Former WWE champion was almost part of Evolution; he explains why it didn't happen
A former WWE Superstar recently revealed that he was almost part of Evolution, the legendary group that consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista. Maven explained why it didn't happen and who eventually took his place.
Evolution began with Triple H and Flair in late 2002, followed by Batista and then by Randy Orton in early 2003. They became a dominant group on RAW, with Triple H as the World Heavyweight Champion. Batista and Flair took home the World Tag Team Title, while Randy Orton had a run with the Intercontinental Championship.
Speaking on Wrestling Shoot Interviews, Maven was asked about the rumors linking him to Evolution back in the day. He confirmed that he was on the shortlist of possible members before the company chose Batista. Mark Jindrak was also in the conversation of replacing The Animal after an injury, but it never happened.
"I did have one of the writers come by and tell me that, 'Hey, your name's in this hat.' Then I never heard anything else about it. I know they went out and started shooting the vignettes with Jindrak. If anybody was considered for it, it was Jindrak ... I don't think that Jindrak would have been a bad choice. Mark's probably the most athletic guy I've ever seen, him and Shelton (Benjamin), but they made the right choice. I was never going to be in Evolution," Maven said. [H/T: Wrestling, Inc.]
The three-time Hardcore Champion paved his own path in WWE as a midcarder before getting released in 2005. Randy Orton and Batista came out as bigger stars after their stint in Evolution.
Maven admits he enjoys playing a heel in WWE
In an interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp back in September, Maven was asked about the time he turned heel in late 2004 after receiving a mini-push as a babyface. He loved playing the bad guy, calling his run as a heel in 2005 his most enjoyable time with WWE.
"When I turned heel, man, that's when I started having the most fun in the business. To this day, I vastly like, love being a heel way more than a face," Maven said. [H/T: Fightful]
After being a heel and teaming up with Simon Dean for the first half of 2005, Maven was released by WWE in July of that year. He was later offered a role by Triple H in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic halted those plans.