Ryback isn't strong as he looks!!

[Prince Vee]

Okay, let me drop the bomb here. Yes I'll rephrase what you've read in the title.

Ryback isn't strong as he looks

First I would like to clear your views on me that this isn't a hatred thread on Ryback. I was amazed how much he had improved in the ring in the last two months. His matches are entertaining and always been solid regardless of his opponents. He had put up decent bouts even with the likes of Big Show and Miz.

But you see, as much he has been hyped or being portrayed as the Big Guy he isn't strong enough to be in that zone. Just because he had lifted Big Show and Mark Henry over his shoulders doesn't make him strong. (For the record My guy Wade Barrett had lifted the World's strongest man on his shoulder and nailed Wasteland!)

At times it makes me feel sceptical that if Ryback is really a Steroid Freak as mentioned by CM Punk on Colt's podcast?

Anyhow, the thing that made me feel he isn't strong enough is, despite his muscles, he never made any impact to make him look strong. In my verdict, Cesaro (Swish Superman of course) is way more stronger than him. Have you ever seen Ryback lifts his opponent Vertically for the Vertical Suplex. He just lifts them up and keeps them in the air for eternity it might seem but he lacks that special sort of strength to operate his opponents.

Mind you, I'm not saying that he isn't strong but he isn't strong enough for a guy with his built. I'll spell some of the few blokes who're stronger than him.

Big E
Cesaro
Goldberg
Roman Reigns
Titus O'Neil
Luke Harper
Kurt Angle
Sheamus
Not to say the least Brock Lesnar

Well I can continue this list as we got more strong lads than him in WWE. But my point is, it's sort of rhetorical to mention Ryback as the big guy.

This is my perspective. Sure you can shoot me down with yours. Feel free to share your points. Let's start the debate, Shall we Mateys?

 

[BaconBits]

He's strong enough to do the moves he does. That's all that really matters. Of course he's not as strong as legitimate powerlifters like Big E or Mark Henry, but almost nobody in the world is.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I'm not exactly a bodybuilder so I'd love to know the answers to some of the points implied in this thread.


-Is it even possible to look like Ryback without 'chemical enhancement?'

-Is it possible to look strong without being strong because the guy got his muscles by artificial means?

-I presume if a person pumped iron to look that muscular, he/she is going to be strong whether that was their goal or not. But is it possible to be 'iron weight' strong and still not be able to lift heavyweight wrestlers?

-Is Cesaro a freak of nature? How is it he's so amazing powerful with a (relatively) svelte physique?


Honestly, I never got the impression Ryback was that strong, despite the way he looks. He's had plenty of trouble with some power moves you'd think a guy built like that would handle with ease.

 

[#tamale]

He's not claiming to be the World's Strongest Man. He's the Big Guy. Why? Let's see:

He's big. He's a guy. Hence The Big Guy. It's not that complicated.

 

[Kizzani]

He's not claiming to be the World's Strongest Man. He's the Big Guy. Why? Let's see:

He's big. He's a guy. Hence The Big Guy. It's not that complicated.

This pretty much sums it up, let's take a look at some others too......Since we are on this DUMB SH&T

King Barrett IS NO KING.
Stardust.....Doesn't live in space or even near the stars.
Neville.....Doesn't actually DEFY gravity, he might temporally suspend it , but no longer than many other wrestlers.
Undertaker aka deadman.....Isn't really Dead.
New Day ...They are not really new, just Repackaged.
Prime Time Player ......Not players, Don't really get on PRIME TIME, and are make far less than Millions and millions of Dollars.
HBK .....Doesn't really break hearts.
Jerry Lawler ......Also not a King
The miz ......Not a A lister
Paige..... Even though she screams it, This is not her house, It is Vince's House.


Cool I think I hit enough to make my point. It is called a Gimmick.

 

[MC_Live]

Here's a real simple answer. Don't think he's as strong as he looks? You can go one on one with him in a strength contest. How bout a bench off? We'll see how strong he is then/

"He's not as strong as he looks." Give me a freaking break. Sure, there may be a few guys who are indeed stronger than him, but not by much. Is this really a point of contention?

