Ryder Gets His Shot

[Jack-Hammer]

On Raw tonight, Zack Ryder earned himself a United States Championship match against Dolph Ziggler. I thought the way WWE went about it tonight was kind of unique and unexpected.

Ryder had a solid match against John Cena but ultimately came up short. Cena, understanding Ryder's frustrations, voluntarily gives up his WWE Championship match spot at TLC so Ryder can have another shot. When Mark Henry came out, I thought that Ryder was basically going to get screwed over again and they'd keep the angle going. I forgot that the match was no DQ right before Cena jumped into the ring. He hits the AA on Henry, Ryder gets the win and has a shot at Ziggler. I thought Ryder gave his program with Ziggler a nice little shot in the arm as he, somewhat, cost Ziggler a WWE Championship spot at TLC.

It's logical to assume that Ryder will get hit shot against Ziggler at TLC. However, for some reason, I'm thinking that he might get it next Tuesday at the Tribute to the Troops special. If it does happen at TLC, however, should it be any sort of gimmick match?

 

[Matth3w]

I'm just hoping Ryder gets his shot sooner, rather than later.

I am a Ryder fan, as well as a Jeff Hardy fan, so this may be biased; but I don't want this to draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag on much like WWE made Hardys world title win draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag out PPV after PPV for a whole year! Pull the trigger already, otherwise it becomes uneventful and not as impactful - which it should be!

In saying that, he should've won at Survivor Series. But he didn't, so TLC is my pick. This gives 4 or so weeks for Ziggler to get in a rematch, banish himself from Vickie, and go on to win the Royal Rumble.

 

[Awesome_Miz]

I think WWE did this very unique and awesome.

Now the type of match they should have is a ladder match.The reason being is cause that is the best type of match they can have.I believe that match will be top notch.I hope Ryder can finally win but WWE can pull a swerve like they do sometimes.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

On paper, this was a brilliant move by the WWE. They killed two birds with one stone, and did it without being overly obvious. You see, two weeks ago they started playing up the fact that Cena needs to react to all the booing fans. Then we had the Roddy Pipper segment that solidified the notion. The WWE is trying desperately to get the fans that hate him to cheer for him. Tonight he pulled out a few different things, played to the IWC's likes, and in the end...everyone cheered for him when he gave his spot to Ryder.

So whether you like it or not...WWE is succeeding in turning around the fan's reaction of one: John Cena. Now, that turn is going to be incredibly temporary and will not in any way be 100% effective. People will still hate him, but if you keep giving the fans reasons to cheer...if you keep forcing their reaction...they'll come around. But only temporarily. In my opinion this, more than anything else, solidified a future heel turn. Vince wants more people on Cena side so that they ALL boo him when he turns. THe problem now, if he goes heel the crowd roles will flip-flop, and he'll get EXACTLY the same reaction he does now. So yes, trick the fans into cheering for him...and when the time is right...BAM! Everybody is on board with the heel turn. Total speculation.

As for Ryder, I'm still not a fan. His mic work is forced and obviously scripted. He's still nervous and his originality only goes so far... His ring work is limited and only covered by the people he gets in the ring with. BUT...the crowd is behind him. He has their support, even if it won't last. I didn't like that Ziggler had to virtually be buried in order to make this happen, but Ryder walked away looking like a true contender in my eyes for the very first time. I loved Cena giving away his title match, and again it killed two birds with one stone...

My biggest issue is how forced Ryder's reaction is becoming. The same fans that cheer him and have his back HATE to be told what to do by the WWE. WWE says "cheer Cena" and they boo. WWE says "this is what we're going to do now" and they say "you suck!" What happens when WWE says "We Want Ryder, Woo Woo Woo"??

 

[BroskiOfTheYear]

Honestly, I'm not a real fan of how they booked this. I liked how they've slow played it to this point and built and built to keep us wanting more. But soooo much happened tonight. I don't know what it is but something didn't feel right to me. Maybe it was the relative lack of crowd excitement over Ryder, idk.

The Cena match was littered with rest hold after rest hold, as if they had no clue how to construct the match. And Ryder seemed tired or something, idk, maybe he was just really feeling the pressure or something, but he lacked the spark and luster that I usually see in him; no jumpiness, no excitement, he just literally stood there when he set up the Rough Ryder.

Then the Henry match made him look incredibly weak, which I can't really argue with bcuz Henry is an absolute monster right now. My problem was that nobody can touch Henry right now, but Super Cena hits him with the AA after barely any other offense was gotten on him, and he's down for the 3. I have no real ideas of how better to have finished this match, but I just don't like the booking in general.

They did not make Ryder look like a superstar tonight, they made him look like a guy that can't do anything for himself, and I don't see any way they can have him go over Ziggler clean without making Ziggler look horribly weak. They had the ball rolling so well with Ryder, but tonight, despite getting him the shot he wanted, took him down a little bit in my opinion.

