10 Precise Moments When WWE PG Era Careers Ended

6. Zack Ryder

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WWE

Nobody was more over than Zack Ryder in 2011.

Chants boomed out for the dude even when he wasn't booked on shows, and top stars like The Rock and John Cena earned easy cheers for merely mentioning his name. Despite this, WWE refused to push Ryder properly, and he always came across as somebody who could've been more had the machine deemed it so.

Zacky boy's 15 year run (yes, fifteen years) came to an end following a resounding 80-second loss to Bobby Lashley on the 9 March 2020 episode of Raw. He was then released alongside regular partner Curt Hawkins as part of mass budget cuts on 15 April that same year, and he hasn't been back.

Ryder was there through almost all of the 'PG Era', but his final act was to look up and see the referee's hand coming down for three. That was a wrap on the one-time YouTube sensation's company career. Raw, as it tends to do, moved on rapid and he's never been mentioned again.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.