Elijah Holyfield won his WWE EVOLVE in-ring debut on Tuesday, June 3, knocking out Kai Kavari with a punch finisher fittingly named “The Uppercut.” The son of two-time heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield needed just over a minute to put Kavari away on the Tubi-streamed developmental show.
Holyfield controlled the short bout with power, running through a series of Stinger Splashes before landing a spinebuster and closing with the right-hand strike that left Kavari down for the pinfall. The finisher is a clear nod to his father’s boxing legacy.
Holyfield’s path to the ring runs through football, not boxing. He played running back for the Georgia Bulldogs before spending time in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals. A knee injury in 2022 ended his football career and opened the door to wrestling.
He signed a WWE developmental deal in November 2024 and raised his profile through the A&E series WWE LFG. A torn bicep reportedly slowed his momentum in late 2025, making this debut his first official EVOLVE appearance after recovering.
EVOLVE serves as WWE’s early-stage developmental brand, feeding talent toward NXT. For Holyfield, the win marks a clean start to a new chapter in a different combat arena than the one his family name is known for.
Stevie Turner is no longer part of WWE, but that didn\’t prevent her from appearing at the WWE Evolve Succession event. In a backstage segment, Turner was seen on the phone, speaking about AAA. Turner then spoke to actor/comedian Big Jahh, as part of a wider Tubi crossover.
Turner\’s appearance wasn\’t the only notable moment from WWE Evolve Succession. The event saw the crowning of a new WWE Evolve Women\’s Champion in Kendal Grey. The title had previously been held by Kali Armstrong and this marked the first title change in the brand\’s history.
Turner\’s role at WWE Evolve Succession was certainly a surprise and it remains to be seen what\’s next. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Stevie Turner.
WWE Evolve will soon host its first \’Succession\’ special, in the latest development for WWE\’s newest brand. In a video shared on social media, Evolve General Manager Stevie Turner officially revealed WWE Evolve: Succession—a special edition of Evolve airing Wednesday, October 15, 2025, exclusively on Tubi TV.
The timing of this announcement came as AEW revealed its own major news: the introduction of Women’s Tag Team Championships. Given that the two promotions recently clashed when WWE’s WrestlePalooza aired on the same day as AEW’s All Out: Toronto it\’s clear that neither side is ready to give up on this head-to-head battle.
WWE Evolve premiered in March of this year, and also includes Peter Roseburg and Robert Stone as the brand\’s commentary team. With both Evolution titles in play, Succession could mark a turning point for the brand, setting the stage for new rivalries and future champions.
Kali Armstrong may have just captured her first title, but WWE insiders are already envisioning a future for the first-ever WWE EVOLVE Women\’s Champion. According to a new report from Fightful Select, Armstrong has made a strong impression on WWE officials following her performances at recent EVOLVE tapings. Some within the company are reportedly calling her a potential “future WrestleMania main eventer.”
Armstrong was crowned the inaugural WWE EVOLVE Women’s Champion on the May 28 episode and has continued to make strides ever since. She recently brought the title to an NXT live event in Citrus Springs—and sources say that wasn’t a one-time appearance. WWE insiders confirm she’s been working NXT house shows regularly and is being seriously considered for a full-time move to the NXT roster.
Kali Armstrong defeating Kylie Rae, Wendy Choo, and Kendal Grey in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match. After the match, WWE veteran Natalya entered the ring to present the championship before Armstrong snatched the belt from her hands.
With gold already around her waist, the future looks bright for Kali Armstrong. While she\’s part of WWE EVOLVE for now, it appears to be just a matter of time before she arrives in WWE NXT and later the main roster.
The June 4 episode of WWE EVOLVE featured a four-way elimination match to crown the first ever EVOLVE Men’s Champion. The competitors for the bout included Jackson Drake, Edris Enofe, Sean Legacy and Keanu Carver.
Enofe was the first to be eliminated from the title match. Carver picked up the NXT veteran and hit a running slam to get the three count. Carver was the next to go as Legacy hit a 450 Splash. Drake had to help Legacy with the cover to get rid of the heavyweight star.
The ending the bout saw both the remaining contestants countering each other\’s moves multiple times. Legacy went for a German Suplex but Drake managed to hold onto the rope. He then pulled Sean into the rope and went for InJacktion.
