WWE Superstar Zack Ryder was recently interviewed by former ring announcer Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory. Here are the highlights:
Not being used on RAW: “At the end of the day, like right now with Monday Night Raw, I am not being used,” Ryder said. “Can I cry about it or can I be grateful and say that I am still here. I mean, you can go to a toy store and buy a Zack Ryder action figure today so my life can definitely be a lot worse.
“What am I going to do, sit around and be bitter? I hate when people do that. Like, poor me. Come on, we’re here in WWE. Can things be better? Yes! But they can be so much worse. I am not a super positive person, but come on. You have to look at yourself in the mirror. Trust me, there have been times where I have been bitter, but what does it solve? Nothing.”
Ryder’s once famous YouTube channel being overtaken by WWE: “I was doing the YouTube show and it was at the peak of its popularity before it went to sh–,” Ryder said. “That whole process where I basically had to hand over my YouTube show I saw my hard work literally go down the drain, and everything I did to earn my spot on television only to see it bump down lower and lower.
“I will admit, I was bitter. I was asking myself why all of this was happening. I had proven myself and I felt like i was being punished. I was definitely bitter for that.”
What he would’ve done differently: “I think I could have done a couple of things,” Ryder said. “I don’t really have any regrets, but three in particular with one of them being that time period I should have went and knocked on Vince McMahon’s door and asked what was going on here but I didn’t.
“Was I afraid or intimidated? Maybe, but I didn’t do it, and that is one of my biggest regrets because I didn’t have any ground to stand on. Since then we have built a relationship, but then when I was in my hottest point and was in the top three of merchandise selling at one point I should have went in there but I didn’t, which is on me.
“It was nobody else’s fault but mine. I could have been in better shape, a bit bitter. I was still kind of skinnier there; perhaps not by much but 10 lbs makes a big difference but back then I didn’t know what I was doing. All that is on me. I am not blaming anyone else but myself.”
H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions
