10 Most Emotional Title Wins In WWE History
9. Dolph Ziggler Wins The World Heavyweight Title (Raw, 2012)
As far as Money in the Bank cash-ins go, it’s hard to beat Dolph Ziggler’s in 2013. Seth Rollins’ sudden appearance at WrestleMania 31 comes close, but from a purely emotional standpoint, Ziggler is top of the class. This was the official coronation of one of the most underutilized stars in WWE history, and the moment itself couldn’t have been more perfect.
It was widely expected that Cody Rhodes would take the 2012 MITB briefcase, but no. Ziggler took a huge beating throughout the match, but he came through it, and snagged the case with Vickie Guerrero’s assistance. The next few months were stormy to say the least, even after ending his affiliation with Guerrero and linking-up with Big E and AJ Lee. Ziggler retained his briefcase by beating John Cena at TLC 2012, but he was humiliatingly destroyed in numerous cash-in attempts, and it looked like his time would never come.
Ziggler’s prayers were answered the night after WrestleMania 29. World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio had just defeated Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter in a handicap match, but his night wasn’t over. Ziggler’s music hit, the fans lost their minds, and when he took the title, the building was lost in an outpouring of emotion.
It’s always satisfying when a fan favourite takes the gold, and even moreso when it’s someone like Ziggler, who’d been held back so often throughout his career.