The Rise & Fall of Zack Ryder (with Dave Knows Wrestling) | Wrestling With Wregret

Zack Ryder got the fans on his side with his hard work and creativity. Then cold, hard reality set in.
Special thanks to Dave Knows Wrestling for appearing on this week's video! You can find him here:
/ @daveknowswrestling
/ daveleewrestle
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@zmanbrianzane

[@d4148]

Zack Ryder is living proof that no matter how hard you work, you'll never make it if your superiors don't want you to

[@jcp6]

“The WWE says to reach for the Brass Ring. I Got the brass ring, but the WWE only wants certain people to reach and grab it” - Zack Ryder

[@angelyaluhhhh9130]

Well yeah you don’t push yourself or put yourself over especially with the smarks or internet fans.

[@ShinSuperSaiyajin]

Matt Cardona is living proof that hard work pays off and that the system (aka WWE) can stick it.

[@bobbyocho]

Zach Ryder broke the 11th commandment: thou shalt not get over on thy own.

[@Xehanort10]

Or "Thy should not get over if thou are not related to The Rock."

[@omarmartinez3950]

@@Xehanort10 thats never hapoened. 1 guy compared to the rocks 20 other relatives. Yall are just full of shit.

[@thelinedrive]

I fear for Becky Lynch.

[@TyMarshall007]

@@thelinedrive same here

[@kcazzzzz]

no, he just suck big time. no mic skills, in ring skills or acting skills. wwe even put him with a segment with their top stars punk and bryan, remember that time? and then he proceed to speak some sort of uninteresting shit to prove that his mic skills suck. dropping him and pushing guys from NXT was the right choice

[@PapaTaurean]

In this day and age, Zack Ryder could hit the independent circuit and get over like gangbusters.

[@Lightspeeds]

Papa Taurean Cody said the same thing on talk is Jericho.

[@fpshooterful]

Ya.. if i were Zack i would follow neville, austin, cody path in the indies scenes, and if anything Ryder can be bigger.

[@carlssr.3969]

Papa Taurean WWE would lure him back with a hefty contract so they could continue misusing him

[@TEEN1DOL]

LOL Got 'em.

[@ricancira]

Papa Taurean you just hit the nail on the head.

[@DanVillainFilms]

What happened to Ryder is a perfect example of Vince’s pettiness. Getting over on your own? Not on my watch!

[@SpinosaurusTheProudSocialist]

+Elijah Grimes Exactly, If you're not one of Vince's chosen ones then WWE will only push you to a certain degree before they eventually pull the rug from underneath your feet.

[@BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH474]

Vince McMahon: "Nobody today is grabbing the brass ring." Also Vince McMahon: "Somebody got over without my approval? BURY HIM DAMMIT."

[@carlssr.3969]

Vince McMahon and his dumbass Brass Ring slogans, his Arenas are half-empty, his ratings are lower than they've been since 1995, his Superstars are leaving left and right, he has to interrupt a perfectly well oiled tag team who were doing good by themselves and hastily throw together something that ran its course 3 years ago just to TRY and get one guy over all because Vince McMahon doesn't want to admit that he made a mistake, and all because he doesn't think that the fans are hip to his game yet, this old coot actually thinks that there's a brass ring that wrestlers are failing to grab, it's like, he's been lying about the brass ring so long that he's actually starting to believe his own lies, I really hope Vince McMahon leaves soon, but with wrestling fans luck, Vince McMahon will live to be a hundred ten and he'll still be running WWE

[@EmergencyChannel]

The brass ring is keyfabe.

[@planescaped]

I stopped watching wrestling in 2004, so before the time where Zack Ryder was a thing, but he reminds me of Christian. Except Christian stood the test of time and got over even despite efforts to drag him down. Glad I found out about NJPW... Watching WWE sounds like a miserable time.

[@ShinRyojin]

The phrase “brass rings” is so rage inducing.

[@Bennett1430]

It's such a load of shit. It's just a nice way of saying "You don't get over unless we want/allow you to."

[@gregmerritt9366]

2020 update: Dave has provided a wealth of unique content that I've thoroughly enjoyed. The educational aspect of it is top notch.

