| WWE Evolution | |
|---|---|
 WWE Evolution logo used as of 2025 | |
| Promotions | WWE |
| Brand(s) | Raw (2018, 2025–present) SmackDown (2018, 2025–present) NXT (2018, 2025–present) NXT UK (2018) |
| First event | 2018 |
| Eventgimmick | Women's professional wrestling |
WWE Evolution is a periodicwomen's professional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV) andlivestreamingevent produced byWWE. It is the company's only PPV and livestreaming event to consist solely of women's matches. Theinaugural event was held in October 2018, and after years of rumors and speculation, asecond event was held in July 2025. In addition to wrestlers from the promotion'sRaw,SmackDown, andNXTbrand divisions, the inaugural event also saw involvement of wrestlers from the now-defunctNXT UK brand and also hosted the finals of the2018 Mae Young Classic.
On the July 23, 2018, episode ofMonday Night Raw,WWE executiveStephanie McMahon announced that for the first time, WWE would hold an all-women'sprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV) andlivestreamingevent titledEvolution.[1] It was scheduled to take place on October 28, 2018, at theNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum inUniondale, New York, replacing the previously plannedClash of Champions.[2]WWE Hall of FamersLita,Trish Stratus, andBeth Phoenix were advertised as taking part in the event. It was also announced that the event would host the final of the2018 Mae Young Classic and that all four of WWE's women's championships at the time for theRaw,SmackDown,NXT, andNXT UKbrand divisions would be defended; however, theNXT UK Women's Championship match was later removed from the main card and occurred as adark match before the show.[1][3][4]
WWE's executive vice presidentPaul "Triple H" Levesque explained that WWE's female performers "deserve[d] the opportunity" for a prominent showcase, and that it "was simply the right time for this to happen". He denied that the event was intended to be as a counterpoint forCrown Jewel—a subsequent major event days later inSaudi Arabia that, per the country'swomen's rights policies, would not include WWE's female performers at the time.[5]
Over the next few years, there were various comments from people within WWE on a potential second Evolution event, with support from a number of WWE female performers. In a December 2019 interview withTalksport, Stephanie McMahon stated: "I'm hopeful to have an announcement on an Evolution 2, but there is nothing official to announce just yet". A report by Alex McCarthy ofSportskeeda in July 2020 stated that a second Evolution event was seen a "no brainer", with female talent pushing for it internally and tentative plans being made for the end of the year.[6] In December 2020, Trish Stratus suggested that she had begun training for the rumored event, but that she had received no call from WWE, with no event taking place.[7]
BeforeMickie James's release from WWE in April 2021, she had pushed for the company to produce another all-female event as well as an all-female brand, but said she was "cut off at every opportunity".[8] She claimed an unnamed WWE official told her that "women's wrestling doesn't make money" and that Evolution was the company's "lowest-rated pay-per-view ever in the history of WWE pay-per-views".[9][10] However, James rebuked this by saying the event was set up to fail, only being promoted on WWE programming a month prior to the event, with matches being announced a week or two before.[11] Other WWE female performers, notablySasha Banks, were also vocal in support of another all-female event.[12]
In June 2021, former WWE wrestlerMaria Kanellis also stated that former Head of WWE Talent Relations, Mark Carano, informed her that there would not be another all-female event.[13]Dave Meltzer stated onWrestling Observer Radio that while Evolution was not a commercial failure for WWE, and not the worst performing event of the year, it was still on the lower end of ticket sales despite its heavy marketing push compared to those similar to its size.[14] Glenn Rubenstein ofWrestling Inc. reported that 90% of the seats were filled in the arena despite the reported sell-out. Prior to the announcement of the match betweenNikki Bella andRonda Rousey, which saw a surge in ticket sales, WWE had sold 7,000 tickets, with 3,000 of those tickets belonging to scalpers.[15]
In a conference call for June 2021'sNXT TakeOver: In Your House event, Triple H was questioned on if WWE would ever hold another all-female event. He said it was possible, "but it's not a must-have at the moment". He also found it odd that people thought that doing more all-female events would mean equality for the women's division, but cited the contradiction in that WWE would be criticized if they would run an all-male event; essentially, separate does not mean equal.[16]
After another few years, a report emerged on March 6, 2025, that WWE were in fact planning to hold a second Evolution event.Bodyslam.net stated that the company were aiming to hold the event on July 5, 2025, at theMohegan Sun Arena inUncasville, Connecticut, but noted that while the event was in the works, the schedule was tentative.[17] On May 12, 2025, a new report fromPWInsider stated that the company was now looking to hold the event a week later fromAtlanta, Georgia during the same weekend asSaturday Night's Main Event XL.[18] WWE then confirmed this with an announcement duringSaturday Night's Main Event XXXIX on May 24, with thesecond Evolution event scheduled for Sunday, July 13 at Atlanta'sState Farm Arena with Saturday Night's Main Event XL held the day before at the same venue. Unlike 2018, the 2025 Evolution will only feature wrestlers from Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, as NXT UK was dissolved in 2022.[19]
| # | Event | Date | City | Venue | Main Event | Battle Royal winner | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WWE Evolution (2018) | October 28, 2018 | Uniondale, New York | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | Ronda Rousey (c) vs.Nikki Bella for theWWE Raw Women's Championship | Nia Jax | [2] |
| 2 | WWE Evolution (2025) | July 13, 2025 | Atlanta, Georgia | State Farm Arena | Iyo Sky (c) vs.Rhea Ripley vs.Naomi for theWomen's World Championship[a] This was Naomi'sMoney in the Bank cash-in match. | Stephanie Vaquer | [19] |
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match | |||||||
Let's take the Saudi Arabia show off the table, and let's just say it never happened -- would anybody question that they deserve this opportunity?