On May 28, 2025, an episode of WWE Evolve, Kali Armstrong was crowned Evolve Women’s Champion. She beat Kendal Grey, Kylie Rae, and Wendy Choo in a fatal four-way match to win. After the match was over, Natalya came into the ring to present her with the championship belt. Instead of being thankful and showing respect, she snatched the belt right out of Natalya’s hands without saying anything.
Since then, a rivalry has been brewing between the legend and the future star. They successfully defeated Nikkita Lyons and Zayda Steel together, but tension remained after the match. Last week, they signed the contract for their Evolve Women’s Championship match.
Some people will think Armstrong has the win in the bag, but having Natalya become champion has its advantages. The winner of the match isn’t as clear as it seems, with both women deserving the championship.
Armstrong Winning Would Strengthen Her Resume
Since her first match in Evolve, Armstrong has impressed everyone with her athletic skills and overall knowledge of wrestling maneuvers. She has been great on the mic, with a natural ability to cut promos.
There have also been reports of her being highly regarded within WWE. It makes sense why the company wanted her to become the first Evolve Women’s Champion. The primary goal for wrestlers on Evolve is to transition to a full-time role on NXT. Having her beat Natalya will make for an even stronger case to be called up to Tuesday nights.
Beating a future WWE Hall of Famer in her first title defense would definitely get some eyes on her. Even challenging someone of that caliber this early on in your career is a bold move. If she retains her championship, there’s no doubt that her future in WWE is bright.
Natalya Winning Would Be Good for Evolve as a Whole
The first challenger for the Evolve Women’s Champion isn’t an NXT mainstay, a PC trainee, or a WWE ID prospect. Natalya is one of the most accomplished women in WWE history. She has been with WWE for nearly 20 years, holding six Guinness World Records and winning three championships.
Many female wrestlers have spoken about her willingness to help them, making her a positive influence in the locker room. That’s why her winning the Evolve Women’s Championship wouldn’t be a bad idea. The men already have one veteran in the locker room in Timothy Thatcher.
Having her as that veteran presence for the women would help them as they move up the ranks in WWE. Learning and working with accomplished wrestlers is the best thing for young prospects. With Natalya as champion, the Evolve women’s division will be working with someone who cares about their development as wrestlers.
Both Women Deserve to Be Champion
When a Raw or SmackDown wrestler challenges for a developmental title, it gives the champion an opportunity to work with someone who’s been wrestling for years. They’ve been on the road, wrestled the PLEs, and been success stories on the main roster. If they win, they have the opportunity to work with even more wrestlers who aspire to be them.
Dolph Ziggler as NXT Champion and Becky Lynch as NXT Women’s Champion are two recent examples. But by beating them, Bron Breakker and Lyra Valkyria became stars. That’s why Kali Armstrong and Natalya both deserve the Evolve Women’s Championship.
Retaining against Natalya will increase Armstrong’s star power, but losing to her would be beneficial to her and the women’s division. Having to fight for her title back could be more memorable than a retention. No matter what happens, the Evolve Women’s Championship title match will be one to watch.
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