10 Times WWE Accidentally Created A Star
5. Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder was barely clinging to TV time in 2011; he was a lower-card comedy act used mostly to make others look good. But instead of waiting for a push that would never come, he did something unheard of at the time: he made himself matter.
Ryder launched Z! True Long Island Story on YouTube, a self-produced, self-aware series that was funnier and more engaging than anything WWE was airing. He declared himself the “Internet Champion,” and fans loved it. “We Want Ryder” chants broke out at shows he wasn’t even booked for.
WWE struggled to figure Ryder out. They ignored him for months, then reluctantly gave him a short-lived push — culminating in a feel-good United States Championship. But the moment passed, and Ryder was quickly humiliated and buried in storylines.
He was ahead of his time - an uncredited architect of AEW. WWE now thrives on viral content, but when Zack Ryder built a fanbase from scratch online, they treated it like a glitch in the system — not the future.