10 Most Underrated WWE Feuds Of The 2010s
5. Dolph Ziggler Vs. Zack Ryder (2011)
Dolph Ziggler had a corker of a 2011 that concluded with a neat Zack Ryder programme. Ziggler, then as the United States Champion, was paired with the real-life Matt Cardona for a solid three months, all stemming from the infamous punch to Ziggler's jaw from, ahem, Hugh Jackman(?). Y'know, Zack Ryder's long-time pal.
It's worth pointing out here that the prime reason for Ryder's rise up the card was through his own work outside the ring. As credible an in-ring talent as he may be, his YouTube show - Z! True Long Island Story - saw a rise in Zack's stock value. Fans loved him to a seismic extent; they were chanting for him at the Survivor Series during The Rock's speech, despite the self-proclaimed Internet Champion not actually being on the card himself.
The reaction Ryder received upon lifting the United States Championship, his first singles title in WWE, at December's Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view was intense. That his father was in the audience for the moment made it extra touching.
Look, the aftermath of this whole arc - Ryder losing the title weeks later, being shoved off the stage in a wheelchair, barely making it onto television, etc - is a different story. For these few months, Zack Ryder was a main event-level star. He earned that himself.