What to do with The (Original) Nexus Members

[boywithbluehanger]

Back in 2010, I remember being upset like most of the guys around here with how The Nexus' storyline came to a close. The reason why it was doomed from the start may have been because none of the members had distinctive personalities or gimmicks. Outside of Otunga's lap-dog role, none of them (Not even Barret) had a consistent gimmick. After the breakup, slowly and surely, many of the guys would one-by-one come back with a new repackaged gimmick that differed greatly from their mostly soulless Nexus characters. If we were to see Nexus reunion now, it's safe to say that it would be far more interesting than it ever was in 2010. It's very cool to see how much they've grown in the business in such a short amount of time. Like a father watching his kids grow up. *teardrop*

But contrary to what it seems I'm suggesting (a reunion), I just want most of the former Nexus members to be used in a better way than they currently are.

Wade Barret: They really crapped the bed with this guy. They kickstart him in the main event and while he's very over as the top heel, they don't even give him a championship run. Now he's a gimmickless joke who is a waste of an IC champion. How many theme songs is he on now? 5? 6? How many IC reigns has he had? 3? 4? He's not going to get over with the crowd on his own so take him off TV. Let him help train with developmental talent. He can teach mic skills, in-ring fluidity, and the importance of creating a gimmick - through struggling to find a good one of his own.

Daniel Bryan: After his feud with The SHIELD is through, take him out of the Tag Team division. (Where he's only started to help recently) Push him back into the WHC scene. Del Rio is not interesting to the crowds so put his ass in the midcard or the TT scene (where he may find success as a heel) and give that WHC main event spot to Bryan.

Ryback: Eventually have him win the WWE title at a big PPV. He's supposed to be this generation's Warrior/Goldberg/Batista clone so just let that happen when the moment arrives.

Curtis Axel: If his main event push is for real, let him feud with Daniel Bryan for the WHC title. Bryan is beloved and it would be easier for Axel to get over as a power-tech heel by going against someone as universally liked as Bryan.

Bray Wyatt: Since his gimmick is very much based on American stereotypes (Cajun hick, religious enthusiast, southern bred etc) put him in the US title scene and let him run with it.

Heath Slater/Justin Gabriel: Break-up 3MB but keep Jinder and Drew McEntire in "JTG Jobber Hell". Repackage Heath Slater with Justin Gabriel since they're familiar with each other. And give them the Odd Couple comedic schtick since Team Hell No needs to break up eventually. Heath can remain the over-zealous trash talker who always bites off more than he can chew and Gabriel is the high-flying babyface who bails them out of trouble in their matches.

David Otunga: Either go back to using him as a henchman for the managers and higher-ups or get rid of him. His best role in the WWE is as a prop. (much like Ricardo Rodriguez)

Darren Young: He's the weaker half of Prime Time Players but at least he has a solid gimmick with them and is being used logically at the moment. Eventually PTP will have to win the TT titles and have a nice long run with them. Mainly for Titus O'Neil but if Young learns how to be a comfortable yet effective heel, then it'll benefit him greatly as well.

It would be great to see a day where each of these guys are over as heels and the creative team decides to reunite Nexus. But before such a ridiculous fanboy dream could ever happen, each of these guys need to continue down their paths to success. To any fans of the original Nexus, how are these suggestions/demands? What would be some of your own?

 

[Mustang Sally]

The reason why it was doomed from the start may have been because none of the members had distinctive personalities or gimmicks.

That's one way of looking at it, but in that regard, all programs are doomed from the start; even the "immortal" Hulk Hogan switched gears and went in another direction after years of doing the same damn thing. The Nexus was never intended as a long-range program, if for no other reason than a group of seven performers changes over time due to injuries, individual character break-outs, future endeavoring, etc.

I think it's remarkable that, except for Tarver, all of them still have jobs in WWE; that's amazing in itself. It took time, but all developed personalities and were handed new directions by Creative. I thought Darren Young was completely done with WWE when he was booted from Nexus early, yet he turned up with a serviceable gimmick. I had even less hope of seeing Skip Sheffield again but.....well, hey!

