Edge vs. Evolution

[Wolf Pac]

[youtube]BX0Nyev39JU[/youtube]​

After seeing the Forgotten Storylines thread in Wrestling Spam Zone, I remembered a storyline on RAW from 2004. A storyline where Edge returned from injury, and he came out to confront Randy Orton, telling him that he had watched Evolution dominate RAW for over a year while he was sitting on the sidelines, and he vowed to take down Evolution one by one. At Vengeance, we saw Edge defeat Randy Orton for the IC Title, taking down the first member of Evolution, but then like a month later, the WWE decided to place Edge in a feud with Jericho and turn him heel instead, dropping the storyline completely. I've always thought that this storyline had the potential to be great if they had continued it and all the way to Wrestlemania 21. It could've been a modern day Dusty Rhodes vs. The Four Horsemen, Sting vs. nWo, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Hart Foundation. Every faction needs it's greatest enemy, and Edge could've been Evolution's. If this happened, I think Edge would've became a main eventer & a World Champion 1 year earlier. I could've seen it going down like this...

Vengeance: Edge defeats Orton for the IC Title. 1 down, 3 more to go.

Summerslam: Edge defeats Batista, one on one, to retain the IC Title. 2 down, 2 more to go.

RAW: Since Edge came down with a groin injury at the time, have Evolution pull a Four Horsemen-Dusty Rhodes like attack on Edge in the ring, kayfabe injuring him, forcing Eric Bischoff to strip Edge off the IC Title the next week.

Taboo Tuesday: Edge defeats Ric Flair in a Steel Cage match. 3 down, 1 mo' to go.

RAW: Edge challenges HHH to a World Title match, and Trips adds in a stip that if Edge loses, he gets no more World Title shots as long as he is champion, which Edge agrees to. And with Evolution's assistance, HHH defeats Edge to retain the title.

Survivor Series: Edge teams with Benoit, Jericho & Maven to take on HHH, Flair, Orton & Batista, with the winning team getting to run RAW in Bischoff's absence for the next 4 weeks, and Team Edge wins.

RAW: On Edge's show, he forces HHH to defend the World Title against Benoit & Edge after the two men eliminate each other at the same time in the #1 Contender Battle Royal earlier in the night, and HHH loses the title via Edge & Benoit pinning & submitting each other at the same time, so neither of them wins the belt either.

New Years Revolution: Triple H defeats Edge, Benoit, Jericho, Orton & Batista to win the vacant World Title, last eliminating Edge.

Royal Rumble: Edge wins the Royal Rumble match, and is able to compete for the World Title if he chooses so, since the "no World Title shot" stip Triple H added in their previous World Title match, only applied for that World Title reign but not Triple H's new title reign.

Wrestlemania 21: Edge defeats Triple H to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Evolution has been taken down.

Some of the booking here is what happened with Randy when he feuded with Triple H in 2004, but it would still fit in very well if it had been Edge feuding with Evolution instead.

So what do you guys think? Would you have been on board with a Edge vs. Evolution feud? If so, how would you have booked the feud?

 

[James]

While this is really cool, I am glad things worked out the way they did for Edge. But you also have to add into the fact that HHH never wanted to work with Edge for whatever reasons. Also it was dead set in stone for Batista to become a big champion in the WWE. The whole ordeal with Evolution was pretty obvious. Ric was the past, Hunter was present, Batista, and Orton were the future. It was planned for them to eventually get over and be the new competitors.

Everything before the RR could've worked out though.

 

[LegendKiller716]

While this is really cool, I am glad things worked out the way they did for Edge. But you also have to add into the fact that HHH never wanted to work with Edge for whatever reasons. Also it was dead set in stone for Batista to become a big champion in the WWE. The whole ordeal with Evolution was pretty obvious. Ric was the past, Hunter was present, Batista, and Orton were the future. It was planned for them to eventually get over and be the new competitors.

Everything before the RR could've worked out though.

I don't know where you heard Hunter didn't want to work with Edge. I herd that the most recent time Edge was drafted to Raw it was because Triple H never worked a real feud with Edge and wanted to (although they still never did). Obviously one of us is wrong. If anyone else has any more info on this I'd love to know.

