Ziggler wearing a Ryder shirt in the Hardcore Match

[BigWill]

There really isn't much difference between the way Ziggler gets booked when he has heat and the way he normally gets booked, so I don' think he has anything to worry about.

[saintpat]

There is a simple explanation.

CM Punk stole Dolph's Colt Cabana shirt, so Dolph ran up to the merch table and everything was sold out ... except for a large box of surplus Ryder shirts.

[RIHT]

Nov 26, 2013 9:57:32 GMT -5 Sparkybob said:

Nov 26, 2013 9:49:15 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

If they're not going to do anything serious with Ziggler, why not have him and Ryder buddy up?

Because Kane is now part of the authority and his hatred for Ryder will prevent Zack to being booked on raw.

Vince already has that covered.

[Deleted]

Nov 29, 2013 19:18:27 GMT -5 saintpat said:

There is a simple explanation.

CM Punk stole Dolph's Colt Cabana shirt, so Dolph ran up to the merch table and everything was sold out ... except for a large box of surplus Ryder shirts.

Since Raw was on Long Island, WWE couldn't risk selling Ryder merch and making money off him (gasp!) so Dolph probably wore the same shirt Ryder did for Superstars tapings earlier that night.

[Instant Classic]

What does Dolph think this is 2011?

[Deleted]

Nov 29, 2013 19:33:46 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

What does Dolph think this is 2011?

Next week he'll come out with brown hair.

[Instant Classic]

Nov 29, 2013 19:35:50 GMT -5 @rackzyder said:

Nov 29, 2013 19:33:46 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

What does Dolph think this is 2011?

Next week he'll come out with brown hair.

I am perfection!!

[Bootista]

Nov 29, 2013 19:33:46 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

What does Dolph think this is 2011?

Shame on him for supporting a friend. Hang him! *sarcasm*

[Instant Classic]

Nov 29, 2013 19:42:46 GMT -5 Bootista said:

Nov 29, 2013 19:33:46 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

What does Dolph think this is 2011?

Shame on him for supporting a friend. Hang him! *sarcasm*

First off I never said he couldn't. Second off good bye.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Nov 29, 2013 19:33:46 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

What does Dolph think this is 2011?

Thing is, even now Ryder has a pretty loyal fanbase. As limited as he is, wouldn't it make sense to try to make money of him over guys like R-Truth? Truth may be a better performer overall, but I very much dooubt he makes anywhere near as much monney for the company as Ryder.

[Instant Classic]

Nov 30, 2013 0:00:11 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

Nov 29, 2013 19:33:46 GMT -5 Instant Classic said:

What does Dolph think this is 2011?

Thing is, even now Ryder has a pretty loyal fanbase. As limited as he is, wouldn't it make sense to try to make money of him over guys like R-Truth? Truth may be a better performer overall, but I very much dooubt he makes anywhere near as much monney for the company as Ryder.

I do also wish Ryder was more successful, shame he isn't.

[Deleted]

Nov 26, 2013 9:49:15 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

If they're not going to do anything serious with Ziggler, why not have him and Ryder buddy up?

I think I'd rather have Ziggler do absolutely nothing than that.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

Nov 30, 2013 0:04:41 GMT -5 @robvancam said:

Nov 26, 2013 9:49:15 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

If they're not going to do anything serious with Ziggler, why not have him and Ryder buddy up?

I think I'd rather have Ziggler do absolutely nothing than that.

Why? They're friends. And unless Ziggler is going to be back in the main title picture or using his star power to boost the IC belt, there's no point in him doing nothing. It would really help Ryder out. And if he were teaming with Ryder, most likely Dolph would be the star of the team and they'd be coming out to Dolph's music and all that. At the same time, Ziggler teaming up with another "Generic CAW" type allows for matching gear and stuff.

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2013 0:07:11 GMT -5 CATCH_US IS the Conversation said:

Nov 30, 2013 0:04:41 GMT -5 @robvancam said:

I think I'd rather have Ziggler do absolutely nothing than that.

