Zack Ryder thought he was going backstage to receive a giant hug and told that he's awesome.
Ryder wasn't booked for Survivor Series at Madison Square Garden in 2011, but he made an appearance during a John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler match that left the crowd chanting his name. Ryder was in the middle of his popularity rise due to his YouTube show and thought the roar of the MSG crowd would be his big break.
But it wasn't.
"It's almost a whole year of working my fucking ass off trying to get noticed. I wasn't booked on the shows and the fans were chanting and bringing signs. I had somebody who would watch Raw and SmackDown, find a Zack Ryder sign, screenshot it, and put it on my show to entice people to bring signs. Finally, I think they had to put me on. It was Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison at Madison Square Garden. I do a run in and the people are going nuts. I get to the curtain, Triple H is there and I'm like, 'Finally, this is it. He's going to say good job, kid. This is what I've been waiting for. How can you deny this?' He pulls me aside and I had just gotten fresh blonde tips in my hair. And he goes, 'Why'd you dye your hair?' 'What? Madison Square Garden is chanting my name and you're asking me why I dyed my hair?' I had been dying my hair for months, it was just a fresh job. That's all that was said that night," Ryder recalled on Talk is Jericho.
Ryder did receive a mini-push thanks to his YouTube channel, but it ended with a wheelchair and Kane.
Elsewhere during the podcast, Curt Hawkins discussed WWE not giving the "grab the brass ring" speech anymore due to Ryder. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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