Ryan Reeves had been with WWE essentially since trying out for Tough Enough in 2004. Despite losing to people like Daniel Puder and The Miz, Reeves impressed WWE officials enough to ultimately receive a developmental contract. He made his main roster debut as Skip Sheffield in the original incarnation of NXT, before becoming one of the enforcers of the Nexus.
When WWE ultimately botched the extremely successful faction, Reeves disappeared from television. He suffered a major ankle injury, that required three surgeries and Reeves became a forgotten man. He ultimately returned to TV as Ryback, a big man in the same vein as every other big man on television.