As the picture says, Evolution was just that, WWE's first All Women's PPV. Which is a great idea but I still look at it more of a "please don't get mad at us doing a male only, women aren't allowed PPV in the Greatest Royal Rumble which we will also be doing again the week of Evolution called Crown Jewel in a backwards ass country like Saudi Arabia." It's unfortunate that in all honesty Evolution was more of an apology PPV than something that WWE was always planning to do. Regardless of what the case may be, was it a good show, that's what was important ??
Well I'm going to go over matches and let everyone know.
Well I'm going to go over matches and let everyone know.
Trish Stratus & Lita vs Mickie James & Alicia Fox (Alexa Bliss out due to injury)
The as advertised Trish Stratus & Lita vs Alexa Bliss & Mickie James was unable to happen due to an injury Alexa sustained and thus Alicia Fox took her place. If it was those 4, I believe the match would've been better but Fox again managed to prove that she was one of those more useless "hired for her looks as a Diva" before the company switched directives as she can't wrestle. Now not to say everyone was great but both Lita & Mickie put on a quality match, Trish did happen to botch a Stratusfaction, which I suppose being away from the ring so long will do to you. The match ended with that sloppy move and Alicia Fox forgetting she was supposed to break up the pin because awareness is important in wrestling. So the referee had to do them a solid and like do a slow count to avoid Mickie and Fox losing there but when Fox was in Lita hit her with a Twist of Fate and Litasault and Stratus hit James with a Chick Kick and bam that was game over. It was definitely more of a nostalgia match than anything seeing Lita (one of my all time favs) & Trish, two of the pioneers of the current era, as well as James who herself is a qualified vet that had many a match against Stratus and Lita. If Alexa Bliss was there and not Alicia Fox ruining things this would've been a much better match.
Winner = Lita & Trish (Pinfall)
Winner = Lita & Trish (Pinfall)
20 Women's Battle Royale
This match had several high spots and several low spots, one of the low spots being not who I expected to win to actually win BUT I can see where they're going with this. Being a battle royale match there's not a lot to say about it other than those high spots. The legends that were involved did help give a good platform to the current and upcoming stars, Ember Moon had a solid "old school NXT" faceoff with Asuka before eliminating her, and the end of the battle royale went to Nia Jax. I can see why in that they need a "monster" similar to that of someone like Stroman or Reigns in order to take down a "beast" of a champion like Ronda Rousey. I get that's why she won, I would've liked Asuka to win to see a sweet Lynch vs Asuka match but they've obviously still got Lynch vs Flair plans in the works. It was decent but I've never been a big battle royale fan anyways.
Winner = Nia Jax (tossing Ember Moon over the top)
Winner = Nia Jax (tossing Ember Moon over the top)
Mae Young Classic Final - Toni Storm vs Io Shirai
In what was 100% the 2nd best match of the night, Toni Storm and Io Shirai showed just why the Mae Young Classic is so amazing. Giving these amazingly talented wrestlers a shot at the WWE even though they didn't necessarily need it, Shirai is already a major star in Japan and Storm was also successful but either could easily transition into NXT. The match from beginning to end showcased the tremendous amount of skill that both women have when it comes to pro wrestling. One of the cooler moments was the 619 tribute to Rey Mysterio that Io Shirai pulled off, it's surreal when someone other than him pulls that move off but it's so cool to see at the same time. The match ended solid with Storm countering Shirai's finisher into her own finisher and following that with the pin. I believe they put Storm over because Shirai is a much bigger name and doesn't need that push that both will burst into NXT soon and provide more competition for Shayna Baszler & Kairi Sane.
Winner = Toni Storm (Pinfall)
Winner = Toni Storm (Pinfall)
Bayley, Sasha Banks, & Natalya vs The Riott Squad
The Riott Squad taking on the Boss & Hug Connection + Natalya was a solid match and while I believe the Riott Squad, especially Ruby Riott, has tremendous potential for down the road I knew there was no way that at this first time all women's PPV that they weren't going to put over the 3 women who helped change the face of women's wrestling in WWE. Bayley & Sasha have had so much to do with that change and Natalya stuck through the "diva" phase and into the good phase of women's wrestling. The match though was good, solid, enjoyable and again WWE can't commit to a Sasha & Bayley feud, I mean after coming out with new merch for the Boss & Hug Connection and the word of Women's Tag Team belts coming into things I don't believe they'll have that feud but their "on and off" relationship was teased a few times. The matches high spots were the "old school" tributes. Natalya paying homage to her recently deceased father Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart by hitting both a powerbomb like him and a sharpshooter liker him, Bayley pulled off a solid Randy Savage elbow drop, and Sasha hit a Frog Splash like her idol Eddie Guerrero. Anytime there are "old school" spots in matches like that it makes me nostalgic; Natty's specifically because they were a callback to her deceased father. The Riott Squad also had a good showing in the match but this was a good showing and always was headed for the other women in the match, was fun to watch, great high spots.
