15 WWE Break-Ups That IMMEDIATELY Backfired
7. The Corre “Takes Over” From Nexus (2011)
How did WWE go from pushing Nexus as one of the most threatening and urgent acts in the entire industry to turning them into such a bad joke? John Cena burying the faction just because he could at SummerSlam 2010 has to take a fair share of the blame for that - even Chris Jericho and Edge thought the head boy was nuts for squashing a top heel faction so readily.
After SummerSlam, Nexus didn't carry the same threat it had since June. Wade Barrett was later ousted from the power position in his own stable by CM Punk, so he darted off to seek sanctuary on SmackDown and formed The Corre on the 21 January 2011 episode. No need to sugar coat that one. Even Wade would understand. The Corre sucked.
Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater and Ezekiel Jackson comprised the new offshoot group, whilst Punk led a New Nexus over on Raw. It wasn't a satisfying solution for either side. Punk's new incarnation of the rebels felt neutered and like the whole Nexus thing had run its course, whilst The Corre had a rubbish name and carried even less menace than the likes of Barrett, Gabriel and Slater had before being crushed under the all-conquering boots of 'Super Cena'.
Splitting Nexus in two (effectively), sprinkling in some new members (Jackson, Mason Ryan, Michael McGillicutty) for both and generally expecting any of this to fly with the audience was poor. Surely, that second 'r' in The Corre's name stood for "rubbish". That word really can't be used enough to describe what WWE pulled in January 2011.
'Corre, what a load of rubbish'.