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On Wednesday 8/17, WWE visited The Children's Hospital of Montefiore in The Bronx, visiting with patients and throwing a big party for them in conjunction with the Connor's Cure charity founded by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon-Levesque. At the event, I had the chance to speak with Zack Ryder about a number of different topics. Here is a complete transcript.
MIKE JOHNSON: We're here with Zack Ryder as WWE is visiting Montefiore Hospital in conjunction with Connor's Cure as WWE is throwing a big party for some of the kids here. How are you today, sir?
ZACK RYDER: Great, how are you?
JOHNSON: Good. Now, you're a New York City guy, we all know this. A Long Island guy. What does it mean to you to be able to give back to the local community here? You're on the road all the time. For you to be able to be part of this and do this in your hometown has to be a little extra special.
RYDER: It's great that we have a big event like Summerslam in New York and we have a whole week to do this. We're here today signing autographs and drawing wrestling masks together. It's an awesome experience. I try to remember how I felt as a kid meeting these idols of mine. When we walk in with all these kids and they are in awe of us and it's great. We get to give back to them and hang out with them and spend some quality time with them - sign autographs and play with them and it's just an awesome, awesome experience.
JOHNSON: So, Fact: You're happy Curt Hawkins is back?
RYDER: It's great. Hawkins is my boy. We started wrestling in 2003 together. So, he left WWE and we always stayed in contact and stayed in contact. So, he's back on the roster and it's great.
JOHNSON: You're a long way from the NYWC Sportatorium.
RYDER: Yeah! Long time ago.
JOHNSON: So, you got to have a really awesome moment at Wrestlemania with the Intercontinental championship.
RYDER: Oh yeah.
JOHNSON: So, you've talked about it a little bit, but there was a time period where you were super-hot and things kind of went by the wayside, so what did it mean to you at that moment where you pulled that belt down and 100,000 people absolutely lose their mind over it because they're not expecting it?
RYDER: I've got goose bumps now with you just describing it. This whole career of mine has been up and down, roller coaster ride. Like you said, I have that brief little 2011-2012 YouTube deal and you know, and then kind of didn't do anything of relevance for a few years. Even at the beginning of this year, I wasn't in the Royal Rumble. I wasn't one of the thirty guys and if you would have told me in January that you are going to be in the ladder match for the Intercontinental title at Wrestlemania, I would have said, 'no way' but then look, I ended up winning the thing. My dad slid into the ring. It was just chaotic. It was literally just a dream come true.
JOHNSON: Now, you do get to live your dreams but here you get to give back and pay it forward towards others. What does it mean to you when you come into a room like today and you see these kids light up? For you, its like meeting Razor Ramon or Shawn Michaels when you were a kid [Ryder laughs], so what's it like for you when kids see you as this larger than life superhuman entity and it empowers them?
RYDER: Yeah, I try to remember what it was like when I met these idols of mine, these Superstars. When I walk in with all these kids and they are in awe of us and it's great. We get to give back to them and just hang out with them and spend some quality time with them and play with them and it's just awesome, an awesome experience.
JOHNSON: One last question and then we will let you go. You spent a lot of time down in NXT with Mojo Rawley and a couple of other guys. What is that like where now you're the veteran and you're the one helping some of those guys who are just coming up and helping them gain their experience?
RYDER: The whole deal with Mojo was crazy. It was an opportunity that was thrown into my lap. I always try to make the best of things - in WWE and in life. The Hype Bros, hey. I never really wanted to be a tag team guy, but hey, let's give it my best shot and look at all the opportunities it led to. It led to Wrestlemania and now the Hype Bros are on Smackdown and were here to dominate. We're not here to be just another team on the roster. We're there for one reason and that's to win Tag Team gold.
JOHNSON: Well, I know you have a lot of things you need to do today, so thank you for your time.
RYDER: Awesome man. Thank you. I appreciate it.
For more on Connor's Cure, click here.
For more on The Children's Hospital of Montefiore, click here.
Follow Zack Ryder @ZackRyder.
Mike Johnson can be reached at MikeJohnsonPWInsider@gmail.com.
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