10 Times WWE Ruined Something They Didn't Create

6. Zack Ryder's Buzz

Zack Ryder
WWE

Zack Ryder's biggest push came in spite of WWE, which is really a crazy thing to say considering he was already on the talent roster when he caught fire. There's no other way to view it: WWE's top brass didn't want fans to pay attention to Ryder. So, rather than roll with a success story that had landed on their lap, they squashed it.

Racking up views on YouTube and gaining quite the following on social media (do you know any other mid-carders in WWE with 2.19 million followers on Twitter?), Zack's 'Z! True Long Island Story' videos became a phenomenon, going viral and turning the then-Superstars regular into one of the most over guys in the locker room.

The YouTube stuff was Ryder's own work and had little to do with WWE's creative team. That's likely why the company didn't get behind it. Barring a brief push in late-2011, Zack never reached the level his popularity merited. Even endorsements from The Rock and John Cena couldn't save Ryder from being slowly pushed back down the pecking order.

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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.