[@jermboy47]

oh look at Brian bury the young talent on KZbin

[@AllHailKingKurt]

jermboy47 lol, that is the how joke, he is like wwe and the guest star is like Zack Ryder.

[@aye_its_karate6169]

Swaft is sin what in the fuck are you trying to say?

[@RiC_David]

_You see that's something you'll hear a lot - "oh he got buried" or "this guy's being held down", well who's to say maybe some of these guys being "buried" just don't have what it takes? You know, I hate to say it but I look around my subscriptions and I see a lot of talented young youtubers who perhaps don't want it bad enough to be the next Brian Zane. The platform has changed, it's not 2014 anymore._

[@hardknocks666]

can't tell if you're giving an opinion or cutting a promo.

[@VicHD]

Kurt Hawkins perfectly explained the reason I liked Zack Ryder back then. He fought hard to get himself over on his own terms, only to get buried by the WWE system. This was also confirmed by Ricardo Rodroguez, Alberto Del Rio's former personal announcer, in a you shoot video. I'm surprised Ryder is even relevant in the business and hasn't walked out like others did. The Independent circuit would probably benefit him though, given how hot the current indy scene is nowadays.

[@CoopRaccoon]

Well, at least they're doing something with him as part of the Hype Bros. Not that much, to be fair (considering they fed them to Shelton and Gable a few times), but still...

[@smileykid18]

It's like CM Punk said alot of guys won't leave WWE because this is their dream job and they're financially secure. It sucks that they would be treated like shit for the sake of living their dream but that's how it is.

[@jackspade6270]

HadoukenDude I've been saying it for years, it's Zack Ryder's own fault for staying there

[@CastleBlackWatches]

HadoukenDude because even if he gets misused, he gets paid big money. Which helps him support his figure collecting habit. Indies is love for the act of wrestlint

[@agiammarco94]

@@CastleBlackWatches Especially with his habit, although maybe he makes some from the podcast, the videos, and from their WWE show

[@ShinRyojin]

That picture with Ryder and the champs represented a great time when the most deserving and talented workers in the company were rightfully rewarded.

[@ChattGM]

ShinRyojin I had to pause the video and just take in that moment. What time that was

[@ShinRyojin]

Same here.

[@Nephalem2002]

You ever realize how many good things were buried during the 2010’s? -The Nexus -Rusev -Cesaro -Most of NXT

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Mizdow

[@nickmontoya3001]

I still WOO WOO WOO

[@josealdana7119]

Nick Montoya you know it! 😂😂😂😂

[@SegaDream131]

Wooos come from the Nature Boy..... Wooooooooooooooooo!......

[@matthewlane518]

YOU KNOW IT!!

[@damienhelmold6978]

That's stupid as hell

[@SupremeMarioGamer]

He could be world champion when you think about it. He has a fun gimmick, is talented in the ring & the mic, marketable, likable, he's got it all. And if JINDER MAHAL can be world champ, why not Zack?

[@gablefanproductions01]

because no one understands the inner mechanisms of Vince McMahon's mind.

[@wynbarrett2989]

Nah. He's gotta a pretty silly gimmick. I think a mid-carder or a jobber to the stars.

[@SupremeMarioGamer]

Communist Doggo Can you remember any decent Jinder Mahal match? Fans won't care, they love him enough to want to see him succeed.

[@MasterFhyl]

His skin's not brown enough. Orange? Yes. But not brown.

[@cyberpunkgrappling6447]

Communist Doggo Zack Ryder never had the chance to shine but he still took every opportunity he had to show his talent. While he was still a jobber he had a great Match against Cena in 2015. Mahal faced Orton and Nakamura who are true pros on the ring but they couldn't carry him

[@ghoastfreakafk5593]

I'm really glad you did this episode because what WWE did to Zack Ryder was awful

[@raedabdulrahman6556]

new DION also what CENA did to Zack Ryder.

[@tbb033]

"A homeless guy threw urine on me" Who wants a golden shower from ELIAS!?

[@ricancira]

tbb033 lol.

[@jacklazenby5167]

WWE stands for... Wee With Elias!

