ziggler

The Ziggler Window

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With all the justified praise bring reigned down on Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose, and with the Reigns push coming and NXT brimming with top level talent like Joe, Balor, Zayn and Itami has the window officially closed on Dolph Ziggler?

He was the Internet darling leading up to his cash-in, looked great at Survivor Series conquering the Authority and then… NOTHING.  He's been a middling 50/50 upper midcarder for so long that even his pops seem to be dying out, and with his contract up it seems, ala John Morrison that he can leave and get a job elsewhere and quickly.  You see any potential push for Dolph, or does he go the ROH/LU route?

​I think it would best for all concerned if Dolph left when his contract expires and goes off to pursue his dream of stand-up comedy, because he'll still be young when he returns and he'll be a bigger star in theory for having been gone for a while.  ​Dolph seems like he's given up anyway, and it's hard to blame him.  

Rehabilitating Dolph Ziggler

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No matter how much WWE books Dolph Ziggler to look like a midcard loser, he seems to stay over with the fans — which makes me think he'd be a good pick to help fill the void of main-event babyfaces WWE could have with Daniel Bryan's uncertain future. (And we still don't know how Roman Reigns will respond to being a top singles star.) So between now and let's say Night of Champions, how would you book Ziggler and/or tweak his character to get him back to the main-event level?

​It doesn't matter what you do with his character.  He was doing just fine as the guy with the briefcase who cashed in on ADR last year.  The problem is that he doesn't know when to shut his big fat mouth, and if he can get THAT problem under control, he should be on track to be something again.  But it doesn't seem terribly likely.  ​

Dolph Ziggler

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Scott

Just read an article on Wrestlezone.com (by Chris Cash, I think) regarding Dolph Ziggler being close to getting the tag of ‘buried’ (I realise that everyone ignorantly uses this term from time to time about everyone) and it got me thinking of the last few weeks.

For a long, loooooong time now Dolph has been losing more often than not, but it seems that since his WWE App rant he’s been punished even more – FED to the Wyatts on Raw; FED to The Shield on Smackdown; FED to Del Rio on Raw; apparently, losing in the dark match of Smackdown this week, too…

In your opinion, was Dolph’s promo a shoot or worked shoot (would he have been allowed to vent in such a way)? It would seem that it was an actual release of frustration; then he seems to have been punished in the above ways since…

Will that promo go anywhere? Is Dolph being punished for it? Is the talk of a disgruntled Dolph/Miz team a possibility? What do you make of Dolph’s recent past?

Keep up the good work!

I think Dolph is being kind of an idiot about the whole deal, but on the flip side the roster is so thin right now on top and management should just be the bigger person and push him anyway.  Best for business and all that.  It makes them look really, really petty to be doing what they are.   Plus they book guys on these losing streak gimmicks and they NEVER lead anywhere.  The one time they booked a guy on a WIN streak they damn near turned Ryback into a DRAW.   Putting anyone with Miz is just going to make them look like a huge loser by association.  

Original Ziggler plan?

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Hey Scott, any idea what the original plan was for Dolph Ziggler pre-concussion? It seems as though they've temporarily moved him out of the title picture again to maybe make way for a Del Rio/RVD feud. Was the plan always to have Ziggler lose the title back to Del Rio and stick him in a feud with Langston instead? Also while I'm at it, do the people in charge believe in Ziggler's all-round ability the way we do? Because I don't recall anyone of prominence speaking particular highly of him the way they do Bryan, Punk etc. Thanks

Well it couldn't have been too long-term because they wanted Del Rio to be the big Latino babyface star for the next generation and such.  I know they really like Ziggler but I don't know how much, if any, they trust in him as a big star, as evidenced by the constant jobs and total non-protection.  I think they're trying for that 95 Shawn vibe where they make him a sympathetic babyface and create demand for the chase until he wins the Rumble. It's kind of a weird vibe though because Dolph is kind of an unlikable dick thus far.  Although Dolph getting screwed over by a crazy ex is something that guys of the target age can relate to, at least.  The AJ stuff seems long-term enough that Dolph's title loss was probably planned beforehand, I'd guess.  

