The John Report: WWE Evolution 2025 Review
This is WWE Evolution featuring Iyo Sky facing Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton against Trish Stratus, and a whole lot more.
The women-only Evolution PLE is back after seven years. I thought Evolution 2018 was arguably the best WWE PLE of that year, and I was surprised it took seven years for the company to bring it back.
It’s been a busy summer of shows for WWE, and SummerSlam is just three weeks away on August 2 & 3 in New Jersey.
I didn’t have a chance to write a preview of this show because I’ve been busy with other events this weekend, but I am looking forward to it. I’m a big fan of women’s wrestling, and it will be cool to see all of WWE’s talented women, from the past and present, getting their own PLE show again. I didn’t see any of the pre-show. I got home five minutes before the main show began.
The Women’s IC Title match between Becky Lynch, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria is leading off the show. That should be great. Let’s get to it.
WWE Evolution
From State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
Sunday, July 13, 2025
There was some pre-show walking shown of Bayley, Lyra Valkyria making a call on her phone, Becky Lynch talking on her phone, Tiffany Stratton, my personal favorite Trish Stratus, Iyo Sky, and Rhea Ripley.
A video package aired featuring young girls sitting around, watching female WWE superstars and looking inspired by them. It was really well done, like most WWE video packages. Girl power!
Joe Tessitore welcomed us to the show by the entrance area. Joe introduced his co-host, Stephanie McMahon. The fans popped for Steph. Stephanie talked about how the first Evolution was the women’s division’s chance to show what they can do and now they are regularly headlining shows. Joe asked Steph about what match she was looking forward and Stephanie mentioned Naomi vs. Jade Cargill with Bianca Belair as the referee. The fans were excited about it.
The commentary team was Michael Cole and Wade Barrett. It was Wade’s third night in a row calling a WWE show while Cole called Saturday Night’s Main Event the night before. Alicia Taylor was the ring announcer.
Bayley was up first as a challenger in the Women’s Intercontinental Title match, and the fans popped for her. Judging by the cheers, you can hear a lot of female fans in attendance. Lyra Valkyria was next as the former champion with fans doing the “Woo” bit for her song. The Women’s IC Champion Becky Lynch was up last. Tough night for her husband Seth Rollins at SNME as he suffered a potentially serious knee injury, and could be out for a long time. I feel so bad for Seth. Anyway, Lynch looked determined as usual.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria
A triple threat match in WWE means there are no disqualifications, no countouts and the first pinfall or submission wins. The referee was Daphanie LaShaunn, who does a good job all the time.
The fans were on their feet giving the women a standing ovation as the match began. Bayley decked Lyra with a forearm. Bayley knocked down Lynch, but Lyra was back in to go after Bayley. Lyra and Bayley had an exchange that saw each woman get nearfalls. Lynch pinned both women at the same time for a two count. Lyra rolled up Lynch for two. Bayley hit a knee to the face of Lynch and Lyra used Lynch’s legs to knock Bayley down. Lyra hit a cross body block on Lynch for two. Lynch got an inside cradle on Lyra for two. Lyra trapped in a submission that was like a reverse crab. Bayley broke that up with a boot to the face that knocked Lyra down. Lyra dropkicked Bayley into the corner. They left the ring as Lyra was sent into the commentary table. The three women exchanged strikes on the floor. Lyra hit a cross body block on Bayley on the floor. Lynch blocked Lyra’s DDT attempt and sent Lyra into the steel steps. Lynch sent Bayley into the barricade. Lynch suplexed Bayley into the barricade, and Bayley grabbed her right knee. Bayley fought back against Lynch with forearms. Lynch hit Bayley with a knee to the ribs. Bayley hit a neckbreaker on Lynch by the ropes. Lynch hit a double axhandle off the top to knock Bayley down. Lynch jumped on Bayley’s back to keep her down. Bayley got a rollup on Lynch for two. Lyra jumped off the top with a cross body block on both women. Lyra hit a spin kick on Bayley. Lyra countered Lynch and got a two count. Lyra hit a spin kick on Lynch, followed by Lyra hitting a Northern Lights Suplex. Lyra hit a Fisherman’s Buster on Lynch for two because Bayley broke it up with a top rope elbow on Lyra. That was timed perfectly and looked great. The fans were loudly cheering for Bayley.
