2 weeks Ago By RobertLeightyJr
-Announce Team: Peter Rosenberg and Robert Stone -Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL -Video recapping that alliances have been forming on Evolve and some Superstars have seen enough. Jackson Drake vs. Sean Legacy and Bryce Donovan vs.
Timothy Thatcher are set for tonight. -Show opening! -Stevie Turner, Evolve GM, is out and says she is on the verge of finalizing a huge announcement tonight. She is interrupted by Zayda Steel and Swipe Right, who make their way to the ring.
Drako Knox is in The VIP section and is not thrilled to see Swipe Right. The crowd lets Brad Baylor know that he sucks and then we get a “Swipe Left,” chant. Brad: “All your girlfriends swiped right on us.
” Jackson Drake is The Carolina Reaper and known as Heartbreak Drake and The Wild Card in frat parties in Carolina. Bryce Donovan is also out with them as he is the heavy of the group. They are known as The Vanity Project.
Our first Evolve Faction! -Stevie makes it known she is the law and is The Prime Minister of Evolve. She brings out Sean Legacy so we can have that match right now. ”Super” Sean Legacy vs.
Jackson Drake -Legacy is a little outnumbered in this one if you count everyone the floor. Legacy gets a double stomp to the back and then a dropkick. Drake lands a head kick in the corner and gets a Randy Orton snap powerslam for two.
Legacy lands on his feet to avoid a belly to back and hits a running kick to the back, a kick to the chest and a standing moonsault gets two. Legacy sends Drake to the floor and hits a dive over the top rope. Swipe Right get involved on the floor, and the ref catches them so he sends everyone to the back.
The crowd sings them out as they take their leave and we had to a break at 2:19. -Backlash commercial! As we assumed it’s going to be Cena/Orton in Orton’s hometown. -30 seconds of Tubi commercials! -Back at 3:27 with them trading forearms.
Legacy lands an elbow in the corner and then hits a modified Michinoku Driver. The crowd starts a “Legacy” chant. He starts to run wild with forearms and kicks and then hits a nice German Suplex.
Springboard missile dropkick gets two! Legacy goes for a lift, but Drake blocks and throws some elbows. Drake ends up on the apron and drops Legacy throat first on the top rope. LETHAL INJECTION gets two! Drake pulls down the knee pad, but misses a running knee.
They trade strikes again and Drake gets the last of this exchange with a clothesline to leave both men down. The throw hands as they get to their knees and then to their feet. Drake with a Rana out of nowhere and then the running knee that sends Legacy to the floor and Drake is crushed as he knows he had it.
Legacy rushes back in to block a charge and hits a Spanish Fly for two. Springboard 450 but Drake moves. He tries a leg sweep, but Legacy jumps over that.
He misses a kick in the corner and Drake gets a Rewind-Rana (poison-rana) for two. He jams his thumb in Legacy’s bad eye (he came into the match with a black eye). Legacy with a superkick, but gets caught with one from Drake.
Lethal Injection tried again, but Legacy catches him this time with The Shambles for the pin at 10:10. Winner: Sean Legacy via pin at 10:10 -This worked as they were given some time and made good use of it. It’s a match with a lot of flips and dives which works on this show.
It seems they have plans for Legacy and I do like the idea of a faction causing havoc on this show. ***1/4 -Legacy tells the camera Evolve will always be Super and he wants the Evolve Title. -Earlier today Kylie Rae has a message for Wendy Choo.
She is no stranger to darkness and had to overcome obstacles in and out of the ring. She knows she can overcome Wendy and will face her again next week. -Harlem Lewis and Keanu Carver have a WWE Evolve Face-Off.
These are always well done as they put the competitors face to face in the room to talk trash. Lewis knows the Tournament will come down to them and he will be the Evolve Champion. Stevie interrupts and says they will be a tag team next week against Swipe Right.
Oh boy! Swipe Right is so young! Zara Zakher vs. Aria Bennett (w/ Layla Diggs) -Bennett has a gymnastic background and signed her deal with WWE back in 2023. Handshake to start.
Cool! Zakher goes for the quick pin and then another. Aria reverses into a pin and both women are up to stare each other down as the crowd gives them a round of applause. Another handshake! Aria with a no hands flip and then gets an arm-drag into an armbar.
Aria with a backdrop and she maintains arm control. She gets a two count as she maintains he hold. Zakher ducks a clothesline and gets a head scissors.
Aria with a cross-body off the top for two and she hooks a front facelock. They do battle up top and Aria snaps off a top rope Rana for two. Step-up enziguiri followed by a neckbreaker for two.
