WWE’s “Black Wednesday” has come and gone leaving many wrestlers without jobs for the time being. Some had short times with the company while others scaled over a decade. When it comes to all the wrestlers who had been released, none were apart of their company longer than Zack Ryder, who after a 15-year run was let go. Ryder’s career is one to tell stories about, as none of it was out of the ordinary for the “Long Island Iced Z.” From the very beginning, before he stepped foot inside WWE to his WrestleMania moment with one of his best friends, it was a career no one could have predicted, which makes it fit Zack Ryder all the better. Let’s explore the career of Ryder as he prepares himself for the next chapter of his career.
Creating Your Own Path: A Look At The Original Internet Champion Zack Ryder
NYWC and JAPW
Zack Ryder began his wrestling career under the name of Brett Matthews, and not so shockingly teamed with Curt Hawkins in the New York Wrestling Connection back in 2004. Almost a year later, Ryder and Hawkins teamed to win the “Title Shot Tournament” and would compete for the NYWC Tag Team Championships. In doing so, they walked away as the champions. They would hold the titles for the better part of three months before dropping the titles to Lo Lincoln and Boog Washington. Ryder and Hawkins also competed as a team in Jersey All Pro Wrestling. The team would become two-time NYWC Tag Team Champions before ultimately receiving a contract offer from the WWE, with both of them heading into the company together. They dropped the titles at NWA Cyberspace, losing them to the BS Express. For Ryder, it was time to follow his dream.
WWE Developmental (Deep South and Ohio Valley Wrestling)
Ryder was still teaming with Hawkins when they got to WWE developmental, this time as The Major Brothers. In Deep South Wrestling, they continued their success in their first full year, winning the DSW Tag Team Championships by defeating Deuce and Domino, the same Deuce and Domino who would go on to win tag team gold the following year on the main roster. Before 2007 started, they lost the titles before recapturing in February. These two were showing something as a tag team and eventually were fast-tracked to the main roster by May as part of the ECW brand. But at the same time, they were pulling double duty in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).
It was there that they continued their luck of winning tag team gold by winning the titles. As the main roster called to them, they only were champions for two weeks before dropping them again. One thing was clear for these two, the WWE needed tag teams and they were the answer on the main roster already.
Edgeheads
While this is the Zack Ryder story, that cannot be told without Curt Hawkins. They would make their main roster debut together on ECW. Their time there was limited, however, as the team won their first match and then were sent to SmackDown in the draft soon after. The Major Brothers careers were about to get completely overhauled. At Armageddon 2007, they aided Edge by acting as him at various times during the match against Undertaker and Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. This would lead to Edge becoming champion for the second time in his career and giving the “brothers” their better-known identities of Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins. But back then, they were easily known as the Edgeheads.
As an Edgehead, Ryder got his first taste of the main event scene under the bigger scheme of “La Familia.” They helped Edge along the way, assisting him in multiple world title wins and reigns throughout 2008. Hawkins and Ryder went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championships at The Great American Bash in 2008, defeating the former champions John Morrison and The Miz, as well as the teams of Finlay and Hornswoggle and Jesse and Festus. If there was a sign of “making it,” this is exactly what happened for Ryder and his long time partner. Ryder and Hawkins did not hold the titles for long, as they lost them in their first defense to Carlito and Primo two months later.
In 2009, the tag team would be broken up for the first time in their careers really, as Ryder would be sent to ECW as a singles star.
Establishing The Long Island Character
Back then, ECW was used to give young talent TV time more than anything. That’s what allowed Ryder to try out his gimmick as the “Long Island Iced Z,” but in the heel role. His career at this time was up and down. His biggest win on the ECW brand came against Tommy Dreamer, as he forced him to leave the company with that win. Ryder had Rosa Mendes as his valet during this time before she left him in the draft the next year and he moved to Raw. Zack Ryder was having a tough time getting over with the crowd back then, with him most notably getting a WWE Championship match towards the end of 2010 against Sheamus. He lost in 11 seconds. He was in the need of getting over somehow. Enter YouTube.
Starting An Internet Revolution
Long before there was a Being The Elite, an entire company in NWA on YouTube, or any one of your favorite wrestler’s own personal YouTube page, there was the “Z! True Long Island Story” by Zack Ryder. This is what put Ryder on the map. He wasn’t being utilized on television and instead made his name known on his own. Through this series, he introduced several characters while exploring his own life. The fanbase for Ryder grew more than ever, leading to his eventual rise to television and championship gold. People won’t forget the personal Internet Championship that he created and crowned himself the champion. A lot of the content was Ryder showing his life, his hobbies, and being himself to get who he was over. The movement began.
And to believe this was back in 2011 makes it even crazier. YouTube has become a major part of wrestling, but it was Ryder who made it cool. This “Internet Revolution” got him over more than ever, with fans chanting “We Want Ryder” at WWE events. It was bigger than it had any right to being, but that’s what makes wrestling so great. The Rock was trying to talk to the crowd following Survivor Series that year and all he was met with was “We Want Ryder” inside Madison Square Garden. The man got over in the most organic way, and eventually, that got him on TV in the spotlight. Being yourself and marking out like a fan used to be cool back then.
