Rumor: Top Star *POSSIBLY* Leaving Soon

[Uncle Sam]

We have fallen far since the bust ass matches with Rey mysterio in the "I am perfection" days.

Yeah, but mate, he was wrestling Rey Mysterio.

Ziggler's best matches, head and shoulders, have been against Rey Mysterio and Daniel Bryan, two all-time greats, which is curious.

 

[FightOwensFight]

I have said this about the IWC in general, and specifically as it relates to Dolph. The fans don't know what they want with him. As many on here have said, he is in a perfect spot right now, for him. Each and every time he has been given a main event push the fans have tuned out. As the scrappy underdog he works. Once he gets to the top he fades. The WWE can't sustain any kind of business if the fans have no interest in a guy the second he becomes champ.

Not saying I don't like Dolph, but the facts are the facts. He has been given the ball to run with it at varying times with mid-card and main-event programs/titles, but it just doesn't work out for him.

 

[Mustang Sally]

See here's the thing though, why would WWE give him a huge push right now if his contract is about to expire?

Presumably, the two events would be tied together. He'd sign a new deal if promised a big push. It would be in writing.

....WWE has soo much invested in newer stars like Ambrose, Rollins, Reigns, Ryback & Owens, with guys like Sheamus, Cena, & Orton still at the the top of the card too.

Add to that the new guys arriving from NXT like Neville & Zayn, plus others to come......and it might be Dolph has picked a bad time to issue ultimatums to the company. Perhaps money is an issue too, although I have no idea what he earns compared to others and whether he's happy with his compensation or not.

Or, as someone else pointed out, it could be he simply overvalues himself, figuring the company would suffer if he were gone. For all we know (for all he knows), WWE might be happy to let him go, particularly if the money they pay him is larger than what they figure he's worth.

As for his push, while we don't know how these matters are seen in the locker room, if a guy is appearing on almost every edition of Raw and Smackdown, plus plenty pf PPV exposure, how much differently does he want to be used? By my reckoning, he wants a world championship run or similar 'glory' position.....and with everything presently going on at main event level, he might have to tone down his demands a bit.

 

[akathelaw]

I don't agree that Dolph doesn't improve. He has had a decent consistency with his character over the years and he is over because the fans know him and are familiar with him and his style. WWE doesn't utilize the guy properly because their booking is messy right now. Some people are benefiting from the weird WWE booking style like Rollins and Ambrose but Ziggler is not getting further at this time, and I think it's not his fault.

Personally I want Dolph to head to GFW. If GFW could land Ziggler, Ryder, Morrison and Styles they would have a hell of a main event that's TV ready. It would be a different style than WWE but that's what they need. TNA is a mess and I think Jarrett is ready to correct the mistakes that were made there.

 

[Creepy Old Man]

Ziggler absolutely does not have it. He's a born mid-carder and his two world titles were gifts. The charisma, presence and mic skill simply are not there.

He's Billy Gunn, not Curt Hennig.

 

[stingray11214]

come on guys we are in reality era. the power is in our hands. now Bryan is gone we support ziggler and support him for the main event push.

Good. Buy his shirt. Buy his foam finger. Buy the soda cup with his image on it. You want his push? Pull out your cash.

 

[steven87gill]

The general attitude towards Ziggler on here is pretty infuriating. You can come up with all the fancy words you want, you just don't like Ziggler, & that's that. Don't try & pretend there is some exact science, if you don't personally dig him, then fine. But don't try & bullshit & pretend that it's something he's doing wrong.

Because if you don't like the guy, then whatever he does to improve won't be good enough. No different with Bryan, I see the amount of people on here who are indifferent on him. Some genuinely hate him.

And there's nothing wrong with that. But an awful lot more people did like him. Which is why he made the WWE a shitload of money & main evented mania. That only happened because they were forced kicking & screaming into pushing him. WWE are their own worst enemy when it comes to taking risks now that they have a monopoly. They'd rather make less $$$ on a guy they wan't as opposed to more money on a guy they don't want.

I mean WWE are in a situation where they don't really need to take risks on guys like Ziggler, so why should they? And that's the crux of the issue, until WWE are forced out of their comfort zone we're going to be stuck with an awful lot of misused talent not getting consistent pushes because of internal politics.

