Would You Push #5: Wade Barrett

[CultOfPersonality123]

Wade Barrett is a 3 time Intercontinental Champion but has seen a major decrease when it comes to wins. He and Cody Rhodes were my choices for Mr. MITB and i wouldn't him getting pushed into the World Title scene if Christian were to win at Summerslam. How about you guys? I've seen a lot of love towards Barrett from people on here. Would you push him to the top and have him be a World and/or WWE champion? Or would you keep him where he is now?

 

[Degenerate88]

Not a chance. I don't get all the hype for the guy. He's bland. Brings nothing spectacular to the table.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I'd absolutely push him. Barrett has the look, the aggression, and is better than most in the ring. Barrett is far more deserving of a push than half of Vince's chosen "superstars".

 

[rerun406]

Not a chance. I don't get all the hype for the guy. He's bland. Brings nothing spectacular to the table.

Agreed, granted I haven't been exposed to too much of Barrett, but from what I've seen, bland certainly fits

he's pretty solid in the ring, but his last IC reign didn't really do anything for me. Had a couple solid matches with the Miz, but aside from that, nothing from Wade's run stood out all that much

 

[MCMG]

Ok, he is a little bland but ultimately he is talented. His ring and mic work are strong which is a good start. He has had various gimmicks and has done well in each of them. With better writing; meaningful matches and a decent feud he could be a success.

So yes I would push Barrett.

 

[Redemption-2012]

He is boring IMO. I don't know if that's the creative team booking him that way or if it's just him as a character. I just don't see it with this guy, his mic skills are very average and his wrestling ability is bland as hell. This guy does not have the it factor that people talk about allot. His days of running the Nexus were cool but since that ended, it's been mediocre at best for this guy. The nexus ended in November of 2010 and here we are in 2013 and he still has not won a World title. He has had very forgettable IC title runs, which in the grand scheme of things have meant nothing.

 

[Mac Attack]

I voted no and the reason is I don't find him particularly interesting either. He has talent, he can work a good match but I feel like he's been given a lot of chances and hasn't been able to connect with the crowd yet. I had hope for his brawler like gimmick when he returned but I no longer feel it possible. He's kind of like a Midcard wrestlezone poster if I can use the analogy. He gets some steam going for him, gets some praise and then does a name change and loses all his heat. Barett finds some heat, gets interesting and then he changes gimmick and theme song and loses all heat. So for him I have to say no.

 

[Teddy Irving]

I'd push him. He has the in ring skill he can talk on the mic and I personally think he has the look of a tough man.

I voted no and the reason is I don't find him particularly interesting either. He has talent, he can work a good match but I feel like he's been given a lot of chances and hasn't been able to connect with the crowd yet. I had hope for his brawler like gimmick when he returned but I no longer feel it possible. He's kind of like a Midcard wrestlezone poster if I can use the analogy. He gets some steam going for him, gets some praise and then does a name change and loses all his heat. Barett finds some heat, gets interesting and then he changes gimmick and theme song and loses all heat. So for him I have to say no.

The thing with what you have said here is that he does get heat for himself and then a gimmick change comes along. The thing about that is it's creative changing his gimmick not Barrett himself, so if they just left him with a gimmick he would get over but they keep changing it on him.

The brawler gimmick would have worked great had they actually gone with it, when he said he was open for business and then what, they just never followed through with that.

I think if he was given a chance Barrett would get over

 

[Mac Attack]

The thing with what you have said here is that he does get heat for himself and then a gimmick change comes along. The thing about that is it's creative changing his gimmick not Barrett himself, so if they just left him with a gimmick he would get over but they keep changing it on him.

The brawler gimmick would have worked great had they actually gone with it, when he said he was open for business and then what, they just never followed through with that.

I think if he was given a chance Barrett would get over

Well here's the thing just because he gets a reaction does not mean he necessarily makes money. You have to be over both with the crowd and with management and it all comes down to does he put money in the wallet of WWE. Clearly the answer is no. So whilst pushing him gets him a moderate reaction, it doesn't make money which is why creative keeps changing him killing that reaction.

