Dolph Ziggler is an excellent professional wrestler and sports entertainer who has shown he can do it all.
During the pandemic, WWE released dozens of wrestlers at a time when the company was earning record revenue figures. On Thursday, the company revealed big news about SmackDown moving back to USA Network and the positive outlooks on television rights discussion for WWE Raw and WWE NXT. With all that good news, the company responded in a way only it knows how: talent releases. As they read about the success of their contracted promoter, multiple names were being released from their contracts. Perhaps the most surprising name was Dolph Ziggler, an individual who seemed like a WWE lifer.
Opinions about Ziggler’s tenure with the company will vary. He put together a nearly two-decade run with the company. Along the way, he experienced multiple highs and some consistent lows, especially toward the end of his tenure. Looking back over his 1,000+ matches, these are three matches and moments that stand out during Dolph Ziggler’s time with the WWE.
Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz – WWE No Mercy 2016
The Dolph Ziggler versus The Miz angle from 2016 was the best work of Ziggler’s WWE run. The match where he put his career on the line for Miz’s Intercontinental Championship is still one of the best WWE Raw matches of the last two decades. The build. The false finishes. The crowd was behind Ziggler. The Miz brings out all the underhanded tactics in his playbook.
This was an excellent presentation of a big-time match in the sports entertainment world of the WWE. It was one of the last few moments that Ziggler would have in the limelight within WWE and he delivered.
Dolph Ziggler sole survivor at Survivor Series 2014
2014 was a big year for Dolph Ziggler. As it ended, he had a wealth of momentum flowing behind him, Ziggler was on his way. One of those moments in 2014 was the Survivor Series match from 2014. While Ziggler was a multiple-time champion during his WWE run, this may be the most important match during his time there.
Ziggler stood next to Erick Rowan, Ryback, The Big Show, and John Cena. They took on Kane, Luke Harper, Mark Henry, Rusev, and Seth Rollins. The way the match played out, it looked like Ziggler was set up to be the fall guy, but the last half of the match was a Ziggler-feature fest. It was Ziggler against Kane, Harper, and Rollins. He would defeat all three but that last push against Rollins stole the show. It was a mini-match within the main event that made fans want to see more of Ziggler versus Rollins.
Dolph Ziggler cashes in the Money in the Bank to become World Heavyweight Champion – April 8, 2013
It wasn’t about the quality of the match, but more about the moment. Alberto del Rio stood in the center of the ring, holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Ziggler’s music hit and the eruption that followed is still recognized by many to be one of the biggest fan reactions they witnessed.
Ziggler and Rio would have a 2:50 match, with moments that looked like Rio would pull it out. Yet, Ziggler took the championship and many thought he put himself into the position to be a long-term main event player. Sadly, that would not be the case as fans would realize.
Dolph Ziggler versus Luke Harper WWE TLC 2014
This was a big breakout match for both Ziggler and Luke Harper (Brodie Lee RIP). Harper snatched the Intercontinental Title away from Ziggler heading into WWE TLC, and that led to the rematch being a ladder match at the annual event. Harper and Ziggler pulled out all the big spots, one of which was horrific to watch as it looked like a serious injury occurred. Ziggler came out on top, picking up the victory in the Intercontinental Championship.
He was on a major run that had the hardcore fans pushing him forward, but this was also the first WWE match that gave more individuals an in-depth look at how great Harper was as a performer.
Daniel Bryan versus Dolph Ziggler at Bragging Rights 2010
Dolph Ziggler versus Daniel Bryan is a hidden gem during both individuals’ runs with the company. Bryan was the United States Champion and this was a non-title match. Both individuals came out, showing their grappling abilities in a match that was rare for WWE back then, but would fit perfectly in today’s presentation of professional wrestling. Go back to watch this special attraction and think about what these two men could do if given the opportunity to compete again today.
The WWE release of Dolph Ziggler came with quite a shock, but perhaps it created an opportunity to see Ziggler do some more work in other organizations around the world.