8 Times WWE Completely Failed Dolph Ziggler
5. Spoiling His First World Title Reign
Through all his initial struggles - the bland introduction and his rapid-fire Rumble elimination - Dolph Ziggler could get the job done inside the ring. When the bell rang, Ziggler was one of the better performers on the WWE roster from the off, so it was only a given that he'd shoot up the card and someday be considered a contender for the top titles.
It must have been a nightmare for Dolph when WWE completely flopped his first shot at a heel run with the World Heavyweight Title. Not only was he meekly handed the belt by Vickie Guerrero (who was looking to stick it to her ex, Edge), Ziggler also dropped the belt back to his 'Rated-R' enemy on the exact same episode of SmackDown.
Talk about a struggle: this debacle painted Dolph as someone who wasn't in the same league as Edge. While that may have been true in February, 2011, Ziggler was supposed to be the future of WWE, so the promotion had to at least try to make him look good.
Instead, he held the title for a mere 45 minutes or so before kissing it goodbye. So much for that.