Who can handle #UnoMas?

Laredo Kid of AAA is ready to Evolve! He faces WWE ID recruit Marcus Mathers and Performance Center stud Tate Wilder in an amazing Triple Threat!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Masyn Holiday VS Jin Tala; Masyn wins.
• Showcase Triple Threat: Laredo Kid VS Marcus Mathers VS Tate Wilder; Tate wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Masyn Holiday VS Jin Tala!

The Renaissance Woman brings the vibe because she IS the vibe, but that vibe might be harshed going up against this sinister snake. The Filipina Femme Fatale took out many of her fellow Evolve stars just to fall short of the Evolve Women’s Championship, will she take her frustrations out on Masyn? Or will Jin be sent on permanent holiday?

The bell rings and the two feel things out. Jin kicks Masyn’s hand away but Masyn shakes that off. Masyn ducks the roundhouse, waistlocks, but Jin throws her down and has the wristlock. Jin mocks the swagger, then twists the wrist. Masyn fights up, but Jin THROWS her down by her hair. Jin stands on Masyn to pull that arm, but Masyn fights up. Masyn rolls, rolls, kips up, and wrenches to WRING Jin out! The fans cheer and Masyn headlocks for a takeover. The fans cheer more while Jin flails around. Jin rolls to a cover, ONE, and Masyn holds on. Jin fights up again, powers up and out, but Masyn RUNS Jin over!

Masyn shows Jin how to swagger, but then things speed up. Masyn hurdles and CROSSBODIES! Cover, TWO! Masyn gets up, but Jin swats the dropkick! Jin stomps Masyn, stalks her to the ropes, then CHOKES her! The ref counts, the fans boo, but Jin backs off at 4. Only to KICK Masyn against the ropes! Jin has Masyn in the corner for kicks and forearms! Jin brings Masyn out, UPPERCUTS her down, and covers, TWO! The fans rally up for Masyn but Jin clamps on with a LEG HOOK FULL NELSON! Masyn endures as the fans rally up and Jin puts on the pressure. Jin pushes Masyn down, but Masyn refuses to give in!

Masyn powers up, powers her way back, and she manages to stack for a cover! TWO, Jin scoops, but Masyn slips free and shoves. Masyn runs up, but Jin BOOTS her! Jin KICKS and KNEES and ENZIGIRIS! Cover, TWO! Jin is furious and she clamps on with a chinlock. Jin pushes on the hold and taunts Masyn but Masyn endures. The fans rally up again, Masyn rises up, and she slips out the back! Hammerlock, spin, and HAYMAKER! The fans fire up as Masyn rallies with big forearms! Then she ducks a kick to NECKBREAKER! Masyn is fire dup, she gets crunk! SPLASH! Cover, Masyn wins!

Winner: Masyn Holiday, by pinfall

Jin enters the Holiday Season and loses out! A big win for Masyn, could she rise up towards the Evolve Women’s Championship in time for the holidays? Bigg Jah is even here to celebrate with her! Does Jah see the potential in Masyn?

Tate Wilder speaks.

“Looks like I’m starting to find my way. I just put down a big name in WWE at Succession in a Bull Rope Match. Middle of the NXT Arena, all eyes on me, and when I got my hand raised, woof, oh, it was a beautiful thing. But here’s the problem ’bout a thrill seeker like me: I can’t sit still! What’s next? Looks like I got myself looped into a Triple Threat match. WWE PC VS AAA VS WWE ID. Tate Wilder VS Laredo Kid VS Marcus Mathers. Two high-flyers with speed, agility, wiling to put their bodies on the line. That ain’t new to me. Stevie Turner chose me to represent the Performance Center, and that’s something I don’t carry lightly.

“I’ma carry it like I carry everything: With pride, grit, and purpose. This just ain’t another match, this is another step on the trail, and I can’t wait to take that ride.” The Modern Day Cowboy is ready, but will he be able to wrangle that win and ride off into the sunset?

Wendy Choo continues her therapy.

