There is no bigger bruiser of egos than youth. In 2004, Randy Orton not only had a tremendous intercontinental championship reign, he enjoyed a rivalry with Mick Foley that made him a star for good. To top it all off, he was arguably the hottest star WWE had at the time. So hot, in fact, that he was booked to go over Chris Benoit in the main event of SummerSlam for the world heavyweight title. Suddenly, questions about the infrastructure of the Evolution faction arose. Would new champion Orton usurp Triple H's power? The Game's ego fractured, his title around the waist of someone else, put an end to those questions immediately. Just 24 hours after Orton's triumphant victory, Triple H, Batista and Ric Flair booted him from the group with an epic beatdown that left the third-generation star in a bloody heap. When the group reunited for a brief time in 2014, ego again proved its undoing. Batista, frustrated by consecutive losses to The Shield, waved goodbye to the faction for what looked to be the last time. In the end, it was the inability of the enormous egos involved, one gigantic one in particular, that spelled the end for Evolution.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
