Ryback on the Nexus Being Told Not To Associate with John Cena, Why Was Wade Barrett Made Leader?

On another episode of his podcast Conversation With The Big Guy, former WWE Superstar Ryback commented on his time as a member of the Nexus in the WWE. You can check out the highlights here:

 


 

On not knowing what would happen to the NXT Season 1 cast after the season’s conclusion:

“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.”

On not being able to associate with other WWE roster members during the John Cena feud:

“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 Wade Barrett being made leader:

“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.”

(All transcribed quotes courtesy of Wrestling Inc.)

Related Articles

Latest Articles

Videos