Evaluating Wade Barrett's Next Career Move If He Leaves WWE

A WWE career marked with what-ifs may soon be wrapping up for Wade Barrett, as the former WWE intercontinental champion is reportedly poised to walk away from the company.

Standing at a point in the road with multiple forks, Barrett has a number of paths waiting for him. Looking to ascend the card for another promotion is a major possibility. So is simply pausing his WWE career. Banged up and frustrated, The King of Bad News has reason to just leave wrestling altogether, though.

Fans started wondering what's next for Barrett after word emerged that he did not want to ink a new WWE deal.

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin, "Barrett will not be signing a new contract with the company when his current deal expires in a few months." This is reportedly a result of Barrett "no longer enjoying what he was doing in the company."

Barrett responded to all the buzz that the report created but didn't deny that he planned to leave:

If he does call it quits, his phone is certain to start ringing like crazy. Bet on Dixie Carter, for one, being in his ear right away.

Searching for Success Elsewhere

When Barrett led Nexus' invasion of WWE in 2010, it looked as if the company had found its next marquee star.

The Englishman had the prerequisite looks, charisma and athleticism to fill that role. He started off red hot, feuding with John Cena. Fast-forward to a few years later, however, and Barrett found himself stuck in first gear.

He didn't get past the IC titleholder level and often sat out major shows as others took center stage.

WWE stuck him in an insignificant eight-man tag at WrestleMania XXVII. Two years later, he lost during the WrestleMania 29 pre-show.

Lack of upward movement has to have weighed on Barrett. WWE's support of him always seems to fizzle out eventually. Surely he believes he can be more than a midcarder.

While TNA would offer less money and less spotlight, going there could be just the fresh start he needs.

Recent history has seen wrestlers whom WWE neglected reach new heights with TNA. Derrick Bateman went from a WWE afterthought to a top heel in TNA. Drew McIntyre went from being one-third of a low-rung comedy group to being a championship contender in his current home.

That has to appeal to Barrett, creating visions of him flourishing against the likes of Lashley and Trevor Lee.

Lucha Underground has a similar history of taking on WWE's undesirables and giving them a stage to be their best. Ezekiel Jackson and Justin Gabriel are recent examples of midcarders who turned into more compelling acts with the slickly produced promotion.

Barrett will garner interest from those companies and others. He would be smart to take their calls and see if a chance of location would allow him to reach his full potential. 

A Restorative Hiatus

Barrett might just need a break. The WWE schedule is a grind that leaves one worn down.

Should he not re-sign, a lengthy stay back home in England would be a great chance for his body to heal and for him to refresh himself.  

He can watch the product from afar, mull over ways to enhance his gimmick. Once the hunger to compete eats at him enough, Barrett can work out a new deal with the company.

But Barrett isn't likely to just take whatever WWE throws at him. Being so low on the food chain has to play a big part in his reported unhappiness.

Credit: WWE.com

WWE would have to offer him a better place on the card to make it worth it to come back. That seems unlikely to happen. The company has never quite taken to him, never fully committed to him.

Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats broke down all the missed opportunities that have marked Barrett's career, from WWE's plucking the elevated podium from his Bad News Barrett gimmick to not playing up his bare-knuckle boxing background more.

Does the master of the Bull Hammer really want to just step back into the same unimportant role he's been playing in recent years?

It's not as if he as a ton of leverage, though. WWE is set to kick off a new era with guys like Finn Balor, Roman Reigns and AJ Styles leading the way. There may not be a prime spot at the table left for Barrett.

New Ventures

Wrestling is far from the only thing Barrett can succeed at. He's got the charisma necessary for a career on TV or in the movies.

And doing his performing on a set rather than between the ropes has to appeal to a guy who has seen the WWE doctors on a regular basis.

Barrett has been wrestling since 2003, but it wasn't until a few years ago that injuries started to slow his momentum. As he told Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun in 2010, Barrett tore his latissimus dorsi muscle, which forced him into a commentary role at Florida Championship Wrestling.

He suffered a dislocated elbow in 2012, as noted by WWE.com. An injured shoulder, as reported by Wrestle Zone, forced him to vacate the Intercontinental Championship in 2014.

And now's he currently suffering from nerve damage in his neck, as he revealed on Twitter:

Barrett hasn't wrestled since mid-January. Missing time has been a frequent occurrence.

Chris Harrington of Wrestlenomics pointed out how much Barrett has been out of action over the past few years:

All that wear and tear on his body has to be frustrating. The fact that he has recently dipped his toes into the acting waters may tempt him to try something other than getting slammed for a living.

He appeared in the forthcoming film Eliminators and made his movie debut opposite Colin Farrell in Dead Man Down.

It's a natural fit for him to continue down this road. He has the rugged, imposing look casting directors will like. Being on live TV every week for years will aid him in that world, too.

If the next few months to prove to be Barrett's last with WWE, attempting to find success as an actor is the most likely scenario. His body will thank him for the career change.