10 Times WWE Dropped The Ball With Dolph Ziggler
What ever happened to Ziggler winning the Survivor Series main event last year?
Nick Nemeth has been under contract to the WWE since 2004, which is a lot longer than fans might think. But then, even before bleaching his hair blonde, he served as a caddy for Chavo Guerrero in late 2005 before becoming a member of The Spirit Squad shortly thereafter, then known as Nicky.
It was't until September 2008 that Nemeth resurfaced on WWE TV as Dolph Ziggler, branching out into singles competition and mixing it up with the established likes of Batista and Jeff Hardy. He quickly proved his worth as a star on the rise with his natural in-ring abilities, but for one reason or another, he has yet to reach his full potential in WWE.
It's been nearly seven years since Ziggler was reintroduced into storylines, and although he's found much success on his own, he has all the tools to be a top-tier player in WWE. From the way he carries himself to his sensational skills in the ring and on the mic, there is no reason why he shouldn't be in contention for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship right now.
In the time he's been with WWE, officials have dropped the ball on him on countless occasions, causing his momentum to fizzle out and become the midcard mainstay he is today.
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.