The original seven as a group had no distinctive personalities for a reason; they were a tight-knit group that wasn't showing many individual capabilities ....the whole idea was that they attacked en masse, using numbers to overcome their adversaries. The only one with a semblance of a personality in those early days was Wade Barrett.....and that was by design, since someone had to lead.

A reunion of Nexus couldn't take place today; their paths have diverged too widely to allow it. How would a comedy jobber like Heath Slater fit in with a street fighter, a monster, a tag team specialist, etc? They've gone their separate ways.....and that's exactly as it should be. I don't believe anything has to be "done" with them, because their directions have already been carved..

 

[boywithbluehanger]

A reunion of Nexus couldn't take place today; their paths have diverged too widely to allow it. How would a comedy jobber like Heath Slater fit in with a street fighter, a monster, a tag team specialist, etc? They've gone their separate ways.....and that's exactly as it should be. I don't believe anything has to be "done" with them, because their directions have already been carved..

I'm guessing you overlooked what I wrote in the op, I'm not suggesting that they reunite. (Although I do wish it happens )

But contrary to what it seems I'm suggesting (a reunion), I just want most of the former Nexus members to be used in a better way than they currently are.

But since you brought it up, I do think that it could work. Hell look at DX in their prime. Road Dogg and Mr. Ass were two dudes who had goofy gimmicks and they didn't take away from the intensity of Triple H and more importantly, the popularity of the stable.

The original seven as a group had no distinctive personalities for a reason; they were a tight-knit group that wasn't showing many individual capabilities

You're probably right but I believe that some of it was just laziness or lack of sufficient timing for the storytelling. If the writers felt that the team as a whole had the time and focus to develop individual characters that actually differed from each other, they probably would have went that route. I'm sure that's way better than continuously just showing a bunch of guys in the same shirt looking downward at the body of a man they just beat-up until the camera fades out into the next scene of the show. Besides, stables are at their most interesting when the members have different gimmicks and personalities (especially clashing ones).

Anyway, the entire point of the thread is to discuss how they're used in the near future. You know, since things aren't just going to stay the same forever. All of these guys will eventually: Lose titles, gain titles, turn face, turn heel, be lumped in tag-teams, disband from tag-teams etc. You'll also notice that I commended the way they've grown in the short time they've been with the company.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Nice topic. Here's what I would do for each former Nexus member. I will disregard CM Punk and Mason Ryan, as they were only in the second Nexus faction.


WADE BARRETT
He needs one more midcard title reign, the one that matters. This will prepare him for breaking into the world title scene. I'd have him win MITB as well to help push him there, with the strong midcard reign taking place while he wins MITB. He's world title material.


DAVID OTUNGA
I don't see him ever getting much further as an in-ring competitor. I think he would be better in the role of a manager or GM that sometimes works matches. His lawyer character should get him onto a path toward success in the magerial route.


RYBACK
He'll have to win a world title sooner or later, they keep trying to push him to the top of the card. He was never ready and I would rather him have stayed undefeated a while longer before actually entering the main event, but that was 6 months ago. I would have him lose to Cena then be built up properly for a world title feud later on. He's world title material, but he has not been built up for a run at all. Throwing someone into a WWE Championship feud when they aren't ready is not the way to go.


HEATH SLATER
I can see him having a midcard jobber role like Santino after 3MB has its inevitable split. I hope that by then the stable will have had the chance to hold the giant pennies under the freebird rule first. He might not make it further than that though. I see potential in him, but not unless he gets a more serious gimmick and stops being booked to be a total joke.


JUSTIN GABRIEL
I would put him into a tag team, they need more people in that division. Maybe get back together with Slater like the threadstarter suggested if/after 3MB splits. I enjoyed their team.


DARREN YOUNG
Unless the Prime Time Players win the giant pennies, I don't see him doing much else in the future. There's always jobber status.


