WWE Rumors: Backstage reason behind Dolph Ziggler's last-minute return to WWE

What's the story?

Dolph Ziggler made a shocking return to SmackDown Live on 21st May. It was his first return to WWE in nearly five months and he instantly inserted himself into the WWE Championship picture, setting up a date with Kofi Kingston at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia.

But the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Dolph Ziggler was a late addition to the card and wasn't originally planned to face Kofi Kingston.

In case you didn't know...

Dolph Ziggler's career in WWE has seemingly slowed down a bit. Perhaps due to the fact that he always has his hand in different ventures, whether it's his stand-up comedy career or political analysis.

Kevin Owens was feuding for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank and it looked as though the feud wasn't over, but for the time being, that seems to be the case. Kevin Owens is one among four superstars who have reportedly refused to go and perform in Saudi Arabia.

The heart of the matter

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Kevin Owens was Kingston's original opponent, but pulled out due to a request from his family. As a result, WWE chose to bring back Ziggler rather than use a RAW superstar.

Ziggler was a late change from Kevin Owens, who refused to go to Saudi Arabia. The feeling is that they had nobody ready, since they didn’t want a Raw wrestler in the spot and since HHH vs. Randy Orton was already booked on the show, as was Finn Balor vs. Andrade, the only names were Owens, Elias, or Daniel Bryan (who has been moved into a tag team program and also isn’t going to Saudi Arabia). The decision was just made, since Ziggler was booked by WWE to be in Australia that weekend. WWE just pulled him from that appearance and is sending Carmella to Australia in his place.

If advertised cards are anything to go by, then the Extreme Rules venue advertised Kingston vs Owens vs Ziggler for the WWE title. While Kingston is expected to win, don't be surprised if both Owens and Ziggler remain in the WWE title picture afterward.

What's next?

Dolph Ziggler will renew his old-time feud with Kofi Kingston, this time for the biggest prize they've ever competed for. Tune in on June 7th to see what happens!