I think that since he's been around almost 3 years now all we've seen is the nexus merchandise which is not really entirely credited to him, he doesn't sell anything, doesn't have merchandise, doesn't make money. One thing that made Ryder worth pushing was because he had all the merchandise in the world and made money. Barett whilst skilled and ability to have a reaction doesn't have enough drawing potential or at this point charisma to make as much money as someone like a Ziggler, Cesaro, or Uso's could if they were pushed more.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The reason he doesn't sell merch is cos they haven't presented him as someone who should... Harley Race never sold a T-Shirt in his life, nor did Nick Bockwinkel or Bob Backlund... In a way, WWE is trying to make Barrett a throwback, like those kind of guys and it could work... if only they'd let him loose with it.

The problem Barrett has I've mentioned in other threads... first he made a fuck up by saying he'd like to get out by 40... giving the E no real return if they push him. Now he might have been quoted out of context or have smoothed that over, but he's still gonna do his time in the shitbox like Triple H and others did...

2ndly he has had his "brush" with mortality in the ring... That elbow didn't chip... it seperated clean in 2... he's lucky to have an arm that works, much less be able to continue as good as before (which he is) but inevitably, he has a bit of a "block" on what he is confident doing in the ring... "not showing your passion" as JR puts it, could easily be..."my arm isn't right even now, I don't want to hurt people so I will take it easy..." and he'd be right to do that... but that's not what the E want in main eventers... they want Cena's, Edge's who could literally be crippled but still go 150% at a house show.

Thirdly they are not using his one marketable trait... that no UK guy has won the title... Davey Boy was close but never quite made it, Regal blew his chance... the time for Barrett was ripe right when he got hurt, had he not been he'd have had MITB and won the title from Sheamus... UK v Ireland at a Dublin or London show for a rematch or win for Barrett would have done monster business... but Ziggler fucked up and Barrett saved him, ruining his window. Now Sheamus is done as that main eventer too...

At the end of the day I would push Barrett, give him the title 3 times... once a short reign as a heel, once a big face win in the UK for a Summerslam or similar and a final one leading into him putting someone over to replace him... Davey Boy Smith Jr (Harry) would get my vote for that... Give him Regal as a manager and he'd instantly rise... partner him with Neville in a new "Bulldogs" and he will rise... put him with the Wyatts and he will rise... but Barrett's best thing is the one thing Vince seemingly ain't bothered about, the British fans would embrace Barrett if he was presented right... and that would be enough for at least one reign... but at worst case, he gets to be this generation's Scott Hall or Curt Hennig (hopefully without the booze or drugs), the best guy never to get the belt...

 

[Dave_duncan]

Not a chance. I don't get all the hype for the guy. He's bland. Brings nothing spectacular to the table.

I agree to an extent. the reason in my mind is that he is just being left with nothing exciting to do. he needs a new finisher that looks devestating to start himself off on the road to respect. in my mind until he has a good finisher he won't be successful.


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[a member of wwe universe]

Agreed, granted I haven't been exposed to too much of Barrett, but from what I've seen, bland certainly fits

he's pretty solid in the ring, but his last IC reign didn't really do anything for me. Had a couple solid matches with the Miz, but aside from that, nothing from Wade's run stood out all that much

Not a chance. I don't get all the hype for the guy. He's bland. Brings nothing spectacular to the table.

He is boring IMO. I don't know if that's the creative team booking him that way or if it's just him as a character. I just don't see it with this guy, his mic skills are very average and his wrestling ability is bland as hell. This guy does not have the it factor that people talk about allot. His days of running the Nexus were cool but since that ended, it's been mediocre at best for this guy. The nexus ended in November of 2010 and here we are in 2013 and he still has not won a World title. He has had very forgettable IC title runs, which in the grand scheme of things have meant nothing.

Thankful that im not the only one with the same opinion. He had a good storyline and group of top guys to work with in the beginning (NEXUS). After that things have fallen flat. Alot of the iwc fanboys were loving him and making him the future of wwe cause hes involved in top story-line. But I didnt see much of anything in him in the beginning and i still dont see anything in him today. Hes pretty much the same bland individual since his debut.

Not bashing at the guy. Barrett is solid overall. But to say he is the future of wwe is insane. He has the quality to be a top midcarder but not a bona fide type maineventer like everyone wanted him to.

