WWE SummerSlam: WWE World Championship - Deam Ambrose (c) VS Dolph Ziggler

[Jack-Hammer]

On tonight's episode of SmackDown, Dolph Ziggler, surprisingly, won a 6 pack challenge by defeating John Cena, AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews and Bray Wyatt to face Dean Ambrose at SummerSlam for the WWE World Championship.

From an overall perspective, the WWE Universal Championship already seems like a much more interesting match and will probably stay that way for a couple of reasons. For one reason, Finn Balor & Seth Rollins are two guys in the prime of their careers who both are completely fresh and considered two of the best in the world whereas Dolph Ziggler is sort of seen as a poor man's Shawn Michaels; he's a talented guy, but he's a guy that's sort of been a whipping boy for higher ups for years. For another reason, either Balor or Rollins will be the first ever WWE Universal Champion while at face value, most of us have already written Ziggler off when it comes to taking the title from Ambrose.

With that being said, if this is given a compelling build and storyline, it could still be a very entertaining match but I simply don't see it having the marquee value of Balor vs. Rollins.

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

Wot.

I can only think this is Vince sabotaging Smackdown on purpose to make sure RAW remains the flagship. Because there's no way in hell this main events over Balor/Rollins. I mean, does anyone actually care about this match? Does anyone think Ziggler is actually going to beat Dean Ambrose at Summerslam for the WWE Title in 2016? Not even Dolph thinks that.

I have no problem with two lads who are inexplicably over despite being a bit shit feuding at Summerslam over a title. It's just that I would prefer the title be the US title or something. It's what Ziggler does best.

Also he pinned AJ Styles when Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin were in the match. Jesus Vince.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

The week of pandering to the internet continues. Smackdown closed with an image of Daniel Bryan raising the arms of Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler, who will be fighting for a World Title. After they went off the air I wonder if Bryan gently sucked on the nuts of a fat neck bearded loser while Meltzer and Alvarez yelled "5 stars! 5 stars!" I get that this is supposed to be a new era or whatever, but generally speaking you should build up to things and logicially elevate wrestlers, not throw guys that get little to no reaction into World Title matches when they were just working Baron Corbin on preshow matches two months ago.

This isn't believable and this isn't a draw. This is fucking stupid.

 

[GOOZEKING]

Dolph ziggler jobs for 2 years and we are supposed to believe that he is world title worthy. I wouldn't be surprised if this match opens summerslam or is at the first or second hour. Atleast Dean will probably have a longer title reign. I don't understand why it wasn't bray Wyatt. I don't understand them treating bray like garbage when after being on the roster for 3 years he atleast deserves a chance. Smackdown was garbage.

 

[Black Anaconda Vise]

Maybe this is like WWE's weird version of the "Tenzan's Last Chance" storyline. Too bad Dolph Ziggler is not Hiroyoshi Tenzan.

This should have been Wyatt. Baron and Apollo just aren't ready, Cena and AJ are doing their own thing. That leaves Wyatt, fresh off of a win against the top tag-team in the company right now and Ziggler, who wasn't even on the Battleground card.

The problem with Ziggler is that he's just not interesting anymore. He had a long, over-drawn feud with Corbin that turned lots of fans against him, he's been playing jobber to the stars, and he really hasn't meant much ever since winning the world championship in 2012, and arguablly the IC title in 2013 or 2014. Over/no selling aside, this match could be okay, but Balor/Rollins will definitely be the stronger of the 2 world title matches.

Also his name is stupid as fuck

 

[Aquaman6686]

The week of pandering to the internet continues. Smackdown closed with an image of Daniel Bryan raising the arms of Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler, who will be fighting for a World Title. After they went off the air I wonder if Bryan gently sucked on the nuts of a fat neck bearded loser while Meltzer and Alvarez yelled "5 stars! 5 stars!" I get that this is supposed to be a new era or whatever, but generally speaking you should build up to things and logicially elevate wrestlers, not throw guys that get little to no reaction into World Title matches when they were just working Baron Corbin on preshow matches two months ago.

This isn't believable and this isn't a draw. This is fucking stupid.

Such a blatant lie, and shows your clear bias. Dolph Ziggler is one of the most over stars of the last decade. Dolph Ziggler is a DRAW. THIS is where Dolph Ziggler should be on the card - competing for World Championships in PPV main events, not jobbing to nobodies on the Kickoff Show. With Punk and Bryan both retired, Ziggler is one of the two biggest stars WWE has created in the past ten years, along with Seth Rollins.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Also his name is stupid as fuck

...And yet you like the name Finn Balor? Good lord, why is WrestleZone such an anti-Ziggler hate zone?

