What Happened To Mason Ryan?

[NotoriousWWE]

Now, I am in no way a fan of Mason Ryan nor do I dislike him, I generally just don't hold an opinion on him. However, weeks before Zack Ryder was finally yet unfortunately pushed and begun feuding Dolph Ziggler, Mason Ryan was the face set to be in line for a US Title run. Since then Ryan has been seen barely and I can't remember the last time I actually saw him on WWE TV e.g. RAW or even Superstars.

I watch FCW and he hasn't appeared so he hasn't been recalled to development. Where is Mason?

 

[Grizzly0u812]

actually I seen Mason Ryan on Raw last week back stage it had Miz looking for a part or somebody to be at ring side with him because of R-Truth's attack on him and it showed Miz asking Ryan and yeah thats the only time I have seen him lately and yeah before Zack was doing the title thing Ryan looked to be in line, not sure if he might be injured or maybe they do not have anything from him, hoping we will not be reading soon good luck on future endevours WWE need some talent and Mason Ryan with some work might actually be good he has the look, size and looks like he can hurt you.

Only time will tell

 

[reed214]

hopefully he is somewhere learning how to wrestle. these big guys that come in look impressive, but move and wrestle like shite. even the great batista made falling down look awkward. so hopefully they are preparing for his big push and helping with him in the ring and on the mic b/c i have no idea what the hell he said when they let him talk awhile back.

 

[gwarren]

Probably just taking some time off, he'll probs come back as a manger/support role to help further his overall skill, before moving onto being a serious contender.

I could honestly see him being near the top of the pile in a few years, he has that "it" factor that just makes you buy into him.

 

[Pedigree1]

Last time i saw mason was when the Miz needs a bodyguard and mason obviously laughed at him and said no!! Mason is more talented in the ring than batista!! Batista made walking look akward nevermind taking bumps!! Mason will be a top guy one day maybe i say later this year!! Just has to fine tune a little

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Like others have said, last time Ryan was seen on WWE television was when Miz was looking for a bodyguard against R-Truth's attacks. That's the first time I've laid eyes on him in a few months.

Personally, I think that WWE realized that Ryan just simply is not ready. He has an incredible look but that's all he's got. I'm just glad they fully realized it before it was too late, with too late being once Mason was in the middle of a big push.

 

[lazeric]

I was just thinking the same thing a few days ago. Personally I dnt see them getting rid of this guy yet he has 2 much of a great look. I hope they give him a manager soon and turn the guy heel. Maybe put him in Vicki's stable where he doesn't have to do much but be a monster. Another thing they could do is move him to Smackdown and put him together in a tag team with Drew Mac, someone who's not doing much lately and could use the extra boost. Or my personally favorite have him on Smackdown as Daniel Byran's bodyguard. Byran's obviously is turning heel and with Big Show and Mark Henrt being his 2 BIGGEST competition he could have Mason be his backup plan in case it looks like he's gnna lose. Have Daniel treat Mason like he didn't need his help becuz he had everything under control when he wins matches and then blames Mason when he loses which after a while would piss him off and lead to a future face turn and title push. Mason Ryan problem solved I think

 

[Machianzo]

What happened to Mason Ryan? Survivor series happened. If you watch the replay...when Mason Ryan got eliminated by Cody Rhodes, Cody Rhodes chants broke out. Isolated incident, I know, but it was, by the seems of it, the breaking point. Before that, he'd been getting no reaction, or Batista chants.

Meanwhile, "We want Ryder" chants were breaking out everywhere. One star fell, another rose by force. There was no room for both, and the brighter star won out. The fact Mason Ryan hasn't been released yet speaks good thing for his immediate future, and I assume creative is trying to think of a way to squeeze him onto an already packed RAW. However for now, he isnt over, and until after mania, there isnt any room for anyone so...not over.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

Wasn't there heat on him backstage because he looks like a unnatural steroid juice freak? Pretty sure he got pulled off TV because of it, well that and he blows in ring and on the mic

 

[silk]

i like the idea of moving him to smackdown and teaming with drew or be db's body guard hed serve a purpose and be slowly back on our tv's

 

[Arsenal]

Who cares? Seriously, what does this guy have besides his look? Nothing I'd say. He's best suited for a tough guy / bodyguard type role where he just has to look tough, and interfere in matches for his boss once in awhile, ala Diesel being Shawn Michaels' bodyguard in 1993. That would give him time to grow a personality and some charisma.

