Ten years ago The Nexus was formed in WWE.
The faction was supposed to usher in a new era of World Wrestling Entertainment, as the cast of the first season of NXT invaded RAW in June of 2010. During their invasion, they destroyed the entire ring and attacked John Cena, CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Jerry Lawler, Matt Striker, Justin Roberts, and other staff.
Their push ended as fast as it came when Vince McMahon decided they must suffer a defeat during their pay per view debut at that year’s SummerSlam.
Back in the day, it was reported that Vince McMahon wanted to send the crowd home happy with Team WWE, led by John Cena, winning the main event. Over the years, those involved have placed blame on Cena himself for calling for the Nexus to lose at SummerSlam, a decision that would cost the group all of their momentum.
The group would fizzle out shortly afterward, quietly disbanding in the Summer of 2011.
Since The Nexus had their debut a decade ago now, let’s look where the members of the original group ended up in 2020, in the order of their departure from The Nexus.
Daniel Bryan
Yes, Daniel Bryan was part of The Nexus. For a week.
During The Nexus’ debut, Bryan choked ring-announcer Justin Roberts with his tie. He then went into the ring and spit in John Cena’s face. Since choking and spitting were both things WWE was not pleased to see on camera in 2010, he was let go.
However, Bryan returned at SummerSlam 2010 as part of Team WWE. He went on to win five world championships and still remains with the company until this day.
Darren Young
In August 2010, after the group suffered their big defeat at SummerSlam, Young was identified by leader Wade Barrett as the ‘weak link’.
This came because Young kept losing important matches for the group, including a match-up against John Cena.
The group exiled Young after that match. He went on to form the Prime Time Players with Titus O’ Neil which whom he won the WWE Tag Team Championship in 2015.
Two years later, Young was released by WWE.
Young has appeared on the independent scene from time to time, notably reforming a smaller version of the Nexus for Chikara’s King of Trios event in 2018. In 2020, he claimed that a variation of The Nexus would have returned for WrestleMania Axxess, if it wasn’t for the cancellation of that event due to the current climate.
Skip Sheffield
Before there was Ryback, there was Skip Sheffield. The muscle of the group, Sheffield broke his ankle in August of 2010, which lead to his departure from the group. Almost two years later, he redebuted as Ryback.
After a lengthy winning streak, Ryback found his place as a midcard heel. His only title reign in WWE came when he won the Intercontinental Championship in 2015. As his growing discontent for the company took over, Ryback left WWE in 2016.
Since then he has started a podcast and made sporadic appearances on the indie scene. His last match was in 2018.
Michael Tarver
The most forgettable member of the group, Michael Tarver suffered a groin injury in October 2010. In storyline, he was thrown out of Nexus for being attacked by John Cena. This was effectively the end of his time with WWE. After his expulsion from the group, the injured Tarver began appearing in the background of backstage segments without ever saying a word and wrestling for FCW.
In June 2011 he was let go by WWE. Since then he has had short stints in the NWA, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and CHIKARA.
Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett, the leader of the group, was thrown out of the Nexus in January 2011 and replaced by CM Punk, who renamed the faction ‘New Nexus’.
After his Nexus tenure, he formed The Corre, a Nexus spinoff that lasted a mere five months. Barrett always appeared to have main event potential with WWE, but never managed to break through the glass ceiling after his time with the Nexus. In the time that followed, Barrett became a five-time Intercontinental Champion and also won the 2015 King of the Ring tournament.
He left the promotion in 2016. As of this writing, Barrett is retired from in-ring action. Currently, he is the announcer for ‘NWA Powerrr’ alongside Joe Galli, as well as the narrator for their show ‘Carnyland’.
Heath Slater
Just a few days after Barrett was excommunicated, Heath Slater left the group alongside Justin Gabriel. Members of the Nexus were forced into an initiation from new leader CM Punk. When Slater and Gabriel were told to hit each other with canes, they both left the group.
Instead, they both turned up on SmackDown as part of Wade Barrett’s The Corre.
During his ten years on the main roster, Slater was able to win several Tag Team Championships with various partners. His biggest career highlight has to be becoming the first-ever SmackDown Tag Team Champion alongside Rhyno at Backlash 2016.
Sadly, Slater was let go by WWE in May 2020 after 14 years with the company. He is currently serving his 90-day no-compete clause.
Justin Gabriel
The master of the 450-splash left the Nexus the same day as his former Tag Team partner Heath Slater. The duo were able to win the WWE Tag Team Championships twice in February 2011, but this would be the last time Gabriel would hold gold in WWE.
Unfortunately creative never really had something for Gabriel as a singles star. After another tag team run, this time with Tyson Kidd, Gabriel asked for his release in 2015.
After leaving WWE, he renamed himself ‘PJ Black’ and has appeared for various promotions around the world. Most famously, Black appeared for Lucha Underground and Impact Wrestling. Currently, he is under contract with Ring of Honor.
David Otunga
Yes. David Otunga is still under WWE contract. However, since he has not had a match since 2015, Daniel Bryan remains the only active former Nexus member on the WWE roster. Otunga remained a part of Nexus until the name was removed from his Tag Team with Michael McGillicutty.
Otunga managed to collect two Tag Team Championships during his Nexus run. One with John Cena, the other with the previously mentioned McGillicutty.
Post that, Otunga began working as the assistant to RAW and SmackDown General Manager John Laurinaitis.
Since then Otunga has occasionally worked as WWE’s legal consultant, as on-air expert for pre-show panels and also, very briefly, as an announcer.
Who was your favourite member of the Nexus? Let us know on Twitter!
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