WWE Evolution live results: Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella
WWE’s first all-women’s pay-per-view takes place tonight as the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York hosts Evolution.
We’re looking for your thoughts on this historic show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the mddle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
Ronda Rousey will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Nikki Bella. The SmackDown Women’s title match has a last woman standing stipulation, with Becky Lynch facing Charlotte Flair.
The NXT Women’s Championship will also be on the line as Kairi Sane defends against Shayna Baszler. In the finals of this year’s Mae Young Classic, Toni Storm takes on Io Shirai.
With Alexa Bliss unable to wrestle due to injury, Mickie James & Alicia Fox will team against Trish Stratus & Lita. Bliss will be in James & Fox’s corner.
Sasha Banks, Bayley & Natalya are set to face The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan) in a six-woman tag match, and there will be a battle royal for a future title shot. The announced participants are: Ember Moon, Nia Jax, Tamina, Dana Brooke, Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Asuka, Carmella, Naomi, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Lana, Torrie Wilson, Madusa, Ivory, Molly Holly, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Maria Kanellis, and Zelina Vega.
The pre-show begins at 6 p.m. Eastern time before the main card starts at 7 p.m.
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by Dave Meltzer
On the pregame show, they had an interview where they said Biiss would be wrestling. It wasn’t corrected, so either she was cleared or they made a mistake.
Nia Strauss and Lizzy Hale were out with Strauss in the ring playing her guitar and Hale sang an “Evolution” song. Strauss is quite incredible at playing the guitar.
TRISH STRATUS & LITA VS. MICKIE JAMES & ALICIA FOX
Bliss came out to be in their corner. This crowd was super hot. The match was normal, a little sloppy in spots, but overall fun. Stratus used Stratusfaction on James and Fox was supposed to save but she was late so the ref had to hold up the count. Lita used a twist of fate on Fox and then Lita did a moonsault on both at the same time. Stratus then pinned James with the chick kick. At the very beginning the crowd was just on fire. It looks like this is more of an NXT crowd than a WWE crowd, which is really good for the show.
They also turned the house lights off for the match.
The Bellas said they were going to dedicate their match to Ronda’s mom and said they were inviting Ronda’s mom to the Bella Army.
20 WOMAN BATTLE ROYAL, WINNER GETS THEIR BRAND TITLE SHOT
Naomi, Michelle McCool, Sonya Deville, Alundra Blayze, Carmella, Zelina Vega, Kelly Kelly, Tamina, Ember,Moon, Lana, Maria Kanellis, (showed Mike and her baby at ringside), Mandy Rose, Molly Holly, Dana Brooke, Nia Jax, Ivory, Asuka, Torrie Wilson, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce. The Iconics got to do a promo. They ripped on Long Island. Peyton Royce said said we see our childhood heroes that paved the way and said they’ll pave the way by throwing them over the top rope back to obscurity.
Nia Jax won by throwing out Ember Moon. Crowd was hot. Most of the retired women were out early but Michelle McCool and Ivory lasted a long time. Ths is very much an NXT crowd as they went crazy for Moon vs, Asuka when they squared off. The Iconics were thrown out immdately. Rose & Deville were throwing people out together until Rose double-crossed Deville. The crowd went crazy when Moon threw out Asuka. Then Moon used the eclipse and threw out Tamina. It looked like Moon and Jax were the last two. But Vega had been hiding and they teased the spot where she snuck up on both of them, but it didn’t work. Jax pressed Vega and threw her over the top to the floor (onto Tamina who was still there to catch her). Moon kept clotheslining Jax, but Jax caught Moon, power bombed her and threw Moon out.
Jax said she didn’t care who won between Rousey or Bella beause whoever wins won’t keep the title long.
IO SHIRAI VS. TONI STORM IN THE MAE YOUNG CLASSIC FINAL
Good match. There were some big moves like Io doing a moonsault off the top rope to the floor and Storm using a German suplex on the floor. The crowd wasn’t as hot as the prior match but they were fine. They kept it short. Storm seemed to get over. The finish saw Shirai go for a moonsault, Storm got her knees up and Storm hit Strong zero for the pin. Earlier Shirai had kicked out of Storm zero.
The rest of tonight’s live coverage is written by Bryan Rose:
BAYLEY & SASHA BANKS & NATALYA VS. THE RIOT SQUAD
This ended up being a fast paced, really good match. Lots of great action near the end and the crowd got into it for the final few moments of the match. Banks picked up the win with a frog splash on Liv Morgan after Bayley hit the Randy Savage elbow and suicide dived into the rest of the Riott Squad.
KAIRI SANE VS. SHAYNA BASZLER FOR THE NXT WOMEN’S TITLE
Things started off slow early. After some back and forth on the outside, Baszler stomped on Sane’s hand and started working over the arm. Sane tried to fight back and was eventually successful, taking down Baszler with a spinning backfist. Sane locked in a modified Boston crab but Baszler managed to escape thanks to the bum arm.
