[Strikeout King]

who all likes his gimick?


I like it, I think he's funny as He**

[LWC]

I see it being like Cena. A gimmick to start, and then at some point they give him a huge push. WWE pushes everyone at some point these days.

[Mr. Pike Central]

He's awesome.

It's truly amazing that just earlier this year he was on the chopping block, then he started Z! True Long Island Story.

And became a internet darling and he is soooo over now, its ridiculous.

[Stardust]

Credit Ryder for Vince pushing the Social Media plugs that we see now. Vince hated Ryder and wanted him gone. They kept him because of drug suspensions to others, that is the ONLY thing that save his job. When he knew his career was on the line, he started looking for ways to market himself (more to get a job outside of WWE than he ever dreamed of being able to stay). When his web serials took off, word got back to Vince. Vince had no clue what power social media truly held. It was after he became enamored with what reaction Ryder was getting, that he started the WWE push to make WWE the #1 social link in America. Not sure it will ever get to that point, but its getting there pretty quickly.

[LWC]

^So what future do you foresee for Ryder?

[Stardust]

I honestly do not see him getting any bigger than what he is right now. He's not a good in-ring worker. Granted, that has not kept buys like Hulk, Cena, Brutus Beefcake from getting great pushes, but they had great mic skills. Ryder does his best work in front of a camera with no one else around. Put him in front of 10K and his mic skill suck! All he has is Woo, Woo, Woo. I like him. I think he has brought to light something the WWE was not taking advantage of. But he will be an afterthought this time next year.

[LWC]

^I believe it will last at least a year. Maybe not this gimmick but I think he can. One thing he has that is undeniable and that is pop. Lance Storm (in WWE, he got pop in WCW but that is another discussion), Dean Malenko, Shelton Benjamin, the list goes on and on of great in-ring performers that did not get pop.

Many wrestlers have been pushed but never got "pop" and their runs end. He was never expected to but his pop is fueling his rise. The questions that are raised have legitimacy to ponder.

1. How long can the "Long Island Iced Z" character last?
2. Can he get over with a new image? (Cena had to get away from the Marky-Mark image and it worked, can Ryder do the same?)

[Stardust]

^I believe it will last at least a year. Maybe not this gimmick but I think he can. One thing he has that is undeniable and that is pop. Lance Storm (in WWE, he got pop in WCW but that is another discussion), Dean Malenko, Shelton Benjamin, the list goes on and on of great in-ring performers that did not get pop.

Many wrestlers have been pushed but never got "pop" and their runs end. He was never expected to but his pop is fueling his rise. The questions that are raised have legitimacy to ponder.

1. How long can the "Long Island Iced Z" character last?
2. Can he get over with a new image? (Cena had to get away from the Marky-Mark image and it worked, can Ryder do the same?)

LWC, I remember back when the Brooklyn Brawler gimic got over and the fans went nuts for him. Remember how "Over" Doink the Clown was? These gimics have very short term success unless you can work. It hurts me to watch Ryder in the ring. He's not 6-8' 300 lbs built like a greek god! He's average with not very good skills who has made a pop.

I remember a song that was over BIG in the 90's - "I touch Myself". Couldn't turn on the radio without hearing that song. Do you even know who sung that song???? Google it... "Long Island Iced Z" is that One Hit Wonder in and 5 years we'll be asking, "who was that guy....?"

[LWC]

^Ask anyone that has watched wrestling back then who Doink or Brooklyn Brawler are....they can still tell you. That moment of wrestling glory carried their careers, even if it meant lower leagues or the indy circuit.

We will see what happens.

[Strikeout King]

woo woo woo

[LWC]

^You know it

[Stardust]

^Ask anyone that has watched wrestling back then who Doink or Brooklyn Brawler are....they can still tell you. That moment of wrestling glory carried their careers, even if it meant lower leagues or the indy circuit.

We will see what happens.

So tell me their names (without looking it up)? Its a fad, and unfortunately, Ryder fits into "fad". We can dredge this thread up next November and see who was right

[Stardust]

I just put a reminder with the link for 11/1/12

[Stardust]

LWC - Zak has maintained, but the run he seemed to get a year ago fizzled. He's lower on the roster right now than he was a year ago. Definitely not getting the Cena rub that he was getting last year.