By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
WWE Evolve (Episode 80)
Taped in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed September 30, 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 31.”
* It’s Gal narrated a segment about himself, set to some comic book-style drawings of him. He’s pretty much imagining himself as a superhero. For him, this really works. He listed off the matches for tonight’s episode.
1. Elijah Holyfield vs. Braxton Cole. Again, the pompous college star Cole is among the recent cuts. Elijah opened with some jab punches. Cole slowed him in a headlock on the mat. Holyfield hit a sideslam. Cole hit an Irish Whip at 2:30, and he kept Holyfield grounded. Cole executed a slingshot, sending Elijah throat-first against the ropes. Holyfield hit a back suplex. They traded punches, and Holyfield hit a flying shoulder tackle at 4:30, then a bulldog.
Cole clotheslined Cole to the floor. Braxton pushed him shoulder-first into the ring post. They got in the ring, but Marcus Mathers hopped on the apron and jawed at Cole! Holyfield accidentally hit Mathers! Cole got a chair, but Holyfield punched it out of Cole’s hands. The ref turned around, saw Cole down on the mat and Holyfield holding a chair… and he called for the bell!
Braxton Cole defeated Elijah Holyfield via DQ at 5:55.
[C] Backstage, Harley Riggins talked about his match tonight against It’s Gal. He is “locked and loaded” for the match!
2. Gianna Capri vs. Wendy Choo. They locked up, and Capri has a significant height advantage. Wendy shoved her to the mat and applied a headlock to keep Gianna grounded. Choo hit a one-footed dropkick and a handspring-into-a-back elbow. Capri grabbed Choo’s hair and yanked her to the mat at 2:00, and hit some stomps in the corner. Gianna hit a spinebuster for a nearfall. Wendy fired up and hit some clotheslines and got a nearfall at 4:00. Gianna missed a top-rope crossbody block. Wendy immediately locked in the Dirt Nap sleeper on the mat, and Capri frantically tapped out.
Wendy Choo defeated Gianna Capri at 4:41.
* Adrianna Rizzo interviewed Choo at ringside. Rizzo asked her if she’s ready for a rematch against Nikkita Lyons. Choo said that Lyons cheated to beat her, but she’ll be ready this time. They’ll face off at Succession IV in a last woman standing match in two weeks!
* Backstage, Nikkita Lyons and Sloane Jacobs spoke. Sloane thought the match was a bad idea, but Lyons was all for it.
* In the kitchen area, Evolve foreman Timothy Thatcher congratulated Ulka Sasake on his win last week. Ulka left, and Laynie Luck approached Thatcher and requested a match against Vanta The Unknown. Thatcher gave her the match… at Succession IV on October 14!
3. Cappuccino Jones vs. Shido Ash. Cap hit a dropkick and celebrated. Cap’s left shoulder is taped, going back to a backstage attack a few weeks ago. Shido hit a European Uppercut. Cap hit a back-body drop. Ash hit a shoulder-breaker over his knee at 1:30, and he targeted Cap’s damaged left arm. Ash applied a Fujiwara Armbar. Cap tried a second-rope move, but Ash caught him and flipped him to the mat at 4:00 [C]
Back from the break, Ash hit a European Uppercut, but Jones hit an Exploder Suplex into the turnbuckles. Cap hit a dropkick into the corner and a clothesline, then a top-rope crossbody block, and he was fired up! Jones hit a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. He tried a top-rope Froggy Brew elbow drop, but Ash caught him and applied a submission hold on the mat. Cap escaped and stomped on Ash, but he couldn’t hit the Decaffinator swinging neckbreaker. Shido hit a twisting Angle Slam on Jones and got the pin!
Shido Ash defeated Cappuccino Jones at 6:45.
* Ash left. The Mog Squad came out and confronted Jones. Max Abrams was still recovering from his nose surgery. They attacked Jones. Chazz “Starboy” Hall came out for the save, but they beat him up, too. This brought out Thatcher. He has a surprise for the Mog Squad next week!
4. It’s Gal vs. Harley Riggins in a No. 1 contender’s match. Gal came out first, but Riggins ran out and attacked him from behind! They brawled on the floor. Harley dropped him back-first on the apron. Blake noted the match has not officially started. Harley threw Gal into the ring steps and threw him into the ring. The ref backed up Riggins, checked on Gal, and we got a bell at 1:12! Riggins hit a Claymore Kick at the bell for a nearfall. Harley applied a rear-naked choke. Gal hit a top-rope crossbody block. Harley flipped him to the floor at 3:00. [C]
Back from the break, they were both in the ring, and Harley hit a shot to the kidneys. Gal hit a dive through the ropes, then he threw Harley into the ring steps. Gal hit a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. Gal hit a discus clothesline for a nearfall at 5:00, and he was fired up. Harley hit a TKO stunner for a nearfall. Harley hit a pop-up knee strike (very similar to a Go To Sleep) and scored the pin!
Harley Riggins defeated It’s Gal to become No. 1 contender at 5:49.
* Evolve Champion Harlem Lewis came out and jawed at Riggins. Harley held his belt above his head; security kept them apart.
Final Thoughts: An okay episode, and I’m glad that they are building to a ‘big event’ in Succession IV, but I can’t pretend to be interested in Harlem Lewis vs. Harley Riggins. Ash-Jones was decent, and I’m a bit surprised Cap lost cleanly.
With WWE airing the “Worlds Collide” event Wednesday night, I wasn’t sure if they were going to skip running an Evolve episode this week. I’ve written this a few times in recent weeks, but it is difficult to watch these episodes with wrestlers who have since been cut. I am genuinely curious how many new episodes they have left from this taping. This episode clocked in at 46 minutes.
