Zack Ryder, Xavier Woods, and Matt Hardy were the latest trio on the Table for 3 WWE Network series. The theme was that each competitor was able to creatively become viral on social media. Woods with his “Up Up, Down Down” video game channel, Hardy with his “Broken” character he unveiled while competing for Impact Wrestling, and Ryder with his YouTube Z! True Long Island Story series.
During the heyday of the Z! YouTube series in 2011, a young Ryder became so dedicated to the show that his followers continued to grow, and the Internet Championship became so popular that fans wanted it to be on WWE television. However, Ryder revealed why that never happened.
“The Internet title, I got that made, I wanted it to be on TV. I’m not gonna say who, but somebody, when I presented the idea, just called me a mark for myself. I said, ‘no, I don’t really think I’m the champion of the Internet, that’s like my gimmick.’ Like, the Million Dollar Title.
I wanna come out with it. I didn’t make a belt because I have like all these cool Twitter or something like that. That’s part of the act. I was never allowed to wear it on TV, but, I was on one of my t-shirts, they made an action figure of it, it was in the video game. So, Mattel liked it.”
Ryder added that the popularity of the title and YouTube show started snowballing to the point where people were bringing signs to the WWE events, as well as sending videos to be on the YouTube show. “It wasn’t like this master plan,” Ryder stated, but things just started to get bigger regarding his popularity.
As a result of the continuous “We Want Ryder!” chants on WWE television, Ryder earned a shot at Dolph Ziggler’s United States Championship at the TLC pay-per-view in December of 2011. Ryder catapulted his viral success into defeating Ziggler and winning his first singles title in the WWE.
Ryder added that WWE wanted to put the show on the website, and he declined, fearing that he would not have creative control. He also felt that the things he said on YouTube about him not getting over would be edited out of the show if it was controlled by WWE, and he would not have the freedom to say what he wanted.
While Ryder’s overall career has overall been quite the roller coaster, and his popularity was thwarted by odd angles such as being decimated by Kane and betrayed by Eve Torres, Ryder’s amazing branding led to becoming United States Champion, which is something that no one can ever take away from him.
If any portion of these quotes is used, please be sure to credit Table for 3 with a h/t to The Floor Seat for the transcription.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
