WWE Evolve October 7th 2026

Welcome back to Evolve as we…don’t have a card? At least I don’t think so, anyway, we’ll see, but before then lets catch up with WWE and its expanded universe.

Main Event – Impact – Smackdown – AAA – Raw – NXT

We start with Evolve champion Harlem Lewis walking and talking and he’s addressing Harley Riggins who will be challenging for the belt next week. Harlem says that he’s happy for Riggins (I sense sarcasm!) but he won’t walk out with the gold, one day Harley might be champion, but it’ll be after Lewis. The Harlem Lewis Violence World Tour continues.

Harley fires back with his own walk and talk and calls out the champs mutton chops (YA BURNT!) and says they’re gonna have words tonight 1v1 (I doubt it’ll just be words) and Harlem ain’t leaving Evolve with the belt and the big rig is gonna cool some behinds off and take some titles.

Posing! Smoke! Air guitaring! Incomprehensible lyrics! It’s Evolve!

We have Blake Howard and Robert Stone (that ratfink punk stool pigeon) hinting they’re going to run down the card and then they don’t, that’s neat.

Marcus Mathers is out and he’s dressed to wrestle but first he wants to talk. And he’s UPSET and he’s GONNA SAY WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. He’s tired of sitting around, he’s sick of it all! He’s sick of his buddy Sam Holloway getting hurt by Cutler James! He’s sick of biding his time for his shot! Elijah Holyfield knocking him out he’s sick of it! He’s not scared of any of these guys! And out comes Cutler James.

Boy this was not good. Marcus I guess is supposed to be a dweeb but he is…dweeby.

Marcus Mathers vs. Cutler James

Background: So Marcus is a punching bag, kind of a scrawny indie high-flyer (though not super flashy) and James is a big amateur wrestling guy who is still part of DarkState I guess (they’re still around?). Marcus has been sorta beefing with people and is getting angrier and surlier as his promos have indicated and Cutler is uh…he used to like butts and now I don’t know what he likes. Braxton Cole (another ghost) who has been feuding with Marcus is in the VIP section.

The Match: Cutler whiffs a bump kick and Marcus sticks and moves and spams strikes and staggers James with a dropkick but the amateur standout gets a headlock takeover and grinds the smaller ID wrestler down. Marcus breaks but James goes back to it and keeps the pressure on and then gets a camel clutch but Marcus breaks and more agility sets up a Mathers pump kick but Cutler spears him down and then a standing stretch muffler before Marcus turns that into a sunset flip for a cover. Marcus gets a second-rope missile dropkick and a house call kick before a springboard runs into scoop catch and James Cutler does a spinning slam to toss him outside and Marcus lands on his ankles in a gnarly spot as we go to a break. We’re back and Marcus is limping as he’s trying to make a comeback as Cutler gets a kneebreaker and does some taunting 101. A few punch-drunk punches from Marcus and then a code red gets 2.7 but Cutler tosses him around, goes for Dark Matter (spinning crucifix toss) but Mathers slips out the back…and runs into another scoop sideslam but turns that into a DDT, springboard stunner on one-leg and then Marcus checks Cutler to the outside. Punt on the apron but Mathers still sells the leg and a sloppy moonsault off the turnbuckle hurts the leg and Marcus tosses Cutler inside…but now Braxton hops the barricade to menace Mathers and talks junk…but now Elijah Holyfield comes out to menace Braxton…and this serves to distract Marcus who tries a springboard moonsault, Cutler snatches that and turns that into Dark Matter for 3.

**¼

Hey, decent big-little matchup with inconsistent selling and some character stuff to finish it out. Whatever, sorta mediocre but maybe a step-up for both?

So apparently next we’re getting Veronica Haven vs. Anya Rune and I am questioning what I’m reviewing.

