SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE EVOLVE TV REPORT
MAY 28, 2025
ORLANDO, FLA. AT WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED ON TUBI
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone
Interviewer: Chuey Martinez
-The show opened with a video package hyping tonight’s Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for the Evolve Women’s Championship.
(1) JACKSON DRAKE (w/The Vanity Project) vs. LINCE DORADO vs. JORDAN OASIS – Triple Threat Qualifying match for the final spot in the Fatal Four-Way Elimination match to determine the inaugural Evolve champion
The announcers recapped Oasis’s win last month during a Reality of Wrestling card in Houston, TX that earned him this spot in the match. Drake showed incredible quickness and athleticism early in the match with some spirited offense. Oasis got a chance to shine and got a two-count on Drake. Dorado took his turn to shine with a springboard into a double cutter.
Drake dove through the ropes onto each opponent on opposite sides of the ring. Dorado hit a spectacular Frankensteiner on Oasis as both men stood on the top rope. Brad Baylor tried to hang onto Dorado’s leg as Drake went for the pin, but he didn’t have a firm grasp, and Dorado kicked out. Dorado did a high flip dive over the top rope and onto Swipe Right on the floor. The three then brawled their way to the back. Oasis hit his blackout cannonball on Drake for a close two-count but missed a splash in the corner and ate a hard knee from Drake, resulting in the pin.
WINNER: Jackson Drake at 5:55 to qualify for the final spot in the Fatal Four-Way.
(Miller’s Take: Fine little opener to kickstart the show. The appearance of Lince Dorado was a nice surprise and Oasis made a good showing for himself, but the winner was no real surprise, especially with the rest of The Breakfast Club out there to back him up.)
-In the locker room, Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe were pumping themselves up for their upcoming tag team match against Cappuccino Jones & Jack Cartwheel. [c]
-It’s Gal was shown lounging poolside, bragging about his physique, but he said he couldn’t enjoy his fun in the sun because of Troy Yearwood and everyone saying he has the best physique. Who has the best body is debatable, but when you call yourself “It’s Gal”, you’ll always come up short in the best name department. Ugh.
-Kendal Grey was shown warming up in the back.
-Peter Rosenberg and Robert Stone were interrupted by Jackson Drake, who appeared to have remained in the ring after his victory earlier. He predicted victory in his upcoming championship match until Edris Enofe took exception with his comments and confronted Drake to claim victory for himself. Of course, this prompted one of the other participants, Sean Legacy, to also come to the ring to make the same claim. Drake dismissed his foes and rolled out of the ring, mic in hand and mouth still moving. As he backed toward the ring entrance, he backed into Keanu Carver. He turned to face Carver and began backing up from him, but bumped into Legacy and Enofe, who had joined him on the floor. Drake was briefly pinballed by his three opponents before some extra help emerged from the back to break it up.
-In the back, Chuey Martinez interviewed Jones & Cartwheel about their upcoming match.
-Kylie Rae was shown warming up in the locker room. [c]
-Kali Armstrong was shown warming up in the back.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “Wrestling Coast to Coast” with Chris Maitland and Justin McClelland, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(2) CAPPUCCINO JONES & JACK CARTWHEEL vs. TYSON DUPONT & TYRIEK IGWE
Igwe started off shoving Cartwheel around, who cartwheeled his way out of the power moves before Igwe caught him and tagged out. Cartwheel tagged Jones shortly afterward, and they clotheslined Dupont over the top rope. Wes Lee emerged from the back to help his High Ryze partners regroup. Igwe faked coming into the ring while Dupont slipped in the opposite side and creamed Jones.
The massive duo took turns beating on him briefly until Jones moved out of the way of an Igwe shoulder block in the corner. Cartwheel took the hot tag and hit a springboard elbow on Igwe. He did a cartwheel into a backward flip over the top rope and onto Dupont, who was standing on the floor, then followed that up with an innovative cartwheel elbow drop off the top turnbuckle onto a prone Igwe, but Dupont broke up the pin.
