10 WWE Superstars Who Went From Hero To Zero In A Heartbeat

When the Nexus angle got underway, it seemed clear as day that the intention was to make a bonafide singles star out of Wade Barrett. The Englishman had the look, the skill, the ability on the mic, and was getting the push of a proper heel in the making. He was constantly working with John Cena, and soon secured the SummerSlam main event in the Nexus vs WWE showdown.

Long time fans will remember how this went, and those familiar with the politicking worst of John Cena can probably guess. Despite the protests of Edge and Chris Jericho, Cena overcame the odds and bested the remaining two Nexus members single handedly, concluding with tapping out Barrett to his ever-unconvincing STFU.

Barrett didn’t do badly from there by any means, but never again did he get so much as a sniff of a main event. He had a fine IC title run, put on solid matches with much of the midcard, and even stumbled upon a gimmick (Bad News Barrett) that was briefly molten hot before getting kiboshed.

It shouldn’t have been this way for Barrett, and it’s hard not to put the blame squarely on Cena’s broad shoulders. As is often the way with WWE, it looked like the company was damaging its future in order to appease its present.