By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 69)
Taped in Orlando. Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed July 15, 2026, on Tubi in the United States and YouTube.com internationally
Blake Howard and Rob Stone provided commentary; no Peter Rosenberg tonight. Tubi lists this as “Season 2, Episode 20.”
* Last week was clearly from a new taping. Not only did we have Stone instead of Rosenberg on commentary, but Adrianna Rizzo was at ringside instead of Chuey Martinez. We also had Layla Diggs acknowledging that Masyn Holliday was gone, and Harley Riggins acknowledging that he’s going at it alone, without Kam Hendricks (who has moved up to NXT).
* A video montage aired that hyped the Aaron Rourke-Harlem Lewis match.
1. Chazz “Starboy” Hall vs. Max Abrams. Backstage, Abrams told the Mod Squad to stay there – he is confident he can win solo! Starboy tied him up on the mat early on. He hit a huracanrana at 1:30, then a monkey-flip. (The audio sweetener is really up today!) Hall hit a dropkick for a nearfall. Chazz hit a spin kick to the side of the head at 3:00 that sent Max to the floor. Chazz tried a dive, but Max caught him and powerbombed him onto the ring apron. [C]
Back in the ring, Max hit a flying back elbow for a nearfall and was in charge. Max hit a Cody-style Disaster kick for a nearfall at 4:30, and he cranked on Chazz’s head. Abrams hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 6:30. (Blake insists on calling it a “Falcon’s Arrow.” I noticed that last week, too.) Max missed a frog splash. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Hall hit some chops, then a spinning heel kick to the jaw at 8:30, then a huracanrana.
Hall hit the mid-ring Sliced Bread for a nearfall. Max nailed a running Blockbuster for a believable nearfall at 10:00; I thought that was it. Hall hit the “Cosmic Swirl” standing corkscrew moonsault, but he couldn’t hit a Sliced Bread out of the corner. Hall set up for a Sasuke Special but Max moved. The Mog Squad came to the ring, but Marcus Mathers, Sam Holloway and Cap Jones ran out for the save! Starboy hit the Sasuke Special onto all of them! Cap accidentally punched Starboy! In the ring, Abrams hit the leaping Fame-asser for the pin!
Max Abrams defeated Chazz “Starboy” Hall at 12:11.
* Cap went to apologize to Starboy, but Starboy shoved him! Marcus and Holloway separated them so they wouldn’t fight!
* Backstage, Foreman Timothy Thatcher wished Harlem Lewis good luck tonight.
* A commercial for the NIL program aired. [C]
* Nikkita Lyons and Sloane Jacobs were in the kitchen area. Lyons was angry that Laynie Luck attacked her last week. Sloane wondered where Wendy Choo was. Lyons sang, “Who cares?”
2. Layla Diggs vs. Veronica Haven. Haven wore her angel’s wings! She looks like the fallen angel tonight, which is what I was begging for a week ago! (Yes, they taped this before my complaint was typed, but still… they need to let her be the gimmick that got her over in the first place!) Diggs charged at the bell, and they brawled. Layla hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Haven snapped Diggs’ neck across the top rope, then dropkicked her to the floor.
Stone noted that “the demon” in Haven has come out tonight. Blake name-dropped the Arizona Wrestling Federation, where Haven was “ID’d.” Haven hit a Sling Blade clothesline for a nearfall at 2:30, and she kept Diggs grounded. Layla clocked her with a spin kick to the jaw, then another. Layla lifted Haven and dropped her stomach-first to the mat for a nearfall. Diggs did a backflip-into-a-Pele Kick! Nice! Diggs hit her awesome top-rope moonsault for the pin. I liked everything about that match.
Layla Diggs defeated Veronica Haven at 4:23.
* In the men’s locker room, Thatcher came up and wished Aaron Rourke good luck in his match. The four ID babyfaces were with Rourke. Starboy turned to Cap and said, “You cost me that match.” Cap asked Thatcher to book a tag match — it will be Cap and Mathers against the muscular security guards. Thatcher agreed to make it happen.
* Next week will be Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen. [C]
3. Aaron Rourke vs. Harlem Lewis for the WWE Evolve Men’s Championship. The bell rang, and Harlem hit a spear and a Jackhammer for a believable nearfall! It really looked like the match was going to be over in 18 seconds! He charged again, but he hit shoulder-first into the ring post. From the apron, Rourke hit a running Penalty Kick, then a Blockbuster from the apron to the floor. In the ring, Rourke hit his second-rope flying Lungblower to the chest for a nearfall. [C]
When we returned from the break, Harlem was in charge. We saw “action during the commercial break” as Harlem hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee. Back to live action, Rourke hit a series of quick kicks. Harlem hit another backbreaker over his knee, then another one at 3:00! Rourke hit a tornado DDT, then a running knee to the jaw. Aaron hit his split-legged moonsault for a believable nearfall. Harlem set up for a piledriver, but Rourke got a rollup for a nearfall.
Rourke hit a discus Mafia Kick, then a neckbreaker over his knee for a believable nearfall at 6:30. Rourke was shocked he didn’t win there. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Aaron knocked him to the mat. He went for the Molly-Go-Round, but Lewis caught him and hit a powerbomb! Lewis hit the Jackhammer for the pin! New champion! I didn’t see that coming; I was waiting for a screwjob finish. Well done.
Harlem Lewis defeated Aaron Rourke to win the WWE Evolve Men’s Championship at 7:51.
Final Thoughts: What a difference from one week to the next. Last week had the big, muscular PC guys, and I was bored with many of the matches. This was “ID talent” week, with Starboy, Rourke, and Haven leading the way, plus all the ID guys that got involved in that opener, too. Max-Starboy earned best match, but all three were quite good. The women did exactly what you want — they got a lot in for four minutes. I’m not sold on Lewis, but they’ve done a great job creating a backstory for him. Just a much better show than last week’s episode.
This was one of the shortest episodes yet, coming in at just 45 minutes.
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