2. The Shield vs. Evolution (Extreme Rules, May 5)
The Shield was, arguably, the hottest act in wrestling entering Extreme Rules on May 5. A recent babyface turn, some stellar booking and a feud with the reunited Evolution had seen them gain increased television time and the fans, finally encouraged to cheer for the group, responded favorably. That Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton had done so much to make them look as dominant as they did only helped propel The Hounds of Justice to the top of the card. With three main events scheduled for the event, the six-man tag team war between The Shield and Evolution was easily the most anticipated. And the performers did not disappoint. Evolution dominated the middle of the match as doubt crept in as to whether or not the Shield would be able to overcome their opposition, all of whom had been WWE or World Heavyweight champion countless times. The resiliency of Dean Ambrose, the explosiveness of Seth Rollins and the brute force of Roman Reigns kept them in the match. Late in the contest, the action spilled out into the crowd as Ambrose and Rollins paired off with The Game and the Viper. Triple H and Orton double-teamed Ambrose until Rollins flew out of the stands and onto his opponents below. Back inside the squared circle, Reigns blasted Batista with the Superman Punch, then flattened him with the spear for the decisive upset victory. Throughout their entire WWE career, The Shield has thrived in six-man tag team competition. They function best in situations where they can work as a single unit. As Reigns told WWE Magazine in its June issue, "...we always make sure if we see each other nicked up or bruised up, that we get it taken care of because you never want a little thing to become a big thing. We've got each other's backs." Whether they can prevent from being isolated and separated come June 1 at Payback when they meet Evolution in a No Disqualification Elimination tag match remains to be seen. If they can, expect to see the Hounds notch a second consecutive win over their future Hall of Fame opponents.
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.