Sane took Baszler down with a spear as she started to gain momentum. She took down Baszler with an Alabama Slam but Baszler met her as she went to the top rope and grabbed her arm, using her strength to dangle her over the ropes. She then let her go as she fell to the floor.
Sane fired back with a DDT and went to the top rope, but Baszler rolled out of the way. Sane leaped forward with a gigantic crossbody from the top rope to the floor in a really cool spot. Sane back body dropped Baszler over the guardrail onto a number of NXT women’s wrestlers. Jessamyn Duke responded by grabbing Sane, but she took out Due with a spinning backfist. She went to enter the ring, but Marina Shafir ran in to interfere. Sane took her out with a backfist as well.
Sane countered the kirifuda clutch with a bridge as Baszler kicked out. After Baszler kicked out of another near fall, Sane went to the ropes. Duke punched her, which allowed Baszler to go for the kirifuda clutch for a second time. With nowhere to go, Sane passed out, giving the win and the title to Baszler. Very good title match, Sane is great and Baszler held her own very well.
BECKY LYNCH VS. CHARLOTTE IN A LAST WOMAN STANDING MATCH FOR THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE
They started off exchanging some counts in the ring. Lynch took Charlotte out of the ring as she took out a kendo stick and started wailing on Charlotte. They both introduced steel chairs…a lot of them. Charlotte took out a table but Lynch jumped her as she was setting it up. Charlotte responded with a belly to belly suplex.
Lynch took Charlotte out with a chair as she began assembling chairs in the middle of the ring. Lynch went for an exploder, but Charlotte countered and planted her onto the chairs with a back suplex. Lynch recovered and suplexed Charlotte into the chairs. She set up the table, but Charlotte countered and wound up putting her on the table. Charlotte went for a moonsault and connected, though the table did not break. It eventually did break after Charlotte landed a swanton bomb.
Both women got up before 10 as Charlotte introduced a ladder. Lynch cut her off and slammed her on top of the ladder. Charlotte countered by grabbing Lynch and applying the figure out with Lynch’s legs wrapped around the ladder. Lynch grabbed a nearby ladder and smashed it into Charlotte’s shin, freeing her.
They went to the outside as Lynch shoved Charlotte into the steel steps, then threw her hard into the post when she got back up. Lynch grabbed the title and started to walk away through the crowd. Charlotte jumped her as she was trying to leave, brawling inside the crowd. They go back to ringside as Lynch cut off Charlotte and put her through an announce table with a legdrop on the ladder. She then buried her in a mountain of office chairs that the announcers were sitting on.
Charlotte beat the ten count, attacking a stunned Lynch with a kendo stick. She took out another table on the outside and put Lynch on top of it as she went for a moonsault…but Lynch caught her on the apron and powerbombed her through the table. Charlotte tried valiantly to get up by 10, but couldn’t, allowing Lynch to retain the title. This was also very good, both worked hard and got a ton of time. I don’t know if it’s an all time classic like they announcers were trying to sell it as, though.
They are running down the Crown Jewel card. That got some boos.
RONDA ROUSEY VS. NIKKI BELLA FOR THE RAW WOMEN’S TITLE
Ronda toyed with Nikki early, taking her down and grabbing the arm, but didn’t apply the armbar. As they went to the outside, Ronda was shoved into the post after Brie distracted her. As Nikki was distracting the ref back in the ring, Brie posted her a second time.
Nikki remained on offense, throwing Ronda into the barricade. Brie continued to interfere as well, striking her as she tried to recover. Nikki posted her a third time as she was laying in the corner. Nikki went for a superplex but Ronda took her down. She went for a crossbody, but Nikki dodged as she crashed to the floor.
Ronda finds and opening as catches Nikki’s leg and goes for a samoan drop. Brie tries to get involved, but finds herself on Ronda’s shoulders as well as both Bella Twins are dropped to the floor. Ronda strikes with punches, then arm drags her twice. An overhead suplex sends Nikki out of the ring.
Ronda threw Nikki in as Brie attempted to interfere again. Ronda threw her over the announcer’s table, but as she got back into the ring Nikki connected with an Alabama Slam, posted her a second time and hit the rack attack 2.0. Ronda kicked out, which stunned Nikki. Ronda cut her off the top rope with a small package powerbomb, then applied the armbar for the submission. Thought this was fine; I’m not a fan of Ronda selling constantly but they found a good way to make that believable and the comeback was strong. Very well worked.
Ronda posed with the title as Nia Jax looked on backstage. The rest of the women’s locker room came out to celebrate with Ronda as they closed out the show. The final image was both women’s champions clinking their titles together.