10 PG-Era WWE Superstars You Totally Don't Remember
9. Michael Tarver
Michael Tarver was at the heart of one of WWE’s hottest storylines in 2010. The Nexus’ formation blew the wrestling world apart on June 7th, and while the angle faded into tedium as soon as the group ran afoul of John Cena, it remains one of the most memorable debuts in wrestling history.
Surrounded by more talented, more eye-catching wrestlers like Wade Barrett, Daniel Bryan and Justin Gabriel, Tarver was comfortably the group’s least memorable member. He is the only original Nexus member who didn’t enjoy some kind of push or title run with the company and while the bandana-clad grappler had a decent look, he was a clear step behind his peers between the ropes.
Eliminated in NXT Season One’s very first week, Tarver was little more than a spot-filler for The Nexus. He was never able to stand out from the crowd, and after being eliminated second in the group’s disastrous seven-on-seven match at SummerSlam, Tarver was on his way out. Tarver suffered a groin injury that October, Cena attacked him, and Barrett threw him out of the stable.
He’d return briefly to WWE TV in 2011, but the appearances never amounted to anything. Tarver was released from his WWE contract that June, and has made only fleeting independent appearances since. He remains the only Nexus member to not return to a WWE ring after the group’s dissolution.