WWE Evolve 5/13/2026

WWE Evolve 5/13/2026

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/wwe-evolve-562026.html

We are the Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Peter Rosenberg and Blake Howard are on commentary.

Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins talk. Harley says he slipped up but they won the fight last week. Kam says there's nothing stopping them from getting the top spot on Evolve. Harley says tonight is just a formality and asks if Kam is ready for showtime. Kam says it'll be lights, Kam and action.

We see clips from after the show last week with Karmen Petrovic fighting off Nikkita Lyons and Sloane Jacobs.  

Nikkita Lyons vs Karmen Petrovic

NL stalls outside early. 

They leg kick each other and avoid legsweeps. NL offers a handshake and KP kicks her hand away. KP side headlocks her. NL hits her in the gut and throws her backwards. KP then does the same to her. KP kicks her out of the corner and tilt-a-whirl bodypresses her. 

KP side headlock takeovers her. KP legsweeps her then backslides her. KP pulls her arms back then bodyscissors her. KP puts her legs behind NL's neck and pushes forward. NL forearms her then fallaway slams her. We go to break and return.

NL hits knees to the gut. NL stands on her chest and split leg drops her. NL hits corner spears. KP kciks hero ut of the corner and rolls her up for 2. NL chest kicks her down for 2. NL stretches her over the knee. KP rolls her, banging NL's face off the mat.

KP hits shots to the gut. KP hits flying forearms and hits soul foot. KP sliding kicks her on the ropes. KP slingblades her for 2.  NL suplexes her then misses a vader bomb. Sloane Jacobs comes out then Laynie Luck comes out and fights Sloane. Wendy Choo then comes out and trips NL. KP corkscrew kicks NL and pins her.

Thoughts: The match was fine. Evolve is a good place for KP and I'd like to see her get pushed as a top girl here. She did well, she just needs steady airtime and she hasn't gotten that. It's too bad they didn't trade more kicks because it was interesting to see them do that.

Brooks Jensen talks to Dorian Van Dux in the back. He tells Dux to stay out of his way. Dux says he will throw his advice in the trash and speaks in French. BJ says he doesn't care about where he did it that at and he just wants to kick @ss. He says nobody does it better than him. Dux smmiles and BJ says we'll see tonight.

Harlem Lewis is in the ring. He says Braxton Cole did it this time when he screwed him out of the title then lost the match. He calls him a loser and tells him to come out. Braxton Cole comes out. Cole gets mad at being called a loser. Lewis goes after him and Cole calls security out. 

Cole says he can't lower himself to unsanctioned battles as the future of WWE. He says they are different people and says the entire industry relies on him. Lewis asks if he thinks he's better than him because Lewis had to mop floors. Cole says if he keeps getting in his way, he will send him back to mopping floors. Security stops Lewis as he heads for Cole and Cole punches him.

Thoughts: This segment worked. Cole needs to do more of these. He's definitely going to be a Chris Nowinski/Carson Drake type of guy. They just need to get him more practice doing it.  

Tate Wilder talks to Romeo Moreno in the back. Romeo says he's not feeling it. Romeo says he's 0-2. Tate says the mindset will get him beat. He says Evolve isn't about being perfect. Tate says he has lost more than he won here. He slams Kam Hendrix put him down but does he look like he's down? Romeo says he's right and they hug. Tate tells him to stay up.

Tristan Angels does a video. He asks what you get when an Englishman, a European and two Americans get in the ring? He says it's Tristan Angels as the new #1 Contender. He says their paths will cross a lot so get used to him. He says Dux is the most dangerous man Belgium has produced, but he says Belgium isn't famous for making dangerous men. He says Jensen is known as being the hardest working man in the Performance Center, but that's all he's known for. He says Kam would rather look good and lose then look bad and win. Tristan says he always looks good as he's the most handsome man in England. 

It's GAL vs CJ Valor

CJ has Abrams, Rivera and Ball with him. 

Gal hits punches on CJ. CJ shoulders him over. Gal hits forearms and chops in the corner. CJ hip throws him. Gal headscissors him and does push up's. Gal then does it again with a waistlock takedown. Gal flying headscissors him then step up enzugiri's him. Gal backdrops him.

