Zack Ryder: Beating the odds, one "woo woo woo" at a time.

I'm not going to lie. I have always thought that Zack Ryder was a talented individual. I knew he was an accomplished wrestler. I just didn't put my faith in him with this new look of his. I mean, being the quintessential "Era guy" from the 80s, 90s, and even 2000s, sounds like a pretty lame idea. In fact, only the older fans would get it since most of the young fans never lived through it. It's the older fans who can't stand him because they have lived through those eras, they do know what he's doing, and they see how corny and one-dimensional the idea is. Yet, something strange has happened along the way. Somehow, someway, Zack Ryder has won the respect of some of these fans, if not most of them. Despite the annoying attitude, Ryder has shown the world that he is competent enough to be a top star, if not that, a star on the rise. And, I for one, like some others, am buying into it.

Ryder started his run on ECW stomping out jobbers, then getting some key victories against some stars like Yoshi Tatsu and Tommy Dreamer. Then, he found himself doing two things: warring with Shelton Benjamin and vying for Christian's ECW title. His feud with Benjamin involved them tagging up together with failed results, battling each other talent-wise with singing, and doing battle in the ring with Shelton remaining undefeated against him. However, that slowly became an afterthought when Ryder started challenging Christian. They traded barbs and quips, leading to a non-title main event with the two. Ryder proved he could hang with Christian as well as prove that he could be a #1 contender by winning a battle royal. So, he managed to fight Christian twice and lost, non-title and for the title. He was impressive and has turned heads, to say the least. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a star on another brand within a year from now....or at least something like that.

See, this is an example of when the WWE uses its new booking style and it actually helps them. This is one of a number of times where the WWE creates an idea so boisterous, so foolish, so nonsensical that, if put over enough times and if it is "over-the-top" enough, people may actually start to like it, or like to hate it. The Boogeyman was so ridiculous, that it was actually funny. Cryme Tyme is so stereotypically silly, that sometimes, it's actually entertaining. Zack Ryder falls into this category in this case. For those of us who get how goofy he is, we can look past his gimmick and see his ability for what it is. With his gimmick, it's actually a plus, as it brings character to him. So, he's completing the package that he actually is.

There is one problem with Zack Ryder. See, his character might have some flair to it, but it still doesn't have much dimension to it. Sure, the idea is there, but what else is there to the "woo woo woo"? Perhaps he needs more work on the mic skills? Perhaps a new set of moves are needed? Who knows? I just feel that if he were to leave and head to somewhere like Raw or Smackdown, he could get lost in the shuffle. I can see him teaming up with Dolph Ziggler and becoming a tag champ with him. The problem: both do lack dimension in their characters. However, they'd be uneven, in a sense. While Ziggler has more ability and less character, Ryder has more character and less ability. Then again, it's hard to say since Ryder hasn't had many matches with many people, as ECW is limiting with its talent. There isn't enough to go around.

Truth be told, Zack Ryder is proving his worth as an athlete, just as Dolph Ziggler is doing, or as the Miz has done, as Morrison has done, and many have while working their way up through the rigors of the WWE. Sure, his character is grating at times, but there is room for improvement. His ability speaks volumes as he is holding his own, but he has yet to be fully tested. The sky is still the limit for the wonder boy from eras past. If Ryder wants it, he has to work for it, reach for it, and then take it. All we can do is sit back and see if he's got the talent to have it. But if you asked him if he has it, you know what he'd say: You know it! Woo Woo Woo! (man that can get annoying........)