[@mythicgamer6291]

Glad to see Zack Ryder aka Matt cardona is doing great in GCW and the indies he's been killing it so good

[@celtic69]

Flip? Where do you think YOU’RE going?!

[@teenchampionshipwrestlinga4034]

Lewis Greaves You beat me to it!

[@multimediatesting720]

Harmful rib

[@celtic69]

Mike Bushnell shame you spelled you’re wrong innit

[@CapnAkira]

Welcome to Wrestling with Wregret!

[@rytheguy99]

#FTR

[@chikowashere]

You know how much they didn't care about Ryder? He talked about the 'wheelchair of the stage' spot. And they literally just told him to do it and never brought up safety, or any precautions.

[@TheSetesis]

Hey nice, I am glad Dave from Dave Knows Wrestling is getting some shine. Such an underrated wrestling channel

[@gablefanproductions01]

this is gonna be one depressing video

[@waltersmith6502]

I love it when wrestling tubers work together. WhatCulture introduced me to Wrestletalk who introduced me to you and you just introduced me to Dave Knows Wrestling Thanks!

[@BoiseState47]

Zack Ryder is 3/4 of the way to a career grand slam. #RyderforWWEChampionship

[@richstiltner2246]

Nice to have Dave on. Respect for helping a smaller channel

[@strangerthanusual9503]

This man got sabotaged. And used youtube before xavier woods. U look at the new stars thats surpassed him and became champ. Seth. Reigns. Dean. Bray. Finn balor. Kevin owens. Jinder mahal

[@EmperorNero]

No one is saying that he should have been a top face, but more than what he fucking got, he is a solid upper mid carder at least.

[@TheChrisHype]

I was the biggest Zack Ryder mark in the world...until this year when I ran into the guy at Comic Con. Told him I was a big fan, tried to get a handshake, and he straight up blew me off. A little bit of kindness and appreciation for your fan base goes a long way.

[@wilsonsimons12]

I was 9 when Zack Ryder got over and I didn’t realize how much I modeled my whole personality from Zack. I was a huge huge Zack Ryder fan and I’m buying all the old merch of his. It’s all on WWE shop thank god

[@jamesstrevels5447]

Ryder is one of the most underrated wrestlers in WWWF/WWF/WWE history in my opinion.He has all the skills of at least a mid ppv wrestler for any company for any given ppv.

[@sonicplys64]

Dave really does know wrestling. Yeah, its a shame what happened to Zack. He could have been one of the company's biggest stars but said company held him back. Stupid.

[@AnArchyRulzz]

This should be the video shown to people who don't understand what it means to be buried

[@Romchikthelemon]

Undertaker will explain them.

[@edc9442]

Dave knows wrestling has some extremely good content. Like his channel too. Great team up

[@edc9442]

Also I really Zach’s theme song lmao gives that 80 vibe

[@cody6685]

Hey Brian, just wanted to say I think the editing I'm this video was excellent. The soft music during Dave's promo and Ryder' s theme used the same way was superb.

[@vladimirdan1959]

I remember TLC 2011 so well! 2011 has got to be my favorite year in wrestling in the context of only watching WWE from 2009 to 2015 or early 2016. Watching footage from that year almost brings tears to my eyes.

[@michaelwilliams2231]

So happy you got Dave for this, he’s amazing and deserves more subs

[@joelunchbucket0]

9:16 saying that he shocked the world when he won the IC title at WM32 is an understatement, people's jaws dropped to the ground and broke on impact, dragonballZ style

[@SethKasso]

Dave Knows Wrestling is a great channel if anyone's wondering.

[@SleightCreative]

Brian (and Dave), did you guys really have to make me relive Ryder's rise an fall for a third time :'( It was already heartbreaking enough when WhatCulture did it, now you too. You guys really know how to twist the knife. I started watching religously again after I heard Ryder won the US belt, but then my hopes were all crushed and I've never watched regular programming again since then

[@SuperBrian19]

5:14 Best moment of my life as a wrestling fan. Sadly, we won't see this again....

