SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE EVOLVE TV REPORT
OCTOBER 1, 2025
ORLANDO, FLA. AT WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED ON TUBI
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentator: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone
Ring announcer: Kelly Kincaid
Interviewer: Chuey Martinez
-A quick recap of last week’s highlights was shown, followed by a preview of tonight’s card.
(1) ADRENALINE DRIP (Jack Cartwheel & Cappuccino Jones) vs. JAX PRESLEY & HARLEY RIGGINS
In a pre-tape before the match, Presley and Riggins chided their opponents as indy workers. Jones immediately started throwing hands at Presley. He and Cartwheel double-clotheslined Riggins over the top. As Cartwheel and Jones were blowing their opponents away with their high-speed, innovative teamwork, Riggins suddenly collapsed to the mat. Adrenaline Drip backed off as the referee and Presley walked over to check on him. He seemed legitimately injured, then winked at Presley, who had wandered behind Jones and Cartwheel. Presley nailed them from behind to reveal the ruse.
The very large team of Presley and Riggins had the advantage for a short time, but a hot tag was made to Jones. Things got crazy at this point, and Cartwheel hit a spectacular twisting press off the top, but the pin was broken up. Jack cartwheeled all over the place, attacking his opponents with his aerial prowess. They finished off Presley with the Drip & Sip.
WINNERS: Adrenaline Drip at 6:00.
(Miller’s Take: I could have easily watched another 5 minutes or more of this. Presley and Riggins are a couple of big, talented guys and Adrenaline Drip is just phenomenal and have to be seen to be believed. I mentioned after reviewing NXT last night that I’d love to see Adrenaline Drip vs. Je’Von Evans & Leon Slater and I stand by that statement wholeheartedly.)
-In the locker room, Chuey Martinez (still sans baseball cap) interviewed Tate Wilder, who was preparing for his match with Edris Enofe. “Super” Sean Legacy walked up and told him Enofe was arrogant, but tough, and he needs to focus on his opponent tonight before looking ahead to Ridge Holland. [c]
-A camera was peeking through to capture Evolve Champion Jackson Drake, Jayda Steel, and Bryce Donovan in the same purple-lit kitchen area they like to hang out in. Donovan was talking up Steel when Drake interrupted to say he agreed, but it carried more weight coming from him since he was the champion and Donovan was the weak link. Donovan took exception to that remark and got in Drake’s face. Drake said that’s the guy he needed, the one who would show the fire in his eyes. He asked Donovan who was going to take care of their big problem. Donovan said he would, then gave Drake a shove as he walked off. Drake told a concerned Steel that it was okay, when Donovan is motivated, he’s money.
(2) EDRIS ENOFE vs. TATE WILDER
Enofe has a grand ring entrance that would make Randy Savage proud. Wilder caught a charging Enofe in a waistlock to slow him down. They traded blows on the apron until Enofe hung Wilder’s throat over the turnbuckle, but Wilder swung around the ring post to land a nice kick to his opponent.
Back in the ring, it didn’t take long for Enofe to gain control. Wilder tried to fight back, but Enofe caught him in a modified choke hold. Wilder hit a side suplex and started throwing hard left hands. A backstabber from Enofe got him a two count. He took off the top turnbuckle pad and then walked out to the floor to grab a chair. Sean Legacy came out and grabbed the chair from him. Wilder took advantage of the distraction to hit a high flying press to the floor. Moments later, he landed his Wild Ride moonsault to get the pin.
WINNER: Tate Wilder at 5:33.
(Miller’s Take: Not too bad at all. Wilder definitely needed the win, but he also got somewhat of an assist from Legacy, who seemed very proud of himself for his assist. Enofe, on the other hand, was slumped in the corner seething. Enofe has a great look and ring presence. Wilder is obviously a very good athlete, but his gimmick is Bart Gunn Lite. He may be a true cowboy; I don’t know, but he comes across as inauthentic on the mic and needs to show better emotional range.) [c]
-In the women’s locker room, Masyn Holiday was complimenting Layla Diggs on her hair. She then turned to Wendy Choo, who was sitting beside her, and complimented her on her hair, which was straight instead of her normal pigtails. Choo shyly grinned and said, “Thank you.” Diggs suggested Wendy do some TikToks with them. She say maybe, but then Nikkita Lyons walked up and said she liked Choo much better when she didn’t talk, which elicited a sour face from her. Lyons said her voice literally made her ears bleed and walked off. Choo exclaimed, “What a bitch!”
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)
(3) CARLEE BRIGHT (w/Kendal Grey) vs. KALI ARMSTRONG
It was clarified by Rosenberg that this was a non-title match. Bright tried to take Armstrong down with a headlock takeover, but the champ stood her ground. She grabbed Bright’s left arm and yanked on it like she wanted to take it home for a souvenir. Bright briefly took over with some high-flying moves, but Armstrong dumped her over the top rope like a bag of trash. Back in the ring, Armstrong landed a couple of brutal shoulders in the corner, then a running powerslam for a two count.
