10 Times WWE Lost Their Minds

WWE always feeds its employees and fans a company line about how hard work is rewarded, and the stars that reach for the brass ring are the ones that get pushed. In 2012, we learned that the line was a load of nonsense.

Zack Ryder had already been doing a Long Island bro gimmick for a couple of years, but in 2011, he took it to the next level of his own volition. With a camera that he got as a holiday present, Ryder started "Z! True Long Island Story," a web-show that featured his own antics and cameos from other superstars. Fans loved it, and even though it was never mentioned on TV, he started to get massive ovations from fans. "We want Ryder!" chants filled arenas, even when he wasn't there.

After fans nearly hijacked the U.S. Title match at the Survivor Series, Ryder was granted a shot at the belt. At TLC 2011, he beat Dolph Ziggler for the championship, and looked to be on the roll of his life. Too bad it was all for show, and someone with a lot of power resented Ryder for getting over on his own.

Kane had recently returned as a re-masked heel, and in an attempt to get John Cena to "Embrace the hate," he started targeting Ryder. A pre-match assault by "The Devils' Favorite Demon" cost Ryder the U.S. Title, and soon, Kane had beaten the popular star into a wheelchair. That wasn't enough, though - he pushed the wheelchair off the stage on one episode of Raw, and later, for some reason, John Cena kissed Eve Torres in front of him, even though Ryder had a crush on Torres.

Basically, WWE did everything they could to make Ryder look like a dork, and to make sure that fans would stop cheering for him. He even forgave Torres, and she turned on him again. Within months, Ryder was back where he started, having used up his ticket to the top.