HUSKY HARRIS
He is Bray Wyatt now. I know nothing about the Wyatt Family so I will wait until after that group has established themselves before I do a major analysis on where I think Bray/Harris will end up on the card later down the line. He'll certainly make it further than he would have as Husky Harris.


CURTIS AXEL
Now that he has a more serious sounding name and Paul Heyman in his corner, things are looking up for Axel Curtis. He has the potential to make it far and the association with Heyman will help him a great deal. He without a shadow of a doubt will make it further than he would have as the horribly named Michael McGillicutty. He gets built up with Heyman and maybe has a world title shot or two in the future. Midcard belt for sure or further.


DANIEL BRYAN
Feud with Kane as Team Hell No has their inevitable split. Bryan wins that feud and uses the momentum to permanently return to the main event scene. A World Heavyweight Championship feud against Dolph Ziggler is something I would like to see and another feud with CM Punk. Bryan will be in the top tier for years to come.


MICHAEL TARVER
Yes he is gone, but he may come back and he was in the original Nexus. If for whatever reason he ever did come back, he'd get a small push and them go into jobber status. Other than Young he was always the weakest member of the Nexus to me.

 

[MizMark11]

No, we do not need a Nexus reunion right now. It wouldn't make any sense. How would we believe that Daniel Bryan and Ryback are supposed to follow Wade's orders? It wouldn't really make sense. And they certainly can't going in being "equals" because we'd be entering Corre territory.

Anyway, here is what I think each member should do:

Wade Barrett: I don't believe that it's his fault that he's not getting over. I don't think he's gimmickless because he does have his gimmick as a former bare knuckle fighter from England. They just don't emphasize that gimmick anymore. My suggestion would be that Wade becomes a hired gun. I thought they were going for that when he said he was open for business and I think he could get over like that, even if it's as a tweener. Barrett is 31, so he definitely has time to get over and eventually become a world champ.

Daniel Bryan: I'll agree that he needs to go back to the main event picture. He always puts on great matches and extremely over. He does not need to be in a tag team or a stable.

Ryback: Ryback does not need to win the title at a big pay per view. He needs to win it at the next won. Ryback's PPV record is awful and fans will officially been done with him if he doesn't win at Payback. That's it, that's all.

Curtis Axel: It's not time for him to feud for a world title. While he is getting a great rub for being with Heyman, he's not ready for a world title. Let him work his way up the midcard. Sure, he has wins against HHH and Cena, but we need to see him get pinfall wins against midcarders.

Bray Wyatt: I think Bray is a bit different than your average Cajun hick. Sure, it'd be great to see him hold a title, but right now it's in good hands with the Shield. Let Bray work his magic against a beloved face. The Shield already have a monster push and I don't think we need another stable getting that push until the Shield slow down. Bray's young, WWE can take their time.

Heath Slater/Justin Gabriel: I would like to see them team again, but as faces. They could definitely get over with the crowd due to Gabriel's highflying and Slater's goofy charm. The tag division needs some face teams.

David Otunga: I could only see him back on TV if WWE replaced Maddox with him or if he became assistant to the GM on Smackdown. Either that or try to push him as a face since he does have good mic skills.

Darren Young: Yeah, give PTP the tag titles eventually. I think they could work as a good tag team too since they are funny ad have chants/dances that the fans can also get involved in.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

I definitely think the original Nexus (without Axel, Wyatt, Ryan, or Punk) should reunite at some point as a very special one time only thing. I think the perfect time to do it would be at a Survivor Series or maybe in a War Games type scenario, where they all team up to fight off some kind of invading force, or maybe Vince puts them back together to teach some other group of rebels a lesson or something.

Another scenario that could be easily done (and would be fun for a live audience) plus a great way to get some of these guys back in the spot light would be at a Royal Rumble. You do it like this...