Bayley set up Lyra upside down against the turnbuckle. The fans chanted “This is awesome” as Lynch got back into it, so Bayley gave Lynch a sunset flip into Lyra against the turnbuckle. Bayley hit a springboard elbow on Lyra for two. Bayley stomped on Lyra a few times to keep her down. Bayley went up top, but Lynch was there to stop that. Lynch gave Bayley a superplex off the top. Lynch went for an armbar, Bayley got out of that and Lyra jumped off the top with a leg drop to the back of Bayley’s head for a two count. That was an amazing move. Lynch got a hold of both women for an inverted DDT and a regular DDT for a two count. Lyra countered Lynch and they exchanged pin attempts. Lynch hit the Manhandle Slam on Lyra for two because Bayley made the save. Good save. Bayley hit Lynch with a back elbow and a spinning slam off the shoulders. Bayley hit the Bayley to Belly slam for a two count because Lyra broke up the pin. That isn’t Bayley’s finisher, but it used to be. Lyra knocked down Bayley with an enziguri kick. Lyra hit a Nightwing on Lynch for a two count, but Bayley broke up the pin. Lyra and Bayley exchanged holds into multiple two counts. Lyra went for a kick, Bayley ducked it and Bayley did a Roseplant on Lyra for two because Lynch got a hold of Bayley with a backslide pin attempt for the one…two…and three! It went 16:30.
Winner by pinfall: Becky Lynch
Analysis: ****1/4 This match was awesome as the fans chanted throughout the match. I’m not surprised, considering how good these three women are. The match was full of pin breakups after all three women hit their big moves. That’s a great way to put over how close the match was. That was a very creative way of doing a backslide pin, too. Lynch is so good. We know Bayley is awesome, Lyra can hang with both of these legends and they went on to have an outstanding, fast-paced match that set the tone for the rest of the night. I think Lynch will probably move on from facing Lyra for this title, while Bayley could still be a contender in the future.
There was a commercial for WWE LFG, airing Sunday nights on A&E.
They showed NXT GM Ava at ringside, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry at ringside (huge pop for Mark!), and former GM Vickie Guerrero at ringside. Vickie shouted, “Excuse me” repeatedly. That was funny.
A video package aired to set up the NXT Title defense with Jacy Jayne defending against Jordynne Grace.
Jordynne Grace was up first, and she was joined by the newcomer Blake Monroe. They won a tag team match at NXT Great American Bash over Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley. Earlier in the day, Grace asked Blake to be in her corner, and Blake agreed.
Jacy Jayne was up next as the NXT Women’s Champion, joined by her Fatal Influence allies Fallon Henley and Jazmyn Nyx. I like that group on NXT. Jayne has been the champion for 47 days.
NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne (w/Fallon Henley & Jazmyn Nyx) vs. Jordynne Grace (w/Blake Monroe)
The NXT women’s referee, Victoria D’Errico, was the referee of this match. Grace sent Jayne out of the ring and hit a dive onto Jayne early on. Jayne sent Grace into the ropes and did a catapult sending Grace into the ropes. Jayne hit a running kick on Grace. Jayne distracted the referee, so Henley choked Grace against the ropes. Jayne hit a cannonball on Grace for a two count. Jayne grounded Grace with a headlock, but Grace came back with a spinebuster. Grace overpowered Jayne with punches. Grace drove Jayne into the corner three times. Grace blocked a knee smash and Grace sent Jayne into the turnbuckle. Grace picked up Jayne and hit a sitout Powerbomb. Grace hit a front slam. Grace went for a Vader Bomb, Jayne avoided it, and Jayne kicked Grace against the ropes. Jayne hit Grace with a knee smash, followed by a neckbreaker for two. Jayne went for a cannonball, but Grace moved, so Jayne hit the turnbuckle. Grace got a sunset flip for two and they exchanged pins for two counts. Grace hit an overhead suplex for a two count. Grace went up top, but Jayne met her there with a kick to the face. Jayne hit a top rope hurricanrana that some of us like to call a Frankensteiner. Jayne hit a running knee for a two count. That was a great nearfall with Grace barely kicking out in time. Henley put the Women’s Title into the ring, so Blake headbutted Henley on the floor. Grace got a rollup on Jayne for two. Grace headbutted Jayne to knock her down. Blake knocked Nyx down with a punch. Blake got a hold of the NXT Women’s Title. Jayne was on the apron, Jayne sent Grace into the ropes and Blake hit Grace in the back with the NXT Women’s Title! Jayne hit the Rolling Encore elbow on Grace for the pinfall win at 10:27.
