10 Wrestlers Who Suffered From The Curse Of Comparison
6. Dolph Ziggler - Shawn Michaels
Dolph Ziggler had, and mostly still has, all the raw ingredients to make the next Shawn Michaels. Unfortunately, the right mix repeatedly proved elusive.
Both men have athletic ability, natural charisma, and arrogant heel good looks. More lucratively, they are two of the best bumpers in the business, understanding the art of making their opponents shine too. While the discussion of similarities was initially meant to flatter Ziggler, the comparison is now used to beat him with.
During a 2015 sit down with Steve Austin, Michaels addressed the resemblance. He was sympathetic as he'd similarly been compared to Ric Flair at the start of his career, which motivated him to go “off the radar and [do] something of [his] own”. HBK advised the young star; “now is the time to differentiate yourself”.
Three years later, Ziggler used an appearance on Lillian Garcia’s podcast to dispel accusations of gimmick plagiarism. He stated it wasn’t his intent to mimic Michaels and that he viewed his character development as a combination of Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect.
Ziggler has been unable to escape Michaels’ shadow. His curse briefly appeared contagious when Drew McIntyre teamed with ‘The Showoff’ and was cast as a new Diesel.