Have someone like Heath Slater draw number 1 against another member of 3MB, they shake hands and air guitar for two minutes, then someone else like Darren Young comes out and eliminates the other guy, Jinder or Drew. As the clock is nearing the next entrance Heath and and Darren gang up on the next entrant, and continue to use this approach until there are maybe 3 or 4 Nexus guys in the ring at once, and they've managed to eliminate everyone else in the match (without making it obvious they are helping each other), then maybe just when it looks like they are going to fight, one of them could pull the armband out of their trunks, and then they all follow suit and reveal they have the armbands. Then Wade could say "You're either Nexus or your against us" and they could continue to eliminate everyone in the Rumble, until only the Nexus guys are left, but then they would obviously have to turn on each other, maybe have Ryback be #30 and have him start eliminating them or something, until (obviously) Ryback, Wade, or Daniel wins the Rumble, and that would be the end of it. Just a fun one time only thing for the fans.

 

[scottyshowman82]

I feel your pain brother, I was a mark for the original Nexus too. It's true what Mustang Sally said their paths are so diverse it would be odd for if they all suddendly joined up right now.

As for where I would like to see them go on their paths...

Wade Barret: He has fallen, a lot of it is circumstance such as the unfortunate injury he had a few years back, a lot of it is mismanagement. I think at this point they should just keep it simple with him. He was supposed to have Money in the Bank before his injury let him win that match this year. Even if he loses the IC belt to an up and comer like Fandango it's ok just let him get the breifcase in July. No more music changes, no more changes period. They want him on his own so let him be that way. The rugged, UK bare knuckles fighter with the broken nose is cool. He's a bright talented guy I wish him nothing but the best.

Daniel Bryan: I want him to fight Dolph Ziggler one more time so bad. Their match at Bragging Right a few years back was tops! But the way things are going, organically he does have to break up with Kane and turn full blown heel. An agressive, dark and angry Daniel Bryan seems be the next evolution in Bryan's persona. He is so layered and versatile whatever Bryan does he's gonna be great. As someone said on a certain post wrestling show, "Bryan is so good, it's hard to think of a WWE without him now."

Ryback: Mr. Ryback... damn. I wrote about this in the Ryback thread on here. Ryback is different from his from his other hulking brute/cyborg like counterparts in that he's got personality. When he debuted at Skip Sheffield he was a light hearted funny guy. I don't think he got enough credit how hardcore and brutal the match at Extreme Rules was before the badly booked outcome. I think his heel turn was ill timed and he has to work that much harder to make sure this new more thuggish "Ryback Rules" character survives. I still think he has a lot to offer. I think the match at Payback is going to be really good and he's going to surprise a lot of doubters.

Curtis Axel: I'm on board with Axel man, I mark a little everytime the lights go out and new logo hits the LED board and that sick Mr. Perfect 2013 remix hits. There have been so many talented guys, that have fallen to the wayside, or have been overlooked. At least to HHH's credit they're saving one and it's coming off pretty sweet. The running swinging neckbreaker always looked good. The Perfect Plex looks on point. Let him best Orton and Sheamus, hell if it was Mania time put in there with Taker. With Heyman doing the talking and him doing the wrestling, it's hard to go wrong with me.

Bray Wyatt: For some reason I'm not as excited as everyone eles about these guys coming in. I know Luke Harper is great worker and I know Bray Wyatt is an incredibly agile big man and has been doing phenomenal promos and work and should be rewarded. Maybe it's because I like original things and I'm one of only two people that remember Waylon Mercy. However what being said, Bray Wyatt and the family are doing is creating buzz, it is interesting, the tag team he has are two sky scrapers and they should definitely shake things up in the WWE. Labar mentioned on his radioshow he'd like to see them target Jericho, because they're a culture clash there. I would like to see them wreck havoc in the tag team scene as well, maybe interrupting a party with Tons of Funk? I think they're good enough to mess with WWE characters on more than one storyline at once.