Winner by pinfall: Jacy Jayne
Analysis: *** A solid match with Jayne benefiting from an assist, but it wasn’t from one of her girls. There’s the heel turn of Blake that was rumored over the last week. Blake was a great heel in AEW as Mariah May, so I don’t mind seeing her go into a heel role. It also fits her as a cocky woman who says she’s the “Glamour.” They didn’t have a long match, but it was fast-paced and full of action. Grace came close to winning a few times, but couldn’t get the job done.
After the match, Blake Monroe handed Jayne the NXT Women’s Title and Blake had a smirk on her face. Jordynne Grace was on the other side of the ring to stare at Blake from a distance. Jayne celebrated with her title.
Analysis: I am excited about Blake Monroe as a heel in NXT. I think she’ll win the title before the end of the year.
A video aired promoting The Naked Gun remake starring Liam Neeson. Cody Rhodes has a cameo in it. The trailer is funny.
There was a commercial for SummerSlam on August 2 & 3.
They showed some women’s legends at ringside: Jazz, Ivory and Jacqueline. The lovely Maryse was also there at ringside with her two daughters. The Miz is a lucky man. They are all former Women’s Champions.
Joe and Stephanie talked about what just happened. Stephanie said that Blake is clearly out for herself. They spoke about the Women’s Tag Team Title match. Stephanie mentioned Sol Ruca being dangerous with the Sol Snatcher. The Women’s Tag Team Title match was next.
The Kabuki Warriors duo of Asuka & Kairi Sane were up first and the fans cheered for them. It’s their first time teaming up in over one year. The NXT team of NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca & Zaria were up next as likable babyfaces. The team of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss got a big ovation due to their long history in WWE as two of the most successful women’s singles wrestlers. The Judgment Day’s championship team of Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez were up last for their first title defense since Perez is replacing the injured Alexa Bliss as a champion.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: The Judgment Day – Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. The Kabuki Warriors – Asuka & Kairi Sane vs. Sol Ruca & Zaria
There are two women legal in the match, while the other six women are on the apron. The first fall or submission wins.
Perez started with Sane, who was in control early. Asuka tagged in with a bulldog, followed by Sane hitting a dropkick. Asuka knocked down Perez with a hip attack. Raquel made a blind tag and hit a double clothesline on the Kabuki women. Raquel hit body slams on Asuka and Sane. Perez tagged in with kicks on Asuka. Bliss tagged in, leading to shoulder tackles on Perez and an STO trip. Bliss hit a knee drop, along with a senton splash on Perez. Zaria tagged in against Bliss, leading to Zaria choking Bliss. Zaria attempted a press slam, but Bliss got out of it, and Zaria hit a front suplex. Sol jumped over the top with a facebuster on Bliss. Sol hit a spinning slam on Bliss, but Bliss came back with a forearm and a kick. Raquel was back in to splash Bliss against the turnbuckle. Bliss avoided a move and Flair got the tag, leading to a huge pop! Flair jumped off the top with a cross body block on Perez and Raquel. Flair delivered chops on the champions, followed by a cartwheel clothesline. Flair hit a boot on Sol and a fallaway slam on Perez. Flair clotheslined Perez over the top to the floor. Flair kicked Zaria off the apron. Perez rolled up Flair for two. Flair hit a Spear on Perez for two. Raquel kicked Flair. Asuka tagged herself in and hit German Suplexes on two women, followed by strikes on Perez, including a back fist. Sane tagged in with a neckbreaker on Perez. Zaria saved Perez from being pinned and Zaria pulled Perez to the corner so Zaria tagged herself in. Asuka and Sane hit multiple kicks on Zaria to knock her down. Zaria hit a double suplex on the Kabuki women.
Sol tagged in and hit a handstand splash onto the Kabuki ladies. Flair was in the ring, she delivered a kick and Sol hit a Sol Snatcher on Flair by the ropes! Great move. Bliss was legal against Sol, Bliss wanted Sister Abigail, but Sol got out of it and Zaria charged, Flair saved Bliss and Zaria hit a Spear on Sol by accident. Perez tagged Bliss to become legal and Raquel clotheslined Flair. Perez hit Pop Rox on Flair. Raquel gave Bliss a Powerbomb over the top onto the Kabuki Warriors and Zaria on the floor. Perez hit a suicide dive on Flair on the floor. Raquel hit a Tejana Bomb on Sol for the pinfall win at 10:55.
