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What's the story?
Dolph Ziggler emphatically shut down rumours about a possible repackaging of his gimmick in an interview with Channel Guide Magazine. "There is all this talk out there about me being repackaged. I don't think I'm doing that", he said.
When quizzed about his absence from the ring for the best part of two months, 'The Showoff' said, "It's nice to take a little break and come back fresh. Not matter when or no matter what I'm doing, I think it will be nice; I've only missed a handful of weeks of work. After a while, you just want to step out. People talking is fine. Some people's jobs are to speculate. So, I can understand that. I'm still excited to be in the ring."
In case you didn't know...
Dolph Ziggler returned on a backstage segment on SmackDown Live (22nd August). Dolph, who was last seen on July 4th as part of the Independence Day Battle Royal match, sent a cryptic message to the WWE Universe, building suspense for a potential return to in-ring competition next week.
The heart of the matter
Dolph Ziggler is undoubtedly one of the more talented wrestlers on the WWE roster today. However, he has stagnated and has been at the wrong end of some poor booking.
So, rumours about his 'repackaging' seemed logical. It remains to be seen what he has to offer to SmackDown, who could always use more star-power.
What's next?
There seems to be something which always holds back Dolph Ziggler; his work with Shinsuke Nakamura, given the duo's potential, was disappointing in the eyes of many. He probably needed the month or so away from TV to reinvent himself, if not his gimmick.
Author's take
Dolph Ziggler, despite his talent, seems to be one of those wrestlers whose best days are behind him (at least in the WWE). He is already 37-years-old and things don't look great for The Showoff.
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