The Shield and Evolution are on a collision course for Extreme Rules this Sunday in New Jersey.
In a match that pits two of the most dominant factions in RAW's history against each other, Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista have reunited to try to dispel the threat of The Shield to The Authority's plans.
A reformed Evolution has been great for nostalgic fans and will certainly help establish and progress The Hounds of Justice's recent face turn as they take on three of the most decorated superstars of modern times.
With 31 world title reigns between them, Evolution present Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns with their most credible set of opponents since they debuted at Survivor Series 2012.
Orton and Batista have come a long way since playing protege to Triple H from 2002 to 2005, with veteran Ric Flair, who is rumoured to be returning on Monday's RAW, completing the trio of generations.
Instead it is The Shield who are now the young, hungry wrestlers who are plotting their rise to the top of the business and although these two groups are at opposite ends of the career spectrum, there are a few similarities between them, particularly when their members are analysed individually.
Batista & Roman Reigns
The obvious matchup when examining these two stables at close quarters, Batista and Reigns are the muscle of their respective groups.
Both have a ring arsenal focused on brute force and a policy of spearing anything that ['by Gawd!'] moves.
In-fact, Reigns's use of the same move that served Batista so well, and his physique, has seen comparisons drawn between him and 'The Animal', who last eliminated this Hound of Justice to win the 2014 Royal Rumble.
If anything, Reigns is more naturally athletic and that will surely show when they collide, particularly considering that Batista is past his prime and still shaking the ring rust accumulated during four years in Hollywood.
Reigns is largely untested on the microphone, and is yet to cut a promo solo since his promotion to the main roster, but early signs suggest that there is, to steal an Evolution phrase, enough coal to turn into a diamond of a talker. Or at least relatively good, as Batista became in his final heel run.
As many predicted shortly after his debut in 2012, Reigns may just be the next Batista.
Randy Orton & Dean Ambrose
Cast your mind back to the christening of 'The Viper' Randy Orton in 2008. That is the type of heel that Dean Ambrose should be when he embarks on his singles career following The Shield's split.
Psychologically unhinged, ruthlessly aggressive and reliant on stablemates or a heavy to do much of his dirty work, Ambrose could play the same part of the squeamish villain who always finds a way to win.
While their mentalities are much the same, where these two differ vastly is in their in-ring style, with Orton as smooth as an Otis Reading record and Ambrose more comparable to Axel Rose with his wild and in-your-face offence.
Third-generation superstar Orton may be a more aesthetically-pleasing worker for the purists, but interest levels wane when he gets on the microphone and that's where Ambrose excels.
The clean-cut Orton and scruffy-looking Ambrose do not have much in common on the face of it, but if you delve deep into their character's twisted minds, you will find the screw that they each have loose.
Triple H & Seth Rollins
Rollins has been booked as the brains of his trio, just as Triple H is undoubtedly the mastermind of Evolution.
While Rollins does not share the same leadership status that 'The Game' does within their groups, he has been billed as 'The Architect of The Shield', suggesting that he is the man with the plan.
The same can certainly be said about Triple H, whose reputation as 'The Cerebral Assassin' has led to him being dubbed one of the sharpest minds in the business, which he often uses for evil.
Although their in-ring styles have little alike but a frequent use of knees, they do share other mutual traits.
They have both played similar roles as of late, with Rollins being the mediator when tensions were high between Ambrose and Reigns, and 'The Game' persuading Orton and Batista to get on the same page.
Including the water-soaked, face-covering long, black hair, that Triple H had in his pomp at least, there is a certain amount of resemblance between this pair and that bodes well for Rollins's future prospects.
One final similarity that they share as collective groups is that they will both be desperate to win at the Izod Center at Extreme Rules on May 4, but this is a goal that only Evolution may reach.
Joe Fish
