Fall from grace - Superstars who never quite recovered from the fall

2) Zack Ryder

Zack Ryder

From somebody who was initially a part of Edge’s entourage to becoming an internet sensation, Zack Ryder has come a long way. Who knew long blonde locks replaced by short hair and a skin tan could do wonders? Repacking himself in half trunks and the above mentioned extras, Ryder started wrestling in ECW, but still largely remained unnoticed.

After the brand collapsed, he switched between RAW and SmackDown to no avail. With his career going nowhere, He started a YouTube channel called ‘Z! True Long Island Story’. This move proved to be vastly successful for Ryder, who earned a fan following like none other. Fans wanted to see the new ‘internet sensation’ and were very vocal about wanting his presence. His ‘Woo Woo Woo’ catchphrases and purple shirts were largely in demand.

The WWE capitalized on his stardom and made Ryder the assistant GM of SmackDown, and soon, Ryder started making appearances on both shows on a regular basis. He teamed up with John Cena to headline WWE RAW for the first time ever, and also won the United States Championship.

That proved to be it for Ryder, whose career went downhill soon after. He was involved in various meaningless feuds and a storyline with Eve, who was his on-screen girlfriend. Ryder was ranked by Pro Wrestling Torch as #1 in the “Top 10 Crashing Stars of 2012″.

He must certainly be appreciated for carving his own path to stardom. However, sustaining it was perhaps what cost him.