 

[JJohns]

What a lot of you are looking at is a difference between being built for Strength vs Size. Is it possible to get that big without "chemical enhancement"? It depends on genetics and how much work that someone put in to build size. When I think of strong guys, I think of guys like Magnus Ver Magnusson or Brian Shaw, who have bodies during competition that look closer to Mark Henry than John Cena.

Ryback is a bodybuilder, not a strongman.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Seems like a cheap plug just to mention Wade Barrett again (even though you blatantly ignored the fact that he botched at least one attempt to hit Wasteland on Henry because he couldn't lift him at the time).

Either way, bodybuilder types aren't even close to as strong as power lifters (assuming we're talking about equally advanced in their fields). They're built completely differently. Mark Henry and Ryback are the perfect examples. Are their bodies even remotely similar? Nope. While Ryback is aesthetically more pleasing, Henry is going to be stronger, especially at the kind of lifting you're talking about in suplexing.

Also let's not forget (assuming the weights were real and they looked that way) that Ryback benched 225lbs more times than 99% of the planet ever has or will in his feud with Mark Henry. Calling him not that strong is just dumb.

 

[Prince Vee]

I'm not exactly a bodybuilder so I'd love to know the answers to some of the points implied in this thread.


-Is it even possible to look like Ryback without 'chemical enhancement?'

Well there are steroids of different types. It doesn't necessarily need to use them for bulking up the muscles. For instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger used steroids to reduce his muscles not to increase them. So we can't simply deem what sort of drug he used?

-Is it possible to look strong without being strong because the guy got his muscles by artificial means?

Yes I guess it's possible if the muscles are buildup just by using steroids which are meant only to enhance the muscle and blow it up!

-I presume if a person pumped iron to look that muscular, he/she is going to be strong whether that was their goal or not. But is it possible to be 'iron weight' strong and still not be able to lift heavyweight wrestlers?

Well, this question is a little intricate but I still think I've answer for that fortunately! Trained muscles and bones are much more stronger than normal muscles and fat. So if a person got iron strong weight by hitting irons he undoubtedly is strong and heavy at the same time!

-Is Cesaro a freak of nature? How is it he's so amazing powerful with a (relatively) svelte physique?

Some people get their strength naturally and with even more training they can get their freakish strength. Like I mentioned earlier, trained muscles are much stronger than blown up muscles. For example, you could refer to guys like Frank Medrano, Jason Statham and many UFC guys?!

Hope you got the answers. But if I'm wrong, sure you can tell me!

Cheers!!

 

[Un-Bo-Lievable Jeff]

I'm not sure I see the full connection with being strong and being a big guy.

I'm 6'3, and when standing with my mates, to differentiate between us all, some refer to me as the big guy. In my football team when I am being marked I usually hear the shout 'Someone pick up the big guy'

I am in no way strong.

Ryback is what? 6'6 and weighs close to 300 pounds? If he's not a big guy, then I've no idea what qualifies you as being a big guy.

The link to him being strong doesn't really matter. So is this thread about Ryback being strong? Or about him being a big guy? Because if you use your examples of Cesaro and Barrett who you seem to class as strong, they don't seem to be classed as big guys.

 

[ShinChan]

i totally agree with the guys you named..... they are stronger than him.... look of ryback makes us assume he is very strong....... he is strong but yeah not that strong as he looks! (y)

 

[Reflection]

I'm not exactly a bodybuilder so I'd love to know the answers to some of the points implied in this thread.

Me neither, but I know a thing or two about these stuff. I hope I'll be able to answer your questions.

-Is it even possible to look like Ryback without 'chemical enhancement?'

Yes, it is very possible. It will take a very disciplined and systematic workout routine, along with a strict diet, as well as good genetics. Genetics is not in our control, but if a person is dedicated enough, he will make immense gains.

-Is it possible to look strong without being strong because the guy got his muscles by artificial means?

Possible, in the sense that if he used steroids to get his bulk, he won't be as strong as someone that achieved that mass without steroids. But the steroid freak still has had to lift good amounts of weight to make those gains, so he'll still be very strong. However, in Ryback's case, he is clean until proven dirty, because many bodybuilders have shown that it's possible to get a body like that without steroid enhancement.