Heath Slater: Give WWE credit, there is something special about Heath Slater.A lot of people may look at him and just saw a jobber but there was a fun energy and charisma about him and they really captured that in 3MB. People underestimate the importance of the group. Ya they're glorified jobbers but then again are they really that glorified and are they really jobbers? They have become a part what is the fabric of current WWE TV.
They may lose a lot of matches but people are being entertained by them and they do get a reaction, which is what it's all about. They should ride it out, keep going. They're young guys they have time to grow into superstars , everyone can't be The Rock and they do know their role.

Justin Gabriel: Gabriel strikes as a likable young man, that just likes to wrestle, he won't go back stage and raise hell over not pushing him, he just likes being able to wrestle for a living. I'm assuming, I could be deadwrong on that. They could do so many things with him at the moment, he is virtually a piece of clay they can work with. What strikes me about him is his athletic ability as it does many. There's all this talk the lack of fan favourite groups, maybe you can take the guy put him with Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne when he gets back and have an exciting group of high flyers go out and have some matches.

David Otunga: I don't know what he's doing right now. He had a part in that the Halle Barry movie "The Call." He does make a good prop man as boywithbluehanger put it. He'd be great in Vickie Guerrero's administration.
It's funny these days people are getting a chance to be a part of the WWE in unconventional roles. Summer Raye is touring the word with WWE being Fandango's valet. There's also the Funkadactyls, Brad Maddox. These people can wrestle, they can go but they also serve other purposes on the roster. Ideally someone like Otunga wouldn't mind being a champion in WWE he can serve the WWE in other ways like he has been doing.

Darren Young: The Prime Time Players got a good thing. I know it's been said people like Titus O'Neil, they see him being a future star but the PTP are exciting. They're not a bland tag team, they bring something different to the show. I see this flashy team really stepping up in the aftermath of what seems to be the eventual Bryan/Kane split.


All in all these guys are on their way and on their own paths, perhaps the Nexus was supposed to just be a short term thing to help get these guys feet wet, but I really enjoyed the havoc they played. I remember a scenario in WCW when the nWo was really dominating, and it was War Games time. The man called Sting, with Luger, gave a very heart felt promo that he needs his biggest nemesis Ric Flair and Flair's time tested right hand man Arn Anderson to join forces with them to battle the nWo. It's always good TV unlikely forces of good and evil join to fight a bigger evil, be it a cartoon like G.I. Joe, in a blockbuster movie like Fast 6 or in the world of pro wrestling. Flair and Anderson were even in the Four Horseman at the time and Sting said, with all due respect us four have a past and we have to handle this. Not probable but possible and if all these old Nexus guys or a few of them put their current agendas aside just for one night to take on the Shield, even in a losing effort, I would definitely mark out for that.

 

[Nyce18]

I think a cool storyline, before the inevitable disbandment of The Shield, would be a Shield/Nexus feud sometime after Payback to culminate at Summerslam. It would be easy enough for them to start. Just put Barrett on the mic in the ring talking about how he led the single most dominant stable in WWE history just 3 years earlier ... and eventually The Shield comes out and surrounds him, beats him down, and Ambrose can cut a promo calling The Shield greater then Nexus. Over the next several weeks The Shield has run ins with former members of Nexus while still defending their titles on their own, while Barrett this whole while calls for a Nexus reunion, which at first doesnt come together.WHile there are only 3 Shield members and seemingly endless number of Nexus members, they can take the numbers game away from Shield which the Shield has enjoyed for quite sometime now, and when they do finally reunite, they turn the tables on Shield, surround them in the ring after coming out from the crowd, and hand them a beat down. They can do this without Bryan or Ryback who have found enough success on their own to not need to return to this specific angle. The Shield can take the loss and lead to their break up and singles run while Nexus can once again stay together than wither away to whatever it is they do now ...horrible idea?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Wade Barret: They really crapped the bed with this guy. They kickstart him in the main event and while he's very over as the top heel, they don't even give him a championship run. Now he's a gimmickless joke who is a waste of an IC champion. How many theme songs is he on now? 5? 6? How many IC reigns has he had? 3? 4? He's not going to get over with the crowd on his own so take him off TV. Let him help train with developmental talent. He can teach mic skills, in-ring fluidity, and the importance of creating a gimmick - through struggling to find a good one of his own.