Winner = Boss & Hug Connection w/Natalya (Pinfall)
Winner = Boss & Hug Connection w/Natalya (Pinfall)
NXT Women's Championship - Kairi Sane (c) vs Shayna Baszler
In my mind, I'm tired of ex-MMA fighters coming in and trying to take all the belts: Brock Lesnar (sure Brock was a wrestler first whatever), Ronda Rousey, and now Shayna Baszler. So I'm really not a fan of hers at all and I'm a big fan of Kairi Sane, ever since she won the inaugural Mae Young Classic I've loved her talent and skill like most Japanese wrestlers she has a broad skill set to use and it's all solid. So, imagine my disappointment when she lost. I sort of expected it but hoped it wasn't going to happen, regardless, both women did have solid outings in the match. As I mentioned the MMA thing before with Baszler and Rousey already on RAW and NXT respectively, WWE went and signed friends of theirs: Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir to developmental deals to create that tough MMA girl appeal to WWE. Those same two girls are what helped Baszler beat out Sane as there was plenty of interference from both women who were sitting in the front row of the crowd and it led to a Baszler submission of Sane. I see a MMA stable of women on the horizon which I think is absolutely stupid but what can you do.
Winner & New Champion = Shayna Baszler (Submission)
Winner & New Champion = Shayna Baszler (Submission)
WWE RAW Women's Championship - Ronda Rousey (c) vs Nikki Bella
Ok, while I'm still not a fan of Ronda Rousey being in WWE nor do I believe she should be champ when Alexa Bliss, Bayley, or Sasha Banks are on RAW; I at least think she's serious because she's not a part timer she's always on television. Speaking of someone I don't take seriously, never have, and am embarrassed that she was the one to break AJ Lee's title streak: Nikki Bella. I was hoping that they weren't going to put the title on her, the fact she had a chance was embarrassing. The Bellas are the personification of the old school Diva's division, the reason Stephanie McMhaon reached into NXT to help Paige start that Women's Revolution was because it was boring having talentless scrubs like Bella at the top. So, this match was pointless from the beginning but at least Rousey was still made to look strong like she should and Bella put on a better show than normal. It came out a decent match, problem was it was the co-main event but went on last. And the other part of that co-main event stole the show.
Winner = Ronda Rousey (c) (Submission)
Winner = Ronda Rousey (c) (Submission)
WWE SmackDown Women's Championship - Becky Lynch (c) vs Charlotte Flair
The co-main event and the match that stole the entire show, proving why Becky Lynch deserves to be champion and why her and Charlotte Flair are two of the best in the company. The chemistry the two have with each other is amazing and these two women put on an AMAZING Last Woman Standing match. Rarely have I seen, nor has anyone, the women in WWE put weapons and ringside objects to such use, making it by far the most brutal women's match in WWE ever. It was amazing because these are the kinds of things I want in the other big women's matches: their TLC's, Money In The Bank, Hell In A Cell, etc. Becky and Charlotte proved they are capable of outdoing anyone in the company during these kinds of matches. The amount of high spots, the brutality, the dives onto tables (including a brutal botched table spot by Charlotte where she moonsaulted backwards onto Becky and the table didn't break), the ladder spots, tons of chairs, the combo moves, it was an incredible match.
Like I have a hard time explaining how awesome it was, ya I'm putting a clip below but honestly it is better if you can watch the whole thing. Becky's next big match is a Champion vs Champion match against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series but I'm sure this won't be the last awesome Lynch vs Flair match.
Winner = Becky Lynch (c) (Last Woman Standing)
Like I have a hard time explaining how awesome it was, ya I'm putting a clip below but honestly it is better if you can watch the whole thing. Becky's next big match is a Champion vs Champion match against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series but I'm sure this won't be the last awesome Lynch vs Flair match.
