10 Precise Moments Wrestling Fans Rejected Internet Darlings
1. Zack Ryder - February 13, 2012
"So you want Zack Ryder to get a push, huh...?"
Stephanie McMahon was once roundly criticised for the hilarious idea that WWE was "no different to" the works of William Shakespeare, and while the playwright was rather fond of exposition, that's not what she meant. However, Dante himself would have marvelled at the ironic hell punishment that WWE served Zack Ryder for...
...getting over to a level that might have made WWE money.
Ryder tried to pave his own way to stardom via the 'Z! True Long Island Story' web series, in which he played an endearing, self-deprecating character very well, but because it wasn't in the plans, he was almost resented for it. And while the gimmick was deeply midcard, the endeavour should have been rewarded. It wasn't. He received a push, all right, but that push - after a token United States title win over Zack Ryder that was, if anything, a cruel taste of the good life - was literal. He was put in a wheelchair and pushed off the stage by Kane when playing a multifariously injured incel.
This was such a clear and explicit "Don't support this geek lol you a**holes" message that even the "Let it play out!" crowd gave up on Ryder that instant.