As WWE gears up for the return of its all-women’s premium live event on July 13th, Rhea Ripley reflects on her groundbreaking debut at the original Evolution event in 2018. She considers her match against Dakota Kai for the NXT UK Women’s Championship one of the standout moments of her career.
During a recent SummerSlam kickoff show, Ripley reminisced about the NXT UK Women’s Championship bout with Kai, which was officially announced on a WWE contract in May 2025. “Evolution 1 was a historic moment for women in wrestling. Launching into a second event is just the beginning,” Ripley shared. “Competing in that first Evolution event and defending the NXT UK Women’s Championship against Dakota Kai was truly a career highlight.”
The date of the first Evolution event also holds special significance for Ripley. “Interestingly, Evolution 1 happened on the exact day I began my wrestling journey with Riot City Wrestling in Australia six years ago,” she said. “It’s amazing how history repeats itself and everything aligns perfectly. Destiny is destiny. Now, the future is Evolution 2 — we’re ready to take over WWE and dominate the pay-per-view.”
While Ripley was the inaugural NXT UK Women’s Champion, her title win in August 2018 had not yet been televised when she defended it against Kai, making the match a rare live experience for fans. At Evolution 2, Ripley is set to face Iyo Sky for the Women’s World Championship.
Fan Take: This news is a thrilling reminder of how far WWE’s women’s division has come and promises an epic showdown at Evolution 2. For fans, it signals a bold step forward in elevating women’s wrestling to main-event status, potentially transforming the future landscape of sports entertainment.
