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Je’Von Evans took his game to the next level in WWE in 2025.
He competed for the NXT Championship several times, challenged Sami Zayn for the United States Championship on “Friday Night SmackDown”, nearly defeated Leon Slater for the Total Nonstop Action (TNA) X Division Championship, came close to capturing the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship, competed in the Last Time Is Now Tournament, and was selected to appear on the same card as John Cena’s final show.
To top it all off, Evans became the number one contender for the NXT Championship by winning the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge. Cena personally chose him 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?
“Honestly, it’s crazy,” he told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview. “I didn’t expect all of this to happen so soon. But I’ve been working hard and trying to prove that I belong here in WWE. And I think this is the reward. So, yeah, it’s a blessing. I’m honored that all of this is happening to me.”
“Bouncy” is the catchphrase that plays over the speakers when Evans’ music plays. The tall, lanky 21-year-old has the athleticism of a professional athlete with the cutting-edge wrestling prowess that WWE fans are accustomed to seeing from Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy.
A casual observer, or someone who rarely keeps their eyes on professional wrestling, may wonder how someone like Evans got involved in professional wrestling. You could be an Olympic athlete or play any other sport you wanted.
Interest in professional wrestling began when he was a child growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“I’ve always watched wrestling when I was younger. And I had the opportunity to train at a very young age,” he recalled. “I started training when I was 13. So I had the opportunity to train and I took advantage of it and ran with it. And of course I was still doing track and basketball at school. But I knew for sure that I wanted to be a professional wrestler.
“Once I had the opportunity, I got to work.
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 don’t have the same respect for professional wrestling as Evans is that it is “fake” and that no one should get into it, as well as the potential dangers that come with it.
Evans’ passion for this burned deep and he ignored the naysayers.
“So of course that’s the normal, ‘wrestling is fake.'” You know, “you shouldn’t do it” or “it’s dangerous.” That was the normal response. So I’d laugh and say, ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s dangerous,’ or ‘Yeah, it’s fake, whatever, whatever.’ I wouldn’t pay attention to it because I knew that at the end of the day, that’s what I wanted to do and that was my main goal. “I was going to prove them wrong, get a contract and be the greatest wrestler of all time,” he said.
Being hand-picked by Cena to compete in one of NXT’s most unique matches solidified all the hard work Evans had put into his craft.
“It’s crazy. Crazy, bro,” Evans told Pak Gazette Digital. “I grew up watching Cena. So for him to pick me is crazy. Before his show, we had to talk and he was putting me in the game. It’s crazy that now I have a chance and now I’ll have a connection with Cena and we can talk whenever we want. It’s crazy, crazy for sure.”
Next year will be incredible for Evans.
He will have another chance to win the NXT Championship, either against Oba Femi or Slater, who will face each other at NXT New Year’s Evil in a few weeks. The Royal Rumble is also coming up and fans never really know who will show up and who will come out.
Je’Von Evans in action against Sami Zayn during SmackDown at Kia Center on September 26, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE via Getty Images)
Evans only hopes for more blessings next year.
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“I think my 2025 was simply full of opportunities and blessings that I want in 2026, not the same, but better,” he said. “I am grateful for what I received in 2025. So I am waiting for everything to be in order in 2026.”
