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Je’Von Evans took his game to the next level across WWE in 2025.
He competed for the NXT Championship multiple times, challenged Sami Zayn for the United States Championship on “Friday Night SmackDown”, nearly defeated Leon Slater for Total Nonstop Action’s (TNA) X Division Championship, came close to capturing AAA’s World Cruiserweight Championship, competed in the Last Time Is Now tournament and was chosen to show John Cena’s final card.
To top it off, Evans became the No. 1 contender to the NXT Championship when he won the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge. He was handpicked by Cena to compete in the event.
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Je’Von Evans speaks during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on December 9, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
How would Evans describe the year he had?
“It’s crazy, honestly,” he told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview. “I didn’t expect all of this to happen so quickly. But I’ve been working hard and trying to prove that I belong here in WWE. And I think that’s the reward. So yeah, it’s a blessing. I’m honored that this is all happening to me.”
“Bouncy” is the catchphrase that blares through the speakers when Evans’ music hits. The tall and lanky 21-year-old has the athleticism of a professional athlete with the cutting edge wrestling ability that WWE fans have grown accustomed to seeing from Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy.
A casual observer, or someone who rarely keeps their eyes on pro wrestling, may wonder how someone like Evans got involved in pro wrestling. He could be an Olympic athlete or play any other sport he wanted.
Interest in pro wrestling began as a child growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“I always watched wrestling when I was younger. And I got an opportunity to train at a very young age,” he recalled. “I started training at 13. So I got an opportunity to train and I took it and ran with it. And of course I still did track, basketball in school. But I just knew for sure that I wanted to be a professional wrestler.
“When I first got the opportunity, it was off to the races.
Je’Von Evans enters the ring during Saturday Night’s Main Event at Capital One Arena on December 13, 2025 in Washington, DC (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
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The common theme from those who do not have the same respect for pro wrestling as Evans does is that it is “fake” and that no one should pursue it, as well as the potential dangers that come with it.
Evans’ passion for it burned deep, and he ignored the naysayers.
“So of course it’s just the normal, ‘wrestling is fake’. You know, ‘you shouldn’t do that’ or ‘it’s dangerous’. That was like the normal reaction to it. So I’d either laugh like, ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s dangerous’ or ‘yeah, it’s fake, whatever, whatever.’ I didn’t want to care because I knew, at the end of the day, that’s what I wanted to do and that was my main goal. I wanted to prove them wrong, get signed and become the best wrestler ever,” he said.
Being handpicked by Cena to compete in one of NXT’s most unique matches reinforced all the hard work Evans had put into his craft.
“It’s crazy. Crazy, bro,” Evans told Pakinomist Digital. “I grew up watching Cena. So it’s crazy for him to hand pick me. Before his show we got to talking and he put me in the game. It’s just crazy that now I have an opportunity and now I want to have a connection with Cena and we can talk whenever we want. It’s definitely crazy, crazy.”
The next year is shaping up to be incredible for Evans.
He wants another chance to win the NXT Championship – whether it’s against Oba Femi or Slater, who meet at NXT New Year’s Evil in a few weeks. There’s also the Royal Rumble coming up, and fans never really know who’s going to show up and show off.
Je’Von Evans in action against Sami Zayn during SmackDown at the Kia Center on September 26, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE via Getty Images)
For Evans, he just hopes for more blessings in the next year.
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“I think my 2025 was just full of opportunities and blessings that in 2026 I want, not the same, but better,” he said. “I’m grateful for what I received in 2025. So I’m just waiting for everything to fall in line in 2026.”
