WHAT’S NEXT FOR NEXUS?
Rumor has it that either John Cena or Triple H will ultimately be revealed as leader of the Nexus faction at some point. I hope it’s Cena. I want to see Cena attempt to explain how he became leader of a group that kicked his ass 7-on-1 a handful of times, also costing him the WWE championship on three occasions.
How, exactly, did that relationship take root, John? Were you conscious when it happened? Did negotiations take place in the ICU?
Nutty.
It’s reminiscent of when Kevin Nash power-bombed Eric Bischoff through the stage, then Bischoff popped up as a member of the nWo a few months later. Bischoff’s self-indulgence made Ted DiBiase expendable, so the one guy who made perfect sense as leader of the nWo was replaced by the one guy who didn’t. The boss of the establishment doesn’t quit, then join the rebels. Again, nutty.
The nWo angle was doomed the minute Hulk Hogan turned, anyway. It certainly started to curdle soon after.
The proper thing to do would be for Nexus to remain self-contained and for Wade Barrett to continue to serve as leader. The minute Cena or Triple H leads Nexus – thus being presented as being bigger than Nexus, and bigger than any individual member of Nexus – Nexus is devalued in favor of the same old, same old and any momentum built by Nexus is squandered.
This might be a viable option – with Triple H, anyway; he could say he recruited Nexus to do his evil bidding while he was away – if Nexus had stalled out. But they haven’t, not yet. To pull this move, or even plan it, is premature. To have it in your quiver as Plan B is OK.
Bookers don’t like to let ideas that break away from the norm to remain outside the box indefinitely. Which is to say, the promotion’s stars usually tell the bookers to rein things in before they get too hot, i.e., hotter than the stars giving such advice.
Consider Goldberg. He got hot by accident. He was used as filler, but he won, and his “real deal” charisma and persona took over. You think Hogan wanted Goldberg to get that hot? Hell, no.
Oh, Hogan was quick to jump on Goldberg’s bandwagon, curry favor and surrender the WCW title at the Georgia Dome by way of claiming half-credit for a house that was already sold out. But Goldberg’s popularity double-crossed Hogan, whose only commandment is “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Next thing you know, Goldberg got beat by a cattle prod. Then he was wearing a wig on WWE TV. It took time. But Goldberg became just another wrestler.
Nexus will never get Goldberg hot. Or nWo hot. But why take a chance?
