WWE Evolve 7/16/2025

WWE Evolve 7/16/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/wwe-evolve-792025.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/wwe-evolve-7232025.html

We see various wrestlers arrive.

Kylie Rae vs Tyra Mae Steele vs Chantel Monroe

CM nails Rae and boos Tyra. CM takes shots from both and then she is thrown out. Tyra fireman's carry takeovers Tyra. Tyra waistlock takedowns her and tries her with the front facelock. CM sunset flips Tyra then they all try pin attempts.

Tyra is thrown out. CM backrolls Rae then is pushed out. Rae topes both outside. Rae corner euros CM then corner cannonballs her. Rae asai moonsaults Tyra and CM breaks it up. CM hiptosses Rae for 2.

Tyra armdrags and shoulders over CM. She then sling blades her and slams her down. CM hits a spinning codebreaker on her for 2. Rae and CM push each other then hit each other. Rae is knocked out of the ring and Tyra germans CM to win.

Thoughts: I guess it's good for Tyra to win but it's a little bit much for her to win this one so soon and I do think they really have to be careful with her as the gold medal stuff is already getting annoying. Monroe or Rae were probably the better picks storyline wise to win. It was a fast paced match with all 3 staying in the thick of things.

Chuey Martinez interviews Jin Tala. He calls her buddy and she says who says she's her buddy? Jin says she has to be ruthlessly aggressive. She says she needs to make opportunities by any means necessary. She said she was told she wasn't aggressive enough on LFG and that's why she was eliminated, so she will make her own. She says she's the one that will be the next Evolve champ. She says she has attacked and beaten Carlee Bright before and says she will show us what real danger is like. She said everyone could have gotten the nice version of Jin Tala but now they get the cut throat version.

Stevie Turner and Jordan Oasis talk in the back. Jordan says things are going good and he wants to stay on his own path and out of others ways. He says Vanity Project put themselves on a pedestal and he wants to see them get knocked off. Stevie offers him a match vs Swipe Right but she wants him to find a partner. Jordan says he will do it but he needs some time to find a partner. Stevie says they can have the match next week.

Jin Tala vs Carlee Bright

CB runs into the ring and thesz presses CB. She hits mounted shots and hits back elbows in the corner. CB boot flurries her in the corner. Jin then hits boots and forearms. CB boot flurries her and Jin slides out. Jin's head is banged off the apron then she is rammed into it. CB's head is banged off the apron.

Jin stretches CB's arms around the top rope and clubs on her. Jin axe kicks the back for 2. CB dropkicks her then hits a jumping neckbreaker. CB standing moonsaults her for 2. CB pulls Jin's arms back. Kendall Grey cheers on CB then Wendy Choo shows up behind Gray.

CB checks on Gray and gets hit. Jin does a straightjacket throws on CB called "direct effect" on CB and wins.

Thoughts: It was Jin's best match yet. It was short, they really went at it aggressively and they made it looked like they hated each other. This was all strikes and it got some personality out of Jin. I liked it.

Tate Wilder and Ridge Holland talk in the back. Ridge said he wanted to talk to him about last week. Tate says he accepts his apology. Ridge says he's not apologizing and says Tate doesn't belong in this business. Tate says they should step in the ring after he wins. Ridge says he won't win because he's beneath him.

Edris Enofe vs Tate Wilder

Thye lock up and roll on the ropes. They slap each other. Tate wristlocks him then takes him down by the wrist. Enofe gets a top rope wristlock but Tate kips up and dropkicks him. Tate hits mounted corner punches. Tate is sat on the top rope, Enofe pushes him but Tate hooks under his arms and pulls him out. Tate PK's him from the apron then apron ssp's him on the floor.

Tate jumps off the top and is dropkicked in mid-air. Enofe hits mounted forearms then stomps on him. Enofe lariats him from behind. Enofe ties his arms up and chinlocks him. Enofe hits shots to the back of the head and tries to use his armband to choke him.

Tate back elbows him and lariats him. Tate hits a step up enzugiri. Tate walks up the buckles and misses a moonsault. Enofe does a cutthroat neckbreaker and wins.

Thoughts: It was okay. Tate did fine in his debut. He has some agility and he's likeable guy. Enofe won here as expected but didn't do anything too impressive here.

Dante Chen comes out. He said Enofe looked impressive tonight. He says Enofe was right and he's sorry...for this. He then punches him in the face.

Keanu Carver does a promo on Thatcher. He said Sean Legacy stopped him from ending his career. He says not to play with him or he will end up on the medical table next to his mentor. He says he wont stop with the ID guys until he sends all of them packing.

The Vanity Project talk in the back. They want to be out there with Jackson Drake but aren't allowed. Drake says he got this and is the champ.

Edris Enofe comes up to Stevie Turner in the back. He says Dante Chen assaulted him. Stevie says Enofe did the same to him and she enjoyed seeing him get it back. She says this is fair play and Enofe says it's favoritism. He says she is a biased GM and says she has an issue with him. She says she won't let him accuse her. Stevie says Enofe can fight Dante Chen next week and asks how that is for being biased.

WWE Evolve Title - Jackson Drake (c) vs Lince Dorado

Drake comes out alone as he's not allowed to have anyone with him due to the contract that was signed.

Drake side headlocks him then shoulders him over. LD flying snapmares him then does an octopus. LD crucifixes him for 2. LD 2nd rope diving armdrags him then flying headscissors him out. We go to break and return.

LD dropkicks him for 2. LD is on the top rope, Drake pushes him down then topes him outside. Drake hits mounted shots outside. Drake hits corner spears, a backdrop and a basement dropkick for 2.

LD hits chops and is powerslammed for 2. Drake chinlocks him and chops LD. LD chops back. Drake back elbows him for 2. 

LD hurricanrana spikes Drake on the head. LD hits back elbows and chops him. LD handspring cutters him. LD backrakes and backcrackers him for 2. LD then armbars him. LD superkicks him. LD goes up top and The Vanity Project's music hits. LD is distracted and Drake enzugiri's him. Drake fireman's carry gutbusters him then powerbombs him for 2.

LD rolls him up for 2. LD pump kicks him. Drake goes up and over and LD superkicks him. LD brainbusters him. LD running shotei's him. LD hits a top rope ssp but Drake rolls out. LD tope con hilos him through the ropes.

LD goes to climb back in but Ricky Smokes holds LD's leg from under the ring. Drake running knees LD in the side of the head. Drake flying knees LD and wins.

Thoughts: Like a lot of Evolve matches, the crowd wasn't that great for it and brought it down. I don't think they quite captured the flow of this one like they could have which also brought it down. There was also no great story or anything here. I don't really see how The Vanity Project don't get punished somehow for being out there when they weren't supposed to be.

Brooks Jensen comes out and nails Drake from behind. He then flips him with a lariat. 

Overall thoughts: It was about the usual quality of show from Evolve. There was nothing that great on here but I do feel like they have a formula now and you know what to expect. The opener was alright but I worry Tyra is getting pushed too fast. Tala/Bright was Tala's best match yet and they did well with the story of them going after each other. Tate Wilder had an okay showing and looks to be a likeable flying face. The main was acceptable but the ending of it was dumb since The Vanity Project wasn't allowed to be at ringside yet they were. The crowd wasn't that great here as usual either. I'd give it a light 6 out of 10 as it was okay overall.