Again, Bright got ejected from the ring by Armstrong. Grey cheered on her friend and encouraged her to get back in the ring. Armstrong missed a third shoulder, which allowed Bright to fire up with some high-impact offense. She got a very near fall on Armstrong, followed by another one. Armstrong caught her with a powerslam, then hit a pair of Kali Konnections for the win.
WINNER: Kali Armstrong at 5:39.
(Miller’s Take: Bright got in a lot more offense than I expected, and had the champ on the ropes for a bit. Bright is really good, but she needs a serious character overhaul, to include getting rid of that horribly generic entrance music. That second Kali Konnection was meant to send a message to Grey.)
-A video package showed a fired-up Brooks Jensen talk about being a former tag team champion, being left behind by his friends, and being kicked out of The Culling as an accompanying video showed his team with Briggs & Henley, followed by Izzi Dame blasting him with a chair. He said he would kick the hinges off the door of opportunity and see Jackson Drake at Succession. [c]
-A really good video aired of WWE ID wrestlers at APAC Slamfest 25 in Malaysia, along with the team of Marcus Mathers & Aaron Rourke on the American indy circuit.
-In the men’s locker room, It’s Gal was lamenting that no one was ferocious enough to be his tag team partner. He said he didn’t want to fall to the side like the rest of the ID guys sitting around him. Dante Chen walked up and told him that he would bounce back. It’s Gal called him a dummy and said he didn’t get it. Chen said instead of trying to help him he could get his ass in the ring and put him in the hospital next to Jamar. He and the others walked off. A confused It’s Gal wondered aloud if it was something he said.
(4) BROOKS JENSEN vs. KEANU CARVER – #1 Contender Match
Carver looks absolutely massive. They tied up mid-ring and traded reversals until Carver used his size to simply bully Jensen. He slammed him a few times and backdropped him. A picture-in-picture showed The Vanity Project watching from the back. Drake asked Donovan if he was ready, then sent him away to do his thing. Rosenberg pondered what they had in mind as they cut to a commercial break. [c]
Back from the break, Jensen jumped off the ropes and onto Carver’s arm, which was hung over the second rope. Jensen settled into an armbar. Carver tried to pick up Jensen for another big slam, but Brooks continued holding onto the arm. Stone mentioned that Terry Taylor said Jensen was like a 22 year veteran in a 24 year old body. Carver nailed a popup Samoan drop for a near fall, but Jensen got up and went right back to work on the arm. He hit the southern lariat, but Carver kicked out.
He went for another Samoan drop, but Jensen hit another lariat. He hit a beautiful Alabama Jam off the second rope for a two count. Carver missed with a right, and Jensen hit a stunning belly-to-back suplex. Carver his a sudden pounce that sent Jensen flying over the top rope and onto the floor. Once he got Jensen back into the ring, he hit his finishing flip slam for the pin.
WINNER: Keanu Carver at 8:46 to become the #1 contender to the Evolve Championship.
(Miller’s Take: Very good main event match. Jensen has great ring psychology, and Carver’s pounce is reminiscent of former TNA star Monty Brown. I can see Carver taking the strap from Drake at Succession, possibly due to botched interference from Donovan, which would lead to a feud between Donovan and Drake. We’ll see how accurate my crystal ball is in a couple of weeks.)
-After the match, Bryce Donovan ran into the ring and attacked Carver from behind with a chair. He slammed him across the back with it, jabbed him in the midsection, then put his arm in the chair and stomped on it. Carver writhed in pain as an exuberant Vanity Project came bouncing out to the ring like they had just witnessed the greatest thing they had ever seen. Drake got in Carver’s face and mocked him as he gloated. Drake extended his hand in congratulations to Donovan, who at first refused to shake it as he glared at him, but then slowly grasped his hand and shook it. He continued to stare at Drake and didn’t appear very happy as the rest of The Vanity Project celebrated.
FINAL THOUGHTS: No Stevie Turner this week, which was a surprise. I like the direction they’re going with the dissension within The Vanity Project. Although I’m not a fan of Donovan’s in-ring work, he has a decent ring presence and is pulling off his role very well. I’m also digging the slow evolution of Wendy Choo from the nightmarish, silent, sleepy psycho to a beaten and humbled person whose demons were exorcised by Kendal Grey. It seems like she’s learning how to be Wendy Choo again and I’m enjoying watching it. Good progression was made tonight towards Evolve’s first special, Succession, in two weeks. See you all for NXT Showdown this coming Tuesday!
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