-I presume if a person pumped iron to look that muscular, he/she is going to be strong whether that was their goal or not. But is it possible to be 'iron weight' strong and still not be able to lift heavyweight wrestlers?

Powerlifting and Bodybuilding are two different things. In powerlifting, we train our body and mind to be able to lift huge (almost abnormal) amounts of weight. In bodybuilding, what we do is we beat the crap out of a particular area of muscle each day so that it grows in size and we get that muscular body.
The powerlifter doesn't care about getting a hot body. Likewise, the bodybuilder doesn't (often) care about being the strongest guy in town. However, a good bodybuilder will be very strong nonetheless; he wouldn't have gotten all those muscles by lifting, say, 100 lbs. I believe someone like Ryback should be able to bench press and squat around 500 lbs for sure.

Honestly, I never got the impression Ryback was that strong, despite the way he looks. He's had plenty of trouble with some power moves you'd think a guy built like that would handle with ease.

However, going through the full routine of a Shellshocked (as opposed to just the second part, that he does against heavy opponents) might be tough even for someone like Ryback after fighting for 15 minutes. It is then that he has to use the alternate version where the opponent helps get on his back a la John Cena's F-U. But it doesn't mean that Ryback is weak.
I guess the thing with Ryback is that he looks so bulky and muscular that we automatically expect superhuman-levels of strength from him. But we have to remember that the most muscular man is not necessarily the strongest man.

-Is Cesaro a freak of nature? How is it he's so amazing powerful with a (relatively) svelte physique?

Well, we know that Cesaro is an internet darling (which is not a bad thing).. so a good bit of it is exaggeration by cyber fans. For instance, many fans act like the Cesaro Swing requires the same amount of power as dead-lifting that weight (and keeping it there). However that's not true. Once you get the swing going (i.e. merely lifting him up upto his shoulder using his legs, and then lifting the shoulders couple of inches for one second as the swing commences), the inertia and momentum help the body feel much lighter than it actually is, and the whole thing is simply not comparable to a barbell dead lift.
Likewise, during the European uppercut, the opponent helps a lot by jumping up, and it's not just Cesaro throwing him that far up... You get the point.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

-Is it even possible to look like Ryback without 'chemical enhancement?'

It's possible, but not for the vast majority of human beings. As with anything else, muscle mass an the potential to develop one's muscularity is dependent on genetics. I've known friends who've killed themselves in the gym, paid strict attention to their diets but they just can't gain significant muscle mass. Know someone who can eat five or six thousand calories a day and not gain a pound? Biologically speaking, it's sort of the same thing with muscle mass. In Ryback's case, there's a very strong likelihood that he's used steroids significantly at one point, and quite possibly still does, when you consider both his size and level of muscular definition. Another thing that, in most cases, holds true as a sign of heavy steroid use is when the muscles have a more rounded appearance instead of slopes & angles like you see on Cesaro, for instance. That doesn't automatically mean that Ryback uses or has used steroids, but the odds of him being one of the very small percentage of people who can gain that level of size & definition naturally aren't very good at all

-Is it possible to look strong without being strong because the guy got his muscles by artificial means?

-I presume if a person pumped iron to look that muscular, he/she is going to be strong whether that was their goal or not. But is it possible to be 'iron weight' strong and still not be able to lift heavyweight wrestlers?

