10 WWE Stars That Benefited From Changing Brands
3. Zack Ryder To ECW (2009)
There was once a time where the sky was the limit for the criminally-misused Long Islander. Ryder had spent a couple of years teaming with his "Major Broski" Curt Hawkins before the Edge henchmen were set apart in the 2009 supplemental draft. Many figured it was the prelude to both getting quietly released, but Ryder had a bigger second act in mind.
After a makeover into an obnoxious spray-tan party boy, Ryder impressed in an ECW Championship match with Christian later that summer. He had found a role that he could parlay into potentially bigger things, spinning off his energetic persona into the popular Z! True Long Island Story internet show, making Ryder into a mega-cult favourite.
Shame WWE didn't see the value in pushing him harder.