An absolute banger of a segment slotted into a celebratory 2018 edition of SmackDown, Evolution's glorious reunion served as a tense teaser for the Batista/Triple H programme that followed months later.
With Ric Flair trying to play peacemaker and Randy Orton thoroughly enjoying the sh*t-stirring between the pair, this luxurious moment of tested loyalties and tied friendship felt like refreshing cold water to the face of fans used to returning superstars only providing lame nostalgia.
Batista is a f*cking brilliant actor - far better than the wrestler actors around him - but Triple H levelled up with his integrity challenged, even if the evening ended in hugs and smiles. Darker days were ahead for the pair, and none of it was fair to Flair.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
