Perennial underdog Zack Ryder had his hopes dashed yet again yesterday when World Wrestling Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Triple-H did not resort to “Plan Z” in his search for John Cena’s SummerSlam opponent.

Unlike the vast majority of wrestling fans — who already knew the COO would go with “Plan C,” Brock Lesnar, thanks to leaked promotional materials — Ryder, an eternal optimist, was utterly surprised by the announcement.

“Dangit,” exclaimed Ryder through a mouthful of croissants from the catering table backstage at Miami’s American Airlines Arena.

“I really thought it was going to be me.”

Sources close to Ryder say he often gets his hopes up too high, like the time he pointed dramatically at the WrestleMania sign.

In order for Ryder to have been chosen as Cena’s opponent, Triple-H would have had to exhaust all other alternatives, including Plan D (Bo Dallas), Plan K (Tyson Kidd), and Plan Y (Renee Young).

Ryder is reportedly considering changing his ring name to capitalize on alphabetical order, possibly to Aaron Aaronson.