WWE Evolve 4/9/2025

WWE Evolve 4/9/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/wwe-evolve-422025.html

Peter Rosenberg and Robert Stone are on commentary.

Swipe Right are in the parking lot. They said they proved what they are all about. They said they did take the L but they proved to the tag champs they have competition. Brad says they showed resilience and that they will be a problem.

Dani Palmer says she owned up to what she did to Kali but says Kali kept forcing tags and caused a problem. Kali says Dani took her kindness for a weakness when she let her team with her. Dani says Kali wasn't taught the difference between ego and confidence. Kali says she will make her wish she was never born.

Riley Osborne vs Javier Bernal

Riley is still wearing Bea Priestly's tights, who is his girlfriend.

Riley wristlocks him. JB rolls out and headscissors him. JB wristlocks him. JB does a diving armdrag off the buckles and headscissors Riley into the ropes. Riley forearms JB off the apron. JB knees him outside and Riley 619 kicks him under the bottom rope.

Riley rolls into the ring and hits a hurricanrana off of it. Riley euros him then slams him. JB gets his knees up on Riley's stand moonsault. Riley misses a 2nd rope ssp then takes a ddt.

JB hits punches then hits running shots. JB superkicks him. JB hits a double underhook suplex for 2. Riley rolls him up for 2. Riley goes up top and is hit. Riley knocks him off the buckles and hits a top rope ssp to win.

Thoughts: It was fine but nothing too great. Riley's high flying looked good as usual and Javi didn't get a ton in here. Commentary made it clear that Javi was losing here and he did.

Javi is interviewed by Chuey Martinez after. Chuey gives him his jacket and said he forgot this. Javi is upset and leaves his jacket behind.

Haze Jameson is in the VIP Section.

We get a package on Drako Knox. He says Evolve is his ticket to make a name for himself. He says he has to go get this opportunity. He says whether it works out or not is up to him and says it's all in his hands.

We get a video on Bryce Donovan. He says he's a believer in natural selection and says only the strong survive. He says everyone here is strong. He says this is where he wants to be and says you have to adapt and evolve to stick around here. 

Bryce Donovan vs Drako Knox

This is Bryce Donovan's WWE TV debut. Swipe Right, Zayda Steel and someone else comes out. Brad says Bryce is with them. Bryce's buddies all get in the ring. Cappuccino Jones, Cartwheel and Ice Williams then come in.

Stevie Turner comes out and says we should do an 8-man tag match.

Swipe Right (Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor), Bryce Donovan and Jackson Drake vs Ice Williams, Drako Knox, Cappuccino Jones and Jack Cartwheel

This is Ice Williams' WWE TV debut. Drake and Knox shove each other. Knox shoulders over Drake. Drake trips him then Knox armdrags him. Knox is chopped in the corner and takes forearms. Knox hits a nice lariat on Drake then side headlocks him. Jones works Drake's arm.

Drake and Jones trade shots. Jones does leapfrogs then hits a dropkick. Smokes takes an atomic drop and lariat. Jack does a body springboard elbow drop on Smokes while he's in the backbreaker position.

Jack hiptosses him then hits a standing corkscrew moonsault. Jack chinlocks him. Bryce hits a big lariat on Jack then clubs his back. Bryce slams and elbow drops Jack. Brad clubs Jack's back and chops him. Brad and Jack trade. Brad knees Jack in the gut. Jack hits chops then Brad does a short arm clothesline. Brad is back body dropped out. Jones gives Jack his cartwheel. Jack then flying space tigers out onto Swipe Right.

We go to break and return. Ice lariats Smokes. Knox slams Smokes. Ice slingshot elbow drops Smokes for 2. Ice euros Smokes. Bryce lariats Ice from the apron. rad corner spears Bryce then throws him into a Smokes big boot.

Brad front facelocks Ice and clubs him. Drake rakes Ice's back. He then russian legsweeps him for 2. Drake knee drops Ice. Drake powerbombs Ice and Smokes pounds on Ice. Bryce pop-up throws Ice.

