WWE Evolve July 8th 2026

Welcome back to Evolve where we have…wait all we have is Nikkita Lyons championship celebration? That can’t be right! Anyway before we continue, here’s what you missed in the greater WWE universe.

Main Event – Impact – SmackDown – AAA – Raw – NXT

We have Sloane Jacobs on a phone complaining about getting the right stuff and how expensive it’s going to be because Nikkita deserves it, smash cut to her telling us how big a deal this is and how she’s hunted down celebrities that are Nikkita Multimedia fans. This is a celebration of the greatest Evolve women’s champion of all time with the grandest party of all time.

RAPPING! FLIPS! SCREAMING! SMOKE! POSING! It’s Evolve!

We got Robert Stone being interviewed by Blake Howard, and Stone says he’s here on official NXT business scouting talent but we’re getting some action right now!

The Mog Squad make their entrance to new music and we have Max Abrams with a microphone as he gyrates to the music and Robert Stone is on commentary this week, okay, makes some sense. All of the Squad have mics and I’m already fearing this. Max brags about how hot he is and talks about a generational run and they’re looksmaxxing and winsmaxxing by ID WWE 1.0 in a sweep. Max drops more internet twittermachine catchphrases as they pat backs and hype up themselves. They all stroke each other’s egos and say that they’re the best and it goes on and on before they ‘mog’ the camera by posing and Jacri and Santi are the fastest-rising team and they’re unstoppable. And Timothy Thatcher is out to interrupt and says that they’re running their mouth too much so he’s been talking to Robert Stone and has a match for CJ Valor in Cutler James.

I’ll say it again and again, we need the Mog Squad to have different identities, and I guess Valor being the X-Factor as the runt of the litter and the beatable one is a thing, and Santi and Jacari being a team is a thing…but it’s just roles on a card, positioning is not a gimmick.

CJ Valor (w/ Mog Squad) vs. Cutler James

Background: Uh, I guess we’re getting a heel vs. heel match as undersized power guy CJ faces very much not undersized power guy Cutler James in a heel vs. heel matchup while Thatcher sits in the VIP Section to observe the mogging or the stating. James is like a foot taller than CJ here, it’s silly. Also while Cutler is out to the DarkState music his singlet is silver.

The Match: Some ground grappling as Cutler James repeatedly takes down CJ with headlocks and then a shoulder before cranking on a headlock again but CJ pulls hair and then hits a dirty strike in the corner before Cutler takes him down again but CJ goes for a juji-gatame. Cutler just powers him up and tosses CJ down and runs him down with a shoulder before a hip toss gets 2. Cutler goes for a slam but CJ rakes the eyes and hits a dropkick to the back but James just no-sells and beats him down more. Mog Squad interfere as James misses a corner charge and hits the post as we go to break. Back with CJ trying to choke James but the big man breaks out and we get a Chaos Theory from Valor. Cutler is a bit loopy and CJ works the arm with some wrenches and then a corner toss before a dropkick and a spinebuster have the smaller man in charge. More armwork and a knee as Cutler is selling…the same way he sells everything and we get CJ calling a spot, a short-arm clothesline and then a chinlock. Cutler breaks free, CJ trips him and then misses a top-rope splash. James with a clothesline, uppercut, swinging side slam backbreaker, a toss facebuster, and then a pair of gutwrench gutbusters before Dark Matter (spinning crucifix toss) gets 3 for James.

*¾

James is a babyface now I guess. He can’t sell a lick but he has pretty impressive power moves. CJ is trying hard but he’s hard to take seriously in this role since he’s shorter than my nightstand and isn’t like…that big. He was at least cheating which is nice. About the ceiling for what a mediocre worker in CJ can do with a bad worker in Cutler. James as a babyface is at least an idea.

Post-match Thatcher cuts off the retreating Mog Squad and says since Santi and Jacari are the “fastest-rising tag team” they have a match right now.

Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno vs. Mog Squad (Jacari Ball and Santi Rivera) w/ Mog Squad

Background: Well Dar and Romeo are doing a rookie and vet thing where the tall, athletic but sorta hapless Moreno is seeking out his childhood idol in Dar, who is an injury-prone vet doing his 3rd (4th? 5th?) return from injury. It’s an odd couple situation as Dar has heelish vibes and Moreno is a big puppy. Jacari and Santi are The Fastest Rising Team but have no personally distinguishable characteristics outside of ethnicity and I’ve already ranted about that. Two jacked up generic dorks vs. an actual team here.

