By Nathan P Hunt
(This article was originally posted on the 'GetRealWrestling' website in July 2014, but was moved here after that site closed.)
Stories have been circulating recently that the WWE office is down on Dolph Ziggler and do not believe him to be capable of being a main event player due to being ‘injury-prone’. The reports claimed that this is the same thinking behind WWE keeping down talents such as Christian, whose injuries have plagued the latter part of his career, seemingly at the most inopportune times, such as in the middle of pushes or during upper card feuds.
Dolph has already overcome career adversity and showed that he can make even the worst of situations and gimmicks into something that can draw attention (and ultimately, money). He has had to endure being cast as a caddy / manager to Chavo Guerrero Jr’s ill-conceived and thankfully short-lived ‘Kerwin White’ golfing character, then being a part of the utterly awful Spirit Squad faction of male cheerleaders, before being allowed to come up with his current ring name and returning to the main roster in September 2008. While being a member of the Spirit Squad, he of course feuded against DX, was able to have singles matches on TV against the legendary Dusty Rhodes & Ric Flair in 2006, and along with his comrades in the group was featured in the Wrestlemania match between Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels. The group were all clearly very talented in-ring performers, but it was abundantly clear to any fan that they would have to escape the dark shadow of this gimmick if they were to have any hope of becoming a star member of the WWE roster. Dolph is the only remaining member of the group working for WWE, and despite not being on the radar as a potentially big star when he was brought back up to the main roster, he has consistently worked hard to make a name for himself and to eclipse his previous characters.
Dolph has already overcome career adversity and showed that he can make even the worst of situations and gimmicks into something that can draw attention (and ultimately, money). He has had to endure being cast as a caddy / manager to Chavo Guerrero Jr’s ill-conceived and thankfully short-lived ‘Kerwin White’ golfing character, then being a part of the utterly awful Spirit Squad faction of male cheerleaders, before being allowed to come up with his current ring name and returning to the main roster in September 2008. While being a member of the Spirit Squad, he of course feuded against DX, was able to have singles matches on TV against the legendary Dusty Rhodes & Ric Flair in 2006, and along with his comrades in the group was featured in the Wrestlemania match between Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels. The group were all clearly very talented in-ring performers, but it was abundantly clear to any fan that they would have to escape the dark shadow of this gimmick if they were to have any hope of becoming a star member of the WWE roster. Dolph is the only remaining member of the group working for WWE, and despite not being on the radar as a potentially big star when he was brought back up to the main roster, he has consistently worked hard to make a name for himself and to eclipse his previous characters.
Approximately 7 months after debuting under the Dolph Ziggler name on Raw, he was drafted to Smackdown (back when the brands were separate), and once there, he quickly won the Intercontinental title, having a successful five month reign. He would later be involved in a main event storyline, feuding with Smackdown’s World Champion, Edge, where he was portrayed to be dating Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero, and was awarded the World Heavyweight Championship, only to lose it almost immediately. A few months later he would be drafted back to Raw and quickly won the US title before going on to win and successfully cash in the Money In The Bank briefcase. The date he cashed in, April 8, 2013, was the day following WrestleMania 29, and he received one of the loudest ovations from the WWE fans since the Road Warriors were a regular team or Steve Austin was the main player of the attitude era. The fans were truly ecstatic over the win and the genuine emotion from the crowd and from Ziggler himself was a spectacle that will be hard to forget. Unfortunately, before he could defend his title for the first time (which was scheduled to be a triple threat ladder match at the Extreme Rules PPV), Ziggler suffered a concussion on Smackdown and had to be removed from the card until he recovered. This unfortunate timing is likely the main point of concern for the WWE office, as Ziggler was unable to perform while holding the title, and was then programmed to lose the belt back to Alberto Del Rio upon his return.
The WWE fans believe in Ziggler, and the reaction to his title win shows that they truly want him to be a main event player and be recognised and rewarded for the hard work he puts in on every show. He always receives one of the largest ovations on each show, and consistently performs at a high level, having great matches no matter what opponent he is working with or what time restraints are put upon him. He cuts great promos, which feel genuine and unrehearsed, which is more than can be said for many on the roster, including main eventers such as Randy Orton, whose interview segments are generally a snooze-fest. Ziggler employs a very physical style and regularly takes exciting and daring bumps to get both himself and his opponents over. He may suffer injuries occasionally as a result of this style, but only because he attempts to steal the show (even in matches and situations where he has been programmed as an afterthought or lost in the mid-card shuffle). As long as his efforts go unrecognised and he is held down from becoming a main event player, he will continue to take risks in an attempt to get himself so over with the crowd that the office will have no choice but to reconsider their position and opinion about ‘The Show-Off’. Unfortunately this could then lead to a Catch 22 situation, where more injuries will inevitably occur and the office will feel validated in their belief that Dolph cannot be utilised at the top of the card for this reason. Hopefully that will not be the case, as Ziggler belongs in the upper echelon of the WWE roster and would prove to be a powerful & valuable player in the main event scene. He has the look, the charisma, the athleticism and talent, the legitimacy (from being a decorated amateur wrestler prior to becoming a professional wrestler) and more importantly, the support of the fans to become a long term champion and main eventer. Hopefully WWE will realise this and capitalise on the potential goldmine that a Ziggler mega-push could be.
The WWE fans believe in Ziggler, and the reaction to his title win shows that they truly want him to be a main event player and be recognised and rewarded for the hard work he puts in on every show. He always receives one of the largest ovations on each show, and consistently performs at a high level, having great matches no matter what opponent he is working with or what time restraints are put upon him. He cuts great promos, which feel genuine and unrehearsed, which is more than can be said for many on the roster, including main eventers such as Randy Orton, whose interview segments are generally a snooze-fest. Ziggler employs a very physical style and regularly takes exciting and daring bumps to get both himself and his opponents over. He may suffer injuries occasionally as a result of this style, but only because he attempts to steal the show (even in matches and situations where he has been programmed as an afterthought or lost in the mid-card shuffle). As long as his efforts go unrecognised and he is held down from becoming a main event player, he will continue to take risks in an attempt to get himself so over with the crowd that the office will have no choice but to reconsider their position and opinion about ‘The Show-Off’. Unfortunately this could then lead to a Catch 22 situation, where more injuries will inevitably occur and the office will feel validated in their belief that Dolph cannot be utilised at the top of the card for this reason. Hopefully that will not be the case, as Ziggler belongs in the upper echelon of the WWE roster and would prove to be a powerful & valuable player in the main event scene. He has the look, the charisma, the athleticism and talent, the legitimacy (from being a decorated amateur wrestler prior to becoming a professional wrestler) and more importantly, the support of the fans to become a long term champion and main eventer. Hopefully WWE will realise this and capitalise on the potential goldmine that a Ziggler mega-push could be.
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(This article was originally posted on the 'GetRealWrestling' website in July 2014, but was moved here after that site closed.)