Well, the show wasn’t built as a classic, but by the time the smoke cleared on the second WWE Evolution event in history, that’s pretty close to what they had.
A very hot crowd, popular characters, and strong in-ring work made the night that culminated in a Money in the Bank cash-in by Naomi to win the world championship.
If the audience was tired, they didn’t show it and each match on the card resonated. They all clicked in their own way, which made for a tremendously fun and memorable night.
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. Period.
Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Bayley - WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Just fantastic. High energy and the action kept the audience’s investment the entire way. The crowd bit on all the near falls and drama that all three women created. As for the work, it was crisp and clean throughout with Valkyria showing an added step. She was the MVP.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO 1/4
Jacy Jayne vs. Jordynne Grace - NXT Women’s Championship
A good match, but nowhere near the level of the opening contest. The match was built around the Blake Monroe heel turn, but that was executed in a less than ideal way. By the end of it, you couldn’t tell whether or not Monroe meant to hit Grace with the title belt or not. I think she did, but it wasn’t clear enough and didn’t get the heat it could have if it were defined better.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Sol Ruca & Zaria vs. The Kabuki Warriors - WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
Strong action and even better character work from Flair and Bliss. They were the highlights here even if they didn’t win. Sol Ruca had her moment to shine and made the most of it, but Rodriguez and Perez needed the win and they got it.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4
Tiffany Stratton vs. Trish Stratus - WWE Women’s Championship
A blast of a match. Stratus looked great and kept up with Stratton the entire way. She missed a couple spots, but nothing that took the audience out of the story. Stratton hit all her athletic spots with ease and now has a Hall of Famer notch on her belt as champion.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO
Naomi vs. Jade Cargill - No Holds Barred
Exactly what it needed to be. This had plenty of WWE style violence with tables and other weapons and it worked to showcase how much both women hated each other. The question would always be on the booking here, but Cargill getting the win made sense. She’s on a path to face Stratton at Summerslam and needs all the momentum she can get. Smart.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/2
WWE Evolution Battle Royal - Women’s World Championship opportunity at Clash in Paris on the line
Your standard WWE Battle Royal. It had a Kofi Kingston save spot and everything else that your typical WWE battle royal bouts have. Stephanie Vaquer looked the best in the match and got the chance to do the most cool stuff too. Her winning and getting a title shot was the only way to go if you weren’t going to go with Nikki Bella.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO
Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley - WWE Women’s World Championship
The match of the night and tremendous pro wrestling on display. This had it all. High stakes, high energy, an invested crowd, characters with chemistry, performers with chemistry, and exciting action. Sky and Ripley appropriately told the story of Ripley not being able to beat Sky and it manifested in respectful fighting and downright vicious fighting. Wonderful work that deserved a conclusion. Which brings me to the Naomi cash-in. It was without a doubt very cool, but it hurt the match because it left the match without a finish. That said, Naomi deserves this run because of the strong heel work she’s been doing and the crowd ate up seeing it live.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO 1/2
What did you think of WWE Evolution 2? Let us know in the comments!
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