 

[swallop]

This was freaking awesome a huge shock. WWE hasnt disappointed with the "change" they have been talking about. This will be an excellent wrestling match. If they build up dolphs superkick like it can win any match it will be even a better match. I would like to see dolph turn heel for this program and im sure he will no reason to have 2 faces, although ziggler got a massive reaction when he won. Hes always been better as a heel though.

 

[ShinChan]

It was an huge shock for me as I saw Dolph Ziggler pin AJ Styles to become the new No. 1 contendee for Dean Ambrose's WWE World Championship.

This push would have been much logical when Ziggler was the only person who survived in Survivor Series against the Authority. But WWE missed a great opportunity out there.

I really don't like "all of a sudden" push. I do like Ziggler but his booking in meaningless matches has depleted my interest in him.

Still I am optimistic for this match. And Ziggler shouldn't win this match. It's a nice way to give the rub to Ambrose although it's credibility is par.

Still I would have preferred Bray Wyatt.

 

[lil steroid meat]

I like it.

People always complain about the same old shit and when something unpredictable happens they turn into fuckin Vince himself with a million reasons why we should go back to the same old shit. I agree that it's kind of sudden for him to go from jobber to WWE Title #1 Contender but fuck it. He's over and they could explain it as a sort of lucky streak for him. How much logic are you really expecting from fake fighting, let alone WWE who has become king off of stories that don't make long term sense?

Just sit back and let it play out.

Personally I don't see Dolph having a chance in hell to win but who knows...someone could come out and interfere and cost Dean the match and Dolph gets a month or two as a thank you reign and acknowledgement that he's consistently been over for the past few years.

I like it...simply because I don't know what's gonna happen next on either show. That's the first time in a long time you can say that in the WWE. Just let it happen. I'm sure by January things will be back to normal and we'll be able to predict the storylines until Summerslam 2017 again so enjoy some unpredictability for once. SmackDown needs more main event talent and there's no reason why they should force Apollo or Baron into that spot yet when you have someone who is already over and has not much time in their prime left to still be used as a main event talent.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

While I still don't consider Ambrose to be up there with Reigns/Rollins, I am slowly warming up to him. With that said they put him against someone who is nothing more than what he acts like, a second rate copy. Dolph Ziggler has been given chance after chance and he's not a main eventer, he's not a draw. It annoys me how much they've given Ziggler main event pushes, but failed to give (m)any to Kofi and Cody(whom I consider to have been as good as Ziggler).


Expect overacting from Ambrose and a bunch of overselling from Ziggler. As for the winner, history will obviously repeat as Ziggler record one-on-one against Ambrose speaks for itself. 0-1-4.
I think they picked Ziggler over Bray in hopes of "competing" with Rollins vs Balor, but this match just comes off as what Smackdown shouldn't be looked at, as the B-show.

 

[Azane]

At first I'm like "How, what why Ziggles?"

Then I realize, he's a former World Champion, it's just been so many jobs away, that it doesn't make sense to me still.

Then I realize, This is what we knew would come with the brand split, With 2 world titles, Dolph is Main event level again.

I'll take this unpredictable booking, even if it makes less logical sense, over Roman and John Cena leading their respective brands to boredom.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Huh!

Ok, so out of all the guys in that match Ziggler is the most uninspiring option. He has as much credibility as Crews or Corbin, yet isn't as much of a fresh, leftfield option. And Ambrose vs. Cena or Styles is a fresh, SummerSlam match worthy of this supposed new era.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Wot.

I can only think this is Vince sabotaging Smackdown on purpose to make sure RAW remains the flagship. Because there's no way in hell this main events over Balor/Rollins. I mean, does anyone actually care about this match? Does anyone think Ziggler is actually going to beat Dean Ambrose at Summerslam for the WWE Title in 2016? Not even Dolph thinks that.

I have no problem with two lads who are inexplicably over despite being a bit shit feuding at Summerslam over a title. It's just that I would prefer the title be the US title or something. It's what Ziggler does best.

Also he pinned AJ Styles when Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin were in the match. Jesus Vince.

I don't think Balor/Rollins mains event Summer Slam either

I am pretty sure The Summer Slam main event will be Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton which is an inter promotional match.

Also I think both Championship Matches will play second fiddle with the expected Cena/AJ Styles anyways.

