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Evolution, WWE's historic first ever all women's pay-per-view is destined to go down as one of the most memorable wrestling related events of all time.
Not only is this the first all female pay-per-view; but, this is arguably the most talented female card in history. Featuring today's stars and the greatest stars of yesteryear, Evolution is a clash of eras and generations.
With a superb build up, perhaps the most talked about and eagerly anticipated match of the event is Nikki Bella vs Ronda Rousey, who will tangle for the RAW Women's Championship. Bella, the star of the hit reality series Total Divas and the longest reigning Divas Champion in history, is closely identified with the Divas Era, a time period that leaves a bad taste in Ronda Rousey's mouth. Rousey has promised to end the Divas Era and Nikki Bella once and for all.
Charlotte Flair will attempt to rip the SmackDown Women's Championship from her former best friend Becky Lynch in a historic Last Woman Standing Match; but, how will Flair's legendary father, Ric Flair, effect the outcome of the match?
That's not all Evolution offers. This year's Mae Young Classic winner will be decided, as Toni Storm and Io Shirai clash in the finals of the talent heavy tournament. Legends will clash with the arrogant heel Alicia Fox, as she teams with Mickie James to square off against the team of Lita and Trish Stratus. Then there's Kairi Sane's NXT Women's Championship defense against Shayna Baszler, as well as an over-the-top-rope battle royal and more.
In our special Evolution preview, we unpack all Evolution has to offer and give our predictions for every single match, as well. Join us for WWE Evolution: Final Card & Predictions.
Sasha Banks, Bayley, & Natalya vs The Riott Squad
Betting Line: The Riott Squad (-175) over Bayley, Banks, & Natalya (+125)
In a match that was quickly put together with little build, this one leaves all of us scratching our heads. After months of feuding, we never got our big Bayley vs Sasha Banks match and inexplicably, they were suddenly friends again, as if their big backstage assaults had never taken place.
Natalya has been tied at the hip with Ronda Rousey, since Rousey's main roster debut. Rousey even credits Neidhart with being instrumental in her pro wrestling training; but, Natalya is stuck teaming with Bayley & Banks, two women that have nothing to do with her storyline arc.
Look for The Riott Squad, a team with actual chemistry, to take advantage of the odd trio and utilize their lack of cohesiveness against them to attain a pinfall victory with relative ease.
Winners: The Riott Squad
Battle Royal
Betting Odds: Ember Moon (+300), Asuka (+300), Nia Jax (+475), Naomi (+475), Carmella (+700)
While WWE has received some criticism for lazy booking, the Battle Royal allows a number of women to participate in an already stacked Evolution card and all of these women deserve to be featured on this historic show.
This includes returning legends like WWE Hall of Famers Alundra Blayze & Ivory, as well as Michelle McCool, Molly Holly, Torrie Wilson and Maria Kanellis.
In a stacked field such as this, picking a favorite can be difficult business, which is why Vegas doesn't have a clear favorite for this one. Nia Jax absolutely must be considered.
She is stronger than any other competitor in the ring and dwarfs the rest of the field with her massive physical frame. Girth; however, has also proven to be a disadvantage in such matches, as the bigger Superstars often become a target for elimination by mob.
Jax knows that, so look for her to be prepared for any such group attacks; however, Jax will ultimately be eliminated by Tamina Snuka, as the two are already engaged in a budding feud.
Lana and Carmella also have to be considered favorites, as the two are packaged more in the vein of what Vince McMahon expects from female Superstars; traditionally beautiful, great on the microphone, and athletically gifted.
Still, they will have to get past a lot of talent, including Asuka and Ember Moon and that isn't all that likely to happen.
In the end, Moon and Asuka are too talented and too promising to not be there at the end of this bout. Look for them to be the final two Superstars remaining in this Battle Royal, leading to one hell of a finale.
Also look for WWE to repent of the way Asuka has been booked thus far. Asuka will inevitably eliminate the ultra talented Ember Moon to get the win and the eventual championship opportunity.
