“Feed me more.”
Those words became synonymous with Ryback, number four in our list. The former Skip Sheffield has came far since his days as a goofy cowboy and enforcer of NXT. When he debuted in April 2012 as Ryback, he quickly started a winning streak to rival that of late 90s star Bill Goldberg. But he quickly started to show more personality as his character developed and moved towards battling more established stars.
It wasn’t until Ryback seemed on track for an Intercontinental title shot however that he saw his value instantly skyrocket on WWE television. After beating The Miz in a non-title match, he showed up to give aid to Mick Foley and kick off a feud with none other than WWE champion CM Punk.
With John Cena’s work limited by injury, the still-undefeated Ryback challenged Punk at “Hell in a Cell”. After only six months back on the roster, Ryback was on the top of the card on pay-per-view. He would go on to lose the match due to referee interference as Brad Maddox cheated to give Punk the win.
He would destroy Brad Maddox on television only to have his chances at the title stolen a second time by the debuting Shield unit, a debut that put Ryback in to one of the hottest storylines in WWE. He would team with Daniel Bryan and Kane, Team Hell No, in a victory against The Shield at “TLC”, but it seems the issues between him and the unit are only beginning.
Ryback’s future shows nothing but promise as he moves towards a cemented main event status. Expect the up-and-comer to win his first major title in 2013, even as an opponent like Undertaker or Brock Lesnar seems likely in his Wrestlemania future.
Follow Ryback on Twitter.
Subscribe to the Cedar Rapids Pro Wrestling Examiner for continued updates as the countdown of the top ten wrestlers of 2012 continues.
Comments