5 Most Underappreciated Athletes in Las Vegas

#5 Ryback: former WWE Superstar from Las Vegas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcqtBYsX_aU

As much as WWE fans might want to rag on Las Vegas native Ryback for his multitude of backstage incidents, or even for supposedly telling Vince McMahon that he was the next John Cena, it’s pretty obvious that he never got the respect he deserved. Furthermore, WWE’s current problem with creating new talent implies that the Las Vegas native was merely a victim of the system around him. Of course, this doesn’t mean all his actions are suddenly excusable, but let’s take a look at this from another lens.

Rewinding to 2012, and Ryback was actually on a 38-match winning streak. No one could beat him. He was built up as a monster heel that could carry the company for years to come. Unfortunately for Ryback, WWE eventually put him in an unwinnable position by booking him in a match with then WWE Champion CM Punk inside Hell in a Cell.

This is where Ryback’s career would take one of the worst turns in WWE history. Not only did his winning streak come to an end at the hands of Punk, but a rogue referee also hit him with a low blow. With that being said and the monumental amount of crap that Ryback was subjected to afterward, he was an underrated talent and deserved more than what he ultimately got. He would be released from WWE a few years after this ill-fated match and never wrestle again.