 

[rmp0012002]

If he were going to retire I could see that but I don't see him being in demand to pick his work like Styles. In WWE he gets paid well, has held all the belts and really hasn't been put into an embarrassing characters. And he just got to make out with Lana so WWE life isn't that bad. The roster is too big as it is and they change pushes like underwear so I wouldn't be telling Vince what I want and might walk because he might not get an offer to return. I like Ziggler but he has no power to dictate to Vince what he wants.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Do we have to emulate the main site's horrendous, clickbaitey tendency to obscure what stories are about behind their titles?

Dolph Ziggler's fine. Inexplicably popular. A good hand to have around. Claims to always steal the show despite never stealing the show. Leave, go, give a shit.

Dolph Ziggler has the best match on the card 90% of the time. That's the definition of stealing the show. With Bryan injured, there's nobody on the full-time roster as talented as Dolph Ziggler.

 

[rge2010]

Ziggler is 35 - he has been in WWE for around a decade? Sorry but he is a solid higher midcarder at best and WWE would not suffer from him leaving the organisation.

I think with NXT bringing through some great talent then Zigglers spot is under even more pressure.

Ideally keep him, but don't let him call the shots.

 

[OYDK]

Ziggler has been pushed time and time again, and nothing has come out of it. Some people talk as if the guy has never had the chance to showcase himself, which is just not true. Ziggler has feuded with everybody from Edge to John Cena... does anybody even remember those feuds, because personally, I can't for the life of me. To me the most memorable feud Dolph Ziggler has had to date, has been his WHC feud with Alberto Del Rio. That's when I was most invested in Ziggler, but that momentum was stopped with a concussion... his second. WWE HAS given Ziggler significant pushes for years now, but they haven't worked out for one reason or another. There comes a time when WWE stops investing in somebody that they've given multiple chances to, and to be fair, Ziggler has gotten more opportunities than most.

As for OP, I'm on the side of I don't really care at this point. If Ziggler leaves, than that leaves a space open for somebody else to make an impact and fill his spot. If he stays, he's a solid upper-midcard hand that should be happy with the spot he has. In my opinion, he's not going anywhere. I'm sure he's bluffing in order to get one more shot at the main event.

 

[heymanguy]

I understand what Ziggler is going through but he needs to realize that in WWE he will never make it to the main event scene. If he wants bigger things for him, then the best for him is really to leave.

 

[Alex]

Ziggler is overestimating himself.

He isn't CM Punk. CM Punk got over despite being given very little to work with. CM Punk was a great WHC but WWE botched it by feeding him to Undertaker and then not giving him anything to do after. CM Punk then made the Straight Edge Society one of the most memorable things of 2009/2010 despite it not being featured prominently and helping the New Nexus stay somewhat afloat. Ziggler has done nothing close. He had one memorable MITB cash in and then the subsequent reign was eh. None of his IC reigns have been memorable and his storyline relationship with AJ Lee showed she was the more interesting of the two. Ziggler just doesn't have much of an upside for a big push. He's not great in the ring (being a crash test dummy doesn't count) and his mic skills aren't great either. Compare him to Ambrose (similar build and ring style) and I'd take Ambrose who is better on the mic and flat out tells a better story in the ring as well as younger. Top that off with the amount of talent down in NXT (Owens, Balor, Zayn etc) and Ziggler just doesn't have much in comparison.

Don't get me wrong Ziggler is a good hand to have but he's not getting a main event push anytime soon.

 

[Fabulous Freebirds]

According to a report at wrestlinginc.com, originally reported at MLW Radio, 4 time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2 time World Heavyweight Champion, 1 time WWE World Tag Team Champion, 1 time WWE United States Champion and 1 time Mr. Money in the Bank Dolph Ziggler MIGHT be leaving the company when his contract expires in a few months.

According to the report, there've been rumors of Ziggler being unhappy for quite some time. During an episode of MLW Radio, former WWE writer Court Bauer commented on the rumor, referring to Ziggler leaving like John Morrison did. Morrison now works for Lucha Underground as Johnny Mundo. Bauer said:

"Dolph's deal is up in a few months and he has indicated informally that unless he gets a big push, he may leave like Mundo."

I'd say there's probably a good possibility of this being legit. There've been other reports over the past few years of Ziggler being frustrated with not being given a substantial main event push; partially, allegedly, one reason why is concern over Ziggler's health due to suffering two concussions within about 6 months of each other and displaying symptoms of Post Concussion Syndrome via the first one he sustained after returning to action.

