WWE Evolve 4/23/2025

WWE Evolve 4/23/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/wwe-evolve-4162025.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/wwe-evolve-4302025.html

We get a video on Swipe Right and some of the issues with them. The voiceover guy talks about tonight's matches.

Stevie Turner comes out, who is now the Evolve Prime Minister. She says she's about to finalize a huge announcement. Swipe Right come out and Zayda takes Stevie's mic. Drako Knox is in the VIP Section.

Swipe Right get in the ring. Brad says to look at the 5 future stars in the ring. Brad says the men can't have Zayda. Brad puts over his buddies and the crowd continues to chant "Swipe Left" and "Left" at them. Brad says Bryce Donovan is his big man and heavy. Brad says they are called The Vanity Project and says that's what they are. Brad says the vanity project will takeover Evolve.

Thoughts: I don't think they should bother with The Vanity Project name. Swipe Right is over already and there's no need to mess with the name.

Stevie Turner talks. She says they don't call the shots, she is the law and Prime Minister of Evolve. She says Drake should have his match now.

Jackson Drake vs "Super" Sean Legacy

 

Sean has a black eye. They lock up. Sean wristlocks him and hits shoulders to the shoulder. Sean dropkicks him in the knee, double stomps his back and dropkicks him. Drake powerslams Sean. Sean flips out of a backdrop. He kicks Drake then standing moonsaults him.

Sean tope con hilos Drake outside and lands on his feet. Brad and Smokes trip up Sean. The ref sees it and ejects Swipe Right. We go to break and return. Sean works out of a chinlock. Drake high kicks Sean. Sean lifts him up and and spinning sitout ddt's him. 

Sean hits forearms. He hits kicks on Drake then germans him. Sean hits a springboard dropkick for 2. Sean's throat is pulled down over the top rope. Drake hits a handspring cutter for 2. Sean headbutts him then is hit with a big lariat.

They trade shots on their knees. Drake hits a headscissors and sliding knees him out of the ring. Sean hits a standing spanish fly for 2. Drake hits some shots. Sean dropkicks him off a legsweep attempt. Drake poisonrana's him. Drake eye rakes him.

They each hit kicks. Drake goes for a lethal injection and is hit with like a twisting torture rack drop. Sean wins.

Thoughts: It was an indy style match with lots of flips, kicks and big moves. I thought it got too much time and I wasn't a big fan of this. I was bored by the end of it.

Sean says the black eye won't stop him and asks Stevie where the title is.

Kylie Rae does a video about Wendy Choo. She says she's no stranger to darkness. She said the darkness under Choo's blanket was different. She says she won't let the darkness eat through her. She says she's not afraid to face her again and challenges her for next week.

We get a face-off between Harlem Lewis and Keanu Carver. Lewis says the tournament is coming down to them and he's not losing. He says he will leave the tournament with the title around his waist. Keanu says it's empty promises. They each talk about who they beat. They agree that Lewis is the only person standing on Keanu's way. Stevie Turner comes in and says they will have a match next week - as a tag team against Swipe Right. Keanu says Stevie signed their death warrants and if Lewis gets in his way, he's next.

Thoughts: The tag match is random but they did okay on the mic. Them wanting a piece of each other is simple and makes sense.

Zara Zakher vs Aria Bennett

 

Layla Diggs is with Aria. Zara takes her down and rolls her up. Aria crucifixes her for 2. Aria rolls her up for 2. Zara wristlocks and armlocks her. Aria armdrags Zara then armlocks her. Aria throws her then kimura rolls her into a pin attempt.

Aria armlocks her. Zara flying headscissors her then backrolls into a headscissors. Zara 2nd rope crossbodies her. They fight on the buckles. Aria hurricanrana's her off the buckles for 2.

Aria neckbreakers her for 2. Zara flips out of a lariat then hits a cutter and wins.

Thoughts: I liked it. Both got to show off some of their agility here. It got enough time and they didn't overdo it.

Chuey Martinez interviews Zara after. She says she always feels like the underdog. The lights go out. A teddy bear with a letter is on the apron. It says, "Kylie, I accept".

The Vanity Project is in the VIP Section. Chuey says they got kicked out and asks what they are doing here. Zayda takes the mic from him. Brad says he got off the phone with his mom and dad's lawyer. He says they got kicked out of ringside but have every right to be in the VIP Section.

Carlee Bright vs Kalyx

CB pulls out Kendal Grey to come with her.

Kal knees her in the gut and coconut crushes her. CB hits a dropkick. Kal back elbows her. Kal takes a kick then lariats CB. Kal back elbows her. CB is over the lower rope and Kal clubs on her. CB htis forearms. CB christo's her. Kal backbreakers her to get out of it. CB then rolls her up and wins.

Thoughts: It was fine. CB did some of her flying offense here and Kal showed some of her personality as an evil heel character.

Swipe Right cheer for CB and Zayda gets mad. Kal tries to go after CB. Chuey tries to eject The Vanity Project from The VIP Section.

Timothy Thatcher vs Bryce Donovan

TT and BD stare down and get their names announced while they are in the ring under the spotlight. This is our main event.

They lock up. BD grabs TT by the beard. TT grabs him by the arm. TT kimura's him and BD sends him into the corner. TT hits euros and BD forearms him back. BD is belly to belly suplexed and goes out.

We go to break and return. TT grabs a leg and knees him in the back. TT bow and arrows him. BD hits mounted shots. TT euros him. BD kicks the rope into TT's chin. BD lariats him for 2.
BD clubs on TT. BD slams him and kicks him in the back for 2. TT hits upkicks. BD chinlocks him. BD back elbows him for 2. TT is forearmed out. BD sends TT into the post. BD suplexes him inside for 2. BD does like a back body drop while holding onto the arms. BD then hits a downward forearm for 2.

BD slams TT and misses an elbow drop. TT headbutts a lariat away. TT enzugiri's him. TT dounder hook suplexes him. Swipe Right get on the apron. BD black hole slams TT and wins.

Thoughts: I didn't like it. Swipe Right was already banned from ringside but were down here and getting involved in the finish. TT and Bryce had some awkward moments here and the match just didn't have a great flow to it.

The Vanity Project pose behind TT after.

Stevie Turner watches in the back and says The Project will be trouble. Harlem and Keanu come in. They say they won't be trouble for long and says they will beat the break off of them.

Overall thoughts: It was probably the weakest Evolve yet thought the Swipe Right stuff was okay. Drake/Legacy was an indy match that went too long. I liked the face-off with Lews/Carver but didn't like a tag match being made out of it. Aria/Zara was a decent atletic match. Bright/Kalyx wasn't bad and Kalyx showed a big more personality this time as an evil heel. I didn't like the main as there was nothing too great about it and they both had an awkward moment or two. I also didn't like Swipe Right coming out after they were ejected and not being kicked out of the building. I thought it was an easy to watch show for the most part and would give it a 5 out of 10. There's nothing you need to see here though.