WWE confirms more matches for Evolution 2. Mercedes Moné marks her 1000th career match. Who Runs The World talent lineup updates. Davienne speaks with WrestleZone and more!
Additional WWE Evolution Matches Made
Evolution, WWE’s all-women’s wrestling premium live event, will return on July 13, with talents from the past, present, and future on the card. WWE first confirmed an NXT Women’s title match between Jacy Jayne and Jordynne Grace. This week, a number of other matches were announced.
In the opening of WWE RAW, WWE Women’s World Champion IYO SKY revealed that she had permission to choose her challenger for Evolution 2. Ultimately, she handpicked Rhea Ripley, the very woman she defeated to claim the title back in March. Ripley has received a rematch for the championship on two occasions already, though one ended in a double disqualification. The other saw SKY pin Bianca Belair in a triple threat also involving Ripley at WrestleMania 41.
Will it be OFFICIAL for WWE Evolution?! pic.twitter.com/aeRaTf26rE
— WWE (@WWE) June 30, 2025
Elsewhere on WWE RAW, General Manager Adam Pearce agreed to let Roxanne Perez become a co-Women’s Tag Team Champion following injury to Liv Morgan, under the condition that she and Raquel Rodriguez defend the titles in a fatal-four-way at Evolution. Their opponents? One team from Raw, WWE SmackDown, and WWE NXT. The first challenging team will be unveiled on Friday’s edition of SmackDown, which was pre-taped.
Finally, Pearce and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis collaboratively announced a battle royal in which the winner would receive a world title shot at WWE Clash In Paris on August 31. Specific names have not been confirmed for this battle, though many expect them to represent multiple generations of WWE.
The Evolution opponent for WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton will come forward on Friday’s episode of SmackDown.
RELATED: WWE SmackDown Spoilers For 7/4 From Pittsburgh, PA
Lineup Update For Who Runs The World All-Women’s Wrestling Event
Next month, women from all across the United States will gather for the first show of Metroplex Wrestling’s regular women’s wrestling series.
Metroplex Wrestling, a weekly professional wrestling company based in Bedford, Texas, is co-owned by ROH Women’s Champion Athena, who recently announced the series as a passion project of hers. Metroplex’s first regular all-women’s event, titled Who Runs The World, will take place on Saturday, August 9, from the MPX Event Center in Bedford.
Prospective attendees of Who Runs The World received an update on the show’s talent lineup this week, courtesy of a promo video. So far, Metroplex confirmed the following wrestlers:
- Athena
- MPX Women’s Champion Reiza Clarke
- VertVixen
- Hyan
- Masha Slamovich
- Abadon
- Shay Karmichael
- Morgan Mercy
- Charity King
- The Moneybirds (Gigi Rey and Monica Monroe)
- Maya World
#MPXAddicts !!#WhoRunsTheWorld talent reveal!!
— Metroplex Wrestling (@MPXWrestling) June 30, 2025
&
Tickets for AUG 9th are on sale NOW at https://t.co/aObZPVkDUJ !!!
grab them before its too late!#MPX #WomensWrestling #ProWrestling #DFW pic.twitter.com/k1cfZoBrLU
More names will be announced in the coming weeks through Metroplex’s social media. In the meantime, Athena will prepare for her ROH Women’s World Championship defense against Thunder Rosa at ROH Supercard of Honor on July 11.
RELATED: Athena Gets Candid About Potentially Missing AEW All In: Texas
Mercedes Moné Marks 1000th Career Match
As AEW celebrated the 300th episode of Dynamite, Mercedes Moné marked an important milestone of her own, her 1000th career match.
For this occasion, Moné defended her title against Mina Shirakawa, with AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm looking on at ringside. The two last met in a triple threat affair at NJPW Resurgence, where AZM pinned Shirakawa to claim Moné’s NJPW STRONG Women’s title. This encounter on AEW Dynamite remained one-on-one, with Shirakawa unloading an offense of Figure Four submission, rolling elbows, knee strikes, and a Glamorous Driver.
In the closing moments, Shirakawa attempted another Figure Four leg lock. Moné, however, countered with a roll-up to retain the TBS title and mark her milestone match with a win.
Afterward, Storm checked on Shirakawa’s condition, only to find herself on the receiving end of a TBS Championship blow to her head with Moné responsible. Moné additionally threw champagne in the face of Luther, Storm’s butler. In the spirit of John Cena, Moné also told Storm that her time was up, as the time of “The CEO” is now.
Moné and Storm will collide over the AEW Women’s Championship at AEW All In on July 12. Moné earned this opportunity by defeating Jamie Hayter in the finals of the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament.
RELATED: Mercedes Moné Reflects On The Owen Hart Cup Tournament
INTERVIEWS
Indie veteran Davienne spoke with WrestleZone’s Ella Jay about her 18-month hiatus from wrestling, the mental and physical growth that came out of it, what motivated her to eventually come back to the ring, return matches against Mortar and Gabby Forza, preparing for her first bodybuilding competition, being married to GAL, the WWE ID program and GAL’s signing to it, future goals, and more.
AEW star Deonna Purrazzo chatted with MuscleManMalcolm about the ROH Pure Women’s Championship Tournament, why we haven’t seen her on AEW Dynamite, WWE vs. TNA vs. AEW locker rooms, her match with Elektra Lopez at House of Glory, her return to GCW against Cora Jade while still being the unrecognized GCW Women’s Champion, and more.
AEW star Tay Melo joined Denise Salcedo to talk about her return to All Elite Wrestling, reuniting with her tag team partner Anna Jay, having her first baby, what it was like for her to get her body back in wrestling shape, getting back into the wrestling ring, and more.
CCW Women’s Champion Nikki Blackheart sat down with the No-Contest Wrestling podcast to talk about her introduction to wrestling at WrestleMania 39, how she blew up on social media, trained with Gangrel, her dream matchups, receiving shoutouts from wrestling legends, her childhood, and more.
Former OVW Women’s Champion HollyHood Haley J talked with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful about appearing on Netflix’s Wrestlers series, her tryout with WWE, working in Reality of Wrestling, moving away from Kentucky, fighting her mom Amazing Maria, her most viewed YouTube Clips, and more
WWE SmackDown star Charlotte Flair appeared on The Nikki & Brie Show to discuss balancing personal transformation and public perception, her dreams outside the ring including Dancing With The Stars & RuPaul’s Drag Race, dating apps, DMs, the pressure of her father’s legacy, the growth of the women’s division, and more.
