Major Title Match at Evolution Was a Last-Minute WWE Decision

WWE Evolution returns on July 13, 2025, live from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and the buzz couldn’t be louder.

As the company’s premier all-women’s Premium Live Event, Evolution is already being positioned as a marquee show, packed with star power and championship stakes.

WWE has gone all-in to make the event feel massive, and just days before the official card was announced, the company made a bold, last-minute move that shocked fans. One of those surprise moves was setting up a high-stakes title match between Trish Stratus and Tiffany Stratton.

While Trish’s appearance may feel like a long-awaited return, the truth is WWE only locked in the decision to use her at all-women’s Premium Live Event days before the July 4 episode of SmackDown.

Trish Stratus vs. Tiffany Stratton at WWE Evolution Was a Last-Minute Decision

According to RingsideNews, the idea of using Trish Stratus at Evolution had been floating for weeks, but nothing was made official until WWE was ready to fully commit. On that same SmackDown episode, the WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton came out to promote her upcoming SummerSlam title match against Jade Cargill.

Trish Stratus vs. Tiffany Stratton at WWE Evolution Was a Last-Minute Deal https://t.co/nmHYX36vbr

— Steve Carrier (@stevecarrier_) July 6, 2025

But instead of simply hyping the future, Stratton dropped a bombshell, saying that she’d also be defending her title at Evolution. Seconds later, the arena erupted as Trish Stratus made her surprise return and accepted the challenge.

The unexpected matchup pits a WWE Hall of Famer against one of the fastest-rising stars in the women’s division. But the road doesn’t end at Evolution for Stratton. Just one week later, she’ll walk into SummerSlam to defend her title again (if she retains at the all-women’s Premium Live Event), and this time it’ll be against Queen of the Ring winner Jade Cargill.