The Nexus

### Members

Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, David Otunga, Darren Young, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver, Daniel Bryan, Michael McGillicutty, Husky Harris, John Cena

**The Nexus** made their debut on the June 7, 2010 "Viewer's Choice" edition of *Raw* during the main event which saw CM Punk face John Cena after beating out Rey Mysterio and then-World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger with 45% of the viewer vote, attacking Cena, Punk, Luke Gallows, Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler, *NXT* host Matt Striker (who joined Lawler and Michael Cole on commentary), then-*Raw* ring announcer Justin Roberts, timekeeper Mark Yeaton and other WWE personnel around the ring and destroyed everything at ringside, including the ring itself, forcing the match to end in a no contest. During the attack, which ended with Cena being taken out on a stretcher, Daniel Bryan strangled Roberts with his necktie and, in a sign of disrespect, spit in Cena's face, the latter of which led him to be released from his contract on June 11, 2010. His absence was explained by Wade Barrett on the June 14, 2010 edition of *Raw* as having felt remorse for his actions and, as a result, was kicked out of the group, rather than reveal the truth when confronted by Hall of Famer Bret Hart, who was named *Raw* General Manager three weeks earlier. The Nexus was established as the main heel stable on *Raw,* attacking several wrestlers and legends over the next several weeks, including Hart and Mr. McMahon themselves and fellow Hall of Famers Ricky Steamboat and Dusty Rhodes. After Hart's attack, which occurred during the tag team match where Cena teamed with Randy Orton to take on Sheamus and Edge in a Fatal 4-Way preview, McMahon removed him as *Raw* General Manager "due to his injuries" and subsequently appointed a new General Manager, who chose to remain anonymous for fear of being attacked like Hart was, communicating only through e-mails quoted by Cole, the "official spokesman" (and the only one not attacked by the group during their invasion).

During the summer of 2010, Nexus had a feud with Cena. First, Cena was scheduled to face The Nexus in a 7-on-1 handicap match on the July 12, 2010 edition of *Raw,* but Cena attacked Darren Young the previous week, subsequently removing him from the following week's scheduled match, which became a 6-on-1 handicap match, which The Nexus won anyway. On July 18, 2010 at Money in the Bank, The Nexus attempted to get involved in the WWE Championship match involving Sheamus and Cena in a steel cage, but Sheamus and Cena were able to hold them off and escape, with Sheamus winning the match and retaining the WWE Championship. Their following match would take place at SummerSlam, where The Nexus faced the team of Cena, Hart, Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth and the returning Bryan (who replaced The Great Khali), losing after Cena pinned Justin Gabriel, who missed on a 450º splash attempt, and submitted Barrett with the *STF*. The following night on *Raw,* in order to find the "weak links" of the group, The Nexus invoked their SummerSlam rematch clause and competed in seven one-on-one matches against Team WWE (except Hart, who was replaced by Orton), with the stipulation that whichever Nexus member lost their match would be exiled from the group. Young was the only Nexus member who lost, as he failed to defeat Cena in the main event. As a result, The Nexus attacked Young with their respective finishing moves and officially exiled him from the group. At a WWE live event in Hawaii on August 18, 2010, Skip Sheffield broke his ankle during a tag match where he teamed with David Otunga against The Hart Dynasty (David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd), putting him out of action for the next two years, leaving The Nexus with only five active members heading into September. At Night of Champions on September 19, Barrett used his guaranteed championship match that he won for winning *NXT* in the six-pack elimination challenge for Sheamus' WWE Championship, but he was eliminated by Orton, who later won the match and the title.