Gal hits a boom leg drop for 2. CJ running forearms him down then overhead throws him for 2. CJ hits elbows on Gal's neck then hip throws him for 2. Gal is rolled into the buckles for 2. Gal hits elbows to the gut.

Gal hits punches then facekicks him. Gal overhead throws him then spinning lariats him. Gal springboard dropkicks him for 2. CJ takes him down into an ankle lock. Gal rolls him into the buckles and rolls him up for 2.

Rivera gets on the apron and Jacari Ball clips Gal. CJ pop up spears Gal down and pins him. 

Thoughts: Gal was in full face mode here and that interesting. He did what he was supposed to and worked but he's a bit Duke Hudson esque as a face. You can tell he's really trying hard not to stiff anyone. I was surprised to see him doing some highflying here. While Gal is better suited as a heel, CJ is better suited as a face, so this was a little different. I liked it.

CJ and his friends throw Gal out after. Max says to give it up to CJ for the win. He says he brutally mogged Gal. Max says Ball has elite ball knowledge, he says Santi is sweet and says CJ is big. Max says all they do is mog you. Max says you can call them "The Mog Squad".

We see someone filming Cappuccino Jones outside on the phone. Cap says the person he is talking to has seen everything going on and they need to do something about it as it will boil over more. 

Gianna Capri talks to Anya Rune and Veronica Haven. Capri blames Anya for something. Haven says they are new prospects who are fighting to be here. Capri says Anya didn't prove herself when she lost to Anya. Anya says if she wants her to prove herself, she will ask for a singles match vs Layla Diggs. She says she will make the ID program proud and make Capri notice her.

Thoughts: I have no idea what they were talking about. It wasn't good at all and everyone came odd wooden.

#1 Contender's Match - Dorian Van Dux vs Tristan Angels vs Kam Hendrix vs Brooks Jensen

TA and Kam nail the others to start. Dux is thrown out. Kam backslides TA. BJ rolls up Kam for 2. TA top rope dropkicks BJ. Dux top rope dropkicks Kam. Dux flying headscissors TA. Dux back body drops and dropkicks Kan. BJ lariats TA outside. Kam nails BJ from behind. TA drops Dux face first on the apron edge. 

TA buckshot lariats BJ, making him ddt Kam. TA powerslams Dux for 2. Dux spinning forearms and suplexes TA. Dux lariats Ta from behind. Dux is crotched up top. TA step up enzugiri's him off the top rope. Kam crossbodies Dux off the apron. BJ top rope plancha's TA and Kam. Dux top rope moonsaults everyone outside. 

We go to break and return. TA superplexes Kam. Dux 2nd rope gordbusters BJ onto Kam. Dux pop up powerbombs TA onto opponents. The four trade shots on their knees. Kam takes kicks to the head. TA takes a 3D for 2.  

Dux and BJ trade forearms. Dux flying pumping knees BJ. BJ lariats him. Dux stunners him off a suplex attempt. Dux is popped up top. Dux top rope ssp's TA for 2. Kam backdrop uranage's Dux for 2 when Tate Wilder pulls Kam out. 

Kam and Tate fight outside. BJ hits Dux with his boot. BJ gordbusters Dux then TA gets a 2 count on Dux. TA sunset flips Dux and Dux half crabs him. BJ running boots Dux in the face. BJ hits slaps on him then Dux pump kicks him. Dux lariats him down. TA rolls up Dux for 2. Dux double jump os cutters him. BJ boots Dux out. TA cradles BJ and pins him. 

Thoughts: Tristan winning was a surprise. The match worked out a lot better than I thought it would and I liked it. They had some different styles at play but were able to put it all together. Dux continues to look good in the ring but it's the promos where he's always going to struggle. 

Overall thoughts: It was a good show. All 3 matches were fine and the main was pretty good. The 3 matches all had potential to not be so great but things did work out. That women's locker room segment was rough though. I'd give this a 6 out of 10 and I thought it was a fun episode.