WWE SummerSlam 2019: 5 reasons why Shawn Michaels isn't challenging Dolph Ziggler

The rumors that had been making rounds since the past few weeks turned out to be true this Monday night on Raw. The final segment of the night saw a contract signing featuring Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, and Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. After Ziggler signed the contract, it was revealed that he would be facing none other than a returning Goldberg at The Biggest Party of the Summer- SummerSlam.

Goldberg came out moments after it was teased that Shawn Michaels would be Ziggler's opponent. As an irate Ziggler walked towards the back, he was hit with a Sweet Chin Music by Michaels, as a payback to Ziggler's sneaky attack on him mere days ago. Although the fans seemed excited at the prospect of Goldberg returning to face Ziggler at SummerSlam, one wonders why WWE didn't go with Michaels vs Ziggler, in what could have been an interesting clash of similar styles. Here are 5 possible reasons why we didn't get this match at SummerSlam instead.

---

#5 Michaels probably doesn't want to have a match

Could it be that Michaels is done for good?

This could be a possible reason why these two Superstars aren't facing off at SummerSlam. Shawn Michaels made his big return to WWE after not being a part of the action for 8 long years. Now, maybe he has decided that it's time for him to step back and not hog the spotlight from the young guns who perform on the main roster on a weekly basis.

Michaels has had an illustrious career and is widely regarded by many as one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of this business. WWE even ranked him #1 in their list of 50 greatest WWE Superstars around a decade ago. Maybe he realizes that he simply doesn't need to do it anymore.

#4 Goldberg wants to right the wrong that was Super ShowDown

Goldberg vs Undertaker

At WWE Super ShowDown, Goldberg faced The Undertaker in what was a dream match. The battle saw both men botching a bunch of moves, including their finishers. The match ended when The Undertaker hit Goldberg with a terrible looking Chokeslam. Goldberg could be seen collapsing after the match, in a disturbing visual.

There's a good chance that Goldberg wants to make up for the travesty at Super ShowDown. This could be the reason we are getting Goldberg vs Dolph Ziggler, and not Michaels vs Ziggler, even though the past few weeks' worth of storylines were indicating the latter. Goldberg probably didn't want to end his career with a match that would be slammed by fans and critics for years to come, and hence WWE allowed him to have a go with someone like Ziggler, who is capable of getting a good match out of almost everyone he faces.

#3 We might get to see the match somewhere down the line

There's still a chance

The ones who were clamoring for a battle of the generations between Shawn Michaels and Dolph Ziggler shouldn't let their hopes down yet. As discussed previously, WWE brought back Golbberg possibly to give him a chance to end things on a high note. Maybe that's the reason why the company isn't giving us Michaels vs Ziggler, and could probably have plans to do the same somewhere down the line.

Once the dust is settled at SummerSlam, maybe Ziggler will resume his rivalry against Michaels and we will finally get a match between the two, let's say, at Survivor Series! We know that Michaels can still hang in the ring, and Ziggler is an exceptional performer. There's no reason why WWE wouldn't want to make it happen. Don't lose your hopes yet, as we just might get the match in the near future.

#2 Michaels' big return was underwhelming

The main event of Crown Jewel

Shawn Michaels is hands down one of the absolute best wrestlers in the history of WWE. He retired in 2010 after losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26, and stayed retired for almost a decade. WWE brought Michaels back for WWE Crown Jewel last year, as D-Generation X took on The Undertaker and Kane in a Tag Team Match.

DX emerged victorious at the end, when Michaels and Triple H hit their finishers on Kane. The Heart Break Kid didn't show signs of slowing down and actually went on to have a good showing, but the match was still slammed by the critics. Crown Jewel was heavily criticized by fans and critics, with Shane McMahon's World Cup win and the legends tag team match taking the majority of the blame. This could be another reason why Michaels is playing it safe and doesn't want to come back for what could be a "hit or miss" bout.

#1 WWE might be saving him for someone else

Bryan vs Michaels?

What if WWE has plans for Shawn Michaels, but simply doesn't want to put him in a match against someone who's basically a mid-carder?

Over the past few years, WWE has brought back several legends to wrestle matches, and Michaels has been one of the few who were actually capable of hanging in the ring all these years later. With Michaels being a legend of the squared circle, fans have been clamoring for a string of dream matches featuring him and present WWE stars, most notably Daniel Bryan.

Now that Bryan is a full-fledged heel, it wouldn't be surprising if WWE actually went with the "Teacher vs Student" angle and gave us a "passing of the torch" match between Michaels and Bryan. Saving Michaels for a dream match of that caliber makes complete sense, and is probably why Michaels isn't wrestling Ziggler.