WWE Evolve May 13th 2026

Welcome back to Evolve where we have a star-studded show tonight…okay we don’t, but we do have Karmen Petrovic against one of Nikkita Lyons or Sloane Jacobs, as well as a number one contendership 4-way for the Evolve men’s title between Tristan Angels, Kam Hendrix, Brooks Jensen, and Dorian Van Dux, but first catch up all the greater WWE TV space.

Impact – SmackDown – AAA – Raw – NXT

We start with Harley Riggins and Kam Hendrix talking about last week with Tate Wilder and how Harley got pinned, both of them beat him down afterwards so it was all worth it. None of that matters though cause Wilder is out of the picture and it’s Kam’s time since he’ll win the match later on and then the title afterwards. Riggins talks up the numbers they did running the show once, and now doing it every week. With Brooks and two Europeans, it’s Showtime, and it’ll be Lights, Kam, Action.

Smoke! Moves! Fire! Posing! Scowling! It’s Evolve.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Karmen Petrovic

Background: So Nikkita and her new goon, Sloane Jacobs, were being jerks to Karmen in the gym, and Petrovic was like “those are fighting words, lets fight.” And the show even ended with Big Kat and Jacobs jumping the title match between Wendy Choo and Laynie Luck for the run-in non-finish before Karmen ran out to clear the ring between both heels and all the faces rallied and ran off the heels to celebrate. So it’s the battle of kickboxers between Lyons and Karmen.

The Match: Both square up before Nikkita hides in the ropes and then powders to the outside for some dancing while Karmen is getting surly. Both finally throws kicks to no contact and Lyons offers a hand and Petrovic kicks it away and cranks in a headlock. Lyons with some body shots to break and then a hairmare but she whiffs a kick and Karmen kicks back and gets her own takedown and poses. Karmen with a tilt-a-whirl crossbody and then back to the headlock and Lyons keeps trying to power out but Petrovic just keeps on her until Nikkita makes the ropes and we set up a rope-running sequence that ends with a Karmen legsweep, but she misses the field goal kick and Lyons has to mouth off about the dodge…so Karmen kicks her in the back of the head and then wraps the leg around Lyons neck to pull her up for a backslide in a cool looking transition. Lyons kicks out the backslide but Karmen grabs a crucifix for another cover and then a double-arm crank and then bodyscissors by the Canadian. Lyons continues to rely on power to get covers but Karmen gets a full-nelson with her legs and Lyons teases a tap before breaking out with power and then hitting a forearm and then catching a crossbody into a fallaway slam and a kip-up and we get a break. Back in with the bigger Lyons hitting a knee to the ribs and then stepping on Karmen with the ropes for leverage before hitting the splits legdrop. Shoulder thrusts in the corner and commentator Peter Rosenberg is dialing up the “fawning commentary over the women and their looks” thing a bit too much for me. Karmen gets a few kicks out of the corner and then a schoolgirl but runs into a kick and Nikkita gets an over-the-knee backbreaker submission. Lyons then goes for a German but Karmen counters into a victory roll facebuster Petrovic sells the back while hitting shots to the gut and then an overhand strike and some very weak running forearms before Eat Defeat and the patented babyface LETS GO fires up the crowd and then a flying roundhouse to Lyons in the ropes and a slingblade gets 2.6. Karmen tries a suplex next but Lyons immediately counters, but whiffs the Vader Bomb and we have Sloane Jacobs running down for the distraction but Laynie Luck runs down to attack Jacobs. But Karmen is reeling as Lyons sets up her big roundhouse and it’s Choo tripping her up from the outside for ye olden comeuppance and Karmen hits the Petrifier (540 roundhouse to the back of a kneeling opponent’s head) for 3.

**¾

Pretty solid big/little match with well-deserved payback for the finale. Good BS. Karmen’s kicks remain pretty strong though the rest of her strikes are weak. Pretty solid technical stuff here as well and Lyons playing into her power game is nice. Decent chemistry between the two.

Backstage and the always surly Brooks Jensen is making a stank face as he walks up to Dorian Van Dux and my goodness Jensen is SO much taller than him. Brooks calls Dorian the new guy and gives him some advice in their match later on, stay out of his way. Dorian calls Jensen a bully and will take his advice and throw it in the trash before speaking French aggressively. Jensen doesn’t know what language Dorian speaks, where he’s from, or what he did to get here, Jensen only cares about kicking butt and he’s the bad man from Ala-bam-bam-bam-and Dorian just laughs at him and Jensen takes affront to that and says they’ll meet later tonight while Dorian smiles in agreement.

