10 Hyped WWE Feuds That Were Complete Failures
3. Wade Barrett Vs. John Cena
The entire Nexus storyline will go down as one of the biggest disappointments in WWE history, but even if it took place independent of the angle, John Cena vs. Wade Barrett would still be remember as a highly underwhelming feud. WWE were presented with the unique opportunity to mint a brand new main eventer just months after his debut, and they blew it.
Cena’s obliteration of The Nexus at SummerSlam was bad enough, but WWE could have undone much of the damage by having Wade overcome Cena when it mattered. He toppled WWE’s franchise player at Hell In A Cell 2010 and eventually became number one contender to Randy Orton’s WWE Title, but Cena interfered in the match, setting up a Survivor Series rematch that Barrett once again lost through John’s interference.
Wade’s momentum was in tatters, and his remaining credibility was obliterated at TLC that December. Cena defeated Barrett by covering him in a pile chairs (a literal burial), completely neutering the Englishman as a performer, and ending any hope of him ever becoming a serious main eventer. Barrett’s career never truly recovered, and he goes down as just another sacrificial lamb to Cena’s Superman push.