Yes, to some degree. It's natural to equate muscular development with impressive physical strength, but that's not entirely the case. To have that sort of Herculean physique, whether you're 200 pounds or 300 pounds, obviously means that you have to lift weights, hence you'll have significant physical strength. However, just because you have the body of a god doesn't mean you have the strength of one. Models, fitness competitors and bodybuilders strive to have a sort of "idealized" look that combines muscular definition and symmetry as a rule; of course, a lot of bodybuilders also go for size as well and it's all but unheard of for a well known & successful bodybuilder not to take steroids. However, if you look at strongman competitions and strongman competitors like Braun Strowman, you see someone who doesn't have the sort of "idealized" look in terms of symmetry and definition. He obviously has a good deal of muscular definition, but not freakishly so to the point where the guy has like single digit body fat. You may have a bodybuilder who's around 200 pounds, has the sort of muscular development that people expect to equate with great strength, but maybe he only has a maximum bench press of maybe 325 pounds; not to say that isn't a lot of weight to be pushing up off your chest, because it is, but it's not the freakish level of strength that people equate for someone with a physique like a comic book character. In Braun Strowman's case, a guy who doesn't have that freakish level of muscular definition, you're probably looking at someone with a raw bench press of at least 600 pounds or so. In 2012, he won the Arnold Strongman Classic amateur strongman competition and the list of events involved in the competition are:

1.Timber Lift - In this event, also known as the Farmer's Carry, contestants lift 865 lb barn timbers bolted together and have to travel, typically up a ramp, as a far as possible in 30 seconds.

2.Manhood Stones - Contestants have to lift round stones weighing sometimes over 500 lb over a bar approximately 48 inches high.

3.Apollon's Axle - This is a unique barbell made famous by turn-of-the-century strongman Louis "Apollon" Uni. Reproduced by Ivanko Barbell Company, the Axle is replica of the original, weighing 366 lbs, with the same bar thickness as the original. The bar is mechanically fastened to reproduction train wheels. Contestants must lift the wheels from the floor to overhead as many times as possible in two minutes.

4.Tire Deadlift - Contestants are required to lift a specially designed long bar weighted with tires. The Tire Deadlift bar was designed and manufactured by Ivanko Barbell Company and comprises a 13 ft. stainless steel bar and up to eight Hummer tires & rims. Additional calibrated barbell plates may be added. The beginning weight was approx. 750 lb at the 2008 event.

5.The Heavy Yoke - In 2008 contestants had to carry across their shoulders a bar/yoke weighing 1,116 pounds for approximately 36 feet in a timed event.

6.The Circus Dumbbell - This is the classic "Circus" dumbbell, used by professional Strongmen from the early 20th century. Richard Sorin reproduced the dumbbell for this event. It weighs 202 lb and has a very big handle over 3 inches in diameter. The requirement in 2008 was to use one hand at a time and lift the dumbbell overhead as many times as possible in 90 seconds.

-Is Cesaro a freak of nature? How is it he's so amazing powerful with a (relatively) svelte physique?

Cesaro is a bit of a freak in the sense that he does have a great deal of natural, physical strength. In Cesaro's case, he's also very strong overall in that he works out every muscle group as vigorously as all the others without putting emphasis on some over the other, which is what most of us tend to do. I'd imagine that he's also extremely strict with his diet. Cesaro's about 6'5" and he's billed at 232 pounds, which is probably pretty accurate. Every so often, JBL will compare Cesaro to Georg Hackenschmidt, a legendary strongman in the early 20th century who also was the first truly recognized world heavyweight wrestling champion. At his peak, he was about 5'9" and weighed about 200 pounds, had a chiseled physique and held the world record in the bench press, at 361 pounds, that stood from 1898 to 1916. It might not sound like a lot today but you have to remember that this was before there was Planet Fitness, Gold's Gym, Joe Weider fitness equipment and all the various supplements & drugs available to today's athletes. Cesaro himself has mentioned that he does train using some of the techniques of Hackenschmidt, who continued to exercise vigorously right up to his death at age 90.

Cesaro may honestly be, pound for pound, the strongest man in WWE. That doesn't mean that he can lift the most weight, but that he can lift the most weight in comparison to his own body weight in certain lifts. I don't know if it's entirely accurate, but I remember reading that Cesaro once stated that his maximum bench press was 460 pounds, which is almost literally twice his billed weight. That's quite impressive, especially when you consider that the average American male weighs about 185 pounds and has a max bench press of 65 to 70% of his body weight.

