WWE’s Evolution is back! And it will be taking place this Sunday, July 13!
This is the second time Evolution will be taken place and it has been a grueling seven years since the last one in 2018.
There are seven matches on the card, which is more than the average WWE PLE which has been have only five. Below is listed the seven matches on the card and the Diva Dirt’s staff predictions. Feel free to list your own predictions in the comment section below.
- No Holds Barred Match: Jade Cargill vs. Naomi
- Battle Royal — Winner gets championship match at Clash in Paris: Stephanie Vaquer, Ivy Nile, Nia Jax, Nikki Bella, Natalya, Maxxine Dupri, Kelani Jordan, Jaida Parker, Lola Vice, Lash Legend, Izzi Dame, Tatum Paxley, Zelina Vega, Giulia, Candice LeRae, B-Fab, Chelsea Green, Alba Fyre, Piper Niven, Michin, and more.
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships — Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match: Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Sol Ruca & ZARIA vs. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane)
- NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
- WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Trish Stratus
- WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship — Triple Threat Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria
- Women’s World Championship: IYO SKY (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Let’s get into it!
No Holds Barred Match:
Jade Cargill vs. Naomi
One of the more personal matches that definitely deserves the No Holds Barred stipulation. They two faced off at WrestleMania a few months ago with Jade taking the win there. Since then, Naomi has the MITB briefcase and Jade has earned herself a title match at SummerSlam after being crowned Queen of the Ring.
JUANOFHONOR: Jade vs. Naomi has been the most personal feud in a while in the WWE. I felt the feud has accomplished its purpose, and it is time to take it to the next level. I would love for Naomi to win this, but I think that she will have her big moment (and hopefully I do not jinx it) when she cashes in (preferably over Jade). So in this case I’ll go with Jade for the win. WINNER – Jade Cargill
GEO: Naomi’s winning here! And with this added stipulation, she WILL run her over once again! I said what I said! WINNER – Naomi
PHONIE: To echo what everyone else has been saying—Naomi is doing the best work of her career right now. This is a fun gimmick vs. gimmick match: Ms. MITB vs. the Queen of the Ring. But with Jade locked in for a SummerSlam title shot, I just don’t see her taking a loss here (Naomi better get the last laugh though). WINNER – Jade Cargill
NICK: For me, all signs point to Jade. Which would mean that Naomi would get the last laugh eventually with a cash in. However, I wouldn’t mind Naomi winning here and them being 1 and 1 to get that third match. But with Jade heading to SummerSlam a lost here would just knock the wind out of her sails, so I feel she has to win. I do think we see Bianca returning here though and likely choosing a side. WINNER – Jade Cargill
Battle Royal
Surprisingly, a build for a Battle Royal is often non existent, but this one has been fluffed and presented nicely. Especially thanks to NXT. There are 20 names already announced, and in order to keep it under 30 (to avoid it being hitting the Royal Rumble territory) there’s probably only a handful of surprises in store. Hopefully!
JUANOFHONOR: This one is hard to predict since I do not even know all the participants that will be in the match (prediction made prior to more participants being announced). Obviously, the fact that only two women have gotten vignettes on the main roster for the battle royal makes me think that it could go between the fearless icon Nikki Bella and lucha icon Stephanie Vaquer. Personally I would take either for this match or maybe a surprise return and win for the EST; as long as it does not feel like a bathroom break and we get a good amount of women and time, I am happy. WINNER – Nikki Bella or Stephanie Vaquer
GEO: I don’t know who could even win this given the amount of options. But right in the focal center of this pay-per-view, I have to choose the poster woman, Nikki Bella. WINNER: Nikki Bella
PHONIE: The first Evolution Battle Royal was a show-stealer, and I’m expecting another gem here. Nikki’s been announced, but I actually think she’s better suited for the tag division—or even a strong mid-card singles run. As for the winner? I’m going with Stephanie Vaquer. WINNER: Stephanie Vaquer
NICK: Before we found out that Nikki was in it, I was def going with Stephanie. However, this just seems to have Nikki written all over it. And say what you want, but I feel Nikki should have won at the first Evolution and became Raw Women’s Champion. WINNER – Nikki Bella
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match
Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Sol Ruca & ZARIA vs. The Kabuki Warriors
With all things considered, this match got a little nice final bump on this week’s SmackDown. The Fatal Four way between one member of each team was a nice way to tease the match on Sunday. It also gave some interactions we haven’t seen before such as Zaria and Sol mixing it up with the main roster ladies.
