In 2010, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was going through an experimental phase. After it became increasingly obvious that WWE's watered down version of ECW was not working, the company made the decision to begin showcasing the NXT brand on a bigger scale, so with that said, NXT replaced ECW on SyFy, under the moniker "the evolution of WWE." .
As with many things in life, the early phases of introducing a dominant heel stable made up of relatively unknown NXT rookies, was a difficult undertaking, to say the least. The original plans included having Daniel Bryan as a long-term fixture with the faction. Unfortunately, there was the incident involving Justin Roberts, which ultimately ended with Bryan being released. When this happened, a lot of the original plans had to be changed, making things even more difficult for a new stable, full of newcomers, which was already hard enough, to begin with. Nonetheless, the show was to go on and with time and methodical changes, The Nexus finally stepped onto the scene and when they did, they made sure the world had their attention.
Wade Barrett and his diverse band of maniacal misfits came in like a bolt of unrelenting lightning. Once they made their debut on the Raw roster, no one was safe. It was a style similar to the nWo, without the star power, but with added muscle.
It was a unique time in WWE history. A lot of good talent received great exposure, which they might not have gotten otherwise. When it was all said and done, The Nexus, as well as The New Nexus, which was led BY CM Punk, both had served their purposes and suddenly disappeared. At the conclusion, some of the alumni went back to the drawing board at NXT, some stayed on board with the main roster and some simply fell off the radar altogether. The goal with this column is to bring you up to speed with the whereabouts and the happenings of your favorite Nexus superstars.
The first several profiles you'll see will be the original members of The Nexus, when they made their initial debut. After that, the final page will mention the members who came along afterwards, including The New Nexus.
Wade Barrett
As the founding member, Barrett served as a patriarch of sorts. He led the original faction with force and a no-nonsense attitude. Like any good general, Wade Barrett successfully led his soldiers into battle with some of WWE's top stars and spared no one's feelings about their presence along the way.
On May 6, 2016, Barrett left the WWE, after deciding not to sign a new contract. Since leaving the company, Barrett has stated that he simply felt the time was right and needed to just take a break from the industry. When asked if he would return to the business, he said he certainly would, once the time is right.
With his new found down time, Barrett has been able to take a trip back to the UK, to spend time with friends and family.
Wade Barrett was a member of The Nexus from June 27, 2010 - January 3, 2011.
Darren Young
Before he was "Mr. No Days Off," Darren Young was taking out kneecaps for Wade Barrett and had hair about five feet tall. As another original member, Young was a prime example of one of the unknown superstars in the stable. Darren was a silent warrior but was one of the toughest members as well.
Darren was written out of the faction in June of 2011, following a loss to John Cena. Since his Nexus run, Darren Young has been all over the map in the WWE. He had an entertaining run as one-half of the Prime Time Players, along with Titus O'Neil. As of now, Young has taken one a mentor/coach in WWE Hall of Famer Bob Backlund. Together, they are currently working the "Make Darren Young Great Again" angle.
Darren Young was a member of The
Skip Sheffield
When The Nexus was formed, there was a need for muscle and flat out brute force. The answer for that need came in the form of Skip Sheffield. While his persona was quiet and appeared to be very reserved, his actions spoke a completely different tone. Unfortunately, a broken ankle would shorten Sheffield's time with The Nexus.
In 2012, Skip was repackaged and reintroduced to the main roster as Ryback. Of course, we all know how that would turn out. Ryback went on to have a pretty successful run, with several high profile feuds. However, on August 15, 2016, Ryback and the WWE parted ways.
Currently working simply as "The Big Guy," he is now one of the hottest free agents in the business. He's also been the topic of a lot of controversy lately, as it is rumored that Ryback is demanding upwards of $5,000 for a single independent appearance.
MICHAEL TARVER
Similar to Sheffield, Michael Tarver was a tremendous muscle source for The Nexus as well. He too would suffer an injury, a groin injury to be exact. This would result in Tarver be out of action for some time. Once he recovered, Tarver was sent to FCW to rebuild. However, he would be released on June 13, 2011.
Since being released, Tarver has kept a heavily booked indie schedule, working for promotions all over the world. As of late, he has been working an exceptional amount of dates for several NWA promotions.
Justin Gabriel
Gabriel is someone who this writer believes to be the most underrated superstar to ever be associated with The Nexus. Justin had impeccable in-ring presence and a flawless, high-risk, high-flying style.
Gabriel was the secret weapon for the original Nexus. He was often called upon to finish the job with his 450 splash, once someone had been laid out in the ring. Gabriel finished his Nexus duties on January 10, 2011. However, he would continue his singles career with the company until leaving the company on January 25, 2015.
After leaving WWE, Justin did a podcast interview with Chris Jericho. During the interview, Gabriel revealed that he was, in fact, the bunny for Adam Rose. He also stated that he pitched an idea he had, for a wolf-themed daredevil character. However, he says Triple H shot the idea down.
These days, Gabriel is keeping an extensive schedule on the indie scene, where he's competing as PJ Black.
Heath Slater
Heath Slater is a much different type of performer than he was during his days as a henchman for the original Nexus. Slater shined as a 3-time tag team champion, with his fellow Nexus original member, Justin Gabriel. However, he was solid in singles action as well.
Since his run with the Nexus, Slater has been some of everything for the WWE, mostly competing in comedic storylines. As of now, he's been working an angle as an undrafted black sheep of the main roster.
Slater was with The Nexus from June 7, 2010 - January 10, 2011.
David Otunga
The quintessential brains of the WWE, this Harvard Law School Graduate was another silent weapon for The Nexus. Otunga and Heath Slater were the only two superstars to be members of both The Original and The New Nexus.
Following his Nexus tenure, Otunga began the transition from an in-ring performer, to being a talent used for other on-air roles, such as the WWE "legal advisor." David currently works as the heel commentator for WWE Smackdown Live.
Otunga was a member of The Nexus from the inception on June 7, 2010 - August 22, 2011.
THE REST...
The following is the timelines for the remainder of the Nexus members that were not featured. This list also includes members of the New Nexus, which was led by CM Punk.
CM Punk: December 27, 2010 - July 17, 2011
Husky Harris: October 25, 2010 - January 31, 2011
Michael McGillicutty: October 25, 2010 - August 22, 2011
Mason Ryan: January 17, 2011 - June 27, 2011
John Cena: October 25, 2010 - November 21, 2010
*Daniel Bryan was originally in the Nexus for the initial debut. However, he was removed from mentioning after the incident in which he attacked Justin Roberts and was subsequently terminated by the company.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
