SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE EVOLVE TV REPORT
JANUARY 28, 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
-Peter Rosenberg explained during a video highlight package that Team PC was in charge of the show tonight.
-Team ID was shown walking through the parking area. As they talked about not letting Team PC hold them down, a referee rushed up to them. He informed the group that Team PC said that Sam Holloway, Aaron Rourke, Mike Cunningham, and Eli Knight weren’t booked. He told them they have to leave the area or face suspension. He ushered in Sean Legacy, Laynie Luck, and Cappuccino Jones and told Legacy he was wanted in the ring.
-A fired-up Evolve Champion Jackson Drake burst into the makeshift dorm room of The Vanity Project and roused Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes from their social media immersion. He said Ethan Page was grooming them to run NXT, so they can’t let these PC crumbs take over Evolve. They tried reassuring Drake that they had everything under control.
-After the show title ran, Sean Legacy and Tate Wilder were standing in the ring with a referee. Kam Hendrix and Keanu Carver made their way ringside. He introduced Jax Presley, Harley Riggins, and Braxton Cole, who were seated in the VIP section. He said they were going to take over Evolve, then NXT, then WWE. Hendrix announced that the first match of the night would be Tate Wilder vs. Sean Legacy with three stipulations. First, the loser has to clean the locker room. Next, the winner would get to face him for the Evolve championship after he wins it next week. Before he could name a third stipulation, Harlem Lewis ran to the ring and demanded to be included, which Carver agreed to.
-Blake Howard started to make the formal ring introductions, but Harley Riggins interrupted and handed the mic over to Jax Presley, who made derogatory, tongue-in-cheek ring introductions.
(1) TATE WILDER vs. SEAN LEGACY vs. HARLEM LEWIS – Triple Threat Match
Lewis immediately attacked his opponents. Wilder and Legacy grabbed each other’s legs as they went for simultaneous kicks, then got double clotheslined by Lewis. Legacy and Wilder teamed up on Lewis, ending with a double suplex and double clothesline over the top and to the floor. Legacy dived onto Lewis, then Wilder hit a sky-high springboard press to the outside. Hendrix suddenly “remembered” the third stipulation of the match. Weapons are allowed. He and Carver dug under the ring and threw a bunch of plunder in before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
As they returned, Lewis was swinging a kendo stick. Hendrix slid a chair in to Legacy, but he pondered it too long and got mauled by Lewis. Legacy tripped Lewis face-first into the chair he had set up. Wilder and Legacy slugged it out while Lewis sold in the corner. Wilder picked up a kendo stick, but Lewis stepped on it, picked it up, and wore his opponents out with it. While Lewis was gouging Legacy’s mouth with a kendo stick, Wilder battered him from behind with a chair. Legacy and Wilder each tried to put the other through a table that was set up in the corner. Legacy executed a Death Valley Driver on Wilder onto a chair, then got speared through the table by Lewis. He hit the Boomslang on Legacy to finish him off.
WINNER: Harlem Lewis at 10:01.
(Miller’s Take: Pretty standard stuff as far as triple threat matches go. The inclusion of Lewis gave a heel for the other two faces to play off. The bullies antagonized their victims and encouraged them to fight dirty. Legacy, being the white meat babyface he is, refused, but Lewis said, “Don’t mind if I do.”)
-Riggins yelled for PJ Vasa to come get some. He introduced her as her music played and she made her way to the ring. [c]
(2) PJ VASA vs. LAYNIE LUCK
Luck was already in the ring when they returned from the break. Presley said she had to be introduced during the commercial break because she’s an ID jabroni. Vasa shoved her on her back, but Luck kipped right back up. She cowered as Vasa grimaced, then proceeded to be thumped on. Vasa covered her after a backbreaker for a two-count. Luck caught Vasa with a stunner, then mounted some impressive offense and got a near fall of her own. Vasa caught a meteora attempt and hit The Issue for the victory.
WINNER: PJ Vasa at 3:19.
(Miller’s Take: It’s too early to tell if Luck has something or not. Same with Vasa, for that matter, but we’ve seen a bit more of her. Vasa can play her power game here on Evolve, but there are taller women than her on NXT and the main roster, so we’ve yet to see how she’ll fare in that type of setting.)
-Kam Hendrix called Cappuccino Jones out to the ring, but Keanu Carver interrupted and said that first, there was a very special announcement by his man, Chuey Martinez.