Veronica Haven vs. Anya Rune

Background: So these ladies are all part of the WWE ID 2.0 class. Veronica Haven is…a tiny goth-y lady though at this point she’s more Flyleaf as she’s the Fallen Angel, she’s a goon in the heel mean lady group. Anya is well…she’s the Anime Girl and is a mega-weeb who thinks she has fireball powers (sometimes) and green hair and she’s another ghost (i.e. we know she’s been released but Evolve has filmed 1200 episodes since then).

The Match: Quick scuffle and some counters result in a Veronica cutter for 2 and then a running knee for 2 before a SHOCKED KICK OUT FACE and a tantrum in the ring before a double-arm stretch that Anya breaks and then Rune catches another knee before a series of hideous strikes and then another fireball sets up a spinning headlock palm strike for 3.

DUD

Woof.

Post-match Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons jump Anya and beat her down. Jacobs brings out a trashcan and they dump it on Anya before delivering Divine Alignment (spinning heel kick) drops Anya and both pose and do a 10 count as Nikkita says she accepts Wendy Choo’s challenge for a last women standing.

Another ghost in PJ Vasa is backstage scowling.

We cut to EARLIER THIS DAY as AJ Styles meets up in the gym with Nathan Frazer and Conan Lycan (???) and AJ says he’s here cause Frazer reached out and now AJ is gonna give Lycan an ID contract and Concan is here to PROVE AJ RIGHT! He’s the land shark (???) and Nathan embraces Conan.

Now we have the Mog Squad and they seem irate as Max Abrams has a match against a MYSTERY OPPONENT later on. CJ Valor (who is a Bengals fan which explains his success) says he’s not skipping arm day over this. Santi has some eye patches on says he’ll never have bags, and Jacari adds that Thatcher doesn’t have anybody who can match Abrams…and THE FOREMAN needs some work himself. Abrams doesn’t care who he wrestles cause he’ll max it all he owns Thatcher. Max is looking disgustingly bloated for his age.

I think whatever affection I might have had for the Mog Squad is gone, they’re just so generic and boring for this level of exposure.

Another ghost in Adriana Rizzo is interviewing Cappuccino Jones and Jones says that once he’s cleared he’s putting pressure on those jive turkeys in the Mog Squad. He’s still not medically cleared but it’s just a matter of time. Cap is irked he didn’t get his chance against the Squad when they jumped him, so when he’s cleared, it’ll be him and Chazz Hall vs. Santi and Jacari.

I’m a sucker for the 70s slang.

Kale Dixon w/ Alix Brooks vs. Aaron Rourke

Background: Kale is an arrogant pretty boy with an arrogant pretty girl valet. Aaron is a former Evolve champ and a flamboyant indie guy. Kale cost Rourke in the ID vs. Mog Squad match and then Rourke cost Kale in a match against Ulka.

The Match: Quick clothesline and slam for Kale…and then another slam as Dixon is both angry and taunting. A third slam is blocked and Rourke brings him to the corner for some shoulder thrusts but gets booted down and Dixon tosses strikes but Rourke gets a thrust kick and his own strike sequence…but Alix trips him up and Rourke gets beaten down in the corner…and the ref catches them for a DQ. Alix slides Kale a chair and he wears it out against Rourke and they both pose.

**

Hey it did what it had to do, no problems with that.

Now we have Wendy Choo (spooky!) being interviewed by Blake Howard. Next Wednesday at Succession IV it’ll be Wendy versus Nikkita, and while she’s been gone since Succession III, Wendy’s spirit was still there, showing up in videos and such, spookily. Wendy thought she’d have done more as champ, and while losing the title stinks, losing it via Nikkita’s cheating stinks a lot more. Lyons is a cheater champ who tapped to Wendy and Wendy is upset with that. Lyons stole Wendy’s journey and she couldn’t beat Wendy legit…so that’s why Wendy haunts Nikkita, cause that loss haunts her. Choo came back to choke her out and that’s why a Last Woman Standing is the stipulation for the title match, Nikkita wants to cheat, but Wendy knows how to go hardcore, she’s competed in a bunch of gimmick matches and knows how to get it done. Lyons must have lost her mind to forget who Wendy is.