Winning The United States Championship
TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2011 finally saw Ryder get his shot. After getting aid from John Cena to win a qualifying match against the World Heavyweight Champion, Mark Henry, this was his time. Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship. Baltimore would erupt for the grandest win of Ryder’s career, as he hit his finish and pinned Ziggler in the middle of the ring. It was a full-circle moment for Ryder, who went from nothing to doing anything and everything to get himself on television through the fans. And while that moment didn’t last a long time, it was a moment nonetheless. The next night is one many won’t forget. Ryder, WWE Champion CM Punk, and World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan all standing inside the ring with the fans cheering them on.
It was a moment for Ryder that he could have never been too sure of. With those two indie darlings in the ring, he was the star that night. All of his hard work had paid off and the fans let him hear it. Unfortunately, his run at the top was not long-lasting and his crash to the bottom was something no one could have saw coming.
Crash and Burn from Grace
2011 may have been the year of Ryder. 2012 was in-fact the complete opposite. He was cucked by his friend John Cena with his love interest, Eve Torres. Ryder’s United States Championship reign lasted all of 29 days before Jack Swagger defeated him on Raw for the title. He then suffered the big loss at WrestleMania 29 that had John Laurinaitis take over the reins as the GM for SmackDown and Raw. And after WrestleMania, he was relegated back to Superstars and some rare SmackDown appearances. Battle royals, on and off tag teams, and a fall down the mid-card before injuring himself at the end of 2014. Ryder returned in the 2015 Royal Rumble and even wrestled in the last even inside the Nassau Coliseum against John Cena in his US Open Challenge. While fans were still with him, something was off.
He’d get a fresh new start in 2015, back in the tag team field.
Get Hyped
Zack Ryder began appearing in NXT alongside Mojo Rawley, forming The Hype Bros. their success was better than expected, as they competed in the first Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and won their first match against Alexander Wolfe and Kona Reeves before losing to American Alpha in the quarterfinals. Ryder also still performed on the main roster from time to time, having matches on Superstars and Main Event. The Hype Bros made it the main roster one day as Rawley made the safe for Ryder down the line, giving them a chance to appear on television together. Rawley turned on his friend at the end of 2017 and they eventually went their separate ways.
What was most important for Ryder during this time is that he kept grinding. The man did not give up and continued to make things work even when they shouldn’t have. All that hard work led to maybe his grandest moment of all on the biggest stage pro wrestling has to offer.
Winning The Intercontinental Championship At WrestleMania 32
Somehow, someway, Zack Ryder found himself in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 32. Champion Kevin Owens had Ryder, Sin Cara, and Stardust fighting to become No. 1 contender but this ultimately led to a ladder match that also saw the likes of Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, and The Miz involved. Owens was trying to duck the top competition in the mid-card, leading to this match where he had far more on his plate than he had ever hoped. The lead up to the match made you think it was going to come down to Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, but instead, it was Ryder who had his WrestleMania moment. As he stood at the top of the ladder to unlatch the championship, the crowd in Dallas erupted as their former “chosen one” all those years ago had a moment that hard work paid off for.
Ryder celebrated the biggest moment in his professional wrestling career with his father, and all seemed right once again. Ryder was the perfect babyface for any fan to love. And while his title reign lasted all of one day as The Miz stole the title from him, it was about the moment. Not what ensued. It seems to be a specialty in Ryder’s career to this point.
Getting Major (and a moment) One More Time
Towards the end of 2018, Curt Hawkins was on the longest losing streak of his career and the numbers kept adding up. It was time for his long time best friend to step in and help him get back into the winning column for the first time in what felt like years. The two guys that came into this were together again and chasing glory at least one more time, and that they did. Ryder and Hawkins set their sights on the Raw Tag Team Championships despite having yet to win a match since reforming. The Revival allowed them the match at WrestleMania 35. And that’s where it happened.
Together again, Ryder and Hawkins managed to pull the upset of upsets to win the Raw Tag Team Championships over a decade after the first time they captured them. It was a feel-good moment at a show that proved to be the ultimate feel-good show in the end. For Ryder, it was another situation of the moment being bigger than the reign and he got to do it with his best friend. They teamed until their release yesterday. Now, the question has to be “what’s next?”
Sky Is The Limit
Zack Ryder’s road is now blurry, but clear in the same way. He happens to have friends in high places when it comes to All Elite Wrestling, but also remains a fan favorite to this very day. At the age of 34, Ryder has more than enough left in the tank to let the world know who he really is in and out of the squared circle. Perhaps he follows his friend Hawkins to his wrestling school, Create-A-Pro. Maybe he takes some time off to decide what is next. But no matter his name, no matter where he ends up, one thing is for sure. Ryder will put in the world to prove he is #StillHere. That may not necessarily mean the WWE anymore, but the pro wrestling world as a whole. This is a shot for him to remind fans why they loved him all those years ago.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