 

[StunningBlackMamba24]

I saw mason ryan last week on superstars facing JTG... Wasnt he? on the 6th of january he was competing on superstars, then he was backstage on raw with the miz refusing to be his body guard. I actually prefer mason ryan getting the us title then zack ryder, but ryder earned it..I Think mason should go to smackdown, because he is fit for the World Title.Mason Ryan could be a top star, if he improves his mic skills a bit. Mason Ryan could carry smackdown with orton, as the world champion, in my opinion..

 

[studwoodward2]

What I think could benefit Mason, is to put him in a stable or as a bodyguard. Have him get involved every so ofter until he is ready. I feel that he can be the long term big man that WWE wanted out of Bastista, Jackson Andrews, Khali, etc. The worst thing they could do is put him out week in and week out when he is not ready.

 

[RIPRKO1005]

My guess is someone backstage realized he needs some work in the ring. Everytime I saw him on raw i just kept saying to myself "oh dear god he is going to injure someone." I'm sure we'll see him in the Royal Rumble.

 

[thebarber]

put simply, Mason Ryan needs mic time, to see if he has any personlaity whatsoever. He is just another well built guy with little to no aptitude for actual wrestling, just power.
Great idea, move him to Smackdown and push him fresh fropm the start and go with it. Feed him the Drew McIntyres and other dead wood. Buiold him up as an unstoppable monster, but as a face. Generally they only do that with heels. Start it today for gods sake, and push him like hell for three months and have him meet Batista at Wrestlemania 28. I know it wont happen, but having him eliminate 7-8 guys at the Rumble would be a great vstart to the push, then show up on Smackdown with a mic in hand and go from, there.

 

[JVel]

put simply, Mason Ryan needs mic time, to see if he has any personlaity whatsoever. He is just another well built guy with little to no aptitude for actual wrestling, just power.
Great idea, move him to Smackdown and push him fresh fropm the start and go with it. Feed him the Drew McIntyres and other dead wood. Buiold him up as an unstoppable monster, but as a face. Generally they only do that with heels. Start it today for gods sake, and push him like hell for three months and have him meet Batista at Wrestlemania 28. I know it wont happen, but having him eliminate 7-8 guys at the Rumble would be a great vstart to the push, then show up on Smackdown with a mic in hand and go from, there.

Ryan was actually pretty damn good in FCW, even on the mic, and not just by comparison with the other scrubs he would compete against. The problem is that the WWE uses FCW to also change up wrestling styles from what some of them are accustomed to and for some, it's a rocky transition. In FCW, he wrestled a style more similar to what Sheamus uses now, and as such was quite a bit more agile and fluid in the ring. The more he adapted to the WWE style though, he was getting bulkier and it just felt more and more awkward because they want him in more of the monster dominance role. Mason Ryan is no where near as awkward as he looks on WWE television.

It's a large flaw I see in the WWE developmental system in that they don't allow wrestlers to really carry their own style and master it. They pretty much have a blueprint for each guy and it becomes incredibly formulaic.

 

[#1HEEL]

I think he's just been lost in the shuffle at the moment. WWE is trying to build up big storylines towards wrestlemania, and obvously he isn't in those plans. Post mania I'm sure Mason will resurface as a regular.

I feel he would benefit from a manager, or a small stable. But there is plenty of time. He'll likely end up on SD after the draft and he can be built up over there.

WWE actually lost it's opportunity by not having him apart of Vicki's stable with Zigs and Swags.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

He'll likely get a bit of a run in the Rumble... but I think the main reason he has vanished is that they are going with this Ryback guy (Skip I think it is) for the short term... Ryan didn't get over in the small time he had and that is a shame, but it's not like he never will... I'd put the UK stable together from the WWE 12 game, Regal, Drew, Ryan and Layla... that would be a good way for him to build up some momentum...

 

[mrfantastic111]

I've never cared much for Ryan. I liked him as the enforcer of Punk's Nexus, but that was it.

I know alot of people rant on about how terrible Batista was, but Batista could put a match together, and do a few nice spots. I just can't watch Ryan that way, at least not yet.

A huge different though was that we had invested years of time into Batista, and when you know that you're watching a big name in front of you, you look at them in a different way, and you're okay in letting the lesser wrestling skills slide. Myan is fairly new (About a year in the company) and we rarely see him, so it's alot harder trying to settle down with him on your television set.

Also, Batista was the enforcer of Evolution. He has Flair and HHH guiding him around rubbing off some star power, where as Mason Ryan has never had that. You could argue that he had Punk, but lets be honest; Punk was never a big star until his MITB feud with Cena in 2011.

