What Will Ryder's Role Be Post WM?

[Jack-Hammer]

Zack Ryder seems to have recovered from his "injury" at the hands of Kane, yet hasn't made his in-ring return yet. With the 12 man tag match at WM, one has to wonder if Ryder will be chosen by Teddy Long to be on his team.

The WWE has shown some footage of Ryder this past Friday on SD!. I'm guessing it was part of Ryder's internet show as he's standing there with his Internet Championship and is basically campaigning to be on Teddy's team. If I remember correctly, he bodly predicted victory for Team Long if he was part of it. This indicates to me that they're going someplace with this, otherwise why even bother to bring it up? Where they're going with it is anyone's guess.

On the surface, it seems like Ryder is someone that'd be a lock for Team Long. He's a very over and currently sympathetic babyface on Raw right now and he blames Big Johnny's way of running things as the reason he lost the United States Championship to Jack Swagger. This is an opportunity to get back at JL and, storyline wise, secure a comfortable spot for himself under Teddy Long's regime. Sounds logical after all. But, for some reason, I find myself hoping that Teddy Long decides to pass on Ryder's offer and put someone else on his team. Naturally, Ryder would be disheartened by this and the WWE could turn this latest disappointment as the starting point for a heel turn for Ryder.

I'm not saying Ryder is going to turn heel or should turn heel, it's just a scenario that popped into my head. I have a feeling that Big Johnny's team will win at WrestleMania but I don't exactly see it happening fairly. If Ryder isn't part of Team Long, sees himself denied his WM moment & an opportunity to get back at JL, then maybe Ryder could pull some interference at WM and help JL's team score the victory.

I don't think it's very likely to happen, Ryder seems to be too over as a babyface right now, but it does strike me as a possibility. It's a little out of left field on the surface but not when you consider the "setbacks" Ryder has suffered this year what with being robbed of his United States Championship, Eve playing him like a banjo, Cena accidentally making things harder for him and Kane putting him on the shelf for a while. Being passed over by Teddy could be what puts him over the edge.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Naturally, Ryder would be disheartened by this and the WWE could turn this latest disappointment as the starting point for a heel turn for Ryder.

It could be. Just as he reached his high point as a sympathetic babyface, he was "injured" by Kane, quasi-betrayed by John Cena and Eve......and taken off TV, save for a couple of silly backstage peeks. This hardly seems the way to take advantage of the momentum his character had gained and you have to truly wonder what they see for this guy in the future. All along, I wondered if the company planned to "serious up" his character; take him away from playing the clown in and out of the ring. Surely, after Kane roughed him up and Zack saw Cena and Eve kissing, that was going to be the end of his goofball persona, right?

Instead, we see Eve kiss him and Zack play the sap, immediately falling into the trap again and regarding Eve with that stupid expression on his face.....which was a little disappointing, even though I'm not a Zack fan; I figured a change in character had been coming, perhaps even a heel turn. At the same time, I'm thankful Zack wasn't handed a match at WM with Kane; a chance to avenge himself against the monster, which would have been ridiculous if they attempted to stage it. If they kept these guys in character, how in hell is Zack Ryder supposed to beat Kane? Yet, Kane didn't have anything going on at WM and if management hadn't manufactured a grudge match against Randy Orton, we might well have been treated to the sight of Zack Ryder in a featured singles match at the biggest PPV of the year.

Well, I think the OP's suggestion that a face change might be in the offing is a reasonable scenario for Zack. His "playing the fool" routine can only last so long.....and he presumably will be giving Eve some of her own medicine sooner or later. After that, a heel turn might be the way to put some credence back into his character.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

No way does Ryder go heel. He's one of the top merch sales in the company and has an appeal that extends a bit beyond the WWE Universe (his shirt was worn by celebrities on TMZ).

I know it's not the most popular opinion, but Ryder's role post-Mania should be a soap opera role. He's best suited for entertainment storylines so his role for the summer months should be to get new viewers - be involved with Diva drama storylines, get over emerging faces, etc. April and May should be dedicated to positioning Ryder as a backstage entertainment character by June.

 

[jrichardson25]

Why would Ryder go heel? He was a heel before and it was terrible. He just needs a character tweak. He has a good persona and can run with it but he's too much fun and games bordering on what Santino had a few years back and is carrying currently. I expect a little bit of a darker side to come out of him. I'd like to see him be serious when he needs to be but be able to laugh it off sometimes... aka having a dynamic personality because that's how a lot of people are...

Post Wrestlemania... I assume he'll be back in the mid-card with another run towards the Intercontinental or US title.... Hell.. I'd like to see him feud with Cody Rhodes... That could end up pushing Cody to the ME level and give Ryder a run with the other belt... just a thought.

 

[TempestH]

Ryder's heel run wasn't terrible. And he was actually somewhat of a serious threat, at least in ECW he was.

I expect Ryder, Santino, and Swagger to be the stars of a revived midcard, along with some of the NXT & Superstars guys getting featured more after Mania like Riley, Hawkins, and Reks. In fact, I can see a Ryder/Hawkins feud in the works. Reks will get involved and some other random face will show up to be Ryder's backup.

 

[Domo Nation]

After WM, I see Ryder being a pretty decent enhancement talent in the X Division after the WWE comes to their senses and unceremoniously axes him. I could see him putting on some decent feuds in the X-Division, especially against what's-his-name and that-one-guy-nobody-cares-about (it is TNA after all). Or maybe he can also help get some Knockouts over by being involved in some kind of love-triangle storyline with them. Or doing a Santina-type gimmick where he tries to actually compete in the Knockouts division. But yeah, I think Ryder could help get a few people in over in TNA after Mania.

