It seems inconceivable that Mr. Perfect, Jake Roberts, Ted DiBiase and so on never had the opportunity to reign at the top of the WWE card… but there is so much room for champions and not All they can go But what about the WWE stars who were not just considered for the title, but were tipped to take it? The history books would be completely different if the original plans had been seen to come to fruition. For some, it must be overwhelming to be promised the top prize in professional wrestling and then not see it play out. Then again, in the land of WWE’s broken promises and false offers, there are many men and women who have been told one thing and experienced something else entirely. In 2010, The Nexus debuted on the WWE TV main roster and immediately became the company’s top storyline due to their penchant for despicable destruction. At the top sat the charismatic Wade Barrett, who proved time and time again on the mic that he was a born top heel. When the group was soundly defeated at Survivor Series by Team WWE, led by John Cena who pushed backstage to come out on top, Barrett had two losses to then-WWE Champion Randy Orton. If the Nexus had succeeded in their first big outing, would Barrett have been pushed to champion status? Regardless, it wasn’t the only time Barrett was on a trajectory to the top. In 2011, it looked like Wade was primed for a solid solo push. He had left the failed Corre stable, lost the Intercontinental Title and was part of the Money in the Bank ladder match. In an interview with WhatCulture in 2016, Barrett revealed that not only had he been chosen to win the briefcase, but they had even rehearsed. This apparently changed an hour before the show. Considering no one had failed a cash-in at the time, this could very well have been Barrett’s redemption, but it ended up being another opportunity that slipped through his fingers.
