WWE Evolve 5/21/2025

WWE Evolve 5/21/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/wwe-evolve-5142025.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/wwe-evolve-5282025.html

We get a video on Harlem Lewis vs Keanu Carver and then on the rest of the matches tonight.

Robert Stone and Peter Rosenberg are on commentary.

Women's Evolve Title Play-In Match - Chantel Monroe vs Aria Bennett vs Kylie Rae vs Zayda Steel

CM = Chantel Monroe

Zay has her whole Vanity Project crew with her.

The four pair off and fight. Aria flips out of the corner then slingshot sunset flips Zay. Aria throws Zay out. Rae knocks CM off the apron. Aria armdrags KR.

CM trips Aria from the outside and sends her int othe apron. Zay rolls up Rae for 2. CM hits a top rope double crossbody for 2. Aria step up enzugiri's CM then dropkicks Rae. Aria hits a unique leg lariat on 2 opponents in the corner then does a oduble basement dropkick. CM codebreakers Aria.

CM hiptosses Rae into a press. Zay boots CM in the corner. Zay tornado ddt's CM. Zay codebreakers Rae for 2. Aria is hit on a springboard attempt. Rae corner euros Zay then corner cannonballs her. Zay's buddies help her out, get caught and get ejected.

CM snapmares Zay and pulls her head forward. CM shoulders over Rae and trips Aria onto her. CM running ssp's Rae for 2. Aria hits a hard dropkick on Rae. Aria gets some chants from the crowd.

Aria hits a lariat + bulldog combo. Aria misses a 2nd rope splash. Rae spinebusters CM then Zay throws Rae out. Rae pulls Zay out. They push each other outside and Aria top rope plancha's both. Rae russian legsweeps Aria into a crossface. Rae superkicks her and wins.

Thoughts: It was a decent four way here with the action moving fast. Aria had a stand out performance showing some nice agility and getting pops from the crowd. I think Monroe hurt her back/ribs here as she was really selling them. 

Rae says she will be the first women's Evolve champ and waited all her life for this.

Keanu Carver talks in the back. He says Harlem Lewis acts like he's tough and says them eyeballing each other ends tonight. He says he will punish his @ss and says he's not the one to be played with. He says he's the first Evolve champ.

Chuey Martinez interviews Oro Mensah. Oro says he's been in a roll on Evolve and makes his pitch for being in the 4-way title match. He says he takes off for the 4-way after being Enofe tonight.

Oro Mensah vs Edris Enofe

Oro waistlock takedowns him. Enofe wristlocks him. Oro upkicks him to get out. Oro takes chops then Oro flying headscissors Enofe. Enofe dropkicks Oro then slams him. Enofe hits elbow drops on Oro then standing moonsaults him for 2.

Enofe is swept on the apron then takes a bridging uranage on the floor. Oro chops Enofe. Oro slams Enofe for 2. Oro tornado ddt's Enofe on the top rope then springboard rider kicks him for 2.

Oro does a grounded sleeper. Enofe back body drops him then hits flying lariats. Enofe slingblade bulldogs him and spinebusters him for 2. Oro spin kicks him in the face and dragon suplexes him for 2. Enofe jumping knees him out of the corner. Enofe lariats Oro off the 2nd rope then hits a top rope elbow drop for the win.

Thoughts: It was okay and definitely athletic but probably should have been a little better for the experience level of these guys. They had some cool moves but the flow wasn't quite there. Oro got fired since this happened so this may be his last WWE match.

Chuey interviews Enofe after. Enofe says it's been a long road to recovery after 7 months. He says it feels great to have his hand raised against a great wrestler like Oro. He says the EOE is back. Stevie Turner comes out. She congratulates him and says he showed her he's ready to contend for the Evolve Title. Stevie says he will be in the 4-way for the title. Stevie is then told by refs something is happening in the back.

Thoughts: Enofe getting in after one win is lame when others have multiple wins and had to qualify.

We go to the back and Dani Palmer is down holding her knee. Dani Palmer is now retired so this is her goodbye. I was probably the biggest Dani Palmer fan and thought her Sol and Tiff could have been the new generation of women and I'm sad she's done.

Harlem Lewis says Keanu knows nothing about him. He says he will find out there's only room for one alpha male in Evolve and it's Harlem Lewis.

