WWE Raw Ratings: Zack Ryder Fails His First "Test" in the Main Event

The numbers are in for WWE Raw, and they are not good for the "Zack Pack." Maybe Mr. Ryder is not as "over" as many will try to claim?

According to this report, WWE Raw scored a 2.88 rating Monday night. That would be its lowest number in quite a long time. Not only that, but viewership decreased from hour one to hour two. That is nothing but bad news!

No way to spin that! No matter what the number is, viewers at home should not be tuning out as the show progresses. The excuses for the low number are as follows:

1. It was a taped show. Spoilers were on the Internet to read. For those wondering, I did not read them.

2. They were overseas. Shows oftentimes "take a break" when they go outside of the United States.

3. Monday Night Football on ESPN scored a monster rating! The game was very competitive and had two teams that had national appeal.

4. Most of the attention was on next week's Raw with The Rock. Thus, this week was easy to skip.

All of the those are very fair excuses for the ratings drop. Sadly, that is not the entire story. They did play a part, no doubt. However, my blame is being placed on Zack Ryder's shoulders for now.

It may not be fair to say that. Maybe I mean how he is being portrayed? Not the actual man Zack Ryder! His WWE character is to blame.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Right now, he is on the same level as Santino. He is a mid-card comedy act that used the Internet to get a loyal following. That's it.

Where were all of his fans two years ago when he had the exact same "Long Island" gimmick? How about his time pairing up with Rosa? Everyone surely loved that big run, right?

No. He complained online. He made a bunch of noise, and he got noticed. Good for him! That is great. Otherwise, he would have been fired by now.

Sadly, it seems he thinks that is now enough. He is getting TV time. Mission accomplished, right? All is well with the world! Not so fast...

This is only the beginning.

When John Cena announced a "future Hall of Famer" was his partner, I assumed Mick Foley. When Zack Ryder came out, I laughed. It had to be a joke, right?

Like I said earlier, why not just bring out Santino? He is in the same position. That is why I blame Ryder for the ratings drop.

Who cares about seeing Ryder in the main event right now? Why? Because he fist pumps? Because he jumps up and down every time Cena says something to him? I am supposed to buy that guy as a big time player in WWE? Sorry, not happening...yet!

Zack Ryder is a good talent. He is selling some merchandise, and he has his devoted Internet fanbase. Sadly, he needs more that that for me (and others) to care about him closing Raw.

This week he gets the blame. Nobody cares about him in the main events (numbers don't lie) right now. Wasn't he feuding with Dolph Ziggler? Doesn't he want the United States title?

The audience saw right through this main event match, and so did I. This week, WWE gave Ryder a "test" to see his interest level from the masses. Well, the results are in. He is not ready.

Fans do not buy him as a main event wrestler in 2011. Woo! Woo! Woo! You Know It!

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