Nexus; 2 And A Half Years Later

I got bored today and started roaming Youtube for wrestling videos and came across Nexus v Team WWE from Summerslam 2010. During the match Matt Striker stated something along the lines of 'we will look back on this day in years to come and see what success has come of these seven men'. So I decided to do that now, 2 and a half years later. I will look at each of the seven Nexus members (since I don't think you can really count Daniel Bryan) and see what has come of them since the Summerslam event in 2010.

Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett was the leader of Nexus from the very start - it was only right given that he was the winner of NXT Season 1. During the time Nexus was at its peak, Wade Barrett was constantly in the WWE Championship picture but, after Nexus was 'taken over' by CM Punk, Wade's move to Smackdown meant a decline in his success. He went from one group to another and, during his time with The Corre, Wade Barrett captured the Intercontinental Championship. However, after The Corre disbanded, Wade would lose the Intercontinental Championship to a former member of this group - Ezekiel Jackson. Orton would then go on to have rivalries with guys like Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan and - perhaps his biggest - Randy Orton. Barrett showcased much of his skill against Orton and, just as he was once again being pushed to the top, he was injured. After half a year of being on the shelf, Orton came back and soon after won his second Intercontinental Championship. He is currently starting a feud with newcomer Bo Dallas and, once that is over, it is highly possible that Wade Barrett will finally capture a World Championship within WWE.

Championships; 2x Intercontinental Championship

Prediction; World Championship by the end of the year.

Darren Young
During his time as a member of Nexus, Darren Young was always used as a bit of a whipping boy - not giving him much hope for his future in the WWE. His time in Nexus was first to come to an end (not including Daniel Bryan) after losing to John Cena on an episode of RAW. Young then fell into relative obscurity and, eventually, ended up back on NXT when they had their 'Redemption' series. It was during this time that Darren Young would incur a suspension after violating the WWE's wellness policy. Upon his return, Young would enter a rivalry with Titus O'Neil which would result in the two forming a tag team. A short while later the two would join the main roster, marking Young's return. The two were, at first, looking set to capture the WWE Tag Team Championships but have since been put on hold while Kane and Daniel Bryan take over the Tag Team division. Despite his current position I fully expect Darren Young to at least hold Tag Team gold within the next year or so.

Championships; N/A

Prediction; Win the WWE Tag Team Championships with Titus O'Neil within the next two years.

Skip Sheffield
When Nexus first debuted in the WWE, Skip Sheffield was instantly recognised as the brawn of the group and became their proverbial 'wrecking ball'. However, following Summerslam 2010 Skip Sheffield suffered an ankle injury at a house show and was subsequently injured, putting him on the shelf for over a year. When he returned to the WWE he was no longer known as Skip Sheffield, instead he returned with the name Ryback. Since the introduction of this new character, Ryback has completely separated himself from the Nexus group. Ryback has went from the bottom of the food chain in the WWE to sitting just below the top. The pinnacle of this return came at Hell In A Cell in 2012 when Ryback competed in his first ever WWE Championship Match. Ryback may have lost this match but since then he has entered into a rivalry which includes John Cena and Sheamus - two former World Champions. Ryback was also the runner up in the 2013 Royal Rumble, being bested by only John Cena. In my opinion, it is only a matter of time before Ryback wins some piece of gold - perhaps even a World Championship.

Championships; N/A (Although he did win three Slammy Awards in 2012)

Predictions; World Champion within the next year or so.

Michael Tarver
Going into this Nexus storyline, Michael Tarver was perhaps the guy most fitted to it due to the fact that he had the gimmick of a guy who could knock someone out in a matter of seconds. However, Michael Tarver clearly got the short straw of the group. He is the Marty Jannetty of Nexus, if you will. Following Summerslam 2010, Tarver would be the second casualty for Nexus. Sometime in October, Tarver picked up an injury and was written off of television with an attack at the hands of Cena with Barrett subsequently claiming Tarver had left Nexus. Tarver returned to the main show of WWE in 2011 when he appeared in various backstage segments. However, this ultimately came to nothing and Tarver was released from his contract in the Summer cuts of 2011. Tarver has since competed on the independent circuit where he won two Championships, with nothing else coming of his career.

Championships; N/A within WWE

Predictions; Obscurity in the independent circuit.

