A Broken Back? Really?

[justinsayne]

Announcement of injuries are just getting more and more ridiculous. Zack's announced broken back today topped them all though. I guess the only way WWE can top this going forward is to announce someone is in a coma, someone is paralyzed from the neck down, or that someone is dead. Why not pick an injury more believeable?

He got chokeslamed through a steel stage to the concrete below, how is him having a broken back not a believable injury?

Also they've done coma's, paralysis, & death already, as well, have you never watch WWE before?

 

[Peoples_Trashman]

I agree with the bitterness toward cena and a heel turn.. but it may also be a set up for a feud with cena and ryder to see how serious his character can be and how he can handle himself in a highstar match with the WWE Golden BOY SCOUT.. they could keep ryder out until wrestlemania an have him attack cena during the rock match.. an then have cena asking "whats the deal" and havn't they done the same thing with Cena as hogan everybody he likes or teams with eventually turned on him? besides Mysterio ?? or am i missing somebody or am i just crazy.. Correct me if i'm wrong i welcome it.

 

[lancir]

Ever since Zack got time on raw itès been about Cena helping him and being his hero and sacraficing for him. This totally ruined zacks push for me when cena had to be a part of it. He always has to be there to suck up some limelight. I wish Kane had of put Cena through the stage and not zack.(lol)

You do realize that Cena was helping Ryder on twitter before he even got his push right? Think before you hate.

On subject
I don't think its a Wellness violation as i think WWE would of announced by now they're normally very quick on those. I do believe its just a way to make cena finally loose as they have been friends both on and off screen for awhile now.

 

[M]

Firstly, you have no idea just how easy it is to break your back, i broke mine just by tackling someone and landing badly, and i was back up again in 3 months..

That aside, i agree with everything else you said, just how the hell do they think Ryder's gonna manage to keep up his momentum? i mean, how is he going to perform his internet show (the thing that gets him over) with a supposedly "broken" back? is he going to just lie there on a bed and pretend to be in pain all the time?

...he didn't even get his US title rematch...

 

[hoffman40]

Is it just me or does this oddly resemble HBK in 96, right before he won the Rumble? I don't want to be "That Guy" but this very well may be a sign that Ryder wins/or almost wins the Rumble. I know that is a bit of a reach but look back at that HBK angle in 1996...Colossal injury on Raw (Concussion), the announcers stating that it was doubtful he would wrestle again, streamed tons of support by the fans, made HBK a MONSTER Face and eventually lead to him winning the Rumble and having a phenomenal match at WM12 with Bret Hart. Like I said I don't want to be the guy that starts the "Ryder wins the Rumble" hoopla but this is something to consider.

I've always said that IMO Ryder could be The Rock of this generation, with his knowledge of social media, his loyal fan base, and his abilities in the ring and to sell merchandise he could be a major factor coming up.

Plus, what the Rumble has been lacking is the element of surprise...and I mean legitimate surprise. I mean every winner has essentially been pretty clear going in to RR for the past few years with the exceptions being the returns of Edge and Cena and even those were kindof expected. I think WWE really took note last year when the two biggest pops of the PPV were for Booker T and Nash. Rumble time is definitely a time to shock the fans, having Orton or Jericho win the Rumble IS NOT shocking at this point. Plus you can set up Bryan/Orton and Punk/Jericho without a Rumble win.

I think wwe is writing off Zack Ryder is to bring him back as a more serious wrestler. Face it you can't really take Zack Ryder all that seriously as a main eventer in his current gimmick.

I think you may have something here....I agree with the fact that they need to give Ryder some more character toughness. But I don't agree that WWE wants to scrap his personality, after all he is the third biggest merchandisee in the company along with Punk and Cena. Zack just needs that extra something to go over the top.

 

[TheyCallMeJ]

This could be a way to setup a match between him and Kane at WM, having Kane chokeslam him through the stage gives him a few weeks off tv then he returns as a more serious threat, I say after elimination chamber or sooner but I think this is setting up Ryder vs Kane at mania

 

[beast2k]

I could not help but laugh as Lawler said "He has a broken back" in his serious voice, I don't know how he kept a straight face.