JUANOFHONOR: I love multiwoman matches, including the tag matches. I feel the fatal four-way tag match is or will be as quintessential as a divas battle royal, so I am always excited when we get them. I am not that mad at the made-up teams that are common for the tag division; I have always felt that they would rather have bigger single stars play tag team than actual tag teams, especially for big premium event matches. I would love for Kairi and Asuka to win as babyfaces, and I honestly do not mind any of these teams winning. I just see the Judgement Day, with Raquel and Roxanne winning at least one match as a team and as champions before losing the titles. WINNERS – Roxanne & Raquel
GEO: It’s an interesting situation, but I do see Roxanne and Raquel retaining here because there is still that story to tell with Liv. If and when Liv comes back, I do think a successful defense at Evolution could tell a really great story. Sometimes the best wrestling stories come from complete accidents. WINNERS – Roxanne and Raquel
PHONIE: The Kabuki Warriors reuniting? Huge win for the division. I wouldn’t be mad if they won. Charlotte and Alexa have great chemistry, but it’s too soon to give them gold—there’s more story to tell. Sol and Zaria are on a collision course for the NA title, so no need to muddy that with tag belts. All things considered, I think the champs retain. WINNERS – Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez
NICK: This one is definitely between two teams I see winning. On one hand, Judgment Day has all the gold now, so Roxanne and Raquel losing here would set that back. On the other hand I can’t see a power team of Charlotte and Alexa losing. I am gonna go with the latter. WINNERS – Charlotte and Alexa
NXT Women’s Championship:
Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
There’s so much on the line here as the winner has the chance to make history and become the first-ever NXT Women’s and TNA Knockouts Champion. The winner here will be facing Masha Slamovich in a Title vs. Title match. So will it be someone who already has held the title in Jordynne or is Jacy going to get the biggest push of her career?
JUANOFHONOR: This match is the least predictable for me mostly because I do not think there is a lot of logic storyline-wise in their decisions in regard to call-ups, releases, and what they do with their talent, so I think it could go either way. I do not want Jacy to lose the title just yet, and for some reason I do not see Jordynne competing in Slammiversary, so I will go with Jacy Jane for the win. WINNER – Jacy Jayne
GEO: It’s so interesting and exciting that this specific match leads up into TNA’s Slammiversary. That being said, I don’t know if Jordynne can afford another loss here. But yet again, Jacy’s riding this momentum in both programs. I think Ms. Fatal Influence has it here. WINNER – Jacy Jayne
PHONIE: Jacy’s NXT Women’s Title reign has been gag-worthy in the best way—those surprise slaps are timed just right. Still, her win felt like a transitional move to get the title on Jordynne without compromising Stephanie. I don’t love seeing experienced performers like Grace kept in developmental, but I still think she walks out with the gold. WINNER – Jordynne Grace
NICK: I can see this going several ways, but it is such a unique situation with so much on the line and that makes it more exciting. I don’t want Jacy to lose the title yet, but I don’t see her going over Masha in the long run. As for Jordynne, I can see her winning but that’s something we’ve seen several times of her vs. Masha. So, I think Jacy will retain here and Jordynne will head to the main roster. WINNER – Jacy Jayne
WWE Women’s Championship
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Trish Stratus
The top two titles definitely are relying heavily on their history. Stratton and Stratus have been team Tiffy and Trishy in the past, and besides the fact that they do have respect for one another, Trish is ready for her 8th title reign. This is definitely about the past meeting the future.