Barrett's problem hasn't been a lack of personality or charisma or in-ring ability. His problem has been the schizophrenic booking WWE has put him through over the course of this year. It's pretty damn impossible to get over when you're constantly being fed to other wrestlers. It's made all the worse when you're a mid-card champion. When Barrett was leading Nexus & feuding against Cena, he was extremely over because not only was he booked strong, most of the time, but he demonstrated the ability needed for fans to get behind him.

Daniel Bryan: After his feud with The SHIELD is through, take him out of the Tag Team division. (Where he's only started to help recently) Push him back into the WHC scene. Del Rio is not interesting to the crowds so put his ass in the midcard or the TT scene (where he may find success as a heel) and give that WHC main event spot to Bryan.

Yeah I don't think you're giving Bryan nearly enough credit for his contribution to Team Hell No. Since teaming with Kane & winning the titles, if anything, people have gotten even more behind him than they were before. All the proof you need is the crowd reactions whenever he comes out to the ring to do his stuff. One thing Bryan & Kane did that no other tag teams in recent years can claim is that they brought a lot of interest into the tag title scene that simply wasn't there at this time a year ago. As to what to do with him, personally, I agree that he should eventually be moved into the WHC picture with Ziggler. If it doesn't happen this summer, I honestly think it'll go down during the last 3 or 4 months of the year.

Ryback: Eventually have him win the WWE title at a big PPV. He's supposed to be this generation's Warrior/Goldberg/Batista clone so just let that happen when the moment arrives.

In my opinion, Ryback has already surpassed all those guys when it comes to overall ability. Ryback is still progressing but, from what I've seen, he's clearly above Warrior, Goldberg and Batista in the ring and on the mic. He can wrestle strong, physical matches that go to the 10 minute mark or more without gassing out and the past few weeks have shown him cutting solid & coherent promos. He might be labeled a Goldberg clone for the rest of his career, or at least with his current character, given his early booking of demolishing guys like Goldberg did, but there's already more depth out of him than I ever saw out of those three. Ryback's come a long way since the days of Skip Sheffield

Curtis Axel: If his main event push is for real, let him feud with Daniel Bryan for the WHC title. Bryan is beloved and it would be easier for Axel to get over as a power-tech heel by going against someone as universally liked as Bryan.

Eventually, I think this could happen but it doesn't need to happen soon. Some positive buzz has been generated by Axel's latest push & being paired with Paul Heyman, but he's not there yet. WWE has kept people guessing & wondering about Axel by not having him go over Trips or Cena straight up, yet he's still gone over them in ways that haven't made him look bad. While Lesnar's "attack" with the sledgehammer is getting a lot of credit for what happened to Triple H, Axel was the guy he was wrestling and Axel was holding his own. When it came to Cena, Axel gave Cena a pretty competitive match from what I saw, including countering all his finisher attempts and scoring a couple of good near falls. As for how it ended, not his fault Cena took his eye off the ball. Axel made a so-so impression on me a few weeks ago on Raw, but that Friday & this past Monday, I thought he did much better. Before putting him into a title feud, I think someone who could best work with him right now is Chris Jericho. Jericho has no problem putting over younger talent and looking good while doing it.

Bray Wyatt: Since his gimmick is very much based on American stereotypes (Cajun hick, religious enthusiast, southern bred etc) put him in the US title scene and let him run with it.

