WWE: Wade Barrett Must Target World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus Upon Return

Wade Barrett's return is coming. After being sidelined with an injury for the past few months, the WWE has begun to air vignettes for the return of the former Nexus leader.

Upon his return, Barrett should immediately set his sights on Sheamus. The Barrett Barrage must target the World Heavyweight Championship.

Throughout the latter half of 2010, Barrett proved time and again that he is more than capable of being a main-event level heel. Between leading the Nexus and his quest to become WWE Champion, Barrett made a huge impact.

After being removed as the Nexus leader and being moved to SmackDown, Barrett's star fell as quickly as it rose. He found himself relegated to the blue brand's midcard. His talent was undoubtedly wasted during his time as a part of the Corre and as Intercontinental Champion.

It seemed that Barrett was on the rise again late last year. He had a high-profile feud with Randy Orton. In fact, Barrett would get the better of Orton and end up temporarily sidelining him. If it wasn't for his injury, it's very possible that Barrett would be SmackDown's top heel.

It's no coincidence that Barrett's return coincides with the probable end of Sheamus' feud with Alberto del Rio. If Sheamus retains at SummerSlam, Barrett is perfectly poised to step in as the next contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.

In addition, Barrett simply needs to be put in a position to make an impact as a top star. His character suffered greatly by the lack of follow-through and sudden end of his 2010 push. I'm not too certain Wade Barrett would be able to recover from another halted push.

Barrett's imminent return is very important for his character. The vignettes are a good start but Barrett's direction following his return is vital. My suggestion is that he decisively defeats the dominant Sheamus for the title within a month of his return.

Here's to hoping that the WWE finally pushes this top-notch talent to the status of World Champion.

Michael Prunka is a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist. To stay up to date with his WWE and NHL commentary, you can like his Facebook page, follow him on Twitter and follow him on Tout.