JUANOFHONOR: I love seeing legends and hall of famers involved with the newer talent. Even if the newer generations sometimes do not seem to be ready one hundred percent for the rub, it is still a great opportunity for them to grow as performers. I do not think Trish will win, so I will go with Tiffanny. Still, I cannot help but wish for Trish to get another title reign down the line. WINNER – Tiffany Stratton
GEO: As much as I would love to see Trish become an 8-time Women’s Champion after all this time, they are strapping a rocket onto Tiffany all the way to the Tiffy Top. WINNER – Tiffany Stratton
PHONIE: I saw a comment when this match was announced that really stuck with me: while Tiffany is great, she’s not yet at the point in her career where she should be going over Trish Stratus. I couldn’t agree more. I’m picking with my heart on this one, and I don’t care if I’m wrong. WINNER – Trish Stratus
NICK: I’m wrong. WINNER – Trish Stratus
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship — Triple Threat Match:
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria
Outside of Naomi and Jade, this feud has the most layers and is the most exciting. The build has been there since Becky’s return and attack on Bayley at Mania. Having Lyra working with two future hall of famers has been a joy to watch and she has stepped up and excelled here.
JUANOFHONOR: This triple threat could main event the show, and It would not feel out of place. I think it could very well open the show to start strong. A lot of people shit on Lyra, Bayley, and even Becky, and yet they always deliver when given the opportunity, so I will be happy with anyone winning, but I would love for Bayley to get one more moment as champion. WINNER – Bayley
GEO: I think this feud is interesting, but I’ve always thought the end result was to put Lyra over as much as possible. I believe that this is the plan all along ever since Wrestlemania. Bayley and Becky are quite possibly the best people to put her in that spotlight. WINNER -Lyra
PHONIE: This has had the best buildup on the card, no question—it should open or close the show. With reports that Becky’s filming a new FX series, it feels like the title is coming off her. Lyra and Bayley are both worthy, but after what happened at WrestleMania…WINNER – Bayley
NICK: I can see it going any which way to be honest, and that’s what makes it so exciting. With Lyra standing tall on Raw, I think it will come down to Bayley winning or Becky retaining. I think Bayley may just take this because Becky isn’t opposed to having shorter reigns. WINNER – Bayley
Women’s World Championship:
IYO SKY (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Much like the Tiffany vs. Trish match, this match is purely on their history. The whole year has been IYO and Rhea so far with Bianca sprinkled in. IYO took the belt off of Rhea in early March and has defeated her to retain the title at Mania which also included Bianca. Rhea has yet to defeat IYO.
JUANOFHONOR: Upset wins have been a surprising highlight for me this year, from Jacy Jane in NXT to Iyo winning the world title before WrestleMania. And every single time I see Iyo Sky, whether in a vignette, a backstage segment, or a match, I enjoy it thoroughly, but yet I feel that the main beneficiary of this title reign has been Rhea Ripley, as Iyo being Rhea Achilles heel is the leading (if not only) storyline so far for Iyo’s reign. So after so many wins, I cannot see Iyo pinning Rhea again; maybe they will save Iyo vs. Asuka for another time. WINNER – Rhea
GEO: I don’t foresee Iyo dropping the title anytime soon. Let alone, I am still unsure how another Rhea reign could benefit her at this very moment. There’s still a lot to be done with Iyo and this reign, I feel, even if Rhea takes that fall. WINNER – Iyo Sky
PHONIE: I’m torn here. Iyo’s reign post-WrestleMania has felt lackluster, but I’m also not itching for another long title run from Rhea. That said, Ripley vs. Vaquer is a money match, and all signs point to that being the next big program. WINNER – Rhea Ripley
NICK: Another match that could really go either way. I definitely think we are getting Iyo vs. Asuka next, but will the title be involved? What would be next for Rhea if she loses here again? I want Iyo to retain and move on to Asuka. WINNER – Iyo
Evolution starts at 7 PM ET on Sunday July 13. Be right here to discuss the show live with Diva Dirt!!