Wade Barrett spent a good deal of 2012 and 2013 on the shelf with injuries and visa issues, putting him out of sight and out of mind with the WWE Universe. When he was finally ready to come back to action, though, he had devised a new character - Bad News Barrett. The persona - which Barrett had first used on YouTube's "The JBL and Cole Show" - involved Barrett standing at a podium and buttering up the audience with pleasantries before turning things around with the catchphrase "but I'm afraid I've got some BAD NEWS!". After that, he'd insult the crowd and smile broadly. It sounds simple, but the originality of the phrase and Barrett's excellent delivery helped it get over huge. Before long, Barrett became a favorite of the WWE Universe. He won the Intercontinental Championship, but an injury put him out of commission. Shortly after his return, he won the King of the Ring tournament, and the "Bad News" gimmick was all but dropped. There's still mileage in it, though, and WWE would be wise to do their best to harness it.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013