WWE Evolution Review - July 13, 2025

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Women's Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch def. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria in a Triple Threat Match

I wouldn't be shocked if these women requested to go on first if they weren't going to be the main event. The correct choice was made. This was a great Triple Threat with the expected excellent work from all three and a strong pace. The execution of the finish was well done and I liked that Lynch pinned Bayley to retain, which hopefully means Valkyria will get one last shot at SummerSlam to blow off their feud.

NXT Women's Champion Jacy Jane def. Jordynne Grace

Obviously, this was quite the comedown match for the crowd coming off that hot opener, but that isn't to say it was bad necessarily. Rather, they had a very average outing. Grace was probably the best opponent from NXT for Jane on this show, but Jane just isn't on the same level as many other women still in the division. The focal point was Blake Monroe (predictably) hitting Grace with the belt and costing her the win. That should set up a feud between the two and Grace's imminent exit from the brand.

WWE Women's Tag Team Champions The Judgment Day (Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez) def. NXT Women's North American Champion Sol Ruca & Zaria, The Kabuki Warriors, and Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair in a Fatal 4-Way Match

For a match that came together on such short notice, this was a fun Fatal 4-Way. It wasn't as much of a mess as I thought it might be and everyone involved had solid showings. My top takeaway was that Flair and Bliss worked really well together as partners and were very over with this crowd. I'm glad they didn't win the titles here so they can have more of a chase before winning them at SummerSlam.

WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton def. Trish Stratus

Sometimes simplicity works best. There was no need for this to be much more than what it was, especially given the lack of story/build. This was nowhere near the level of Stratus' Steel Cage match with Lynch two years ago, but it was a quality contest, nonetheless. This could very well end up being Stratus' last match ever, but I'm sure she'll be back again if it makes sense. She always holds her own, doesn't look out of place and puts people over every time.

Jade Cargill def. Naomi in a No Holds Barred Match

These two have put together a terrific feud since Elimination Chamber that has seen Naomi completely reinvent herself as a heel. I figured she wasn't winning here since she had the Money in the Bank briefcase (at this point in the show, anyway) and Cargill is confirmed to challenge for the WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam, but they had a very entertaining brawl in the time they were allotted. My only complaint is that it felt like they were about to enter that next gear right before the finish.

Stephanie Vaquer Won a Battle Royal to Earn a Championship Opportunity at Clash in Paris

This was basically every Battle Royal you've ever seen and a lot of logical eliminations. You had to know a vast majority of these women weren't winning, but I will say, I had no issue with it consisting entirely of active talent from Raw, SmackDown and NXT as opposed to faces from the past. Nothing against nostalgia (which I'm all for), but WWE has more than enough women now to fill out a Battle Royal without having to bring anyone back. Vaquer going over should mean that her aggressive push is about to begin.

Naomi Cashed In Her Money in the Bank Briefcase During IYO SKY vs. Rhea Ripley to Win the Women's World Championship

Before I even address the ending, I must say that SKY vs. Ripley was a fantastic main event and arguably one of WWE's very best on a premium live event all year. That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise considering their chemistry together, but it still exceeded expectations. I was waiting for Ripley to finally beat SKY, so Naomi showing up and successfully in her contract was a genuine shocker. I'm happy with the result because it keeps the title away from Ripley for a little longer and gives Naomi the chance to be the focal point of Raw's women's division. This was a wonderful way to close the show.

Overall Show

To say this show overdelivered would be an understatement. The women gave it their all despite the bad build, resulting in one of WWE's best, most focused premium live events all year. Props to the crowd for bringing such electric energy, too. The cash-in and title change made for an awesome ending and the flow of the rest of the show was top-notch. It better not be another seven years before we get the next installment.

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