Ryback Talks Nexus Being Told Not To Associate With John Cena, Why Wade Barrett Was The Leader, More
Recently on Conversation With The Big Guy, Ryan 'Ryback' Reeves recalled his run with The Nexus. Specifically, Reeves discussed The Nexus' debut on WWE Monday Night RAW, kayfabe being in effect during the John Cena angle, and Wade Barrett leading the group.
Apparently, at the conclusion of Season One of NXT, the contestants did not know whether they were going to be sent back to developmental or released. That is when the NXT cast members were told about The Nexus stable and informed of the high stakes opportunity they were being given.
"It was such a weird time, but they had this idea, I guess. And it was in Miami [Florida] and we're all brought to TV. And this is after NXT had run its course. And, we're brought into a room with Vince [McMahon] and Johnny [Laurinaitis] and Michael Hayes, where they explain to us The Nexus. And we have one chance, one opportunity, to go out there and get over. And if we don't, we're going to be f–king fired. And, like, our whole lives we've worked for this. And we were not given any instructions except to go out there and just cause hell and tear s–t apart and to go out there and get over, which is the best thing you can be told to do."
Reeves added, "they let us go out there and do whatever outside of the physicality with John [Cena], at the time, outside of knowing what that was going to be, none of us really knew anything else going on. Just tear the ring apart. We haven't done this before, and, like, just cause chaos and I think there [were] a couple of things, 'hit this guy here, hit that guy there' where we kind of [knew]. But we didn't go in, and, like, and it came and it was such a beautiful moment. And it is something I will forever be thankful to be a part of."
According to Ryback, The Nexus members were told not to associate with the rest of the WWE roster during their feud with Cena.
"At that time, with all the Nexus stuff, we were told to not, like, associate with the other guys. It was, kayfabe was in full effect. We had to ride together, workout together, not talk to any of the [other WWE performers]. If we saw John Cena in the gym, we weren't even to look at him. It was like that enforced or so we thought at the time."
On the subject of Barrett, Ryback stated that the winner of NXT: Season One was the leader of The Nexus because of his comfort level on the microphone.
"He was clearly the verbal leader, the minds behind everything, the brains behind everything." Ryback recalled, "looking back, he was so far [ahead], he was superior to all of us, I felt, as far as being able to handle the promos. He's a very intelligent individual and everybody there is. But, like, he always handled that pressure, I felt, better than anybody else, which is why he was the leader."
Click here (https://podbay.fm/show/1148439276) to check out the show. If you use any of the quotes that appear in this article, please credit Conversation With The Big Guy with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.