[@UnklePeanut]

Zach Ryder proved that the WWE do not create stars, they bury them. Zach Ryder is owed a major push, a legit push for all he has done. This man was saddled with Mojo Rawley, for goodness sake.

[@nailahprincessofhokuto2024]

I just got back into wrestling when the Ryder Saga began. Brings a tear to my eye when I think of what happened to him

[@discordinc]

God it is heartbreaking what they did to him. I'm honestly shocked WWE didn't crush his love of wrestling. I'm glad that he kept it and was able to reinvent himself on the indies. He got the chance to finally prove himself

[@KrisKringlez]

My favorite moment of ZTLIS is after all the episodes of him saying Cena is gonna make an appearance on the show,John Cena after a match kinda just walks past the camera and says what's up and walks away which caused Ryder to start going nuts excitingly saying "omg that was John Cena I told you I would get him!!!!"

[@krisjustice2681]

I always liked Zack. He could've been a great mid-carder for all these years.

[@scotthunt4206]

Big fan of Dave so I'm loving this collaboration

[@ramzim3115]

Z man, that's really cool of you to give dave some exposure. He puts a lot Into his vids and deserves more subs. You Always upload good content too of course Brian.

[@chillercentral8125]

Hey Brian, any plans to do one of these on the New Blood storyline from WCW? Great work by the way these are always hilarious

[@codynelson7575]

Chiller Central I want him do bad wrestlers good masks instead

[@AnArchyRulzz]

Chiller Central he did review new blood rising if that helps at all

[@loreacat]

I love Dave. Good to see him branching out

[@KreSade01]

This was fun. I want more crossovers.

[@samsational168]

God that curt hawkins audio was BRUTAL

[@jeffunknown9927]

I love Dave. He knows wrestling!

[@Psychoanalytix]

The meta-story in this video is amazingly well done and merits a careful re-watch.

[@Romchikthelemon]

It's quite annoying.

[@dxtrememwe2215]

Hey Brian, you forgot his first REAL singles accomplishment... He retired Tommy Dreamer from ECW. Yeah #ThatHappened

[@rickyrosay33977]

I remember that by that time ECW was basically the spiritual successor to Sunday night heat and velocity

[@Y2JHHHDX]

@@rickyrosay33977 it felt more like NXT before NXT was a thing

[@destin3942]

YOO U REALLY PUT DAVE KNOWS WRESTLING ON IT! SHOUT OUT TO YOU. Dave guy deserves more subs it seems like he puts in a lot of work in his videos.

[@djskylerhall]

Always nice to see Flip Gordon, especially after recently seeing him win Maryland Championship Wrestling's Shamrock Cup 2022!

[@kal-el1827]

This video has a whole new meaning now 😞

[@TheJasonGabriel]

Kara Zor-El hopefully AEW will get him and treat him well

[@Noonanwrestling]

Zack was my favorite Wrestler toward the height of his career. I don't know why his career had to fall so flat.

[@Emper0rH0rde]

Because Vince McMahon is an exceedingly vindictive and controlling man, and when wrestlers he personally dislikes get over without his say-so, he takes it personally.

[@MrBlkthndr]

Y'all have to know that Kane pushing Ryder off from the entrance stage in a wheelchair was symbolic of his career.

[@planescaped]

'Threw a cup of his own urine at me' Oh, you met Dusty Rhodes?

[@RoseCityRebel]

I like how you showcased a less popular wrestling youtuber in this video, Dave was hillarious, I’m subscribing to him

[@zhangxnoir6694]

It's my boy Dave. And 2012 was a awful year for Ryder. Sigh

[@21macca21]

Zhang Tao Wu !!!! U NO IT !!!!

[@ShinRyojin]

I think Zane turned heel for a minute there.

[@thepassingstatic6268]

Well, he is a manager. They tend to be heels by default alot of the time

[@clamswordtoo4720]

I like the Asian guy. Reminds me of Jimmy Wang Yang.

[@nightogre]

Ryder is still my favorite wrestler still to this day.