The therapist says she appreciates Wendy’s willingness to open up and be honest with both her, and with Wendy herself. Wendy says that seeing AJ Lee return to the WWE and speak on therapy, turning mental chaos into a superpower, it was the first time in a really long time that Wendy felt hope. The therapist agrees, she has taken big strides. But she has dealt with an issue after last session? Yes, Chantel Monroe… In the past, Wendy would’ve emotionally shut down to feelings of numbness. How does she feel now. She feels… Angry. She feels like she could run through a brick wall and finally be herself. She feels free!

Last time, Wendy was asked if she could imagine a future where she felt more connected and understood. Does she have an answer now? “I get it now. I couldn’t move forward because I didn’t give myself compassion and understanding. I wasn’t connected to me. But that’s all going to change. And everyone, including Chantel Monroe, is going to see a whole new side of Wendy Choo.” Sleepy Psycho no more, what will the NEW Choo do to shut up the Showstopping Diva?

Chuey Martinez is in the ring.

Chuey welcomes the “Evolve Fam” back to the show, and the fans cheer. Chuey says he is honored to introduce the newest WWE ID Prospects to Evolve! The fans cheer that, too, and Chuey says WWE recruiters went all over North America, and they hand-chose these three gentlemen right here. First, Mike Cunningham! Cunningham says he is proud to be here, and he is honored to have been trained by Cody Rhodes at the Nightmare Factory in Atlanta, Georgia! Thing is, he’s only had about… 50 matches. So to be here and to have this opportunity, it is a dream come true. The fans cheer and Chuey loves the attitude.

Now, reppin’ North Carolina, Tar Heels all the way, it is Jha’quan McNair! Jha’quan says what’s happenin’! HE feels good, straight from Team Fearless, and wants to take this moment to thank Lodi for putting Jha’quan’s name out there so he can make his name here on Evolve. Chuey is excited for him, too. And of course, we already know this young man’s face from Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling. It’s Eli Knight! How’s Knight doing? Eli says he’s doing real good. He learned a lot from Booker, and he feels that the training there, and with Ace Steel at the Foundation, has prepared him for this big opportunity. And Eli promises that he will make his name heard!

But wait, Brooks Jensen crashes the party! The Lost Cause wants everyone to hold on. The new kids on the block! So excited, so ready to take the spots of veterans like him! And yet, Jensen is no ordinary veteran, no ordinary man, but he is the Bad Man from Ala-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAMA! He’s supposed to be looking at Booker T’s prized pupil, but Jensen doesn’t see it. Eli says he’ll see something. Jensen then goes to Team Fearless’ Jha’quan, from North Cakalacky! Yet, it is so funny, because all Jensen sees is fear. Move aside, Chuey. This is the guy? Jensen heard through the grapevine that Cody Rhodes says Mike is “the guy.”

Mike says you better believe it! Jensen chuckles, and says look at him! Look at this guy! This boy’s got fight in him. Absolutely! That’s why he’s here. Well, talk to Jensen once you’ve hit puberty. Jensen turns to leave but Mike says they’re all right here. Why not do this right now? Jensen chuckles again, Chuey wants things to settle down, but Jensen tells the newbie, “Don’t make me embarrass you.” Jensen leaves it at this, Chuey gets the fans to cheer the new WWE ID Prospects. Will Jensen have to eat his words when all three young guns upstage him?

Aaron Rourke speaks.

“I may be a sparkling superstar of a glittery god now, but I wasn’t always like that. Back in middle school and high school, that’s where I started to find performing and sports. But I always felt like I was doubted or just looked over. That’s where I found my competitiveness, that’s where I found my toughness. I was going to show that not only did I belong, but I was going to be the best. And during this time, I still love wrestling, I’m still watching, and I’m still attracted to the grandeur of it all. Showmanship and razzle dazzle that I’d just never seen before. And I feel like my idols, Trish and Lita, are two primary examples of that.

“Trish, who’s this quintessential mean girl, but she’s the champion, she has the legacy. You have Lita, the rebel, the rocker. All the women, past, present, and future, they reshaped the mold, they changed the narrative, they changed the perception. It was because of these women that I realized there was a spot for me. My dream that seemed so out of reach finally seemed right in my grasp.” The Dime Piece’s story will continue, when and where will Rourke finally get to shine?

The Vanity Project talks with Stevie Turner.

