Zack Ryder

Some Lesser Known Facts About Zack Ryder

• Does Zack Ryder smoke?: No

• Does Zack Ryder drink alcohol?: Yes

• Zack Ryder was an avid WWE (then WWF) fan in his younger days so much so that to this day, he has collected and preserved over hundreds of wrestling toys at his home.

• While at the high school, Ryder was diagnosed with cancer, which had spread from his foot to both of his lungs. However, the aspiring wrestler miraculously survived after undergoing a surgery and regular chemotherapy sessions.

• Ryder began his wrestling career in 2004, at the New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC), under the ring name Brett Matthews.

• Just one year post his debut at the NYWC, Ryder got the opportunity to appear on WWE TV. In of the episodes of SmackDown, he was featured as a local jobber in a match against former WWE superstar Matt Morgan. The following year, Ryder officially signed with the WWE and was assigned to their now defunct Deep South Wrestling developmental wing in Georgia.

• After making a few sporadic appearances on ECW and SmackDown, Ryder expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the company was pushing him. Finding no convincing ideas from the WWE creative, he took the matter into his own hands and launched a YouTube web series- Z! True Long Island Story, to promote his gimmick/character.

• Owing to his YouTube Channel and other social media accounts, Ryder became an internet sensation within months. Despite not getting a chance to feature on WWE TV, Ryder’s merchandise became ‘bestseller’ at the WWE store. “We Want Ryder” chants became a routine at the promotion’s live events, thus forcing the company to promote the wrestler up the card.

• Being a huge fan of the Ghostbusters movie series, Ryder often sported a Ghostbusters themed ring attire during matches.

• In 2011, Sports Illustrated, a reputed sports magazine, listed Ryder among 100 most influential Twitter users in sports.

• In January 2013, Ryder released a music video, titled ‘Hoeski’. Not only did it garner over 1,00,000 views in four days but it also managed to secure No. 92 position on the iTunes Pop Music chart. Even the WWE acknowledged the video by posting it on its official YouTube Channel.