9 Wrestlers Who Vanished Off The Face Of The Earth

1. Mason Ryan

Blitzkrieg WCW
WWE.com

Mason Ryan looked like the sort of wrestler Vince McMahon would force down your throat like a feeding tube until you had your fill.

Handsome and jacked to a quite ludicrous extent, he couldn't really work, but then, neither can half the NXT 2.0 roster. He actually had designs on a football career, playing centre back, naturally, but opted to give wrestling a go in 2009 after the rebooted Gladiators show failed to harness the warm '90s nostalgic glow.

It didn't go well for him; a stilted, lumbering performer, he debuted in a big way, as the first member of CM Punk's New Nexus - but then, that was the worst thing CM Punk ever did professionally. Other than his laughable attempt at a Buckshot lariat, of course.

Ryan never received chance after chance to succeed. Nor did he even get the customary "ex-monster learns the joy of dance" gimmick, which was presumably retired with Shanky. It's incredible that this bullsh*t lasted until Vince McMahon's retirement.

Ryan gave it one last go on the indies before realising that it wasn't going to happen for him, and was last known to have joined Cirque du Soleil as an archer.

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Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!