10 Shocking Times WWE Pulled The Plug On Mega Pushes

6. The Nexus

WWE Nexus
WWE.com

As complete goobers on the talent (in how it both developed and destroyed future stars) show version of NXT, The Nexus were faceless nobodies failing to become anything more from large shadows cast by their main roster mentors.

New signing Daniel Bryan was the only one not plucked from their failing Florida Championship Wrestling system, but was doled out punishment booking as a way to bring him down to their level rather than even attempting to raise the rest to his.

Show winner Wade Barrett was decent by default, but all eight looked like trained killers when they emerged together on Raw to assault everybody and everything in their path.

Expertly produced and uniquely performed, The Nexus' beatdown of John Cena provided incredible pro wrestling visuals for the gang as they left the entire show - one they'd allowed themselves to be systematically destroyed by just to be a part of - in tatters.

Daniel Bryan's over-exuberance got him briefly split off from the angle, but the rest could and should have had career-enhancing summers from the memorable mauling. Instead, they were made to absorb losses too great before John Cena thinned out their numbers with increasingly demeaning attacks.

The hand of the author was too present - you could almost see Vince McMahon losing interest in the group with every depressing passing week.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.