Justin Gabriel
Justin Gabriel was the exclamation mark within Nexus. Whenever they would carry out an attack, it would be Justin Gabriel who would deliver the final blow with his 450 Splash. Following the defeat of Nexus at Summerslam, Justin Gabriel won the WWE Tag Team Championships along with Heath Slater. They would go on to lose these belts nearly two months later before both left the Nexus and joined the new group on Smackdown; The Corre. In his first match as a member of The Corre, Justin Gabriel defeated then-World Heavyweight Champion in the Main Event Smackdown, perhaps showing the faith which the WWE had in Justin Gabriel. Soon after, Gabriel and Slater regained their WWE Tag Team Championships and would hold them for one night before winning them back again. They would then lose these Championships a couple of months later, following which Slater turned on Gabriel, starting Gabriel's single career in the WWE. Gabriel would have little success as a singles competitor and was eventually paired with Tyson Kidd. Gabriel and Kidd would have a good run as a tag team but have failed to capture Tag Team gold. Kidd picked up an injury in late 2012, halting the progression of both this tag team and Gabriel's WWE career.

Championships; 3x WWE Tag Team Champion (with Heath Slater)

Prediction; Mid-card run, with perhaps a chance at a mid-card title but will fail to win.

Heath Slater
Heath Slater was never particularly relevant within the Nexus group. As stated previously, Heath Slater has since won the WWE Tag Team Championships on three occasions with Justin Gabriel. Some time following Slater and Gabriel disbanding as a tag team, Slater was suspended by the WWE for violating the wellness policy of the WWE. In 2011, Gabriel went on an 18 match winless run which was the record for that year. Slater went into obscurity for a while but in the lead up to the 1000th episode of RAW in 2012, Slater went on a run of facing Legends each week on RAW; losing to the majority of them. This run caused Slater to shine in not only the eyes of the fans but also the eyes of many top brass in the WWE. Slater is now currently in a group named 3MB with Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal which is, for the most part, a joke group. I fully expect Heath Slater to have singles run at some point this year and, perhaps, a run with the United States Championship at one point.

Championships; 3x WWE Tag Team Champion (with Justin Gabriel)

Predictions; United States Champion within a year.

David Otunga
David Otunga was very impressive in both NXT and Nexus. At the Bragging Rights PPV in 2010, David Otunga teamed with John Cena (who had been forced to joining Nexus after losing to Wade Barrett at the Hell In A Cell PPV) and won the WWE Tag Team Championships. However, Otunga would be forced to lie down and allow Heath Slater to pin him the next night on RAW; losing the Championships after just one night. Otunga became temporarily leader of Nexus in late 2011 when they rebelled against Barrett - ultimately leading Barrett to be banished from the group and CM Punk to take over as leader. Prior to Wrestlemania, Otunga was written off television after being punted in the skull by Orton but returned about a month later, still with Nexus; now known as 'New Nexus'. Sometime in May, Otunga teamed with Michael McGillicutty to win the WWE Tag Team Championships. After Punk left the WWE in July, Otunga and McGillictty stopped using the Nexus logo which effectively ended the group. A short while later, Otunga and McGillicutty lost the belts. Following this loss, the team slowly disbanded. Otunga would then use his Law background in his new gimmick where he became the Legal Adviser for various superstars; including John Laurinaitis, Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler. Otunga has done very little other than sporadic appearances and, after a loss to Zack Ryder in December 2012, Otunga disappeared from television; appearing only in the Royal Rumble Match. There have been rumours of Otunga's character being revamped and, right now, that would be the best move going forward.

Championships; 2x WWE Tag Team Champion (with John Cena and Michael McGillicutty)

Prediction; Return with a new character and a possible mid-card Championship run in either 2013 or 2014


It is clear that the success of Superstars within Nexus has been very varied. With the exception of Michael Tarver, Nexus has catapulted these men into household names. The fact that two former members are currently being groomed for a run with the World Championship shows that they have went from being relatively unknown to being a key player in the WWE. Not to mention the fact that more than one of these guys has gotten a rub from a WWE Legend.

Although many people believe that the WWE dropped the ball with Nexus and that the manner in which it was ended would ruin the success of many stars, this statement has been proven to be false. Out of the six men who remained with the WWE since Summerslam 2010, only two of them have yet to hold gold in the WWE but both of these men are showing signs that this will soon change. As for the four men who did hold Championship gold, each of them held gold on more than one occasion. If not for the story of Michael Tarver, then Nexus would have a 100% success rate in terms of cultivating the stars of tomorrow; or in some cases today.