WWE: 10 New Storylines for Zack Ryder

One thing is for sure: YouTube sensation Zack Ryder has had a stressful couple of months.

Firstly, thanks to some brutal beat downs from Kane, he lost his beloved United States Champion in January to Jack Swagger. 

Shortly after this, Ryder caught love interest Eve Torres passionately making out with his best friend John Cena (on live television, no less). Then, Kane beat him up some more. Eve later laughed on Raw about how she had used Ryder for fame and publicity and, in reality, didn't care about him at all.

Having lost his title, his best friend, his girlfriend and his dignity in only a matter of weeks, Ryder was totally humiliated.     

Oh, and the deceitful Eve then tried to worm her back into Zack's affections, which he foolishly fell for (boy, is this guy gullible or what?), only for her to once again turn heel on him at WrestleMania by distracting Ryder during the GM match, leaving him vulnerable to Miz's finisher.

To rub salt into the wounds, the Diva Search winner then proceeded to deliver a brutal kick below the belt to a shell-shocked Ryder as the rest of team Teddy looked on, appalled.  

Poor Zack.

With this in mind, here are 10 new story lines for Zack Ryder has he attempts to rejuvenate his struggling career...

Make Up with John Cena

After being betrayed by Eve—who, as noted, caused the break up of the Cena/Ryder friendship—maybe Zack will finally come to his senses and reconcile with his former buddy on-screen.

And let's face it: after losing to The Rock at WrestleMania and being brutally F5'd by a returning Brock Lesnar the following night on Raw, a devastated John Cena could really do with a friend right now.

Hook Up with a New Diva

Maybe the best way the emotionally-distraught Ryder can get over Eve is to hook up with another diva.  

WWE seems to have figured this out, too.

Per recent reports, one potential plan for Ryder is to be linked romantically on screen with Layla El (about to return to the promotion after serious knee surgery last year), and for the duo to unite against Ryder's former girlfriend and go after revenge.  

Feud with Kane

Kane and Zack Ryder have unfinished business.

Back at the beginning of 2012, Kane savagely attacked Ryder several times, leaving him with numerous debilitating injuries. This was all in a bid to mentally screw with Ryder's best friend John Cena and force him to “embrace the hate.”

Now that Ryder is back and fully recovered, it makes perfect sense that he would go after Kane for revenge. Furthermore, being presented as an equal to a behemoth like Kane, and someone capable of taking the fight to him, would help restore some of Ryder's fast-disappearing credibility.

It would also help Kane, currently embroiled in an awful, seen-it-all-before storyline with Randy Orton, to feud with someone new and fresh like Ryder, whom the fans can get strongly behind.

Feud with John Laurinaitis

In a bid to revive his struggling career, Ryder could fight back against the new John Laurinaitis regime, as the bumbling corporate drone attempts to assert his new-found power over Raw and SmackDown.

The Long Island native can mock the easy-to-make-fun-of Laurinaitis on his YouTube show and during promos on WWE Television, lead an attempt to instill the now ousted Teddy Long to power and generally play the rebel role as he makes it clear to the GM—and his smarmy sidekick David Otunga—that he is one wrestler who will not be bossed around.

As well as giving him something to do, such an angle may help Ryder regain some of the coolness and edge he has lost since this most recent Eve debacle. 

Turn Heel and Join Eve

For all his popularity and great merchandise sales, it's very possible Ryder has went as far as he can as a babyface. Certainly, as a lovable comedy geek, his career seems to be in a state of flux. 

So maybe it's time for the WWE booking team to turn the star heel.

Ryder could shockingly hook up with ex-girlfriend Eve on Raw or SmackDown, with the conniving couple revealing that Ryder was a heel all along and, rather than being set up, intentionally screwed Team Teddy at WrestleMania.

It would be a cool twist for what has so far been a mediocre storyline.

Feud with the Miz

At WrestleMania 28, former WWE Champion The Miz capitalized on Eve Torres' interference in the GM tag match, delivering a skull-crushing finale to a distracted Ryder for the finish. The two then had a match on the following night's Raw, with the Long Island Native once again coming up short.

Are matters between the two now settled, or could there be a lengthy program planned for these two?

At best, it could be a highly entertaining angle that would provide plenty of great promos and good matches. If nothing else, it would give Miz and Ryder—both of whom have been subjected to awful booking recently—something worthwhile to do while the writing team comes up with better ideas for them.

Feud with Dolph Ziggler

Real-life friends Ryder and Dolph Ziggler had one of the best feuds of 2011, as Ryder sought out Ziggler's U.S. Championship—culminating in a terrific match at WWE's TLC pay-per-view—which saw the Long Island native emerge triumphant for an emotional victory in front of all his family and friends. 

With both seemingly at loose ends in WWE storylines, could another program between the two be on the cards? 

Do a Program with David Otunga

After impressing many with his hilariously smug performance as John Laurinaitis' personal lawyer, David Otunga desperately needs a good program to sink his teeth into now that he is firmly established as an on-screen character.

Hey, maybe he could feud with Zack Ryder?

After all, any Ryder vs. Otunga feud would provide a wonderful clash of personalities, have quality promos and deliver entertaining skits on Raw and SmackDown.

The only potential problem may be the in-ring quality of their matches.

Otunga is largely clueless as a wrestler and Ryder has fared better but could still use huge improvement.

Ideally, WWE would limit the in-ring aspect of the program and not throw the guys out there for lengthy matches, which are guaranteed to reveal both wrestler's gaping flaws.

Give Him Mr. Ryder as a Manager

As anyone who watches Z! True Long Island Story will know, Mr. Ryder is Zack's dad.

A rather eccentric old man, the show has presented him as being obsessed with former WWE diva Melina, a huge fan of John Morrison's (to the point he prefers him to his own son and has no problem saying so) and a bit of fitness freak.

A terrific supporting character, Ryder's dad is surely part of the reason Z! True Long Island Story has become as hugely popular as it is. Charismatic and funny (don't you wish he was your dad?), Mr. Ryder has become a cult figure beloved by broskis everywhere. 

With this in mind, why doesn't WWE sign Mr. Ryder to a contract and use him as a manger for his son?

The company does need more managers and Mr. Ryder would be a welcome addition to the roster. Certainly, the on-screen pairing of Zack and his old man would be a sight to behold and provide plenty of fun and entertainment on WWE's flagship show.  

Send Him to NXT for a While

Maybe the best thing for Zack's floundering character is to take a sabbatical from both Raw and SmackDown for a while, just to give WWE time to figure out how to rehabilitate him. He could have stint on popular, but Internet-only brand NXT, if WWE is still eager to have him do something.

I mean, come on, how entertaining will Ryder wittily interacting with the likes of Derrick Bateman and Johnny Curtis on weekly basis be? 

It would also be good for the show.

The addition of a popular figure like Ryder would also get more people seeking out and tuning into the little-watched brand.