Brooks is a good promo and a good character, and Dorian as some type of psycho babyface is something. The creepy smile is at least a character trait to build upon.

Harlem Lewis is in the ring pacing with anger and he calls out Braxton Cole. Not only is Cole filled with privilege, but he took out Lewis in their triple threat, and then lost the match to boot. Harlem calls Cole a loser and demands he come out. Oh spicy! Cole comes out and says he didn’t want to dignify the response but he resents being called a loser and Harlem runs out to confront him…but Braxton calls out the Security Duo and Lewis is cut off. Braxton says he is the future face of WWE and that him and Lewis are totally different people. Braxton has way more pressure cause the entire industry is relying on him, and that means he isn’t a loser. Harlem calls him pompous and says that Braxton thinks he’s better cause Lewis had to mop floors growing up. Cole says that’s all true and if Harlem doesn’t step back Cole will send him back to mopping floors. Harlem jumps down and the Security Duo grab him which lets Braxton get a cheap shot before they all separate.

Braxton Cole is basically just Christopher Nowinski 2.0 (hopefully without the health issues) but it’s at least something resembling a gimmick. Harlem has some fire as a babyface. Security Duo being involved? Eh whatever.

We cut to Romeo Moreno looking sad in the locker room before THE SHERIFF OF JUSTICE Tate Wilder shows up and tries to cheer him up. Romeo says that he doesn’t feel like painting and he’s 0-2 in Evolve and maybe his entire career will go that way. Wilder cuts him off and says that mindsight will ruin his career, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about growing, learning, and developing (and I suddenly hear a mix of Gabe and Shawn’s voices come out of Wilder’s mouth) Tate reminds Romeo that he’s lost more than he’s won and even when he won last week he still took a beating. But Wilder is not down and that cheers Moreno up.

Well this very much feels like the booker reminding people that wins and losses don’t really matter in places like Evolve COUGH COUGH! Still, better babyface vibes than whatever the SHERIFF OF JUSTICE is.

Tristan Angels asks what happens when an Englishman, an European, and two Americans get in the ring, and it’s Tristan Angels as the new number one contender. Tristan suspects this is the first of many battles, and they better get used to losing to him. Tristan has faced Dorian before, and he’s the most dangerous man in Belgium, but Belgium isn’t known for facing dangerous men. YA BURNT JCVD! Belgium has waffles and chocolate but Tristan clearly doesn’t eat either of them. Brooks Jensen might be the hardest working man in the Performance Center, but that was before Tristan Angels showed up, but hard work is all Jensen has and if hard work mattered the donkey would run the farm. YA BURNT! As for Kam Hendrix, he’d rather look good and lose than look bad and win, and Angels doesn’t understand because Tristan always looks good and always gets his hand raised and is about to be the number one contender.

Tristan is clearly ready for NXT and I assume he will not be long for Evolve.

It’s GAL vs. CJ Valor w/ Max Abrams, Santi Rivera, Jacari Ball

Background: It’s GAL was just trying to get some guys to train with before all of ID 2.0 stabbed him in the back and ripped his emotion muscle. It’s GAL is trying to get some gains in the payback column as he takes on the enforcer for ID 2.0. It’s GAL has turquoise trunks and red hair while CJ has a leopard print singlet and dark hair, he’s broader but shorter than GAL.

