During an appearance on Konnan’s podcast, Zack Ryder talked about his momentum being cooled off in 2012 and if it was due to him getting over on his own with his internet series instead of through WWE:
“So, I started the show in 2011, like I said, doing nothing on TV. By the end of 2011, that’s when I finally get on television and end up winning the US title. I think the crowd, the people, I have to thank them. They were just chanting my name at shows I wasn’t even at. It got to the point where I feel like they said, ‘Okay, we got to do something with this kid, because they wouldn’t shut up.’ And then right after that, I win the title in December.
In January of the next year 2012 is where, and at the time, I’m involved with Cena. Cena is the top guy, right? So now, I’m doing stuff with John Cena. I’m like, ‘Holy shit, I’m doing stuff with John Cena. This is great.’ But then I get chokeslammed by Kane off a stage, I’m in this neck brace, and I’m in a wheelchair, I get pushed off. So that’s early 2012, and I’m like, ‘What’s going on here?’ And then Wrestlemania that year, I get kicked in the balls by Eve Torres.
At the time, I’m like, ‘Okay, so I’m working with Cena, I’m working with Kane, I’m in this Wrestlemania match.’ I don’t really realize that it’s over until that Wrestlemania ends and then pretty much I’m done. I don’t continue on with Kane. Nothing with Eve. Nothing with Cena. And I see everything that I worked so hard for disappear.”
“Do I think Vince resented it? Listen, did it go the way I wanted it to go, absolutely not, but here’s the thing. I could have easily knocked on his door and said, ‘Hey, Vince. What’s going on here? Why am I getting pushed off the stage in a wheelchair? Why am I getting chokeslammed through a stage?’ But, I at the time was a couple of things: I was naive, I wasn’t mature enough, I wasn’t man enough to just knock on his door and ask. So, we’ll never know. So, it would be unfair to me to say he resented it or I was buried, because, you know what? If anyone buried anybody, it was me, because I could have asked. I could have at least asked and inquired.”
“I was also too naive where I thought, ‘Okay, well you know, for instance, Kane is chokeslamming me off a stage or pushing me off a stage in a wheel chair. I’ll just wrestle him at Backlash.’ I didn’t realize what was going on until it was almost too late.”