I do think this could have worked really well, but basically you wanted Edge to take Randy Orton's push and extend it all the way until Mania. Edge is my favorite wrestler so I'd be all for him getting an awesome Mania push, but I like how things worked out. This would be good for Edge, but how would it effect Orton and Batista?

Like I said I think things turned out for the best, we got three WWE champions out of the deal. I loved the Orton face run, although It could have gone longer, and Batista's face run was good, although it could have been shorter. Also Edge is money. There was never a doubt in my mind he would be a world champion. Who else could have carried Smackdown for so long.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Also it was dead set in stone for Batista to become a big champion in the WWE.

Batista was set to become a big champion in the WWE, but it wasn't set in stone for WM 21 and for 2005. I've seen a lot of people say that Batista's push in 2005 was planned but it wasn't. That push was supposed to go to Orton but he bombed, so the WWE decided to go with Batista instead. And the only reason why Batista got the push instead, was because of that episode of RAW where Chris Benoit was running the show per the stip at Survivor Series 2004, where Batista & HHH did this angle, where they faked Batista turning on Evolution and attacking HHH earlier on in the night, only to reveal it was a ruse at the end of the show, so Benoit couldn't fight HHH for the World Title in a Steel Cage match, and it was because of Batista's performance in that angle, that he got over with the fans. But it wasn't planned for him to get over with the fans, and if that angle didn't happen, he wouldn't have gotten over and Batista wouldn't have been the one chosen to replace Orton in his push, because nobody truly cared about Batista before that RAW.

I do think this could have worked really well, but basically you wanted Edge to take Randy Orton's push and extend it all the way until Mania. Edge is my favorite wrestler so I'd be all for him getting an awesome Mania push, but I like how things worked out. This would be good for Edge, but how would it effect Orton and Batista?

I already answered Batista above. If it wasn't for that angle on RAW and Orton bombing, he probably would've got his push later on in 2005 or in 2006. But Orton, well like I said, he bombed. The fans knew it, the WWE knew it, that's why they stopped his push. He wasn't ready by then, so it wouldn't have effected Orton or Batista at all.

 

[LegendKiller716]

Batista was set to become a big champion in the WWE, but it wasn't set in stone for WM 21 and for 2005. I've seen a lot of people say that Batista's push in 2005 was planned but it wasn't. That push was supposed to go to Orton but he bombed, so the WWE decided to go with Batista instead. And the only reason why Batista got the push instead, was because of that episode of RAW where Chris Benoit was running the show per the stip at Survivor Series 2004, where Batista & HHH did this angle, where they faked Batista turning on Evolution and attacking HHH earlier on in the night, only to reveal it was a ruse at the end of the show, so Benoit couldn't fight HHH for the World Title in a Steel Cage match, and it was because of Batista's performance in that angle, that he got over with the fans. But it wasn't planned for him to get over with the fans, and if that angle didn't happen, he wouldn't have gotten over and Batista wouldn't have been the one chosen to replace Orton in his push, because nobody truly cared about Batista before that RAW.



I already answered Batista above. If it wasn't for that angle on RAW and Orton bombing, he probably would've got his push later on in 2005 or in 2006. But Orton, well like I said, he bombed. The fans knew it, the WWE knew it, that's why they stopped his push. He wasn't ready by then, so it wouldn't have effected Orton or Batista at all.

You keep saying Orton bombed, and I've heard that before. I'm gonna go ahead and assume you're older than me, because I was relatively young at the time and I became a huge fan of Orton (it's when my forum names/email address/online identity was made). Looking back Orton wasn't ready to be a top guy, but younger peeps were into him.

And just because Orton bombed or Batista's push wasn't planned dosen't mean that they wouldn't have been effected. If Edge single handedly took out Evolution, who would Batista and Orton feuded with? It makes no sense for Evolution to just end because Triple H looses a match. Evolution needed to be destroyed from the in inside out. I think everything about Evolution was perfect. WWE needs another good heel stable.

 

[Wolf Pac]

And just because Orton bombed or Batista's push wasn't planned dosen't mean that they wouldn't have been effected. If Edge single handedly took out Evolution, who would Batista and Orton feuded with? It makes no sense for Evolution to just end because Triple H looses a match. Evolution needed to be destroyed from the in inside out. I think everything about Evolution was perfect. WWE needs another good heel stable.

