The Nexus (professional wrestling) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Nexus
"You're either Nexus or you're against us" Motto under Wade Barrett "Faith!" Motto under CM Punk
Stable
Members	See below
Name(s)	The Nexus The New Nexus The Nexus Alliance
Debut	June 7, 2010
Disbanded	August 22, 2011

The Nexus was a villainous professional wrestling stable in WWE that competed on the Raw brand from June 7, 2010 to August 22, 2011, originally consisting of eight rookies of NXT season one and shifted their roster several times throughout their 14-month existence, with David Otunga being the only member to serve the group throughout the entirety of its existence.

After NXT, the group went on to antagonize the Raw roster, with then-WWE Champion John Cena as their main focus, who forcibly became a member of The Nexus after losing a match at Hell in a Cell thanks to outside interference. However, Cena was eventually removed from the group at Survivor Series after Barrett lost his WWE Championship match to Randy Orton. Barrett was replaced as leader by CM Punk, at which point the stable was renamed The New Nexus in an attempt to distance itself from The Nexus, becoming a tight-knit group dedicated to one another by faith. The group won the WWE Tag Team Championship three times, while Punk won the WWE Championship in his final match with the stable at Money in the Bank.

Concept

On the February 2, 2010 edition of ECW, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon announced that NXT would replace ECW on Syfy when the latter ends its run on February 16, describing NXT as "the next evolution of WWE television history." The concept of the stable was derived from each original member of them being a contestant on the first season of the NXT program, which composed at the time of the talent from WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling. The series ran them through a competition to become WWE's next breakout star with the help of mentors from WWE's Raw and SmackDown brands. On the June 1, 2010 edition of NXT, Barrett was declared the winner over Otunga and — as a result — was awarded a WWE contract and a championship match at a WWE pay-per-view of his choosing (he ultimately chose Night of Champions), while the others were left without a job.

History

World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE

The New Nexus

CM Punk became the stable's second leader, changing the name to The New 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, acquiring the position after Barrett lost a #1 contendership steel cage match involving Orton and Sheamus. Punk, having agreed to fall in line had Barrett successfully won the title shot, teased helping Barrett escape the cage before knocking him off of it. Barrett was subsequently exiled from The Nexus, which would be 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 former ECW Champion Ezekiel Jackson on SmackDown as The Corre while Harris, McGillicutty and Otunga successfully completed Punk's initiation. On the January 17, 2011 edition of Raw, Mason Ryan joined The New Nexus after interfering in Punk's match against Cena, attacking both before Punk handed Ryan a Nexus armband. On January 30, 2011 at the Royal Rumble, The New Nexus, who were also a part of the 40-man Royal Rumble match along with The Corre, cost Orton his rematch clause for Miz's WWE Championship, starting a feud with him. Over the ongoing weeks, Orton defeated all members of The New Nexus, causing several storyline injuries by punting them. At WrestleMania XXVII, Orton defeated Punk and, at Extreme Rules, Orton defeated Punk in a Last Man Standing rematch. On the May 23, 2011 edition of Raw, thanks to a distraction from The New Nexus, McGillicutty and Otunga defeated Big Show and Kane for the WWE Tag Team Championship. On the June 20, 2011 "Power to the People" edition of Raw, Punk was originally going to be named the number one contender for Cena's WWE Championship, but instead, he was forced to compete in a triple threat match with Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio with a Falls Count Anywhere stipulation voted for by fans which Punk won, revealing after the match that his WWE contract would expire at Money in the Bank, where he would face Cena for the WWE Championship. The following week on Raw, it was announced that Ryan suffered an injury over the weekend and left the group. That same night, a brash Punk realized a worked shoot promo (which he dubbed a "pipe bomb"), reminding that once his contract expired at Money in the Bank, that would be the last time WWE would ever see him and the WWE Championship, as he considered taking his talents to another wrestling promotion, like Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. With his victory over Cena at Money in the Bank, the WWE Championship was finally held by the stable on their last night of existence.

Otunga and McGillicutty worked as a tag team with the New Nexus banner until August 1, 2011 and continued without the banner until August 22, 2011, when the group disbanded after they lost the WWE Tag Team Championships to Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne.

Independent circuit

In April 2018, The Nexus reunited for Chikara King of Trios tournament as The Nexus Alliance, being represented by Tyrone Evans (Tarver), Fred Rosser (Young) and Black (Gabriel).

Cancelled WWE return

Young stated that The Nexus were originally booked to return at WrestleMania 36. A year later, a documentary about The Nexus was cancelled with Young theorizing it was due to Bryan leaving WWE.

Members

Timeline

Championships and accomplishments

David Otunga (right) and Michael McGillicutty as WWE Tag Team Champions

• The Baltimore Sun
  • Feud of the Year (2010) vs. John Cena
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Feud of the Year (2010) vs. WWE
  • Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2010)
  • Rookie of the Year (2010) – David Otunga
• World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
  • WWE Championship (1 time) – CM Punk
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (3 times) – John Cena and David Otunga (1), Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel (1), David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty (1)
  • Slammy Award (1 time)
    • Shocker of the Year (2010) The debut of The Nexus

Media

• WWE: Wrestling's Greatest Factions (May 27, 2014, DVD)

See also

In Spanish: The Nexus (lucha libre) para niños