Winners by pinfall: The Judgment Day – Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez
Analysis: ***1/4 I thought it was a pretty good match that was chaotic at times. In the last few minutes, there was a lot of illegal offense with multiple women in the ring even though they weren’t legal, so I didn’t like that aspect of it. The key spot was Zaria hitting Sol with a Spear by accident and Raquel dominated after that to get the win. I liked how the crowd showed respect to Charlotte Flair with a lot of cheering and they popped big time when she first got in there. This Flair pairing with Bliss should lead to them becoming the Women’s Tag Team Champions at some point this year. I think Raquel & Roxanne winning is fine because they are new as a team, so they needed a big win to show they can be successful as a duo. I thought Charlotte & Bliss might win, but I don’t mind seeing Raquel & Roxanne retain here.
A commercial aired promoting WWE Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia, in October. There was also a commercial promoting Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia.
There were legends shown at ringside, including WWE Hall of Famer Torrie Wilson in a Rhea Ripley shirt, the legendary Melina, and WWE Hall of Famer Molly Holly, who is a Producer in WWE, with Cole noting she’s still heavily involved with the company. Torrie and Melina are two of my all-time favorites.
The hosts, Joe and Stephanie, talked about the Women’s Tag Team Title match. They spoke about the Tiffany Stratton-Trish Stratus match up next. Stephanie spoke about how great of a champion Tiffany is and said Trish could still get the job done.
There was a video package for the Tiffany Stratton-Trish Stratus match that was announced just nine days ago.
The legendary WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus made her entrance first and got a huge ovation. She looked incredible as always. Trish hugged her son and daughter, who were sitting at ringside. Trish is my all-time favorite woman in WWE history. The fact that she’s also a Canadian-Greek is a big part of it, but she also stands out in terms of her looks, and her talent is undeniable. I’m also big fan of the WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton, who is also going to be a big deal for a lot of fans in this generation, just like Trish was for many of us. This should be fun.
WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Trish Stratus
The referee here was Jessika Carr. Trish hit an impressive armdrag to take Stratton down. Trish hit a headscissors to send Stratton across the ring. Stratton slapped Trish, so Trish slapped back. Stratton hit a dropkick. Stratton hit a running splash on Trish against the ropes for two. Stratton hit a suplex. Stratton hit another suplex, as they rolled to the apron. Tris hit a hurricanrana sending Stratton off the apron to the floor. Trish sent Stratton into the barricade. The fans chanted, “You still got it” for Trish. Trish hit a spinebuster. Trish hit a Thesz Press, followed by punches. Trish hit a Tornado DDT. Stratton avoided a chop and they exchanged chops. They also exchanged forearms. Stratton kicked Trish into the turnbuckle. Stratton hit a suplex into the double knees into the back for a two count. Trish avoided a Stratton move, leading to Trish going for a sunset flip, but Stratton quickly got up with a dropkick. Stratton jumped off the top with a Swanton Bomb for two. Stratton went to the turnbuckle, but Trish stopped that. Trish hit her classic headscissors off the ropes and Chick Kick to the head by Trish got a two count. Trish went for Stratusfaction, but Stratton pushed her away and Stratton hit a rolling senton. Stratton went for the Prettiest Moonsault Ever off the top, but Trish got the knees up. Trish hit Stratusfaction off the ropes for the one…two…and no because Stratton got the left shoulder up. Good nearfall there. Trish went up top and went for a moonsault, but that was blocked by Stratton’s knees. Stratton kicked Trish in the head. Stratton hit an Alabama Slam. Stratton went up top with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Stratus for the pinfall win at 8:35.
Winner by pinfall: Tiffany Stratton
Analysis: ***1/4 I liked the match and I wish they got a few more minutes, but it was an impressive performance by both women. It was full of action, every move seemed to matter and they hit some big moves that led to nearfalls that were believable for both women. Trish hitting Stratusfaction made it look like she might win, but of course, Stratus kicked out of it. After that, Stratton made the dominant comeback and got the win. I expected Stratton to retain the title.
After the match, Tiffany Stratton went to the back with the WWE Women’s Title. Trish Stratus was shown in the ring while the fans cheered for her and chanted, “Thank You Trish” for her. Trish soaked up the cheers and posed for the fans.
Analysis: I don’t know how many more matches Trish is going to have in her career, but she was impressive again. I hope there are more matches in the future.
A commercial aired for Survivor Series on November 29th in San Diego.
They showed WWE Hall of Famer Madusa and Lelani Kai at ringside.
They showed record producer and songwriter Metro Boomin, along with rapper Lil Yachty at ringside.
A video aired for the Jade Cargill-Naomi match. They have been feuding for over four months.
