"Reach out and grab the brass ring," Vince McMahon likes to tell his employees. It is meant as motivation, to inspire the men and women on his roster to seize every opportunity and success will come their ways as a result. The phrase has been thrown around by McMahon fairly regularly, most recently on the live edition of The Steve Austin Show, which aired exclusively on the WWE Network. It is sound advice. Making the most of opportunity is what have helped shape and mold some of the most influential businessmen the world has ever known. In McMahon's world, though, it is only okay to seize the brass ring if he gives you permission to, something poor Zack Ryder found out the hard way in 2012. Months prior to that year's Royal Rumble, Ryder earned major acclaim and recognition for his YouTube show "Z! True Long Island Story." It's cleverness and creativity struck the WWE Universe. Soon, chants of "we want Ryder" filled arenas across the country. After a while, WWE Creative had no choice but to give into the overwhelming demand and threw Ryder a bone, booking him to win the United States Championship from Dolph Ziggler at December 2011's TLC pay-per-view. The reign was short-lived, as he lost the title to Jack Swagger and suddenly found himself filling the role of John Cena's lackey, his Robin to Cena's Batman. Thus, he was prone to attacks by Cena's rival at the time, Kane. Ryder became a joke, a caricature of every stupid horror movie bimbo from the '90s. Worse yet, he eventually became the damsel in distress. There was a lot of bad booking fans would forgive but the moment a grown man cannot defend himself against another grown man, it kills the character dead. The momentum Ryder had built for himself late in 2011 vanished almost over night and the once promising breakout star returned to the midcard. His appearance at the 2012 Royal Rumble, as the wheelchair-bound putz who was stalked by Kane and pummeled as on-screen girlfriend Eve Torres watched on, simply served as the nail in the coffin. As he laid in the center of the ring, the recipient of yet another Tombstone piledriver, fans lost all hope that he would ever receive the push that he rightfully deserved, that he earned from grasping that brass ring.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