I think bland is the word to summarize his mic work and his in ring work. In his promo, hes not really displaying a much charisma/style comparing to a daniel bryan or punk. Its not drawing ppl attention. Having good mic skill doesnt mean the ability to talk coherently. You can speak coherently and still be boring.

His in ring work is solid, nothing spetacular that wows the crowd like cesaro or daniel bryan.

His gimmick has been repackaged multiple times, not to mention his theme song. But as far as his character, mic work, in ring work (the intangible qualities) goes, nothing really changes/improves.

 

[Teddy Irving]

Well here's the thing just because he gets a reaction does not mean he necessarily makes money. You have to be over both with the crowd and with management and it all comes down to does he put money in the wallet of WWE. Clearly the answer is no. So whilst pushing him gets him a moderate reaction, it doesn't make money which is why creative keeps changing him killing that reaction.

I think that since he's been around almost 3 years now all we've seen is the nexus merchandise which is not really entirely credited to him, he doesn't sell anything, doesn't have merchandise, doesn't make money. One thing that made Ryder worth pushing was because he had all the merchandise in the world and made money. Barett whilst skilled and ability to have a reaction doesn't have enough drawing potential or at this point charisma to make as much money as someone like a Ziggler, Cesaro, or Uso's could if they were pushed more.

The part about the sales of t shirts was answered by THTRobtaylor and I don't think I can really say much more on that subject without just reiterating what he said.

With creative constantly changing him though he has no chance to gain a big reaction with his gimmick because when he starts getting one it changes straight away to something else. Think about it if Austin's gimmick/character had been changed after the 3:16 promo would he have been successful.

If you keep half pushing someone they are unlikely to get over.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

Great series of threads COP123

Barrett has size, can be ok in the ring, but I have no idea what's the big deal about the guy. He had Nexus, which was ok but killed in the end. And even then, I never understood why he was the standout. I find him bland as a character, I can't stand his finishing moves, they look so damn awkward and unimpressive. He is comfortable on the mike, but I never find myself interested in what he has to say.

I voted no simply because he like a number of performers is ok maybe even good in the ring but he's not a must push at all costs (or even at all) for me.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

Use him better? DEFINITELY! He is a great in-ring talent & should atleast be around the World Heavyweight Title Picture from time to time.

A Real push & a World Title of his own? Back about a year or so ago I would have said yes but now it's a resounding No. His time has come & gone & he clearly didn't make the cut. He has been it main events & doesn't seem to draw. Most of his feuds go absolutely nowhere. & there are handfuls of young guys that are better than him.

If/When Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Curtis Axel, Jack Swagger, Antonio Cesaro, Fandango, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Big E. Langston & Ryback all win a world title or another world title, then maybe WWE could consider throwing a world title strap on Barrett.

 

[zephyrs]

Push.

WWE seems to tweak his character a lot. How many entrance songs has the guy had? WWE needs to leave him alone and let him gain some traction.

I do think he needs to lose the coat during the ring entrance. It does nothing for him. And of course, never use Wasteland again.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

In honesty the reason Barrett stood out on NXT was that he was a natural and already "the total package" Ryback, Bryan, Husky none of those were, so Barrett got the lead and he nailed it for pretty much the whole feud... You bought it when he beat Cena, a fear no rookie had done...

It wouldn' take much to get that back, he could easily be a shock Rumble winner or they could give him KOTR... But assuming he has gone back on his 40 idea, he is still barely 5 years total into his career... Austin didn't get a title till 9...Benoit and Eddie nearer to Christian... Right now he is settled in that DiBiase/Razor midcard role and the only ones hating are those who buy into the conveyor belt BS... That if you don't have the world within two years of the IC/US you are a failiure... Barrett could wait another four years for the title, but when it comes it'll mean more than a hotshotted reign like Swagger or Zig's two thus far...

 

[SilverBullet1929]

I love Wade Barrett, the problem is the company doesn't do anything with his character. I don't mean they don't use him, cuz they do. But if he's a rough rugged street brawler... why doesn't he rough people up in some street fights? He says he's a street fighter and shows vignettes about it... then he comes out and wrestles a match like any other wrestler. Yeah he's got a great street fighter finisher and moveset... but the writing team has given him nothing to show off his street brawling gimmick. Just a thought, imagine him during the Attitude Era getting into a rivalry with Ken Shamrock that actually ends up in the Lion's Den? THAT would be what I'm talking about!