Bianca Belair made her entrance first as the referee of this match. She had tape on a few fingers on her left hand since broken fingers have kept her out of action. There was a huge pop for Belair. Miss Money in the Bank, Naomi, was up next. Naomi might be my favorite woman in WWE this year. Her heel turn was perfect for her and she’s thriving. Jade Cargill was up next as the Queen of the Ring. She gets a WWE Women’s Title match at SummerSlam because of her Queen of the Ring win.
No Holds Barred Match: Naomi vs. Jade Cargill
You can win by pinfall or submission. Anything goes in the match. Bianca Belair is the referee.
The action spilled to the floor right away as Naomi sent Jade into the steel steps. Naomi tried to use a kendo stick as a weapon, Jade avoided that and Jade hit a suplex on the floor. Jade pulled out a table from under the ring. Jade set up the Slim Jim table on the floor. Naomi sent Jade into the barricade and Naomi used the kendo stick to hit Jade in the back. Naomi tossed some chairs and a trash can into the ring. Jade hit a Spear on the floor. Jade brought a toolbox into the ring. Back in the ring, Naomi kicked Jade and Naomi hit a bulldog into a chair that was open in the ring. Naomi got a two count out of that. Naomi sent Jade shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Naomi grabbed a chain from the toolbox, so Naomi put the chain in Jade’s mouth. Naomi laughed about it. Jade held onto the chain to block it, so Jade slammed Naomi into the ring. Jade put the chain on her hand, which led to Jade punching Naomi with the chain. Jade grabbed a camera from a camera guy at ringside and hit Naomi with it. I don’t think it was a real camera guy, nor was it a real camera that WWE uses. Jade hit a pump kick into a trash can that was on Naomi’s head. Jade tried to toss the toolbox onto Naomi on the floor, but Naomi avoided it. Jade went after Naomi on the floor, so Naomi sent Jade into the commentary table. Naomi dropkicked Jade into a monitor connected to the table. Naomi grabbed a table and set it up in the ring while Belair checked on Jade on the floor. Back in the ring, Naomi kicked Jade in the head. Naomi tried to send Jade’s face into the table legs, but Jade avoided it. Naomi went to the apron and kicked Jade in the head. Naomi hit a double knee DDT on the apron. Naomi used a chair to hit Jade off the apron through a table on the floor.
Naomi continued the attack with an X-Factor, sending Jade face first into a chair. Naomi set up another Slim Jim table in the ring. Naomi put Jade onto the table and Naomi put a chair onto Jade. Naomi went up top slowly, so Jade hit Naomi with a chair to the back. Jade got a hold of Naomi on the turnbuckle, Naomi was on the top and Jade hit a Jaded slam on Naomi through the table for the pinfall win. That’s not an easy move to do in that position, but they did it well. It went 11:10.
Winner by pinfall: Jade Cargill
Analysis: ***1/2 This was probably one of Cargill’s better singles matches. I loved the finish to the match with Jade hitting her Jaded slam through the table for the win. You don’t see that kind of match ending very often, so it felt like a big deal to see Jade hit a huge move like that. I expected Jade to win since she’s in the WWE Women’s Title match at SummerSlam, so it’s the right move to give her momentum. Naomi was terrific in the match as the crazy heel who was on offense for a lot of it.
After the match, Bianca Belair raised Jade Cargill’s hand as the winner. They stared at eachother after that.
This Monday on Raw:
* Gauntlet Match to see who faces Gunther for the World Heavyweight Title at SummerSlam: CM Punk, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Penta and Bron Breakker.
The women’s battle royal was next. Nikki Bella was the first woman announced and she got a huge ovation. I certainly never mind seeing Nikki Bella. Chelsea Green was next with her Secret Hervice allies Piper Niven and Alba Fyre. Big pop for one of my favorites Natalya, who was followed by her tag team partner Maxxine Dupri. It’s good to see NXT’s Jaida Parker in the match as a rising star who is fun to watch. Lash Legend from NXT was also in the match. Lola Vice from NXT is also in the match. The former Women’s US Champion Zelina Vega was next. There were more NXT wrestlers, including Kelani Jordan, Izzi Dame, and Tatum Paxley. B-Fab was next, followed by Michin. Ivy Nile was next. When Candice LeRae made her entrance again, the announcers spoke up again and Nia Jax joined LeRae. Stephanie Vaquer got a good ovation from the fans, with Cole noting she debuted in NXT about one year ago. The Women’s US Champion Giulia was next. I was hoping for some legends, but there were no more entrants.