Dolph Ziggler

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Hi Scott,
In your opinion, is Ziggler quite ready for the main event yet? We can all agree he has the look, the wrestling ability, he's over, and his promo skills are getting there. However, is it just me or does something about him still scream mid carder? I don't think he's at the point yet where we can take him entirely seriously as a main eventer. Do you agree and if so, what do you think has to change? Maybe his feud with Y2J and whoever is next after that will change things. Right now however, in my eyes, his character is still a bit of a joke act and he needs to get serious to be taken serious at the level of Punk and Cena.

He has to be more serious to be at the level of the guy who makes poopie jokes and the other guy who wants ice cream bars?  Dolph was ready during the Edge feud in 2010 and they should have pulled the trigger on him a LONG time ago.  At a certain point you just have to DO IT already and see if it works.  

Dolph Ziggler vs. Keith Apicary – Blog post?

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Hey Scott – not sure if you've seen YouTube sensation and comedian/video game fan Keith Apicary' feud with Dolph Ziggler via Twitter and YouTube
 
Keith's opening salvo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffcp-b8wGwk&feature=g-vrec&context=G26218e1RVAAAAAAAAAA
 
Dolph's response via his WWE Download show (dedicated to Keith):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HnrFIqnwDw
 
Keith's follow up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZPfsPJDfXc
 
So it isn't Lawler/Kaufman ….yet but Keith (Nathan Barnatt) is pretty darn entertaining in his other videos.
 
Take it easy
 

Yeah, I saw it, and hopefully Dolph can use any little thing he can to get himself over more.  He's a really funny guy, too, and I think the "show off" gimmick might be a bit of a mismatch for him at this point because it seems like he should find something that fits his natural personality more.  Like this stuff.  

Dolph Ziggler: The Best Ever?

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Well that’s a bit misleading of a title, but bear with me. So I was listening to the very entertaining Art of Wrestling podcast with Colt Cabana this week (WeLoveColt.com), and his guest was Dolph Ziggler.  Great, funny, entertaining interview, by the way.  Anyway, at the end of the show, Colt wonders if Dolph is the best guy ever produced by WWE’s developmental system, and I have to wonder if he’s not right on that one.  Yeah, John Cena and Randy Orton of course turned out well, but neither guy actually STARTED in the developmental system, they just got the majority of their training there.  Dolph was just a wrestling fan (who happened to be a champion amateur wrestler in college) who decided to try out with OVW and ended up becoming a WWE wrestler as a result.  I don’t think they’ve had that kind of success with anyone else, because almost everyone else they’re produced has come from the indy scene and just got FCW-ized or OVW-ized before coming into the main roster.  The only other possibility I can think of would be Brock Lesnar, as I’m not sure what he was doing before OVW.  Actually I guess you could say Kurt Angle too.  Anyone else I’m missing?

Dolph Ziggler: The Best Ever?

by

Well that’s a bit misleading of a title, but bear with me. So I was listening to the very entertaining Art of Wrestling podcast with Colt Cabana this week (WeLoveColt.com), and his guest was Dolph Ziggler.  Great, funny, entertaining interview, by the way.  Anyway, at the end of the show, Colt wonders if Dolph is the best guy ever produced by WWE’s developmental system, and I have to wonder if he’s not right on that one.  Yeah, John Cena and Randy Orton of course turned out well, but neither guy actually STARTED in the developmental system, they just got the majority of their training there.  Dolph was just a wrestling fan (who happened to be a champion amateur wrestler in college) who decided to try out with OVW and ended up becoming a WWE wrestler as a result.  I don’t think they’ve had that kind of success with anyone else, because almost everyone else they’re produced has come from the indy scene and just got FCW-ized or OVW-ized before coming into the main roster.  The only other possibility I can think of would be Brock Lesnar, as I’m not sure what he was doing before OVW.  Actually I guess you could say Kurt Angle too.  Anyone else I’m missing?