The Match: Moreno and Jacari start and my goodness Moreno is TALL. We get some mat work that ends with a Romeo suplex and kip-up but Ball flees to tag in Santi and we get Noam dancing around. Dar takes Rivera around and gets a chinlock but Santi gets a pose before Noam uses small-joint manipulation and some kicks for a 2 and his own posing and then arm wrenches. Santi gets an elbow to the kidneys and then tags in Jacari with a double-team and a headlock. Romeo comes in for a double-team and they get some combo offense for a 2 after a slingshot senton from Moreno. Mog Squad cheat some more and get a sneaky kick to take down Moreno and the Squad pose as we go to a break. And after the break we have Sloane Jacobs talking to various Evolve wrestlers in a locker room and trying to get them to Nikkita’s celebration. Back in and Romeo Moreno is selling as the Squad double-team him in the corner with their vaulting in the ring gimmick. Moreno finally tries to break free but he’s attacked from the back and is hit with a poetry in motion for 2. Jacari dropkick gets 2 and Moreno sells. And sells. Chinlock as Moreno sells. Tag as Santi comes in and Romeo finally gets a comeback with a double-clothesline and Dar tags in and takes down the Squad with a variety of strikes and gets a juji-gatame on Jacari, dodges a Santi elbow and then Ball slips out before Moreno tags in and we get Noam with a Tower of London and Romeo with a springboard dropkick combo that is an INSANE double-team and should be their finish but of course Santi breaks it up. Dudes. Do not use that move on a nearfall, what are you doing? Rivera gets a facebreaker on Dar but Romeo gets a kick, gets tripped up and then whiffs a top-rope lionsault while Santi hits a codebreaker into a Jacari German…but they’re too close and Romeo gets a foot on the ropes. Mog Squad think they’ve won and leave the ring…but there’s no bell and the ref calls them back Romeo hits a massive flip dive on them, drags in Jacari, hits a springboard dropkick and tags in Dar for Up And Down (double exploder suplex) for 3.

**¼

Jacari and Santi have the personality of the sludge on the bottom of my fridge (I’ll clean it! Relax!) but are like fine CAWs. Romeo feels like an actual prospect for me. Personality, charisma, look, athleticism, charm. And Dar is a good hand of good hands. That said kicking out of the Tower/Dropkick is just infuriating to me when their finish is a really generic OVW slam.

Post-match the Squad limp away and Max screams at Thatcher and I guess this is the feud now? So Thatcher puts Max in a match next week against Chazz “Starboy” Hall.

Vignette time as we get Aaron Rourke (in a sick crop top) and Harlem Lewis getting a mega-cinematic ultra-dramatic showdown as Harlem talks about how he needs the title for the money…but Rourke cuts him off cause he knows the backstory and says that he knows Lewis thought he’d never be anything but Harlem standing beside Rourke lets the champ know what sorta man Lewis is. Harlem returns the respect and knows that Rourke has handled the insults and is making history but every story comes to an end. Both banter about being underdogs and how they’re not supposed to make it (yes Harlem, jacked up football guys with long hair have a tough road in wrestling). Harlem talks about how he’s suppressed anger his whole career but he’ll unleash it to win the belt, but Rourke adds that he also knows about anger and holding it back, how he’s suffered disrespect and insults and while Lewis shows it, Rourke knows to hold it in. Aaron is willing to show that he’s glamor, but he’s also grit, and they fistbump to close it out.

Harlem isn’t a bad promo, but Rourke might be a great one, real deal underdog hardscrabble vibes, and I love they say it without saying it. Deep cut but he reminds me of Charlie Morgan in all the best ways.

We now have Kale Dixon and Kylee Quinn posing for a photoshoot and they brag about how good they look and Tubi is going to be begging for them to be stars.

Ulka Sasaki vs. Harley Riggins

Background: Okay so uh, I know a TON about Ulka. Pro Wrestling NOAH guy, was in UFC, he’s sort of scrawny for a pro wrestler but he is as legitimate as they come. Used to dress as a Tengu, was a former GHC National Champion and GHC tag champion, does a sort of OUTTA NOWHERE thing where his submissions and strikes take people out in the flow of matches as he has all that real fighter cred, as I said, he’s a bit undersized but he’s a long haired pretty boy with prayer beads and a robe and very generic Asian Music here (yeeesh) and the baggy t-shirt of shame. Harley is a big tatted up biker bully dude who looks like he’d play Kevin Nash in a direct to streaming movie.

The Match: Ulka offers a handshake to star and Harley kicks it away and Sasaki throws some strikes but tries shoulders before settling for a jawbreaker and then drops Harley with an elbow as commentary goes wild for him. Schoolboy into an armbar as Ulka is smooth but Harley powers out with a hairpull assist and then a slam and a boot and some strikes in the corner. Hard whip wipes out Ulka and Harley talks trash and throws some disrespect strikes but Sasaki gets a series of rollups but an inside cradle is turned into a brainbuster for 2. Chinlock by Riggins and then an elbow drop has Riggins in control. Drop toe hold by Ulka into the corner and then a series of strikes before a roaring elbow and a pump knee gets 2.5. Harley gets a goozle lift into a knee strike for 3.