The announcers wonder who is behind the attacks recently with Dani just going down.

The Vanity Project come out. Brad says who cares about Brinley Reece and Dani Palmer? He says the people only care about Zayda Steel. Smokes says Zay is the only one who should be in the 4-way. Brad says Jackson Drake should be in the men's 4-way. Brad says he's not worried as Stevie will have to fill Sean Legacy's spot after they beat him down.

Swipe Right (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) vs Sean Legacy and Timothy Thatcher

TT and Brad go at it. TT wristlocks him then pulls the hand backwards. TT pulls on his hand while stepping on his face. TT hammerlocks Brad. Smokes gets in and is taken down by the wrist. TT kicks Smokes in the fingers against the mat.

TT armlocks Smokes. Sean comes in and works Smokes' arm. TT works the arm then Sean and Brad get in. Brad side headlocks Sean then Sean side headlock takeovers him. Sean shoulders over Brad for 2. TT takes a corner spear from Brad then a Smokes facekick for 2. 

TT is waistlocked. TT backdrops Smokes for 2. The heels go out and we go to break. We return. Sean works Smokes' arm and dropkicks him. Sean dropkicks Brad in the knee then double stomps his back. Sean then dropkicks him. Sean hits kicks then standing moonsaults him for 2.

The heels double team Sean in the corner then Brad lariats Sean for 2. Sean takes corner spears then Brad chokes Sean from the apron. Smokes hits punches on Sean. Sean is dropkicked in the back of the neck for 2. Sean and Brad trade forearms. Sean hits forearms on Smokes and Smokes hits a hard facekick.

Brad bottom rope springboard facebusters Sean then hits knees to the back. Brad elbow drops Sean. Sean tags out. TT belly to belly suplexes the heels. TT hits euros on Smokes then forearms him in the gut. TT double underhook suplexes Smokes for 2.

Brad hits oblivion on Sean. Smokes rolls up TT for 2. Smokes jumping knees TT then TT takes a super swipe and is pinned.

Thoughts: It was average. TT isn't exactly suited for these kind of matches and Sean didn't even really get to fly around here. It got a little more time than it needed. 

Kali Armstrong asks why Kendal Grey had to hit her from behind. She asks if it's because she took her wheel out. She says that's what happened. She says next week is her moment. She says she's used to winning and will put her name in the history books when she becomes the first ever Evolve champ.

Kendal Grey talks to the other girls in the back and says Kali thinks she's champ. Masyn Holiday says Kali is no joke. Grey says she threw guys her size on the mat. Monroe says this isn't amateur wrestling and she can keep dreaming. Masyn says the real Chantel can be cool but she needs to drop the act.

Evolve Title Play-In Match - Keanu Carver vs Harlem Lewis

They hockey fight to start. KC knees him in the gut then hits punches in the corner. Lewis hits a corner spear then KC hits a huge lariat. Lewis slides out to avoid a pounce. They fight outside and KC is sent into the steps. Lewis stomps on him inside and chinlocks him.

KC backdrops him. KC hits a corner lariat then a fallaway slam. Lewis is bridged on the top rope, thrown up and KC hits a nasty forearm. KC pounces him over the top rope and Lewis takes a great bump for it.

Lewis is holding his knee then lariats KC outside. I think KC's head hits the post on the side of the ring. Lewis hits a jackhammer but his knee hurts to much to try a pin. Lewis facekicks KC on the apron. Lewis backdrops KC on the floor.

Lewis hits a huge powerbomb in the ring for 2. They grab each other and talk trash. They trade shots. Lewis tries to lift him but can't and KC hits a pounce. KC hits an enka otoshi variation and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a good car crash as expected. The two really beat the crap out of each other. Lewis' bump over the top rope was wild and both guys got roughed up here. KC's lip got busted open during and this one did live up to the hype.

KC stares at the Evolve title as he leaves. 

Overall thoughts: The women's four way was a decent opener and it put over Aria Bennett. Oro/Enofe was okay but not as good as it should have been. Swipe Right's tag match was a little long and not super exciting. The main of Keanu Carver vs Harlem Lewis lived up to expectations with both guys hitting some bombs and beating the crap out of each other. It wasn't a classic but it was enjoyable and good. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 as the main did deliver and nothing was that bad here.