WWE Evolution 2018 Preview and Predictions

Padraic Toolan and Brian Damage

Tonight the WWE holds Evolution, the first WWE pay-per-view to consist solely of women’s matches. Today on the blog, we preview and share our predictions ahead of the show.

Trish Stratus & Lita vs. Alexa Bliss & Mickie James

Padraic: It’s funny that they’re treating this like past vs. present when Mickie James is 39. Trish & Lita get the nostalgia win since Bliss can take a loss with no problem right now.

Winners: Trish and Lita

Brian: I think it is a no-brainer that Lita and Trish will win this “nostalgia” match. Alexa Bliss might not be medically cleared to compete and Alicia Fox might be her replacement which makes this choice a bit easier.

Winners: Trish Stratus and Lita

NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane

Padraic: I think Shayna Baszler is prepping for the main roster call-up. This should be the kiss-off to a great feud. Kairi Sane retains.

Winner: Kairi Sane

Brian: In my opinion, Shayna Bazler is the female version of Brock Lesnar. Not the Lesnar who sits out fr months at a time, but the beast of the women’s division. Kairi Sane already is one matchup on Bazler, so I can easily see Bazler win back the title here.

Winner: Shayna Bazler

Raw Women’s Championship match: Nikki Bella vs. Ronda Rousey

Padraic: Please. Does this one even need a debate? Ronda retains, and hopefully, the botch twins go the hell away.

Winner: Rousey

Brian: Good build up to this match although it was done in a short amount of time. Ronda Rousey should retain and do it in quick fashion. Well, maybe not that fast, but it would be a very good way to make Ronda look strong as champion.

Winner: Ronda Rousey

SmackDown Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing match: Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch

Padraic: This is a tough one to call. They seem to like to trade the women’s titles back and forth. I’d love to see Becky retain, I think what she’s and the title are doing for each other is terrific. I might flip-flop a few times between now and Saturday, but I’ll say Becky retains.

Winner: Becky

Brian: Becky Lynch has been so great and spot on as a heel champion. It would be a terrible shame if she should lose the Smackdown title here. On the other hand, Charlotte is the WWE’s poster girl for the Women’s Revolution so…

Winner: Charlotte Flair

Mae Young Classic Finals: Tony Storm vs. Io Shirai

Padraic: Another one that’s really tough to call. I think WWE would love to have Kairi Sane and Io Shirai win in back-to-back years and then feud in NXT. They already have the British market, they could see this as a pipeline into the Japanese market. Io Shirai wins.

Winner: Io Shirai

Brian: I would really love to pick Io Shirai here, but I have my doubts that WWE would pick another Japanese wrestler to win the Mae Young Classic. NXT UK is off and running and what better way to promote it than to have Storm win it and challenge Rhea Ripley for the NXT UK women’s title.

Winner: Toni Storm

Sasha Banks, Bayley, & Natalya vs. The Riott Squad

Padraic: I love the Riott Squad, and I think they need more wins. Initially, I wanted to say the faces win to get the pop, but I’m going to say the Riott Squad goes over.

Winners: The Riott Squad

Brian: The Riott Squad really needs this victory more than Natalya and Boss N Hug Connection does. I will go out on a limb and predict the Squad wins, but I am not at all confident of that.

Winners: The Riott Squad

Battle Royal

Padraic: Ember Moon, Asuka, Ember Moon, Asuka, Ember Moon, Asuka… I DON’T KNOW! It was the big feud in NXT, and Asuka went over every time. I’m picking Ember Moon.

Winner: Ember Moon

Brian: A battle royal is very hard to predict, so I am going to take a wild guess and say Nia Jax wins the battle royal. Why? Because she is supposedly the female answer to Andre the Giant….or so I have heard.

Winner: Nia Jax

Overall:

Padraic: I worry because the build this week was HORRIBLE. Stick every woman in the battle royal in the ring for a minute and a half, and that’s good enough, right? Would this carry over to the PPV? Would Vince think that just because they got their show that the match quality or length won’t matter? Man, I hope not. We should get tremendous matches from Tony Storm & Io Shirai and Charlotte & Becky, but I specifically worry about the Riott Squad match and the Lita/Trish – Alexa Mickie match. I want to have high hopes for those, but it’s hard given the history. I hope there’s some cool moments in the battle royal. The Baszler-Sane and Bella-Rousey matches could go either way.

Brian: The build up has sucked and only a couple of matches have any real meaning. Everything else was seemingly thrown together at the last minute. Not a really good way to have a so called “Historic” show….but I digress. Here’s hoping it can deliver.