Ziggler/Ambrose is fine though a questionable since this match does nothing to build up the momentum Ambrose and the title established in MITB and Battleground.

 

[Khalifa]

I actually like it a lot. Maybe it's because I'm a fan of Ziggler . Seriously though, to me it was inevitable Cena and AJ would lock up at Summerslam. End their feud at the 2nd (or 3rd) biggest PPV of the year, have AJ move onto the title after that. Apart from those two, Randy, Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose are probably the only other qualified guys to go in the main event. One of them is facing Brock Lesnar, one is already world champion and the other has already feuded with Ambrose to death so screw getting another match from them, perfect opportunity to elevate someone else.

Ziggler has already been in the main event so it's not like he needs so much the elevation but, it's definitely better than having Corbin or Crews go straight into a Summerslam 'main event' match without any proper build behind them. Sure Ziggler probably has a worse record than Heath Slater or Curtis Axel these last few years, but it is believable to think that he lost a bit of love for what he was doing (which is the story I would've went with) or make people believe they haven't see the best of him (which WWE has gone with).

To me it's a good way to build another main eventer on the SD brand while also not just throwing someone in the main event who hasn't been there before and who isn't ready yet and having it backfire... I think we can all think of a very recent project that backfired on the WWE.

Focusing on the match, it's clear that Ambrose is going to win. The match itself should be pretty decent. Some people don't like Ambrose's style (I'll put my hand up here) and some people don't like Zigglers style but, I think most people will agree that this will be a decent enough match. I think Orton/Lesnar, Styles/Cena and Rollins/Balor do enough to the show to allow this match to happen.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Relax people, who else could Dean have faced? It's obvious that we're getting Styles vs Cena II at Summerslam. The only other option out there was Bray Wyatt and that was who I was rooting for last night.
Maybe you know, the WWE thought that we have seen Ambrose vs Bray many times in the past, so they went with a match we haven't seen all that much, Dean vs Ziggler.

It's not like Bray was going to win anyways.

Plus, WWE is keeping the big matches that Smackdown and RAW can give us, for their brand-exclusive PPVs, since Summerslam is already sold out and lots of people are gonna watch it, because of the Lesnar vs Orton dream match.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

This smelt like a shot at Cesaro more than anything - a kind of "had you kept your mouth shut, this could have been you instead of Balor" type deal...

Ziggler per se isn't a bad call, particularly as he is a good way for them to turn Ambrose heel or more to the tweener role he's best in. The match will no doubt have some good spots and let's face it... Balor v Rollins is going to steal the show without question, so they need something that could at least approach it in the other title match... Bray as much as he deserves it is the guy who picks the bones after both guys take each other to the limit here... he's your guy for later in the year - not Summerslam.

It'll be interesting to see how they handle this after Summerslam... Ziggler is a risky choice as he's one concussion away from being Christian-ed but he's someone who a loss won't kill off and who on paper can escalate Dean as he is a multi time champ himself...

That's probably the biggest thing in the Ziggler case... people legit forget he's had those title reigns cos it's been so long since he's been a main eventer... They need to reactivate "THAT" guy, even if he doesn't get the belt so he can be the Chris Jericho type on Smackdown... that means occasionally you have to toss them a big win/main event...

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

I don't think Balor/Rollins mains event Summer Slam either

I am pretty sure The Summer Slam main event will be Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton which is an inter promotional match.

Also I think both Championship Matches will play second fiddle with the expected Cena/AJ Styles anyways.

Ziggler/Ambrose is fine though a questionable since this match does nothing to build up the momentum Ambrose and the title established in MITB and Battleground.

Yeah, Lesnar/Orton will probably main event, but Vince might smack Lesnar right in the middle of the card just out of spite for getting caught doping.

Ziggler and Ambrose definitely goes on before Cena/AJ, and Smackdown assumes its traditional place below RAW.

 

[LoveReignsO'erMe]

To be honest, I fully expected Bray to win because I figured Cena/Styles was a SummerSlam lock, because Corbin/Crews are too raw, and because Ziggler is well...Ziggler.

But it does make sense. Ziggler is a good worker, decent enough on the mic, and still has 4 weeks to tell this story. He's not going to go over, so I'm not terribly concerned.

