Gimmick Change For Zack Ryder?

[Jack-Hammer]

On this week's episode of Zack Ryder's You Tube Show, the show featured Ryder without any cameos from other members of the roster.

Ryder is still in character here and he talks about the highs & lows of the past year and a half or so for just a bit. Ryder mentions that he's disappointed with how his career has turned out, that 2012 was supposed to be his year and that he blames himself that he's not where he wants to be. He even goes so far as to call himself "the biggest joke in the WWE" and says that "changes need to be made". He also mentions that some say he's little more than a gimmick and can't be a top guy in the WWE. In short, Ryder is teasing a change to his character. Here's the link: http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_65581.shtml

Personally, I'd like to see some sort of change in Ryder's character. He's gone as far as he's going to go with his current character and I think he all but came right out and said so in this clip. This character has shown that Ryder has tons of charisma and can more than carry his own on the mic if he needs to. Zack Ryder is only 27 years of age, so he potentially has a lot of years ahead of him. If the WWE gets behind Ryder, he's someone that can really connect with the audience just as he was doing early on in the year.

 

[mr.perfect88]

I like Z Ryder I think he needs to reunite with that guy that tyler reks was teaming with get him over and they'd be a great tag team. WOO WOO U know it!!

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I love Ryder. He is very charismatic, connects with the fans, and is solid in the ring. The reason I think he is stuck right now though is because he is/was so over. I know that sounds unusual, but hear me out.

In an effort to get Ryder on TV and get him a push people went out and bought Ryder merch like it was going out of style. For a while he blew up social media. He was getting the WWE exposure, hell as sad as it is, his petition to get a US title show was the largest petition to ever circulate on Twitter. All because they didn't give him the push he deserved in relation to his level of overness. I think the higher ups knew they would make more money off Ryder by holding him back, so people would keep going out and buying his merch and mentioning him in the various forms of social media. He isn't as over now as he was say 6 months ago, but I think they will keep milking this a bit longer.

I'd like to see him in a toned back version of his current character. He can still be a bro, just not an over the top version. I think he has that charisma that makes him a great face and in another two or three years he could be on the cusp of the main event.

 

[Just Do It]

The character is over with the fans, but not the office.

This is the only time I can remember the WWE not pushing a star the fans want over. I always bought into their "Fans decide" line until ZR. November 2011 he was white hot - they chanted his name all before, during and after Survivor Series in MSG - even over The Rock speaking.

Now look less than a year later...

 

[akathelaw]

Flexibility is a key to success in WWE. I think Ryder is accepting this and admitting that he somewhat pidgeonholed himself by presenting a comedy wrestler character. Ryder does need to make changes in order to enter the main event. He can't do it by being Cena's sidekick. He has to become Cena's equal.

 

[BringBackJWangYang]

honestly i think ryder is a great wrestler to watch and his matches are exciting. Id like to see him feud with cesaro, and i mean a legitimate feud, not one that was from a pre-show battle royal victory. Id like to see his character get more serious, although i love how he connects with the fans. The back should give him the chance to wrestle in longer matches, and have a bitter rivalry with cesaro. I think they would have good ring chemistry together and the rivalry could really entice people who want to see a good match. Maybe he gets screwed over a couple title shots in a row, and then he gets all serious? Then he wrestles a show stealing 25 minute match to narrowly defeat cesaro for the title and goes in the crowd to celebrate with the fans. He gets serious, but he stays over with the fans, especially the younger ones. Just my opinion.

 

[crippler]

WWE seems to be worrying about there part timers instead of building guys to have more options rather than 2 - 3 guys to be champion. Zack Ryder still i think needs a more serious role to be taken seriously by fans and management

 

[XXJJ]

Ryder career was ruined as soon as he became Cena's on screen buddy. That embrace the hate angle was the worst angle of the year. It killed Ryder's momentum and ruined Kane's masked return.

The problem with Ryder taking on a more serious gimmick is that fans might still remember him as the idiot wannabe jersey shore guy. I dont think he can completely change his gimmick all at once. It might take some time. I guess that is the risk you take when you have a comedy gimmick...

Brodus Clay is going to have the same problem. I always thought he would be a dark type character, similiar to how they debuted Kharma..I'm not sure if he can pull that off now. Fans might not buy into it and will just remember him as the goofball dancing in a red suit.

 

[Uncle Sam]

If Zack Ryder is blaming himself for his failure, he's either humble or stupid. Zack did what no-one else I can think of has done - quite literally get over on his own. He didn't use a WWE ring or even WWE television time; he bought a video camera and got himself over by posting videos on the internet.

A character change is not necessary - a push is. Zack's been over like rover. When he was getting pushed for about a month, the crowd was firmly behind it. He was sabotaged. He was stabbed in the back, jobbed out to Kane and desperately shoved back into the box marked "Obscurity."

 

[UltimateCMPunkMark]

Zack Ryder is the type of characters that can never be heel. Being both a heel and a face requires a real y powerful character. One that can shape whatever role it's playing perfectly. How can the same guy who keeps fist pumping in the air, wears orange glasses and fake hair bands suddenly turn "bad?" It's just impossible to imagine with a persona like Ryder's. I know he was in a tag team with Hawkins a long time ago before his WOO WOO WOO kid gimmick but he wasn't even know back then as he is now with his new gimmick. I personally wouldn't wanna see him every week as a heel; "WWWYKI."

 

[DirtyD79]

Ryder career was ruined as soon as he became Cena's on screen buddy. That embrace the hate angle was the worst angle of the year. It killed Ryder's momentum and ruined Kane's masked return.

The whole Embrace The Hate angle was only good for how laughably bad it was. Zack when he wasn't serving as little more than a punching bag for Kane just looked like a total putz in his angle with Eve. He looked like the kind of guy who would drive a girl all the way across town to her "friend's" house. He can't take a hint she's leading him on so she can do the nasty with his best friend. What's more he actually forgives her for it and takes her back so she can humiliate him again and cost him and his friends their big match. You can't respect a dope like that. They killed his push writing him that way.

 

[Wwe Fan 4Eva]

Wwe needs to either give Zack a major push and have him win the Intercontinental Championship or United States Championship and hold it for a good amount of time unlike last year, or they need to turn him heel because even though he connects with the crowd a lot better when he is a face Wwe seemed to push him more often when he was a heel. Like when he was part of Edges Faction who took out The Undertaker, or him and Curt Hawkins won the Wwe Tag Team Championship, So simple Turn him Heel or Push him.

 

[HBsam31]

I would like to see Rdyer tone it down a bit and not be so over the top. I have always enjoyed watching him in the ring, and I am not against him re teaming with Hawkins to join the seemingly improving tag division. After that I think he could go right back into being a singles star, but he needs another push. I think they dropped the ball on him a bit this year with making him Cena's sidekick, but i don't think he is so far gone that he can't come back from this.