Ambrose is far too hot as US champ right now to put Wyatt against him. WWE, in my opinion, is better off letting Wyatt build up his presence, along with Harper & Rowan, over time rather than try to rush him into a title feud. Besides, in that feud, who are people supposed to cheer for? Much of the time, heel vs. heel feuds simply don't pack a lot of steam. Eventually, I think a better fit for Wyatt might be the IC title picture if Fandango or Miz winds up winning the title. Fandango is a pretty effeminate heel that sometimes gets a pretty decent babyface response. I think fans like him but, as of right now, don't really take him seriously as a long term player. Wyatt with his swamp preacher/backwoods serial killer vibe could easily be used to make Fandango the babyface in such a feud. As for Miz, personally, I don't like Miz as a face because, as a face, he's still behaving like a smarmy, sarcastic little prick that makes it difficult to like him. Still, against Wyatt, Miz would easily have no doubt being viewed as the face.

Heath Slater/Justin Gabriel: Break-up 3MB but keep Jinder and Drew McEntire in "JTG Jobber Hell". Repackage Heath Slater with Justin Gabriel since they're familiar with each other. And give them the Odd Couple comedic schtick since Team Hell No needs to break up eventually. Heath can remain the over-zealous trash talker who always bites off more than he can chew and Gabriel is the high-flying babyface who bails them out of trouble in their matches.

I agree with keeping Jinder as a jobber because, frankly, the guy simply doesn't have it. McIntyre is a guy that has potential and he's really done his best in this rather limited & silly role he's had with 3MB, as has Slater. I'd have Slater & McIntyre ditch the 3MB thing and simply work as a tag team. Slater is the smaller & faster of the two while McIntyre is bigger and the better brawler. As for Gabriel, if I'm not mistaken, I've heard he might be paired with Sin Cara as a team. WWE doesn't really have a high flying tag team going right now and they fit the bill pretty well. I don't see either of them rising any higher than they really are. As with Slater & Mcintyre, they can still be built into a solid tag team for the purpose, of nothing else, to add some flesh to the tag team scene.

David Otunga: Either go back to using him as a henchman for the managers and higher-ups or get rid of him. His best role in the WWE is as a prop. (much like Ricardo Rodriguez)

I'm all for getting rid of Otunga to be perfectly honest. The guy simply isn't all that good whether it's in the ring or on the mic. He worked okay for a while as Big Johnny's right hand man but, after a while, the guy just sucked all the energy out of whatever segment he was part of. It also got old watching him get his ass kicked week in & week out by guys like Big Show, Sheamus, Orton & Khali just because he was being a dick. Compared to talented guys on the roster and those who are on their way to the roster, Otunga is simply dead weight in my eyes.

Darren Young: He's the weaker half of Prime Time Players but at least he has a solid gimmick with them and is being used logically at the moment. Eventually PTP will have to win the TT titles and have a nice long run with them. Mainly for Titus O'Neil but if Young learns how to be a comfortable yet effective heel, then it'll benefit him greatly as well.

Eh, I dunno if I can see the PTPs as tag champs. I could see it through last year and the first few months of this year, but they've been beaten too much over the course of WM season & the post WM season to really see them as effective champs. My mind could change, however, if WWE starts to book these guys strong over the course of the rest of the year. I simply don't see Young getting by on his own. He does have a lot of energy and is pretty solid in the ring but he's never really shown any charisma or personality.

When I look back at Nexus, I do think that the team as a whole could have worked. As a whole, they were getting really good reactions from the crowd. The Raw they debuted in which they destroyed Cena & the ringside area remains one of the hottest endings to any wrestling show, television or ppv, that I've seen in many years. The problem is that Vince did to Nexus what he's done to a lot of wrestlers: he seems to have lost interest smack in the middle of things and, essentially, had Cena bury them all. During the final months Nexus was around, they remind me a lot of Aces & Eights in TNA. In Nexus, really only one wrestler got booked looking strong, most of the time, and what was Barrett. In TNA, Bully Ray is really the only force holding A&E together as the rest are booked, just like Nexus members, as low ranking flunkies to be used as fodder.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Wade Barret: They really crapped the bed with this guy. They kickstart him in the main event and while he's very over as the top heel, they don't even give him a championship run. Now he's a gimmickless joke who is a waste of an IC champion. How many theme songs is he on now? 5? 6? How many IC reigns has he had? 3? 4? He's not going to get over with the crowd on his own so take him off TV. Let him help train with developmental talent. He can teach mic skills, in-ring fluidity, and the importance of creating a gimmick - through struggling to find a good one of his own.