The Match: CJ whiffs a clothesline and GAL hammers away before we get a headlock and then a shoulder by the more powerful CJ. It’s GAL ducks another attack in the corner and chops away before CJ gets a headlock takeover. It’s GAL gets a headscissors to break and then some pushups before another takedown and some pushups and posing has CJ pretty angry. International gets up an It’s GAL flying headscissors and then an enzuigiri before a belly-to-back suplex and a jumping legdrop for 2. Gutwrench by It’s GAL but CJ runs into the ropes to snap the neck and then gets a shoulderblock and a belly-to-belly for 2. Peter Rosenberg just randomly throws some shots at Robert Stong while CJ Valor hits grounded elbows to It’s GAL’s neck. Judo hiptoss by Valor for 2 and then a hard whip into the corner has It’s GAL take a somersault bump for 2. More clubbing by Valor and then a chinlock before It’s GAL makes it to his feet and tries some big dramatic back elbows to break and then he slugs away and gets a three bump comeback before CJ is caught for a big tossing flapjack and then a discus lariat by It’s GAL sets up a springboard dropkick for 2.8. It’s GAL tries a suplex but CJ slips out and catches a leg for a pick and then an anklelock. It’s GAL slips out of the anklelock and sends Valor into the turnbuckle and gets a schoolboy for 2 and then DRAMATICALLY SHAKES OUT THE LEG before picking CJ up in a fireman’s carry but Santi Rivera distracts referee Vicky D’Errico and Jacari Ball slides in the ring for a chopblock. An one-legged It’s GAL walks into the Valor Spike (pop-up side slam) for 3.

*½

So that half star is worth the total goofiness of It’s GAL’s big dramatic playing to the backseats (despite this audience being like 50 people maximum) is part of why I love the galoot. CJ Valor remains extremely generic, just random heavy grapples and some faux shooter stuff reminds me of a ton of the more replaceable RoH guys, but the skin-tone and gear at least make him look like he’s cosplaying Taz. Very much a dude who looks to be counting his steps and he’s got the happy feet problem. He’ll be a fine goon probably but this should probably be his last singles win for a while.

Post-match 2.0 jump GAL and toss him outside before Max Abrams brags about their victory. They get boos and he calls Jacari a guy with “elite ball knowledge” “Sweet” Santi Rivera and the “Big Man” CJ Valor (see it’s funny cause he’s the smallest of the group) and the “Main Man” Max Abrams, and all they do is Mog You, so now they are known as the Mog Squad.

An an Old I resent being forced to learn about this diabolical slang from the yoots.

A secret camera catches Cappuccino Jones on the phone talking to an anonymous person, and says this will only Boil Over More and they have to do something about this and they need all hands on deck.

Gianna Capri is in the locker room with Veronica Haven and Anya Rune, bringing up that she cannot lose, and her having an L already is all Anya Rune’s fault and while Rune apologizes Capri mocks her which gets a chuckle from Haven before she condemns the rudeness of Capri and brings up Rune going viral…which Gianna mentions for being cringe. Haven says they’re all ID prospects and all here to prove themselves, and Capri once again interrupts and says all Rune proved is that she could get pinned by Layla Diggs and it was All Loss And No Sauce. Anya finally stands up and gets in Capri’s face and says she’ll go to THE FOREMAN and request a singles match…with Layla Diggs. Rune runs down her catchphrases and Capri just says “whatever” and walks away and Veronica says it’s “demon time now.”

Look, we all start somewhere, but this is not a good place to start. I at least understand what Gianna Capri is, the other two? I dunno folks.

Dorian Van Dux vs. Tristan Angels vs. Brooks Jensen vs. Kam Hendrix w/ Harley Riggins – 4-Way to determine #1 contendership to the Evolve men’s championship

Background: So all four guys have been trash talking all night and beforehand. Brooks and Kam are older hands (with Jensen being in the NXT system for a while now) while Dorian and Tristan are the recent hot signings. Dorian is the only babyface of the group and a cruiser with a power game, Tristan is a cheating, arrogant jerk, Brooks is a mean brawler, and Kam is…uh…sort of a flashy, arrogant guy that really likes The Rock. Dorian is in black trunks with a big ole logo on the back, Tristan is in dark blue with a white wing motif on the back, Brooks is in his COMBAT JEANS, and Kam is in grey trunks.