— Sonya Bayley – WWE Fan ?? (@SDevilleLive) June 5, 2025
Sean Legacy managed a counter of his own however, catching the young star mid-air. Legacy then went for Shambles but Jackson Drake countered once again, landing on his feet instead. Drake finally got the upper hand with a leaping knee and he followed it up with Unaliving to get the pin.
NXT star Je’Von Evans was at hand to present the title to the Inaugural champion. Drake celebrated with members of The Vanity Project faction to end the show.
He isn\’t the first champion to be crowned in this new iteration of EVOLVE however. Kali Armstrong became the first champion of this new era, winning the EVOLVE Women\’s title in a similar fatal four way during last week\’s episode of the show.
There\’s more than one way to make it in WWE, as former WWE LFG contestant Leigh Laurel found out during the May 28, episode of WWE EVOLVE. During a backstage segment on show, Stevie Turner delivered the new that Laurel has signed with the brand. Along with the contract came a new ring name—Jin Tala.
leigh laurel is now jin tala!!! she will be debuting against carlee bright next week!!! pic.twitter.com/5QLN1zWQ3C
The moment marked a powerful turnaround for Laurel, who was sent home by Booker T on the May 4 episode of LFG. Despite her elimination, Laurel remained optimistic and took to social media after her exit to say that she had received a \”hell of an opportunity to start my pro wrestling career as a Future Great.\”
Mere weeks later, that future is officially underway. It remains to be seen how Jin Tala fares in WWE EVOLVE, as she remains focused on her future as a WWE Superstar.
The first-ever WWE EVOLVE Women\’s Champion has been crowned, as one young Superstar has etched her name in the company\’s history books. Kali Armstrong made her mark in unforgettable fashion on the May 28 episode of WWE EVOLVE, and her attitude spoke volumes after the win.
Armstrong triumphed over Wendy Choo, Kylie Rae, and Kendal Grey in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match to claim the historic title. Rae took out Choo first, then eliminated Grey shortly after, setting up a final showdown between herself and Armstrong. Armstrong hit her signature finishing move—the Kali Connection—on Rae to secure the pinfall and the championship.
Following the victory, WWE veteran Natalya entered the ring to present the new championship. But in a striking moment that had the crowd buzzing, Armstrong snatched the title from Natalya’s hands and paraded around the ring, showing no respect to the veteran performer.
Following the victory, WWE veteran Natalya entered the ring to present the new championship. But in a striking moment that had the crowd buzzing, Armstrong snatched the title from Natalya’s hands and paraded around the ring
WWE has officially unveiled the EVOLVE Championships. WWE EVOLVE General Manager Stevie Turner revealed both the WWE EVOLVE Championship and the WWE EVOLVE Women’s Championship on the May 7 episode. Both titles will be decided in fatal four-way elimination matches in the coming weeks.
— Follow @WrestlingCovers (@AllTheYeeting) May 7, 2025
Wendy Choo, Kali Armstrong, and Kendal Grey have been confirmed as three of the four competitors set to vie for the EVOLVE Women’s Championship in three weeks. Meanwhile, Sean Legacy is the first confirmed participant in the men’s fatal four-way match, which will determine the inaugural WWE EVOLVE Champion in four weeks. This is a huge opportunity for Legacy, who wrestled in the battle royal to crown the next number one contender for the NXT Championship this week, but was unsuccessful.
The introduction of these new titles marks a significant step for WWE EVOLVE as the brand continues to establish itself through high-stakes competition and emerging talent. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from WWE EVOLVE
In a significant development for WWE’s developmental brand, WWE Evolve introduced Stevie Turner as its new General Manager during tonight’s March 26 episode. Turner, who previously served as assistant to NXT General Manager Ava, brings experience from her tenure in NXT UK and NXT.
The announcement came during a Town Hall meeting where Turner was officially confirmed as the new General Manager. She had been working on behalf of Ava over the past few weeks, impressing with her match pitches and talent acquisition.
Upon receiving the position, Turner expressed that she was honored and grateful for the trust Ava had shown in her.
The 28-year-old Turner competed on the UK independent circuit as Bobbi Tyler from 2016 to 2020. She signed with WWE in March 2021, debuting on NXT UK before transitioning to NXT in January 2023. She was appointed as an Assistant General Manager of NXT in June 2024, alongside Robert Stone.
WWE Evolve serves as a platform for emerging talents, featuring wrestlers from WWE’s Performance Center and ID program. The brand is overseen by WWE Senior VP of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels and is run by Gabe Sapolsky, the founder of the original EVOLVE promotion that WWE acquired in 2020.