Brad hits knees to Ice's back. Brad chinlocks Ice. Ice step up enzugiri's him. Smokes comes in and is spinning lariated by Ice. Drake and Knox get in. Knox hits forearms then suplexes Smokes. Knox corner splashes Drake and oklahoma stampede's him.

Jack cartwheels into a superkick on Brad, who is then suplexed by Jones. Jones codebreakers Bryce. Knox pump kicks Bryce. Zayda tries to get in and Jack is held in the air for a dropkick from Smokes. Many wrestlers each start hitting moves one by one. Jack cradles Brad for 2. Jack flips out of a lariat and hits a neckbreaker on Brad. Jack rolling death valley drivers Brad.

Bryce black hole slams Jack and wins.

Thoughts: It was a longer match. It was mostly simple but it was okay. I don't think it was anyone's best match and no one really went too all out on this. Swipe Right winning was the right call since they now appear to be a 5 person team.

Chuey interviews the winners. Brad complains about how Chuey smells. Chuey says it's Brad's upper lip. The crowd chants "Swipe Left". Sean Legacy comes out and tells them to stop being foolish. Timothy Thatcher shows up next to Sean and the refs come out to stop this.

Chantel Monroe is in the VIP Section.

We get a video on Kali Armstrong. She says she's a world record holder in track. She says her strength comes from getting back up after being knocked down. She says she's a warrior and is ready to kick everyone's @ss.

We get a video on Dani Palmer. She says she's young and feisty and trailer trash. She says this is the perfect place for the Bluegrass Bad@ss. She says she never quits in the face of adversity.

Dani Palmer vs Kali Armstrong

Dani cartwheels and backflips on her way to the ring. We get the big intro for this with both girls in the ring getting their names announced.

They lock up and Dani side headlocks her. Dani is thrown off. Kali wristlocks her. Dani rolls and backflips out into an armdrag and armlock. Kali headscissors her. Dani handstands to escape then low splashes her. Dani armbars her.

They trade shots and Kali knocks her over and out of the ring. Kali gorilla presses her but Dani gets out and dropkicks her. Kali is thrown out. Dani is stuck up top and Kali walks up the buckles and belly to belly suplexes her. 

Kali throws her into the corner. Kali does an ore ga Taue variation and talks trash to the camera. We go to break and return. Kali chinlocks her. Dani jawbreakers out. Kali jawbreakers her. They double clothesline each other. They then crossbody each other at the same time.

They trade forearms on the mat. Dani hits chops then flying shoulders. Dani step up enzugiri's her. Dani pendulum double knees her back in the corner. Dani 2nd rope meteora's Kali for 2. Kali powerslams her for 2.

Dani goes up top and blocks Kali's belly to belly. Dani misses a top rope frogsplash and hits hard. Kali runs the ropes fast and running shoulders her hard. Kali then gets the win.

Thoughts: It was a good match. It was Kali's best showing yet and she looked good here. Dani did her usual flying and did well here also. I don't like Dani's new gear at all. They got a lot of time and they delivered here.

Kali says she's different after. She says she's not ducking anyone. She says she will make history and be the first Evolve champ. She says there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Chantel Monroe holds up her arms and then Kendal Grey comes out. Kali rips both. Brinley Reece then comes out and Kali says all 3 are last. She says she's different.

Overall thoughts: We only got 3 matches here and 2 of them were longer. Javi/Riley was okay. The 8-man tag wasn't quite as good as it could have been but it was fine. That probably got more time than it needed. The women delivered in the main and Kali Armstrong showed why she is being pushed so hard. Dani did well as expected. It was a good show though I still would like some more interviews and backstage segments to get people over faster. Swipe Right has really taken the show by storm so far and seem like they are going to be the top act for a while here. I'd give this one a 6 out of 10 and I'd say maybe the main is worth a look to see Kali.