10 Greatest WWE Underdogs Of The 21st Century

10. Zack Ryder

Zack Ryder was such an underdog, he had to take to an entirely different medium to get himself over.

Not an anti-authority babyface in the traditional sense, Ryder’s rebellion came in the form of a systematic shakeup. Although WWE now loves to brag about its hefty YouTube subscriber count or the amount of Twitter followers it has, there was a time when the company was depressingly behind the curve when it came to new media.

But that all changed, thanks in no small part, to Zack Ryder. Unhappy with his jobber status, and well aware that the less TV time he got, the fewer chances he had to get himself over, Ryder started his own web series: Z! The True Long Island Story. His popularity skyrocketed as a result, and Zack eventually awarded himself a non-sanctioned and rather tacky Internet Championship belt.

But the stunt worked, at least for a while. Fans chanted “we want Ryder”, and before long, their wishes were granted. His United States Championship and later Intercontinental Championship runs might have been weak and short-lived, but Ryder serves as proof that even the smallest underdog (a former Edgehead and Major Brother no less) can upturn the system and achieve success through their own means.