I don’t often write about professional wrestling on this blog. Every once in a while, I find something that I just feel I want to blog about.
Such as watching Edge’s retirement live in Albany.
Or the bloodbath that is independent wrestling.
With all going on recently in the WWE, there’s a lot that could be talked about, but I want to tackle one subject.
Zack Ryder, bro.
When he first arrived in the WWE, I was trying to figure out what his point was. He was jobbed out (lost all the time) and didn’t seem to have a place. He got to the point where he was annoying.
Alas, where credit is due, it is given.
Ryder is a sensation now. And he’s done it in a different way that most pro wrestlers do it.
He’s taken to the Internet.
Twitter. YouTube. Facebook. He’s a social networking guru when it comes to getting his name out there. He’s funny, engaging and honest.
And he’s an absolute riot. From his weekly show “Z True Long Island Story,” to his candid and humorous tweets, Ryder has taken the Internet by storm.
So much so that Sports Illustrated, on SI.com, named Ryder one of its Twitter 100, where SI polled more than 50 SI staffers who are hardcore Twitter users, asking them who they visit daily for news and entertainment.
Are you serious, bro?
Ryder, who has tweeted more than 3,000 times and has 144,957 followers (as of this writing), is the lone WWE superstar on the SI list.
His followers keep getting stronger, too. Signs constantly appear on live WWE TV in support of Ryder (who has appeared on RAW, the flagship show of WWE recently, but not in a major role).
What he has done is shown how to become a star without getting all that face time on TV.
As the self-proclaimed WWE Internet champion — he even has a title belt for it — he’s really showing that he can become a star and maybe the WWE should take a peek at what he can do.I saw a YouTube video of one of his recent matches at a house show (a non-televised show) and his moves were pretty solid. He can work a microphone, is obviously over with the crowd and seemingly can play the heel or the face, when needed.
Though his other social networking setups don’t have as many followers as Twitter, he’s still strong on them.
His YouTube channel has 48,109 subscribers and more than 3,000,000 total upload views of his weekly show, which (as of July 15) has 22 episodes.
More than 24,000 people like his Facebook page.
The bottom line is this broski has a following now, and eventually the WWE is going to have to pay attention, or so I would hope. Who knows with them, however.
If not, I’m sure the fanbase Ryder has created will still continue to follow him and his exploits through the Internet.
For those of you who might be wrestling fans (and even those who aren’t), you should seriously consider giving his weekly show a peek. They average about 5 minutes each and have a cast of characters, which include Zack’s father (who is, on the show, infatuated with WWE superstar John Morrison), some of his friends, other WWE star and various other people (including Broski of the Week, where someone sends in a 30-second video on why they should earn that title).
He shows stills of signs at WWE events from the past week’s TV shows and appears to have one heck of a time with the show.
His two “catch phrases” are quite funny in “Woo Woo Woo, you know it” and “take care, spike your hair.” The latter even has a song. Classic stuff.
This is the kind of stuff I still like about professional wrestling (at times). It’s entertaining and funny. That’s what the WWE should be. I realize sometimes it has to be “serious,” as it’s basically an adult soap opera. But I like to laugh and be entertained and Ryder does that.
Hopefully, he’ll eventually get a bigger stage to do it on. And maybe even defend his Internet championship belt.
Woo Woo Woo, you know it, Bro.
And remember, take care and spike your hair.
Online:
- Zack Ryder on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ZackRyder
- Zack Ryder on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/longislandicedz
- Zack Ryder on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/longislandicedz
Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com.
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