You know, I have to be a negative Joe here. I’m very disappointed in the build to Evolution II. I actually thought that the first show was quite good with the Becky/Charlotte Last Woman Standing match being a classic, but WWE has barely put any effort into most of these matches.
This should be a good show, but I’m concerned that this might be a flop financially because it’s obvious that the purpose of Evolution II is mainly to screw with AEW. That’s just the way business is so I wouldn’t go into a tangent about that, but it would’ve been nice to craft some strong stories that showcase how diverse these women really are.
Like I said, there’s some solid stories going in, but Evolution II feels like a throwaway event that should actually feel special. Nevertheless, now that the ranting is over, let’s get started with the first match.
WWE Women’s World Championship match: Iyo Sky (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
I genuinely don’t know who is going to win here. Sky’s title reign has consisted of Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair. That’s it. Clearly, Liv Morgan was going to challenge Sky for the title, but she went down with an unfortunate injury. I don’t see Sky keeping the belt for long, which is sad because she’s done an excellent job as a babyface this year.
But I don’t see the point in giving Ripley the win here. They killed a potential challenger like Roxanne Perez during that mini tag feud earlier this year. I guess there’s Stephanie Vaquer, but she’s also a babyface. Maybe…Scarlett? I don’t know. But it’s pointless to give the belt back to Rhea.
It would actually be better for her to go down and feud with Becky for the I.C. title a bit. Or, putting Rhea onto the Smackdown brand could do her some good. I don’t know who will challenge for the women’s title at Summerslam. It’s possible that these two could have one final match at Summerslam with a stipulation attached to it, but then that would mean a screwy finish here.
Honestly, this should have a clean end with another name stepping forward and challenging Iyo at Summerslam. My focus is on Clash at the Castle and spoiler alert, I think Stephanie Vaquer is winning that match. Stephanie and Iyo have unfinished business, and I see WWE going in that direction. It wouldn’t be impossible if Rhea won here, but…why? Rhea is awesome and she can have secondary feuds that don't revolve around a title.
Winner: Iyo Sky
WWE Women’s Championship match: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Trish Stratus
You, me, and the homeless guy in front of Dunkin Donuts can easily guess who wins here. There’s a slight possibility that Trish wins and Naomi cashes in minutes after, but this match feels way too random for WWE to give Trish such a huge win, even if it’s meant to last for a couple of minutes. Tiffy time isn’t ending just yet.
Winner: Tiffany Stratton
NXT Women’s Championship match: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
I instantly had Jacy Jayne’s name written down, but I’m not too sure as of now. On one hand, if WWE wanted to give Grace the title then why not have her beat Stepahnie Vaquer? That makes so much more sense. Add in that there’s a rivalry between Jacy and Blake Monroe currently going and then the decision seems obvious.
But…another loss (even protected) damages Grace a bit. Granted, she doesn’t NEED the NXT Women’s Championship. In fact, I’m stunned that she didn’t join Vaquer, Perez, and Giulia on the main roster. Plus, there’s the TNA title vs. title match the following week and I can see Grace going in representing NXT. Jacy’s feud with Blake is on a personal level, so they can have their match and the former AEW Women’s World Champion can move on.
But there’s so much more in favor of Jacy that triumphs anything with Grace. I have to admit, if the title changes hands then WWE cleverly made it seem like this match was a foregone conclusion as there’s multiple red herrings. I’m going with Grace here. I think Slamovich is losing at Slammiversary and I can see Grace two-belts more than Jacy. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was wrong, but it is a good thing that this match isn’t as predictable as it started out to be.
Winner: Jordynne Grace
WWE Women’s Tag team title match: Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. a Raw team vs. an NXT team
It doesn’t matter who the other teams will be because it comes down to the two teams that have already been named. I originally had Raquel and Roxanne penciled down when the match was first announced. WWE has this all gold Judgment Day thing going and I can see it running for a while.
But, WWE has sort of been building towards this Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair alliance for a while now. Plus, WWE has a history of putting two top stars together and giving them a run with the belts. Charlotte and Alexa have nothing going on in the singles division. There seemed to be an interesting story with Charlotte going on a losing streak, but sadly, WWE opted to not go in that route. I don’t know what the hell Alexa is doing with the Wyatts anymore. There’s continuous teases but their alliance still seems so far away. Strange. Then again, WWE has been teasing a break-up between Austin Theory and Grayson Waller for nearly two years so I guess this is the norm for them.
I really hope that Alexa and Charlotte DON'T win the belts because there’s interesting feuds for these two to have as singles stars. Hell, a feud between these two could be great if done correctly. I do see that happening soon, but after a brief title run. However, I don’t see that starting here. Likely, Judgment Day is going to do their Judgment Day thing with numerous interference that results in Raquel and Roxanne retaining. It wouldn’t surprise me if the title changed hands, but I feel that will be saved for Summerslam.
Winner: Raquel Rodriquez and Roxanne Perez
Triple Threat match for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Bayley vs. Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria
I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the match of the night. This is the best feud on the card. Though Lyra and Bayley looked like immature children last week, the heat surrounding the I.C. title match has been quite strong and I’m looking forward to seeing what these three can do.
Becky doesn’t need the I.C. belt, so there is a legitimate possibility that her reign ends here. But it wouldn’t go to Lyra as she’s already had her time with it. I do see Bayley eventually winning the I.C. title, but not anytime soon. Becky is just getting started and I do think putting her in the mid card can do wonders for new talents. Plus, it would be fun to see her mix it up with Kairi Sane, Asuka, and Rhea Ripley again.
I don’t know where Becky Lynch goes from here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they reignited her feud with Rhea Ripley. They could do a Bayley rematch with a stipulation attached as well. Either way, “The Man” isn’t dropping the title here.
Winner: Becky Lynch
No Holds Barred match: Jade Cargill vs. Naomi
Jade Cargill. There’s no way that Jade is going to look weak heading into her title match in two weeks. Plus, WWE has this asinine mindset where they beat the Money in the Bank winners like a drum, but everything is okay because they’re holding the briefcase. I can't believe that the company doesn’t see how bad that type of booking actually is. Thankfully, Seth Rollins isn’t getting that treatment. Hopefully, Naomi doesn't either. Though her possibily losing here doesn't boost my confidence that she won't. Naomi will get a win over Jade Cargill eventually, but likely because of a cash in. I can definitely see Naomi cashing in on Jade after her win at Summerslam. But here, her purpose is to make Jade look good.
Winner: Jade Cardgill
Battle royal for a shot at a championship at the Clash in Paris event
This is the get every woman on the card match. Only one person has talked about this match, Stephanie Vaquer; that’s most likely the winner here. Nobody from NXT is winning since the title match is taking place on a main roster show.
I suppose WWE could take a risk by having a NXT star challenge for a main roster belt, but WWE needs to establish that the NXT newcomers are main event level talents and they’ve done that with Roxanne and Giulia. I can see Stephanie Vaquer winning the title at the Clash in Paris show. The time feels right and it opens the door for plenty of fresh match-ups.
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer