Phrederic Reviews Evovle — page 3

We’re back with more Evolve as NXT is in upheaval and I’m sure the taped nature of this show isn’t going to lead to any awkward moments of random out of whack continuity…coughs. Oh, I suppose I should bring up that it’s Robert Stone on color and Peter Rosenberg on play by play, and it never gets less weird that Peter Rosenberg is doing wrestling commentary on a Z-grade WWE show.

We start with Team PC walking and talking through the parking lot at night as Harley Riggins and Jax Presley talk about they’re here and Team ID doesn’t belong, Keanu Carver (coughs loudly) adds “them boys got packed up” and Braxton Cole says there are only a few lingering around in The Vanity Project, and then Kam Hendrix adds that while ID used to run the joint, now they do and he’s going to take Jackson Drake’s Evolve title, and then we get Harley Riggins hitting Kam’s “Lights, Kamera, Action” catchphrase as they all laugh.

Now a follow-up from Vanity Project…who step into the building while it’s clearly light out and Brad Baylor talks about how they don’t care what the PC guys say (okay maybe Team PC got there before dawn?) and Jackson Drake adds he’s been champion for over 250 days (…seriously?) and he stacks up dubs like its his job (well it literally is your job!). They get confronted by other Team ID guys in Cappuccino Jones, Eli Knight, and Aaron Rourke, Rourke thinks their bluster is cute, Knight reminds Drake that Kam was a defensive lineman, and Jones drinks coffee. Rourke seems to be offering their assistance against the Team PC guys who outnumber Vanity Project. Vanity Project are offended these guys are talking to them since they run the joint, and Jones then tells them to calm down cause the PC guys are coming and since the Project have avoided them, Cappuccino thinks they might be a bit scared. Baylor brushes this off and Ricky Smokes adds an “irregardless” to remind us all he’s a dope (intentionally!). Jackson Drake instead challenges these guys to a trios match.

Welcome back as after a holiday break we have new Evolve content including a title match. We got “Super” Sean Legacy starting the show as he sorta monologues while entering the building and breaks down how 2025 was very good for him but now it’s 2026, but it’s a what have you done recently business, so he’s gotta make 2026 even better and he can start by winning the Evolve title from Jackson Drake tonight. Not a fantastic promo here but Sean isn’t gonna get over based on mic work anyway.

Roll the credits and I don’t remember shots of generic b-roll “science and chemistry” stuff, but they’re in THE LAB, get it?

Karmen Petrovic vs. Laynie Luck

Background: So Karmen of course is a NXT talent and yes, her doing nothing in NXT and being in Evolve might be one of those Signs To Worry About (what is the order of concern if you’re a NXT talent, being sent to TNA or being sent to Evolve?) but if you don’t know what she is, she’s a Bosnian-Canadian Karateka and she has an entrance where she’s got a sword, she kinda looks and comes across as a character in a cult favorite 90s fighting game. Laynie Luck is as of right now, the only woman signed to the WWE ID program and the WWE ID Women’s Champion (so many titles). She’s a strawberry blonde with a lot of tattoos, maroon and blue gear (good colors you don’t see a lot!) and since her tron had “Too Turnt” on it, which combined with her generic 90s movie club music lets me think that she’s got a party girl gimmick.

We start with It’s GAL in a pre-tape breaking down the big main-event, where the WWE ID guys vs. WWE PC guys. Team ID is Cappuccino Jones, Mike Cunningham, Aaron Rourke, and Marcus Mathers, but with Sean Legacy injured, we have a MYSTERY OPPONENT. Feel the excitement here. Team PC Keanu Carver, Brooks Jensen, Jax Pressley, Harley Riggins, and Braxton Cole, and I probably made one of those names up. It’s a gauntlet match, so no tags, just both guys competing til a fall and then the next one coming out until one team is eliminated. Apparently whatever team wins runs an episode of Evolve, and whomever gets the winning fall has an Evolve title shot. Huh, this is…more ornate than I expected. You got all that? No? Good, cause neither did I.

We start with a Vanity Project promo and Jackson Drake complaining cause Swipe Right have ruined their dorm but they’ll have one of the generic guys moms pay for the cleaning, but they stop bickering cause now we have Layla Diggs vs. Nikkita Lyons.

Layla Diggs vs. Nikkita Lyons

Background: So Nikkita Lyons beat down Masyn Holiday after a match, Layla took affront to that, and now we have a match, as one does. Layla is a track athlete and she’s facing the entirely nonsensical gimmick of Nikkita Lyons.

The Match: Wait apparently Malik Blade is still employed as he’s watching ringside and we get some standing grappling with Diggs getting the advantage before Nikkita uses power. Layla with a heel kick and a standing moonsault for a cover and then a headlock but Lyons uses power to move to the apron and uses the ropes for a takedown and some ground and pound and a snap suplex. Layla slips out of a slam and gets a cradle for 2 before Nikkita’s superkick gets 2.8. And then a…reverse Bronco Buster? But Nikkita gets distracted by Masyn Holiday and Layla gets a sunset flip for 3.

Okay so I’m going to be stepping into Evolve cause it’s a fun enough show and we need a reviewer of it, errr, need is probably a stretch, but I want to do it, so I shall. If you don’t know, WWE Evolve is basically Double A ball to NXT’s Triple A (not that AAA), D-2 to D-1 football. It’s a mix of what NXT kinda USED to be 10+ years ago and also what LVL Up was. The super green rookies wrestling and feuding in a tiny little warehouse in taped blocks, booked by Gabe Sapolsky. I am going to try a few different review styles for this compared to my regular style just cause Evolve like…folks the show kinda needs to be graded on a curve here.

We start with a shot of Kendal Grey (Evolve Women’s Champion) walking to the arena and she cuts a promo about how she is a fighting champion who doesn’t care about who she faces and she’s ready for Chantel Monroe and how other people think she’s just conceited, Kendal knows she can beat Chantel and she’ll do it again tonight.

Solid promo! Kendal’s weakest point is talking and stuff like this might be clunky, but it’s just about reps.

Carlee Bright vs. Arianna Grace