By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 77 – The ID Showcase Special)
Taped in Orlando. Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed September 9, 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 28.” This was recorded at the Performance Center in Orlando, Fla.
* The Mog Squad spoke backstage about their tag gauntlet match tonight! Jacari Ball will start the match!
1. Gianna Capri vs. Anya Rune. Rune was released from her ID deal in the past week. They brawled at the bell. Rune hit a pump kick to the chest. Stone noted that Rune has been training since she was 14. Capri tied up Rune on the mat and kept her grounded. Rune hit a spin kick in the corner, then a diving forearm strike at 3:30. She hit her anime double-arm strike, and we saw “sparks” exploding from her hand as the blow landed! (It was clearly done in post-production; I don’t think this was something like a firework in her hands.) Rune hit a chokeslam for the pin.
Anya Rune defeated Gianna Capri at 3:56.
* Backstage, Sloane Jacobs looked into the camera and laughed about Rune actually winning. She informed us that Nikkita Lyons is on a well-deserved vacation. PJ Vasa walked up, and she’s “here to collect.” She wants Lyons next week. (Vasa was released from her contract last week.)
* Elsewhere backstage, Chazz “Starboy” Hall fired up Team ID 1,0 about their match later.
* Kale Dixon and Alix Brooks walked down to the VIP lounge. Interviewer Adriana Rizzo (also since released from her contract) walked up and asked them why they were there. Dixon said they were there to watch “some indy twerps” fight. He’s annoyed he isn’t in action.
2. “Team ID 1.0” Marcus Mathers, Aaron Rourke, Sam Holloway, and Cappuccino Jones vs. “The Mog Squad” Max Abrams, CJ Valor, Santi Rivera, and Jacari Ball in a Team Gauntlet match. One man from each team starts, but there aren’t tags in and out, so the match continues until an entire team has been eliminated. Aaron Rourke and Jacari Ball opened. Ball hit a dropkick at 1:30 and took control. He hit a gutwrench suplex. Rourke hit a shotgun dropkick as Ball was on the ropes at 3:00. They fought to the floor. Rourke hit the Molly-Go-Round and got the pin at 3:39. CJ Valor emerged from the back and entered the ring… [C]
CJ Valor was in charge as we returned from the break, keeping Rourke grounded. Rourke hit a shotgun dropkick. From the VIP lounge, Dixon threw a pillow — yes, a frickin’ pillow — at Rourke. The distraction allowed Valor to get a rollup with a handful of tights for the cheap pin at 6:09. Sam Holloway entered the match and hit a bodyslam, then a slingshot elbow drop for a believable nearfall. Valor hit a suplex! He stomped on Sam.
Valor hit a flying shoulder tackle for a nearfall at 9:00. Sam flipped Valor into the turnbuckles! Sam hit a chokeslam, but Valor held on and applied a cross-armbreaker! Valor hit a Chaos Theory rolling German Suplex for a believable nearfall! However, Sam caught him with a chokeslam for the pin at 10:45. Out of the back came Santi Rivera. [C]
As we returned, Rivera had Sam in a rear-naked choke on the mat and kept the big man grounded. We see both Valor and Ball are still at ringside; I don’t see Rourke, though. Santi hit a Lungblower move to the chin for a nearfall. Sam hit a back-body drop and a dropkick! Sam hit a Choke Bomb for the pin at 12:58! Max came out in his ‘scuba’ mask to protect his nose and face; he jumped on Holloway’s back and applied a sleeper. Stone just noted the Mog Squad guys are all at ringside. Max came off the ropes; Sam caught him by the throat, but Max escaped and rolled to the floor.
Cutler James jumped in the ring and kicked Holloway! Max jumped in the ring and pinned Holloway at 14:28. Marcus Mathers came to the ring and hit a bodyslam. Max’s mask came off. Mathers hit a corner fadeaway stunner. Abrams hit a flying back elbow. He put the mask back on and stomped Mathers. Marcus nailed his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw, then a flip dive to the floor onto all four heels at 16:30. [C}
Abrams and Mathers were brawling in the ring when we returned. In the picture-in-picture, we saw that Shido Ash was beating up Cap Jones backstage! Chazz “Starboy” Hall chased Ash off. Meanwhile, Mathers hit a top-rope Spanish Fly for a nearfall, then a top-rope 450 Splash for a nearfall at 18:30, but the Mog Squad pulled Mathers off Abrams. The ref finally ejected the Mog Squad! Marcus went for a moonsault, but Abrams kicked him in the face! Abrams pinned Marcus at 19:07.
Cap is too injured to compete, and Hall isn’t eligible because he’s not from the 1.0 class! Foreman Timothy Thatcher was about to declare the Mog Squad won. BUT WAIT! It’s Gal came to the ring and took Cap Jones’s place! Abrams hit a jumping knee to the jaw. Gal hit a discus forearm strike. Abrams hit a running Blockbuster at 21:00. However, Gal avoided the Fame-asser, and Gal nailed a spinning Blue Thunder Bomb for the pin! Fun match. It’s Gal hugged the rest of the 1.0 guys! He’s finally found some friends!
“Team ID 1.0” Marcus Mathers, Aaron Rourke, Sam Holloway, and It’s Gal defeated “The Mog Squad” Max Abrams, CJ Valor, Santi Rivera, and Jacari Ball in a Team Gauntlet match at 21:16.
* Harley Riggins was watching a screen backstage and fuming. He muttered something inaudible under his breath.
Final Thoughts: A fun Gauntlet match, but I hate so many rapid-fire pins. (It’s a problem I have with all gauntlets, though, not just this one.) But I enjoyed the payoff of It’s Gal finally joining the ID 1.0 babyface team. He’s so funny, I wasn’t going to boo him, so they might as well turn him babyface. I can do without getting hit by a couch pillow causing someone to be pinned, but the rest of the match worked for me.
I’ve not missed a single Evolve episode; this is not the first time I’ve watched an episode and cringed at seeing several wrestlers who are suddenly no longer on the roster. Anya Rune is so talented. She’s a second-generation talent and still just 20. As the commentators noted, she’s been training for six years. Of the 10 people released this week, she is the one I feel is most likely to be back one day. (Sloane Jacobs returned; I see no reason Rune can’t eventually.)
The action was good; the ID talents are all so good. One of these days, WWE is going to let Marcus be Marcus and show off his skills. But right now, it feels like the only reason he’s still under contract is so he doesn’t join Nick Wayne, Billie Starks, Jordan Oliver, and Alec Price over in the AEW rising stars club. A lot to like here, though.
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