By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 85)
Taped in Orlando. Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed November 4, 2026, on Tubi in the United States and YouTube.com internationally
Tubi lists this as “Season 2, Episode 36.”
* Last wedek was clearly the first episode of a new taping. We had the return of Jax Presley (his first match since last winter!), but Shido Ash informed us that his teammate, Viktor Zanov, is now training overseas, so he’s going solo. Again, we’ve seen the last match from Veronica Haven, but this episode will undoubtedly be filled with wrestlers who are no longer under WWE contract.
* Charlie Dempsey was in the VIP lounge. He has his eye on CJ Valor!
1. CJ Valor vs. Ulka Sasaki. Standing switches to open, and they twisted each other’s left arm. They tied up on the mat. Valor dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 2:00. He hit a clothesline for a nearfall and was dominating early on. The Mog Squad came to ringside to cheer on Valor. [C]
Back from the break, they were brawling in the ring. Ulka nailed a running knee to the jaw at 6:00 and a spin kick to the side of the head for a believable nearfall! Valor hit a Chaos Theory (rolling German Suplex) for a nearfall. Ulka locked in a rear-naked choke, and the crowd taunted him to tap out. Valor nailed a spinebuster for the pin.
CJ Valor defeated Ulka Sasaki at 7:44.
* The Mog Squad quartet approached Dempsey in the Mog Squad. Dempsey wanted a match against any of them. However, Max Abrams’ surgically repaired nose hurt, and they carried him to the back.
* Backstage, Sloane Jacobs apologized to Nikkita Lyons for accidentally getting her into a four-way match later.
2. Alix Brooks (w/Kale Dixon) vs. Laynie Luck. This is our first time seeing Alix wrestle! She has a similar look to Karmen Petrovik. (If you weren’t aware, Laynie Luck wrestled at the ROH taping in Jacksonville on Tuesday.) She immediately applied a headlock and dragged Alix to the mat and got a nearfall. She made a gesture with her finger to show Alix how close she was to getting a quick win. She hit a snap suplex, and she tripped Brooks. Dixon grabbed Laynie’s ankle. That brought out Aaron Rourke! Rourke and Dixon fought into the ring, and the ref called for the bell. (I thought the rule was that the match continues if neither person strikes one of the match competitors.)
Alix Brooks vs. Laynie Luck went to a draw at 1:27.
* Rourke got on the mic and challenged them to a mixed tag match! [C]
* A video package aired for Richard Adonis, who is among the new ID prospects. (I’ve seen him a few times lately at Wrestling Open in the Northeast.) We saw the footage of Evolve Foreman Timothy Thatcher handing Adonis his ID contract at a WWN show.
* Skylar Raye, Thea Hail, and Wendy Choo talked in the women’s locker room. They will all be opponents tonight. They all agreed that no one wants to see Nikkita Lyons retain her title.
* Cap Jones and Chaz “Starboy” Hall spoke backstage. Jones gave him some advice for his upcoming match.
3. Shido Ash vs. Chazz “Starboy” Hall. As I noted above, Robert Stone noted that Ash’s partner is in Europe. Chazz hit some spin kicks to the thigh. He hit a spin kick to the sternum that sent Shido to the floor at 1:00. At ringside, Ash threw him onto the floor, then threw him back into the ring, and he kept Starboy grounded. Starboy went for a running Shooting Star Press, but Ash caught him in a Triangle Choke at 2:30.
Ash hit a hard clothesline, and he tied up Hall on the mat and planted his knee in Chazz’s spine. Hall got up and hit more spin kicks to the thighs, then a huracanrana. Hall hit the Cosmic Swirl (standing corkscrew press), and he peeled down the straps of his bib overalls and hit a running kick in the corner. Viktor Zanov tried to interfere (HEY, we were told he was overseas!), but Cap Jones made the save. Chazz missed the Shooting Starboy Press. Ash immediately hit an Angle Slam for the pin.
Shido Ash defeated Chazz “Starboy” Hall at 4:31. [C]
* Harley Riggins approached Thatcher backstage. Harlem Lewis is apparently injured. Thatcher wants to give Lewis another week to recover.
4. Nikkita Lyons (w/Sloane Jacobs) vs. Thea Hail vs. Wendy Choo vs. Skylar Raye in a four-way for the Evolve Women’s Title. The three babyfaces all jumped Lyons and beat her down! Raye tried a rollup on Hail. Anya Rune came to ringside and threw a magical fireball at Jacobs, and those two fought to the back. [C]
Back from the break, Lyons mounted Hail and repeatedly punched her. Lyons beat up Raye on the floor. In the ring, Lyons hit a sit-out powerbomb on Choo for a nearfall at 2:30. Raye hit a missile dropkick on Lyons. Raye hit a double armdrag, then a twisting neckbreaker on Hail. She slammed Nikkita and got a nearfall. Skye hit a top-rope crossbody block on Hail. Hail and Choo collided heads. Hail hit a Pedigree on Lyons for a nearfall, and suddenly all four were down at 4:00.
Choo hit some kicks on each opponent, and she slammed Lyons to the mat. However, Raye tried to steal the pin, and she got a nearfall. Hail hit a World’s Strongest Slam on Wendy, and she went for her springboard Coffin Drop, but Choo tied her in the Dirt Nap! Skye hit a frog splash to make the save. Choo put Lyons in the Dirt Nap. The lights flickered, and Vanta the Unknown suddenly appeared in the ring! Vanta hit some kicks on Choo! Lyons covered the prone Wendy for the pin.
Nikkita Lyons defeated Thea Hail, Wendy Choo, and Skylar Raye in a four-way to retain the Evolve Women’s Title at 6:39.
Final Thoughts: That episode flew by. I was stunned by how short two separate matches were, as there was so much action in each. The mixed tag match is set for next week. No real complaints. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing Dempsey get some of the Mog Squad guys in the ring and stretch them.
