4 winners from Evolution 2018 who are no longer in WWE

WWE Evolution is back! The historic premium live event will be taking place for the second time ever in just over a week on Sunday, July 13. The show is already shaping up to be fantastic.

The inaugural event in 2018 was also quite interesting. While it might not have had a strong card as the modern version offers, it featured some of the best and brightest of the era. Tons of big names and stars of the future were highlighted.

In fact, several names who competed in the 2018 edition are no longer with the company. This includes a handful of winners from the inaugural event. This article will take a look at four winners from the first Evolution Premium Live Event who are no longer working for World Wrestling Entertainment.

#4. Toni Storm won big at Evolution 2018

Toni Storm was a big name in developmental for WWE. She is a former Mae Young Classic winner and was the second-ever NXT UK Women's Champion. Storm was also incredibly popular on NXT.

At the inaugural WWE Evolution, she went one-on-one with Io Shirai. Of course, the latter would go on to become IYO SKY on the company's main roster. Toni defeated SKY in the finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic Tournament at the event.

Today, Toni competes as "Timeless" Toni Storm in All Elite Wrestling. She asked for her release from World Wrestling Entertainment at the end of 2021 and has become one of the faces of the second-largest wrestling promotion in the United States.

#3. Shayna Baszler made audiences angry at the first event

Shayna Baszler is a former mixed martial artist who is a two-time NXT Women's Champion and a former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion. Many fans expected Baszler to hold a world championship on the main roster, but that never happened.

The Queen of Spades had a big night at WWE Evolution 2018. She went one-on-one with Kairi Sane with the NXT Women's Championship on the line. Much to the dismay of the crowd, she won after about 12 minutes to dethrone the fan favorite.

While fans were not happy with Baszler's win, she went on to stay with World Wrestling Entertainment for nearly seven more years. Unfortunately, she was released by the promotion in May 2025, and her future in the industry isn't quite clear.

#2. Sasha Banks was victorious

Sasha Banks was one of WWE's biggest female stars. She won the NXT Women's Championship, the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships, and has also held tag team gold.

The Boss competed at the inaugural Evolution PLE via a six-woman tag team match. Banks, alongside Bayley and Natalya, defeated The Riott Squad's Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott, and Liv Morgan after around 13 minutes. She later walked out of the company in 2022.

These days, Sasha competes as Mercedes Mone in All Elite Wrestling. She has won numerous titles both in and out of the company, so her successful career has continued even after leaving the Stamford-based promotion. While the spotlight on her might be dimmer due to a smaller audience, she is still on top.

#1. Ronda Rousey won the main event of WWE Evolution 2018

Ronda Rousey was one of the biggest stars in MMA history. She ended up making the jump to pro wrestling, where she managed to win the RAW and SmackDown Women's Titles, and the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship across two runs with the promotion.

The Baddest Woman on the Planet was in the main event of Evolution 2018. She defended the RAW Women's Championship against Nikki Bella and defeated the WWE Hall of Famer in about 14 minutes. The match wasn't the best of the night by any stretch, and the decision to make it the last bout has been questioned by fans.

Today, Ronda is no longer wrestling, nor is she fighting professionally. She did release a book and has been somewhat outspoken about her time with WWE, but has otherwise seemingly focused on her family.