Let's face it, will be ready and be back as a more serious character and back for WM. Look at what they said about how long Orton would be out for.

This is good as he can have a Mania moment match against Kane to get revenge that might make him look somewhat credible, this could also lead to a heel turn on Cena or friction setting up a feud between him and Cena which would be interesting to see later in the year.

Barrett for the Rumble Win

 

[Shotaro]

From WWE.com

"During the program, Jerry Lawler, working off unconfirmed reports, informed the WWE Universe that Ryder had sustained a broken back. WWE officials have confirmed the chokeslam exacerbated previous injuries Ryder had already sustained as a result of a separate attack by Kane."

Note how they're wording it - they're climbing down from a broken back to simply - his back is worse now than it was before. It is unlikely they would write out a guy who is still establishing himself as a major player for 8-10 months if he's lucky. For some reason I think Zack's return and the return of the Undertaker will be related somehow. I don't know why - just a hunch.

How they wrote him out makes sense in the overall arc they're playing out - Kane still looks like a monster, Cena is pissed, Eve's role in all of this is still a bit unclear - who knows what's going to happen there. Heel turn for Eve maybe? There's the possibility of a ministry 2.0 coming from this but I hope they don't take it.

 

[SomeAreSet]

Yeah,I laughed when they reported that he had a broken back. Odds are they're going to have another report stating that the initial prognosis was wrong and thankfully Zack Ryder would be back sooner than expected,blah blah blah. I see Kane vs. Ryder at WrestleMania,which could be a pretty decent grudge match if Ryder comes back less hokey and more serious,which he should.

Who knows,maybe they'll keep Ryder out for longer and when he comes back,build a feud between him and Cena. Maybe Cena's been giving Eve regular doses of Cemen while Ryder was out of commission. That's one idea. Another idea would be for Ryder to contradict himself by complaining that Cena never ran out to help him when Kane was destroying him and Ryder is bitter over the fact that he lost his US title rematch and months of his career because Cena stood idly by.

 

[WWE4EVA]

its goin to be intresting to see how the WWE backtracks on the whole "broken Back" injury. Unless Zack loses his WWWYKI gimmick, I cant see him winning the Rumble this yr, not enough momentum to put him in the Main Event of WM, maybe next yr. Im pissed that WWE wrote him off that way, but if he takes time off and makes his character a serious threat to the world champs, then this could be really really good for him. I guess only time will tell!

 

[snave910]

Maybe the embrace the anger mentality that Kane is trying to use on Cena will take hold with Ryder instead. Ryder comes back as the angry, serious guy with new gimmick

 

[Cats Pajamas]

I think some of you guys are missing the point. You see the reason I think wwe is writing off Zack Ryder is to bring him back as a more serious wrestler. A tough wrestler when Ryder returns not the woo woo woo goof that he is now.

So what you're saying is that now that Ryder has reached this level of popularity (with more people invested in him then a lot of the other angles on Raw or Smackdown)... the WWE should randomly write him off for an extended duration? Keep him off TV? Not use that popularity?

The gimmick is what brought him to the dance! The gimmick isn't over yet, it's still selling! What could possibly be your reasoning for wanting to take something that's working pretty well so far and mail it to Abu Dabi?

Face it you can't really take Zack Ryder all that seriously as a main eventer in his current gimmick.

Great, one of these guys. He's only just recently been given the slightest chance; they left him off the card in his hometown, remember? Before then he was on a Greyhound bus to Future-Endeavorsville. A few months time and they're ready to make this guy World Champion? Who even said he belongs up there? I like his little novelty act, but not every damn person needs a World Title Run. That's what happened to the IC Title.

So you write Ryder off for a few months and bring him back as a new non goof Ryder.

