10 Times WWE Dropped The Ball With Dolph Ziggler

10. Feuding With CM Punk

Ziggler restored prestige to the United States Championship when he held it for the latter half of 2011, defending the title against all-comers. However, by the end of his reign, it was evident he was ready to break out in the main event scene, as seen in his stellar showing against CM Punk on the November 21 edition of Raw.

Upon dropping the star-spangled prize to Zack Ryder at December's TLC event, he moved up to the main event picture immediately afterward. On the final Raw of the year, he cemented himself as the new No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship when he pinned Punk in a Gauntlet match where he would receive his title opportunity the next week on Raw.

Although he won that match via count-out, Ziggler was able to brag he beat the champ on more than one occasion. They contested another great match at the Royal Rumble, and even though it was a foregone conclusion that he wouldn't be winning the gold, it was imperative that Ziggler be made to look good in defeat.

Following his loss to Punk, he was quietly removed from the main event scene all together. Other than his participation in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match in February, he was relegated back to the midcard by WrestleMania 28.