WWE: Dissecting The Imminent War Between Evolution And The Shield

The April 14 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw saw the surprising reunion of Evolution. Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista made their presence known at the end of the program, when they physically assaulted The Shield after the trio was beaten down in the ring. And though this was only the first shot fired, the fact is that there's more to come. The two factions are now booked to face-off at Extreme Rules on May 4. The war between Evolution and The Shield is imminent and it could very well become the hottest storyline in WWE. In many ways, these two factions were destined to face each other. Triple H was already in the equation of course, as was Randy Orton. The Game has been aggressively running the company as a heel on TV since the night after SummerSlam in 2013, when he betrayed Daniel Bryan and cost him the WWE Championship. And Orton was the man that championship was handed to. Randy was presented to fans as the new face of WWE and he was fully endorsed by the McMahon family. They believed he was better fit to represent the company than Bryan and much of that faith came from Triple H, who had groomed Orton for that very moment back during their days in Evolution. But truth be told, many fans perhaps did not make the connection between Orton and Triple H. For them, Evolution was merely just a back-story and nothing more.

And despite the rollercoaster ride that Orton embarked upon as The Authority's chosen one, the truth is that he just seemed to be linked to Hunter. Their history was undeniable and their current alliance was ultimately beneficial for both men. Orton returned to his roots as The Viper, with The Cerebral Assassin pulling the strings behind the scenes. So when Batista returned with the WWE World Championship in his sights, it seemed as though the lines of separation were clearly drawn. Though The Animal was met with hatred from the WWE faithful, he was determined to take the belt from Orton and he rejected any words of wisdom from The Authority. Batista was a man on a mission. On the other side was The Shield. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins had been riding high as WWE's top heel faction since 2012. From the moment they rose to power, The Hounds of Justice had been compared to previous groups and one of them was Evolution. But unlike Triple H's former faction, The Shield did not care about accumulating championship belts. They also did not care about taking over the company or dominating WWE programming. The Shield wanted to be the best in the ring every time they stepped through the ropes. And that was the case more often than not.

The Shield ran over every challenger placed before them and they did it with a real gang mentality. They succeeded despite the fact that they were new on the scene and they did it despite being opposed by some of WWE's top stars including Sheamus, Chris Jericho and John Cena. The Shield took their rightful place among WWE's greatest stables of all time and even topped Evolution in the minds of many fans. They were the real deal, top players in every sense of the word. And their association with The Authority cemented their status among WWE's elite. They acted as Triple H's unofficial security force and he used them in any situation that required a swift, heavy handed response. The Authority got its way and The Shield received its fair share of spotlight. It was a win-win for both sides. But when The Hounds of Justice attacked Triple H's handpicked Director of Operations Kane, it all came crumbling down. The Shield became a liability for The Authority, a problem that needed to be addressed. And even though Triple H supposedly did not want a fight with them, that changed the moment they laid hands on him. Now, The Shield is public enemy number one. And Evolution is the group that is hunting them down.

This a war of the past versus the present, of the old school versus the new school. The established veteran faction, taking on the stars of tomorrow. For WWE, it's a matter of one generation passing the torch to another and setting the stage for the company's future. Simply put, The Shield is the evolution of Evolution. They are the future of WWE as Triple H originally intended it; young, strong, full of determination and hungry for success. They are the ones that will carry the company forward and they will do so on a career of great matches that will build their foundation for years to come. And those great matches will include bouts against Evolution. For fans of both eras, this rivalry is the perfect way to close one door and open another. WWE is trusting its established stars to bring their A game to the table as the next class takes center stage. The war is about to begin.