Bad News Barrett is a performer who has been repeatedly done wrong throughout his career. Debuting in 2010 as the leader of Nexus, a group of renegade young stars who had been exploited and treated like jokes while on NXT, he was the guy poised to breakout and become a huge star for the company. Then he wrestled John Cena in a Chairs match at TLC and had anything resembling momentum snuffed out. A 2011 rivalry with Randy Orton did not help any, especially after he lost the deciding match to the Viper at the TLC pay-per-view. In the years that followed, injuries haunted Barrett, as did poor booking. When he finally adopted the Bad News gimmick, he appeared to be getting over more than he had any point in his career. Then, Jack Swagger tossed him shoulder-first into the barricade and Barrett was forced back to the sidelines with a severe injury. Now back inside the squared circle, Barrett continues to be lost in the midcard, competing for a title he has already won on five other occasions and losing more than he wins. While it is clear that Barrett has everything needed to be a main event star in WWE, booking and an apparent lack of faith from WWE suggests that may not be in the cards.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