Battle Royal For A Championship Match At Clash In Paris
The winner of the match gets to compete for the WWE Women’s Championship or World Heavyweight Championship at Clash in Paris on August 31.
Nia Jax eliminated Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley as soon as the match began. Jax knocked Jordan onto both women, but Jordan was on the commentary table, so she wasn’t eliminated. Parker hit a running hip attack on Jax. Jordan did a handstand, walking over to the ring, then she put her feet against the ropes, and Jordan went back into the ring. Lash decked Jordan with a forearm. Lash hit a backbreaker on Nile. Vaquer battled Nile by the turnbuckle, so Vaquer flipped Nile over the top, thanks to Giulia helping to dump Nile out. Nikki fought with Giulia as they exchanged forearms. Vaquer and Giulia exchanged strikes in the middle of the ring. Vaquer suplexed Giulia across the ring. Vaquer went for the Devil’s Kiss, but Green kicked Vaquer to stop that. The fans booed. Green slapped Bella, so Bella tripped up Green and Secret Hervice helped Green. They did a 3-on-2 suplex with Natalya and Dupri helping Bella hit the suplex. Dupri did a Worm, followed by an elbow. Natalya did a short version of a Worm and Natalya hit a clothesline on Jordan. Parker went behind Natalya and dumped Natalya out. That’s a shame to see Natalya out so early. Parker lifted Dupri over the top to the apron, so LeRae eliminated Dupri off the apron. Parker hit the Hipnotic on LeRae to eliminate her. Cole said Candice Michelle instead of LeRae, so Wade and Cole joked about it. Michin and B-Fab dumped Parker out. The fans booed that since they liked Parker. Jax clotheslined Jordan to the apron and LeRae pulled Jordan’s leg to eliminate her. Lash hit a pump kick on Jax. Giulia fought with Vega on the apron, where Giulia hit a knee to the head. Vega sent Giulia into the ring post and Vega kicked Giulia to eliminate Giulia. Niven missed a splash on B-Fab, who hit a spin kick. Niven dumped B-Fab over the top to the floor. Michin was eliminated by somebody. Fyre hit a suicide dive on Michin to save Green from being eliminated. The tall Lash faced off against the short Vega, who tried a headscissors. Lash press slammed Vega over the top to the floor. Green and Piper pulled Lash’s hair to slam her down. Nikki dumped Fyre over the top to the floor. Green mocked Nikki by doing her shake. Vice kicked Niven and Green. Nikki nailed Green with a Spear. Nikki and Vice did some hip shaking. Niven hit a double clothesline on Nikki and Vice. Niven headbutted Vice to eliminate Vice. Nikki and Vaquer dumped Niven out.
There were five women left. Vaquer gave Green a belly-to-back suplex. Vaquer hit the Devil’s Kiss knee smashing on Green. Nikki hit a spinning slam off the shoulders on Green. Nikki eliminated Green. Jax knocked down Nikki and did a Nikki booty shake. Nikki hit a hurricanrana on Jax. Nikki tried to eliminate Jax, Lash hit a running kick, Jax moved, and Lash kicked Nikki to eliminate her.
The final three were Vaquer, Lash and Jax. Lash picked up Jax for a body slam, Vaquer helped send Jax to the apron and Jax threw punches to try to survive. Lash and Vaquer hit Jax with forearms to eliminate Jax from the match.
Vaquer faced off with Lash, who hit a jumping kick to the head. Vaquer avoided a power move and hit a superkick. Vaquer hit a 619 kick. Vaquer went for a springboard move, but Lash caught her. Lash went for a slam, but Vaquer used her legs to flip Lash over the top. Vaquer hit the Devil’s Kiss head slamming on the apron, and Lash bumped to the floor. Vaquer got the win at 15:31.
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer
The win means that Stephanie Vaquer will get a shot at the Women’s World Title at Clash in Paris on August 31.
Analysis: ***1/4 It was a very entertaining battle royal with Stephanie Vaquer as the most popular pick to win, and she lived up to the hype as the winner. Lash Legend had a breakout performance since she is not pushed that much in NXT, but she looked like a dominant force in this match with multiple eliminations and lasting until the final two. Nia Jax was a force, too, but I’m glad she didn’t win. The Nikki Bella-Chelsea Green interactions were a lot of fun since Green has mentioned wanting to feud with Nikki, so I think that seems likely now based on everything they did in that match together.