The Match: And we start with Aaron Rourke and his Evolve title making an entrance after the participants and heading to the VIP Lounge. In the ring we get guys all eyeballing each other before it breaks down with Tristan and Kam tossing the other two and Angels with a quick rollup before Kam gets a backslide and Brooks slides in with a knee drop to Angels face. Kam and Brooks slug it out but Jensen gets his own quick rollup and Tristan flies in with a springboard dropkick and then Dorian gets a double springboard dropkick and we get Tristan and Dorian with a junior sequence before Van Dux sends Tristan to the outside with a flying headscissors and then dropkicks Kam outside. Brooks then lariats Angels and stares down Dorian. The Belgian and the Alabaman meetup but Tristan immediately trips up Dorian and Kam blindsides Brooks. Tristan drops Dorian on the apron before Brooks and Kam wrestle with Jensen getting a backflip counter into a front facelock and Tristan gets a springboard handspring lariat on Brooks that also DDTs Kam. 2 count on Brooks and then Tristan hits Dorian coming inside and hits the Belgian with a scoop powerslam but Brooks breaks up the cover. Jensen gets tossed by Angels but Dorian hits him with a discus elbow, a half-and-half suplex and then a northern lariat before he goes up…but Tristan cuts him off and gets a step-up enzuigiri sends Dorian tumbling outside but now Kam flies in with a Showtime (Rider) Kick to Tristan and a pescado to Dorian in one-motion. Dorian scrambles away as Brooks then hits a plancha on Tristan and Kam but the heels all brawl outside and Dorian hits a triangle moonsault to the outside and we go to a break. We come back with Tristan getting a superplex on Kam, but Dorian fights off one from Brooks and hits an avalanche gourdbuster on Jensen (that turns into a splash on Hendrix) before Tristan strikes away at Dorian, but Van Dux gets a pop-up powerbomb to Angels on Kam and Brooks and we finally take a breather with a quadruple down. 4-way slugfest from all four guys as Peter Rosenberg again says that Evolve has the best wrestling of any weekly show. All guys are wobble-legged as they trade shots but Kam eats a trio of kicks before Tristan is popped-up by Dorian into a Brooks cutter for the inadvertent 3-D. Dorian breaks up the Jensen cover and Brooks and him stare each other down and slug away as commentary brings up that both these guys are second-generation wrestlers. A flying knee by Dorian staggers Brooks who collapses into a rebound lariat and goes for the Upside Down (suplex dropped into a backstabber) but Dorian turns it into the Stundog Millionaire and then pops up to the top-rope while Brooks tries to yank him down and Tristan slides back in to brawl with Jensen and hit the Bad Man with a backstabber of his own but that positions him for Dorian’s Shooting Star Press, but Kam then picks his spot and picks up Dorian for Lights, Kam, Action (back suplex side slam) but his cover gets broken up by…Tate Wilder who yanks him outside and Tate and Kam brawl to the back. Brooks then hammers Dorian with his boot and hits a Gotch-style Neutralizer, but it gets broken up by Angels knee drop bulldog and the Brit steals the pin on Dorian but only gets 2.9. Tristan does the big dramatic kickout face and goes for a fireman’s carry but Dorian elbows out and gets a sunset flip rolled into a single-leg crab, but Brooks runs in and boots the Belgian in the face, and Dorian shrugs it off. Unprotected slaps to Van Dux’s face from Brooks but the Belgian no-sells and then pops up for a pump kick and a lariat to Brooks. But a limping Tristan hops over behind Dorian and gets a rollup for 2, Dorian springboards, but delays for what commentary calls a pumpfake and then does a double-jump into a diving cutter on Angels. Brooks is in though with a boot to send Dorian outside and then Jensen picks up Tristan for the Upside Down but Angels gets an inside cradle for 3.

***¼

Okay, so this was very slickly wrestled with tons of ornate spots and moving parts, and a credit to everybody involved for keeping the pace up and doing all this clever, very-agented stuff. I do think the match could have used to settle down a bit and do more 1v1 exchanges, but I get only really teasing stuff. What bugs me more is that these guys kind of stopped wrestling like they regularly wrestle. I don’t quite get Tristan hitting springboard front handspring lariats or Brooks getting cutters and all the other things he was doing. It felt more like four guys that were wrestling the match the agents wanted then the agents taking these four distinct guys and building a match for their in-ring styles. But yet again, they worked hard, it set up some stuff and even the Tate Wilder throwback was a nice “oh obvious” after the show started with Kam trashtalking him and later on Wilder talking about how he’s down but never out.

Post-match Angels stares down Aaron Rourke and that’ll be in a vague “couple of weeks” as we play clips of the match and commentary brings up that we’ll have that contract signing next week.

Well this show was mostly built around the main-event but they ran a ton of angles to set it up and did a lot of segments. It does remain weird that so much of Evolve is built around acts that are also on NXT but uh, c’est la vie (to quite Mr. Van Dux).

Enjoy reading all you Evolvemaniacs and I hope to catch you in the comments below.