WWE News: Former Champion Turned Down Offer To Return At ‘WrestleMania’
As The Inquisitr previously reported, WWE wanted the NEXUS to appear at this year’s WrestleMania to celebrate the stable’s 10th anniversary. However, while ex-members such as Darren Young were interested in participating at the event, former leader Wade Barrett turned down the opportunity to work with his former employer again.
In an interview with Wrestling Inc, Barrett revealed that he was called in “January or February” about returning to the company for the pay-per-view. According to the former Intercontinental Champion, he wasn’t a fan of the deal or the company’s plan for him, but he may have been interested under different circumstances.
“In all honestly, if it had been something more significant, I would have paid it more attention. But it was something, to me, that I wasn’t interested in doing. There was no benefit at all, for me, in doing it and I wasn’t excited about it, so I turned the offer down.”
WWE’s plans to bring NEXUS back changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic forcing the company to pre-tape the show with a limited number of superstars and employees. While fans may have been excited to see the popular stable return for the event, Barrett revealed that the segment wouldn’t have been a notable angle.
Barrett left WWE in 2016 and appears to be through with in-ring competition. While he has served as a commentator and on-air personality for independent and international promotions, his post-WWE career doesn’t seem to be prioritizing wrestling. He’s become a successful actor in recent years and seems content away from WWE.
This may also have factored into his decision not to return for WrestleMania. While Barrett left the company on good terms with management, he wasn’t happy toward the end of his career. During the interview, he opened up about what caused him to leave the company when he did.
“I left there for a variety of reasons, one of which was definitely burnout. I had been on the road for a long time and I was on programming when the brands were merged.”
Barrett also revealed that he only got to sleep in his own bed a couple of nights a week, and his storyline pitches were never considered. According to the former superstar, he didn’t feel like a member of the company and decided that enough was enough. He also described being in the company as a waste of his time, suggesting that he has no intention of returning in the near future.