Stephanie McMahon went into the ring to talk to Stephanie Vaquer. Stephanie spoke to Vaquer in Spanish. Vaquer responded in Spanish and I don’t speak Spanish. Vaquer thanked Stephanie and thanked every woman before her. Vaquer said for that reason, we can make history. Vaquer said that Evolution is a big show and this experience in her career is amazing. Vaquer said she’ll keep working hard because you will remember her name forever, “La Primera” Stephanie Vaquer. McMahon raised Vaquer’s hand to end it.
A commercial aired for WWE Clash in Paris on August 31st.
They showed YouTuber Funny Marco at ringside, and rapper Quavo was at ringside.
The Iyo Sky-Rhea Ripley match for the Women’s World Title was next as the main event. A video package aired to set it up.
Rhea Ripley made her entrance as perhaps the most popular woman on the roster. There was a lot of cheering and you could hear the women specifically cheering loudly for her. The Women’s World Champion Iyo Sky made her entrance, and she was cheered by the fans. Sky has been champion for 132 days, and this is only her third title defense, which means that title is rarely defended.
WWE Women’s World Championship: Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley
The match started about seven minutes before the three-hour mark. The referee was Jessika Carr.
Sky and Ripley battled on the mat with side headlocks and quick pin attempts. Sky landed on her feet when Ripley tried a move, so Sky smiled about it. Ripley sent Sky into the turnbuckle and nearly punched her, but Ripley pulled back, leading to a taunt. Ripley and Sky said they respected eachother, so Ripley said they should fight. Sky hit an impressive backflip to avoid Ripley, followed by a dropkick that sent Ripley out of the ring. Ripley blocked a suicide dive with an elbow to the head. Sky kicked Ripley backward, so Sky hit a springboard moonsault onto Ripley on the floor. Back in the ring, Sky jumped onto Ripley’s back, leading to a flipping pin attempt for two. Sky did a headscissors to spike Ripley’s head into the apron. They battled on the apron, where Ripley hit a knee to the face. Ripley tossed Sky off the apron and into the commentary table. Ripley sent Sky into the barricade and into the steel steps. Ripley gave Sky a backbreaker. Ripley suplexed Sky ribs-first across the top rope. Ripley applied a body scissors with her legs around the ribs. Ripley let go and hit a dropkick for two. Sky ran the ropes and hit an impressive Tornado DDT to spike Ripley into the mat. The fans chanted “This is awesome” for them.
Sky won a battle of punches and Sky flipped Ripley over, leading to a spike into the mat. Sky kicked Ripley in the ribs. Sky hit a German Suplex, which led to Ripley rolling out of the ring. Sky hit a suicide dive cross body block on Ripley on the floor. Sky went up top and hit a missile dropkick. Sky hit the Bullet Train double knee attack on Ripley for two. Sky went up top, Ripley was back up and Ripley wanted a German Suplex, but Sky did a backflip to land on her feet. Ripley hit a forearm to the back. Sky tripped up Ripley so that Ripley hit the turnbuckle. Sky hit uppercuts, Ripley came back with kicks, a stomp to the foot and Ripley sent Sky face first into the knee. Ripley hit an elbow to the face, but Sky came back with a Poison Rana for a two count. Sky went up top, Ripley was back up and Ripley pushed Sky onto the turnbuckle. Ripley hit a Razor’s Edge and a sitout Powerbomb for a two count. Good power offense by Ripley. The fans were chanting, “This is awesome” again. Ripley went for Riptide, but Sky flipped over to apply a Sleeper Hold, but Ripley broke that by sending Sky into the turnbuckle. Ripley went for a superplex, but Sky blocked that and went to the apron. Sky hit a jumping kick to knock Ripley backward. Sky hit a springboard missile dropkick that hit the referee Jessika Carr because Ripley moved. Carr is a wrestler, so she did a good bump to the floor. Ripley hit a headbutt and a Riptide slam. Ripley covered, Sky stayed down and the crowd chanted the three count, but it’s not official. Ripley picked up Sky and hit a Razor’s Edge. Sky left the ring, so Ripley hit a running kick to knock Sky down. They went fighting into the crowd with Ripley dominating the attack. Ripley fought with Sky on some equipment cases. Ripley wanted a Powerbomb, but Sky countered and rammed Ripley into an equipment case. Sky went to the top of several equipment cases that were stacked up about 10 feet high. Sky jumped off the cases and hit a cross body block on Ripley. They did it well. They went back to the ringside area where Sky went ribs-first into the commentary table.
