Ryback as the Future of WWE: Why That May (or May Not) Be a Bad Thing

Every so many years, Vince McMahon gets it in his head that he is going to push one specific, muscularly defined superstar to the moon.

We have seen it in the past. The Ultimate Warrior in 1990. Lex Luger in 1993. The Rock in 1998. Brock Lesnar in 2002. John Cena and Batista in 2005. Bobby Lashley in 2007. More times (Rock, Lesnar, Cena, Batista) than not (Lashley, Luger), it has worked. With the summer months upon us, it appears as though the latest candidate for what I like to call the VINCE MCMAHON MONSTER PUSH! has been found.

Ryback has been absolutely dominant since mysteriously dropping the Skip Sheffield moniker and returning from injury. Drawing comparisons to Bill Goldberg, he destroys his opponents and rarely looks anything less than impressive.

In fact, live crowd reaction for him is growing and his performances—no matter how short—are improving. The company itself has clearly bought into him, considering his placement on pay-per-view events, the teases for his appearances placed just before commercial break and matches on both Raw and Smackdown.

It is no secret that World Wrestling Entertainment has always preferred their headlining talents to be muscular and to have that "larger than life" aura to them. There have been exceptions, of course. Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, and CM Punk come to mind. But for the most part, Vince always seems drawn to the bodybuilder-types.

Ryback has the look of a Vince McMahon-endorsed main event talent. He has the high-impact offense that pops a crowd, and is enjoying increased exposure across WWE programming. Unlike others that have endured "stop-and-start" pushes, he has built the ever elusive momentum usually reserved for the company's top stars.

While all of his attributes are positives and are in Ryback's favor, there are a few drawbacks to consider. For starters, he has experienced injuries in the past that have kept him out of action for extended periods of time, the latest sidelining him for over a year.

He also has a wellness policy violation to his name. It should be noted, however, that that violation came a full six years ago—but that does not erase the fact that the positive test exists.

Perhaps the biggest question about Ryback is his ability between the ropes. Fans openly, and jokingly, chant "Goldberg" at him during his squashes of enhancement talent, but he actually does have one thing in common with the former WCW and World Heavyweight Champion, one thing that Vince and company must address very carefully. It comes in the form of a single question: what happens when Ryback is asked to have a match longer than one minute against a main roster star?

The true test of Ryback's worth will come when he is put in a high-pressure situation against a performer that is of the quality of WWE's top talents. Does he have the stamina to go ten-plus minutes in a given match? Does he have a move-set that expands past the typical "big man" power moves? Most importantly, can he evolve as a performer enough not to become stale or stagnant?

There are many questions to be addressed in terms of Ryback and his future in the top tier of WWE Superstars. The answers of those questions will undeniably point out both the strengths and the weaknesses of the physically intimidating superstar. Regardless of what those questions and answers may be, however, it is becoming evident that Vince McMahon and his empire have big plans for Ryback.