Ziggler turns 35 in a little over a month and he's been involved with WWE for practically his entire career. It's possible that, realistically, he figures he doesn't have a whole helluva lot of time left to be elevated to a main eventer, due to getting older and the fact that there's so much interest & buzz surrounding guys like Kevin Owens, Neville and Sami Zayn.

Combine this with TNA letting guys go in the past week. Seems like they are saving some money to make a big play for Dolph Ziggler in a couple of months.

At least I would. Dolph to TNA would be awesome IF he does decide to leave WWE after his contract expires.

 

[chuckmdubya]

We've seen it so many times, a big star leaves and everyone over reacts. Stone Cold walked out, but the seats were still full and Raw continued on every Monday. Ziggler is a great performer, but his departure would not effect WWE very much. I'd hope he stays because he is good, but if he leaves there will not be much consequence. He does not have the IWC following that Punk did, I doubt there will be much reaction from fans if he does not stay.

 

[MCMG]

I like Ziggler but the idea of him getting a push doesn't seem likely. I reckon he has found his level, especially as a babyface. Turning him heel; new look/attitude/gear etc. would give him a chance to move up the card but he would eventually regress.

Losing Ziggler would be a blow for WWE but one that wouldn't be massive. Guys like Balor and Zayn are there to make the step up and are far more exciting and interesting. They are the new toys and the old one (Ziggler) will be moved to the side. Nevermind the likes of Cesaro and Neville who can fill Ziggler's current role.

As for Ziggler, I'm sure he could pursue comedy and acting alongside wrestling. He could do an indie show once or twice a month and make a lot of money. Even Lucha given that is seasonal. The ROH schedule might be a bit much but I suppose, hypothetically, there could be a deal where he only does PPV and the odd TV. He is definitely a big enough star to warrant that at least in the short run.

Ultimately, I'd miss Dolph in WWE but this seems inevitable. He definitely isn't the next Shawn Michaels but he is good at what he does even if he has become stagnant. Indeed, except for that one injury at the worst time; Dolph has barely missed any time. The WWE will miss that reliability.

 

[That N Word]

Jesus, Dolph Ziggler get pushes all the time, he's always in big storylines and he's a multiple time World Champion. He's constantly on the show week in and week out.. The only thing is he's not a constant main-event performer, which is understandable since he's not main-event material.

Exactly, I see you took the time to quote the first part of my post and not the second where I addressed that.

 

[Eddie]

Where would he go though? TNA? Not a wise move at this point, is it? Sounds like it's dying on its arse. GFW? Well maybe, but I don't really see it taking off without a TV deal of some kind. At this point either ROH or Lucha Underground seem more likely but surely he'll miss the payday.

That being said, if he's got other entertainment-based aspirations, then indulging those whilst working a lighter schedule may well be the dream right now. And given the fact that he's going to get surpassed by all the NXT lot (and let's face it, when Tyler Breeze comes up, Ziggler's going to just look like a clapped out version of him anyway), I'd suggest his best days are probably behind him. Shame because he's a good hand. And he has charisma, which is more than a lot of people.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I reckon he has found his level, especially as a babyface. Turning him heel; new look/attitude/gear etc. would give him a chance to move up the card but he would eventually regress.

Agreed. In Dolph's brief stay at main event level, his greatest successes came as a heel, yet it was ultimately decided he wasn't making the grade, and he was returned to a favored midcard status: 'favored' meaning he continued to have an exposure rate on TV superior to just about anyone on the roster.

So, whether it was WWE's idea or Dolph's suggestion, he was set up as a good guy, a move I believed was wise; he featured as a face much better than heel, imo.

Still, I agree with the level Dolph has been operating since he went good and really wonder if he thinks issuing an ultimatum to WWE is the way to get a mega-push. If he wants to continue as a pro wrestler in a wrestling company that offers far lower pay and less exposure, I wouldn't be surprised if Vince McMahon tells Dolph to go ahead and do it.

Hopefully, there's a compromise out there somewhere.

 

[MrDFW]

I'm sorry for the Dolph guys,,But never saw him doing much better than Xpac.

 

[mkw1962]

Dolph has signed a big contract today, he is here to stay for now. I like Dolph the fans like Dolph but he is only a mid card wrestler, this story with Lana and his up and coming feud with Rusev will be awesome.