WWE put a lot of time and effort into making Evolution the most dominant faction in many years during the Ruthless Aggression Era. The foursome of Hall of Fame-caliber names featured Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista taking over the Raw brand by showing strength in numbers. All members of Evolution were pushed when one was put in an important role.
Armageddon 2003 may have been the peak of Evolution when it came to their overall presence as an act. The entire Raw-branded PPV was booked around the members of the top group in title matches. Evolution pulled off the clean sweep by winning all the male gold titles on Raw at the end of the evening. WWE made Armageddon the night of Evolution showing their power as an elite faction.
Randy Orton's Big Win
The first title win of Randy Orton’s WWE career came at Armageddon 2003 when becoming the Intercontinental Champion. WWE struggled at pushing Orton as a rookie face, so the pivot to a heel run in Evolution was perfect. Orton’s youth representing the future of WWE as a blue-chipper prospect helped make him the ideal third man for Triple H and Ric Flair.
Both legends wanted to help the right young talents learn and grow as performers in this act. Orton’s big night at Armageddon 2003 came in a match against Rob Van Dam. WWE realized it was the right time to have Orton win gold by defeating one of the most beloved and talented faces on the roster. Van Dam and Orton had a good match that helped make Orton a more credible heel moving forward.
WWE was still utilizing the Intercontinental Championship as a title to help elevate new performers that they eventually wanted in the world title picture. Orton was one of the most successful Intercontinental Champions of the 2000s and won the World Championship the following year. This night was pivotal to his career taking off to what it has become today.
Batista & Ric Flair Shocking The World
Batista actually suffered a singles match loss on Armageddon 2003, despite Evolution dominating the event. Shawn Michaels defeated Batista in one of the bigger matches on the card to get revenge for Batista costing him a legendary Survivor Series 2003 team match the previous month. The match made fans think that Batista’s night was over since he wasn’t scheduled for anything else.
WWE’s misdirection paid off during a tag team turmoil gauntlet style match for the World Tag Team Championship. A total of five teams were advertised for the title match with the Dudley Boyz looking to defend their gold. Bubba Ray and D-Von appeared to be the winners after teams like La Resistance, Rosey & Hurricane, Val Venis & Lance Storm, Mark Jindrak & Lance Cade, and Scott Steiner & Test were eliminated.
However, a final surprise team to come out last saw Evolution represented by Batista and Ric Flair. The second match of Batista saw him also winning his first title in WWE teaming with a legend and mentor. Evolution won the World Tag Team Championship to add another new set of titles to their success heading into the main event.
Triple H Taking Back His Throne
The first WWE run of Goldberg was criticized for a lot of poor booking. Goldberg did win the World Championship from Triple H in the fall of 2003, but he just never had the same magic as his WCW days. The more recent run with his 2016 return and beyond felt more like classic Goldberg than anything he did from 2003 to 2004, especially the lackluster program with Triple H.
Armageddon 2003 featured Goldberg defending the World Championship in a triple threat match against Triple H and fellow top heel Kane. The match wasn’t anything special, but fans were strongly invested in the result. Kane had recently unmasked and was in the midst of a major heel push. However, it was still Triple H’s title for the taking as he pulled off the big victory.
Triple H won the World Championship belt for the third time when pinning Goldberg after a Kane chokeslam. The story of the night was clear with Evolution winning all three male titles on the Raw brand. WWE trusted the act due to the momentum built and the potential to continue becoming a legendary act. Evolution is remembered fondly as one of the most successful factions in WWE history. Armageddon 2003 was the night they took off and never looked back.