[@vicenteguerrero1433]

i have been so happy seeing Matt Cardona in impact wrestling for about a year now. i liked Zack Ryder but the problem was wwe treated him like dog shit no matter how over he was. in impact Matt has done great things including wining the "digital media" title from Jordan Grace

[@Immorpher]

You're right Dave! I haven't watched wrestling in years. I haven't been a regular viewer in a decade. I am a jaded fan and I don't know if I will be back. Yet I will still watch nostalgic stuff such as these KZbin shows. I did realize it a long time ago. I wanted to be a wrestler and was looking at schools. But I realized regardless of how good I was, to be successful at wrestling such that I would have a comfy requirement would be in the hands of a few individuals and whether they liked me or not.

[@Raiders_United]

Great video Brain! David was a great guest and I started following his vids. For your next guest you should have #Dalyxman!

[@thealjohnsonshow2188]

Jacque Hardison Dude, I would go crazy for that!

[@chefqxe]

Thanks for putting fellow broadcasters over. I respect the hell out of that.

[@therrydicule]

I say put the WWE title on Zack Ryder, and let him argue against WWE.

[@HereticalKitsune]

Thank the wrestling gods that Matt Cardona now is doing very good across various promotions.

[@JennaLeigh]

Yaaaaaaay! Dave is awesome! So happy to see yall. Working together- sorta😎😎

[@tomazou2010]

Last time I was this early Roman Reigns was cheered by the fans

[@teenchampionshipwrestlinga4034]

You're not really that early tbh..

[@EddyRulz]

I get it, it's an inside joke. Roman Reings was never cheered :D

[@tomazou2010]

He's as a solo star still gets boo'd - see the main event from RAW.

[@stevewright3015]

Andoni Tomazou i heard cheers

[@DashieNegan41]

Ever heared of editing chants

[@samardosamuels]

So glad Dave Knows Wrestling is collating here!

[@ryyanhyyland9020]

I'm a HUGE Nick gage fan. So I loved this. Man. You just don't make bad videos. Thank you

[@kevinofvideos]

I knew it was only a matter of time before this got made.. thanks Zayne!

[@DarkAvengerVIM]

Thanks for turning me on to a new channel. I'm a fan already.

[@king_williz]

BRIAN ZANE! IT SHOLD BE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE RISE AND REDEMPTION OF MATT CARDONA!!!

[@SpinosaurusTheProudSocialist]

That's the problem with WWE, if you're not one of Vince's chosen ones, then WWE is only going to push you to certain degree before they eventually pull the rug from underneath your feet, regardless on how much you get yourself over or how many brass rings you grab.

[@SlasherLink119]

A detail I feel is worth mentioning, and it might've even been on the aforementioned Long Island Raw: Zack Ryder was given a script beforehand that suggested he was going to be getting a huge push and excitedly told his fans, when right before the cameras rolled, he was basically told, "It's just a prank bro!", and instead had a match and promo on Superstars or whatever... Details may be foggy, but I remember being hyped for the Ryder Revolution...

[@CRob172]

0:00 where do you think YOU'RE going?

[@joekidd8878]

WELCOME TO WWW!

[@Da_Baron]

Wait a fucking minute! DAVE!? THAT'S MY FUCKING TEACHER. Seriously, he taught me video production and editing. I knew he had a wrestling channel, but I was not expecting to see him while marathoning Wrestling With Wregret.

[@Drummerboy_marc]

Glad to see my boy Dave getting promoted

[@comixproviderftw_02]

2011: WOO WOO WOO! YOU KNOW IT! 2020: ALWAYZ READY!

[@thecelticsbetterwinachampi3613]

I watch Dave knows wrestling.

[@ClydeWarren1993]

the phenomenon for once he has a guest on who's actually really good

[@2RG_]

the phenomenon sorry

[@GayLatinoBear]

Brian, slightly disappointed, During all the Cena/Ryder/Eve chaos, you missed the one promo that proved Ryder was over: When Eve Friend Zoned Ryder

[@giovonemendoza8639]

I fell off wwe for a few years 2005-2012 and i watched an episode of raw for giggles and the first theme i heard was ryders and because of him i became a fan of wwe again.

[@A-Man79]

Vince McMahon : "You will NEVER get over any way other than my way, and if you dare to even try then I will destroy you. Why? Because I can!"

