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WWE Raw: Top five all-time greatest moments in Raw history

By Bryan Heaton

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: Actor and WWE personality "Stone Cold" Steve Austin appears at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: Actor and WWE personality "Stone Cold" Steve Austin appears at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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The Nexus Debuts

Hey, look: It’s another “what could have been” moment on WWE Raw!

On June 7, 2010, WWE held a “Viewer’s Choice” episode of Raw. Yes, it was dumb, but let’s forget about that for a moment. During the main event match between John Cena and CM Punk, Wade Barrett came down the ramp as his cohorts jumped the barricade and, well, destroyed everything.

Less than a week earlier, Barrett had been declared the winner of the first season of NXT, back when it was a game show-type program. But his fellow competitors on the season — Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Michael Tarver, Skip Sheffield, Darren Young, and David Otunga — were left in the cold, since only the winner was granted a WWE contract.

Unbeknownst to the WWE Universe, the eight competitors had joined forces as The Nexus to obtain contracts for everyone, which led to the tour of destruction that began during the Punk/Cena match. And their initial assault on WWE was a highly disturbing and visceral attack that had several unintended consequences.

First, Daniel Bryan was shoot fired because of his actions in the attack — spitting in Cena’s face and strangling ring announcer Justin Roberts with his tie. Bryan, probably the best known of the group and arguably the most talented, would eventually return — maybe you’ve heard about what he’s done in WWE? — but hardcore fans were upset at the loss.

Second, the Nexus had peaked immediately by forcing Cena to do a stretcher job. During Cena’s run as “the face that runs the place,” he was nigh invincible. Clearly, at some point, he would need to get revenge on the group who had almost put him down.

At SummerSlam 2010, The Nexus would lose to John Cena in a 7-on-7 Elimination Tag Team Match. (Honestly, does it matter who else was on Cena’s team? He beat them practically single-handedly.)

While the fallout from SummerSlam devastated The Nexus, their initial debut set them up to be the most dominant heels in WWE for a long time.

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