WWE Evolve June 17th 2026

Welcome back to Evolve as we’re just killing time until Succession III: Thatcher Strikes Back but before then we have to establish a few more things. So let’s begin, but y’know, let’s catch up on what we missed in the greater WWE sphere.

Impact – SmackDown – AAA – Raw – NXT

And we have a hot start with THE FOREMAN Timothy Thatcher and he’s got a unlabeled corrugated can with a pencil atop it, a giant red toolbox, his hardhat, and his rotary phone with a clamp on it next to a giant EVOLVE notebook as he leads us off. It’s Evolve O’Clock and Succession Time Is The Right Time! Next week it’s Succession III and Thatcher is excited. Tonight though we have Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins vs. Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno. Plus we’ll have Tristan Angels vs. Chazz “Starboy” Hall, and Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen (?!)…and also Zena Sterling vs. Anya Rune. And here comes Wendy Choo who is apologetic about interrupting but Thatcher is fine with it and offers a pen to make the contract for Succession III where Wendy will be facing Nikkita Lyons. And Choo says she hasn’t been able to tame the Lyon, but she will next week and she does have her eye on today’s match and who might be the next contender, and Wendy picks Anya.

And we have uh…KevonStage being very excited to show up at the PC and I don’t know who he is but commentary is excited.

MUSIC! NOISE EXPLOSION! It’s Evolve!

Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen

Background: So Elijah is Evander’s son and has shown up as a physical, dominant force. Brooks of course is a second-gen star…with a much less famous father. Brooks is a scruffy hillbilly who wants to wrestle like it’s 1979 and is full of chest hair and mustaches and of course, his COMBAT JEANS! It’s an arrogant quasi-vet vs. a hot and rising star.

The Match: Lockup and Elijah breaks, and Brooks goes for a second and gets him into the ropes and gets a dirty shot but Holyfield responds and drops Jensen and gets a second shot. Headlock by Brooks and then we get an international but Brooks gets a kitchen sink knee and some clubbering blows before Holyfield boxes him down. Brooks gets a drop toehold and then a shining wizard before some crossfaces from the vet and Holyfield is stomped down and Brooks gets a one count before a chinlock as the crowd is banana. Elijah slugs out to break but Brooks just throws some strikes and gets an illegal choke and the piefaces him but Eliah gets up and gets a combo, a shoulderblock and then a couple corner strikes but Brooks pulls up a whip while begging off and rips the turnbuckle off. Elijah gets a spinebuster regardless and then unleashes some mounted punches but Brooks slips out, drops Elijah on the the exposed steel and gets a schoolboy for 3.

**¼

Well this feels early for this sort of angle, but nasty heel vet stealing a win from Elijah via chicanery is the sort of thing that an act like Elijah need to deal with. Good babyface work, good heel work, altogether solid stuff.

Chazz “Starboy” Hall vs. Tristan Angels

Background: So Tristan was trash-talking the entire roster and Hall came down to disrupt him and made a bit of a fool of him in the ring. Chazz is our flippy babyface, Angels is our arrogant heel.

The Match: Some disrespect on some standing grappling from Tristan but Chazz flips out of a cravate and hits a cazadora out of a hiptoss attempt and then gets some overhand chops and a springboard armdrag and a dropkick to send Angels stumbling to the corner. More chops from Starboy but a single whip sends him to the corner, but Chazz lands on his feet after a monkey flip before Tristan slugs away. Chazz speeds up and tries a tornado DDT but the Brit blocks and places Hall on the top-rope for a rope-assisted enzuigiri that sends Starboy spilling outside. Angels works the count but drags a still recovering Hall back inside and just bounces his head off the mat and then the turnbuckle for a cover while taunting the crowd. Hall tries to fire back but gets put down with an elbow and then eats a hop shot and a lariat for a couple covers before Angels cranks in a chinlock. Chazz fights to his feet and then gets a jawbreaker to break but Angels is back with some chops before Hall gets a sunset flip for no pin, but Tristan misses a punch and hits the mat and that lets Hall get a second-rope clothesline and then converts an evasion into a standing sliced bread and the straps are down! Standing corkscrew moonsault for 2.8 and Chazz goes to the top but Tristan cuts him off and tries a powerbomb but Chazz headscissors him outside and then gets a quebrada and back inside for 2. Chazz picks up Angels but Tristan just drives him to the corner, bounces his head off the ringpost and gets an outside in superplex for 2.5. Another powerbomb attempt and Hall turns that into a DDT and goes up again and goes for a SSP but Angels evades and a third powerbomb goes Angels way as he flips him into a facebuster and it’s the Shire’s Kiss (knee drop bulldog) for 3.