 

[Reflection]

Cesaro may honestly be, pound for pound, the strongest man in WWE. That doesn't mean that he can lift the most weight, but that he can lift the most weight in comparison to his own body weight in certain lifts. I don't know if it's entirely accurate, but I remember reading that Cesaro once stated that his maximum bench press was 460 pounds, which is almost literally twice his billed weight. That's quite impressive, especially when you consider that the average American male weighs about 185 pounds and has a max bench press of 65 to 70% of his body weight.

This is the interview, I think:
http://www.wwe.com/inside/wwe-superstars-max-bench-press-26161895
I couldn't find a more recent figure, but if that's the one, then Cesaro says in it that his maximum bench press record is 405 lbs. If we find the percentage using the wrestlers' weights (given on this page http://www.tpww.net/info/heightsweights/ ) , Cesaro can (or could) bench press 174.56% of his body weight, which is behind John Cena (185.25%), Ryback (185.81%), Big E (198.27%) and Titus (201.85%). Don't get me wrong, Cesaro is very strong... But I don't think he is THE strongest, pound for pound or otherwise. Could it be a fan-created myth?

 

[#tamale]

This pretty much sums it up, let's take a look at some others too......Since we are on this DUMB SH&T

King Barrett IS NO KING.
Stardust.....Doesn't live in space or even near the stars.
Neville.....Doesn't actually DEFY gravity, he might temporally suspend it , but no longer than many other wrestlers.
Undertaker aka deadman.....Isn't really Dead.
New Day ...They are not really new, just Repackaged.
Prime Time Player ......Not players, Don't really get on PRIME TIME, and are make far less than Millions and millions of Dollars.
HBK .....Doesn't really break hearts.
Jerry Lawler ......Also not a King
The miz ......Not a A lister
Paige..... Even though she screams it, This is not her house, It is Vince's House.


Cool I think I hit enough to make my point. It is called a Gimmick.

The OP is saying that Ryback being called "the Big Guy" is a lie because he is not strong enough when the nickname has nothing to do with his strength He is called "the Big Guy" because he is a big guy. He tried to make some weird correlation and it fell flat on it's face because nowhere in his current run has Ryback ever stated that he's the strongest man in the WWE.

 

[Slash-LN]

With the Cesaro a lot of fans base their opinion of his freakish strength based on interviews/comments that other wrestlers have made about him. Chris Hero being one of them.

There's a story that little Sin Cara, the current one, beat up Sheamus backstage and is considered one of the toughest guys in the locker room.

As far as Ryback goes, it's just a nickname. He's over 6 feet tall and roughly 290 lbs. He's a big guy.

Big doesn't even imply strength. It literally just means that he's big.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

I dont know if you have seen it or not, but wwe did an article a few years ago interviewing a couple superstars about their strength.

http://www.wwe.com/inside/wwe-superstars-max-bench-press-26161895

According to this Ryback comes second only to Big E who has been training in powerlifting since 2009. I'm pretty sure guys like Harper and Sheamus aren't even close. And Lesnar is questionable. I read Lesnar benched 475 in college. So i'm sure he has done better since then but he's also lost some of his muscular physique since he was last in wwe so i think that his max was reached years ago.

As a few have said just because a person look strong doesn't mean they are. Ryback is strong enough. And he seem to have been training because I remember reports of him botching the Shell shock on Heyman and now he is able to hit it on Show seemingly with ease.

 

[Headman]

So he's not strong because of his move set? Ok, well here's two theories on why he may be stronger than you think but still unable to do the Cesaro type moves that show off real strength. #1, the guy's had a hernia. After you have one of those you probably go out of your way not to get another one. #2, Ring safety. People trust Cesaro enough to put him in total control. I'm not so sure Ryback has fully won everyone over as the kind of guy who will take care of you. All in all I think it's kind of silly to judge a guy's strength or lack there of based on his move set. It's even more silly to make steroid accusations based on assumptions about how someone looks. Some people say it's impossible to get that big without steroids. How would they know? Everyone is genetically different. Some people just have great genetics. Check your shorts then pop in an adult film and you'll learn that lesson real fast.

 

[Navi]

For what it's worth, he looks strong. I mean he's has muscles. Like Sally said not really sure if that means he can do powerlifts like Big E and Mark Henry though.

