WWE Evolution returns this weekend. AEW star Kris Statlander takes home EVE gold. Gemma Jewels chats with WrestleZone, and more!
WWE Evolution Preview
The card for WWE‘s second-ever all-women’s premium live event is set, and so are the women’s wrestling fans.
WWE Evolution 2 will take over Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Sunday night with a total of seven matches, five of which center on championships. Amongst them, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus will challenge Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship, just four months after the two teamed together at Elimination Chamber.
Meanwhile, IYO SKY will defend the WWE Women’s World Championship against Rhea Ripley, whom she initially took the title from on WWE Raw in March. SKY went on to defeat both Ripley and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 41, though that hasn’t stopped Ripley from seeking a one-on-one rematch, which SKY later served her up on a silver platter.
Who will walk out of WWE Evolution this Sunday as Women's World Champion when IYO SKY defends against RHEA RIPLEY?
— WWE (@WWE) July 8, 2025
? ATLANTA
?️ https://t.co/EeVPiItep9 pic.twitter.com/LfhqIFOCBG
Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch will also be in action as she puts her title on the line against Lyra Valkyria and Bayley. The three have been entangled with one another since WrestleMania 41 weekend, when Lynch mysteriously attacked Bayley ahead of her and Valkyria’s tag team title opportunity. In Bayley’s absence, Lynch and Valkyria enjoyed a 24-hour reign as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Afterward, “The Man” turned on Valkyria and dethroned her as Women’s IC Champion at Money in the Bank.
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, which Valkyria and Lynch lost to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, will also be defended. In this case, Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez, stepping in for an injured Morgan, will have not one, not two, but three pairs of challengers — Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, Asuka and Kairi Sane, and WWE NXT’s Sol Ruca and Zaria.
Battle Royal, No Holds Barred, & Title Match With TNA Implications
Elsewhere at Evolution, talents of the past, present, and future will collide in a battle royal in which the winner earns a world championship match at WWE Clash In Paris in August. As of this writing, WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella is the only legend confirmed for the bout, though more are expected to take part.
WWE NXT will present a group of six names: Izzi Dame, Kelani Jordan, Lola Vice, Lash Legend, Jaida Parker, and Tatum Paxley. Representatives from the main roster include Natalya, Maxxine Dupri, Ivy Nile, Candice LeRae, Nia Jax, Zelina Vega, Stephanie Vaquer, and Women’s United States Champion Giulia.
In a WrestleMania 41 rematch, WWE SmackDown stars Jade Cargill and Naomi will battle once more, this time with No Holds Barred. Naomi attacked Cargill last November, leaving her out of action for several months. Still, Cargill bounced back with a counter attack against Naomi at Elimination Chamber, then a win at “The Shows of Shows.”
.@Jade_Cargill will get an opportunity to settle the score with Naomi at #WWEEvolution ?
— WWE (@WWE) July 5, 2025
?️ https://t.co/EeVPiItMeH pic.twitter.com/pOw2eZ7DA6
Rounding out Evolution is an NXT Women’s Championship match between Jordynne Grace and reigning titleholder Jacy Jayne. Fans will have a preview of Jayne vs. Grace the day before as they enter on opposite sides of a tag match at NXT Great American Bash. While Jayne sides with her Fatal Influence comrade Fallon Henley, Grace has found a partner in newcomer Blake Monroe (formerly Mariah May in AEW).
Whoever walks out of Evolution as the NXT Women’s Champion has another challenge ahead of them as they will face TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich at TNA Slammiversary on July 20. This contest will be title vs. title.
RELATED: Saraya Comments On Potentially Appearing At WWE Evolution
Kris Statlander Wins EVE Gold
AEW star Kris Statlander made her Pro-Wrestling EVE debut in grand fashion last weekend.
For this occasion, Statlander challenged Anita Vaughan for the EVE International Championship. Vaughan previously unseated Skye Smitson for the title in April, with a successful title defense over Lucia Lee coming shortly after. Unfortunately for Vaughan, that would be her only one as Statlander emerged victorious at EVE Mean Grrrls on July 4.
With this win, Statlander begins her first reign as EVE International Champion, and her first non-AEW reign in four years. This weekend, Statlander will look to seize another title match when she competes in the Women’s Casino Gauntlet at AEW All In, with the winner earning a future AEW Women’s Championship match.
AND NEWWWWW!!!
— Will Ospreay • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) July 4, 2025
EVE International Champion @callmekrisstat @ProWrestlingEVE pic.twitter.com/AMgiopWJxB
Elsewhere at Mean Grrrls, Big Beefy Bitches (Emersyn Jayne and Rhio) defeated Hard Up North (Harley Hudson and Lucy Sky) to become the new EVE Tag Team Champions. Safire Reed also bested fellow former EVE Champion Nina Samuels in a Fight To The Finish.
TNA Wrestling’s Myla Grace marked her return to EVE in a singles bout against Skye Smitson, though she fell short. Meanwhile, Zoe Lucas defeats Millie McKenzie, Ollie Fern, and Sadie Gibbs in a fatal-four-way of absolute chaos.
Looking ahead, EVE will host Hit Me With Your Best Chop on August 1. Following that, AEW star Julia Hart and Skye Blue will take part in Eve x The World on August 23, which takes place the same weekend as AEW Forbidden Door.
RELATED: Anita Vaughan Reflects On Will Ospreay’s Pedigree on ‘Triple H’ Going Viral
INTERVIEWS
Deep South Women’s Champion Gemma Jewels spoke with WrestleZone’s Ella Jay about claiming the title after 40 years of vacancy, meeting former titleholder Joyce Grable, training with Eric Adamz and Nick Patrick, excitement for WWE Evolution in Atlanta, a spontaneous encounter with LA Knight & Bianca Belair, wrestling as Sailor Moon, and trips to the Dominican Republic.
Former WWE Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair chatted with WrestleZone about criticism of her “always” being in the title picture, the pressures of being in that position, wanting to be a babyface again, why she didn’t do it upon her WWE return, what she wants people to focus on more.
Former AEW and WWE star Saraya sat down with Chris Van Vliet to discuss the decision behind leaving AEW and what’s next, her current contract status, a potential return to WWE, wanting to wrestle as Paige again, being cleared to wrestle after suffering a career ending neck injury, the movie “Fighting With My Family” being made based on her life, winning the Divas Championship on her main roster debut, and more.
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm joined Denise Salcedo to talk about her heated feud with Mercedes Moné ahead of their All In showdown, iconic career moments, her glamorous, larger-than-life persona, friendship with Mina Shirakawa, feud with Mariah May, and more.
Former NWA star Missa Kate talked with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful about working on the independent wrestling circuit, leaving the National Wrestling Alliance, her most viewed YouTube clips, the hardest hit she has ever given in the ring, being a Chicago Cubs fan, and more.
