During the latest edition of his “Something to Wrestle” podcast, Bruce Prichard commented on the formation of the Evolution faction in WWE, Randy Orton and Batista’s involvement, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On the creation of the Evolution in WWE and Randy Orton and Batista’s involvement: “I don’t think [Orton and Batista] were ready, but at the same time, I felt that the best place for them to be would be surrounded by veterans like Ric Flair and Triple H who could help them on a nightly basis by being in their corner, by teaming with them. I used to look at it and say, you had the history of the business in Ric Flair, you had the now with Triple H, you had the future with Randy Orton, and you had the superstar in Dave Batista that was to be. It was an incredible group. It wasn’t always supposed to be that. Initially they shot vignettes including Mark Jindrak in place of Randy Orton that didn’t work out. I don’t know if Jindrak just didn’t necessarily click with the other three guys, but they all felt Randy would click. Randy immediately slid into that role, and it was a good combination. All four guys liked one another, all four guys clicked together, and there was a good gel. Randy and Batista were sponges for everything Ric and Triple H were teaching them.”
On Flair and Triple H’s reaction to Orton being included in the group: “100 percent [in favor of it] because Randy was great. Randy was instantly able to keep up and go out there and be that youth. ‘Send the kid in and let the kid take the bumps.’ Randy was that guy. Randy was willing to go in and do that and learn night after night after night. Randy’s training was different than Batista’s because Batista was a big guy and they were teaching Dave how to work like that monster Dave was. So it was different styles and different personalities and everybody was high on Randy at that time.”
(h/t – 411 Wrestling)