Jackson Drake tells the Prime Minister sorry, but he’s letting her now right now that this Keanu Carver situation needs to be handled. Especially now that Keanu has that cast on his arm and uses it as a weapon! That’s gotta be illegal! Surely Stevie has a copy of the WWE Rulebook, maybe they can help her find it. Stevie says yes, well, he may not remember any of this, but it was Jackson who injured Keanu’s arm and put him in the cast. Literally did it himself. Jackson says she doesn’t understand, he literally refuses to wrestle Keanu. Keanu is a walking weapon, so he gets no shot.

Well, Stevie literally just talked to WWE Medical. Get this: Keanu is cleared to wrestle with the cast on. And unfortunately for Jackson, Keanu is still THE #1 contender to the title. Therefore, in two weeks, it will be Jackson Drake VS Keanu Carver for the WWE Evolve Championship. Jackson says this bias is sickening, he will leave before he does something he regrets. The Vanity Project heads out but Stevie says no bias, just business. Will the Carolina Reaper not survive his run-in with the One Man Demolition Crew?

Showcase Triple Threat: Laredo Kid VS Marcus Mathers VS Tate Wilder!

As WWE’s partnership with AAA grows stronger, The Amazing AAA World Cruiserweight Champion makes his Evolve debut against Philly’s Finest AND the Modern Day Cowboy. But will this be a truly amazing victory? Or will one of the rising stars manage to shine brighter than the gold?

Before making his entrance, Mathers says, “This feeling I have right now, living my dream, facing talent from the PC, facing talent from AAA, and I represent the WWE ID Program, Marcus Mathers! I do it for all of them, I make them proud tonight, and I show the world why I’M the Finest! Let’s go!” Mathers makes his entrance, the bell rings, and the fans rally up. Laredo ties up with Mathers to put him in the corner, but Tate rolls Laredo up! TWO as Mathers rolls Tate up! TWO as Laredo rolls Mathers! Mathers rolls through, headlocks, but Laredo powers up and out. Laredo drops down, Tate bypasses, then Tate RUNS Mathers over!

Tate RUNS Laredo over, he fires up, and all three men stand off. Tate ROCKS Mathers, ROCKS Laredo, then runs in at Mathers. JUMP KNEE for Mathers, then Tate goes corner to corner to JUMP KNEE Laredo! Tate fires up again, he runs up on them both, but Laredo & Mathers both dodge! Then they double mule kick to DOUBLE SUPERKICK! The fans fire up while Tate tumbles out. Mathers and Laredo step up and Laredo shoves Mathers. Mathers grins and takes a swing, but Laredo ducks the lariat to mule kick! And SLAP! Laredo brings Mathers around, he gets the fans to chant “Uno Mas! Uno Mas!” Laredo whips Mathers to a corner, runs up, and forearm SMASH!

Laredo scoops and SLAMS Mathers into the drop zone, then goes up to MARIPOSA! “Uno Mas! Uno Mas!” Laredo goes up and MARIPOSA again! Cover, Tate breaks it! Laredo fires hands on Tate for it, but Tate RAMS Laredo into the corner! Tate LARIATS Laredo in the corner again and again, then whips for the LARIAT! Tate lifts Laredo for the BIG back suplex! Cover, TWO! Tate drags Laredo up, but Mathers storms up. Mathers ROCKS and CHOPS Tate, then kicks the legs out! Mathers fires CHOPS, but Laredo waistlocks. Mathers elbows free, whips him but Laredo reverses. Mathers goes up to BOOT Laredo away, then he snapmare rolls Tate!

Mathers springs up to HOUSE CALL! Then he dodges Laredo to go up, up, and CROSSBODY! The fans fire up with Mathers now, and he reels Laredo in. Mathers calls his shot, but Laredo fights off the suplex! Laredo lifts Mathers for the BRAINBUSTER! All three men are down and the fans fire up while Evolve goes to break.

Evolve returns and Laredo has Mathers against the ropes and CHOPS! The fans chant, “Uno Mas! Uno Mas!” Laredo whips, Mathers reverses, but Laredo grabs ropes. Mathers runs up, but Laredo TOSSES him out! Tate runs in, Laredo dodges and LARIATS him out! The fans rally as Laredo builds speed and DIVES! Down go Tate AND Mathers! The fans fire up with Laredo and he rises again. Laredo puts Tate in, drags himself up, but Mathers anchors him. Laredo elbows free, then blocks Tate’s haymaker to SMACK him! But Mathers TRIPS Laredo! Laredo hits apron, then Mathers climbs up, PENALTY KICK!