 

[theBec2101]

I think he could go heel, like maybe he had enough of everybody saying he only got this and that cause of the internet. He becomes serious. Maybe a storyline with Kane and Kane turns him heel, they become a team or something. Or he could stay face. He could get drafted and then AJ starts liking him and him and D. Bryan have a storyline. Heel, face dont really care.

 

[18dionlyone]

Okay before I say this I jsut want to let it be known.. there was a thread about a year and a half ago and asked who we thought was going to be the next breakout star..i said Zack Ryder when he was still a nobody..I still have have hopes for the guy and hope he sores to the top of is abilities

However...As much as i like ryder..I feel Like he wont be with the company long..I really hope I'm wrong but i have this feeling like Vinny Mac is delaying the inevitable...again I dont want this to happen I just have this gut feeling that he wont be here through the end of the year..I meanfour months ago I thought he was soaring through to the top but I feel like he doesnt have enough support.

Now the other half of me thinks Hes getting the John Cena treatment..not the mega star cena I mean 2003 cena....

ill explain
See Ryder..Just like cena, took a crappy gimmick and made it something of a unlikely favorite... i mean he took a douchey gimmick and made it his own ( which is what I think is missing today..you can make any gimmick work no matter how goofy...Santino anyone) and a lot of people dont remember that Like Ryder..Cena was on the verge of being fired as well (man imagine where the WWE would be without him...not bashing him just saying) and he turned around took a negative into a positive.only difference is back then cena didnt have the power of the internet to help him along..But it doesnt matter how you get to the top as long as you make it..i mean Miz and David Ortunga came from reality shows lol...As far as after mania goes..I think he'll prob feud for the US title or the tag titles...I dont really see him going heel..why ruin a good thing by turning him heel (like Cena..btw why is it when the IWC doesnt like someone they want them to turn heel?? if it was up to the IWC everyone would be heels and bleeding with chairshots to the head..but anyway)...I see ryder staying Mid card which is fine but I dont see like a WWE or Wolrd title in his picture anytime soon..although its the WWE..anything can happen

 

[AwesomeRko]

I sincerely doubt Ryder will go heel, he in spite of WWE's best efforts is still one of the most over babyfaces in the company both in tertms of merch sales and crowd response. His run as a featured on tv face has bene pretty short and still has plenty more milage left.

I think he will probably enter into a fued with Cody for the IC title shortly ater mania, giving them both something to do. I hope this happens as both are massively over, good on the emic and Ryder is one of the only mid-card faces who can carry a candle to Rhodes in terms of star-power and capability of posing a legit threat to the title.

Failing that I would predict a fued with an upper mid-card heel with nothing to do, perhaps ADR or Christian as both would be fairly fresh and they both being former world champions are credible opponents who would help Ryder gain some momentum back.

 

[Theo Mays]

There is really just a hole of unanswered questions with Zack Ryder right now. Where does he go from here, the options seem endless. It looks like they have moved on from this whole Eve thing and now Zack's goal is to get on Team Teddy. If that doesn't happen (which I expect it will), does Zack finally go off the deep end and turn heel like the OP mentioned? I don't think Ryder is going heel anytime soon. He is vastly over and I expect WWE to milk it for whatever it's worth. Do we go back to Eve? Cena? Kane? Swagger? Really I can't even think of anything. If Swagger still possessed the US title I think that would be the easy answer. Ryder would get revenge on Swagger and recapture the US title. I can't see him going onto to feuding with Kane and I expect him to get his revenge on Eve, but nothing more than that.

That leaves Cena. I think an angle with Cena trying to regain Zack's trust could be in store for us. Cena and Ryder are pals and Cena betrayed his bro with the whole Eve thing. After WM Cena will obviously be free and if he isn't chasing the WWE title we could see him chasing Zack's friendship. Maybe even a run as tag team champs could be in store. Either way it is up in the air as to what Ryder will be doing post Mania. Something with Cena though looks like a likely option.

 

[ropeninja89]

i think kane is gunning for ryder i hope kane is holding a deep dark secret just like paul bearer had opver undertaker to turn ryder evil and create a new stable

 

[JM Punk]

I honestly have ZERO idea what they're planning on doing with Ryder. Which would be incredible if I had faith in creative to give him something, but I have no faith in creative to give him something.

Storyline logic tells you that he is going after Laurinaitis for screwing him out of the US title except have they really mentioned WHY he wants to be on Team Teddy in the first place? We know he had some rally and is now on the team, but wouldn't you think that they would remind you of why Ryder would be pissed at Johnny. Making him defend his title when not 'medically cleared'?

For that matter, his two more natural feuds would be against Kane for taking him out, or Swagger for beating him for the US title (perhaps he wins it back from Santino shortly after WM and they can have Ryder chase the title again). Getting revenge against Laurinaitis feels like a distant 3rd on the priority list for what his character should be looking to accomplish.

For the life of me, I will never understand why they felt the need to kill all of Ryder's momentum after he won the US title. All we got out of that was a crappy Cena-Kane feud and Eve turning heel in a division that nobody cares about. Saw what you want about Ryder, he got over on his own and his chase of the US title made that belt more meaningful when he won it, and they've done nothing but destroy Ryder and the title since January. We didn't get (or least haven't gotten thus far) a more serious character from Ryder. So what was the point?