9 Ups & 11 Downs For WWE In 2025
2. Evolution
Two Evolution events, two WWE show-of-the-year candidates. Will 2026 be the year the well-regarded event becomes part of the annual rotation, or will it continue to serve as something all the more cynical?
In 2018, the show was smokescreen of sorts, generating buzz and acclaim that temporarily reduced the justified criticisms surrounding WWE's second Saudi Arabia supershow Crown Jewel. Yes, the roster had been more than ready to manage the stage for ages and the rest of the main roster was so toilet that there could have been months of other shows like it without fans calling for a change, but a big reason a Ronda Rousey-led roster had the platform was because they weren't allowed one five days later.
Seven years later and the motivations were again not entirely rooted in what the marketing wanted you to believe. After a long wait, the event conveniently happened to drop in alongside Goldberg's retirement edition of Saturday Night's Main Event in double header over AEW's All In: Texas weekend. It was also revealed that WWE were racing towards an ESPN too, requiring them to get through as many Premium Live Events as possible. This included rebranding NXT shows as WWE ones, and the sudden re-emergence of the beloved all-women's brand.
Not that all of that should be held against the talent, who once again used the strange circumstances to remind that world that standards remain spectacularly high. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky assembled yet another Match Of The Year candidate in a powerful contest that concluded with Naomi successfully cashing in her Money In The Bank contract after losing to Jade Cargill in their blowoff earlier in the show. Elsewhere, Stephanie Vaquer continued her inexorable rise with a Number One Contender's battle royal win and a mixed brand Tag Team Title match highlighted the steps made this year to develop a division that had been in desperate need of attention for years.
The opener set a great tone - wrapping up one feud whilst setting everything up for the months to come, Becky Lynch toppled Bayley and Lyra Valkyria in a textbook case of the winner going over and the losers getting over. 'The Man' made a habit of that this year...