By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 28)
Taped in Orlando. Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed September 10, 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.
* The show opened with The Vanity Project narrating a video of some of the recent feuds in Evolve. Jackson Drake said Keanu Carver “has a snowball’s chance in hell” of taking the Evolve Title off of him.
1. Carlee Bright (w/Kendal Grey) vs. Layla Diggs (w/Masyn Holiday). We saw inset videos from each opponent talking about the match during their ring entrances. The bell rang, and they immediately tied each other up on the mat. Layla did a cartwheel out of a hold, and she got a sunset flip for a nearfall. They missed stereo dropkicks at 2:00, and Carlee hit a running neckbreaker for a nearfall. Layla caught her on a crossbody block and hit a powerslam and a standing moonsault at 3:30. Bright missed a second-rope moonsault. Layla hit a flying leg lariat for a nearfall. Carlee hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. She hit “Brightside” (a twisting neckbreaker, using her leg) for the pin…. [C]
Carlee Bright defeated Layla Diggs at 4:59.
* Kendal Grey and Carlee Bright were still in the ring coming out of the break. Grey said she is going to “smack the smile” off of Wendy Choo’s face, and when she’s done with Wendy, she is going after Kali Armstrong’s Evolve Women’s Title. That brought out Kali Armstrong, who had her belt around her waist. Kali told her to worry about getting past Wendy first. Suddenly, we saw Tate Wilder and Ridge Holland brawl to ringside! The women looked perplexed. Prime Minister Stevie Turner came out of the back and told those two to get in the ring and settle it … right now!
2. Ridge Holland vs. Tate Wilder. They brawled, and Tate hit a dropkick that sent Ridge to the floor, then he hit a plancha onto Holland. Back in the ring, Holland beat up Tate and kept the kid grounded. Holland hit a belly-to-belly suplex at 2:00, then another one for a nearfall. He applied a single-leg crab, and he hit a bodyslam. Tate avoided an elbow drop, and he hit a series of punches in the corner and a clothesline. Tate hit a back suplex at 5:30, and he hit a dive, then an enzuigiri for a nearfall. Holland hit a powerslam and a rolling cannonball in the corner, then a Doctor Bomb (gut-wrench powerbomb) for the pin.
Ridge Holland defeated Tate Wilder at 6:32.
* Backstage, Marcus Mathers and Aaron Rourke sat down and we saw footage of both of them in action. Rourke mentioned the same Northeast promotions they’ve been in, such as Beyond Wrestling and ETU. Rourke was dressed flamboyantly and was finally able to show off his magnetic personality. They said they are going to climb the ranks of Evolve.
* Backstage, It’s Gal approached Jamar Hampton and told him they need to take out Mathers and Rourke.
3. Jackson Drake vs. Keanu Carver vs. Brooks Jensen in a Triple Threat for the WWE Evolve Championship. NO signs of The Vanity Project! Jackson got pushed to the floor early on. He got back in and traded chops with Brooks. Jensen hit a powerslam at 2:00. Carver hit a Pounce on Drake on the floor, then another one in the ring. Carver scooped up both men in his arms and hit a double World’s Strongest Slam. Nice! He picked up Brooks and rammed him back-first into the corner. Drake hit a flip dive over the ropes onto both guys at 4:00. Back in the ring, Jackson snapped Keanu’s neck across the top rope, then he hit a back senton for a nearfall.
Brooks hit a frog splash on Carver. Drake hit an enzuigiri and a fisherman’s suplex on Jensen for a nearfall at 5:30. He hit a plancha to the floor on Carver and jumped back in the ring and traded forearm strikes with Brooks. Brooks flipped Jackson up and hit a punt kick to the back for a nearfall. Those two traded more forearm strikes, but Carver finally got back in the ring, and Keanu leveled each opponent with punches, then he hit a Samoan Drop on Drake, then on Brooks. Keanu hit a spinebuster on Brooks for a nearfall at 8:00. Drake hit a running Shooting Star Press on Keanu for a nearfall.
Brooks hit a German Suplex that flipped both guys. Drake hit an enzuigiri on Jensen. Jensen hit a top-rope leg lariat on Drake, who was seated on Carver’s shoulders, and Brooks got a nearfall at 10:00. Keanu hit a second-rope superplex. Drake went for a dive to the floor, but Keanu caught him and hit a forearm strike before dropping Drake to the floor. Suddenly, Bryce Donovan was at ringside, and he attacked Carver. The commentators pointed out that triple threats are no-DQ matches. In the ring, Jensen hit a left-arm lariat on Drake for a nearfall, but Bryce reached in and pulled Brooks off Drake. Jackson hit his running knee to pin Jensen.
Jackson Drake defeated Keanu Carver and Brooks Jensen in a Triple Threat to retain the WWE Evolve Championship at 12:15.
* The rest of The Vanity Project appeared, and they celebrated with Drake.
* Backstage, Stevie Turner was watching the monitor. She checked her desk, and Wendy Choo had left her a note that she wanted an I Quit match next week.
Final Thoughts: A very good main event that was well-planned out. I presumed that Jensen was eating the pin to protect Carver from taking a loss, and that’s what happened; just because it was the obvious decision doesn’t make it the wrong decision. The other two matches were both fine. A month or so ago, Bright was muttering under her breath but didn’t remember doing that when asked later — that storyline appears to have been dropped.
I just noted in the past week or two that Evolve had dropped the ball on using Aaron Rourke, who has such a great personality and is over with the crowd, whether he’s a babyface or as “Evil Gay.” I don’t know if I want to see Rourke and Mathers as a team, but if it means a match against Jack Cartwheel and Cappuccino Jones, or against Swipe Right, I’m all for it. This episode clocked in at 45 minutes.
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