By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 31)
Taped in Orlando. Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed October 1, 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.
1. “Adrenaline Drop” Cappuccino Jones and Jack Cartwheel vs. Jax Presley and Harley Riggins. Presley and Riggins are the 6’4″ football players. Just seconds into the match, Riggins collapsed and sold a knee injury. Presley attacked Adrenaline Drip from behind; Riggins hopped to his feet and showed he was totally fine. Stone, of course, loved the underhanded tactics. Riggins (dressed exactly like 1996 Diesel) worked over Cartwheel and choked him in the ropes. Jones got a hot tag at 4:00, and he hit a dropkick on Presley, then a top-rope crossbody block. Cartwheel hit a top-rope corkscrew splash. Presley hit a backbreaker over his knee on Jack. On the floor, Riggins ran head-first into the ring post, and Jack hit a Sasuke Special dive onto Riggins. In the ring, Cartwheel hit a top-rope team Blockbuster on Presley, and Jones covered Jax for the pin. Nonstop action in the last half.
“Adrenaline Drop” Cappuccino Jones and Jack Cartwheel defeated Jax Presley and Harley Riggins at 5:58.
* Chuey Martinez interviewed Tate Wilder backstage before his match later. Tate said he’s ready for this challenge against Edris Enofe. Sean Legacy came up and gave Tate some advice.
* Backstage, The Vanity Project watched video footage of their matches. Jackson Drake and Bryce Donovan argued some more; Bryce said that Drake has been talking to him like a child. Zayda Steel tried to separate them, but Drake liked seeing Bryce fired up and angry.
2. “The Modern Day Cowboy” Tate Wilder vs. Edris Enofe. Again, Enofe looks like “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal doing his Randy Savage tribute; it’s quite the glasses and robe. (Not sure how many Edris matches we have left, as he announced earlier this week he is leaving WWE.) Tate wore his black hat and cowboy vest. Basic reversals early on. They went to the floor, where Enofe hit some blows. Wilder hit a superkick and tossed Enofe back into the ring. He flew at Enofe, but Edris hit double knees to the ribs, and Edris took control, applying a headlock on the mat.
Tate hit a back suplex and they were both down at 3:30. Wilder hit some back elbows; Edris hit a Lungblower to the back for a nearfall. Rosenberg reminded us that the first Evolve special event is in two weeks (Oct. 15). Enofe grabbed a chair, but Sean Legacy came out of nowhere and confiscated it. Wilder hit a crossbody block to the floor. They got back into the ring, and Wilder hit some back elbows. Wilder hit a twisting suplex, then a top-rope moonsault for the pin! Good action. [C]
Tate Wilder defeated Edris Enofe at 5:32.
* Backstage, Wendy Choo, Mason Holiday, and Chantel Monroe were in the women’s locker room. Nikita Lyons came up; she told them that their “voices are literally making my ears bleed,” and she stormed off. Choo shouted, “What a bitch!” (Choo can suddenly speak in recent weeks!)
3. WWE Evolve Women’s Champion Kali Armstrong vs. Carlee Bright (w/Kendal Grey) in a non-title match. This is a non-title match. They traded armbars and reversals early on. Kali tossed her over the top rope to the floor at 1:30. Kali hit a spear in the corner, then a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall, and right on cue, Rosenberg said it was “shades of the British Bulldog.” Kali missed a spear into the corner. Carlee hit a headscissors takedown at 4:00. She used the ropes to hit a bulldog for a nearfall. She leapt off the top rope, but Kali caught her, and Bright got a rollup for a nearfall. Kali hit a powerslam, then a running shoulder tackle. She glared at Grey rather than go for the pin. She hit a second “Kali Connection” for the pin.
WWE Evolve Women’s Champion Kali Armstrong defeated Carlee Bright at 5:35 in a non-title match.
* Grey and Kali continued to jaw at each other after the bell.
* A video package aired for Brooks Jensen. He said he’s got some rage inside him, as he’s been left behind by his friends. He vowed to become the No. 1 contender. [C]
* A video aired of Cappuccino Jones, Zayda Steel, and Sean Legacy wrestling in Malaysia. Some footage aired from last week’s Wrestling Open of Marcus Mathers and Aaron Rourke teaming up. Cool to see this footage used in WWE programming.
* Backstage, It’s Gal is looking for a new tag team partner, as Jamar Hampton is out. I didn’t recognize some of the guys in the background. Dante Chen came up to Gal, and before you know it, they were arguing.
4. Keanu Carver vs. Brooks Jensen in a No. 1 contender’s match. The winner gets their title shot against Jackson Drake on Oct. 15. Keanu easily shoved Brooks to the mat. Jensen hit some European Uppercuts. Carver hit a bodyslam and a back-body drop, then a Samoan Drop for a nearfall at 2:00. (We saw The Vanity Project watching the match backstage, and Bryce Donovan walked away. Where is he going?) In the ring, Brooks shoved Carver shoulder-first into the corner, and he took control, targeting the damaged left arm, and he kept Keanu grounded.
Keanu got up and hit some forearm strikes, then a fallaway slam at 5:00, then a Samoan Drop for a nearfall. Jensen hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Brooks hit a second-rope flying leg drop for a nearfall at 6:30, then a back suplex. Keanu hit a Pounce that sent Jensen to the floor. He dragged him back into the ring and hit a twisting powerslam for the pin. That was more one-sided than I anticipated. Keanu is a beast, and I expected him to win, but it was still well more than a 50-50 match.
Keanu Carver defeated Brooks Jensen to become No. 1 contender at 7:45.
* Bryce Donovan hopped in the ring and repeatedly struck Carver in the back with a steel chair. The rest of The Vanity Project came to the ring, and Jackson Drake shook Donovan’s hand.
Final Thoughts: A solid show but nothing must-see tonight. A good build-up for the Kali-Grey match in two weeks, as Armstrong brutalized Grey’s friend. As I noted, I expected a Keanu win, but I thought The Vanity Project would interfere, and it would backfire to give Carver the win. The football players are simply not good in the ring yet, but isn’t that the whole point of Evolve and NXT? You can’t argue with their size. I really don’t get why you wear gear that is so clearly a Diesel tribute, though.
Next week’s matches include It’s Gal vs. Dante Chen and Wendy Choo vs. Nikita Lyons. The episode clocked in at 53 minutes.
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