By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 6)
Taped in Orlando. Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed April 9, 2025 on Tubi in the United States and YouTube.com internationally
Peter Rosenberg and Robert Stone provided commentary. I will reiterate what I wrote from the first episodes — the curtains at the Performance Training Center are dropped, making the venue seem smaller and more intimate. There weare only two or three rows at ringside, so there were maybe 150 or so people present.
* Outside, “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes talked about their match on NXT on Tuesday. They acknowledged they lost but they “showed to all of Evolve that we are going to be a problem,” Baylor said. We then went to a video package showing some key moments from prior Evolve episodes.
1. Riley Osborne vs. Javier Bernal. The commentators agreed both really need to get a win. Standing switches to open. Riley hit a modified 619 in the ropes, then a huracanrana for a nearfall. He went for a standing moonsault but Bernal got his knees up at 2:00. Bernal hit a side kick and was fired up, then a double-arm slam for a nearfall at 3:30. The commentators talked about Bernal being frustrated and out-of-sorts of late. Riley nailed a top-rope Shooting Star Press for the pin. Solid match.
Riley Osborne defeated Javier Bernal at 4:31.
* Chuey Martinez handed Bernal his jacket and asked him if he was okay. Bernal dropped his jacket, looked despondent, and headed to the back.
[C]
* As we returned, Haze Jameson was in the VIP lounge. We had a video package that introduced us to Bryce Donovan, and he’s angry!
2. Bryce Donovan vs. Drako Knox. Bryce is the WWE ID prospect from the Northeast states; he’s around 6’2″ and a regular at Wrestling Open and Create-A-Pro. Drako had one prior Evolve match; he is bald and has a reddish beard. Swipe Right, Jackson Drake and Zayda Steel came out of the back before the bell and came to ringside. They got in the ring and stood with Bryce! That bought out Jack Cartwheel, Ice Williams and Cappuccino Jones! That brought out Evolve GM Stevie Turner, who decided this was going to instead be an eight-man tag!
Bryce vs. Drako never started.
2. Bryce Donovan, Jackson Drake, and “Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes (w/Zayda Steel) vs. Drako Knox, Cappuccino Jones, Ice Williams, and Jack Cartwheel. Jackson and Drako opened. Jones entered at 2:00 and he hit a dropkick on Drake. Smokes tagged in and battled Jones. Cartwheel entered and tied up Smokes. Bryce got in and hit a big bodyslam on Cartwheel for a nearfall at 4:00, and the heels began working over Cartwheel. Baylor and Jack traded chops, and Brad hit a hard clothesline. Cappuccino handed Jack a coffee, which he drank and fired up! Jack hit a Sasuke Special dive to the floor on the heels. [C]
Back from a break, Drako bodyslammed Ricky, so the babyfaces were now working over a heel. Baylor got in and hit a big boot on Ice for a nearfall at 8:00. Zayda could be seen berating and taunting Ice. Jackson hit a powerbomb on Ice for a nearfall. Stone compared Bryce Donovan to “Test” Andrew Martin and I can see that. Baylor kept Ice grounded in a rear-naked choke. Ice finally hit a clothesline on Ricky at 11:30, and Drako got the hot tag. He hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Jackson. Cartwheel got in and hit a superkick. Drako hit a Mafia Kick on Bryce. Zayda distracted the ref, and it allowed Smokes to hit a dropkick for a nearfall. Drako slammed Smokes. Drake hit a Lethal Injection. Cappuccino hit a twisting slam. Jack hit a neckbreaker and his rolling Death Valley Driver on Baylor. Bryce nailed a Black Hole Slam to pin Cartwheel. That’s my type of match!
Bryce Donovan, Jackson Drake, Brad Baylor, and Ricky Smokes defeated Drako Knox, Cappuccino Jones, Ice Williams, and Jack Cartwheel at 14:29 (I stopped the stopwatch during the commercial break.)
* Chuey tried to interview the heels, but Baylor said Chuey smelled bad and they made fun of him. Jack Legacy came out to confront the heels… as did Timothy Thatcher! It appears those two are together. [C]
* When we returned, the show-stopping diva Chantel Monroe was now in the VIP lounge. We had a nice video package on Kali Armstrong, showing she’s a world-class sprinter. We then saw a similar video for Dani Palmer.
3. Dani Palmer vs. Kali Armstrong. Dani is recently back after hip replacement surgery but I’m sure she’s had a few more overall matches than Kali. Dani made a point of putting her hair up; she’s wearing denim cutoff pants and a plain, black sports top, indicating she’s here for a fight, not here to wrestle. Kali picked her up for a Gorilla Press but Dani escaped and hit a dropkick at 2:30. Kali hit a second-rope superplex and we headed to a break at 4:00 [C].
Seconds after we returned, they hit stereo clotheslines, then double crossbody blocks. Peter talked about Dani’s long road back from her injury. Stone compared Kali to Bianca Belair. Dani hit an enzuigiri, then a Meteora for a nearfall at 6:00. Kali hit a powerslam for a nearfall. Kali again went for a superplex, but Dani shoved her to the mat. Dani missed a frogsplash and crashed to the mat. Kali immediately hit a running shoulder tackle that sent tiny Palmer flying! Kali covered her for the pin. Good action.
Kali Armstrong defeated Dani Palmer at 7:38 (I stopped the stopwatch during the commercial break.)
* Kali got on the mic and vowed she will be champion here. Chantal stood up. Kendal Grey came out, then Brinley Reece came out. Kali was unfazed, saying “I AM DIFFERENT.” The women jawed as we went off the air.
Final Thoughts: That eight-man tag was fun. Yes, I’ve seen more of the WWE ID prospects than just about anyone, but some of those guys are really polished. It’s worth pointing out that Cartwheel has competed in multiple countries and it just shows in how fluid he is in the ring. But I think it also showed that WWE wasn’t confident enough to let Drako Knox carry a long singles match. And I like how the East Coast indy talent (the heels), who all know each other, have united while the Midwest and West Coast indy talent (Ice, Jack, Cappuccino) have also united. The episode clocked in at 47 minutes, on par with the first five episodes.
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