Bragging Rights, Kane and The Nexus

[Bowlesy_1991]

It seems a long time ago now but at Bragging Rights 2010, Kane buried Undertaker in a buried alive match, leading to Undertaker's hiatus. However, the turning point in this match were when the Nexus (when Wade Barrett still had credibility) interfered and aided Kane in burying his storyline brother. Obviously, WWE Creative just forgot about this story, and probably had hopes that we would too. However, what I would have liked to have known was where it was leading (if they decided to go through with it and Undertaker didn't end up injured). Would the Kane and Undertaker feud continue? Would Edge still have been moved to Smackdown? Would the Nexus of been moved to Smackdown (as they aided a Smackdown superstar in a Smackdown title match)? Would Wade Barrett still be leader of the Nexus? The possibilities are endless!

So what do you guys think was the plan with Kane and the Nexus (assuming Undertaker wasn't injured), and if things were to follow this plan, what would be the current landscape of the WWE?

 

[rpsulli85]

The original plan from what I remember reading was for Undertaker to put his WrestleMania streak on the line against Wade Barrett if I am not mistaken. This was simply being used as a way to set it up. Unfortunately by the time it came time to start setting the card, WWE had already done so much to damage Wade's credibility, including having him lost control of Nexus, that it wouldn't have had the drawing power of a Taker vs Triple H match. Plus, Trips was pulling for a match with Taker at Mania anyways and, for obvious reasons, Barrett doesn't have the same political pull that Triple H had and was instead forced to compete in a shitty "finisher-fest" as I like to call them where almost everybody hit their finishing maneuver and the match itself was soon forgotten. But again, that is just what I thought I remember reading, so don't take that as the Gospel Truth or anything.

 

[slapnuts08]

Yeah, what that guy said. This could have been a great feud, with the Nexus taking their dominance on to Smackdown.

In a way I'm glad they decided against it. I had visions of a pretty good WM match between Taker and Barrett (which Taker would obviously win) - but in the weeks building up to Mania Taker would destroy each member of Nexus to make sure he got Barrett one on one. That would have totally derailed any momentum the group had. You might say that's exactly what they did in the build up to Orton v Punk, but they saved Slater and Gabriel from being buried, leaving Husky Harris (who I never felt fit the Nexus group anyway), Otunga (who has proved to be pretty disappointing anyway), McGillicutty (who will go on to better things purely because of his heritage - doesn't need nexus) and Mason Ryan, who has shifted into the role of punk's enforcer pretty well. In the end we also saw a match with real drawing power in Taker v HHH, so I am happy with the way it played out.

For the record though, I would really like to have seen a Barrett/Taker feud culminating in a match on a PPV other than Wrestlemania, where the outcome wouldn't be quite so obvious!

 

[rge2010]

It seems the Undertaker forgot about Kane and Wade Barrett for putting him out of action. At least Triple H destroyed Sheamus on Raw to pay due to that stroyline.

How hard would it have been for Taker to turn up on Smackdown and beat on Barrett? Would of been much more interesting than the pathetic stare downs he had.

 

[Spillz3000]

Yeah kind of sucks that feud never came to be. I wouldn't have mind Barrett and the Nexus going to SmackDown and building that feud. I hope when taker comes back he at least fights him once.

Haha also between that match and Mania Kane somehow turned face(as is the norm with Kane jumping back and fourth between face and heel).

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Sometimes, storylines aren't followed through because of whatever circumstances happen to pop up. As has been said, the initial plan was for The Undertaker to return and feud with Wade Barrett for a WrestleMania match.

However, as a lot of people notices, the draw of an Undertaker vs. Wade Barrett WM match at this time didn't sound all that appealing. I'm a fan of Wade Barrett and I think he'll have a long & prosperous career in the WWE. However, when you look at the two epic encounters Taker's last two WM matches were with HBK, you can't blame the WWE for wanting to try and recreate and capture that sort of epic clash. Simply put, Undertaker vs. Triple H in a no holds barred match with Triple H's only objective being ending The Streak was able to accomplish that.

Also, Taker's health was also something that seemed to be a day to day thing that the WWE was monitoring. The wear & tear has caught up with Taker over the past few years. Taker's latest injury was a torn rotator cuff that he put off having surgery on as he feared it would knock him out of WrestleMania. When Taker went to have the surgery, he was told that surgery really wouldn't do any good at this point. He'd waited too long and probably would never regain full strength in the injured shoulder. I remember reading about that back in February or maybe March. That, coupled with Taker's injuries that've piled up due in part to him just putting off taking time off to recover, has led to something of a change in strategy for how he'll be used. It looks as if the rest of Taker's career will be spent as something of a special attraction brought out for WrestleMania. We probably won't see Taker again until after the 2012 Royal Rumble to begin the build for his next WM match.

As a result of all this from a business perspective and Taker's viability inside the ring, it looks like any sort of plans that might have involved avenging himself against Nexus or Kane has been scrapped.

 

[The Universal Re-monster]

Maybe Taker has just gotten so used to being "Buried Alive" over the years it doesn't bug him any longer. Maybe he should thank Barret for the vacation? Law of diminishing returns anyone?