10 Unfinished WWE Storylines That Remain A Mystery
1. The Nexus
The Nexus angle provided not just one of the most explosive wrestling debuts of all-time, but also one of the most egregious wastes of talent in WWE history. Arriving as a pack of dangerous and disgruntled NXT rookies in 2010, Wade Barrett and his gang of miscreants shook the wrestling world by literally tearing ringside apart and destroying everyone in the surrounding area.
This, Barrett said, was the Nexus standing-up and seizing the opportunities they felt they deserved. Their presence added an unpredictable new edge to WWE television, and they got off to a hot start with various group members fighting those roster members who remained loyal to the WWE.
At its peak, the Nexus vs. WWE storyline was as compelling as any “invasion” angle in the sport’s history, but things reached a screeching halt when the group ran afoul of John Cena.
Cena has a penchant for derailing promising young wrestling careers, and that’s exactly what he did to Wade Barrett and the Nexus. Barrett was soundly destroyed by Cena on PPV, thus ending any hope he ever had of making it as a WWE main eventer, and CM Punk was installed as the group’s new leader.
Multiple personnel changes followed, but Punk’s singles success greatly eclipsed the stable’s momentum, and The New Nexus was effectively dead in the water. Punk would go on to defeat Cena, leave the company, then come back again, but the story was completely forgotten about by this point. The Nexus seemingly died with Punk’s first departure, and the wrestlers went their separate ways.
The Nexus was one of the most exciting storylines that WWE have ever destroyed. Their effectiveness as a group was completely neutered by John Cena, and the success of Punk’s famous “pipebomb” promo allowed WWE to quietly dismiss the story without resolution.