Ryback Will Recapture the Momentum He Had in 2013

Ryback’s return to Raw on Monday would have been a mere footnote had he picked up where he left off.

When we last saw Ryback, he was mired near the bottom of a hit-or-miss tag team division. After seeming like a lock to be WWE champion within a year or two of his debut, he was paired with Curtis Axel in a generic duo that was illustrative of a failed midcard.

But when the words “feed me more” played on the public announce system, fans were immediately reminded of a time when Ryback was what Roman Reigns is now: a potential heir apparent to John Cena.

Credit: WWE.com

Much like he had done for the first six months of an undefeated run, Ryback, now a babyface, made quick work of Bo Dallas. He scored a similar victory Friday night on SmackDown.

Ryback’s sudden winning ways may be more than just a fun way to pop a crowd every week. According to PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlingInc.com), WWE believes it is in need of more babyfaces, and “feed me more” Ryback is viewed as a potential solution.  

Ryback’s 2012-13 run went south following a sudden (read: unnecessary) heel turn the night after WrestleMania. Ryback was able to build momentum with a simple formula of limited speaking and showcasing impressive strength in squash matches—many times against multiple opponents.

Recognizing his similarities to WCW star Bill Goldberg, fans mocked Ryback on occasion with “Goldberg” chants. The snarky heckling from a vocal pocket of live arenas was similar to the pushback Cena gets from his detractors. Much like WWE’s biggest star, Ryback was becoming polarizing, which, in the Reality Era, is a staple of WWE Superstars pegged as the next big thing.

When Ryback was booked to feud with Cena, it seemed as if his stock was set to explode. At the time, he was "1A" to Cena’s "1." He was the final WWE Superstar to be eliminated during that year’s Royal Rumble, which Cena won. This was the same position new heir apparent Reigns was booked in the following year when he was eliminated by Batista. 

Unfortunately for Ryback, his feud with Cena signaled the beginning of the end. The initial attack was well-received by the hot, anti-Cena crowd. But in the ensuing weeks, WWE got away from what made Ryback effective.

Ryback cut more long-winded promos that made him seem whiny. He dropped his catchphrase entirely. And he not only became humanized—he became just another guy.

Often viewed as a failed prospect, Ryback is more of a story of what should have been. There was never really an outcry to turn Ryback heel in the first place.

After hitting then-WWE champion Cena with his Shell Shocked finisher and posing with the championship to end Raw, Ryback was making his bid to win the WWE’s most important championship.

Did he really have to be a villain to do so?  

WWE had a chance to recreate the dueling babyfaces angle that made Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior successful.

Instead, we got Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff.

Ryback hasn’t recovered since the ill-advised change in character. But after his most relevant week in over a year, there is hope yet.  

Winning cures all in WWE. Despite being booked as everything from Sexual Chocolate to a sensitive super heavyweight, Mark Henry has always been a winning streak away from getting everyone’s attention again. That’s what he does.

WWE was onto something with its original incarnation of Ryback. And if the company is serious about feeding the Big Guy, he’ll be back near the top of a promotion that needs money-drawing stars.

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