At Hell in a Cell on October 3, Barrett and Cena faced each other in a match with the stipulation that if Barrett won, Cena would have to join The Nexus, but if Cena won or any other Nexus member got involved, the group would be permanently disbanded. Thanks to interference from Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty, two rookies from the second season of *NXT* who would later join The Nexus on the October 25, 2010 edition of *Raw,* Barrett managed to win the match and keep the group going and Cena was forced to join The Nexus. The following night on *Raw,* Cena attacked Michael Tarver following a tag team match. In the subsequent segment, Barrett stated that Cena did him a favor, as he was planning on getting rid of Tarver anyway, implying that Tarver was no longer a member. The Anonymous *Raw* General Manager stated that Cena had to honor the stipulations of the Hell in a Cell match and take orders from Barrett or be fired, but later that night, Barrett instead ordered Cena to help him win the number one contender battle royal for Orton's WWE Championship at Bragging Rights and, as the match came down to Cena and Barrett, Barrett won the match after Cena eliminated himself. At Bragging Rights on October 24, The Nexus won their first championships in WWE when Cena and Otunga defeated Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre to win the WWE Tag Team Championship, while in the main event, Barrett defeated Orton via disqualification, this time caused by Cena who, as a result, was chosen by Barrett as his own special guest referee for his WWE Championship rematch against Orton at Survivor Series, declaring that unless he won the title, Cena would be fired, but if Barrett defeated Orton, Cena would be relieved of all responsibilities to The Nexus. The following night on *Raw,* Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater won the WWE Tag Team Championship after Barrett ordered Otunga to allow Slater to pin him.

On the November 5, 2010 edition of *SmackDown,* Otunga, who had been questioning Barrett's leadership over the past several weeks ever since Barrett cost him and Cena the WWE Tag Team Championship, led Harris, McGillicutty, Gabriel and Slater to a second invasion of *SmackDown,* interrupting a match between Edge and Alberto Del Rio, but The Nexus was then defeated in the main event in a 5-on-5 tag team match by Edge, Del Rio, Big Show, Kane and Kofi Kingston. Barrett did not approve Otunga's decision to lead The Nexus to *SmackDown* and, as a result, forced him to defend his spot in the group the following week. On the November 12, 2010 edition of *SmackDown,* thanks to interference from Kane, Otunga defeated Edge in a lumberjack match to keep his spot in The Nexus. At Survivor Series on November 21, Orton retained the WWE Championship against Barrett via pinfall following an *RKO* and Cena was fired from WWE and subsequently exiled from The Nexus. The following night on *Raw,* The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank and became WWE Champion after Cena attacked Barrett, allowing Orton to pin Barrett and retain the title. Despite being fired by Barrett, Cena continued to show up on *Raw* as a ticketholder in the subsequent weeks, causing interference in The Nexus' matches, including costing Slater and Gabriel the WWE Tag Team Championship to Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov in a fatal four-way tag team elimination match on the December 6, 2010 edition of *Raw.* Later that night, Cena informed The Nexus that his attacks on them may stop, but only on the condition that Barrett rehires him, causing a mutiny within The Nexus in the process. Wanting the attacks to stop, Otunga, on behalf of The Nexus, delivered an ultimatum to Barrett that unless he brought Cena back, he would be exiled from the group. On the December 13, 2010 edition of *Raw,* Barrett rehired Cena for fear of being exiled by The Nexus, but on the condition that Cena face Otunga in the main event and Barrett and Cena settle the score in a chairs match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 19, Cena defeated Barrett in the main event and, after the match, dropped twenty-three steel chairs from the stage on him after dispatching the rest of The Nexus.

On the January 3, 2011 edition of *Raw,* The Nexus ambiguously announced after months of repeated attacks on Cena and the WWE roster that it was under "new management," with Punk (who disbanded the Straight Edge Society the previous September) being revealed to be the new leader, having acquired the position after Barrett lost a steel cage match against Orton and Sheamus thanks to Punk himself and was subsequently exiled from The Nexus (now renamed The New Nexus to distance itself from former leadership). After refusing to follow Punk's orders of initiation by hitting each other with kendo sticks, Gabriel and Slater left the group the following week on *Raw,* opting to join Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson on *SmackDown* as The Corre while Harris, McGillicutty and Otunga successfully completed Punk's initiation.