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Ever since Wade Barrett left WWE back in 2016, he never made a serious comeback to the squared circle.
After leaving WWE, Barrett mostly resorted to an onscreen executive and commentary role. On the latest episode of NXT, Wade Barrett returned to WWE TV and joined Vic Joseph at the broadcast table.
Given how things are right now if Barrett chooses to make an in-ring return in the near future, there are several WWE stars with whom Mr. Bad News could engage in a fight.
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A list of opponents from NXT deserves a separate article of its own, and even though Barrett appeared on the Black and Gold brand, there is no word yet on if Barrett has signed an official deal with WWE. So this writeup aims to look at potential opponents from RAW or SmackDown.
With that in mind, here are 5 WWE opponents for Wade Barrett if he has one more match.
#5: King Corbin
A feud with King Corbin in WWE doesn't sound like the most exciting premise at first, but in this case, there are a lot of similarities between Corbin and Barrett.
Physically, both of them are tall individuals, and character-wise, Corbin and Barrett are not only the latest King of the Ring winners, but both Superstars made their victories an essential part of their respective gimmicks.
Bad News Barrett was another gimmick that made it easier for the WWE Universe to hate the character on TV, and whenever King Corbin's theme music blares through an arena's sound system, fans can't help but roll their eyes in unison for what comes next.
So what would happen if two similar, yet annoying pair of heels were pitted against each other in 2020?
At it's worst, Corbin vs. Barrett could be a boring angle, but if executed properly, the feud leading up to their eventual match may end up being quality entertainment as either competitor would try to be more obnoxious than the other.
#4: John Cena
WWE's Nexus faction was going to become a point of conversation in this article sooner than later, since Wade Barrett was the original leader of this group.
Nexus could have been one of the best storylines in WWE had the execution been better. Everyone knows by now that John Cena didn't put over this faction at WWE SummerSlam 2010. Unfortunately, Nexus was never the same after that night.
Although the Nexus storyline continued even after that point in time, it fizzled after SummerSlam in terms of momentum.
Had the original Nexus succeded as a storyline, Wade Barrett's WWE future could have been different. Barrett could still be wrestling for WWE if someone invented a time machine and booked Nexus properly.
John Cena isn't as active in WWE as he was a few years ago, thanks to Hollywood. The last time we saw him on TV was at WrestleMania 36 where the leader of the Cenation engaged in a psychological battle with Bray Wyatt.
But if Wade Barrett were to announce an in-ring return at a future date when Cena eventually comes back to wrestle for the company, both men could fight over a thing of the past that ultimately affected Barrett's WWE career in the long run.
#3: Drew McIntyre
Back in June 2020, Wade Barrett made a cheeky comment on Drew McIntyre winning the WWE title at WrestleMania 36.
Surely, the Bearer of Bad News couldn't resist to ruin a great WWE moment, so Barrett joked about how he should have been the first British WWE World Champion.
In all seriousness, Barrett was one of the fastest rising stars for the company. As previously mentioned, his WWE future may have been different if it weren't for some questionable booking decisions.
Now that Drew McIntyre finally earned a huge accomplishment for the Brits, WWE could use the above tweet and turn it into a kayfabe motive for Barrett to return and target the top gold.
Of course, that only happens if Barrett chooses to come back, and if it is for one more match, then WWE Champion Drew McIntyre would be a perfect choice indeed. This isn't just because both men were born in the United Kingdom, but also becaue Barrett could have a similar resurgance like McIntyre if he commits to a full-time in-ring return.
#2: Bray Wyatt
Yes, Bray Wyatt was a part of the Nexus too, but he wasn't as instrumental for the WWE faction as compared to it's original leader, Wade Barrett.
Some members of the Nexus like Wyatt and Daniel Bryan went on to have fruitful careers that overshadowed their past with the Nexus. Barrett's latter half of his original WWE career didn't completely manage to do the same, and even though the above linked Twitter conversation was in good fun, it does make the fans question what would happen if the two were set to collide in WWE today.
Husky Harris hasn't been completely erased from Bray Wyatt's past, as the persona continues to exist in the form of "Huskus" The Pig Boy inside the Firefly Fun House.
It is a part of Wyatt's psyche that hasn't fully surfaced during his time as The Fiend, so if a potential feud or a match against Barrett were to happen, Wyatt could be forced to relive his own embarrassing past, and not the other way around.
Viewers have seen how stars like John Cena and Braun Strowman have been forced to relive their own history while facing The Fiend, but if Wyatt were to do the same with Wade Barrett, Husky Harris may pop up out of nowhere.
Simply for it's entertainment value, this is an unusual WWE matchup which seems perfect on paper if Barrett made an in-ring return.
#1: Roman Reigns
Nexus has been mentioned several times in this article, but the failure of that angle only forced Wade Barrett to improvise and come up with a new WWE gimmick later on, it didn't destroy his career to a huge extent.
WWE fans may remember a stable called League of Nations, a critically planned idea which comprised of stars like Sheamus, Rusev, Alberto Del Rio, and Wade Barrett. It was the final nail in the coffin for Barrett's previous WWE run.
As a storyline, the stable was created to fall against Roman Reigns so as to ensure his success as the biggest star in WWE. Not only did the company fail to execute this idea properly, but that period in time is considered as one of the lowest points in the careers of all Superstars involved.
On the recent episode of WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns seemingly confirmed an edgier side to his character by aligning himself with Paul Heyman. If Wade Barrett decided to make an in-ring return, the most obvious direction for Barrett would be to target the man who indirectly caused the final blow to his previous WWE run.
Only this time around, the tables are turned and Wade Barrett could be the babyface in their potential feud.
