WWE: Why Wade Barrett Could Become the Next World Heavyweight Champion

Since the dawn of 2011, Wade Barrett has found himself and his controversial career running downhill following his expulsion from the Nexus at the conclusion of last year. Many thought Barrett was in for something big with his move to SmackDown and formation of the Corre; unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be the case.

At last year's Survivor Series pay-per-view, Barrett was fingertips away from winning his first WWE Championship in a match that included the two biggest draws in the company, John Cena and Randy Orton. Fast-forward a mere four months: Barrett and the rest of his group of lackeys in the Corre are squashed within a 90-second time span by the likes of Big Show and Kane.

Although the Englishman was successful in striking Intercontinental Championship gold this past March, his reign was lackluster overall, mostly due to the lack of push and focus he received during his feud with the questionable Ezekiel Jackson a few months back.

With his forgettable Intercontinental Championship reign over by Capitol Punishment, Barrett was left without interest from WWE Creative and then became lost in the shuffle. He was seconds away from reaching the brass ring he truly deserves at the Money in the Bank event last month, but once again had his dreams crushed by the IWC favorite, Daniel Bryan.

As you can see, Barrett is probably the biggest talent on the WWE roster today that is not getting the push he deserves, as far as he has fallen since his departure from the Nexus. The former IC champ holds amazing potential, but he hasn't been given another chance to shine on Friday nights.

Thankfully, we were given a quick preview of what he looks to accomplish on SmackDown with an impressive victory over fellow NXT alumni, Daniel Bryan, at this year's SummerSlam event. This looks to be a small step in regaining the heat that Barrett has lost over the course of 2011, and will hopefully secure him a spot back in the main event picture soon.

Just recently, Mark Henry emerged victorious in a 20-man battle royal to become the new number one contender to World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton, presumably at Night of Champions in a few weeks. Seeing that Christian will more than likely come up short in his rematch tomorrow on SuperSmackDown, I predict for Henry to come close to winning the gold strap come his eventual title opportunity, but ultimately fail due to interference from his recent foe, Sheamus.

With Henry and Sheamus possibly clashing in a rubber match at the Hell in Cell pay-per-view, Barrett can step up to challenge Orton as a fresh opponent for the World Title at the October event. Now, Barrett's feud with Bryan has seemingly been terminated, but it's always possible that a rematch between the former Nexus members could be scheduled at Night of Champions over the Money in the Bank briefcase after Barrett's surprising upset over the American Dragon a few weeks ago.

Without a doubt, Wade Barrett could make one hell of a World Heavyweight Champion on SmackDown if built up right in coming weeks. He is currently rioting against facing lesser opponents, and maybe he could continue to do so until he gets what he deserves: a championship match.

If Daniel Bryan does indeed successfully retain possession of the opportunistic briefcase going into WrestleMania 28, a much-anticipated rematch between Bryan and Barrett over the prestigious World Championship could be off the charts, especially if a top draw such as Randy Orton were involved as well.

After Henry, I don't see any more credible challengers for Orton on SmackDown, so I'd love to see Barrett be the one to finally take it away from the Viper in a few months. Should Barrett retain for a number of months, we could bear witness to some awesome bouts with Sheamus, Christian, and Bryan.

Wade Barrett has the in-ring capability and outstanding mic skills, and now just needs a meaningful title reign that he should have been a year ago. Could we see the British brawler become the next World Heavyweight Champion in coming months? Only time will tell.

GSM out.

Visit my web site at Next Era Wrestling and my WrestleRant video blog for more of GSM's writings, along with WWE/TNA news, recaps and more. Follow me on Twitter @SAVE_US_GSM.