Aria is dominating this one! Zara ducks a clothesline with a matrix move and hits Control Z (RKO) for the pin at 3:57. Winner: Zara Zakher via pin at 3:57 -Weird one as Aria dominated and got to show off before missing one move and paying for it. This was like an old school Randy Savage match from the 90s where he would get dominated, hit one shot and finish with the flying elbow.
*1/2 -Chuey Martinez is with Zara and the lights go out. When they return, a bear is sitting on the apron. A note reads “Kylie, I accept.
” -Swipe Right and crew want back in the VIP section and their lawyer noted being kicked out from ringside earlier doesn’t carry over to the VIP section. -Tubi commercials! Carlee Bright (w/ Kendal Grey) vs. Kalyx -Kalyx had a busy weekend in Vegas from what I hear, though I don’t think I ever saw her masked face on my TV.
Kalyx throws some knees to start but misses a clotheline. Bright with a dropick, but can’t get a roll-up. Kalyx runs her over with a shoulder and then stomps the hand.
She sets too early on a backdrop and eats a boot, but it doesn’t phase her and she runs Carlee down with a clothesline. Running elbow runs her down and Kalyx mauls her with strikes. Bright gets somesupport from Grey and that has her fired up as she makes her comeback.
She goes for a submission, but Kalyx breaks that with a backbreaker. She sets for a move, but Bright slides off and gets a roll-up for the pin at 2:32. Winner: Carlee Bright via pin at 2:32 -It was a match and we had a winner and loser.
I do think Kalyx looked better here than her earlier appearance and I always appreciate progress. * Timothy Thatcher vs. Bryce Donovan -As always, super special in ring intros for our Main Event.
I appreciate that little touch. Intense lockup to start and Thatcher grabs an arm and tries to break Donovan down to the mat. Donovan backs Thatcher into the corner and lands a back elbow.
Thatcher back with punches to the stomach and Donovan back with a forearm. They just keep teeing off on each other and Thatcher gets the first big move as he hits a belly-to-belly throw that sends Donovan to the floor. We take a break at 1:09.
-Stephanie’s Places commercial! -Back at 1:42 with Thatcher controlling a leg and getting a half-crab. She gets side control and throws some knees. Then then starts stretching Donovan who is doing whatever he can to fight his way out, but each time he moves, Thatcher just adjusts and gets a different hold.
Donovan fires off some punches and flips over into a pin for two. Donovan hits a clothesline for another two count. Stone lets us know Donovan was trained by Curt Hawkins.
I got Hawkins and Ryder’s autograph at Mania XXV. Donovan slams Thatcher’s hand off the mat and gets another two count. He grabs a side headlock, but Thatcher elbows his way out to break.
Donovan with another elbow for a two count. They trade strikes again and Thatcher ends up on the floor. Donovan follows and sends Thatcher into the post.
Donovan tries a suplex back in, but Thatcher fights out and rolls back into the ring. Suplex from Donovan gets two. Thatcher tries a suplex, but Donovan fires up and gets a backdrop suplex.
I do like that Donovan keeps going for the pin. Slam, but he misses an elbow. Thatcher avoids a knee in the corner.
He headbutts the hand of Donovan and hits an enziguiri. The pop up fact lets us know Thatcher still has a flip phone. Thatcher finally gets the butterfly suplex.
Swipe Right leave The VIP section and distract Thatcher long enough that he turns and walks into a Black Hole Slam for the pin at 8:12. Winner: Bryce Donovan via pin at 8:12 -I can appreciate this match being a contrast to everything else we see on this show. This was a match full of strikes and groundwork.
It was a little dull, but I appreciated the work. **1/4 -Vanity Project stands tall as we cut to Stevie watching on a monitor. She notes this group is going to be trouble, but Lewis and Carver show up and note they will beat the brakes off these fellas.
-Thanks for reading!L 7.0 The final score: review Good The 411 Another solid show as the opener was enough to make this a good show. I like that we have a faction to make things interesting and they keep talking about a Tournament to crown an Evolve Champion.
I also like they keep teasing the Lewis/Carver HOSS FIGHT and next week is another step closer to that match. This would have rated a bit higher if the Main Event hit, but it was just a solid mat-based bout with a distraction ending. Still a fun show to watch and I appreciate the storyline developments that help keep this a step above Leve Up.
legend 0 - 0.9 Torture 1 - 1.9 Extremely Horrendous 2 - 2.
9 Very Bad 3 - 3.9 Bad 4 - 4.9 Poor 5 - 5.
9 Not So Good 6 - 6.9 Average 7 - 7.9 Good 8 - 8.
9 Very Good 9 - 9.9 Amazing 10 Virtually Perfect.
