Woo Woo Woo

[Vegas]

What do you guys think about Zack Ryder?

[swarm]

I think he's just ok and probably overrated at the moment. He doesn't do anything special in the ring, has a good look and is funny but so was Santino at one point, now he totally sucks. I kinda feel like if Ryder had the same exposure as Santino has, people would get sick of him pretty fast.

[marktaggart]

I have a tremendous amount of respect for the guy's drive and determination. He didn't "wait for his chance" and seek "permission to speak"; he asked himself "what can I do to help myself" and then he did it. Others in his position (not being used on television, feeling stuck in the "creative has nothing for you" limbo) would've just complained on twitter until being released, but he made his own opening and, in a particularly wise move, had his online followers go buy his shirt so the company couldn't ignore that fans were starting to support him.

His ring skills are average but he has great personality, a marketable look, and a creative mind. I've watched his youtube videos and some of that stuff makes me legitimately laugh. Ryder's not the kind of wrestler I usually follow, but I kind find myself hoping for the best for him.

[Vidtek]

I think he sucks and don't see what others see in him at all. And yes, I've seen his web show.

[cruefan68]

Aug 6, 2011 18:08:14 GMT -5 @marktaggart said:

I have a tremendous amount of respect for the guy's drive and determination. He didn't "wait for his chance" and seek "permission to speak"; he asked himself "what can I do to help myself" and then he did it. Others in his position (not being used on television, feeling stuck in the "creative has nothing for you" limbo) would've just complained on twitter until being released, but he made his own opening and, in a particularly wise move, had his online followers go buy his shirt so the company couldn't ignore that fans were starting to support him.

His ring skills are average but he has great personality, a marketable look, and a creative mind. I've watched his youtube videos and some of that stuff makes me legitimately laugh. Ryder's not the kind of wrestler I usually follow, but I kind find myself hoping for the best for him.

Excellent points and I agree with them but still don't see anything really special in him. No offense intended but I don't see him breaking through the mid-card at any point. I do like that he is being given a chance though as he has certainly worked hard for it.

[talison]

He gave a great interview on Colt Cabana's podcast. Basically said 2010 was the first year he accomplished nothing in wrestling so started self promoting to make sure 2011 wasn't the same.

[chewey]

I have made it no secret I'm a fan of Zack Ryder.. have been pretty much since he debuted his "guido" gimmick on ECW with the one-legged tights and all. Say what you will about him, but the best things he has going for him is that he is both unique and shown a capacity to be creative enough to keep a consistently entertaining web show going for about six months. These days when you hear about WWE's young talent, the first word that comes up is "cookie cutter." Zack Ryder is anything but.

In the ring, he's average, but better than many who get pushed on television. As a character, he comes across as a guy who lives the character he has created for himself 24/7, and he's only twenty-six with a lot of upside.

It's a fair comparison to draw him with Santino, especially since they've had them team on television. I think realistically he has a ceiling that is more like that of Rikishi, where he can shoot up the midcard and get a run at a secondary title before settling into a role where he can stay entertaining on television while helping other talent get over.

However, as I pointed out to Tournament Master way back when he started Z! True Long Island Story... once upon a time, people thought Cena's freestyling gimmick wouldn't have gone past Rikishi level either, and we've seen where he has gone and how he has evolved.