Dolph Ziggler: The Best Ever?

by

Well that’s a bit misleading of a title, but bear with me. So I was listening to the very entertaining Art of Wrestling podcast with Colt Cabana this week (WeLoveColt.com), and his guest was Dolph Ziggler.  Great, funny, entertaining interview, by the way.  Anyway, at the end of the show, Colt wonders if Dolph is the best guy ever produced by WWE’s developmental system, and I have to wonder if he’s not right on that one.  Yeah, John Cena and Randy Orton of course turned out well, but neither guy actually STARTED in the developmental system, they just got the majority of their training there.  Dolph was just a wrestling fan (who happened to be a champion amateur wrestler in college) who decided to try out with OVW and ended up becoming a WWE wrestler as a result.  I don’t think they’ve had that kind of success with anyone else, because almost everyone else they’re produced has come from the indy scene and just got FCW-ized or OVW-ized before coming into the main roster.  The only other possibility I can think of would be Brock Lesnar, as I’m not sure what he was doing before OVW.  Actually I guess you could say Kurt Angle too.  Anyone else I’m missing?

Dolph Ziggler: The Best Ever?

by

Well that’s a bit misleading of a title, but bear with me. So I was listening to the very entertaining Art of Wrestling podcast with Colt Cabana this week (WeLoveColt.com), and his guest was Dolph Ziggler.  Great, funny, entertaining interview, by the way.  Anyway, at the end of the show, Colt wonders if Dolph is the best guy ever produced by WWE’s developmental system, and I have to wonder if he’s not right on that one.  Yeah, John Cena and Randy Orton of course turned out well, but neither guy actually STARTED in the developmental system, they just got the majority of their training there.  Dolph was just a wrestling fan (who happened to be a champion amateur wrestler in college) who decided to try out with OVW and ended up becoming a WWE wrestler as a result.  I don’t think they’ve had that kind of success with anyone else, because almost everyone else they’re produced has come from the indy scene and just got FCW-ized or OVW-ized before coming into the main roster.  The only other possibility I can think of would be Brock Lesnar, as I’m not sure what he was doing before OVW.  Actually I guess you could say Kurt Angle too.  Anyone else I’m missing?

Dolph Ziggler: The Best Ever?

by

Well that’s a bit misleading of a title, but bear with me. So I was listening to the very entertaining Art of Wrestling podcast with Colt Cabana this week (WeLoveColt.com), and his guest was Dolph Ziggler.  Great, funny, entertaining interview, by the way.  Anyway, at the end of the show, Colt wonders if Dolph is the best guy ever produced by WWE’s developmental system, and I have to wonder if he’s not right on that one.  Yeah, John Cena and Randy Orton of course turned out well, but neither guy actually STARTED in the developmental system, they just got the majority of their training there.  Dolph was just a wrestling fan (who happened to be a champion amateur wrestler in college) who decided to try out with OVW and ended up becoming a WWE wrestler as a result.  I don’t think they’ve had that kind of success with anyone else, because almost everyone else they’re produced has come from the indy scene and just got FCW-ized or OVW-ized before coming into the main roster.  The only other possibility I can think of would be Brock Lesnar, as I’m not sure what he was doing before OVW.  Actually I guess you could say Kurt Angle too.  Anyone else I’m missing?

Dolph Ziggler: The Best Ever?

by

Well that’s a bit misleading of a title, but bear with me. So I was listening to the very entertaining Art of Wrestling podcast with Colt Cabana this week (WeLoveColt.com), and his guest was Dolph Ziggler.  Great, funny, entertaining interview, by the way.  Anyway, at the end of the show, Colt wonders if Dolph is the best guy ever produced by WWE’s developmental system, and I have to wonder if he’s not right on that one.  Yeah, John Cena and Randy Orton of course turned out well, but neither guy actually STARTED in the developmental system, they just got the majority of their training there.  Dolph was just a wrestling fan (who happened to be a champion amateur wrestler in college) who decided to try out with OVW and ended up becoming a WWE wrestler as a result.  I don’t think they’ve had that kind of success with anyone else, because almost everyone else they’re produced has come from the indy scene and just got FCW-ized or OVW-ized before coming into the main roster.  The only other possibility I can think of would be Brock Lesnar, as I’m not sure what he was doing before OVW.  Actually I guess you could say Kurt Angle too.  Anyone else I’m missing?