3 times WWE killed Dolph Ziggler's momentum

Former U.S. champion
Former US champion, Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler is one of the most talented superstars ever to set foot in a WWE ring. He is a former World Heavyweight Champion, Intercontinental Champion, US champion, and tag team champion. In spite of all this, he has never broken the glass ceiling, and it isn't his fault either.

WWE have held back Ziggler on numerous occasions. There have been a lot of times where it seems that he was on the cusp of greatness, but instead, it was wasted for one reason or another. As a Dolph Ziggler fan, there is nothing more frustrating than to see him so close to the top only to see it ripped away from him.

WWE could have had a real top star bu iInstead here we are talking about three times WWE killed The Showoff's momentum.


#3 The 2018 Royal Rumble

Number 30 entrant
Number 30 entrant at the 2018 Royal Rumble

After Ziggler gave up his US championship and walked away from SmackDown Live there were questions as to if he was done with the WWE. His contract expired soon and he didn't seem to have much left for the company. The rumors were put to bed at the Royal Rumble when he returned as the last entry in the match. This return was wasted, however as he didn't fare very well in the match.

He was the last man in and he would not even make it to the final six guys in the match. WWE didn't treat his return as a big enough deal. Guys like Orton and Cena didn't need to last as long as they did and The Showoff could have been in their spot. It was a return for the sake of having a surprise, instead of a push towards the top of the card.

This could have signalled a huge leap and shift for his career. That is the opposite of what ended up happening though, as he was treated as just another guy. He could have been made into a much bigger star off the bat had he eliminated guys like Orton and Mysterio. He and Nakamura would have made for a phenomenal final two, but the momentum from his return was killed immediately.

#2 Post RAW after WrestleMania 29

You deserve it.
You deserve it

A star was born on that day is what we should all be saying to ourselves after this amazing night that came off the back of WrestleMania 29. That isn't the case as we all know. This moment will go down as one of the best in RAW's history. The crowd was going nuts and the longtime fans of The Showoff were collectively losing their minds at home. Ziggler had held on to the Money in the Bank briefcase for nearly a year and finally cashed it in.

When he defeated Alberto Del Rio and won the world title, fans thought he had finally broken through Vince McMahon's glass ceiling. Then, he got injured and was forced to miss a month of action. Once he finally made his return he dropped the title back to Del Rio and he was soon pushed back down the card after not much time. It is one of wrestling's biggest what if's ever.

The reason Vince McMahon gave up on Ziggler after his injury may never be fully known. What is known though, is that this was the greatest night in The Showoff's career and the momentum from it went to waste.

#1 Post Survivor Series 2014

Sting's debut
Sting's debut

Never in his career did WWE make such an effort to put Ziggler over for a single night more than Survivor Series 2014. The Showoff was the sole survivor for Team Cena against the Authority that night. Effectively putting the Authority to an end, for about a month.

On that night he overcame a three on one disadvantage, pinning Kane, Luke Harper, and Seth Rollins, after some interference from Triple H and Sting. He looked like a million bucks coming out of this pay-per-view.

His momentum was through the roof. That did not last long as after that night far too much focus was put on Triple H, Sting, and especially John Cena. Big Match John did nothing in the match to warrant the credit, yet he was still focused on in the storyline.

It neutered Ziggler and made him feel unimportant in his own story. His WrestleMania match would end up being a seven-man ladder match. How is that possible after the Survivor Series match? It was the biggest missed opportunity of Ziggler's career.