

Let’s get to some Evolve action.

TOOOOOOO BEEEEEEE. TUBI.
THEN. NOW. MAMDANI. TOGETHER.

We head directly to the ring for our first match.

ADRENALINE DRIP VS. HARLEY RIGGINS & JAX PRESSLEY

The guy who looks like Odyssey Jones is back in the crowd as we begin with the long-awaited rubber match between these two teams. They’ve been talking about this for so many weeks, they should just make Veer Mahaan the special guest ref. As I finish this joke, Cap and Jack hit a double dive to the outside before the heels even hit the ring, and we get the Space Flying Tiger Drop from Jack before we even hit the 30-second mark. Lots of aerial double-teaming leads to a two-count on Riggins. Since the heels are twice as big as the faces, it’s not long before one of these attacks leads to Riggins tossing the hell out of Cap across the ring. Big Daddy Green comes in and gets the backstabber on Cap for two. I still like Cap, but he isn’t being featured, like, at all since his debut. Riggins is back in, and I am aware I may be reversing who is Riggins and who is Pressley. Hot tag to Jack Cartwheel, and these poor guys have to sell slaps from him like they’re death. Cartwheel gets aggressive, then hits a crucifix driver for….no pin. Cap comes in with the froggy bow for two, but Riggins breaks up that pin. The heels continue to manhandle the faces, and the faces continue to make the mistake of trying to match them blow by blow, in a nice touch of psychology. Double-chokeslam on Cap gets broken up by Cartwheel as the action goes to the outside. Cartwheel HITS HARLEY WITH HIS BOOT, leading to a big dive from Cap. Cap gets out of another chokeslam attempt. They go for the Flip N Sip, but that gets broken up by Pressley. The pop-up into the spear finishes for the heels in a nice sprint.

WINNERS: HARLEY RIGGINS AND JAX PRESSLEY

MATCH RATING: B+
A hell of a sprint, as the faces knew their role, and the heels continue to show improvement every week.

RIGGINS/PRESSLEY: B+
These guys look better and better every week. When you compare them to other developmental teams after just a few matches on TV, it feels like they’re way ahead of the curve. There’s absolutely something here moving forward for both.

ADRENALINE DRIP: B+
I liked the psychology in trying to match the heels blow for blow but failing. It feels like some of the ID talent have been de-emphasized lately, which is a shame for Cap, who still has a fun gimmick.

The heels attack after the match, now hitting their finisher on Cartwheel in order to put the exclamation point on winning the rubber match. These guys against Swipe Right could be cool.

We get a recap of our goddess, Kendal Grey, successfully defending the Evolve Women’s Championship against Lash Legend on NXT in a nice moment. Of anyone on this show, they are trying to tell you that this woman is someone, and she is.

PJ VASA VS. HAZE JAMESON

So is Haze back on the roster, or was this match tapes eons ago? Either way, we love Haze on this review. As a matter of fact, she is second on my depth chart following our goddess. Depth chart for what, though? I have no clue. Penina looks strong entering the ring, and these two have probably trained together before because of the LFG connection. Penina gets a shot in, and Haze is having none of it. Penina doesn’t’ care, though, and gets some good strikes in in the corner. Haze fights back, but gets muscled down coming out on the corner. Haze hits a couple of dropkicks…..make that three, actually, and a DDT gets a two count, with Penina throwing her off the kickout. Haze tries for a sleeper, and Penina’s like f this shit, hitting a falling headbutt. The Issue finishes for Penina.

WINNER: PJ VASA

MATCH RATING: B
Like the cottage cheese with maple syrup I had for breakfast this morning, it did what it had to do.

VASA: B
There’s definitely a lot more presence here since her LFG days, although the in-ring isn’t really that different. Ol Penina’s going to do just fine, though, once she gets some more experienced competition.

HAZE: B
If she was really cut, they made a big mistake, as Haze is a personality with a hell of a lot of potential. Squint and you see a better version of Candace LeRae. She did her job well here, still showing a lot of spunk in putting the heel over.

Chuey Martinez is ringside with Vasa, who is dominating Evolve after just two weeks. Everyone’s gotta come and get their issue. Good promo.

Stevie Turner is STILL HERE, and Jackson Drake comes in to question her leadership. Stevie and her very present boobs tell Drake to shut up. Keanu Carver enters the frame to attack Drake, but winds up punching a hole in the wall. Turner tells Keanu to calm down and that he has his rematch versus Drake. Good segment.

Mike Cunningham, playing another cowboy, is backstage with Sean Legacy, who I thought was Stacks for a second, but is actually Marcus Mathers, looking very upset. Mathers feels he let the ID program down by losing last week. Mathers feels that the pressure is increasing with the new ID guys, to which Legacy responds with his facing Eli Knight next week. Mathers is all what does this have to do with me and heads off. Nice foreshadowing, and a potential money program there. Since this is Evolve, by “money,” I mean about $1.50.