The fans fire up again, and Tate LARIATS Mathers down! The fans fire up with Tate now and he goes to the apron, SHOOTING STAR to the floor! Tate is all fired up, as are the fans, and Tate drags Mathers up into the ring. “This is Awesome!” as Tate crawls to cover, TWO! Tate grows frustrated but he hurries to bring Mathers up. Tate hoists Mathers right to the top rope, but Laredo joins in! Laredo CHOPS Tate on the back, then climbs up, SUPER SUNSET FLIP SUPERPLEX COMBO!! Mathers flounders away, Laredo covers Tate, TWO!! Tate survives thanks to the slightest delay, but fans want “UNO MAS! UNO MAS!”

Laredo goes up, up, MOONSAUOLT, but he rolls through as Tate dodges! HOOK KICK from Mathers! FISHERMAN BUSTER! Cover, Tate breaks it again! The fans fire fire up for “EVOLVE! EVOLVE!” Tate and Mathers rise and head for each other. Tate and Mathers start shoving, then throw forearms! Tate ducks the waistlock, Mathers fires elbow after elbow, then a CHOP! Mathers grimaces, but he CHOPS again! Tate snarls, Mathers goes up, but Tate follows! SECOND ROPE REVERSE SPANISH FLY, but then BOTH land on their feet! The fans fire up, and Tate is shocked for just a moment, but then he fires up and eggs Mathers on!

Mathers fires up, runs up, but Tate dodges! Mathers dodges! FLYING FOREARM! Laredo SUPERKICKS Mathers! Then he dodges Tate to SMACK him! Laredo builds speed, but Tate DECKS him! The fans fire up as Tate then kicks low, reels him in, but Mathers is up top! Tate suplexes for COWBOY ANARCHY! But Mathers 450 SPLASHES Laredo! But then Tate reels Mathers in for a deadlift POWERBOMB! Tate goes up, up, and COWBOY MOONSAULTS! Cover, TATE WINS!!

Winner: Tate Wilder, by pinfall

A massive win for the Modern Day Cowboy! If Tate can defy the odds at this level, will he be more than ready to wrangle that Evolve Championship?

Chantel Monroe speaks.

“Well, well. It looks like Wendy decided to snap out of it and immediately start running her mouth. Wendy, I am so happy that you finally got the help that you needed. But it’s clear that you’re not in the right state of mind if the first person you wanna step in the ring with is me! But it’s cool, I’ll accept your challenge. And I don’t care if it’s spooky, sleepy, whiny, whatever you wanna show up as, that’s fine. Because when you step into the ring with me, I’m gonna slap some sense into you, and then you’re gonna be calling the Reflection of Perfection your new therapist.” The Showstopping Diva talks the talk, but will she walk the walk against Wendy Choo?

It’s Gal is back.

“Are you weak ‘n’ pale, ready to fail? Or tanned ‘n’ jacked, ready to attack? No feelings, only facts, that’s for the Stud-O-Meter to figure out pretty fast, and today’s Stud Menu… drum roll please… This week on the Stud-O-Meter, It’s Gal is ranking legendary WWE tag teams. Listen, It’s Gal knows the value of having a pump partner by your side to pack up wins and push those final few reps at the gym. If they’re a real gym bro, they’ll hit you up with the baby oil in places you can’t even reach.

“And speaking of bros, let’s talk about the Steiner Brothers, two absolute dogs who wrecked everybody in that ring, and just like It’s Gal, Genetic Freaks. Tanned and jacked, ready to attack! You might’ve heard about the Steiner Math, but to rank them, I’m gonna use It’s Gal’s Geometry. So final verdict, The Steiner Brothers get a 9.3 on the Stud-O-Meter. When it comes to Gal’s Geometry, you can’t forget the three-dimensional tag team, and that is The Dudley Boyz. One of the most successful tag teams in history, their loyalty to each other was second to none. But It’s Gal believes they should’ve spent a little less time getting the tables, and a whole lot more time getting the gains.