I wasn't saying that Edge should've broke up Evolution. When I said he takes em out one by one, I was talking more along the lines of Sting-nWo in 97. Sting was the chosen one to "take them out", he faced Hogan at Starrcade and beat him, but the nWo still remained, same thing I meant for Edge-Evolution. He would just "take em out" for his own purpose & RAW's own good, to get on top and stop them from dominating the brand once & for all, but they wouldn't really break up. Batista & Orton could've just broken out of Evolution later on in 2005 & in 2006 for their pushes, long after Edge-Evolution is done, and when Trips wins back the World Title from Edge.

 

[James]

I don't know where you heard Hunter didn't want to work with Edge. I herd that the most recent time Edge was drafted to Raw it was because Triple H never worked a real feud with Edge and wanted to (although they still never did). Obviously one of us is wrong. If anyone else has any more info on this I'd love to know.

I do think this could have worked really well, but basically you wanted Edge to take Randy Orton's push and extend it all the way until Mania. Edge is my favorite wrestler so I'd be all for him getting an awesome Mania push, but I like how things worked out. This would be good for Edge, but how would it effect Orton and Batista?

Like I said I think things turned out for the best, we got three WWE champions out of the deal. I loved the Orton face run, although It could have gone longer, and Batista's face run was good, although it could have been shorter. Also Edge is money. There was never a doubt in my mind he would be a world champion. Who else could have carried Smackdown for so long.

sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter


Raw head writer Brian Gewirtz was credited, or blamed, depending on your point of view, for booking Shawn Michaels to pin World Heavyweight champion Edge on his last night on Raw. Gewirtz's explanation was that guy leaving the territory, or brand in this case, has to job on the way out.

Triple H was the power behind the move because when it was questioned, he supported it, which made it close to a done deal. There is a belief backstage that Triple H doesn't want Edge to succeed, noting that he tried to block all previous plans of him to moving to SmackDown and winning the title until Mr. Kennedy went down with an injury, and at this point he couldn't reasonably block it anymore. There was vocal opposition to Edge being pinned, saying that it makes the SmackDown title and champion look secondary. Triple H's argument was that HBK is the biggest tenured star on the brand, and he had just put over Khali, and he needs a big win because he'll be wrestling Cena on PPV again within the next few shows. On the other hand, Michaels suggested doing a non-finish, since from his perspective, the key point of the match was for him to be beat down by Randy Orton to promote their match for tonight at Judgment Day. Michaels said he didn't want to bury the SmackDown title but was told it was Vince McMahon's decision and he wasn't changing it.

As you might imagine, Edge wasn't pleased with the booking decision and he wasn't hiding his dissatisfaction backstage that night. Edge is said to be happy to move over to Smackdown because internally it's considered less political, not to mention that he doesn't have to deal with a certain wrestler as much anymore.

lol also didn't H want to feud with Edge when he returned in 04, but wanted to pin him, but instead the 'E went with the Orton and Edge feud. Also, the Edge and H beef runs deep. I believe in the 08 Observer, I remember the only time they feuded with each other was in 08, but Edge didn't wanna lose clean to H, so Edge wanted to make Vickie the center piece of the feud and to overshadow him losing to HHH, so that's why I believe the finish of Edge and H's match at the 08 Great American Bash was Vickie and I think Alicia Fox interfering which led to H winning and retaining the belt, but the lose didn't do no harm to Edge at all though.

I think he deserves it and is one of the many talents who achieved a lot despite backstage politics.

(I always heard rumors that HHH hated his *** and that's why they had to be on separate shows...who knows...)

I always heard about this too, he wanted Edge to cut his hair too
(which most likely is the reason christian cut his,HHH is very anal anyone remember that story about umaga wearing the same colors as him )

There was even an old Wrestling Observer story bout HHH and Edge getting into a screaming fight backstage because HHH insisted Edge job to HBK before he go to SD to be WHC, when HBK didn't even want Edge to job to him....

