A legend returned to the WWE Raw ring last night. Everyone thought that Ric Flair, AKA The Nature Boy, would be talking up Evolution. Instead, one of the sport’s most popular wrestlers ever was there to endorse The Shield.

Monday night’s main event featured Roman Reign versus Randy Orton. But before the wrestlers hit the mat, Flair emerged to talk about what makes a great stable, and he believed that he saw those fine qualities in The Shield.

A stable, for those of you not in the know, is a group of three or more wrestlers joined together as allies. Evolution, founded in 2003, currently consists of Triple H, Batista, and former WWE Champ Randy Orton. The Shield, a much newer stable which was founded in 2012, features Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose (the current title holder), and Roman Reigns. The black-vested group preaches teamwork and the fight for justice.

When Triple H attacked The Shield last Monday on Raw, a feud erupted and both sides have agreed to wrestle in a six-man tag team match for Extreme Rules on May 4.

Flair, a 16-time heavyweight champion, helped Orton and Batista learn the ropes. Additionally, Flair was instrumental in putting together Evolution’s all around attitude and style. However, it’s clear that the group has moved on, and Flair has attached himself to a new stable.

Ric Flair turned his back on evolution. Woooooooo!! #RAW

— #CenaSupporter❤️ (@emily_babe20) April 29, 2014

"To be the man, you have to beat the man." #RicFlair

— Aaron Pass (@Aaron_Pass89) April 29, 2014

Tom Clark, a featured columnist for The Big Lead, described the feud between the two stables, “But today’s Evolution is not the limousine-riding, jet-flying faction that they once were. This Evolution is out for revenge. They’re out for blood. And they will not stop until they erase The Shield from WWE. Their intensity level is at an all-time high and there can be no chance for fans to even remotely find them fun. This is not a DX reunion; Evolution will not be tossing glow sticks to the crowd or prompting them to recite their catchphrases.”

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