10 Genuinely Disturbing WWE Heel Beatdowns
5. Nexus Dismantle The Champ
There are moments in WWE that are replayed ad nauseam to force feelings on viewers that were never truly there in the first place. Once a master manipulator utilising the vast production ticks and tricks at his disposal, Vince McMahon's unsubtle approach in later years created something the polar opposite effect.
John Cena was the end result in Superstar form - a wrestler that fans selected as a company-crafted moneymaker, as if every single performer wasn't ultimately of the same ilk. As well as he managed the complicated new ground (which, in the Roman Reigns era, looks even more remarkable than it did at the time), his suffering was still something large swathes of the fanbase craved most.
Nexus' maiden moment was an undiluted moment of joy for those fans - for both the plight of the victim and raised profile of the newbies dishing out the beating. Pulling back the canvas and smashing up the Raw stage, the symbolism was obvious if ultimately futile - literally destroying the established mould was the only way to try and change it.