BROOKS JENSEN VS. MIKE CUNNINGHAM

You’d think they’d put the new guy over here versus the nowhere-going Jensen, but we shall see. Cunningham kinda looks like Cowboy Bob Backlund coming to the ring, and I already like him more than Tate Wilder. Nice size and build on Cunningham as well. Stone tells us Cunningham only had his first match a year ago, and the ascent to ID talent, knowing that, is pretty impressive. Brooks gets an armbar, and Cunningham moves pretty well in there, hitting two armdrags and kicking out of a headscissors from Brooks. Brooks escapes an armbar with a slam, but Miek kicks out. Nice athleticism thus far from Cunningham, and he hits a downright beautiful dropkick for two. Man, there’s a little David Von Erich in there as well with him. Jensen fights back, hitting a big right hand, but Cunningham continues to fight back. Neckbreaker from Jensen only gets a two count. BIG whip into the corner from Jensen, sold well by Cunningham. Mike continues to fight back, but eats a Russian leg sweep for two. Jensen goes to the chinlock. Mike escapes. Jensen gets sent into the turnbuckle off a kickout, and they’re exchanging blows in the middle of the ring, with Mike getting the best of the exchange. BIG flying clothesline from Cunningham, as we namedrop his being a Nightmare Factory student. BIG missile dropkick off the top gets two for him. More pin reversals lead to Cunningham attempting a cutter off the second rope, but eating a kick from Jensen for the three.

WINNER: BROOKS JENSEN

MATCH RATING: B+
Not the ending I’d have gone with, but a hell of a back and forth here. I’m pleasantly surprised.

CUNNINGHAM: A-
Well, that’s a hell of a first impression. Great look. Crisp ringwork. Good selling. Really WAY above where you’d expect a guy a year into his career to be. Cody connection. I’d really keep my eye on this dude.

JENSEN: B+
We bust on Brooks like crazy, but he’s carving out a nice niche as a capable vet down here, and dare I say he may be showing some improvement of his own as well?

Another Aaron Rourke segment. Others have defined him by who they thought he was, but all that changes once he joined Create-a-Pro wrestling. They told him to allow all these things he tried to hide to thrive. He is as ruthless, aggressive, and evil as he is flamboyant. Another home run here, albeit a shorter segment than the previous two weeks. They need this dude under a real contract, like, yesterday.

Our main event is next!

Kali Armstrong returns next week, but why? Get this woman to NXT already.

Jackson Drake is backstage again with Stevie Turner, and he is still concerned about Keanu Carver. Stevie reminds Drake that Keanu DID win a #1 contender’s match, but has not gotten his match because the rest of the Vanity Project broke his hand. Stevie gives Drake a choice: either face Keanu Carver for the title or vacate the title. Drake chooses to bite his tongue.

CHANTEL MONROE VS. WENDY CHOO

Wendy has changed her makeup a bit, but everything else about her entrance remains the same. Kelly Kincaid does the big match intros, and I’m really liking her as a potential full-time ring announcer one day. Chantel takes Wendy down to start, but makes the mistake of gloating. Of course, Wendy takes Chantel down and does a bit of less-creepy-than-before staring at her. Test of strength leads to Wendy monkey-flipping Chantel down for two. Wendy hits the armbar, which Chantel escapes by procuring a leg-scissors. Wendy escapes and procuuuures a headlock of her own. Wendy’s moving really well in there, as this face turn’s made her a much better character. She telegraphs the back bodydrop, though, and pays for it as Chantel takes control. Wendy fights back with some shots and a neckwringer on the mat. Big kick, followed by a low DDT of sorts, from Wendy. Chantel gets her on the ropes, though, and hits a neckbreaker. None of these back-and-forths are being given time to breathe. They’re still going back and forth as we return from break, with Chantel hitting another neckbreaker. Chantel continues her focus on the neck. Good presence from her thus far. Another legscissors around the neck by Chantel, as the focus on the neck has been well-emphasized here. The crowd gets behind Wendy, who escapes, only to run into a double-clothesline spot. Both ladies are slow to get up as we begin to exchange strikes. Wendy hits the comeback with a couple of clotheslines and spinebuster for two. Both reverse pinfall attempts, as it’s that part of the match, and a big brainbuster gets two for Wendy. Wendy tries a charge into the post, but eats an elbow and an inverted tornado DDT for two. Wendy misses another charge, but Chantel gets caught up in the ropes, allowing Wendy to cinch in the Dirt Nap. Chantel hits a TKO, but misses a splash, and hits the Dirt Nap again. Chantel escapes, neck hits rope, and the Perfect Ending finishes for Chantel.

WINNER: CHANTEL MONROE

MATCH RATING: B-
A bit of sloppiness, but the psychology was solid, and this certainly can be considered the best Chantel Monroe match thus far.

CHANTEL: B-
Still more work here to do, but this was easily her best performance thus far in Evolve. She’s improving.

CHOO: B+
I love face Wendy Choo, I have to say. Let’s see more than her putting young folks over.

We end the show with Jackson Drake and Stevie Turner again, and Drake agrees to face Keanu Carver for the title NEXT WEEK. Should be fun.

OVERALL RATING: B+
I honestly read Leighty’s review last night, and wasn’t expecting a whole lot. This exceeded expectations as, while not the most star-powered of shows, it was one full of some pretty nifty ringwork for this level.

See y’all next week.