WWE Evolve 1/14/2025

WWE Evolve 1/14/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/01/wwe-evolve-172025.html

We are the Performance Center.

We see the WWE PC crew arriving and talking trash outside. Jax says WWE ID doesn't belong. Kam says it was The Vanity Project's place but now it is theirs. Riggins says it's time for lights, camera, action.

We see The Vanity Project arrive. Drake says he's bee champ for 250 days. They run into Aaron Rourke, Eli Knight and Cap Jones. They put over Kam Hendrix. Cap says the PC crew will take their spots. Cap asks if they are scared as they haven't faced the PC crew. Brad says nobody cares. Drake challenges them for tonight and says they can cry with the PC boys if they have to.

WWE Evolve Women's Title - Kendal Grey (c) vs PJ Vasa vs Kali Armstrong

KG has Wren Sinclair with her. Karmen Petrovic is in the VIP Lounge.

PJ fights off both to start and headbutts Kali. PJ rams KG backwards into the buckles. PJ lariats Kali. KG dropkicks PJ in the knee and chest. Kali dropkicks PJ then PJ takes a double dropkick out. Kali and KG trade shots. Kali pop up forearms KG. KG overhead belly to belly suplexes her.

KG enzugiri's PJ off the apron. KG is then speared on the floor by Kali. PJ then spears Kali on the floor. We go to break and return. PJ corner splashes both opponents. PJ puts both opponents on her shoulders. She facekicks KG then samoan drops Kali. KG superkicks PJ then hits punches. KG rebound germans PJ.

KG ankle locks PJ. Kali breaks it with a top rope splash. Kali hits punches on PJ then spinebusters KG. Kali powerslams PJ. KG springboard diving flatliners Kali and pins her.

Thoughts: You could hear the disappointment in the crowd when this ended. Kali got pinned rather easily here and it was not a very long match at all. Why? I don't know. I liked what we got and it was better than expected but I would have liked to have seen more. Nobody really needed to lose here but Kali ended up being the one to do so.

Karmen has words for Kali after. Chuey interviews her. Karmen says Kali has had failure after failure. She says she had her moment and her moment is done. Officials then pull Kali away. Kali says she's talking real big and asks where her sword is so she can shove it...and they pull the mic away.

We get a Trill London video. He says he uses many avenues to accomplish his dreams. He talks about playing in the NFL and says he always has people wondering who he is. He says music feels like an extension of his art and now he's trying to come up with the same creativity in the ring. He says there's no holding you down when you are truly authentic and he says he's not keeping it real with you, he's keeping it Trill with you.

Timothy Thatcher vs Charlie Dempsey

They lock up. They fight over the wrist. CD rolls him up. TT twists his wrist. CD kips up and water wheel drops him. CD knees him in the back and bow and arrows him. CD cravates him and knees him in the face. TT knees him in the arm then pulls back on it. Drake Morreaux and Carlee Bright are in the VIP Lounge. They trade euros. TT takes him down by the arm then euros him out of the ring. 

We go to break and return. TT suplexes him and yanks his arm back. CD yanks on the leg and trips him. CD does a nice bridge + cravate + leglock combo. TT strikes his way out. TT fujiwara armbars him and CD ropebreaks. CD ties the legs up and drops back. TT armbars him. CD karelin's lifts him. 

CD euros him over and leglocks him. TT belly to belly suplexes him  from the ropes. CD takes him down and pulls his ankle. CD ties up both legs and TT fish hooks his way out. TT hits knees to the gut and slaps him in the chin. CD dragon screws him.

CD leglocks him and TT rolls it into an armbar. CD ankle locks him and TT rolls him into a kimura. TT knees him in the face. They trade euros and both fall out of the ring together. They euro each other outside then beat the count in. TT hits kicks as he gets in. TT double underhook suplexes him for 2. CD germans him for 2. CD fujiwara armbars him and wins.

Thoughts: We knew what this was going to be and that's what it was - a pure technical battle. It was a solid match with some good wrestling in it. CD won as I assume that ends this program. I'm not sure where they go with either guy from here. Both are great wrestlers but lacking as entertainers and promo guys.

We get a Harlem Lewis video. He says he's back in Evolve. He says if you thought he didn't care before, wait until you see what he does now. He says he spent 2 months in Japan learning from the toughest on the planet. He said he learned things in the dojo that will lead him to the Evolve Title. He says he's back for unfinished business.

Aaron Rourke, Cappuccino Jones & Eli Knight vs. The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor, Jackson Drake & Ricky Smokes)

Laynie Luck is in the VIP Lounge.

AR and RS go at it. AR grabs his wrist and RS reverses it. AR flips out of using the ropes and armdrags him. They trade chops and AR spanks him. AR spinning facekicks him. Cap and Brad get in. Cap reverse monkey flips him and dropkicks him for 1.

Brad takes a double back elbow then Eli rolling thunders Brad for 2. Eli is backed up in the corner and JD boots him there. JD shoulders him over then Eli leg lariats him. Eli dropkicks Brad out. Eli superkicks RS then M. Bison stomps him as he bends over. The heels are all outside and Eli tope con hilos JD. Eli runs into a jumping knee from Brad while chasing RS.

We go to break and return. Brad euros Eli and corner spears him. Eli is whipped into a facekick from RS. RS stomps on Eli then boots him in the corner. JD rakes Eli's back and fisherman suplexes him for 2.

JD hits the faces on the apron. JD sentons Eli for 2. Brad elbow drops Eli. RS dropkicks Eli in the back. JD deadlift germans Eli for 2. JD gator rolls Eli. RS double throat thrusts Eli. He snapmares him then running boots him and knee drops him for 2. Eli 2nd rope crossbodies RS. 

JD comes in to block ELi's tag and Eli tags in Cap. Cap cleans house on the heels then springboard back elbows Brad. Cap michinoku drivers Brad for 2. AR cartwheels into a soul foot on RS. JD fireman's carry gutbusters AR. Eli standing shiranui's JD. Brad dropkicks Eli. Cap pump kicks Brad. Cap rebound half-nelson suplexes Brad. Can hits the decaffinator on JD. Cap goes up top and is pushed down.

Brad hits Finlay's oblivion on Cap. RS slingshot spears Cap. JD running low knees Cap. JD then pins Cap.

Thoughts: It didn't get a ton of time but was a solid tag. They had a nice quick pace here, this flowed well and it looked good. It couldn't have gone a lot better than it did and I thought it worked. 

The Vanity Project pose in the ring after.

The WWE PC crew come out - Kam Hendrix, Harley Riggins, Jax Presley, Keanu Carver and Braxton Cole. Kam says he's sick of them. Harley says they are sorry @ss clowns. Kam says since they won the gauntlet, he gets a title match vs Drake. Kam says when they book the show in 2 weeks, he doesn't want the shot. He says it'll be Drake vs Keanu, Harley and Jax in a handicap match. The Project gets mad. Kam says Drake will have to defend his title against him the following week.

Thoughts: This angle dates back to Memphis. The heels won the right to book their dream match and of course stacked the deck against the faces. It was a smart move on Kam's part and made sense.

Tate Wilder is watching in the back. He says it feels more and more like he's walking alone.

Overall thoughts: It was a good Evolve and in ring, it couldn't get a lot better than what we got. All 3 matches were good and they set up some stuff for future episodes. They didn't have a ton of time but didn't waste any of it here. I'd give this an easy 7 out of 10 and thought this was one of Evolve's better shows.