Dolph Ziggler's Career Retrospective

[Deleted]

So he's never going to ever be a main player. That is understood. He signed like a 2 year deal last year to stay and pretty much says that's it after it. So looking back at his career, how do you look at it? Over-achiever? Under-achiever? Was handed shit and turned it into gold? Creative killed him? Bad feuds? Injuries?

Here are the accomplishments:

World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (4 times)
WWE United States Championship (1 time)
World Tag Team Championship (1 time)1 – with The Spirit Squad
Money in the Bank (2012)

I'm surprised with his injuries, they didn't tag him long enough with anyone to win the tag titles. While recovering from the concussion, have him and Big E tag and win the titles. Before looking up the accomplishments, I swear I thought he held more gold than that. I also think a Royal Rumble or King of the Ring, some winning gimmick, could've freshened him up over the years. He's got to be a lock for the WWE Hall of Fame no?

So what are your highlights?

And what are your lowlights of his career?

[CeilingFan]

Jan 2, 2016 10:08:23 GMT -5 @benji said:

So he's never going to ever be a main player. That is understood. He signed like a 2 year deal last year to stay and pretty much says that's it after it. So looking back at his career, how do you look at it? Over-achiever? Under-achiever? Was handed shit and turned it into gold? Creative killed him? Bad feuds? Injuries?

Here are the accomplishments:

World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (4 times)
WWE United States Championship (1 time)
World Tag Team Championship (1 time)1 – with The Spirit Squad
Money in the Bank (2012)

I'm surprised with his injuries, they didn't tag him long enough with anyone to win the tag titles. While recovering from the concussion, have him and Big E tag and win the titles. Before looking up the accomplishments, I swear I thought he held more gold than that. I also think a Royal Rumble or King of the Ring, some winning gimmick, could've freshened him up over the years. He's got to be a lock for the WWE Hall of Fame no?

So what are your highlights?

And what are your lowlights of his career?

2-time World Champion? I remember him beating Alberto Del Rio. When was the other one?

[Deleted]

Jan 2, 2016 10:11:22 GMT -5 CeilingFan said:

Jan 2, 2016 10:08:23 GMT -5 @benji said:

So he's never going to ever be a main player. That is understood. He signed like a 2 year deal last year to stay and pretty much says that's it after it. So looking back at his career, how do you look at it? Over-achiever? Under-achiever? Was handed shit and turned it into gold? Creative killed him? Bad feuds? Injuries?

Here are the accomplishments:

World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (4 times)
WWE United States Championship (1 time)
World Tag Team Championship (1 time)1 – with The Spirit Squad
Money in the Bank (2012)

I'm surprised with his injuries, they didn't tag him long enough with anyone to win the tag titles. While recovering from the concussion, have him and Big E tag and win the titles. Before looking up the accomplishments, I swear I thought he held more gold than that. I also think a Royal Rumble or King of the Ring, some winning gimmick, could've freshened him up over the years. He's got to be a lock for the WWE Hall of Fame no?

So what are your highlights?

And what are your lowlights of his career?

2-time World Champion? I remember him beating Alberto Del Rio. When was the other one?

Beat Edge in 2011.

Need proof?

[mrbananagrabber]

He was on the cusp when he won the title on that cash in. He was done for after losing to Del Rio.

[Slammy Award-Winning Cannibal]

It's weird when a babyface plays a cocky guy who thinks he's funny. It's a weird combination and it's hard to root for him. Especially when he's spent most of his career shaking his ass to the camera every night. So I'm not sure where he was expecting to go on the roster but it was always extremely difficult to picture him as The Man.

When his contract expires, in classic Nemeth style, I expect him to run his mouth at every turn about how he's so great and should've been given more opportunities.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

Dolph's character has barely evolved for years, and is not a particularly likeable character either. Dolph himself seems a bit more likeable based on backstage stuff, but the character is just awful. I also don't really like many of his matches, either. Honestly, I'm just kind of sick of him, and with only one world title he's no chance of getting elevated, and he's become tremendously stale to me. I wouldn't care to see another mid-card title reign from him either, but because he's a bit of a workrate machine he's always got a good crowd reaction from certain markets; I wouldn't miss him, honestly. I think some kind of gimmick repackaging and a heel turn would do him a world of good, but until that happens I couldn't care less about the character, honestly.

