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What's the story?
Dolph Ziggler faced Bobby Roode on SmackDown Live in a two out of three falls match but lost the match which would've put him on Team Smackdown for Survivor Series if he had won.
In an interview backstage following the loss, he sounded distraught. He concluded the interview by saying that he was to rethink his career as he hardly ever won a match.
In case you didn't know....
Dolph Ziggler has not had the best run in WWE as his pushes were stopped at the oddest times, leaving him dead in the water. Though he was an amazing in-ring competitor, the inconsistency in his booking left the WWE fans unsure what to feel about him.
He was one of the most popular stars on the roster several times in the past, but the booking got in the way of his momentum, and fans slowly gave up on him.
Recently, he has been used as the first opponent for stars making their debut on the main roster, first with Nakamura, and more recently with Bobby Roode.
The heart of the matter
Ziggler opened up in the backstage interview, and the words he spoke seemed extremely heartfelt as well. When asked how he felt about the loss, he said that while he did not care what other people thought, he found himself losing every time he stepped into the ring.
He said that he had been excited and prepared to represent SmackDown Live at Survivor Series and said he just wanted to show that he belonged on SmackDown.
He said that Bobby Roode was as good as he had said he was and that he was more than just an entrance.
"It used to mean a lot more beating me in the middle of the ring. WWE Universe does not back me anymore, people behind the scenes never did, to begin with."
He also said that he was unable to win and given everything he felt that it was obvious that he needed to rethink his career.
"So clearly, I need to rethink... I need to rethink this career I think."
There have been rumours that Ziggler's contract was set to run out at the end of this week, and given this statement, he is likely to take some time off from the ring.
What's next?
At the moment it is unclear whether Ziggler will continue wrestling in WWE or not. He has many options before him if he leaves the company, and he can pursue his passion for comedy.
If he wants to wrestle outside WWE, New Japan and Ring of Honor would most probably be happy to have him as well.
Author's take
Dolph Ziggler is one of the best performers who has worked in a WWE ring and is also incredible at promos. His feud with The Miz was one of the best of 2016.
But like everything else related to him, the push was inconsistent. If anyone is seen as strong one day and week the next, he will only be backed for so long before people give up on him. This is exactly what happened with Ziggler. Time off will do him good, and if he comes back again, he should with a better gimmick.
It is extremely likely though that Ziggler may be gone for good.
