Back in SummerSlam 2010, The Nexus faced off against Team WWE, a bout that raised eyebrows for the portrayal of the NXT faction after an unexpected loss.
In a recent conversation with Inside the Ropes, Heath Slater unveiled that the original script for the match was altered by John Cena, leading to a slump in the faction’s momentum.
Here are some noteworthy details from Slater’s interview:
Explaining the changes made at SummerSlam: “It was an incredible experience participating in SummerSlam’s main event and being part of a significant storyline. The climax was disappointing though. Initially, we were all set to be the victors of the match. So, we were under the impression that we would take over. However, in just about an hour after the doors opened, everything was flipped around. We were confirmed to be losing the match, which did not make any sense to us. It would have been more logical to let us put WWE in peril, move ahead, and plan the big showdown for ‘Mania. We felt as if we were riding a rocket to the moon but ran out of fuel before reaching our destination. That certainly derailed our momentum. John Cena was the prime agenda for this alteration.”
About the match’s initial creators: “The original match was brilliantly orchestrated by Edge and Jericho. However, Cena disapproved of it, as per the stories I’ve heard. He wanted alterations in the match, so despite the initial match garnering support from Edge and Chris Jericho, the final decision was changed. This left both Jericho and Edge quite disheartened and annoyed. It felt as if this decision was taken in favor of someone’s ego rather than the storyline. I was caught off guard and was left pondering about my character’s demise. Suddenly, I had to endure everyone’s comeback and lose, which felt weird.”
On the Nexus failing to bounce back: “The defeat denoted an end to our threat in the storyline. Now, the narrative was about convincing Cena to join Nexus, or having Wade win a match and compel Cena to join us. But the quintessential charm would have been us winning the match and then Cena joining Nexus under a stipulation, and eventually defeating us from the inside. This absurd writing horribly damaged and diluted the storyline to the point where it lost its credibility. Our momentum totally fizzled out post-SummerSlam.”