Thanks to rajah.com reader Steve Diamond for sending in these results:
Small but excited crowd at PNC Arena (the annual NC State Fair is going on outside and all but the half-full lower bowl is tarped off.)
Paige welcomed the crowd by prerecorded video. Byron is ring announcer.
1. New Day (Kofi/Big E w/Xavier) vs The Bar. Crowd was hot for this one. New Day retains. Great, high energy opener.
2. Aiden English (way over as heel) beat Ty Dillinger (no reaction). Good job by English with both vocal performance and in ring technique.
WWE Evolution promos (taped and live)
3. IIconics (crickets and hard to understand during promo) vs Asuka (good pop) and Lana. Repeated back and forth but the crowd was not really into it and it was a pretty boring and mediocre match. Asuka (head and shoulders above the other three) got the win vis Asuka lock.
4. No reaction for SAnitY (Wolfe/Young) vs Anderson/Gallows (good pop for them and their “Too Sweet” and “nerds!” chants). Anderson/Gallows with the Magic Killer on Wolfe for the win. Crowd got into this one.
5. Rusev (huge pop) vs Shelton (some pop) Benjamin. Dueling “Let’s Go Rusev” and “Let’s Go Shelton” chants to start the match so Shelton began acting like a heel, flexing/posing, leaving the ring, running away, etc. and establish the roles. Good match with Aiden coming to ringside as Rusev locked in the Accolade on Benjamin. Rusev released, chased English out one side, back in another and was met with Shelton’s kick to the face. Benjamin got a 2 count before Rusev powered out, superkicked Benjamin and got the pin for the win. Aiden fled. Crowd was happy with this one.
6. Naomi (big pop for her entrance and her doing the “floss”) vs Becky Lynch (mixed reaction) for the Womens’ championship. Great match with and crowd was engaged. Naomi tapped out to the dis-arm-her.
Intermission
7. Carmella acc. by R-Truth (both rapping throughout the entrance) vs Zelina Vega. Crowd into this one. Pops for Carmella/Truth and heat for Vega. Good match. Pacing and ring work was effective and Vega submitted to Carmella’s Code of Silence finisher.
8. Jeff Hardy vs Nakamura for US Championship. Huge hometown pop for Hardy, heel heat and no singalong during Shinsuke’s music. Great response whenever Hardy mimicked Shinsuke’s antics and lots of “delete” chants. Hot match. Crowd was electric and energy was aided by the noise from the fireworks outside/above the arena. Hardy hit the twist of fate, went up top to attempt a swanton but Shinsuke kicked him down, whipped him across the ring and hit the Kinshasa for the win. Great sendoff for Hardy from the crowd who circled the ring for high fives, hugs, and selfies.
9. Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles No DQ for the WWE Championship. “Cool Heel” pop and “Joe” chants for Samoa Joa. AJ’s entrance ignited the crowd. This one was a brawl, in and out of the ring, up and down the ramp and included a kendo stick, a chair, and a table. Joe set the table in the corner and laid AJ against it. AJ ducked out of the way and Joe obliterated the table. AJ hit the superman punch for the pin and the win.
Excellent show!
Biggest Pops
Hardy
AJ
R-Truth/Carmella
Crickets:
Illconics
Dillinger
No Orton, no Almas, no Usos, no Charlotte, no Miz, no Bryan but still a strong fun show.