**½

Okay my headscratching at the finish aside, pretty solid technique vs. power match that went at a brisk pace and it makes me think that Harley would get over in Japan, he’s like if Josh Briggs wasn’t a weird creep and these guys just had a nice power sprint. Probably not enough selling but both guys knocked the heck out of each other. No issues with Ulka getting reps in Evolve as I assume whatever visa issues he has got worked out. That said, no idea why a handsome if not super jacked guy like Ulka is in the t-shirt of shame.

Post-match new ringside reporter Adriana Rizzo (wait what?) talks to Harley Riggins and she’s still in full schtick FUGGADABOUTIT CAPICHE PAISONO! Okay I’ll be good. Rizzo asks where Kam Hendrix is and Harley says they’ve ridden together for a while but the Big Rig is riding solo now, and calls out Tate Wilder!

Elijah Holyfield is working out for Brooks Jensen with Noam Dar and Holyfield talks about how he lost to Brooks when he slipped on the ropes doing some corner punches and wants to know a counter. Noam says that Brooks is a vet and he’ll use your emotions against you. Dar is glad to show Eiljah some stuff and we get him begging not be actually punched by Elijah in a nice bit…and we get Brooks also entering the gym to train in a scowling manner. Noam explains how if you’re too into the ropes to deliver those punches your base is off and Brooks can slip out and take you off and this is just fantastic goofy wrestling psychology here. Brooks watches and scowls and menaces secretly as Dar teaches Elijah some stuff and they both buddy up as Noam does the friendly vet routine while Brooks is very obviously hatching an EVIL SCHEME while Dar trash talks Brooks.

Yeah this is ridiculous and awesome. I love the days where William Regal on commentary would explain PRO WRESTLING PHYSICS and Noam vs. Brooks (if that’s where they hopefully go) will warm my cold, dead heart…well except when it’s about people eating cake.

Now we have Viktor Zanov and Shido Ash, former security dorks, now full-on wrestlers. Viktor has the papakha on and the chinstrap beard as he’s absolutely imitating the Dagestani MMA vibe while Shido has the terrible tattoos, jewelry and jacket of a millennial f-boy and it’s the two sides of MMA here. They talk about how they were security in the past, but they’re olympian judokas and are the best fighters in the world. They did security cause that was their only door, but they kicked the door down but they’re not here to protect, they’re there to whoop butt and take over. People are scared and should be scared.

Wrestling is so short on tag-teams that any glimpse of anything makes my heart flutter. Evil judo bullies? Sure, why not.

Also did you know that Kendal Grey is awesome and won the NXT title and was in Evolve and Evolve is where stars are grown and Kendal carried Evolve for like a year? My pictures of eating cake certainly don’t indicate that! (Indicake? I’ll workshop this). Anyway footage of her beating Lola is played while Blake Howard talks about how Evolve makes stars! Please watch Evolve!

And we’re back to the ring as Sloane Jacobs is hosting the Nikkita Lyons championship celebration with Gianna Capri and Veronica Haven and they introduce the Divine Feline, the new Evolve Champion, and Sloane’s friend…Nikkita Multimedia who raps her way to the ring and it’s gloriously terrible. Sloane bigs up Lyons and how big this moment is and Lyons talks about envisioning things with maybe a bit more people in the ring, and Jacobs says she has more! And Sloane asks again for more people and nobody comes out. Nikkita asks the cards for who is next but Jacobs says that isn’t necessary as Lyons is that good and everybody is scared. Choo was a fluke! Luck was a charity case! We don’t need any negative energy sullying things and it’s WRENSDAY! Wren Sinclair comes out and Sloane immediately adds she was invited. Sinclair lets us know that Kendal somehow lost her invite, but Evolve is where anything can happen she might as well add the Evolve title the WrenQCC championship collection. But we have a promo parade as Skylar Rae (???) comes out and says she won LFG and deserves the title shot, but now Layla Diggs comes out but Sloane cuts that off and says this is all silly. Jacobs says that this isn’t a celebration now, they’re challenging for a title which isn’t the point. Diggs steps in and says she’s beaten Nikkita in the past and would love to wrestle for the belt but Gianna cuts Layla off, Veronica ambushes her and we have a big brawl while Nikkita poses in the ring before Laynie Luck pops into the ring to put Lyons through the ring with an AA and picks up the belt.

Well that segment was messy. But hey, we got some stuff happening, it’s EVOLVE! TASTE THE RAINBOW!

Kind of a crazy amount of debuts this week as we set up a sorta money week next time. Harlem vs. Rourke for the title and Max Abrams vs. Starboy.

Keep on Evolving my Evolvemaniacs.