9. Randy Orton Rips Apart The Nexus En Route To CM Punk (WrestleMania 27)
This storyline was revenge against revenge. At the 2011 Royal Rumble, Punk cost Orton his match for the WWE Championship as belated payback for Orton costing him the World Heavyweight title in September 2008. How's that for a callback? Punk, by this time, held court over the New Nexus, consisting of David Otunga, Mason Ryan, and both Bray Wyatt and Curtis Axel before either man was remotely interesting. As time as shown, the most interesting Orton is the most diabolical. When the 'Mania match was signed, it was decreed that Orton would face each Punk underling over the interim weeks. For each occasion that Orton won, that Nexus member would be barred from ringside at WrestleMania. Not only did Orton win each match, but he malevolently punted each member in the temple, writing them off TV completely. Orton and Punk had themselves a great match to boot, a good portrayal of Orton as vengeful.
Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.