**¾

Well this was a pretty tasty TV match. They probably overdid it a bit with Chazz countering out of everything, but the psychology of Tristan, who isn’t really even a power wrestler being able to power Hall around is a nice note you don’t get as much these days. Hall isn’t a guy that will be more than a plucky jobber if he ever makes the main-roster, but Tristan is one to watch.

Post-match Chuey Martinez interviews Tristan who hits his “order order” taunt before talking about how good he is and how awesome his accomplishments are and nobody can compare to him. He’s the definition of Elegance (shots fired at Elegance brand) and it’s one thing to claim to be the best in the world, but its different when he’s around.

Zena Sterling is here and she’s talking about how it feels good to be finally back and between injuries and missed opportunities it’s the time to show the fans what she can do.

Zena Sterling vs. Anya Rune

Background: Zena is a jacked up blonde from LFG who is wearing a shirt made out of zippers and baggy pants. Anya Rune is a giant weeb and a bit of a loser dork, like…that’s her character. Anyway Rune is trying to prove herself to her mean bullying mentor, Gianna Capri and Zena wants her re-debut to go well.

The Match: Anya cuts an excessively cringe promo in a cut-in as she makes her way to the ring and I hope Zena lariats her head off. Hard lockup and some wristlocks before Zena gets a takedown and cranks in an armbar. Anya with a headscissors to break and then quick cover attempts from both as they’re doing very basic stuff. Rune gets a running uppercut but then goes up and Zena cuts her off and meets her at the top but Zena gets sent down and…sells her back despite landing on her feet and then Rune monologues and slips off the top rope in what I think is an intentional bit before Zena stomps on her and drops an elbow for a cover. Suplex from Sterling but a second is countered into an inside cradle and then we have simultaneous clotheslines into a double-down. Rune is up and delivers a super sloppy strike flurry and they do a whip reversal sequence that ends with a Rune neckbreaker and she goes up again but is nervous about it and still slips so she goes to the second-buckle…but recovers and tries for the top again but is still slipping so she settles for a running crossbody that Zena kinda shrugs off. Commentary notes that the buckle is the one that Brooks Jensen tore off previously and ergo Anya can’t find her footing. Zena notices the exposed steel, sidesteps an Anya charge to send her face first into it and gets a fireman’s carry spun into a sidewalk slam for 3.

*½

So this work was uh…bad, from both of them. Just sloppy, step-counting, but y’know, they went for character beats and I guess they told some semblance of story. I do think that Rune being portrayed as a massive choke artist loser dork isn’t the sort of thing you want to give a supposed rising star, but at the same time a gimmick is better than no gimmick. Appreciate the continuity but woof, overall a rough watch.

Post-match Gianna Capri comes out to yell at Anya for being a big ole loser that loses all the time, and well, she’s right. But Layla Diggs and Masyn Holiday (oops) come out to drive Capri off and offer condolences to Rune.

