10 Storylines WWE Blatantly STOLE From Other Promotions
3. The Nexus
The story of The Nexus is quickly becoming one that doesn't need retelling. The initial promise of their debut, their crushing defeat at SummerSlam 2010, their sad decline. It's all part of wrestling folklore.
What's less widely reported is that WWE basically nicked their core concept. Six years before Wade Barrett and co. made themselves known, another group of young, hungry talent joined forces in Ring of Honor.
Led by Alex Shelley, Generation Next also consisted of Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Jack Evans, and later Matt Sydal. These youngsters tore a path through ROH at the expense of established names like The Briscoes, CM Punk, and... Ricky Steamboat? Early ROH was wild, man.
This group was much more successful than its imitators. Strong and Aries won the tag titles and the latter went on to become ROH Champion while a member of the group. They were together until 2006 and have occasionally reteamed in other promotions in the years since.
Stables of young competitors had been done before Generation Next, but their influence on The Nexus was evident right from the start. If you watch both factions' debuts, you'll see for yourself.