Barrett's doing fine. As Jack-Hammer mentioned, it's the schizo writing the WWE's doing that's messing with Barrett. He's doing fine as the IC champ and can eventually get to main event status if he doesn't give the WWE brass any reason to not push such as violating the wellness policy or blowing up backstage. If he can avoid any of those things, the sky's the limit for him.

Daniel Bryan: After his feud with The SHIELD is through, take him out of the Tag Team division. (Where he's only started to help recently) Push him back into the WHC scene. Del Rio is not interesting to the crowds so put his ass in the midcard or the TT scene (where he may find success as a heel) and give that WHC main event spot to Bryan.

I can agree with most of this except the fact that Bryan was the catalyst for Team Hell No. Sure, Kane and DB were being wasted in the Tag Team division, but they did their job as entertaining and at least we had an idea who the WWE Tag Team Champions were. I do agree with putting Bryan in the title picture as he can be a great asset to that division. He was before he was put in a tag team, and he can become a dependable 'ace in the hole' for the WWE in that spot.

Ryback: Eventually have him win the WWE title at a big PPV. He's supposed to be this generation's Warrior/Goldberg/Batista clone so just let that happen when the moment arrives.

I do agree he needs a WWE title reign to certify him as a legit threat at any given time. Adding WWE Title holder to a resume can be great when building for the future.

Curtis Axel: If his main event push is for real, let him feud with Daniel Bryan for the WHC title. Bryan is beloved and it would be easier for Axel to get over as a power-tech heel by going against someone as universally liked as Bryan.

Too soon for Axel. I think chasing the IC title or being involved in some offbeat shenanigans with Cena and main eventers can do more justice for him. He needs to prove himself as a dependable hand in the ring on promos and working inside the squared circle.

Bray Wyatt: Since his gimmick is very much based on American stereotypes (Cajun hick, religious enthusiast, southern bred etc) put him in the US title scene and let him run with it.

Nope. The Wyatt Family can potentially do some serious damage in a good way for the WWE. It's something so odd and offbeat about them that draws a crowd. I say have them simply stick their nose where it doesn't belong with guys like Sheamus and Orton and have them work together to get the best of either of those two.

Heath Slater/Justin Gabriel: Break-up 3MB but keep Jinder and Drew McEntire in "JTG Jobber Hell". Repackage Heath Slater with Justin Gabriel since they're familiar with each other. And give them the Odd Couple comedic schtick since Team Hell No needs to break up eventually. Heath can remain the over-zealous trash talker who always bites off more than he can chew and Gabriel is the high-flying babyface who bails them out of trouble in their matches.

They're both on borrowed time. Gabriel doesn't have the personality he was supposed to have on his own. It's possible to stick him with a faction like the Wyatt family or something and make him some sort of 'disciple' or something. If that doesn't happen, then Gabriel may be gone sooner or later. Same goes for Heath Slater. The 3MB isn't over with anyone, and no one takes them seriously because they lose. A lot.

David Otunga: Either go back to using him as a henchman for the managers and higher-ups or get rid of him. His best role in the WWE is as a prop. (much like Ricardo Rodriguez)

If he's not a manager, then he may want to move on to better things - like being a lawyer.

Darren Young: He's the weaker half of Prime Time Players but at least he has a solid gimmick with them and is being used logically at the moment. Eventually PTP will have to win the TT titles and have a nice long run with them. Mainly for Titus O'Neil but if Young learns how to be a comfortable yet effective heel, then it'll benefit him greatly as well.

The PTP'ers need someone to talk for them again. They were great when AW was on their team and was able to talk for them. I wouldn't mind seeing them become "Heyman Guys" and do the dirty work for Heyman, Punk, and Axel. Why not right?