Superstar Spotlight: Dolph Ziggler
Last year, Dolph Ziggler was considered by some people to be the next break out star and it’s fair to say he had a great year. He was a the United States champion for six months and had main event feuds with Edge and CM Punk.
So… what happened?
Dolph ended his feud with Punk after the Royal Rumble, but he didn’t do much after that. He participated in the twelve man match at Wrestlemania 28, but Miz made the pinfall, and look at where he is at right now. Dolph is still with Vickie and Jack Swagger which is fine, but some people take issue with their use. I don’t really see much wrong with it, as I said about Miz (and others), a lot of guys move up and down the card. Punk is still the champion, so Dolph has that brief history with him, but there’s alot more going on at the top of both shows right now. Punk and Daniel Bryan had great matches on RAW a while back, and a proper feud between them can be nothing but gold. The internet fans are going to eat this up, and both guys are at a point in their WWE careers where they are getting proper reactions. Are you telling me you would rather see Dolph in Bryan’s spot right now? This isn’t a dig saying Dolph doesn’t deserve the spot, but he can step aside for now since they have so much going on. Lord Tensai looks to be involved with John Laurinaitis, but we don’t know what role what he will play at Over The Limit. On top of that, we also have Brock Lesnar/HHH, Cody Rhodes/Big Show and now possibly Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio in programs.
Dolph doesn’t have a “spot” at the top, but he is still on TV and is feuding with Brodus Clay, or as some people will say, Dolph is getting buried. In all honesty, that word gets thrown around way too much to hold any weight, and alot of the ones saying it are the same people saying Chris Jericho ‘jobbed’ to Punk. Chris Jericho was always one up on Punk throughout the entire feud, except for the sobriety test and the two matches. It was hardly jobbing, and Dolph is not getting buried by Brodus Clay. They are having a mid card feud, and I must say it has been entertaining so far. The only thing I didn’t like about Brodus so far was the mommas at Wrestlemania, but I otherwise like how he is used. Brodus is a big guy who can shut people up, and Dolph is a show off and has one of the biggest mouths in WWE. It makes sense for them to be involved, and Hornswoggle and Vickie Guerrero play nicely off of each other. Brodus isn’t squashing him, in fact Dolph makes his matches more competitive and takes bumps like no one else.
As far his work in the ring goes, Dolph is one of the best, and he is a great talker but you wouldn’t know it. He gets some mic time, but Vickie starts alot of the promos to get heat then hands it off to Dolph. It’s been said before, but it might be time for Dolph to break out on his own after this Brodus Clay feud. Either that, or change the relationship Dolph and Vickie have, and let him talk more but continue to have her do intros and run interference. I like stables and think we should have more of them, and Vickie is one of the best people at getting heat there is.
Abraham Washington looks to be recruiting some superstars for his own group, so wouldn’t that be a perfect opponent for Vickie’s clients? I can’t remember a good stable war in WWE since Los Boricuas/Nation of Domination/Disciples of Apocalypse and later on the one between The Corporation/The Ministry/Degeneration X. (Yes, I know the whole higher power kinda fudged things up, but it was entertaining.) Dolph and Swagger can be joined by a few more guys, and AW can get whoever he is recruiting, Primo and Epico for example, or someone else needing some spotlight. With enough people involved, the matches could go on for a few months and it would make a great feud.
Dolph also has a few things going on outside of the ring too, like hosting WWE Download and hijacking Z True Long Island Story for his “Ask The Heel” segments. The guy you see on the internet shows is the guy who should be featured on WWE TV. He can talk, so why not let him? I don’t care for some of his rants on “Heel” but they are good for the most part, and they are funny in context. This is what I alluded to earlier, change the dynamic with Vickie and let him do more of this, but keep them together. I think it would be great would if he kept interrupting babyface interviews from the Titantron and did ‘Ask The Heel’ that way.
I have some parting advice to those who are worried about Dolph Ziggler right now: stop worrying. Dolph Ziggler is a talented superstar who has plenty of things going on to keep him near or on the top. I think that is the whole point though; while fans are pissed because they want better for him, he has plenty going on. He isn’t going anywhere soon, and he is in a better place than some guys on the roster who don’t get used. Dolph Ziggler will rise back to the top and he will be a world champion in due time, so continue to wear your #asscapes and just wait and see.
Later, marks.
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