3. WWE Were Right About Zack Ryder
It seems like a lifetime ago now, but there was a period when WWE television was inundated with chants of, 'We Want Ryder' from fans. Even during segments featuring top stars such as The Rock, the people refused to stop chanting Ryder's name. This was a result of Zack doing the unthinkable, getting himself over without the power of the WWE machine behind him. That didn't really sit well with management, who had no plans to really push the mid card star. The company tried their best to simply ignore the chants, but eventually they had to cave. Due to this, Ryder was featured in storylines with the likes of John Cena, and even won the WWE United States Title at the TLC Pay-Per-View in December, 2011. Fan support could only go so far though, Ryder had to prove that he was worthy of the adulation. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't. Fan support started to dwindle when it became clear that the wrestler wasn't going any higher in the company. As well as Ryder had done to gain some notoriety, it was obvious that fans were simply rebelling against WWE in a sense. If the promotion had pushed him relentlessly, it's unlikely people would have been so into the character.
Jamie Kennedy
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.
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