 

[SCP88]

He's one of the few guys on the roster I would buy as a legitimate monster heel, sao yes I would push him as a top heel along with Orton and possibly Reigns whenever the Shield breakup.

 

[BrutalBarrett]

Just spit balling here... but maybe getting his beard shaved on RAW is a chance for a fresh look, and a fresh start?

Unlikely...but you never know...

 

[The Eighties]

From a selfish point of view the answer is no, simply because he doesn't interest me and there are others I'd rather see pushed before him.

From WWE's perspective though I think he has a handle on enough facets of the business to see them invest more time in another push.

 

[Henry Hill]

I at one point would have pushed Wade Barrett to the freakin' moon, however, it seems like he gets pushes and promptly does nothing to prove he deserves them. He was the leader of the original Nexus, one of the hottest angles in years and seemed poised to grab a world title, only to be unceremoniously reduced to the midcard. He has won the intercontinental title numerous times, but was unmemorable in that role. Barrett has had quality main event matches, but seems unmotivated when he's not in a major feud. He was built up for a big return after injury, but instead of coming back with a breath of fresh air, it was the same old Wade Barrett. It may not be the popular opinion, but I just do not think Wade Barrett should get pushed again.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Yes I would. It would be a long process, but it can be done and Wade Barrett is worth investing the time into creating a new member of the world title tier. The Corre storyline and a couple of uneventful Intercontinental Championship reigns hurt him, as well as getting injured right before a rumored Money In the Bank win. I still think Money In the Bank will be his ticket to stardom. He should have won it this year to build him up with a huge push this fall. Barrett needed that win more than anyone else in the blue briefcase's match put together, but what's done is done. I legitimately feel bad for him. 3 years ago he was being looked at as a future top heel. Things have gone completely the opposite of where they appeared to be heading at the time. Nexus, The fighter gimmick, the Money In the Bank push that he almost got, leading a second faction in The Corre, he has had many chances but something seems to always come up.

Here is what I would do. Continue speaking of the Barrett Barrage, maybe re-air some of those fighter promo videos, and give him better entrance music. Something heavy yet catchy like the original Nexus theme was. Barrett should be pushed to a midcard title for now to re-establish himself. Have him be dominant in a couple of filler feuds before dethroning either Ambrose or Axel, preferably Axel as he can remain over with Heyman's help. Turn Barrett face if needed, as heel VS heel rarely works. Let him dominate as Intercontinental Champion. This should be NOTHING like his previous reigns, have him booked to be a strong fighting champion all the way until next year's Money In the Bank where he wins a briefcase. Provide him with a push through the fall, cash in at Wrestlemania to become World Heavyweight Champion. Now all they'd have to do is give him a World Heavyweight Championship reign resembling his dominant Intercontinental Championship run, and suddenly you have a believable new member of the world title tier. Barrett would be at his best since the Nexus angle. It would be difficult, but it can be done and it's worth a try.

 

[hardingnathan33]

Being english and a fan of Barrett i would love to see him get a big push. with his physique, style, gimmick, in-ring ability and mic skills (he has what it takes), it's a real wonder why he hasn't been given a push as of yet.

As much as i would love Barrett to challenge for the WWE Championship or even the World Heavyweight Championship, imagine what a feud with a top star would do.

Barrett is one of few guys on the roster that could prove a match to Lesnar. A feud with one of the biggest names in wrestling at the moment, would do wonders for Barrett. Bring him back into title contention and make him relevant again.

 

[DownwardSpiral]

I voted no. Wade Barrett has been on the main roster since the Nexus invasion. And that was the last time he was relevant as well. WWE has tried time and time again to get the people to care about what he does. But unless you're in England, nobody cares. They have already invested too much time into pushing him.

And it's sad, really. I actually think Wade is a solid talent. He has the tools to be a solid mid card heel. But that's as far as I ever see him getting these days. They've retooled him too many times in recent memory. Keep him where he is.