Why? They're friends. And unless Ziggler is going to be back in the main title picture or using his star power to boost the IC belt, there's no point in him doing nothing. It would really help Ryder out. And if he were teaming with Ryder, most likely Dolph would be the star of the team and they'd be coming out to Dolph's music and all that. At the same time, Ziggler teaming up with another "Generic CAW" type allows for matching gear and stuff.

I'd much rather have Ryder team back up with Hawkins and Ziggler just do his own thing, even if that means just putting on great matches while losing.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

Nov 30, 2013 0:12:48 GMT -5 @robvancam said:

Nov 30, 2013 0:07:11 GMT -5 CATCH_US IS the Conversation said:

Why? They're friends. And unless Ziggler is going to be back in the main title picture or using his star power to boost the IC belt, there's no point in him doing nothing. It would really help Ryder out. And if he were teaming with Ryder, most likely Dolph would be the star of the team and they'd be coming out to Dolph's music and all that. At the same time, Ziggler teaming up with another "Generic CAW" type allows for matching gear and stuff.

I'd much rather have Ryder team back up with Hawkins and Ziggler just do his own thing, even if that means just putting on great matches while losing.

Same here, I'd rather have Ryder and Hawkins too, along with a face version of Team Rocket (just Dolph and Big E; They keep their same gimmicks, looks, and personas, but wear matching colors). But Ziggler needs SOMETHING, and like I said if he isn't going after a main title, or a midcard title, or at least having an "epic" feud with someone (even if it's over something trivial like a Japanese shampoo commercial, an action figure, or a parking space), he needs to be in a team, not just having random matches. Because then he's just Bizarro Sheamus.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Nov 30, 2013 0:12:48 GMT -5 @robvancam said:

Nov 30, 2013 0:07:11 GMT -5 CATCH_US IS the Conversation said:

Why? They're friends. And unless Ziggler is going to be back in the main title picture or using his star power to boost the IC belt, there's no point in him doing nothing. It would really help Ryder out. And if he were teaming with Ryder, most likely Dolph would be the star of the team and they'd be coming out to Dolph's music and all that. At the same time, Ziggler teaming up with another "Generic CAW" type allows for matching gear and stuff.

I'd much rather have Ryder team back up with Hawkins and Ziggler just do his own thing, even if that means just putting on great matches while losing.

Fans love Ziggler, fans love Ryder. Nothing is really happening for either of them right now, having them team up every now and then would not hurt either man.

Hawkins, as good a performer as he is and as good as he and Ryder were together, is pretty much dead in the water. Possibly only JTG and Rosa Mendes are lower in the pecking order than him. There's a bigger gap between where Ryder is at and where Hawkins is than there is between Ziggler and Ryder. Hawkins would probably have more to gain teaming with an NXT guy at this stage and trying to work his way back up than Ryder would dropping to Hawkins' level.

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

Nov 30, 2013 0:20:24 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

Nov 30, 2013 0:12:48 GMT -5 @robvancam said:

I'd much rather have Ryder team back up with Hawkins and Ziggler just do his own thing, even if that means just putting on great matches while losing.

Fans love Ziggler, fans love Ryder. Nothing is really happening for either of them right now, having them team up every now and then would not hurt either man.

Hawkins, as good a performer as he is and as good as he and Ryder were together, is pretty much dead in the water. Possibly only JTG and Rosa Mendes are lower in the pecking order than him. There's a bigger gap between where Ryder is at and where Hawkins is than there is between Ziggler and Ryder. Hawkins would probably have more to gain teaming with an NXT guy at this stage and trying to work his way back up than Ryder would dropping to Hawkins' level.

I kind of disagree on your stance with Hawkins. If they're not open to the idea of Ziggler/Ryder, I'd prefer a Major Brothers reunion. They tried teaming him with other people twice with Vance Archer and Tyler Reks (even with matching colors and lots of promo time/storylines in the lower card) and never recaptured the magic that Hawkins had with Ryder. Looking through the current NXT roster along with other main roster guys, there really isn't anyone I could see him teaming with that wouldn't look awkward. Hawkins teaming with anyone else has always felt "wrong" to me.

