Â鶹APP

Ryback in April 2014 photo by Miguel Discart –

Top 10 Facts about Ryback

Ryback Allen Reeve is a professional wrestler from the United States. His tenure in WWE, where he competed under the ring name Ryback, is what made him most famous. He is regarded by many as one of the most prominent WWE talents of the PG Era in 2012. He has been associated with WWE for more than ten years, gaining a variety of expertise.

Ryback has loved the wrestling profession since he was a little boy, and even though he has faced some criticism throughout his career, it’s always satisfying to watch true fans realize their ambition of breaking into the WWE. Here are the top 10 facts about Ryback.

1. Ryback started working out at the age of 12

Of course, Ryback’s physique is the thing that stands out the most at first glance. He may have been the most muscular guy in the WWE at one point, and as such, he naturally consumes astounding calories and spends a lot of time working out in the gym in between meals. However, Ryback’s commitment to his body is best demonstrated by the fact that he has been working out since he was 12 years old; for the former WWE wrestler, working out is just a way of life.

For Ryback, the physical consequences of such a demanding lifestyle may be incidental, but they undoubtedly made him stand out in the WWE more than any other aspect.

2. Ryback played Baseball in college

Photo by Eduardo Balderas on

It should come as no surprise that a significant portion of professional wrestlers has experience playing collegiate or even professional sports given the intense competition and physical demands of the job. The Rock and Steve Austin were well-known football players, and Undertaker, Big Show, and Kevin Nash were famous basketball players who made the most of their evident athletic gifts. Ryback’s incredibly strong build might make you think he played football in college, either as a scary linebacker or defensive end. Although he was good at it in high school, baseball is still his favourite sport.

Ryback had dreams of becoming a professional athlete when a freshman at the Community College of Southern Nevada, but an unfortunate leg break put an end to those plans. It’s not difficult to picture the Intercontinental Champion hitting a home run and having a cannon-like throwing arm, especially given his obvious strength and power.

3. Ryback participated in the WWE’s “Tough Enough”

Ryback in 9/24/09 while still Skip Sheffield photo by Jeremy Jagoda –

Reeves received an invitation to Venice Beach along with 49 other contestants after sending a brief one-minute video of himself to WWE’s reality television program, $1,000,000 Tough Enough. Reeves experienced bronchitis and a rib injury during the first week of practice. He was ultimately chosen as one of the eight finalists to compete on SmackDown! and was eliminated last.

Reeves impressed WWE executives to the point where they decided to sign him to a developmental deal even though he did not win the competition. Before moving to Atlanta, Georgia in March 2005, he spent some time in Las Vegas recovering from his injuries.

Click here to find out the top 10 facts about PJ Black.

4. He spent five years in the WWE developmental

Ryback during a WWE house show on February 2, 2013, in Montgomery, Alabama photo by Anton –

The big guy couldn’t be accused of not doing his part because Ryback came in for a lot of flak. He competed for the WWE for five years in several developmental territories, progressing from Deep South Wrestling to OVW before switching to FCW and being selected for the inaugural season of NXT. Despite having made his debut in the Wade Barrett-led Nexus invasion in 2010 (donning the Skip Sheffield persona), Ryback has been associated with the WWE for more than ten years at this point.

His first appearance on Tough Enough was over a decade ago as a fully untrained bodybuilder! The former Intercontinental Champion has had a long and often difficult route to becoming one of wrestling’s most recognizable faces.

5. His name Ryback was derived from his childhood nickname

Ryback applying the Thesz Press on Kane photo by Miguel Discart –

Ryback’s ring name was one of those that just suited them; it sounded powerful, strong, and dynamic, just like the guy himself (and it certainly sounded a lot less silly than his NXT persona, Skip Sheffield). However, Ryback came up with it in OVW, integrating a childhood moniker, rather than in a WWE creative meeting or a flash of brilliance.

Friends dubbed the former WWE superstar ‘Silverback’ as a child owing to his strong body resembling that of a gorilla. He merged that with a portion of his true name – Ryan Reeves – to form the scary nickname we all know and love today.

6.  He was a one-time WWE intercontinental champion

Danny Merman vs Ryback at Smackdown taping in a photo by Ed Webster –

Ryback won the WWE Intercontinental Championship once. Ryback won the vacant Intercontinental Championship, his first professional wrestling championship in WWE, at the 2015 Elimination Chamber by defeating Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, King Barrett, and Mark Henry in an Elimination Chamber match.

The next night, before Ryback’s first championship defence against The Miz, Big Show attacked Miz and challenged Ryback, sparking an animosity between the two. Big Show defeated Ryback by disqualification at Money in the Bank after Miz attacked him; Ryback retained the title as a consequence.

7. Ryback has frequently been compared to Goldberg

Wrestler Bill Goldberg visits USS Ronald Reagan photo by Adam Rickert –

Throughout his ring battles, Ryback has frequently been compared to Goldberg. He declared that he would dearly love to wrestle Goldberg in the future. When he made a comeback as Ryback in 2012 and started a 38-match winning streak, he unavoidably attracted comparisons to WCW legend Goldberg. There were a lot of similarities between the two fighters, including their baldness, extreme strength, and a preference for speaking to their opponents in the ring.

Ryback was soon the target of loud ‘Goldberg’ chants from fans who had swiftly caught on, which he happily appeared to have shaken off and allowed him to develop his character. A little-known detail about Ryback, though, is how he actively embraced the prospect of a Goldberg feud.

8. He was laid off by WWE due to a contract dispute

Reeves’ departure from television was reportedly caused by a contract issue, and on May 2 it was revealed that he had not taken part in the advertised battle royal contest. Reeves provided a lengthy explanation on his personal Tumblr page the next day, on May 3, stating that he had taken the choice to leave.

He cited a lack of equitable remuneration for skill and creative frustration as the main causes of his resignation. Reeves confirmed his parting with WWE on Instagram on August 5. WWE dismissed Ryback three days later.

9. Ryback claims that his greatest moment was leaving WWE

Ryback in April 2016 photo by Miguel Discart –

Ryback discussed a variety of topics from his time in the WWE. The Big Guy said in an interview that his best moment was when he quit the WWE. He also talked about his experience working with Paul Heyman and as a tag team partner with Curtis Axel.

Ryback is undoubtedly not the only one that is unhappy with his time in the WWE. He said how fantastic it was to go, but for a wrestler who hasn’t had success elsewhere and has been in the spotlight for significant periods, it seemed a little over the top and perhaps like resentment for not reaching his full potential.

10. He wrestled on Independent circuits after he departed from WWE

Reeves revealed via Instagram that he was leaving WWE and that he would now be accepting independent bookings. From August 2017 to August 2018, he did not lose a match on the independent circuit, and he hasn’t competed since then. In a tweet, Reeves hinted about joining All Elite Wrestling by writing that he was “heading to the competition.”

Later, he appeared to confirm his participation in the Casino Battle Royale at Double or Nothing 2021 by tweeting a video of himself in front of slot machines. However, despite the suggestion, he would not participate in the event and has not appeared in AEW.

Also check out the top 10 interesting facts about Alberto Del Rio.