I think they want to take time to build Bray back up into the unstoppable monster that he should have been all along. They don't want to tell that story in just four weeks, they want months to reach that payoff. I think it will be Wyatt who takes the title off of Ambrose eventually, and I think it'll happen late this calendar year or early 2017 (Royal Rumble at the latest, probably). Plus, he has Luke Harper returning soon, and that'll help solidify his faction again

 

[OYDK]

I don't hate it (that much...), but that being said, Ambrose/Wyatt would have been a much stronger choice for Summerslam and would have been the icing on the cake for what's looking to be a very strong card. As it stands, Ambrose/Ziggler probably takes place somewhere around the mid-point of the show or even possibly opens it, just like the old Smackdown title used to in its dying days... not a great way to present Smackdown or it's championship.

I don't know, there just doesn't seem to be any fire in this feud. The build could come off really well, but the match is still going to have a HHH/RVD-esque feel... meaning nobody in their right mind actually thinks Ziggler is going to take the strap from Ambrose. Still, Ziggler's promo last night actually reminded me of why I used to like him and if he can get back to being that guy he used to be, the one who was actually worthy of being a cocky prick, than I'll be satisfied enough. But no, he shouldn't be a main event fixture... just... no.

And why oh why did he have to pin Styles? After a Superkick to boot... man that left me salty.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The more I think on it, the more it just seems like a logical choice in some ways. Corbin & Crews aren't ready, Cena & Styles are going at it at SummerSlam and just think of all the bitching people would do if we got Ambrose vs. Wyatt with Wyatt jobbing out again. Sure, you could put the title on Bray but I'm of the opinion the title needs stability as it's already changed hands a total of 7 times since Survivor Series last year.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

The more I think on it, the more it just seems like a logical choice in some ways. Corbin & Crews aren't ready, Cena & Styles are going at it at SummerSlam and just think of all the bitching people would do if we got Ambrose vs. Wyatt with Wyatt jobbing out again. Sure, you could put the title on Bray but I'm of the opinion the title needs stability as it's already changed hands a total of 7 times since Survivor Series last year.

Your logic makes sense. But you know what it really does? It just points to the awful depth Smackdown has on its roster. We're talking about a guy who hasn't been relevant in years and was, just a couple months ago, jobbing to Baron Corbin. I don't care if it's Zack Ryder or Randy Orton, no one with that resume should be challenging for the WWE Title just breaking into a "New Era".

 

[OYDK]

The more I think on it, the more it just seems like a logical choice in some ways. Corbin & Crews aren't ready, Cena & Styles are going at it at SummerSlam and just think of all the bitching people would do if we got Ambrose vs. Wyatt with Wyatt jobbing out again. Sure, you could put the title on Bray but I'm of the opinion the title needs stability as it's already changed hands a total of 7 times since Survivor Series last year.

Speaking as a big Wyatt mark, it's a hell of a lot better than him being left off the Summerslam card altogether, which is looking more and more likely at this point. It seems the card right now is looking like:

New Day/Club
Styles/Cena
Ziggler/Ambrose
Sasha/Charlotte
Lesnar/Orton
Rollins/Balor
IC title
US title
Maybe Owens/Reigns (cus they'll have to do something...)

Unless they're thinking of putting him with The Miz, which I highly doubt, I don't see another very strong option for Bray. I guess it's a possibility that he and Rowan face American Alpha but I don't see a win coming out of that match either. I would have been fine, actually happy with him being positioned as a main event guy right off the bat even if it meant losing to Dean Ambrose.

Just me.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

Instead of jsut bitching, I'll also offer an alternative. SmackDown's SummerSlam main event should have been Cena vs. Styles vs. Ambrose for the WWE Title. Cena and Styles is the top feud on the show, they are the top stars, and now you add the title into the mix. At Battleground Ambrose had to defend the belt against RAW's top two guys in a triple threat, now he does the same thing against SmackDown's top two guys.

Styles is looking for his first WWE Title.
Cena is looking for a record tying 16th.
The WWE Champion must face them both.

Simple, but effective. A bigger match with bigger stars that have actually been built up. Any of the three guys could conceivably go over.

 

[Woodstuff]

More proof that smarks always think they know better than the writing staff.

Dolph Ziggler "deserves a push/is held back" for years, and WWE are constantly criticised for not using him. Then he picks up a big upset win to earn a title shot at SS, and that's wrong too?

You all need to understand that once the show is over, it's easy to think you've come up with a better idea. Just relax and enjoy the feud. And if you're not a Ziggler fan, I guess you're rooting for Ambrose. Don't like either guy? There's plenty of other feuds to follow.

Think the roster/writing sucks? No one is forcing you to watch.