[Deleted]

At least he's had a better career than:

Chavo Guererro (Former Caddy of Chavo)
Johnny
Kenny
Mikey
Mitch

[Mozenrath]

Good career, nothing to be ashamed of. Very talented, virtually always featured in some capacity, and while I can't say WWE ever really did him wrong, since, again, they almost always had something for him and he gets on TV so much, they certainly didn't always capitalize with him, and I say that as someone who is lukewarm on the guy.

It's very strange to think he managed that career while having wrestled for basically just WWE this whole time, the majority of it as the same character.

[Deleted]

Jan 2, 2016 10:19:52 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

He was on the cusp when he won the title on that cash in. He was done for after losing to Del Rio.

I'd say he was rebuilt after ridding the WWE of the Authoity at Survivor Series 2014. But then Cena and the Authority had to undermine him.

That was Ziggler's true LAST CHANCE and they blew it.

If anything, Ziggler should've been in the triple threat at Royal Rumble instead of that Tape Worm Cena.

Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler.

That way you tie in the Rollins vs. Ziggler feud from Survivor Series with them both gunning for Lesnar. Two pinballs bouncing around for Lesnar would've been great. Why the hell did Cena get into that match anyways?? F*** CENA!

[Gravedigger's Biscuits]

He's had a good career. In terms of his talent, it's about right.

But in terms of overness, WWE really wasted him. Dolph has been one of the most over guys on the roster for almost 4 years now and easily could have been a main player if they got behind him.

They didn't though and now he's just spinning his wheels.

[SCCB Was Told To Do Steroids]

I'm not usually a "creative-ruined-him" guy, but creative ruined him. Vince had the perfect package handed to him and still booked him like crap. He only resigned for two more years, meaning he knows it.

Every once in a while, usually when WWE is swinging through Cleveland, Dolph gets on the ESPN affiliate station to talk to his friend from high school, who is the afternoon show co-host. Kayfabe is broken, but they never talk about future storylines. You can hear to pain in Dolph's voice as he talks about his current storylines, tongue firmly in cheek.

Rightfully so, he feels his status should be higher. I don't blame him. Isn't that the mantra The E tries to indoctrinate into their talent? Shoot for the brass ring, you have to act like the best every day, yadda yadda. I'm sure Dolph sees himself in the same vein as Flair and HBK.

OTOH, he seems pretty content that his went the way he wanted, is getting out relatively unscathed, and is looking forward to starting his stand-up/ acting career.

[Deleted]

I hope Dolph gets a shot at Brock as he moves around the roster.

[Deleted]

He's had a heck of a career for not being all that great and being named Dolph Ziggler.

[Kevin Hamilton]

He's achieved about what he should've really, given what he can do. He's a great middle of the pack dude.

[Deleted]

Ziggler's career is better than most stars pre-Attitude Era gold-wise than anyone who's not Taker, HBK and Hogan. He's already a Hall of Famer through gold.

[Gerard Gerard]

To me, his primary career accomplishment is the fact we're a number of posts in and no one has mentioned the categorical awfulness of a name like Dolph Ziggler. The man has overcome so much for that not to be the central point when discussing his legacy.

[kevin]

My biggest thing with Dolph is he never felt like the star in any of his feuds. It always felt like the other person was feuding with him either as they rose up or as Dolph moved down the card. Still Dolph managed to become a 2 time world champ and had many star making opportunity's I don't think creative ruined him at all I think they took him as far up as he could go.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

I don't think he should have any regrets when it's all over. He's had the kind of wrestling career not many will ever have, and it's only when we define success as "Becomes industry-defining top guy like Hogan/Austin/Rock/Cena" that he kind of looks like he failed.

[celtics543]

The fact that he was a caddy, a cheerleader, and a guy whose gimmick was introducing himself to people, and he still ends his career with all those accomplishments is saying something. I mean the guy got thrown out of the royal rumble on year because he stopped to shake Kane's hand and introduce himself. He was Heath Slater for a while and got himself to the point of world champion.

Creative didn't do Dolph any favors, especially with his name, but he's still had a great career. He's a hall of famer in my book. Not a headliner but definitely someone who should get in.

[Manute Bol]

Talented, athletic guy with a horrible name and no real character during his entire career.

As good of a wrestler as he is, I can't name a single must-see Dolph Ziggler match.

Similar to John Morrison, I don't blame WWE for him never making it to the top; I just don't think he ever had what it takes to be one of those guys.