WWE's Top 5 Stories of 2011, No. 4: The Rise of Zack Ryder

Big Nasty will be counting down the five biggest stories of 2011 as we prepare to ring in yet another new year in the world of professional wrestling. Five stories transcended the pro wrestling industry in 2011 for better or for worse, and as a result, this comprehensive discussion is being constructed in their honor.

Opportunity is a dish best served once with no appetizer, seconds or dessert. 

Such was the case with a largely obscure WWE talent in Zack Ryder who, this time last year, was a regular on WWE.com's painfully obscure WWE Superstars.   

A former Major Brother turned Edge Head, Ryder had become accustomed to being saddled in gimmicks where he was the enemy of standing out. 

Even as a tag-team champion at the inception of his Zack Ryder moniker alongside longtime tag-team partner Curt Hawkins, Ryder failed to connect with the WWE Universe as the star power of his rather generic tag team made them seem more like also-rans than champions. 

Ryder would unceremoniously and quietly break away from his tag-team mold, the only mold he knew dating back to his developmental days in OVW, and adopt a more flamboyant look as part of a gimmick with all flare and no direction.  

As Zack Ryder—a singles competitor routinely seen on ECW only to become a borderline jobber following the collapse of ECW, Ryder was one of few, if not the only, WWE Superstars to wear wrestling trunks and wrestling tights simultaneously. 

As the entertainment value of the caricatured Italian Guido/Guidette exponentially rose thanks to the onset of MTV's wildly popular Jersey Shore reality show, a host of other networks and entertainment entities followed the Jersey Shore model to some degree seeking buzz and similar ratings success that Jersey Shore—now the highest-rated show in MTV history—brought to the 18-34 network giant. 

Of these entertainment entities, TNA was the first to debut a full-on gimmick directly inspired by the Jersey Shore television program with the introduction of the Robbie E. character. 

The character was entertaining in spots as a comedy gimmick, but as a heel on a smaller scale crippled by TNA's booking inadequacies, Robbie E. would soon tread water as just another guy, much like countless other TNA talents, despite programs with Jersey Shore stars J-Woww, Angelina and Ronnie. 

Mildly inspired by the potential of a Jersey Shore character on the big stage of the WWE, WWE officials decided to make tweaks to Ryder's character, making him more of a Guido-type heel.

While Ryder's gimmick may have changed, his place in the pecking order did not, as he remained a jobber, once doing the job to Sheamus in mere seconds during a farce of a WWE Championship match. 

Ryder was going nowhere fast.  As a mildly entertaining comedy act at best with limited to no television time, Ryder couldn't be any more expendable. 

But on February 17, 2011, Ryder's use of shameless self-promotion and social media would combine to make him one of the most unlikely stars in the WWE, inspiring curtain jerkers everywhere while changing the wrestling business forever. 

Like Kim Kardashian minus the publicized fornication, Ryder's weekly Z! True Long Island Story YouTube series caught fire quickly, as Ryder made a weekly habit of showcasing tongue-in-cheek humor at his own expense, much to the delight of what would come to be known as his Broskis. 

As Ryder's own brainchild, the show was a risk as it seemingly upset the applecart of WWE Creative plans.  As Ryder and True Long Island Story continued to gain momentum, WWE officials began to take notice as the Ryder revolution became increasingly impossible to ignore.

With Ryder's stock continuing to grow, he found himself on the tip of a peculiar double-edged sword.  Vince McMhaon often urged his stars to "reach for the brass ring," something which Ryder was obviously doing in the most unorthodox of fashions. 

Yet one of pro wrestling's worst-kept secrets dictates that the WWE is not quite fond of stars that they did not make themselves. 

Now well past its 40th week, Ryder continues to premiere one entertaining video short after another, introducing the world to characters such as Big O, Ryder's meat-headed and muscular bromance, and Ryder's father, who had a disturbing man-crush on former WWE Superstar John Morrison.

His popularity organically surging by the moment, Ryder soon usurped Santino Marella as the most adored midcard comedy act in the company.  

Ryder continued to use his pull in the social media world to petition for a United States title shot.  The Twitition, according to the WWE, quickly became the most signed electronic document of its likeness in Twitter history.    

With the backing of top stars CM Punk and John Cena, both on and off camera, Ryder would eventually receive his long-awaited title shot despite multiple hindrances by the unlikeable WWE GM John Laurinaitis on TV. 

Ryder's social media hunt for the U.S. Title infused a level of importance and prestige in the title that it seldom came close to having during its existence with the WWE. 

Zack Ryder's emotional U.S. Title win at December's Tables, Ladders and Chairs meant he had finally arrived. Now, stars such as Tyler Reks and Daniel Bryan have followed Ryder's lead in becoming self-made Internet darlings. 

Ryder's expert use of social media eventually coincided with WWE's full-blown integration of Twitter on their weekly television shows—a tidbit that hasn't always proven to be such a positive. 

Laugh, if you want, at the notion, but Zack Ryder may have had a large hand in changing the way stars are made in ways Vince McMahon himself never could have imagined. 

Top 5 of 2011

5. Matt Hardy's Career Descent

4. Rise of Ryder

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