On the Viewer’s Choice edition of Raw several things took place, including the fans determining who would face John Cena in the main event that night via an on-line vote. However, what we’ll be taking a look back on is when the Nexus made their shocking debut and completely destroyed Monday Night RAW, along with attacking several people.
The group debuted during the main event between WWE Champion John Cena and CM Punk, who were sporting matching armbands with the letter N. Barrett led the group in an attack on John Cena, CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Jerry Lawler, Matt Striker, Justin Roberts, and other WWE personnel around the ring. They also destroyed everything at ringside, including the announce table and the ring itself.
Prior to their formation, each original member of Nexus was a contestant (or “rookie”) on the first season of the NXT program. The conclusion of the competition on June 1, 2010 saw Wade Barrett declared the winner. He was awarded a WWE contract and a championship match at a pay-per-view of his choosing. The seven losers of the competition were left without a job, and Barrett immediately began performing on the Raw brand.
Additionally, during NXT these eight men were put through ridiculous challenges, faced the anger of their pros and were treated unkindly and unfairly by WWE Management. They were all treated like dirt as well as like animals. If you treat someone like an animal, sooner or later they will behave like animals. That is exactly what happened when they destroyed RAW. The eight competitors were forced to change in a locker room that was unacceptable. In Wade Barrett’s words the locker room was “no bigger than a broom cupboard.”
Furthermore, all eight of these men were made to look completely foolish while being put through ridiculous challenges that had nothing to do with wrestling in any way, shape, or form. A great example of this was the keg carrying competition. How the keg carrying competition worked is that a rookie would start at the entrance ramp, pick up a keg of beer, and carry it around the ring and back to the starting line. What does this have to do with wrestling? The answer is simple: nothing.
Another example of a pointless competition they were forced to compete in was to run an obstacle course around the arena. Along the way each rookie was to chug a soda, climb monkey bars, juggle in the middle of the ring, and to intentionally get dizzy by spinning their heads on a bat on their way to the finish line.
A third competition that has nothing to do with wrestling in a WWE ring was when they had to sell merchandise in the stands.
Yet another challenge that these men had to take part in was the rock ’em sock ’em, which is basically the joist from American Gladiators. So, unless you’re trying out for that show, there really is no reason to be joisting with someone.
All eight rookies were also faced with having to deal with their pros who in theory were supposed to help them, but in reality they hurt their rookies repeatedly. The best example of this happening in season one was when The Miz kept putting Daniel Bryan in no-win situations. Numerous pros were verbally abusive to their rookies throughout season one of NXT. Hell, Carlito spit an apple in the face of Heath Slater at one point and Slater wasn’t even his rookie.
Daniel Bryan and Michael Tarver were both eliminated in a way that was not part of the competition as it was announced at the start, due to WWE Management. At the beginning of NXT it was stated that the person who finished last in the pros poll on elimination days would be eliminated. Instead, WWE Management changed things on the fly and eliminated Michael Tarver. “WWE Management feels that if a superstar doesn’t have believe in themselves, then how can anyone believe in the WWE superstar,” asked Matt Striker, who obviously took great joy in informing Tarver that he was eliminated from the competition for that nonsensical reason. Daniel Bryan was eliminated from the competition for the very same reason.
Daniel Bryan was also put down repeatedly on commentary by Michael Cole who said he had no heart. When he spit in the face of John Cena on the Viewer’s Choice edition of Raw he showed that he had heart; he also needed to deliver a message, along with his seven associates, that they are not the jokes that they were made out to be on NXT.
CM Punk said he didn’t want to be there as a pro and refused to help his rookie, Darren Young, unless Young joined his Straight Edge Society. Because of this, CM Punk and the Straight Edge Society got what was coming to them at the hands of the Nexus that fateful night.
Additionally, Skip Sheffield, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, David Otunga, and Darren Young all said they’d be back once they were eliminated. They lived up to their words, which is commendable. For these reasons, as well as those that have already been mentioned, all eight men were justified when they invaded RAW that night.