[@Supervillain725]

Look what he did to all the WCW/ECW guys.

[@hectorgutierrez5240]

Dude, seeing that pic of all the champs for the first time is fucking insane!

[@JaitsuStudios]

This was a really fun cross over. Skits were well done and quite funny

[@dpalmerama]

Woo woo woo Dave Knows Wrestling! Hopefully this gets him more fans as he does put out some great videos!

[@treydecker]

The next step towards the bottom card status is having him win the Andre the Giant memorial Battle Royal

[@antatomik]

After a few years i realised Flip was Booked in Wrestling With Wregret's intro.

[@jakemitchell1132]

It's situations like Zack Ryder's that just proves that WWE is a terrible company. They will ruin every good thing that falls into their lap (Ryder, Bayley, Tazz, the Invasion, The Nexus, Shinsuke's on the way, Bobby Roode is nearly there, Asuka is sure to follow, and so many more). Not to mention that they are the most petty company and will punish you for the littlest and stupidest things.

[@Venemofthe888]

how about baron corbin 2. I mean he wasnt the best before hand but they killed him even tho hes got the united states title

[@slugdoom5373]

Add smackdown from a year ago to that list

[@icantnotthink3282]

Venemofthe888 gotta agree with Baron. He used to have a slimy dirtbag character who only cared about making money. He'd cheat if he had to, but he was strong enough to not need to cheat regularly. Now he's a jobber to the stars, who has no character and no heat whatsoever

[@gablefanproductions01]

how is roode almost ruined he's in a fued with Dolph Zig-.... wait nevermind.

[@ManiJonesFM]

EVEN THE MAN WITH A SPRAYBOTTLE, WOULD BE PROUD OF HOW WE BURIED. THIS. YOUNG, PROMISING TALENT. I remember back I 2011 being such a hyuge Zack Ryder fan. Boy those were interesting times...

[@WarriorPride65]

The greatest wrestling crossover since Whatculture & Wrestling with Wregret. Thank you Brain Zane for recognizing this young Wrestling scholar.

[@ItDoesntMatterReally]

Zack's entire WWE career since has been a long and drawn out punishment. I hate that midcard and tag team are dirty words to mainstream wrestlers (and the WWE for that matter), because Zack could be a memorable midcard champion or maybe a formidable tag worker if booked right. Hype Bros was supposed to be his second chance. It's all that Mojo was ever going to excel at too, but it's sad to see it on the back burner simply because it was Zack's last hope. What's even sadder is that I don't think Zack would do well on the indies, at least not in the long term. He's a charismatic guy and a good enough hand, but I couldn't see him in Evolve, ROH, much less PWG or New Japan. Guys like Swagger and Ryback whom I thought would fare better on the indies pretty much solidified for me that it's not for everyone. Even Zack's former partner Hawkins, who dreamed of being in Dragon Gate or ROH couldn't manage to pull off a great indy run.

[@myfinalheaven9590]

Waited a long time for this topic to come out.

[@mattjoseph3545]

One legged tights? That's Billy gun levels of gear.

[@Xamontt]

Fact of the matter is if Zack kept going and wound up a top guy the fans would have turned on him, they like to cheer the lower card to midcard people and when they get big they turn.

[@derpygoku]

I knew this was gonna be an episode of Wrestling with Wregret. I've experienced the Rise and Fall of Zack Ryder, he really needed a push and winning the US Title was the way how, but until Zack Ryder created Z True Long Island Story, I loved Zack even more, but once Cena got envolved, I didn't care about it but, once Kane returned and Eve turning on him, it was so horrible, that when it ended, I stopped watching wrestling, but kept tuning in, I started watching it again once CM Punk turned heel when he was still champion, I still watch it but, not as much as before

[@kazallroberts]

10:28-12:00 Dave spitting the facts.

[@obsoleteworlds]

The fact that he retired Tommy Dreamer from ECW probably should have been something worth mentioning but like everything else it was misused.

[@rickyrosay33977]

That's a prime example of what the wwe and many people thought of that version of "ECW"

[@dredbeautyandrea]

Yes the Honesty was needed!!