WWE ended an era on Sept. 21, 2023, when they decided to part ways with Dolph Ziggler.
For years, Ziggler was booked as a “jobber to the stars”, but then his role in the company evolved to being a “gatekeeper” for the main roster, feuding with recent NXT call-ups.
Slowly but surely, he began to be completely phased out of WWE programming despite the fact that a wrestler with his skill set had something to offer.
There are some who view Ziggler as a “What if?” and even a waste of potential, whereas others view Ziggler as one of Vince McMahon’s biggest mistakes, in the sense that he could have been pushed as a believable top babyface in the 2010s if Vince weren’t so fixated on irrelevant issues like “size”.
So let’s take a look back at Ziggler’s career in WWE and break down how good The Show-Off really was.
In-ring talent
Nobody can realistically challenge Dolph Ziggler’s in-ring chops. There are valid criticisms that can be made about his promos and character work – which are honestly good as a whole – but there are few holes you can poke through when it comes to his work inside the squared circle.
Ziggler is right up there with any of the greats as the best seller in the history of pro wrestling, regardless of era or promotion. That is high praise, but it is well-deserved.
Selling is something Ziggler specifically set out to focus on, because he knew it would help him stand out and make the overall product that much more enjoyable for viewers at home.
He detailed some of this in an interview with Chris Van Vliet. Follow the link to watch the full video, because Ziggler drops some great insight.
But basically, in WWE, there are finishers and signature moves that are brutal and can really put over the wrestler performing them if executed correctly.
That execution comes down to the person receiving the move just as much as it does to the person giving it.
In fact, the receiver is more on the spot, because how they take the move can impact its brutality and, thus, the perception of the person giving the move.
Ziggler did his best to make sure these moves had the right impact. Because of that, his matches were can’t-miss. You wanted to see how Ziggler would take the RKO or the Spear.
However, since Ziggler was so unselfish in this regard, he would make his opponents look amazing by getting smashed, and this would make him look like the “loser” in kayfabe.
He was giving and did things the right way as a pro wrestler, but, unfortunately, many of his contemporaries in that era of WWE did not feel the same way.
Athletically, Ziggler checks off all the boxes. Go watch his Triple Threat Intercontinental Championship match with Tyson Kidd and Cesaro as a classic example of the kind of fireworks he could put on with other great athletes.
Going back to the idea of missed opportunities, it’s almost unconscionable how Vince McMahon didn’t take more advantage of Ziggler’s skill set with the current crop of talent in this era.
Instead of having him job in mid-level feuds, he could have been in truly marquee matchups with the likes of Sami Zayn and Finn Bálor every week.
Character work
If anything, Dolph Ziggler is underrated in this aspect. Maybe he would go to the well too often as a babyface with the “scratch and claw” trope promos, but he actually pulled those off quite well.
That’s probably because fans could sense how real they were. If anyone scratched and clawed in their career, then it is Ziggler.
Even when he reached the summit as world champion after the greatest Money in the Bank cash-in pop ever (plus, the mini-match was SO well-done and vintage Ziggler), it was all taken away from him just as quickly due to a concussion.
The best of Ziggler’s character work took place in his feud with The Miz in 2016, in which he put his career on the line for Miz’s Intercontinental Championship.
That era of SmackDown lives fondly in the memories of WWE fans, and this rivalry was the highlight. Miz did an incredible job of elevating the IC Title, particularly with his meltdown on Talking Smack against then-GM Daniel Bryan.
But Ziggler deserves plenty of credit, too.
His work in this feud was instrumental in elevating the IC Title, as a respected wrestler putting their career on the line to prove themselves capable of winning this title shows that the IC Championship is much more than just a mid-card belt. Ziggler produced some of the best babyface promos we had seen in WWE for years, turning cynicism into unbridled sympathy.
Of course, Ziggler has always been great at getting crowds on his side, usually with his spirited in-ring work and selling.
Roman Reigns’ absence in Survivor Series 2014 yielded an opportunity for Ziggler to be the Sole Survivor and the hero of the victory against the Authority.
Looking back, you couldn’t think of a better person for that improbable comeback victory than Ziggler.
Reigns getting that spot would have led to even more hate sent his way from wrestling fans, so Ziggler getting the ultimate spotlight was a breath of fresh air.
As a heel, Ziggler was also money at the beginning of his singles’ run in WWE. The noodle hair, arrogant attitude, flashy merchandise, Mr. Perfect attitude, and Vickie Guerrero as the manager all played into the role perfectly.
Ziggler’s unselfishness as a heel and willingness to get made fun of potentially hurt his credibility, but it was very much appreciated by wrestling fans. Dolph was undoubtedly entertaining.
A future Hall of Famer
Dolph Ziggler may have never been a true top star in WWE, but he ends his run with the company as a two-time world champion, a former NXT Champion, a two-time United States champ, a four-time tag team champion, and a six-time Intercontinental Champion.
Ziggler is one of the most decorated IC champions in history, the 22nd Triple Crown winner in WWE history, and responsible for great matches on a weekly basis in the early 2010s when he was one of WWE’s workhorses.
There’s a case to be made that Ziggler was the best weekly performer in WWE during a period of the early 2010s, culminating in that incredible 2014 Survivor Series victory that WWE somehow never actually capitalized on. (Vince McMahon sure loves leaving money on the table.)
With these accolades, Ziggler is a future Hall of Famer. But his case for the HOF becomes that much stronger when you look beyond the awards WWE gave him.
He did so much to elevate other wrestlers and to entertain fans.
Even when the card wasn’t loaded up for the show hadn’t been engaging for the past couple of weeks, when you saw that Ziggler had a match on the show, you knew you were going to have fun watching him throw himself around the ring either selling for someone else or pulling off stunning athletic feats.
And really, we watch wrestling on television each week to be entertained. Ziggler did that in his matches and in his segments.
He could get you to love him with impassioned pleas – no matter how many times you heard them, only for WWE to drop the ball in the end – or hate him with slick and sleazy heel antics.
Ziggler was legitimately one of the very best performers in WWE from 2011-2014. Thereafter, he was still excellent until around 2018 when WWE fully gave up on him.
That last program with Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Dean Ambrose was Ziggler’s last hurrah near the main event scene on the main roster, and his following NXT Title feud/run with Bron Breakker was the true farewell.
Even in those final rivalries, Ziggler showed he never lost a step over the years, making many fans wonder why WWE ran his credibility into the ground in the first place.
For the hardcore fans of WWE through the 2010s, Ziggler will always be an enduring part of the company and one of the most appreciated wrestlers they’ve seen in their time as fans.
Because no matter what was going on with WWE, you could bank on Ziggler giving his proverbial 110 percent.
