SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE EVOLVE TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 17, 2025
ORLANDO, FLA. AT WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED ON TUBI
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentator: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone
Ring announcer: Blake Howard
Interviewer: Chuey Martinez
-A recap of last week’s highlights was shown.
-Robert Stone almost had an aneurysm as The Vanity Project made their way to the ring. Evolve Champion Jackson Drake told the rest of his cohorts that he had set up a tag team match for them all.
(1) THE VANITY PROJECT (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes & Bryce Donovan & Zayda Steel w/Jackson Drake) vs. DANTE CHEN & DRAKO KNOX & SEAN LEGACY & TYRA MAE STEELE – Eight-Person Mixed Tag Team Match
The ladies started the match. Zayda ran her mouth a little and got unceremoniously pitched into her corner for her trouble. Smokes tagged in and Tyra Mae was more than willing to take him on, but eventually tagged out to Knox, who began manhandling Smokes. Tag to Legacy, who landed a couple of weak-looking kicks to the back of Smokes before attempting a pin.
Next up was Chen and Baylor. Chen hit a trio of inverted atomic drops, much to the chagrin of whoever Baylor’s girlfriend may be. With the faces in complete control, they cut to the first commercial break of the evening. [c]
Back from the break, The Vanity Project had taken over on Knox. They kept him in their corner and inadvertently pulled off his bandana, revealing he has more hair on his chin than on his head. He got the hot tag to Legacy, but Donovan tagged in and took over. With the referee distracted, Zayda pulled Legacy’s hair and put the boots to him. Swipe Right showed off their smooth double team moves as they battered Legacy.
As Legacy reached for the tag, Smokes ran into the opposite corner and nailed Knox and Chen, but stopped short when Tyra Mae cocked her fist at him. Tyra Mae got in the ring and delivered German suplexes to Zayda and her male opponents. Knox, Legacy and Tyra Mae all dove through the ropes at the same time onto Smokes, Baylor, and Zayda. Dante hit his Chen-tle Touch double chop on Donovan for the pin.
WINNERS: Dante Chen & Drako Knox & Sean Legacy & Tyra Mae Steele at 11:50.
(Miller’s Take: Good, action-packed opener to start the show. Legacy and Tyra Mae Steele are going to go places. I think Chen could be a decent mid-card talent on the main roster one day. Knox, the jury is still out on. He’s not bad, but there’s nothing particularly memorable about him. As far as the Vanity Project goes, they are all stars in the making, with the notable exception of Donovan, who simply still isn’t very good in the ring.)
-Chuey Martinez interviewed Marcus Mathers & Aaron Rourke about their upcoming match against It’s Gal & Jamar Hampton. They showed great chemistry on the mic together, and I believe that will translate to the ring, as well. On a side note, Chuey looks better without the baseball cap. He should lose it permanently.
-Kendal Grey was warming up for her upcoming match with Wendy Choo as she chatted with her friend, Carlee Bright. I couldn’t help but notice the the locker cubbies behind them were lableled “Kelani Jordan” and “Fallon Henley” and Henley’s signature fur coat and cowboy boots were there. [c]
-Tate Wilder was sitting in the locker room looking pensive when Sean Legacy walked up and asked him if he was okay. He gave him a pep talk, with, of course, a reference about getting back up on his horse. Ugh.
(2) AARON ROURKE & MARCUS MATHERS vs. IT’S GAL & JAMAR HAMPTON
Gal and Hampton stood back to back at the entrance and turned as they both flexed. Not sure yet if Hampton has rubbed off on Gal or vice-versa, but I guess we’ll find out. Gal and Rourke began the match, with the flamboyant Rourke taking the early advantage. He did a forward flip into a double pec chop. Mathers tagged in and got a quick tow-count. After a distraction by Gal, Hampton took over on Rourke. It quickly became apparent through the match that Gal was the one rubbing off on Hampton, who was acting increasingly heelish through the match.
Rourke finally made the hot tag on his partner, and Mathers went to town on Gal with some impressive intensity. He hit a beautiful cross body on Hampton, followed by a cannonball over the top rope to both opponents. During the fracas, Rourke tweaked his knee and fell victim to a double slam for the pin. After the match, Gal and Hampton put on matching obnoxious sunglasses and changed “It’s Gal” and “It’s Jamar” at each other.