Ripley was on the apron, Sky jumped over her and Sky hit a Powerbomb on the floor. Sky put Ripley in the ring. The referee Jessika Carr went back into the ring and Sky hit Over The Moonsault for just a two count. The fans popped huge for Ripley kicking out Sky’s finisher. They got some good reaction shots of the fans. Sky stomped on Ripley’s ribs. Sky went up top again, but Ripley rolled out to the apron. Ripley grabbed a hold of Sky and rammed her into the steel post. Ripley smiled. Ripley got a hold of Sky on the rope, but Sky jumped off the top with a Spanish Fly slam into the ring.
Naomi ran down to the ring with the Money in the Bank briefcase, along with referee Daphanie LaShaunn and Naomi cashed in. It was announced as a triple threat match, which means there are no rules.
WWE Women’s World Championship: Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Naomi
After the bell rang, Naomi hit Sky with the briefcase to the head. Naomi sent Ripley into the ring post and Ripley bumped to the floor. Naomi hit the split-legged moonsault off the top onto Sky and Naomi covered for the 1…2…and 3! Naomi is the new Women’s World Champion! The Ripley/Sky match went about 27 minutes. The Naomi cash in was under one minute. The whole thing went 26:21.
Winner by pinfall AND NEW Women’s World Champion: Naomi
Analysis: My rating for the Iyo Sky-Rhea Ripley match is in the range of ****1/2, or maybe higher. It was an outstanding match that continued with numerous nearfalls and big moments throughout. I kept on waiting for Ripley hitting a Riptide off the top rope to win the match, but it never happened and Naomi showed up to ruin it. Sky is such a talented performer who is such an excellent counter wrestler and she makes everything look easy. I enjoy watching Sky so much while Ripley is terrific with her power game. I’ll never get sick of watching Sky face Ripley in a match.
Analysis x2: The cash-in was awesome. I wasn’t thinking about Naomi at all during this match, but it was a brilliant time for it because it’s so fitting for a heel like Naomi to steal the spotlight by cashing in Money in the Bank and leaving with the title. From a character standpoint, it makes Naomi look so smart by cashing in during an epic main event and stealing the spotlight while leaving with the Women’s World Title.
Naomi celebrated with the Women’s World Champion. Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley were down in the ring wondering what the hell just happened. Naomi celebrated with the Women’s World Title in the aisle. That was the end of the show.
Analysis: It’s a memorable ending to this show. Naomi is what we’re going to remember the most, but don’t forget about the awesome Sky-Ripley match.
NAOMI JUST SUCCESSFULLY CASHED-IN!!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/DtVdZdhz7W
— WWE (@WWE) July 14, 2025
This event had a runtime of 3 hours, 23 minutes on Netflix for me in Canada.
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Five Stars of the Show
- Naomi
- Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky
- Becky Lynch, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
- Stephanie Vaquer
- Jade Cargill
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Final Thoughts on WWE Evolution
I’m going with an 8.5 out of 10.
I loved the show. It was great. The women killed it, and I’m so happy for everybody involved. The Iyo Sky-Rhea Ripley match was an outstanding main event, and having Naomi leave with the Women’s World Title after a MITB cash-in was a great way to end it with something memorable. It will get people talking in a good way. The Becky Lynch-Bayley-Lyra Valkyria opener was right there with the main event as the best match.
Everything else was pretty good throughout the night. Seven matches over 3.5 hours feels right, and they could do it for most PLEs. It gets more talent on the show, too. The 5-match PLEs have too many breaks between matches. I liked the flow of this show a lot, and I hope this becomes the norm instead of those five-match cards that Triple H likes to book. At least seven matches on a PLE makes sense to me.
The Atlanta crowd was incredible. They loved the babyfaces, but then there was stuff like Charlotte Flair getting shown the respect she deserves, and that made me so happy for her. You could hear there were a lot of women fans in the building, with a lot of screaming throughout the show. The fans supported these ladies in the ring so well, and I loved to see it. I felt like this was one of the best WWE PLEs of the year.
Here are my rankings of WWE PLE’s in 2025:
Elimination Chamber (March 1) – 9 (out of 10)
Evolution (July 13) – 8.5
Royal Rumble (February 1) – 8.5
WrestleMania 41 (April 19 & 20) – 7.5
Money in the Bank (June 7) – 7.5
Night of Champions (June 28) – 7.25
Backlash (May 10) – 7.25
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As a reminder, I have a listing of every WWE PPV that I reviewed in order by year. Thank you for supporting us at TJRWrestling. We appreciate you.
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