Robert Stone has been busy with everything going on in WWE NXT, but he is jumping into the world of commentary for WWE’s newest show Evolve, which kicks off its first episode tonight at 8 PM EST on Tubi. Stone will be on commentary with Peter Rosenberg as some of WWE’s newest talent looks to fulfill their immense potential and become the next big thing in wrestling. Evolve is a storied brand that hasn’t been utilized for a while, but now it’s making its grand return and will likely be the launching pad for future main eventers once more. ComicBook had the chance to speak to Stone about the new show and his return to commentary, as well as how Evolve sets itself apart from WWE’s other shows and competitions, and the unique blend of talent from the independent scene and the performance center.
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Stone was quick to mention that while he has done commentary in the past, this is still very new to him, but he is more than up for the challenge and looks forward to honing his craft and adding another ability to the toolset. “It’s new to me, and I’m excited that it’s new to me. So I have done it a few times, but when I say a few, I mean a few. I’m talking two or three times is the only amount of times I’ve done it,” Stone said. “However, I see where the connection could be, and I think it’s something that is natural for me and it’s gonna come easy for me. And I’m really, you know, honing my craft and studying the game to be the best that I can be.”
“And I’m excited to do that for Evolve because like you said, you nailed it, it is going to be different. Studio, intimate, close to the fans. The mixture of independent talent with performance center talent is like no other. When you think about those two worlds colliding, I mean, that in itself, I know if I was a fan, I would want to see it. The idea, when you think about independent wrestlers being on television, getting these opportunities, and they’re basically, you know, they’re not just fighting to win matches, they’re fighting for their lives because this is their opportunity,” Stone said.
That’s not just hyperbole. While Evolve isn’t a competition show like LFG (Legends and Future Greats), it is going to put a priority on evolution and development, and the talent involved will be trying their best to not just stand out from the crowd but also continually earn their spot on TV and the brand overall.
“Like where else do you get to see someone wrestle where if they don’t produce or if they don’t have a great match, it may be the last time you ever see them,” Stone said. “You know, this is an opportunity. So when you’re watching them, it’s hit or miss for a lot of these men and women for, they all want to be WWE Superstars, but the reality is not everyone could be.”
“So in Evolve, the question is, can they evolve into being a WWE Superstar? And it’s, you know, it’s a gritty feel, it’s an underground feel. It’s not as perfectly polished, which I think is going to be cool to watch. And if you watch from episode one, you know, as a fan, you’re going to see talent, you’re going to be along the ride for their journeys, you’re going to see them grow,” Stone said.
Evolve has a storied history of developing future stars, a number of which are main-eventing in WWE these days, and Stone sees that happening again with this new crop of talent.
“You know, when you think back to Evolve, when Gabe Sapolsky started it in 2010 and the Sami Zayns and throughout the years the Drew McIntyres, just all the guys that were on that ended up becoming main eventers and big-time deals in professional wrestling. You know, who are we going to watch this Wednesday that in 10 years is going to main event a WrestleMania,” Stone said. “So it’s cool to follow along those journeys and to see where these men and women are going to go. You know, that’s what makes it a different show, and in 2025 you don’t, you don’t get different and this is different, so it’s must-see TV.”
WWE NXT was the key developmental brand of WWE, but over time, especially in the past two years, NXT has grown to the point that it’s become a third brand and entity all its own. That means there aren’t as many opportunities to get TV time and get those early reps in, and that’s where Evolve comes in.
“I mean, it’s kind of like what before NXT, and it’s a good problem to have, got as big as it is. When it started out, that’s kind of what it was. It was, you would bring in your mixture of like, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were doing NXT before they were fully signed to a contract. So you kind of brought some independent talent and then you finally signed some independent talent like Kevin Owens or Sami Zayn. But then also you had homegrown performance center talent like an Alexa Bliss or Charlotte Flair sprinkled in with some veterans,” Stone said.
“And Evolve, there are going to be some veterans sprinkled in how you might have had in NXT like a Natty Neidhart or I remember Rhyno was on,” Stone said. “So it was just a mixture of all these different levels of experience, which gives you a great product. And, you know, when you have an experienced person in with an inexperienced person, is that inexperienced person going to be able to step up to the plate? Those are going to be the entertaining things to watch. Who are you going to go, wow, this person’s going to be a star. Wow. This person’s just not cutting it for me.”
“It’s exciting to watch that, someone might, may go to do a move in the ring and they slip or they mess it up,” Stone said. “These are unpolished men and women who are still learning their craft and we’re getting to see it. Who could excel, who could break through, who’s going to be the next Superstar? That’s what Evolve is now.”
While there will probably be a crossover between the main roster at some point down the line, for the foreseeable future Evolve is likely going to be self-contained and doing its own thing. “I mean, with everything going on right now in wrestling, I would say never say never with anything in the WWE, because it’s so insane in a good way,” Stone said. “However, I do think Evolve is going to be kind of its own entity on its own island, on its own planet, doing its own thing. It’s going to be mainly WWE ID talent, Performance center talent that are relatively new, that maybe haven’t debuted on NXT yet, that isn’t on LFG, just that other group of talent.”
“Because, you know, right now there’s over a hundred future superstars training at their performance center, which is great because this gives them just a platform. And then also, when I say veterans that might pop in here or there, I think it’s going to be maybe some characters who want to reinvent themselves or who want to try some new things, or sometimes you just want to go back to your roots and just to prove to yourself that you still got it, to keep up with some of these younger men and women,” Stone said. “So I think it’s going to be that kind of mixture. But to your question, I still say never say never, because, man, after what John Cena did Saturday, I mean, you can’t really predict anything nowadays.”
Evolve debuts on Tubi tonight, and you can watch it right here.