WWE debuted its new EVOLVE show on March 5 and now the new brand has a brand-new authority figure. During the premiere episode, Shawn Michaels and Ava were seen conversing on-screen. Michaels shared that he was handing her the keys to EVOLVE to Ava, allowing the daughter of The Rock to book the show as she sees fit. When Ava responded by teasing big plans for next week, Michaels replied, \”You\’re the boss,\” before closing out the segment.
Ava\’s appointment to the boss of WWE EVOLVE marks her second role as an on-screen authority figure. After initally being introduced as an in-ring talent, Ava has transitioned to being the General Manager of WWE NXT. The fourth-generation talent has proven her value for the silver brand and has held her own in laying down the law against some of NXT\’s biggest stars.
WWE EVOLVE will feature stars from WWE NXT as well as independent talent, many of whom have been sourced from the WWE ID program. The show will feature Peter Rosenberg and Robert Stone on commentary, and will broadcast on Tubi in the United States and YouTube internationally. With Ava already teasing big things for the new brand, it remains to be seen what the \’Boss\’ has in store for WWE EVOLVE.
Robert Stone\’s surname may indicate something different but the NXT talent has shown he can be malleable in the world of pro wrestling.
Stone has been a presence on NXT for years, most recently as Ava’s assistant, but this Wednesday he’ll be donning a new role as color commentator for WWE Evolve, a show that will feature WWE developmental talent going up against top independent wrestling stars who are tagged by the WWE ID program.
It’s been a groundswell greatly orchestrated under the experienced eye of Gabe Sapoulsky, whose wrestling mind roots stem all the way back to ECW and Paul Heyman. However, like most in wrestling, Gabe found his own route to WWE by working with Ring of Honor venturing to Dragon-Gate before forming the original Evolve. All that required him to be well-versed on the independent wrestling scene and his big payoff begins this Wednesday on Tubi. He decided to have Stone be one half of his team to call the action, and there may be no better choice.
Speaking with me ahead of Wednesday, Stone said with all that indy experience behind him, he is confident in what he’ll be able to do behind the broadcast booth alongside Peter Rosenberg, who will be doing the play-by-play.
Before heading to WWE, Stone was most notably known for his time as Robbie E in TNA, but before that he spent over a decade in the indies, even naming the WWE ID associate promotion out of Pittsburgh, International Wrestling Cartel (IWC).
“Back in [2002]…I fought a guy named Dennis Gregory,” Stone quipped after the promotion was brought up (serendipitously enough, Gregory actually wrestled on the latest IWC PPV, Civil War this past month).
Peter Rosenberg & Robert Stone: The Next Talked About Tandem?
The pairing of Peter and Stone feels like a savvy move on Sapoulsky’s part as both personalities have a wide range of experience in very different, yet similar realms.
“It’ll be different,” Stone added with excitement, noting his dynamic with Rosenberg will be a fun one. Rosenberg’s professional experience comes with a diverse radio background outside of wrestling (hip hop and ESPN Radio) and Stone thinks that will greatly make the Evolve product stand out. He thinks Peter will bring the passionate fan’s perspective while he’ll be able to give his insight on how life on the indies affects these aspiring WWE Superstars.
Stone assured he is all studied up for his new gig too. Speaking on names like Sean Legacy, noting of the independent star’s vast travel schedule which includes several stops overseas. Stone noted that Sam “Hardway” Holloway, a massively athletic WWE ID prospect hailing from Cleveland, OH, charges up memories of a late great ECW legend.
“He reminds me of Mike Awesome,” Stone said. Holloway’s nickname is “Hardway” and Stone recalled back to when he saw Sam work at the WWE Performance Center. Holloway legitimately busted himself open during the training so the “Hardway” moniker wasn’t shocking to him.
However, what did shock him was John Cena on Saturday at Elimination Chamber. Like we all were, Stone was watching at home and saw John go full Manchurian Candidate, aligning with The Rock. This brought his thoughts back to Evolve and how perfect of a time it is to be a fan.
Who Stone is a fan of is Shawn Michaels. HBK is another legend that brings the experience with Robert reiterating that Michaels worked in the 80s, 90s, and beyond. Robert thinks Shawn brings that knowledge but understands how it plays in the modern pro wrestling landscape.