I'll bet you a steak dinner you're out in left field, drunk off whiskey on this one.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Last night on Raw, WWE did a big injury angle with Zack Ryder. In a Falls Count Anywhere match against Kane, Ryder was chokeslammed through a section of the stage and was wheeled out on a stretcher. Jerry Lawler later reported that Ryder had suffered a "broken back". Further details regarding the specifics of Ryder's "injury" will probably be revealed at later dates. This makes me wonder about the aftermath for when Ryder returns.

In recent weeks, the WWE has been portraying Ryder as more of a courageous, gutsy guy that's more than just a somewhat cheesy, fun loving party boy. It started with "injuries" to his ribs & back and continued with a brave attempt to defend his United States Championship against Jack Swagger rather than forfeit the title. Due to a "screw up" on Big Johnny's part, Ryder competed without medical clearance and so was, in some ways, robbed of his title. Given that WWE is going with a broken back for the injury, one can assume that Ryder is going to be gone for a few months at least and I'm wondering if Ryder will be different when he returns.

Given the severity if his "injury" and the fact that he was maliciously targeted by Kane, I don't think Ryder will return as quite the same fun loving club hopper that's ultimately helped to get him over. To some degree, the shine has worn off of that character in the minds of some fans and I think WWE has noticed that. I'm not really expecting a full character overhaul of Ryder, but I do think that he'll come back as a generally much more focused and intense character than he was before.

It's logical that Ryder will go after Kane upon his return and it also seems, to me, that the "Woo Woo Kid" just isn't the kind of guy that can handle Kane. I think that Ryder's character will be more physical, someone that will be willing & able to go all out in order to be able to handle Kane.

Of course, it's all speculation on my part and I might be completely off the mark.

How long do you think Ryder will be "out of action"?

Will Ryder have a different character when he returns or will he mostly be the same Woo Woo Kid?

 

[a7xfan93]

How long do you think Ryder will be "out of action"?

I think that since it's a "broken back", then he should at least be gone for 6-9 months. The WWE has been bring back "injured" superstars way too early, like Orton (after he was thrown down a flight of stairs).

Will Ryder have a different character when he returns or will he mostly be the same Woo Woo Kid?

It's hard to me to really determine. I don't want a HUGE character change. At least keep his "Woo Woo Woo, Are You Serious, Bro?" gimmick, but add a more intensity and focus to his character. I would not mind seeing the "Long Island Iced-Z" kick some ass instead of being the ass kicked. I really hope that the WWE don't drop the ball with Ryder and have him return only to become a full time Jobber.

 

[David]

Yea I see a slight gimmick change just to make him more tougher but i doubt they'd drop the whole "woo woo woo" gimmick because thats what made him so popular in the 1st place, but I do see Kane vs. Ryder at wrestlemania

 

[Peoples_Champ]

There's also the possibility (and I have no idea why WWE would do this, just a thought) that they want to change Ryder's gimmick.

Take him off TV for awhile, let him develop the new persona and bring him back when he's ready. Personally, I think its a dumb idea, but you never know what Creative is thinking.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

How long do you think Ryder will be "out of action"?


My guess is we won't be seeing Zack Ryder for a while, at least 2-3 months of not seeing him. My guess is the earliest we will see him is MITB at WM but chances are it will be around May-June to sell the injury.

Will Ryder have a different character when he returns or will he mostly be the same Woo Woo Kid?
I think he will be similar to what he is but I'm hoping they make Ryder a little more serious and aggressive and add another dimension to his character. I like Ryder but he will never get past mid card with his current gimmick. I think his gimmick itself can be a main eventer but he will have to add new dimensions to it, get more aggressive and serious in order to reach that next level. I think that's why they took him off TV in the first place, I think they may have hopes for the guy and want him to elevate his game when he comes back. I would say a broken back is a good reason for someone to be more serious when he comes back. If he gets more serious and does well in a return feud with Kane then people may start seeing him as a main eventer and not just John Cena's little buddy.

 

[RRated3114]

I sent Hulk Hogan a heart felt and emotional get well soon card written in crayon when earthquake sat on him 4 times. They said his back was broken, it was devastating. I was 5 or 6 years old. Why don't you get with the program. This type of stuff is wrestling 101.

