Every Version Of Wade Barrett, Ranked From Worst To Best

There are those wrestlers who have decade-plus journeys through WWE and whom fans watch evolve, change gimmicks, and turn from face to heel time and again. There are also, however, those stars who make a big impact within a shorter period of time and fewer seismic shifts.

British-born Wade Barrett was an instant main event player when he debuted on the main roster in 2010 and worked around the upper mid-card the years to follow. Injuries undermined some of his potential, but Barrett nonetheless had a memorable and respectable run across a range of subtle changes in his character. He was never a world championship, and while it's hard to imagine he'd ever headline a Hall of Fame class, he's nonetheless the kind of talent who’ll probably get inducted one day.

10 League Of Nations

The tail end of Wade Barrett’s WWE run saw him team up with Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, and Rusev to form The League of Nations. The group had talent, looked imposing, and had a reasonably cohesive identity as a collection of international talent. However, they never quite clicked.

Despite Sheamus enjoying a world title reign while a part of this group, the faction still felt difficult to take seriously. Fans received them as a stand-in at the main event level while Seth Rollins was out for injury and before Triple H returned to the ring to set up WrestleMania 32. Wade Barrett reportedly had one foot out the door and, indeed, left WWE at the end of this faction’s run. He and Del Rio in particular came across as directionless and un-invested as they mostly played Sheamus’s sidekicks for this run.

9 The Corre

After losing his leadership over The Nexus, Wade Barrett transitioned from the Raw to the SmackDown brand. He buddied back up with former teammates Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel, then introduced Ezekiel Jackson as the muscle for a new faction of equal partners—The Corre.

The Corre had reasonable potential as a collection of young, reasonably over talents. Unfortunately, they never accomplished much more than winning tag team titles and Barrett's run with Intercontinental Gold, paling in comparison to The Nexus group that they inevitably drew comparisons with. While not necessarily one of the worst stables of the 2010s, they also were far from one of the best. The faction felt like a step down for Barrett in particular as he transitioned firmly into the mid-card.

8 NXT Contestant

WWE fans first got their eyes on Wade Barrett as a contestant on the original NXT series. The show had an interesting concept, with veteran mentors backing fresh faces, and a pseudo-reality show vibe with the younger talents vying for WWE contracts and getting eliminated as the weeks went on.

Barrett was a solid, steady part of the show, whose combination of size, working ability, and talking skills immediately made him stand out toward the front of the pack. With Chris Jericho as his mentor, Barrett remained in the spotlight for much of the show, before ultimately winning to set up his main roster debut.

7 King Barrett

The King of the Ring tournament has a rich history in WWE. Historically, when someone won it, it meant a big push (as it did for Steve Austin or Mabel), reaffirmed top of the card standing (Bret or Owen Hart), or at least meant a major gimmick change as the winner—typically a heel—espoused a royal persona (see Booker T, King Corbin, or William Regal).

Barrett’s victory was reasonably well-conceived and he did a reasonable job as king. Unfortunately, the victory didn’t ultimately mean much as he found himself back in the mid-card, working tag team matches, and ultimately joining The League of Nations. That he wore the crown through all of these transitions added little to his credibility.

6 Bare Knuckle Brawler

After spending several months away due to injury, Wade Barrett returned to the WWE landscape in the summer of 2012, backed by a series of vignettes that portrayed him throwing hands in an underground fighting arena. This shift in persona created buzz and the new gimmick capitalized on Barrett’s real-life experience competing as a bare-knuckle boxer.

Despite the success of the vignettes, they didn’t mean much to Barrett’s character when he got back in the ring. The most noteworthy shift for him as a wrestler was adding The Bullhammer to his repertoire as a new finisher.

5 Color Commentator

Wade Barrett’s ability to cut promos well was instrumental in getting him a featured spot at the start of his WWE career. As such, it makes good sense that he’d combine his talking ability with his credibility with the fans to emerge as a color commentator.

Barrett worked as a commentator for a few small promotions before re-signing with WWE to join the NXT broadcast team. While he still isn’t as polished as voices like his predecessor Nigel McGuinness or previous legends of WWE color commentary, Barrett has started well. He could believably grow into being one of the best color commentators in the game, be it staying with NXT or transitioning to Raw or SmackDown.

4 Intercontinental Champion

After the dust had settled from Wade Barrett’s run leading The Nexus, he spent much of his WWE tenure holding or chasing the Intercontinental Championship, ultimately garnering five reigns with the title.

The Intercontinental Championship was a good, mutually beneficial fit for Barrett. The title shored up his position as a featured talent, and his credibility as a former main eventer elevated the title’s value. He most notably carried the belt into WrestleMania 31 for a seven-man ladder match.

3 The Barrett Barrage

By fall 2011, Wade Barrett had set out on his own, emerging from The Nexus and The Corre as a respected singles wrestler and a threat to move back up to the main event as a solo act. While he lost more than he won in a program with Randy Orton, he nonetheless held his own, reaffirming that he could succeed without a faction behind him.

Some pundits pegged Barrett for a Money in the Bank victory at this stage, and possibly a world title reign. Unfortunately for Barrett and his fans, he suffered an injury in early 2012 that took him out of action and derailed his momentum.

2 Leader Of The Nexus

Wade Barrett will probably always be best remembered for his work as the leader of The Nexus. The faction exploded onto the scene by laying waste to John Cena and tearing up the ringside area at the end of a high profile episode of Raw. From there, they main-evented SummerSlam 2010 as a team, and Barrett hung around the main event picture as a singles wrestler for the months to follow.

Barrett’s work with The Nexus ultimately got tarnished by lackluster booking. The faction lost its first big match at that SummerSlam, then storylines around the group got a bit too convoluted for their own good—their interactions with Cena in particular feeling as though they stretched on for too long. Still, this group was hot in the early-going and Barrett was the most important part of that as their leader and de facto mouthpiece.

1 Bad News Barrett

After missing time due to work visa issues, Wade Barrett returned to WWE television billed as Bad News Barrett. It was a fun new gimmick that saw him speak candid truths in comedic fashion—still overtly a heel, but immediately popular for the degree to which he got to show off his affable personality.

The Bad News gimmick didn’t mean much for Barrett in the ring. As he missed time due to injury, the nature of the gimmick allowed him to stay relevant in a talking role. In some ways, this persona foreshadowed his work as a color commentator, and Barrett even went so far as to reprise it for one night on the Halloween Havoc episode of NXT television.

Next: Wade Barrett's 10 Best WWE Matches, Ranked