WINNERS: It’s Gal & Jamar Hampton at 6:52.
(Miller’s Take: Good showing from both teams here. Both are somewhat oddball pairings, with Gal and Rourke being the flashier members of their respective teams and Mathers and Hampton being the more serious ones. Both teams gelled well together and show a lot of promise.)
-Chuey Armstrong congratulated Evolve Women’s Champion Kali Armstrong on her successful title defense last week. When he mentioned her next challenger might be the winner of the match between Grey and Choo, she said she wasn’t sure how Grey was supposed to beat Choo in an “I Quit” match when Choo doesn’t speak. Just about then, Choo walked up to her, chuckled just a bit, and walked off, leaving Martinez and Armstrong a bit weirded out. [c]
-Back from the break, The Vanity Project were getting roasted by Jackson Drake over their loss. Baylor and Smoke laid blame on Donovan while Steel cried that they were going to get roasted on social media and she couldn’t even look on her Instagram. Jackson doubled down on Donovan, who stood up for himself and said when he’s helping them win matches, they’re fine with him, but the minute anything goes wrong, they’re pointing the finger at him. Drake told him if he’s going to be an enforcer, he needs to enforce. Donovan got in his face and said maybe he’ll show him what being an enforcer means, then walked off. The other members were suddenly confused as to what that was supposed to mean.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, 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)
(3) KENDAL GREY (w/Carlee Bright) vs. WENDY CHOO – “I Quit” Match
Grey viciously clotheslined Choo from behind as Blake Howard was announcing her. They rolled around the mat trading punches for a bit before Grey applied an armbar against the ropes, which Choo broke by raking the eyes. Grey trapped her between the ring and the Evolve banner with another armbar, but Choo retreated under the ring. As Grey searched for her, Choo tried to drag her under the ring, but she escaped. The sleepy psycho grabbed a chair, jabbed her in the midsection with it, then positioned her against the ring post and pulled on her arm and leg with her foot planted on the post. [c]
Grey rolled out and under the ring, too. Choo searched for her, but when she turned around, Grey stood behind her with a menacing look on her face. She decimated Choo with a series of chair shots, then locked her in another armbar, but couldn’t get her to give up. Choo grabbed the chair and shoved it into Grey’s jaw. Grey rolled her into an ankle lock, but Choo escaped. She wrapped the chair around Grey’s neck and rammed her into the turnbuckle, then locked her into the Dirt Nap.
Grey reversed it into another armbar and they both rolled outside the ring, where Choo threw her into the ring steps. Back in the ring, she grabbed the chair and set it up. She tried dropping her with a face-first suplex across the chair, but Grey turned it into a DDT onto it. With Choo’s arm caught in the chair, Grey leaped over the top rope and stomped her arm, leaving Choo screaming and writhing in pain. She reapplied an armbar and cinched it in tightly. After about 20 seconds of the referee asked her, Choo screamed “I quit” to end the match. As Bright celebrated with Grey in the ring, the camera zoomed in on Choo in the corner, who croaked, “What’s left for me?”
WINNER: Kendal Grey at 12:23 by submission.
(Miller’s Take: This was very well-executed and career-defining match for Kendal Grey at this point. She has shown great skill, and now incredible grit with this hard-fought victory over the sleep demon. I don’t think she needs the Evolve title before going full-time to NXT; I think she’s ready to make a splash there now. Where she lacks a bit in size, she more than makes up for in skill and determination. As for Wendy Choo, I think this effectively ended the mystique for her heel character and with the camera picking up her questioning what is next for her, I think maybe it’s time to revert back to the lovable babyface gimmick from her earlier days in NXT.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a can’t-miss show as far as I’m concerned. The Vanity Project continues to unravel big-time with Donovan seemingly fed up with being their whipping boy and ready to beat the snot out of Jackson Drake. The tag team match in the middle showed off some great ID talent that are destined for stardom, and the final “I Quit” match was, though short for that type of match, longer than usual for an Evolve match and it really delivered. As a big fan of both women, I anxiously await what’s next for them in their evolution. See you next week for NXT!
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