 

[Ethelion]

Would you have been on board with a Edge vs. Evolution feud? If so, how would you have booked the feud?

With Edge surprisingly proving that he worked better as a heel than he previously worked as a face, I don't think that I would've been on board with an Edge-Evolution Feud. Should this have happened, we wouldn't have seen the rise of WWE's Top Heel of 2006 and one of WWE's Top Heels of All Time. He never would've earned his bad-a** monikers, "Ultimate Opportunist" and "Master Manipulator".

Every faction needs its greatest enemy

I did enjoy this concept though. However, Evolution already had its greatest enemy, and I believe that guy's Goldberg. Sure, Shawn Michaels was a great enemy, but I think he was feuding more with his best friend Triple H than with the whole stable. With Goldberg in the picture, Triple H's problem was Evolution's problem. Hell, Hunter even issued a $10,000 bounty on Goldberg's head to the Raw Locker Room after realizing the latter's reputation, even to his Evolution Henchmen.

 

[Jmeeks]

Evolution was such a dominate stable between 02-05 , I like the idea you've came up with but there was no way one man could really end evoloution, the only way it was going to ever break up was within, and you made 2 world champions out of it with randy and batista

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Though I very much like the storyline my answer is no. Evolution was one of the best stables in WWE and everything around it played pretty well. They were dominant, they were past, present and future and they played it right. After it you had two established maineventers(Orton and Batista) who had played their part pretty well. Everything around it was epic(Orton bomb, Batista face turn) and wouldnt change a thing. Edge established himself at the other ways and it worked quite well for him at that way so its win-win situation for everybody.

Didnt know this thing about Edge and HHH. Provided that its true, interesting stuff.

 

[xXxTheDevilGodxXx]

They could have had a short Edge-Triple H World Title feud perhaps, but that may be just about it. I would never have expected Edge (at the time) to go over on Triple H though. Then again, I really didn't see Batista going over either but that was just me. In my opinion, one man taking down Evolution, as dominate as they were, much less a man whom had never held a World title, would have severely hurt its credibility as a faction.

To my point you had guys like Shawn Michaels, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and among others who were all former World Champions and who all, sooner or later, was beaten by Evolution. At the time, Edge was JUST becoming a World title contender, and Triple H was at his peak. The storyline is a great idea, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it would have worked without hurting the credibility that Evolution had already established.

I think that Chris Benoit and Goldberg came the closest though, if that means anything.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

It's funny reading some of these comments. My memories of Evolution aren't that they're one of the best heel stables... I remember being bored out of my mind of Triple H. And Flair was way too old to be in the ring then... I remember him tag teaming with Batista a lot.

Anyways, I remember hearing the rumours that Triple H didn't want Edge to succeed. Which makes sense as to why the Edge/Orton feud ended quickly.

But the earlier comments were right:
1. Orton did bomb as a face - he had some good initial pops, but his face turn was quick and abrupt. And he quickly lost all momentum. By week two I think he jumped out of a cake? No one cared. He wasn't ready, but he also wasn't booked properly and this set him back a bit in my opnion.

2. They corrected the mistakes they made with Orton, with Batista... using a slow face turn against Evolution and he was able to sustain being over for much longer. But I don't think Batista's push was ever planned.

I always thought Edge could have made a great face. Definitely he worked better as a heel. Kind of like Jericho. But Edge always got over. I think a feud with Evolution and vs. Triple H could have really helped him get over as a face. I definitely would have been in to this feud.

 

[HBsam31]

Evolution was pretty hated at that time. An angle like this where Edge takes them out one by one would have had the potential to make him a mega face especially if he took out HHH for the title at mania. This wouldn't have been a bad thing, but looking back Edge may have not had the change to become The Ultimate Opportunist, and The Rated R Superstar. maybe this stuff would have still came later, but maybe it wouldn't have. While it is not a bad idea, I am happy that things turned out the way they did. Edge worked a lot better as a heel than a face so I think things turned out well.

 

[theBec2101]

I would have liked the feud. But you have to take in consideration would be just be buried by everyone. Then we might not have seen Edge go as far as he did. He might be like the top mid carders now a day. So it’s a double EDGE sword so to say. Yes could make for some great feuds or he gets buried.