Nexus: 5 reasons the new WWE documentary on the faction will be a must-watch
Nexus is remembered by long-time WWE fans as one of the biggest missed opportunities in company history.
The renegade faction made an immediate splash on WWE television when they debuted. However, in just a few short months, that initial momentum had stalled - and couldn't be recovered.
WWE will revisit the story of the group as part of its Untold documentary series on the WWE Network.
Fred Rosser, f.k.a founding Nexus member Darren Young in WWE, revealed the news on Twitter earlier this week when he let the world know he was being interviewed for the project.
Nexus was born out of the first season of NXT in 2010. Long before it was the fully fledged brand we know today, NXT was a reality television show that saw a cast of aspiring WWE Superstars compete for a spot on the main roster.
Wade Barrett emerged victorious from the competition. The Englishman defeated David Otunga, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver, Daniel Bryan and Darren Young to win the show.
As it turned out, it was not just Barrett who made his main roster debut on the following week's edition of RAW. Instead, every cast member from the season appeared - and together they made a significant impact.
Barrett and company (who soon became collectively known as Nexus) stormed the ring on the June 7, 2010 episode of RAW, interrupting the main event between John Cena and CM Punk.
Nexus wasn't siding with either individual, though. Their only goal seemed to be to cause complete carnage, as they tore apart the arena. Their path of destruction even went through the WWE broadcast team, as Nexus wrecked the announcers' desk.
The whole segment had a very authentic feel to it, far edgier than anything else WWE was presenting at the time. In fact, the action got so true-to-life that Daniel Bryan was briefly legitimately fired by the company for choking ring announcer Justin Roberts live on air.
Although Bryan was gone, the seven remaining members of Nexus continued to run roughshot over WWE in the months that followed. Hunting as a pack, the faction launched assaults at will on many WWE Superstars. John Cena, Bret Hart and Ricky Steamboat were just a few of Nexus' many targets.
Nexus were presented as the biggest threat in the company when they made their official WWE pay-pay-view debut in the main event of SummerSlam 2010. The group faced off against 'Team WWE' - which also included the returning Daniel Bryan - in a massive 14-man tag team collision.
The logical ending of the bout was for Nexus to pick up the victory and continue their reign of terror in WWE. However, this wasn't to be, as team WWE left with the victory.
This defeat badly hurt the credibility of Nexus in the eyes of the audience. Never again was the faction taken as seriously as it had been in its early days - and the group became just another act on the card, before finally quietly disbanding.
Many questions surround the treatment of Nexus during this time period. News of the upcoming documentary on the faction has been welcomed by fans, who are keen to hear the inside story on why Nexus was allowed to fail so swiftly. Here are five reasons why the WWE Untold documentary on Nexus will be a must-see.
#5 Nexus is a subject WWE has never properly covered in documentary form before
WWE is fantastic at producing documentaries. Over the years, the WWE Network has featured countless fantastic features discussing wrestling history.
However, in tackling Nexus, WWE is delving into a subject matter it hasn't fully covered before in documentary form.
Hardcore fans know the stories behind the Monday Night Wars, the demise of ECW and the legacy of The Undertaker. These - and similar topics - have been covered frequently since the Network launched in 2014.
Nexus is a faction fans still remember, more than a decade after they first debuted. Despite this, the rapid rise and sudden fall of the group has never been properly explored by WWE.
During an appearance on The Bump last year, Darren Young spoke about a planned Nexus reunion at the WrestleMania 36 Fan Axxess event. Of course, due to COVID-19, these arrangements were scrapped.
WWE fans will finally be able to relive the run of Nexus through this upcoming episode of Untold. It is one many feel is long overdue.