Zack Ryder
One Hairy Step Up
Ryder damn near got the pop of the night Monday and his work with Hugh Jackman was well executed and effective. Speaking of, Jackman did a great job and the crowd didn't sh*t on him, which is more than you can say about some of the past Raw guests.
Isn't it amazing what the power of the World Wide Web can do? Zack Ryder went from glorified jobber to internet hero by simply posting a few halfway-produced videos. Use a few "inside" terms, play the sympathy card for not being used on television and voila, you can manipulate the loyal, hardcore community of wrestling fans that rest online. I don't mean it in a bad way, but the IWC is very easily persuaded when it comes to wrestlers giving them "perceived" reality.
I give Ryder all the credit in the world for taking the initiative. I think more wrestlers should do the same thing. The New Age Outlaws just started a new internet reality series (www.thenewageoutlaws.com), I hear Chris Masters is working on something similar (@wwemasterp) – good for them. More wrestlers should self-promote and use the internet to further their name and likeness. The tools are there – use them.
Back to Ryder, the question I have is how serious Vince McMahon will take him going forward. Sure, Vince is going to appease the crowd for now and reward Zack for his efforts, but for how long? I definitely give Ryder a step up this week, but I have a feeling he'll be nothing more than a background character for quite a while and may never become any more than that.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