Sniffs. This is the one we released?

We get a video package where Vanta the Unknown runs down Laynie Luck while Luck talks about her hard-scrabble journey. And Vanta reminds Laynie that time conquers all. Mother Time is undefeated and fear the unknown.

Eh a bit unfocused but spooky.

Now we have the Mog Squad hyping each other up and then Max (who now looks different facially than his prior promo) says that he probably should take the match off against his unknown competitor but the Mog Squad all make excuses but the X-Factor CJ Valor agrees and walks out as commentary questions if we’re getting ANOTHER excuse from Abrams to skip a match.

CJ Valor vs. Jasper Troy

Background: Good lord the ghosts are out tonight. Jasper Troy is looking really trim here with his patchy jeans and vest combo. CJ of course is quite small but in great shape and has a ridiculous amount of eyeblack. Troy is a former speed champion and a big strong monster guy.

The Match: Aye like…do we care here? These are two dudes who don’t work for WWE anymore (maybe CJ still does but there’s been a name change). Crowd is into Jasper as a monster and CJ dances around and ducks some Troy attacks before working the ropes and trying a takedown. Jasper reverses and gets a few armwrenches and a lifting armbar before tossing Valor for a standing squash but CJ kicks the leg out of the leg and stomps at Jasper in the corner. But Troy just gets up and runs CJ over but a slam gets slipped out of and Jasper gets a swinging side slam for 2…but CJ just bounces up and dropkicks Troy outside and a flying shoulder into the break. Back in and Jasper limps back inside to get booted down by CJ who stomps away and gets another shoulderblock for 2 and then some knees as he’s knocking Troy around with some grounded offense and then Troy reverses for his own but CJ gets a splash (?!) for a cover and then tries another gutwrench but Jasper walks him back into the buckle a few times before Jasper breaks loose with a hip-toss and some strikes before a few corner charges sets up a powerslam for 2.5. Jasper sets up a goozle but CJ turns a chokeslam into a juji-gatame and then Troy gets a pin to break and goes for another slam but Valor rakes the eyes and gets a Chaos Theory for 2 and Jasper immediately gets up and CJ gets a spear for 2.8 and then tries an anklelock but Jasper breaks and gets a sit-out chokeslam for no pin and then kips up (?!?) and it’s Into The Abyss (Bossman Slam) for 3.

*½

Boy this was a mess. I don’t know what agent thinks that CJ Valor should be agented like Batista and Jasper should be Shawn, but the psychology was crazy off and if this is why Jasper got released we need to release Gabe. They…did stuff well but CJ is the punching bag of the Mog Squad and Jasper (before he got released) is supposed to be a big prospect. LET HIM SQUASH THE GUY WHO IS FIVE FOOT THREE! This was fine-ish as just a match if you’re blind or something but as a storyline thing it was a failure.

And now we run down Succession IV, we’re getting Harlem Lewis defending against Harley Riggins, Vanta the Unknown taking down Laynie Luck, and Nikkita defending against Wendy Choo in a Last Woman Standing match.

But wait, there’s more! We have Aaron Rourke clutching his back backstage as he vows revenge against Kale Dixon but Harley and Harlem brawl past him and they fight to the ring and they’re they’re tossing potatoes and destroying security guys in a heated brawl…but Riggins punches Harlem beneath the uprights and gets the Shotgun before picking up the belt.

Okay, the constant ghosts of Evolve are making this show downright unwatchable. I’ve heard rumors that they’ve taped stuff out to February which is just insane to me and hopefully untrue. I dunno, this wasn’t a bad show, it was kinda bad but I get setting up the next show, but it’s hard to care about a show that is developmental when most of the roster is gone. I hope that the released talent figure it out and go other places (if that’s what they want) and succeed, but the soul is missing here and I am questioning if I want to review it if these are the vibes.

Watch Succession IV I guess, or don’t, who cares…oh yeah thanks for reading and keep on Evolving my Evolvemaniacs.