As I was writing the Daniel Bryan article my original plan was to combine two wrestlers but I decided to give each one of them their own time in the spotlight. The other wrestler’s name is Wade Barrett.
[adinserter block=”1″]When he first appeared as the leader of the original Nexus I could see him as a great heel with the necessary tools to become a big star. He has the arrogant, smug face you’d love to hate with the British accent. He’s not only talented with his wrestling skills but great on the mic. Ever since Nexus disbanded, the only relevant wrestlers remaining from the original group is Heath Slater (Husky Harris & Curtis Axel joined later).
But the problem with Wade Barrett just Daniel Bryan are the injuries. He broke away from Nexus and the Corre making his own name as a brawler with his fists. He was a big guy with an old school demeanor. If Barrett was sent back in time he would’ve been managed by “Classy” Freddie Blassie. Ever since Nexus, Wade Barrett’s been stalled by two injuries and a Visa issue that took much longer than expected.
It’s a shame because I like Wade Barrett and he makes a great heel. His first injury was a partial dislocated elbow in early 2012 that kept him out of action for a while. Barrett missed the Money In The Bank match at Wrestlemania 28 and a big pay day that came with it. I would’ve liked to have seen Barrett win that match and eventually become the WWE Champion. The Visa issue preventing him from working in the United States was a setback beyond his control but when that was corrected he returned with a new gimmick; Bad News Barrett. I loved it! It reminded me of Bad News Brown ranting about the “Beer Belly Sharecroppers” & “Spineless Cockroaches” but instead he spoke of insulting the city that Raw was in with personal jabs. The crowd ate it up and then it became his 2nd big push.
He feuded with members of The Shield via The Authority’s instructions that gave Barrett more attention in the upper card realm. Unfortunately, amidst that feud and winning the Intercontinental Title, things went downhill again. Last June in a match against Jack Swagger he separated his shoulder after being thrown into a barricade. I saw the replay and it didn’t look pretty. Whether it was Swagger’s fault (Sounds like it was) or not, the point is Barrett will be out for a number of months and another push is wasted. Two injuries in the past three years.
[adinserter block=”2″]WWE management and creative need to determine what the path is for Wade Barrett. He’ll likely be pushed again returning to Raw going after Jack Swagger for injuring him. I was hoping Bad News Barrett would’ve held the Intercontinental title through at least Summerslam feuding with Sheamus. Instead, frustration looms with Barrett & management. The crowd loves him and whether he comes back as a heel or a face can only help the WWE brand. The one advantage Barrett has over Daniel Bryan is that Wade Barrett doesn’t need to change his wrestling style as a brawler. Don’t expect high flying moves from this guy.
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