And now we have broadcast journalist Blake Howard meeting Harlem Lewis at the gym. Lewis is working a heavy bag and talks up how much he loves it. Blake brings up that careers can end in an instant and that Braxton Cole almost ended Lewis with a chair a few weeks back (kinda dark stuff Blake!) and Harlem accepts that but he’s almost cleared. And Blake continues to poke the bear and asks where Harlem is mentally and says that Lewis clearly has rage issues and always feels like he’s falling apart (seriously dude!). Harlem tells him to back off but admits that yeah, he was scared that his career was over and how a guy like him doesn’t have many options, Blake brings up that Cole offered a janitorial gig with a sling on a mop and Harlem responds by saying that he did mop floors growing up to support his family and Braxton thinks that’s worth mockery. Braxton’s life is set regardless, but Harlem needs to make it to provide for his brothers and his mom, that’s why he needs to win the Evolve title and get to NXT and then Raw or SmackDown and then Mania. Cole is spoiled and Harlem is channeling his anger into that heavy bag until he gets cleared and then he wants Braxton Cole in a no-DQ match.

I don’t know about Blake Howard, massive instigator, but blue-collar family man babyface Harlem Lewis works for me and I’m excited for his revenge against Braxton Cole, good work gents.

And we’re in the office of THE FOREMAN where we have Nikkita Lyons with Sloane Jacobs and we’re doing a contract signing to make the Succession III match official, it’ll be Wendy defending against the Big Cat. Sloane and Lyons mock Wendy and Nikkita brings up some astrology that indicates her win is imminent and we’re interrupted by KevOnStage (who is a comic actor and superfan I guess) who puts over Thatcher’s run in the original Evolve and we get the heel girls buttering up the celebrity before calling him bald and saying Lyons will surpass him when she goes viral after beating Choo and offers him some advice. Kev shrugs that off and says that Lyons needs to focus on beating Wendy without cheating while Sloane implies that maybe some “divine intervention” might come Nikkita’s way. Thatcher continues to talk to Kev and since he has a scouting trip coming up he offers the GM job to the comedian in two weeks. Kev’s idea, no DQ between Braxton Cole and Harlem Lewis!

Next week is Succession III: Dare To Succeed and we’re getting Aaron Rourke defending against Max Abrams, Wendy Choo defending against Nikkita Lyons, and two debuting talents, one a woman, the other a man. FEEL THE EVOLUTION!

Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins vs. Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno

Background: Respect to Kam Hendrix who has managed to keep a long-running ever-evolving (see what I did there?) feud over six months as his beef with the ID talent transitioned into a grudge with Tate Wilder which has now turned into beef with Romeo Moreno. Kam is a big swaggering jock bully and Riggins is his Kevin Nash-cosplaying lead goon and they’re trying to squash Spanish pretty boy Romeo Moreno and his Scottish mentor (and like, 20 year vet or something) Noam Dar who has been around forever. It’s two indie guys with experience against two bigger, badder jock heels.

The Match: Riggins starts and Dar lets Romeo start who is aggressive to start as Harley yaps and overpowers Moreno and boots him down before the Spaniard uses agility to send Harley stumbling around and in comes Kam…and Moreno brings in Dar. Hendrix makes a too small gesture so Dar throws a kick but Kam backs the smaller Noam into a corner, but the Scot uses his canny to crank in a headlock but Kam shrugs him off and shoulders him down. But Noam gets a flurry of kick and then gets a feint into a punch before going to the mat but Kam just picks him up and backdrops him and then brings in Harley and the two big guys hammer away at Noam. Riggins gets tripped up and we get a sneaky tag from Moreno who sends Riggins outside and then follows with an attempted dive that Kam cuts off so Romeo rolls back inside, Dar kicks Hendrix off the apron and a springboard plancha by Moreno ends with Harley tossed back inside who immediately goes at Dar on the apron, which distracts the ref and lets Kam post the Spaniard and then Harley stomps on Romeo’s knee and our babyface has a body part in peril as we go to break! Back in and we have Kam working over Romeo with a kneecrusher and then a run-up the turnbuckles into a running clothesline and Hendrix cranks in an ankle lock (?!) before bringing in Harley to bounce Romeo around. A rebound into a liver shot and Moreno crawls to the apron and that sets up an assisted axehandle to the knee, but Moreo slips free and Kam hits Harley! CURSE THAT HEEL MISCOMMUNICATION! Hot tag to Dar who is a house a fire as he kicks the heck out of Kam and turns the step-up clothesline into a basement dropkick and guts Kam up for a German suplex before trying a brainbuster that Kam powers out of and then tries the Showtime kick…but Noam blocks and cranks in his own anklelock. Harley breaks up and we get a bit of comedy as Dar tosses Kam’s foot at Harley who grabs it…and then Noam clocks Riggins in the face. I will say that Kam and Harley are pretty good at being Punch and Judy pratfall dopes. Stereo anklelocks from the babyfaces but Riggins and Kam muscle out and Hendrix brings in Riggins legit. Romeo slugs away but Harley gets a massive boot to drop Romeo, Harley gets a TKO with a Showtime kick from Kam and Noam has to break it up. Kam snatches Dar up for a spinebuster, Romeo Moreno gets a missile dropkick on Kam and then Riggins spears Romeo for 2.9 and Moreno’s leg is just toast. Kam asks Harley to bring in some plunder and he snatches up a trash can…but Tate Wilder runs out to snatch it away which distracts Harley long enough for Romeo to get an inside cradle for 2.9. El Freestyle kicks Kam off the corner and finally tags in Dar, Riggins tries the Whisper in the Wind but eats nothing as Noam evades and the Europeans get a spinning back elbow (Dar)/legsweep Total Elimination for 3.