One lat thought - these guys are heavyweights. They're not meant to be fast and agile, they're meant to be brutal. Sure, you get exceptions like Kane, Sheamus and Undertaker, and hell, even Batista did the occasional chain wrestle and submissions towards the end of his last WWE run, but every wrestler has a role, and their role is to look big, powerful and dominate.

 

[Cats Pajamas]

I find it really hard to believe they brought him up when they did. There's green, then there's Mason Ryan. He's the kind of guy who you usually give a manager to, I couldn't ever understand the guy. You usually give guys with his unique, er, abilities, a tag team partner too.

I was hearing rave reviews of this guy too (from everyone besides Ryan);whatever happened to Batistwo?

Hopefully they'll give him the Brodus treatment. Give him a little more time to develop off screen and give him a chance at a return. They don't need to make him the FunkaWelshman, but a second chance nonetheless.

 

[Mustang Sally]

It's been long speculated on wrestling forums that Vince McMahon has a special place in his organization for the really big guys. What he'd like best is big men who can work a match. Problem is, most of them can't do that, at least not in the manner that "regular" sized wrestlers work.

Barring that, they at least have to be able to function in a style that makes it believable to watch them tangle with smaller guys. Big Show and Andre the Giant are examples of guys who can't work in the standard manner, but are still able to function as professional wrestlers because they have set routines that make for good entertainment.

Mason Ryan's problem is that he bridges the gap between "big" and "regular." He isn't really a giant, yet looks so intimidating that McMahon was probably hoping he could be featured as one. Mason has no real style, nor can he work a match; he needs his opponent to stand in front of him and let Mason work his routine as best he can. He simply doesn't look believable as a catch-as-catch-can wrestler, which is probably why we're not seeing him in the ring lately.

Do you see the point? If Mason's smaller opponent tries to lock up with him, Mason is massive enough to simply overpower him, making one wonder why the little guy tried such a thing. Yet, if the smaller guy moves around to try and make it look like a viable wrestling match, Mason can't move forward or laterally well enough to catch him. Thus, the little guy has to stop dead in front of Mason and allow himself to be manhandled.....and it looks phony, which it is.

I don't know if Mason Ryan can function well enough in the ring to ever be a featured performer. Perhaps what he's doing now is trying to learn. If he can't manage it, I see a future for him that's much the same as Dave Batista's beginning......as a "deacon" enforcer for another wrestler, as he did for D-Von back in the day. All he'd need to do is interfere in matches, knock a few heads together......and leave it at that.

 

[MikeyTheAwesome]

I've never cared much for Ryan. I liked him as the enforcer of Punk's Nexus, but that was it.

One lat thought - these guys are heavyweights. They're not meant to be fast and agile, they're meant to be brutal. Sure, you get exceptions like Kane, Sheamus and Undertaker, and hell, even Batista did the occasional chain wrestle and submissions towards the end of his last WWE run, but every wrestler has a role, and their role is to look big, powerful and dominate.

That is true. Very very very true. But the thing with Mason is that he is so bland in the ring. He's got a great look, a main event look and he looks more like a wrestler than a lot of the other guys do... but he doesn't perform as if he belongs in the main event. Yes, bigger guys do a lot of striking moves and clotheslines that will turn you inside out, but bigger guys are also suppose to use huge power/lifting moves that excite the audience. I just watched some of Ryan's matches and all I really see him doing is clotheslines and shoulder blocks as offense and defense. He has impressive strength, so he should use more holds and power moves to show the audience that he loves to use his strength.

But as everyone mentioned, the two stars that were in line for a US title push was either Mason Ryan or Zack Ryder. While the WWE (or Vince for that matter) wanted to see Mason Ryan get a push, the internet fans and eventually the casual fans wanted Ryder to be that guy. It took WWE a while but they went with Ryder because the fans demanded for Ryder and was more marketable as he was already selling out T-shirts and other merchandise. At the same time, some people backstage felt that Mason Ryan did not deserve the dropped push he had. That's where Mason Ryan got lost in the shuffle. I don't mean to sound ignorant here, but nothing about him really sticks out. Like I said, he has a great build...but so does Ezekiel Jackson. When he debuted, people didn't think "OMG look at this guy!" ..... they thought "He looks like Batista!", and us internet fans thought "That's Batista's replacement" or "Batis2". He needs a lot of work done; a personality, new look/gimmick, new move-set and better mic skills. He can't live off the whole body builder thing for the rest of his career. It's been done way too many times. Right now, he's not looked at as Mason Ryan, he's looked at as a Batista look alike. Mason Ryan right now is stuck in Batista's shadow, and unless WWE does something different with this guy, his name won't get the proper recognition.