 

[King of the Words]

I would like to see these 2 fight in a ladder match but I doubt that will happen now. The TLC match will have a ladder in it and Triple H. and Nash are having a Sledgehammer Ladder match so I doubt there will be a third match which features a ladder. Personally I think it would be better for them to have the ladder match for the USC. It would be awesome the show they would put on. Having Nash and the Game using the ladder seems like a recipe for disaster. Nash has enough trouble walking let alone climbing a ladder. So, once again the writers messed this up if Zack and Dolph just have a regular match when it could have been a 5 star ladder match to probably open the show.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

The Zach Ryder lovefest reminds me of how everyone was up Christian's ass when he won the title and held it for a couple of days. What made Ryder so over was the same as what got Christian over - it was an organic feeling by the "Universe," and usually it was a rebuke of the status quo. Christian's IWC moment was more because the IWC was tired of Randy Orton winning all the time / being so dominant. Zack Ryder's IWC moment was because he was so cheesy yet mildly amusing, a throwback almost to the characters of the 80s in his own way. Like Christian's IWC momentum slowly faded, so too will Zack Ryder's.

Zack Ryder is losing steam and needs to win the title at this PPV. Having him lose, especially going into Royal Rumble with so many returns and debuts, will lose him all momentum. Let him hold on to the title for like a couple of months tops (dropping it at Feb PPV), and then figure out something else to do with his character. Zack Ryder, to me at least, is the human embodiment of an internet meme. And just like internet memes, their wittiness fades after awhile and is soon forgotten. Unless he's going to be a Santino-style comedy jobber (which, btw, wouldn't be a bad team for a few months), Zack Ryder's character needs to evolve by summer 2012.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Ryder already got two title shots and lost, so even if he does beat Ziggler this time, it doesn't mean a whole lot. I just hope this is the end of the Ziggler/Ryder feud and the beginning of bigger and better things for Dolph Ziggler, I'd love to see him main event WrestleMania.

 

[Foshinzo]

I think it would have been so much better if Ryder had beaten Henry clean and on his own. Then again, Mark Henry is the WHC, so it would probably not have worked out well, in that case. Still, I'll take the company finally seeming to pull the trigger on Ryder. I would have done it at Survivor Series and made a big deal out of it, but at least they're finally addressing how the fans are getting sick of it. Hell, I guess low ratings are enough to get you to listen to your base audience. :/

 

[bxbigshow]

Not a fan of how it was booked. There was no need to have him face Cena. The idea mentioned before of 'killing 2 birds' (Cena appeaseing the IWC by giving his spot to Zack)is the most logical but in the end fans will forget that gesture next week and boo Cena still. And I'm sure he will find his way on the PPV regardless. SO EVERYTHING GETS NEGATED,

Then having Cena basically hand Mark Henry to Ryder weakens Zack even more. He can't go over Ziggler cleanly now because you then reset Dolph.

I'm a fan over Zack Ryder, but his persona in WWETV is too forced as oppose to his stuff on YouTube. Not saying he should be allowed to do his own promo work and Creative not write fo him....

But let him have a bit more freedom on WWETV. Let his personalty (actual personality) come through, it's more entertaining than the character on RAW/Smackdown.

 

[Headman]

Here's what I'm reading in some of the replies to this thread... "Blah, Blah, Blah. We hate Cena so the booking stinks even though it got our guy his match."! The story here is that Ryder over the last couple months has earned Cena's respect. Cena sees that no one in the company wants to give this guy a break and takes him under his wing. Then Cena is put in a position where it's either his needs or Ryder's needs. One of their dreams has to die. Cena remembers that despite all his hardwork someone had to give him a chance, so he gives Ryder that chance. This is an amazing story, but some people are so damn blinded by their hate for John Cena that they can't see this. Zack Ryder doesn't look any weaker than he should look at this stage. He is an underdog with a lot of fight in him. And now he's got his chance.

 

[Da Prophet]

About time that Ryder got his title match and hopefully this time a win. I'm a Ryder fan, not a massive one but I'll fist pump the air should he win the title in the coming weeks. The only logical choice in this situation is for Ryder to win and take the title from Ziggler. The WWE need to pull the trigger and give Ryder a run with the title before his support drops out. You can't keep teasing the fans and not give them a pay off because people will lose interest. Ryder is over with the crowd and he needs this victory to give the fans that feel good moment. He has been riding this wave of fan attraction for months and a loss against Ziggler would make some fans give up hope that Ryder has a chance to hold gold.

 

[#1HEEL]

How it went down, it went down.. We can't change it now.

Ultimately it's set up what needed to be set up, the WWE championship match and the US title match. But they way they've done it, is actually smart in that it keeps Punk and Ziggler apart a bit longer, but introduces Dolph into the main event mix.

What nobody has made comment on yet, is Swagger.

For me, Ziggler is going to lose the belt because of Jack Swagger. Ziggler can move on to bigger and better things... Into the main event.

Ryder can fued with Swagger for a bit.

I think this is leading to a Ziggler-Punk title match at Mania. I certainly hope it is, and the seed is planted.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

If this match showed anything, it is how much Zack Ryder outright sucks. The guy is not even slightly athletic, he's not too big yet he's slower than wrestlers his size, he has ZERO inring presence, he was carried throughout the whole damn match, he doesn't know what to do in the ring.

