By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 41)
Taped in Orlando. Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed December 17, 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 prior episodes — the curtains at the Performance Training Center are dropped, making the venue seem smaller and more intimate. There are only two or three rows at ringside, so we only have maybe 150 or so people present. I’ll reiterate that the background has changed in this latest taping, as we have more video screens hanging on the walls in the background, and the room is a bit darker, too.
* It’s Gal narrated the rules of the team-on-team gauntlet match. The winning team is in control of EVOLVE for one week. (That’s it? A week?) However, Sean Legacy isn’t medically cleared, so Team ID needs to find a fifth man.
* Kendal Grey came to the ring with her title belt on her shoulder. She said that “pressure made me a champion,” and she welcomed all challengers! Out of the back came Kali Armstrong! We haven’t seen her in a month or so! She complimented Grey for how she’s done as champ. “I’m ready to take back what’s mine,” Kali said. PJ Vasa came out of the back! She wants a title shot, too! Kendal offered to take them both on!
* Backstage, Wendy Choo spoke. She has completely abandoned her ‘sleepy Wendy’ look. She vowed to win tonight. We then heard from Chantel Monroe, who isn’t sweating Choo at all.
* Also backstage, Charlie Dempsey walked up to Timothy Thatcher and reiterated his challenge, referring to himself as “the future.” Thatcher said he will “respectfully decline.” Dempsey muttered, “To think I used to look up to you,” as he walked away.
* Time for the elimination match. No one is at ringside; when someone is pinned, someone else just runs out of the back.
1. “Team PC” Keanu Carver, a mystery teammate, another mystery teammate, Brooks Jensen, and Braxton Cole vs. “Team ID” Aaron Rourke, Mike Cunningham, a mystery teammate, Cappuccino Jones, and Marcus Mathers in a Gauntlet Elimination Match. So, we are beginning with Rourke and Keanu, and the match goes until one of them is pinned and one of their teammates replaces him — the match keeps going until all five on one side have lost. (I am going to keep a running clock rather than break this into mini-matches. Keanu easily tossed him aside. He hit a gutbuster over his knee for a nearfall at 1:30. Rourke hit a 619 and a top-rope somersault cannonball. Carver put Rourke on his shoulder and hit a twisting slam (almost a Stormbreaker) for the pin at 3:28.
Mike Cunningham jumped into the ring, but Carver immediately took control and hit some bodyslams. Cunningham hit a top-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall at 6:00. Carver again hit his twisting slam off his shoulders for a pin on Cunningham at 6:49. Sean Legacy came out of the back, but Chuey Martienz stopped him from getting in the ring, reiterating to Sean that he isn’t cleared! Instead, Sam Holloway jumped in the ring from behind and chokeslammed Keanu! Holloway hit a frog splash for a pin on Carver at 7:47. Brooks Jensen jumped in the ring, but Holloway hit a double-underhook suplex. Jensen hit a suplex for a nearfall at 10:00.
Sam hit a hard clothesline in the corner and some chops, as Stone praised Sam’s weight loss since he started his wrestling training. Jensen and Holloway traded clotheslines, and Sam hit a twisting uranage for a nearfall. Jensen hit him with his knee brace to the face, hit another knee strike, and Brooks got a pin at 12:47! Cappuccino Jones got in the ring and battled Brooks. Brooks dropped him stomach-first on the top rope and flipped Cap to the mat. [C]
Brooks hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. Cap hit a springboard missile dropkick, and they were both down at 16:30. Jax Presley and Harley Riggins came to the ring and were going to help Brooks. However, Cap rolled up Jensen and got a flash pin at 17:03. BUT, Jensen immediately struck Cap’s knee before he left the ring. Braxton Cole, who we have not seen have a match before, jumped in the ring and attacked Cap’s damaged knee. (Backstage, Chuey told Wendy Choo her match won’t happen until Jan. 7 because this match was going long!) Cole applied a Stretch Muffler on the mat.
Jones nailed the Decaffinator (swinging neckbreaker) out of nowhere to pin Braxton at 20:46. Music played for Kam Hendrix! (LFG’s Anthony Luke). He’s on Team PC! The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor, Ricky Smokes, Jackson Drake) were now watching the match from the VIP lounge. Stone and Rosenberg talked about all that Kam has learned from Booker T during the LFG series. Kam hit a clothesline and a uranage to pin Jones at 23:52. The final member for Team ID was Marcus Mathers, and he hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw, then a flip dive to the floor on Kam!
Kam took control and kept Mathers grounded. Mathers hit a DDT for a nearfall at 26:30. Cam hit a top-rope superplex on Mathers! Backstage, Chuey told Chantel about them being out of time, and Monroe was livid! Mathers and Hendrix traded chops. Mathers hit a second-rope fadeaway stunner and his stalling German Suplex for a nearfall! Marcus missed a top-rope stomp, and Kam immediately hit a Claymore Kick for a nearfall. Mathers hit a spin kick to the jaw. Kam caught Mathers coming off the ropes and hit another uranage for the pin! The heel PC team didn’t even need all of its members!
“Team PC” Keanu Carver, Kam Hendrix, Brooks Jensen, and Braxton Cole defeated “Team ID” Aaron Rourke, Mike Cunningham, Sam Holloway, Cappuccino Jones, and Marcus Mathers in a Gauntlet Elimination Match at 29:53.
Final Thoughts: An enjoyable one-match show. It was great to see Sam Holloway return; he has so much promise, as he’s been tearing it up on the indy scene. It was also nice to see the official debut of Austin Luke (as Kam Hendrix). He also has a lot of star power, and the exchange between Kam and Mathers was really good. Of course, I’m ‘Team ID,’ as I’ve seen nearly all those guys on the indy scene, and I want them to succeed, so I winced a bit when Team PC didn’t even have to reveal a fifth member.
Based on the comments about the next match, it sounds like we don’t have any shows for the next two weeks, so we’ll be back next year!
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