10 Times WWE Accidentally Created A Star
7. Dolph Ziggler
For years, Dolph Ziggler had been the nearly man. A reliable midcarder with slick offence, elite selling, and just enough charisma to make you wonder, “What if?” Even when he won the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2012, it felt like a placeholder — a push WWE would get around to… eventually.
Enter the Raw after WrestleMania 29.
Ziggler cashed in on Alberto Del Rio to one of the loudest reactions in WWE history. The crowd erupted. It wasn’t just a title change — it was a release. Years of quiet fan support exploded in one perfect moment. WWE didn’t script it to be iconic. But it was.
And that was the problem. WWE didn’t expect it to work. Ziggler got injured shortly after, and instead of capitalising, they cooled him off. The title reign was short. The momentum vanished.
On that night, Dolph Ziggler was the guy. Not because WWE crowned him — but because the fans had been waiting years to do it themselves.