The victory will be the first step Asuka takes in reclaiming WWE dominance.
Winner: Asuka
Trish Stratus & Lita vs Alicia Fox & Mickie James
Betting Odds: Trish Stratus & Lita (-390) over Alicia Fox & Mickie James (+270)
Welcome to the ever changing match. First slated as a dream singles match between Alexa Bliss and Trish Stratus, the bout was inexplicably changed to a tag team match to include both Lita and Mickie James.
Then Bliss was pulled from the bout altogether due to post concussive syndrome. Enter Alicia Fox, usually a forgotten element on the main roster, to fill in for what should have been a huge pay-per-view match.
Given the circumstances of the bout, this match continues only for the purpose of nostalgia and will be centered around making returning WWE Hall of Famers, Lita and Trish Stratus, look good.
Be prepared for an astounding lack of chemistry between James and Fox, who are hardly The Legion of Doom. Eventually, James will grow tired of her partner's inability to carry her own weight and the two women will turn on each other.
Lita & Stratus get the obvious win here; but, at the conclusion of the bout, will welcome Mickie James as a fellow legend. The three women will get their due from the Uniondale, NY faithful and get a standing ovation curtain call to go with it.
Winners: Trish Stratus & Lita
NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler
Betting Odds: OFF
This feud began during last year's Mae Young Classic when Kairi Sane bested Shayna Baszler in the tournament's final round. Sane would be crowned the Mae Young Classic's inaugural winner and both women would head to NXT.
Despite Sane's victory, Baszler was the first to achieve NXT success, defeating Ember Moon for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. Baszler was a dominant champion, making her way through all challengers with relative ease, until a familiar opponent came along.
After a 133 day reign as NXT Women's Champion, Kairi Sane defeated Baszler at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4. Sane has held on to the title ever since much to Baszler's chagrin.
Look for Sane to do her very best to stay away from the stronger and more physically imposing Baszler. She will use her speed and aerial finesse to knock Baszler off guard; but, the game of wrestling keep away won't last forever.
Eventually, Baszler will get Sane in her grips and this time she won't let go, on her way to winning the NXT Women's Championship for the second time.
Winner and NEW NXT Women's Champion: Shayna Baszler
Mae Young Classic Finals: Io Shirai vs Toni Storm
Betting Odds: (-120) Io Shirai over Toni Storm (EVEN)
The second annual Mae Young Classic surpassed all hype and further solidified women's wrestling. There wasn't a subpar match in the entire tournament and this one won't disappoint either.
Australian native Toni Storm defeated some exceptional talent to reach the finals including; Jinny, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Mia Yim, and Meiko Satamura.
Already a legend, Japan's Io Shirai defeated; Xia Brookside, Zeuxis, Deonna Purrazzo, and Rhea Ripley. Now these two fierce competitors face one another for the coveted Mae Young Classic championship trophy.
Shirai doesn't need the Mae Young Classic to solidify her legacy. She already is a legend in Japan and has achieved household name status in her native country.
Storm, an Australian star, still has a lot to prove. After being ousted from last year's classic by eventual winner Kairi Sane, Storm returned a more fierce competitor and with a vengeance.
She is hellbent on capturing the Mae Young Classic trophy for herself and for her native country.
Look for a potential show stealer here and fans that have neglected watching the Mae Young Classic will be astounded by the skill level each of these performers bring to the ring. This will be a long match and an evenly skilled match; but, the WWE needs a name to carry its new NXT UK division.
Shirai will be just fine, if she doesn't win this one. She needs nothing further to cement her name or her legacy. Look for Storm to be just a little bit better than Shirai and capture her very first Mae Young Classic trophy.
Mae Young Classic Winner: Toni Storm
Last Woman Standing Match
SmackDown Women's Champ Becky Lynch vs Charlotte
Betting Odds: Becky Lynch (-185) over Charlotte Flair (+145)
These two women really don't like one another. Despite once being best friends, SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch grew tired of life in Charlotte's all encompassing shadow and in no uncertain terms, let Charlotte know it.