-A “Team PC” intro featuring various PC members posing in front of the Evolve logo aired, followed by a screen with TV color bars that said, “The following announcement is brought to you by Team PC.” Chuey Martinez said, “This is what they want me to read? Okay, let’s get this over with.” Martinez plodded his way through a very derogatory video package about the ID Program.
-When they returned, Cappuccino Jones was already in the ring. The name banner on the screen had the word “Cappuccino” scratched out and “Mocha” written over it. Hendrix gave Jones a heel ring introduction, then threw a piece of black cloth to the referee and instructed him to tie his right hand. Hendrix then introduced his opponent, Brooks Jensen. Jensen slapped hands with Team PC as he made his way to the ring. Hendrix told Presley, Riggins, and Carver that he and Braxton had this, and they should go to the back and get ready to beat up Jackson Drake.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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(3) CAPPUCCINO JONES vs. BROOKS JENSEN
Jones had his right hand secured behind his back as the match started. Jensen battered Jones in the corner. Jones flew off the ropes but got caught by Jensen and slammed to the mat for a two-count. [c]
Back from the break, Jensen was tossing a one-armed Jones around the ring. Jones mounted a comeback with a couple of dropkicks and some chops, but Jensen went to work on the tied arm. Rosenberg said he couldn’t be blamed for just giving up this unfair fight. Jensen continued wrenching on the upper left arm and shoulder area. Jones slipped out of a few moves and even got a couple of near falls before Jensen continued his beatdown. Jones came back with a DDT and a series of left jabs. He got a near-fall that fooled everyone, present company included. Jensen hit a double knee backbreaker for the win.
WINNER: Brooks Jensen at 9:08.
(Miller’s Take: We’ve seen variations of this match before, but never with someone as athletically gifted as Jones. The match told a great story and put Jones in the role he belongs in, that of the sympathetic babyface with the odds against him.)
-After the match, Hendrix entered the ring and announced Jensen as the winner. They congratulated each other as the video banners in the studio were emblazoned with “Team PC”. [c]
-After coming back from the break, Kam Hendrix introduced Keanu Carver, Jax Presley, and Harley Riggins. Hendrix handled ring introductions in an over-the-top manner. The Vanity Project came out to a mild pop as Rosenberg admitted he never thought he’d be glad to hear that annoying song, but here he is. The graphic had the words “not for long” scribbled over the banner identifying Drake as Evolve Champion. Hendrix ordered that the music be cut and the graphics not shown.
(4) JACKSON DRAKE (w/Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes) vs. KEANU CARVER & JAX PRESLEY & HARLEY RIGGINS (w/Kam Hendrix & Braxton Cole) – 3-on-1 Handicap Match
Presley started the match for his team. Drake kept his composure but was quickly overcome by his three larger opponents. Drake kicked Carver a few times but got turned inside out by a massive clothesline. Team PC tagged frequently as they continued to thump on Drake. The champ came back with a flurry of impressive offense and nearly scored the fall on Riggins, but Presley and Carver began stomping on him. As Baylor and Smokes protested on the ring apron, they were yanked off and beaten up by Hendrix and Cole. Presley and Riggins hit Necessary Roughness, which was followed by a pounce from Carver. Hendrix then announced that it was now a 4-on-1 match with him joining his team. He tagged in, rolled a limp Drake onto his back, and covered him for the count of three.
WINNERS: Keanu Carver & Jax Presley & Harley Riggins & Kam Hendrix at 4:53.
(Miller’s Take: This was the only thing it could be: a brutal beatdown of Jackson Drake. You had two very different heel factions involved here. The Vanity Project are the goofy, sneaky heels while Team PC are the schoolyard bullies. The Vanity Project proved tonight that they can not only dish it out, but they can take it as well. They are technically very proficient in the ring with their superb teamwork, but they can also take a good old-fashioned prelim wrestler beatdown.)
-After the match, Team ID celebrated in the ring to close the show.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This show was a one-hour love letter to NWO Souled Out. The renegade heel faction ran the show, belittled the ID wrestlers, ran their own spots, drew graffiti over the graphics, did biased ring announcing, and grossly stacked the odds in their favor. If you remember the WCW vs. NWO era, you’ll immediately recognize this show for what it was. Whether you remember it or not, this was an entertaining show. Is it WCW vs. NWO Lite? Perhaps, but they do have me curious to see where they’re headed with this.
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