The Original WWE Nexus 8: Where Are They Now?

7. Heath Slater

The Nexus Pub Shot
WWE.com

Heath Slater, on reflection, managed to have the best WWE career possible (for Heath Slater).

Even in the force of destruction that was the original stable, the fresh-faced Slater stood out, and not in a particularly good way. The guy looked like he was carved to play a comedy jobber role, and play a comedy jobber role he soon did - to at times delightful effect.

There was something very grating about Slater. Maybe it was that dopey voice, and its strange ability to overcome the glottal stop, or that daft face, but Slater simply presented himself as a very stupid man, and when his mouth invariably landed him in trouble, watching somebody forcibly close it was good midcard stuff. His pronunciation of the word 'Why?' ("Wha?") often caused Michael Cole to stifle a p*ss-fit of laughter, for Slater was genuinely, brilliantly obnoxious.

But Slater was never Ellsworth-level detestable. His beaming, ever-optimistic face attracted a degree of sympathy. He was just trying his deluded best out there. There wasn't a malicious bone in his body; just a misapprehension of his own ability level that grew to become endearing.

And so, from the quality RAW 1000 bit to AH GOT KIDS!, Slater became a cherished mainstay of the WWE fabric, even if he exists now in Main Event no man's land.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!