Lynch brutally turned on her best friend at SummerSlam and defeated her for the SmackDown Women's Champion at Hell In A Cell.
Charlotte tried to keep the friendship together. She really did. Despite the betrayal and despite Becky's obvious and near constant jealousy, she reached our her hand to congratulate her friend on the hard fought title victory; but, Lynch slapped it away and walked out of Hell In A Cell as the modern day "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
Since that time, these two can't be separated and not in the friendly way. Their brawls have become more heated, more intense, more unpredictable, and more dangerous. Recently, while teaching NXT students at the WWE Performance Center, Charlotte was interrupted by Lynch and the two engaged in a an old fashioned fight that was quite difficult to separate.
Don't expect a wrestling match at Evolution. These two aim, not to finesse their way to victory with technical prowess, but to tear each other apart. Charlotte is bigger, stronger, and more athletically gifted than Lynch; but, that won't matter here.
In a Last Woman Standing Match, look for the woman most willing do anything, as the clear favorite. Lynch is capable of any sort of evils in her quest to erase Charlotte Flair from the WWE landscape and she will use her blackened heart to her own advantage.
Charlotte's legendary father, Ric Flair, is scheduled to be in attendance for tonight's Evolution pay-per-view. Look for some sort of angle between Lynch and Ric Flair to give the SmackDown Women's Champion the clear upper hand.
Would Lynch stoop so low as to partner up with Charlotte's father? Of course. Why would Ric Flair do it? It was Charlotte, after all, who betrayed her own father and sent him home packing back in 2016. He hasn't been a regular on WWE television since.
Look for Becky Lynch's alliance with Ric Flair to aid in defeating Charlotte physically, emotionally, and mentally, as she hoists her SmackDown Women's Championship over her fallen friend.
Winner and STILL SmackDown Women's Champion: Becky Lynch
RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey vs Nikki Bella
Betting Odds: Ronda Rousey (-900) over Nikki Bella +500)
These two women despise each other. It's obvious. The promos they've each cut on one another have been particularly vicious. Ronda Rousey was the first to go after Nikki Bella in a deeply personal way, as she degraded the entire Divas Era and attributed any of Nikki's successes exclusively to her ex-fiance, John Cena.
Bella was no angel in the matter, either. Last week on RAW, she attacked Rousey's relationship with her own mother, and professed that Rousey's mom was already ashamed of her. Each of their social media accounts have been filled with hateful insults, as the build for the most eagerly anticipated match of Evolution intensifies past boiling point.
Nikki Bella is the longest reigning Divas Champion in history; but, she has never faced a Superstar as physically gifted as Ronda Rousey, who after mastering judo, has quickly mastered professional wrestling.
Rousey has proven to be an intelligent wrestler, capable of systematic attacks that focus on taking out a particular body part, usually the arm.
In Nikki's case; however, Rousey's focus, may be on the neck that nearly cost Nikki her in-ring career. Rousey's intelligence and sheer physical superiority won't allow Brie Bella, to be a factor in this match either. Expect Twin Magic; but, also expect Rousey to render it ineffective.
What Rousey has forgotten; however, is that her best friend Natalya was a big part of the Divas Era that Rousey has recently degraded. Natalya even co-stars with Bella on the hit E! reality series Total Divas and has done so since the show debuted in 2013.
Natalya very likely isn't keen on how Rousey is talking about the Divas Era, an era Natalya was very much a part of. Rousey's focus will be on countering Twin Magic; but, she won't expect a betrayal from her best friend.
Nikki Bella may be the most advantageous competitor in WWE history. Look for her to take advantage of Natalya's assistance and become the first woman to ever beat Ronda Rousey inside the wrestling ring.
Bella will prove, once and for all, that a Diva can go toe to toe with today's top star and even come out victorious.
Winner and NEW RAW Women's Champion: Nikki Bella