Stone may be inspired by Michaels, but was he inspired by anybody when it comes to how he’ll handle himself on the call? Again with confidence, Stone said he isn’t influenced by other commentators, be it in wrestling or other sports. He’s focused on being the best version of himself on the headset and wanting to provide knowledge to the view. It’s all about being malleable.
WWE has announced that Peter Rosenberg will serve as the play-by-play broadcaster for their new developmental program, WWE Evolve, which premieres on March 5, 2025, on Tubi. Rosenberg, who has been a host for WWE since 2016, will be joined by NXT\’s Assistant General Manager Robert Stone on commentary.
Rosenberg expressed his excitement about the new role on social media. He tweeted,
\”I have wanted to do play by play my whole life and I am so so excited to be the voice of WWE Evolve alongside my man Robert Stone\”.
Describing the show\’s atmosphere, Rosenberg said,
\”It feels like a wrestling show. There\’s a small live audience at the Performance Center. Think old-school, like Georgia Championship Wrestling studio show vibes.”
WWE Evolve will showcase rising WWE prospects as they pursue their dreams of advancing to NXT and eventually to SmackDown and Raw. The weekly program will air every Wednesday at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT exclusively on Tubi in the United States and on YouTube internationally.
The show is being booked by longtime promoter Gabe Sapolsky, who has \”traveled the country looking for some of the best independent talent out there,\” according to WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels. Michaels officially announced Rosenberg as \”the voice of WWE Evolve\” during a radio interview.
The Talent
WWE Evolve will feature a mix of performance Center trainees and WWE ID prospects from the independent scene. Among the athletes who will appear on Evolve are former NFL safety Trill Williams (wrestling as Trill London), former Arizona fullback Case Hatch (Tate Wilder), and independent wrestlers like Kylie Rae and Zayda Steel.
WWE and Tubi have announced WWE EVOLVE, a new series set to premiere on March 5, 2025, exclusively on Tubi. The show will spotlight rising WWE prospects as they compete for a chance to advance to NXT and, ultimately, Raw or SmackDown. Episodes will air weekly on Wednesdays.
WWE EVOLVE will showcase talent from WWE’s Performance Center and WWE ID program, providing a platform for future superstars to develop their skills and personas.
“We are excited to work with our incredible partners at Tubi to showcase our young, rising talent to the WWE Universe, as they start their in-ring journey competing each week to fulfill their lifelong dream of becoming a WWE Superstar,” said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, Shawn Michaels.
The announcement touted that the show “will introduce viewers to the most intense and charismatic prospects recruited from college athletics and independent wrestling as they strive to build their in-ring careers and elevate their personas. WWE EVOLVE will prominently feature talent from WWE’s world-class Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., and WWE ID, a first-of-its-kind developmental program.”
Evolve Wrestling was an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 2010 by Gabe Sapolsky, a former booker for Ring of Honor. In 2015, Evolve formed a working relationship with WWE. This allowed WWE to scout Evolve talent and potentially sign them. It also provided Evolve with increased exposure and credibility. In 2020, WWE officially purchased Evolve. This led to the end of Evolve as an independent promotion.
WWE and Tubi, have announced the launch of WWE EVOLVE which will showcase in-ring action featuring rising WWE prospects as they wrestle with the dream of making it to #WWENXT and, perhaps, one day to #SmackDown and #WWERaw.
WWE EVOLVE has been confirmed, and fans now know when and where they can watch the show. During the 2025 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, it was confirmed that WWE EVOLVE will make its debut on Wednesday, March 5, streaming exclusively on Tubi.
We’re excited to announce the launch of WWE EVOLVE which will showcase in-ring action featuring rising WWE prospects as they look to make it to NXT, SmackDown & Raw.
WWE EVOLVE premieres March 5 at 8pm ET/5pm PT, exclusively on @Tubi, with a new episode dropping every Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/H3o2EiJCFv
The show will showcase rising WWE prospects who will compete for a shot at making it to NXT, SmackDown, and Raw.This announcement follows WWE\’s filing of a trademark for the EVOLVE name on January 30.
Gabe Sapolsky, who originally ran EVOLVE Wrestling before WWE purchased it in 2020, is believed to be heavily involved in the relaunch. Shawn Michaels, who serves as WWE\’s SVP of Talent Development & Creative, is also set to play a key role.
WWE EVOLVE will give fans a look at potential future World Champions and demonstrates the promotion\’s commitment to developing new talent. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on WWE EVOLVE.
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