Zack Ryder On How He Would Pitch Ideas To WWE, Getting Teased Over It

Matt Cardona and Brian Myers, formerly Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins, were guests on a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho. Cardona and Myers talked about their careers in WWE including the time Myers got fired in 2014 but was brought back a few years later. Myers discussed why he was brought back and the ironic time his signing came at.

"I believe Smackdown was going live, and they had just made one of those big cuts like they just made last week," Myers answered. "I think they kind of went like, 'oh s–t. We just fired all these guys, but we need guys now for this and that,' and what I was told is that Vince wanted guys back that didn't need to be taught. You know, guys that just knew how to work television. They made a small list, and he hand-picked a couple of us off it. It was like me, Jinder [Mahal], Rhyno and Shelton [Benjamin], and that's how it all happened.

"I don't say I was misled but like I was like, 'oh cool, this is going to be sweet, but they really just wanted me back kind of in my old spot of just making other people look good, which is fine. That's pro wrestling. It is what it is, and I love it either way. I was grateful for it."

Myers' biggest storyline in his final years with WWE was his losing streak gimmick. Some former wrestlers have said that they would have quit if given that gimmick, but Myers revealed that he was the one that noticed the losing streak mentioned online and wanted to keep it going to the point of convincing Vince McMahon and the writers to lose in his hometown.

"Then what really happened was some, I think some dirt sheet reporter or something wrote some article like Curt Hawkins loses 100th consecutive match in a row, and it was like getting tweeted to me," Myers explained. "I'm sitting there going, 'well, that's definitely true, but I was like that's awesome. Like who cares? Let's keep it going.' I was pitching to everybody like I'm losing anyway, just make sure I keep losing.

"I was supposed to beat Heath on like Superstars or Main Event, and that was when finally I went to a writer. I made him go to Vince. Can you tell him I'd rather not? lt was in Barclays, and he said something like, 'let Hawkins get one in his hometown.' I was like, 'I'd rather not. Let's see where this goes, and I just knew that organically, if I just committed to it, something would come of it. I didn't realize how much I was going to lose, but it finally did pick up steam where I truly felt like people were invested in my matches like they had never been before."

Cardona sympathized with Myers' losing streak but says that it wasn't as bad as not being on RAW for a year. Even when on RAW, Cardona rarely won a match. He told a story about pitching an idea to Vince like sending in a school project and getting teased for it by the locker room.

"During that time, you know Hawkins, you think it's bad losing every match, I didn't have a match on RAW in a year," Cardona noted. "I dress up in my suit and try to talk to Vince. One day, here's a funny story. I went to him one week, and he's like great ideas. Next week, bring it to me in writing. So the next week, I typed it up like it was a school project. I had the cover sheet and everything. I'm walking around the locker room, and people are making fun of me taking the picture of Zack Ryder pitches, but at that point, I was doing whatever I could.

"I've been up and down, up and down. I was hopeful that something would come around, and luckily, it was just this perfect storm. Hawkins on this losing streak [and] me doing nothing. People were like, 'oh my God, these guys used to be partners.' I think the podcast the Major Wrestling Figures podcast, I'm going to plug it right here, but I think it got it in people's heads. So when I do the big big run-in to save Hawkins, it all made sense, and it was perfect timing."

Myers' losing streak ended at WrestleMania 35 when he and Cardona defeated The Revival for the RAW Tag Team Championships. Jericho asked about that moment, and the two talked about how amazing the moment was and how Myers got his WrestleMania moment.

"Yeah at WrestleMania," Myers replied. "We won the tag team titles in front of our hometown friends and family, my wife and my kids. It's got to be my favorite thing that I've ever done in my career. 269 losses in a row, but I got my WrestleMania moment. I mean honestly, you know the epitome of like people in our business being marks for themselves. I lost 269 matches in a row. I never had more fun. I was never more over. I never made more money.

"That was super cool for me because I had that WrestleMania moment where I won the IC Title, but this one, I had the front row seat to watch him get his," Cardona added. "I'm literally on the floor laid out and the people, they're wanting it to happen. When he gets that one-two-three, the people go nuts and it was just so cool."

Cardona and Myers are now free agents after recently being released by WWE. Cardona talked about how he wants to use this opportunity to not prove anyone wrong but to prove his fans and supporters right.

"My main thing is listen, I was there for so long, and I am grateful for everything, the ups and the downs. I truly believe that is why I am the person I am today," Cardona stated. "I grew up as a man there and as a wrestler. More importantly as a man and as a person, but right now, I don't really care about proving people wrong. I want to prove everyone right, all those supporters, everyone who really gave a s–t about me during that YouTube era or every little time when they didn't they didn't have to care about me. That's who I want to prove right, and I want to prove myself right. I just cannot wait for all the opportunities out there."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Talk Is Jericho with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.