The COVID-19 pandemic impacted a number of wrestling promotions across the globe and one of those promotions is EVOLVE. The last time that EVOLVE hosted a show was on March 1st which was EVOLVE 146 that was headlined by an AR Fox versus Josh Briggs match. Per a report from PWTorch, the promotion has no plans to run events going forward as they are going on hiatus.
PWTorch obtained a private Facebook message board post from EVOLVE VP of talent relations, creative and marketing, Gabe Sapolsky. Sapolsky sent the message out to members of the EVOLVE roster. Sapolsky reportedly told the roster that he is going to delete the private Facebook board because there are no plans to run EVOLVE events going forward. PWTorch confirmed that the screenshot is legit, by way of WWN management and members of the EVOLVE roster.
WWN will continue to operate, but EVOLVE is going on hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the aforementioned Facebook message, Sapolsky told the roster that this is just a “fork in the road” and encouraged talent to stay in touch with him.
EVOLVE developed a working relationship with the WWE that resulted in an EVOLVE event streaming live on the WWE Network in the Summer of 2019 that went head-to-head with AEW’s Fight For The Fallen show. EVOLVE’s partnership with WWE also resulted in The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) holding the EVOLVE Tag Team Titles for several months. The likes of Brendan Vink, Mansoor, Jessi Kamea and Dexter Lumis worked EVOLVE events when they were not featured on NXT TV.
Shotzi Blackheart, who was a regular for EVOLVE, signed with the WWE four months after her appearance on the EVOLVE anniversary show on the WWE Network.