WWE Pushes the Restart Button: Is the Sky Still the Limit for Wade Barrett?

It is the fall of 2010 and the undoubted breakout Superstar of the Year is the winner of the inaugural season of WWE's new NXT program, Wade Barrett. 

Barrett has led the Nexus faction for months and is poised to capture the WWE Championship from Randy Orton, all the while feuding with the company's resident superhero, John Cena. For the first time in years, it appears as though WWE has a sure-fire breakthrough main event star.

Fast forward to the fall of 2011 and Barrett's star could not be any dimmer. Gone are any world championship hopes and in their place are the dreams of once again being featured on WWE pay-per-view events.

The fact of the matter is that no Superstar in the country's most high-profile wrestling company has fallen as quickly and, seemingly, without reason as Wade Barrett.

A victory over Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam may be his only bright spot thus far in 2011, but as November rapidly approaches, it appears the company has once again realized the potential of the former bare knuckle fighter, renewing their interest in him pushing him on their television programs.

Another key victory over Bryan on the October 21 edition of Smackdown was followed by a signature win over John Morrison on the October 24 edition of Raw. While Morrison and Bryan have been on their own losing streaks of late, they are familiar names with the WWE Universe and wins over them, as well as appearances on both television programs, is a major step in the right direction for the Brit.

The question remains whether or not the sky is still the limit for Wade Barrett. If the company's reboot of his push is sustained, is the world championship still a realistic goal? Or will Barrett go the way of many talented WWE Superstars, who plateaued when they achieved Intercontinental or United States Championship gold? Could Barrett prove to be a long-term "company man," who sticks around for a decade or more and finally gets his run with the strap when another major star goes down with an injury?

When realistically surveying the landscape of the WWE, and Barrett's standing with the higher-ups and fans alike, there really is no reason that Barrett can't star for the company in the same way The Miz currently does.

Barrett is an excellent interview and is a legitimate bad-ass, his history in the bare knuckle fighting evidence of that. Those two traits alone could help, should the company choose to turn him face.

Barrett is also a very solid in-ring worker and the argument could be made that he is further along one year into his career on the main roster than The Miz, John Morrison, Sin Cara, or Jack Swagger were in the same amount of time.

He has the ability to become a great performer between the ropes if he is only given the opportunity to develop without having the rug constantly pulled out from underneath him (Drew McIntyre, I'm looking at you).

I have very few reservations in saying Wade Barrett will one day lead the WWE as one of its marquee stars. But for that to happen Barrett, as well as the creative team, have to become more consistent. They have to seize the opportunities as they become available and leave an impression on the WWE Universe that cannot be ignored.

Otherwise, Barrett will go the way of so many promising wrestlers before him: ignored in the under-card.