10 Wrestlers Who Should Have Been Megastars By Now – But Aren’t

10. Wade Barrett

Seven years ago, Wade Barrett was making his main roster debut, leading the Nexus in one of the hottest angles of the past decade. Today, he’s not even a part of the roster anymore.

Barrett left WWE in May 2016, on his own terms and with every right to have felt frustrated with the way the company had used him.

After winning NXT season one to earn himself a world title opportunity, Barrett’s moment arrived not in one-on-one action but in a six-pack challenge at Night of Champions. There, he managed to pin John Cena, the reigning champ, but ultimately it was Randy Orton who left with the belt. That gave way to a brief Orton vs. Barrett feud, but the company still refused to commit to a proper Barrett push.

Propelling Barrett to the world championship just months after his main roster debut would have been the perfect way to capitalise on the Nexus’ momentum. Instead, he ended up being fed to Cena and Orton before a relegation to the mid-card.

Barrett's legacy should have been that of the first-ever British world champion but for whatever reason, the company just never went all-in on the push his talent warranted.