***

Well this was pretty darn fun! Maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome, maybe it’s Noam being that much of a ring general and Romeo having enough babyface fire, but Harley and Kam are finally working for me as a pair of knucklehead jock goons. They can stumble and bumble around the ring, they’re nasty on offense, they’re just unfunny enough that I roll my eyes at their taunts. Are they superstars? Maybe not, but I think at this point in time I’d take Kam over other ex-football guys like Dion Lennox when it comes to their utility. I’d keep these two as a team and see what can happen for them. Romeo is a guy with a lot of charm and personality even as (or maybe because?) his highflying remains not supremely eyecatching.

And now we cut to a champion vs. challenger face off with Rourke and Abrams that Chuey Martinez is MCing. Chuey talks about how this is a battle for the soul of the ID program (???) with Rourke being an OG ID guy and how Max is from a new class. Rourke talks first and brings up how much ID has done for him and puts over the program and Abrams just rolls his eyes. Rourke talks about how Max has always been a punk and he should have seen he was a jerk when Mike…errr Max celebrated that win with him against Drake. Abrams cops to it and says he’s always been a schemer and brings up the time Sean Legacy snubbed him in his goodbye speech. I DID NOTICE THAT I AM SMART! FORESHADOWING!!!! Abrams took that personally and a guy that looks like him can’t be overlooked. He isn’t mogged by Rourke, he mogs Rourke! Oh snap! Or something, I dunno if that’s a burn honestly. The only guys in Max’s league were the Vanity Project who already left Evolve and at this point the show is just charity. Rourke rejects the idea that the rest of the roster in Evolve are leftovers or forgotten, they have fans, they have friends, and they have family and are working to achieve their dreams every day and Rourke is going to make history. Max laughs at the idea of Aaron making history since Aaron’s legacy is just going to be a trivia question about who Max Abrams beat to become Evolve champion, and while Rourke’s family may say they’re Proud (that was definitely said with a capital P) of Aaron, they know that Rourke is a joke. Aaron does not take kindly to his family being referenced here and gets in Max’s face and security separates them and the SECURITY DORKS hold Rourke back and Max gets a cheap shot.

Hey pretty solid stuff from both guys, Max gave a bit more depth to the heel turn and his bitterness makes more sense, and Rourke has real fire and poise when it’s time to sell the corny babyface stuff.

Overall this was a tablesetting episode and it did its job fine enough, also a lot of continuity tonight for all you Evolvemaniacs!

Anyway it’s Succession III: The Search For Rourke next week with some big title matches and exciting debuts, my scheduled changed and hopefully I’ll be able to get these reviews up faster for that one and in the future but as always thanks for reading.