WWE Survivor Series 2011: Zack Ryder's Overexposure Is Killing His Momentum

It wasn't long ago that Zack Ryder was a glorified jobber who was alternating appearances on Superstars with an occasional squash loss on Monday Night RAW. He had a YouTube show in which he would showcase new puns he thought of as a way of saying he was being overlooked by the WWE.

But look at him now. It's rare a segment on the company's marquee show goes by without Ryder making an appearance, whether to show off his excitement for getting to team with John Cena or to convince people to sign his United States Championship petition.

However, the WWE has to be careful not to push Ryder too far, too fast.

Ryder has worked hard, both in the ring and out of it, to become worthy of his current ascent. His character is overly gimmicky, though. And while it will work in the short term, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for him to maintain his current momentum over the long haul.

Since his gimmick is so over the top, the more backstage cameos he makes, the less impact they have because the audience has seen it all before.

That said, his crowd reaction is slowly reaching elite status and he's moving merchandise like crazy. Enough, in fact, that it seems like he debuts some type of new product every week.

When a wrestler is that hot, the WWE isn't crazy enough to keep them down for long. Don't be surprised if he is a late addition to the Survivor Series United States title match.

A title reign, while most certainly earned, will be a true test of Ryder's staying power. Will he be able to maintain his character's uniqueness long enough to elevate to another level or will he remain stuck in the mid-card feuds?

His broskis are hoping for the former but, if the overexposure continues, it's more likely to be the latter. Only time will tell. In the mean time, take care and spike your hair.

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