Winner = Becky Lynch (c) (Last Woman Standing)
NXT UK Women's Championship - Rhea Ripley (c) vs Isla Dawn
Why is this a WWE 2K19 picture you ask ??
Because WWE totally forgot they advertised the new NXT UK Women's Title as part of Evolution. Even though they have already had the tournament in NXT UK, even though Rhea Ripley is the champion and has been at many WWE events with her UK Title, evedn though on regular NXT she defended the title against Nikki Cross, WWE has never broadcast that part of NXT UK. So in....whatever capacity of kayfabe still exists in today's wrestling....there is technically no current NXT UK Women's champ and therefore they had to pull the match from Evolution.
I do feel that this would have been a competitive match between the two but Ripley still would've come out on top as it's too soon to switch the belt. Similar to how even though I wanted her to win I knew they wouldn't put the belt on Nikki Cross in their match.
So, not actually in Evolution but planned for it:
Winner by Default = Rhea Ripley
Because WWE totally forgot they advertised the new NXT UK Women's Title as part of Evolution. Even though they have already had the tournament in NXT UK, even though Rhea Ripley is the champion and has been at many WWE events with her UK Title, evedn though on regular NXT she defended the title against Nikki Cross, WWE has never broadcast that part of NXT UK. So in....whatever capacity of kayfabe still exists in today's wrestling....there is technically no current NXT UK Women's champ and therefore they had to pull the match from Evolution.
I do feel that this would have been a competitive match between the two but Ripley still would've come out on top as it's too soon to switch the belt. Similar to how even though I wanted her to win I knew they wouldn't put the belt on Nikki Cross in their match.
So, not actually in Evolution but planned for it:
Winner by Default = Rhea Ripley
Thus ended WWE Evolution, their first all women PPV, while I don't think it will be the last, I do think the next one won't be in the apologetic taste this one was in. The feel of somewhat between a house show/WWE Live event and an NXT TakeOver gave a nostalgic feeling to this event, one that made these women stand out even more as many do stand head and shoulders above their counterparts in the WWE as of now. I can only think of a handfew male talents that are better than the women's roster at the moment and hopefully they get back to fueling & fostering the division like they used to and not getting side tracked by gimmicky shit stories like they have been as of late.
I'm Glad The Fans Did This & Seriously WWE......Seriously ??
As I'd mentioned before, Evolution seemed to be somewhat of an apology for them going to Saudi Arabia for the Greatest Royal Rumble and not allowing women.
Then what better time to air ads for the upcoming PPV Crown Jewel, which is also in Saudi Arabia, than during the first all women's PPV. Seriously WWE, seriously ??!!
It was so tasteless and pathetic that they couldn't hold off on advertising their Saudi blood money PPV that the entire Nassau Colosseum rang out in a tremendous chorus of boos to the point that not only did they cut the ad short at the event but had to not show it during the broadcast AND use broadcasting technology to deafen the boos during the show. It was an example of a truly tasteless moment by a company that is putting the money they'll be making first, which I believe is $50 million per event, so as of Crown Jewel they'll have made $100 million from Saudi Arabia. A country right now so ripe with controversy that superstars like John Cena and Daniel Bryan have already refused to go; though WWE is still advertising Cena in Saudi Arabia as he is a huge draw and they can't afford to lose sales.
Stay classy WWE.
Then what better time to air ads for the upcoming PPV Crown Jewel, which is also in Saudi Arabia, than during the first all women's PPV. Seriously WWE, seriously ??!!
It was so tasteless and pathetic that they couldn't hold off on advertising their Saudi blood money PPV that the entire Nassau Colosseum rang out in a tremendous chorus of boos to the point that not only did they cut the ad short at the event but had to not show it during the broadcast AND use broadcasting technology to deafen the boos during the show. It was an example of a truly tasteless moment by a company that is putting the money they'll be making first, which I believe is $50 million per event, so as of Crown Jewel they'll have made $100 million from Saudi Arabia. A country right now so ripe with controversy that superstars like John Cena and Daniel Bryan have already refused to go; though WWE is still advertising Cena in Saudi Arabia as he is a huge draw and they can't afford to lose sales.
Stay classy WWE.