WWE RAW: 3 Reasons why Dolph Ziggler is absent ahead of WrestleMania 35

Dolph Ziggler (real name: Nicholas Nemeth) is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most underrated professional wrestling performers of all time. The talented former amateur wrestler is widely regarded as a truly distinguished wrestler and is considered wrestling royalty at Kent State University.

Additionally, Ziggler is a 2-time World Heavyweight Champion in the WWE, and has also captured several other titles in the company -- including the United States Championship (2 times), the Intercontinental Title (6x), whilst also holding the RAW Tag Team Championship once, as well as the World Tag Team Titles (1x).

Moreover, Ziggler has also won the Money in the Bank contract (2012) and is the 22nd Triple Crown Champion...So many accolades, right?

Why then has Ziggler been sidelined during the most important time of the year -- The Road To WrestleMania? Well, while most may point out the fact that he's busy with his first comedy tour, with him as the headlining act; there's more to this than what meets the eye.

Based on the plethora of recent news and rumors, as well as the WWE's tendency to go with the 50-50 (win some, lose some) booking approach with Ziggler -- here are the 3 reasons why Dolph Ziggler is absent ahead of WrestleMania 35.

Furthermore, in the following article, we shall also closely examine what the post-WrestleMania season could have in store for Ziggler...

#3 Because Dolph Ziggler was squashed by Drew McIntyre

Dolph Ziggler lost a terribly one-sided feud to Drew McIntyre

Perhaps I'll be called an old school guy, among other not-so-decent comments, but here's what I believe: In a fight for success, there's a winner and a loser. One man's loss, is another man's gain, and that's just a brutal fact of life -- Most times, there's no middle ground whatsoever.

Expounding upon the aforementioned theory about life, I'd like to assert that being squashed by Drew McIntyre in an embarrassingly one-sided feud, really destroyed all the momentum that Ziggler had built in 2018.

Needless to say, after a brief revenge of sorts on Mcintyre -- what with the fact that after an absence of several days, Ziggler returned to WWE for a one-off appearance in the 2019 Royal Rumble match and eliminated McIntyre -- Ziggler once again disappeared...

#2 Because Dolph Ziggler is the king of the post-WrestleMania season in WWE

Dolph Ziggler shook the WWE Universe to its very core on the RAW after WrestleMania in 2013

Then-Mr Money in the Bank Dolph Ziggler & Big E (who performed as Big E Langston at the time) faced WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane at WrestleMania 29 on April 7th, 2013. Well, although Ziggler & Big E failed to win on "The Grandest Stage Of Them All", the first night of 2013's post-WrestleMania season belonged to none other than "The Showoff"!

On the RAW after WrestleMania (April 8th, 2013), Ziggler cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on then-World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio -- taking advantage of an injured Del Rio, and beating the latter to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

The aforementioned Money in the Bank cash-in is considered to be the career-defining moment, in Ziggler's professional wrestling run thus far.

It's no secret that Ziggler has a terrible record at WrestleMania, however, history is the witness that'll testify, how Ziggler has always been one of the major players in the post-WrestleMania season in WWE right until the Royal Rumble PPV the next year...Which brings me to...

#1 Because Dolph Ziggler couldn't afford to engage in yet another rushed storyline

Dolph Ziggler knows better than to engage in yet another rushed storyline

Perhaps one of the most surprising things about Dolph Ziggler is that seldom do the vast majority of professional wrestling fans and experts acknowledge the fact that "The Showoff" is indeed one of the most dedicated and charismatic performers in the history of this industry.

Ever since he started off with the WWE in the mid-2000s, Ziggler has always been regarded as a dependable company man, so to speak. Irrespective of the nature and significance of the role that's accorded to him, the 2-time World Heavyweight Champion and self-confessed "Showoff", always "shows up" and "shows off" (pun intended).

Nevertheless, as I'd noted earlier, Ziggler built a decent amount of momentum for his on-screen character in 2018, only for it all to be wasted by Drew McIntyre chucking him out as though he were a fly in McIntyre's soup.

Add to the this the fact that Ziggler's comedy tour demanded that he focus on it from around January 27th, 2019 until the end of this month; and you have little-to-no-time for the WWE to book Ziggler in any halfway decent storyline...Ergo, we're faced with the conundrum of the ultra-talented Ziggler, missing out on WrestleMania 35.

Notwithstanding, Ziggler will most likely be inserted into the WWE Intercontinental Championship scene alongside the likes of Bobby Lashley and Finn Balor when "The Showoff" does eventually return to WWE.