You are right that the gap between Ziggler/Ryder is smaller than the one between Ryder/Hawkins, but at the same time I sadly feel that fans might take a Ziggler/Ryder team as more of a demotion for Ziggler than they would a Ryder/Hawkins reunion for Ryder. In fact, a Major Brothers reunion would probably be seen as more of an elevation for Hawkins and probably both men and Ziggler seemingly has a bigger upside than both men combined. As a huge Ryder fan, I worry that Ryder is more likely to get fan backlash for supposedly "holding Dolph back", than Hawkins would for Ryder. The only real way a Major Brothers reunion would be a demotion for Ryder is if they teamed up and Ryder suddenly got even LESS TV time than he already does and they continued to job all the time. But even then, a "new" team is bound to get regular TV time and wins at least for a few weeks. They could even go the Xavier Woods route with Hawkins and have Ryder "introduce" him to the WWE Universe.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Nov 30, 2013 0:45:14 GMT -5 CATCH_US IS the Conversation said:

Nov 30, 2013 0:20:24 GMT -5 Mighty Attack Tribble said:

Fans love Ziggler, fans love Ryder. Nothing is really happening for either of them right now, having them team up every now and then would not hurt either man.

Hawkins, as good a performer as he is and as good as he and Ryder were together, is pretty much dead in the water. Possibly only JTG and Rosa Mendes are lower in the pecking order than him. There's a bigger gap between where Ryder is at and where Hawkins is than there is between Ziggler and Ryder. Hawkins would probably have more to gain teaming with an NXT guy at this stage and trying to work his way back up than Ryder would dropping to Hawkins' level.

I kind of disagree on your stance with Hawkins. If they're not open to the idea of Ziggler/Ryder, I'd prefer a Major Brothers reunion. They tried teaming him with other people twice with Vance Archer and Tyler Reks (even with matching colors and lots of promo time/storylines in the lower card) and never recaptured the magic that Hawkins had with Ryder. Looking through the current NXT roster along with other main roster guys, there really isn't anyone I could see him teaming with that wouldn't look awkward. Hawkins teaming with anyone else has always felt "wrong" to me.

You are right that the gap between Ziggler/Ryder is smaller than the one between Ryder/Hawkins, but at the same time I sadly feel that fans might take a Ziggler/Ryder team as more of a demotion for Ziggler than they would a Ryder/Hawkins reunion for Ryder. In fact, a Major Brothers reunion would probably be seen as more of an elevation for Hawkins and probably both men and Ziggler seemingly has a bigger upside than both men combined. As a huge Ryder fan, I worry that Ryder is more likely to get fan backlash for supposedly "holding Dolph back", than Hawkins would for Ryder. The only real way a Major Brothers reunion would be a demotion for Ryder is if they teamed up and Ryder suddenly got even LESS TV time than he already does and they continued to job all the time. But even if even then, a "new" team is bound to get regular TV time and wins at least for a few weeks. They could even go the Xavier Woods route with Hawkins and have Ryder "introduce" him to the WWE Universe.

I won't disagree totally, but Hawkins' problem has always been his lack of discernible charisma. While I always dug his ring work, he isn't a naturally entertaining personality that Ryder, for all his faults, is. That's where, for me, the partnerships with Archer and Reks fell apart. Whether the fault of the performers or the writers, both teams were incredibly flat..

Could he work as a straight man to Ryder's goofiness? Absolutely, and I would love it. Would it really get either of them anywhere in the eyes of the office? Probably not. As limited as Ryder is technically, he still has more of an upside than Hawkins in the long run.

Ryder and Ziggler have a stronger personal history with each other via Z!TLIS and the US Title feud (the Majors Bros./Edgeheads really never had the established personalities to refute that) and coupled with them both being two of the most notable examples of the office holding people down, pairing them would make sense.

As things stand, Ziggler probably won't rise any higher than he already is (he's already a Main Event/Superstars regular anyway) so I don't think even a loose affiliation with Ryder would be considered as huge a drop down as you fear.