Jones and Cartwheel double dropkicked Dupont out of the ring. Cartwheel took a bullet for Jones, shoving him out of the way of a charging Igwe. Dupont pulled Jones out of the ring and annihilated him, then took the tag from his partner. They hit a combination belly-to-back/Heartstopper o Cartwheel for the pin. Wes Lee celebrated with his charges in the ring.
WINNERS: Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe at 5:08
(Miller’s Take: They packed a lot of action into that five minutes. I love the team of Jones & Cartwheel. They have great chemistry together, and their moves are crisp and clean. Dupont & Igwe are a couple of massive wrecking balls ready to tear down anything in their path.
-Stevie Turner was in the process of having Jin Tala (LFG Season One talent Leigh Laurel) sign her Evolve contract when Carlee Bright reported to her as requested. Turner told her that she wasn’t allowed ringside with her friend, Kendal Grey, tonight and informed her that the newly signed Tala would be her opponent next week. They shook hands amicably.
-Wendy Choo was shown pacing in the back and looking creepy.
-Natalya was shown entering the building. An unseen male voice asked her what she was doing here in Evolve. She said she’d be watching the main event, and she was brought in to present the winner of the match with the Evolve Women’s championship. [c]
-In the locker room, Dupont & Igwe talked up their opponents from earlier tonight, but said power beats speed every time, and they’d trained with the fastest. The High Ryze walked off to celebrate.
(3) KENDAL GREY vs. KYLIE RAE vs. KALI ARMSTRONG vs. WENDY CHOO – Fatal Four-Way Elimination match to determine the inaugural Evolve Women’s champion
Choo and Rae immediately tied up and rolled to the outside as Grey and Armstrong tangled in the ring. Choo dragged Armstrong out by her feet, and Grey dove through the ropes with a flying press onto all three opponents on the floor. The four women executed some pretty cool four-way moves mid-ring. Choo shined for awhile before a Kali Connection and Rae superkick eliminated her.
ELIMINATION: Choo, by Rae at 3:03. [c]
Rae hit cannonballs on Grey and Armstrong in different corners. Armstrong countered a double suplex into a double DDT, then speared both women in opposite corners. Grey hit a moonsault off the top into a double pin for a two-count. She fired up with a series of fireman’s carry takeovers, followed by a flying elbow to Rae. She locked Armstrong in an armbar submission, but Rae slipped in behind her and rolled her up for a surprise three-count.
ELIMINATION: Grey, by Rae at 8:12.
Rae was on fire following her second elimination and got a couple of near falls on Armstrong. She avoided a Kali Connection by locking in a crossface as Armstrong was in mid-air. That was super impressive. Armstrong escaped but was small-packaged for another believable near fall after a powerslam attempt. Rae locked on a second crosssface. Armstrong escaped again, and was successful with a second powerslam. She followed up with a Kali Connection for the pin.
WINNER: Kali Armstrong at 10:51 to become the inaugural Evolve Women’s champion.
(Miller’s Take: That was a very strong main event. Choo has little to prove in Evolve, so I wasn’t surprised at her eating the first elimination, but I was surprised by Grey being eliminated next. Grey is a fantastic athlete and has a girl-next-door look that stands out in WWE. While Rae’s “Smiley Kylie” persona may be a little grating at times and seem a bit like hugger Bayley with the volume turned up, she is an experienced hand from the indy circuit. As I predicted due to their presentation of her thus far, Armstrong was the ultimate victor.)
-Stevie Turner and Natalya joined Armstrong in the ring. As Natalya was admiring the new championship belt, Armstrong apparently thought she was taking too much time and snatched it out of her hands. Natalya looked a bit offended and slightly amused at the same time by the brashness of the young champion.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Only three matches tonight, but no complaints here. The show ran smoothly. I want to see more of Jones & Cartwheel, even if it is slightly annoying to have to type the word “cartwheel” 27 times during one of his matches due to his last name being the same as that of the move he performs consistently throughout his matches. Being a certified java junkie, I dig Jones’s gimmick and coffee references. After the disrespect shown to Natalya after the main event, maybe she will appear on Evolve to put over the new champion. Putting over everyone in the promotion seems to be her gimmick these days. Armstrong, however, is a suitable pick for the face of the promotion and has a ton of potential. See you next Tuesday for NXT!
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