 

[delco714]

just food for thought, but Zack said on twitter last week that he just finished filming episode 51 ("#hmm" he said), but this past week was episode 49.. that means this week is 50 and next week is 51.. what this means.. we shall see.

 

[Matisyahu]

Hopefully he returns as something a little less cartoony. He needs to be like Eve and tell Cena "This is all your fault! Every week I get beat down and you show up when its too late"

I hope Ryder knocks the taste out of Cena's mouth because for some odd reason Cena is the one who basically handed him the US title match, then the title, then saves him from Kane "dragging him to hell" and always makes it out to be that Ryder is weak because Cena treats him like he's defenseless. It would seem perfect for Ryder to tell Cena that he doesn't want his help or need him always running down to help him win.

Or on the other hand, hopefully Cena will go apeshit finally and destroy Ryder when he snaps for good. This would be a great way to get heel heat

 

[BaconBits]

Hopefully he returns as something a little less cartoony. He needs to be like Eve and tell Cena "This is all your fault! Every week I get beat down and you show up when its too late"

I hope Ryder knocks the taste out of Cena's mouth because for some odd reason Cena is the one who basically handed him the US title match, then the title, then saves him from Kane "dragging him to hell" and always makes it out to be that Ryder is weak because Cena treats him like he's defenseless. It would seem perfect for Ryder to tell Cena that he doesn't want his help or need him always running down to help him win.

Or on the other hand, hopefully Cena will go apeshit finally and destroy Ryder when he snaps for good. This would be a great way to get heel heat

That is a good point. If they are to turn Cena heel (which IMO is much needed) that would be a good way to start it. In the process it would probably get Ryder over the hump to title picture kind of guy and get him even more face pops.

It could greatly benefit both Cena and Ryder if done effectively.

 

[VoiceofReason3:16]

There not going to completley drop his gimmick.. It is making them a ton of money , not to mention if you watched his last you tube video , they have a ryder poster in the up coming issue of WWE magazine. He is gonna be kept off tv for a few weeks , but all of his you tube videos from now till mania will be him training ( Rocky style montages ) so that he can beat Kane ( at mania ) in a david vs goliath type match .. were he will of course win ... eve will kiss him and he will woo woo woo all the way home to LI..... WOO WOO WOO .. you know it bro

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

It seems like a misstep but it could do wonders for Ryder in the long run.

Ryder could come back in 6 weeks, or possible as far off as the rumble with a few tweeks to his character and beat the living hell out of Kane. Challenge and then beat Kane at WM28 and see an overall rise in his stock as a WWE Superstar.

Or it could completely backfire, the WWE could fuck this completely up, by turning Ryder heel and putting him against Cena and ruin everything Ryder's worked hard to accomplish over the past year.

 

[Jerichoholic8894]

The only thing I can figure (besides a legit injury, wellness policy etc) Is maybe they have him either

A) Roll around in a wheel chair every week till the Kane-Cena thing is over

Or have him in a mask for a while

Because your right, it wouldn't make any sense to anybody with common sense to bring him back in a month or 2

 

[AustinHartLesnarHBKTaz80]

finally, the OVER-RATED, OVER-HYPED, NO WRESTLING ABILITY, 'my only claim to fame is my youtube show' ZACK RYDER is out of the WWE with a broken back!!!

hallelujah!!

there's NO way ryder comes back and is able to wrestle once again after lawler claimed ryder has suffered a BROKEN BACK!!

i know it's just a storyline, but unless Ryder is SUPERMAN, there's NO way a real person could ever come back to wrestle after suffering a broken back.

there's NO way.

unless you are as GREAT as RIC FLAIR or SHAWN MICHAELS------which this OVER-RATED punk kid zack ryder CLEARLY is NOT even in their league-----doesn't belong in the same sentence as these two-------NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

let's see WWE creative explain this one when and IF ryder ever returns to the ring.

here's hoping he NEVER returns to wrestle ever again

vince, let's keep the unentertaining RYDER character dead and BURIED