I'm sorry, merchandise sales, him taking the initiative - people like that do not deserve such a position in the company. Good for business - fine. What about the fans? He got a pop in his home town, everyone was riding his nuts for a while and what happened on Monday? No "We want Ryder", no Ryder chants. It'll continue to be like that. Why? All people root for is Ryder getting a shot and being pushed. Will they support him once he's pushed? Nope.

It's like that bitch you really wanna fuck. You don't want to be in a relationship with her, you just wanna bang her. Then you do, and you're satisfied. And yes, this was sexist. What else are you gonna label? Grow a sack.

Just the usual Cena Sucks and Let's Go Cena stuff. Hell, when he ran down to save somebody the crowd didn't react at all. Yes he sells merchandise, yes he's ambitious, but he's just a bad wrestler all around. Talking, acting, wrestling, entertaining. He's horrible.

If WWE "superstars" are getting pushes based on outlandish clothing and self promotion, and not on overall ability, then fuck where do I sign up? I'll get a cowboy hat, stick a ***** on it, wear a bright green fur jacket, two pairs of underwear over my pink jeans, a shoe on one foot and a boot on the other. Then I'll start an Internet show where I'm being mildly amusing, showcasing my limited talents, and before you know it I'll be causing riots.

The sooner this Ryder craze dies down the better.

P.S: John, stop calling moves so loudly I knew what was gonna happen a minute before it did.

 

[Cuz]

I may be wrong, but I think all this is set up to turn Cena heel.

Most people, even I, thought it was going to happen at Survivor Series. When it didn't happen it seems like most people now seem to think that it is never going to happen. I was disappointed that night when he didn't turn, but the next day I realized that it would not have made sense to turn him that night. Think about it.... if Cena attacked the Rock - for one, why would that be a heel turn? The Rock attacked Cena and it didn't make him a heel. They hate each other, so they are supposed to attack each other. Two, the Rock won't be back until next year. Would it make sense for the character of the Rock to take a beating and then not get revenge until next year? No, that character would come back the next night for revenge. Also, the Rock couldn't sell an injury that would put him out for months because everybody knows that he is making movies. He is too public for that type of storyline.

Now, this thread is about Ryder, so what does all of this have to do with him? There is no way that they put Ryder in 3 segments (2 matches and getting involved in Ziggler’s match) unless it has something to do with Cena. I don’t buy in that everything they are doing for Ryder is completely because of crowd reaction. Another poster pointed out his limitations in the ring, and I think WWE knows where he is limited. They have a history of protecting and getting as much out of a wrestler that they know are limited. Even if he is being pushed due to crowd reaction, that is a lot of time to put Ryder on Raw and 3 segments is more that I think that the WWE would give him for his own feud. There is only one more Raw until TLC and Cena is not in a match yet. He had gotten involved in Ryder’s storyline, so there are three options… he won’t be on TLC (very unlikely), he’ll have a match thrown together with no build up (which wouldn’t shock me), or he’ll be involved in Ryder’s match in some way.

I’ve seen complaints about Cena’s “feud” with the crowd, because that’s all he’s been doing since SS. What is the point of addressing the crowd if he doesn’t turn? It certainly isn’t to try to make people like him… give the WWE more credit than that.

Cena’s dad “going off” on the crowd, the publicly Rock pointing out to Cena that the crowd cheers for him and not for Cena, the commentators and stars actually talking about Cena’s crowd reaction, and Cena not having a match for TLC all point to something…. or it was all a waste. What better way to turn Cena heel than to have him beat down Ryder, the current crowd favorite? What if Cena caused Ryder to lose? What if Ryder lost the match and Cena got mad because Cena gave up a title match to give him a shot, and Ryder blew it? People would hate Cena for turning on his friend, and would be a better heel turn than having him turn on the Rock – who is already his enemy.

Like I said, I may be wrong, but a heel turn would be the only think to make this all make sense. I am actually looking forward to it.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I think it would have been so much better if Ryder had beaten Henry clean and on his own.

That's for sure. To watch Ryder celebrating as if he accomplished it on his own was a bit deflating. After all, Zack was supposedly knocked silly and didn't even know how he managed to incapacitate Mark Henry, right? He needed Cena to tell him to celebrate. Ugh.

I have nothing against Zack Ryder, yet I remain unimpressed by him. I guess I'm bothered more by those who've made him their hero, apparently willing to accept him because of his stupid Internet antics rather than the body of work he's done in the ring. Still, I can appreciate that he created the self-buzz himself and forced the company to sit up and take notice. I don't really like that it was effective......but can't deny that it is effective.

Still, I think it's fitting that the title of this topic is "Ryder Gets His Shot" rather than "Ryder Earns His Shot."

 

[EchoesFayt242]

Do you not think that the concept of the match made the whole petition kind of pointless? The aim of the petition was to get Ryder a US title match against Ziggler not a kind of no. 1 contenders match against Cena. I know fans will be happy that Ryder finally gets his shot and I feel that WWE took an interesting yet inconsistent approach with the match and the segment that followed it but it could have been done much better than what we saw.

 

[D-Man]

It's already been announced as a match that will happen during the TLC PPV. To discuss the match, post in the STICKIED thread in the PPV section.

Thread closed.