WWE Survivor Series 2011: Wade Barrett Must Defeat Randy Orton at Fall Classic

Wade Barrett is the next great heel superstar in the WWE.

That is, as long as WWE allows him to be.

The only way to get Barrett on the right track is to have him pin Randy Orton and lead his team to victory at Survivor Series 2011.

Barrett started off with a phenomenal bang with the Nexus, but has since been an afterthought on WWE programming. We all thought he was going to rise the ranks against after defeating Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam, but he was thrust back into obscurity on the second-rate SmackDown brand.

Barrett has finally emerged as a viable threat in the company and now is the time for WWE to capitalize. He has the mic work and in-ring skills to be a massive hit for WWE, and he is charismatic at every level and has a marketable look. More importantly, he knows exactly how to work the crowd.

The former Nexus leader is the perfect candidate to take the WWE by storm in 2012; yes, even before the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes and Jack Swagger.

The 2012 year will be remembered as the year Barrett became a legitimate top heel. Now that Triple H is back in a wrestling role and The Undertaker is on his way back to the ring shortly, Barrett could go over both men this time next year.

Still, it all starts with Survivor Series and Randy Orton. Orton is obviously the biggest threat to Barrett in the traditional survivor matches on Sunday. Sheamus is on the brink, but Orton is still slightly above him. Barrett and Orton have been wrestling recently on RAW and SmackDown, but it is imperative that the WWE continues its current TV feud and escalates it into a high-profile feud by the end of the year.

Barrett must go over Orton on Sunday and continue that path of destruction, especially with Christian on the mend with an ankle injury. Aside from Mark Henry, there isn’t another top flight heel on the SmackDown roster anymore. Rhodes blew his opportunity at Vengeance against "The Viper," but Barrett is in better position given his history against Cena.

Orton may be bland on the microphone, but Barrett will be able to carry him. More importantly, Orton will provide Barrett with a string of excellent matches, which would easily be Barrett’s best of his career.

As long as he gets those matches under his belt and is able to walk away victorious—much like Triple H and Mick Foley allowed Orton to do when he was an up-and-coming main eventer—Barrett will be seen as the next big thing in the WWE universe.

It is a quick transition from mid-card to main event in the WWE. For Barrett, it must start at the 2011 Survivor Series against Orton.