SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE EVOLVE TV REPORT
JANUARY 14, 2026
ORLANDO, FLA. AT WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED ON TUBI
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Robert Stone
Interviewer: Chuey Martinez
Ring Announcer: Blake Howard
-Jax Presley, Harley Riggins, Keanu Carver, Braxton Cole, and Kam Hendrix were shown walking through the parking area, bragging about beating Team ID and having control. They said this was The Vanity Project’s place, but now it’s theirs.
-Cut to The Vanity Project walking in the back, scoffing at Team PC’s claims of dominance. They encountered Aaron Rourke, Eli Knight, and Cappuccino Jones, who warned them not to take Team PC lightly. They correctly pointed out that The Vanity Project has been nowhere to be found during the ID vs. PC feud. The Vanity Project puffed out their prepubescent chests and challenged them to a match.
-After the Evolve intro aired, a video package was shown of the events leading up to tonight’s triple threat match for the NXT Women’s Championship.
(1) KENDAL GREY (c) (w/Wren Sinclair) vs. P.J. VASA vs. KALI ARMSTRONG – Evolve Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match
Karmen Petrovic was shown seated in the VIP section before Blake Howard handled the formal ring introductions. The three women were a bit apprehensive to start. Grey used her speed to get the best of Vasa. Grey and Armstrong teamed up to double dropkick Vasa, who tumbled out of the ring awkwardly. They both kipped up at the same time and immediately turned their attention to each other. Outside the ring, Armstrong took out Grey, then got taken down by Vasa. Naturally, a big floor spot like this was the cue to cut to a commercial break. [c]
Back from the break, Vasa squashed both Grey and Armstrong in the corner. She showed very impressive strength by lifting both women in a fireman’s carry. Grey managed to hit a German suplex on the larger Vasa, then cinched in an ankle lock. Armstrong came flying in out of nowhere to break it up. Armstrong got back in the ring and took out Grey, then powerslammed Vasa. She ran the ropes to build up speed for a Kali Konnection, but Grey leaped off the turnbuckle and caught her with a unique (and somewhat indescribable) forward-facing cutter for the pin.
WINNER: Kendal Grey at 5:50 to retain the Evolve Women’s Championship.
(Miller’s Take: As far as title matches go, this was a bit underwhelming. It served it’s purpose, which was to continue the dominance of Kendal Grey. Vasa didn’t get to show much here, other than that impressive fireman’s carry. We already know what Armstrong can do. Vasa now has an excuse for a rematch, seeing how she wasn’t involved in the pin.)
-Chuey Martinez approached Petrovic in the VIP section. She laughed at Armstrong being pinned and made light of her. An angered Armstrong was being held back by security as Petrovic continued to run her mouth. Armstrong threatened to take Petrovic’s sword and shove it up her asterisk, only she didn’t say asterisk.
-A video package of Trill London was shown. He seems to have some personality.
(2) TIMOTHY THATCHER vs. CHARLIE DEMPSEY
The competitors started the match with some believable chain wrestling that looked like they were genuinely struggling. Rosenberg mentioned that Thatcher claimed to have taught his cat how to apply an armbar. For some reason, that comment made my night. Drake Moreaux and Carlee Bright were shown watching from the VIP section. Dempsey rolled to the outside for a breather before they cut to a quick commercial break. [c]
When they returned from the break, Dempsey managed to escape an armbar and applied his own submission. Thatcher grabbed Dempsey’s arm and pulled it in a direction it should not go. Thatcher hit a belly-to-belly suplex, but grabbed his knee that Dempsey had been working on. He landed a couple of hard knees to Dempsey’s rib cage, then smacked him hard upside the head. Dempsey wrenched the knee with a dragon screw, but Thatcher went back to the armbar.
Thatcher hit a crunching knee lift, then threw some upper cut forearms. They tumbled to the floor as they continued trading uppercuts. Thatcher made it back into the ring just before the ten count but met a vicious uppercut. They traded near falls before Dempsey submitted Thatcher with an armbar.
WINNER: Charlie Dempsey at 13:43 by submission.
(Miller’s Take: This was just a good, old-fashioned wrestling match. It was long by Evolve standards, but very engaging in its realism and grittiness. Thatcher has nothing to prove, so he didn’t really need this win like Dempsey did. Dempsey, by his own account, can now say he’s beaten the best pure, scientific wrestler.) [c]
-Harlem Lewis said he spent the last two months in Japan, where he learned from the toughest on the planet, and he was bringing what he learned from those dojos in his quest to win the Evolve title.
(3) THE VANITY PROJECT (Jackson Drake & Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes) vs. AARON ROURKE & CAPPUCCINO JONES & ELI KNIGHT
Laynie Luck was shown seated in the VIP section for this main event. Rourke started the match against Smokes. Smokes ducked a chop, then received a playful swat on the bottom from Rourke. Knight and Baylor tagged in and picked up the pace. Drake took over, but ate a beautiful high kick from Knight, who continued showing off his incredible high-flying skills with a dive over the top rope onto Drake. Baylor and Smokes got to him on the floor before they cut to another very quick commercial break.
Back to the action, The Vanity Project isolated Knight from his partners. Rosenberg pointed out that despite the moronic antics of Smokes, he’s a very capable wrestler and an important cog in the wheel of The Vanity Project. Knight began fighting back against Smokes, but it didn’t last. Knight fought his way out of his opponents’ corner and finally made the hot tag to Jones, who went to town with some highly caffeinated offense. Rourke took the tag and thus began the series of big moves from everybody. Jones hit a Decaffeinator but got cut off from further offense. Drake landed a knee to the back of Cappuccino’s head for the victory.
WINNERS: The Vanity Project at 9:39.
(Miller’s Take: This was as good as you’d expect it to be from these six stellar athletes. The Vanity Project can back up their slapstick shenanigans with solid, flawless teamwork, which makes their silliness even more entertaining. Their ID opponents also showed why they are all deserving of being in the WWE spotlight as well.)
-As The Vanity Project celebrated in the ring, Team PC came out. Kam Hendrix told them the party’s over. Riggins called them clowns. Hendrix reminded Drake that he had earned a title match but said he didn’t want it in two weeks, when they would run the show. He said that night, it would be Jackson Drake vs. Jax Presley & Harley Riggins & Keanu Carver in a handicap match, then whatever was left of him would defend the title against him the following week. Drake looked worried as Swipe Right vehemently protested.
-In the back, Tate Wilder was watching all of this go down on a monitor. He commented that it looks like he’s all alone in this.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a decent episode. I think they could have gotten a lot more out of the women’s title match than they did, but as I said earlier, it served its purpose. The middle match was a refreshing pure wrestling match, and the main event was very well-executed. The surprise announcement from Team PC at the end was interesting. The PC guys are clearly positioned as heels, so it will be interesting to see who the fans side with in this feud. My money is on The Vanity Project because, even though they are clearly heels, they are extremely entertaining goofballs, while Team PC just comes across as a bunch of cocky jerks. Either way, the Evolve scene is heating up.
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