“Listen, final verdict, the Dudley Boys get a 6.8 on the Stud-O-Meter. But I must TESTIFY~… I gotta find a new pump partner. I’m losing gains by the minute. Alright, cut it, you don’t get to see It’s Gal feeling feelings.” Mr. Mint Condition feels like he’s melting, but will he find someone to help him hold it together?

Kendal Grey is here!

The fans cheer as the NEW Evolve Women’s Champion returns, her bestie, Carlie Bright, right behind her. The Arm Breaker clocked her first title defense just last night on NXT, but this is her finally celebrating winning the title in the first place at Evolve Succession. Kendal gets the mic to say for herself, “Your NEW WWE Evolve Women’s Champion has officially arrived!” The fans cheer, “You Deserve It!” and Carlee claps along. Kendal thanks them all, and says she won’t stand here and tell us a sob story about all her dreams finally coming true. That’s just not her. But what she will say is that this title is validation.

The fans cheer as Kendal says this shows all her hard work has finally paid off. Kendal knows going into Succession was going to be a struggle, a challenge. Kali Armstrong was the first for a reason. She held this title exactly how you should: with pride, with swagger. But as she was preparing for the match, Kendal was thinking, “How is it possible to beat someone who has been so unbeatable? Who has been so dominant in the division so far?” The answer was simple: Drag Kali into the #GreyArea. See how Kali likes to respond when things get hard, when things are uncontrollable. Use the pressure of the NXT Arena to her advantage.

Because Kendal knew how she was gonna react. She’s been under pressure her entire life. She was the only female on her high school wrestling team. THREE-TIME Undefeated National Champion in college! And Kendal thrived under pressure. So she made it her mission to make sure all the answers Kali were looking for weren’t black and white. She stepped into the Grey Area, and Kendal made sure Kali played her game. Kendal made sure Kali didn’t overcome that. The only person that steps out of the Grey Area alive is Kendal Grey. And now, she’s standing here as THE WWE Evolve Women’s Champion with a target on her back.

Luckily, the top of the mountain is where Kendal likes to be, where she loves to be, where she strives to be! So whoever is ready to stand up and try to take this from her, you better make sure you can step into the Grey Area. Because Kendal Grey is damn sure ready for you. Mic drop from the champ, but then who is this that storms into the ring?! She CLOBBERS Carlee and POWERBOMBS Kendal! That’s P J VASA from L F G!! And then she pops Kendal up for the ISSUE!! The fans fire up for that Death Valley Powerslam, and now PJ is ready to Evolve! But will she jump the line right to the very front?

My Thoughts:

A very good Evolve, though I had to change up my own presentation before the episode was over. They advertised the LFG coaches being here to help introduce the new LFG talent, PJ Vasa (AKA Penina Tualeiapa), but clearly not. Maybe they realized between filming segments that it’d be more impactful if Vasa just straight up bodied the Women’s Champion. Which yes, it was, but they gotta figure that stuff out before they put these episodes together. Granted, they seem to do them in large batches because Jin Tala has already been released as of several weeks ago. Her last loss is her last loss, but a very good win for Masyn.

For that matter, Stevie Turner is still here, even though she was also released, so I’m expecting some storyline thing coming along to write her off. Bigg Jah’s still hanging around, maybe he ends up Interim Evolve GM until they storyline someone from within WWE taking over. Another good promo from Aaron Rourke to share more of his story, and good promos from both Wendy and Chantel to set up their match. I would think Chantel cheats to win, Wendy’s already lost enough fair ‘n’ square. At the same time, maybe Wendy wins and Chantel attacks her as a sore loser, giving both great points in the Face and Heel department, respectively.

Very good promo from Chuey, Jensen and the new WWE ID prospects, and it feels like Jensen VS Cunningham is going to be the major attraction there. And great main event from the Triple Threat, though there were some rather obvious cuts and cutaways in editing to help set Tate up as the winner. Great thing for Tate to win, though rather surprising. It might’ve been too obvious for Laredo to win, but I probably would’ve gone with Mathers to help bolster the WWE ID Program’s standing. Why have it be a thing if those wrestlers aren’t gonna gain much traction? Feels a little too Attitude Era backstage shark kinda stuff, but that’s just me.

My Score: 8.6/10