10 Primary Dynamics in WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Match
By Adam O'Brien
WWE.com
7. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jerry “The King” Lawler
Dolph Ziggler has been adapting to a much more aggressive demeanor over the last few weeks, stemming from his constant inability to win in big-time matches.
A loss to Baron Corbin on the opening SmackDown Live of 2017 would be the straw that broke the camel’s back, as when Kalisto emerged to help Ziggler in a post-match assault, Ziggler would instead turn on the masked luchadore with a superkick.
This inner turmoil continued throughout the month, with consistent attacks to both Apollo Crews and Kalisto before an interview with Jerry “The King” Lawler last week, to finally get to the bottom of this recent change of morals. Of course, Ziggler would instead mock the WWE Hall of Famer, recalling his own role in Jerry’s haunting heart attack back in 2012 — with a threat to finish the job if he isn’t shown some respect.
A superkick to the chest took Lawler off his feet, and it’s sending Dolph into the Royal Rumble on Sunday with a brand new sense of belligerence — which will come in handy for eliminating big names in the star-studded Rumble match.
That said, many believe the announcement that Jerry Lawler will be making his return to the announce table to call the Rumble match this year is no coincidence.
A rivalry with a legend may not be what Ziggler needs, especially given that it could squander his chances in the Royal Rumble, but it definitely stands as a good source of heat for someone that was one of the WWE’s top babyfaces just last month.