If you look at some of the Olympic powerlifters they aren't cut like a Cena or a Reigns they're just built like tanks. They probably couldn't wrestle their way out of a wet paper bag, but I wouldn't want one of them pissed off at me.

Cesaro is a enigma. He's got a great body, but I've seen him dead lift people like Owens, when Cesaro was standing on the second rope. Now that to me is strength. Not sure if Ryback could do that.

All I know is I couldn't lift Ryback, and i'm pretty sure he could probably fling me into the upper deck. I'm 5'9" but not heavy. So yea he calls himself the Big Guy cause like someone else said, he's big and he's a guy. It's a gimmick and the name fits him like a glove.

 

[Papa Pillman]

Seems like a cheap plug just to mention Wade Barrett again (even though you blatantly ignored the fact that he botched at least one attempt to hit Wasteland on Henry because he couldn't lift him at the time).

Either way, bodybuilder types aren't even close to as strong as power lifters (assuming we're talking about equally advanced in their fields). They're built completely differently. Mark Henry and Ryback are the perfect examples. Are their bodies even remotely similar? Nope. While Ryback is aesthetically more pleasing, Henry is going to be stronger, especially at the kind of lifting you're talking about in suplexing.

Also let's not forget (assuming the weights were real and they looked that way) that Ryback benched 225lbs more times than 99% of the planet ever has or will in his feud with Mark Henry. Calling him not that strong is just dumb.

Everything in this quoted post needs to be reiterated. It is basically 100% correct. There is a difference between the kind of strength that a guy with a bodybuilder style physique like Ryback has and the kind of strength that a powerlifter like Big E or Henry has, or that a "strongman" like Strowman has, and the latter types of strength are more functional for pro wrestling.

Ryback is in the same strength category as most of the guys mentioned- Big E, Goldberg, Cesaro, Cena, Lesnar, etc. It just happens many of those guys are either built in a way or possess a certain technique that allows them to use their strength more functionally in the ring.

Also if the OP really thinks guys like Barrett, Reigns, Harper, and Angle are stronger than Ryback, he's an idiot.

 

[OYDK]

Never looked at Ryback as a strongman (one word) but that could be because he doesn't portray a character who is freakishly strong. Yes, he looks freakishly strong, but he rarely does anything in the ring that shows that aspect of his game. Unlike Cesaro, he doesn't hold his opponents in a suplex for 20 seconds or deadlift 250 pound men, he doesn't swing his opponents 30 times, and he rarely shows off his unnatural strength. But that doesn't mean it isn't there.

As others have pointed out, his numbers when it comes to pure strength are up near the top of the WWE. He's also Shell-shocked The Big Show which I doubt many others could do. Don't be fooled, Ryback is a strong son of a bitch, he just doesn't show it every week.

 

[MartialHorror]

I actually kind of agree, but it doesn't really matter because it's all about presentation. Ryback LOOKS like the strongest guy on the roster, even if he's not and for the record, Mark Henry probably isn't either (anymore).

I could be wrong, but it always looks like Ryback has weaker lower body strength...or maybe it's just core strength. Or maybe he just lacks coordination compared to someone like Cena or Big E, who always seem to use their strength more effectively. It should also be noted that 'Shell Shocked' looks a lot more difficult to execute than other finishers like the AA or World's Strongest Slam. But as I said, it doesn't really matter. Ryback is strong enough to play his role and looks like a monster...even if I have difficulty buying that he doesn't use roids.

 

[HORRORHOLIC]

I remember on Tough Enough Daniel Puder easily beat him in an arm wrestle. Everyone including Puder himself was surprised.

 

[enviousdominous]

Ryback did an interview for a Phoenix radio station about four years ago, the radio host John Holmberg is a pretty big guy in his own right.

John noted that Ryback had a "very meaty palm" and that Ryback was sweating perpetually during the entire interview. Ryback doesn't appear to look like Maurice Tillet, in a hand to rest of his body ratio that is.

I have therefore proven scientifically that Ryback is strong and deserves to be called "The Big Guy".

 

[rge2010]

Ryback did Shellshock on Prince Tensai and Big Show? That makes him extremely strong IMO.