10 Times WWE Hit Themselves Where It Hurts
9. Destroying The Aura And Potential Of The Nexus In One Night
The Nexus made a devastating debut, literally. Comprised of NXT Season 1 competitors, they destroyed John Cena, they destroyed the ring area, and Daniel Bryan almost destroyed announcer Justin Roberts (Bryan legit choked him out with his tie, was fired the next day, then returned a few months later.)
It was an exciting concept, seeing this young blood lay waste to Raw, especially if you had no idea who they were.
A few weeks later, they faced Team WWE at SummerSlam, a huge opportunity to square off with Cena, Edge, Jericho, Bret Hart, John Morrison, R-Truth... and a returning Daniel Bryan. Instead of a crowning moment for the group, they lost to Team WWE, with Cena pinning both Barrett and Justin Gabriel.
Why?
Because John Cena didn't want to lose, despite senior members Edge and Jericho suggesting it would be great for storylines and could lead to an amazing 'Mania 27. But Cena got what Cena wanted.
This was exemplified once again at the 2010 version of TLC, where Cena literally buried Barrett under a pile of chairs.
The Nexus was never the same after that, despite the inclusion of CM Punk for a time, and the opportunity to set up years of storylines was squandered over Cena's ego.