By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 75)
Taped in Orlando. Florida, at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed August 26, 2026, on Tubi in the United States and YouTube.com internationally
Blake Howard and Rob Stone provided commentary. Tubi lists this as “Season 2, Episode 26.”
* A video segment aired narrated by Brooks Jensen, talking about his lumberjack match tonight against Elijah Holyfield.
1. PJ Vasa vs. Laynie Luck. Laynie immediately hit some forearm strikes and a pump kick. We saw Sloane Jacobs watching in the VIP lounge. Luck dove through the ropes onto Vasa. Back in the ring, Laynie hit a slingshot senton. Vasa caught her and hit a sit-out bodyslam at 1:00. PJ flattened her with a splash in the corner, then a spear for a nearfall! She missed a splash to the mat.
Laynie hit a step-up enzuigiri, a Shining Wizard, and then a missile dropkick, but PJ rolled to the ropes at 3:00. Laynie hit her slingshot doubblestomp and got a nearfall. Vasa hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. PJ set up for a suplex, but Luck turned it into a DDT! Laynie put PJ across her shoulders and hit the Death Valley Driver for the pin! I’m a bit surprised by that outcome, but happy for Laynie!
Laynie Luck defeated PJ Vasa at 4:07.
* Sloane yelled at PJ! She was apparently upset that Vasa couldn’t put away Laynie.
* A vignette aired for Gianna Capri. She heavily emphasized her New Jersey roots and Italian heritage. She noted her tours in Japan and her background in ballet. She noted her feud with Anya Rune. [C]
2. Kale Dixon (w/Alix Brooks) vs. Chazz “Starboy” Hall. It sure took Evolve a long time before they finally decided to give Alix her name. Dixon struck Hall in the corner and threw him to the mat. Chazz hit a spin kick to the jaw at 1:00. He hit a springboard armdrag and a dropkick. He popped up and played air guitar, then hit a superkick. He went for a Sliced Bread out of the corner, but Kale dropped him throat-first on the top rope, then hit a clothesline, and he took control. Dixon tied him in the Tree of Woe and kicked him repeatedly.
Kale tied up Hall on the mat and kept him grounded. He slammed Hall face-first ot the mat for a nearfall at 3:30. Charlie hit a headscissors takedown, then a spin kick to the jaw, and he was fired up! He pulled down the straps of his bib overalls and hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread, then the Cosmic Swirl (standing corkscrew moonsault). They traded rollups. Alix reached into the ring and tripped Chazz! Kale immediately hit a discus forearm strike for the tainted pin!
Kale Dixon defeated Chazz “Starboy” Hall at 5:21.
* Elijah Holyfield walked through the back, stared straight into the camera, and spoke about the lumberjack match with Brooks. He vowed to “knock your ass out for good!”
3. Layla Diggs vs. Zena Sterling. I’ll reiterate that Zena has cut her hair short and changed her ring gear, making her look like a totally different person. They locked up, and Zena threw her to the mat. Layla hit some kicks in the corner, followed by shoulder thrusts to the ribs. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Zena hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall at 3:00. Layla dropped her stomach-first to the mat for a nearfall. Zena hit a tilt-a-whirl sideslam for a nearfall. They traded rollups. Zena got a rollup with a foot on the ropes for the pin!
Zena Sterling defeated Layla Diggs at 4:11.
* Zena leaned into the camera and shouted some comments in Ukrainian.
* A promo aired for Vanta The Unknown. She is coming… (I really am digging these promos.)
* Harlem Lewis came to the ring, with his Evolve Title belt over his shoulder. He was not dressed to wrestle. He noted that he won a four-way match to retain his belt. He wants to know who will be the next No. 1 contender and suggested a No. 1 contender’s match be held. Harley Riggins emerged from the back. He vowed to win the belt from Lewis. They started to brawl on the floor. Security guards ran over to separate them.
* To the back! The four members of The Mog Squad were beating up Aaron Rourke! This is chaos! Max Abrams turned to the camera and said this was a message to the whole locker room. “Mess with us and find out what happens!” Max shouted.
4. Elijah Holyfield vs. Brooks Jensen in a lumberjack match. We have maybe 10 to 12 male lumberjacks — I don’t see any lumberjills. Brooks was hesitant to tie up, and he stalled in the ropes. In the ring, he applied a headlock. Holyfield set up for a punch, and Brooks rolled to the floor. He got back in, but Elijah clotheslined him to the floor. The lumberjacks pushed him back in. Holyfield hit a half-nelson slam for a nearfall at 2:30. He hit some punches as Brooks was tied up in the ropes. Jensen fell to the floor, but some lumberjacks punched him. As Holyfield was sliding back in, Viktor Zanov grabbed Elijah’s ankle! It allowed Brooks to attack Holyfield at 4:00. [C]
Returning from the break, Brooks was in charge and kept him grounded. He hit a standing neckbreaker and applied a headlock on the mat. He missed an elbow drop, and Holyfield rolled him up for a nearfall at 5:30. Brooks went for a rollup while grabbing the ropes, but the ref saw it. Elijah hit a flying shoulder tackle and a bulldog, then a big Spinebuster for a nearfall at 7:00.
Jensen hit a flying back elbow and a Saito Suplex for a nearfall. Brooks hit a hard clothesline, then a powerslam for a nearfall. The lumberjacks suddenly began brawling on the floor, and it was a big melee. Romeo Moreno hopped in the ring and hit a flip dive onto 10+ guys at 9:30. Jensen went to leave, but Sam Holloway appeared and pushed him back into the ring! Elijah immediately nailed Brooks with an uppercut for the pin!
Elijah Holyfield defeated Brooks Jensen in a lumberjack match at 10:02.
Final Thoughts: A strong episode. Holyfield looks good, but he really gave up a lot of size to Brooks Jensen, more than I realized. I expected PJ Vasa to win, so I’m pleasantly surprised that Laynie pulled out that win.
The episode clocked in at 50 minutes. As per usual, I’d love to see some highlight packages squeezed in between matches. The stuff we saw for Capri, Jensen, and Holyfield worked for me, so let’s get more of that. How about an update from It’s Gal, Cap Jones, and Marcus Mathers? Whatever happened to Braxton Cole? I don’t think he’s appeared on this set of tapings (which, again, I presume this taping is from when Rob Stone and Blake Howard became the commentary team).
Be the first to comment