10 Wrestlers Without Direction For WWE SummerSlam 2017

7. Dolph Ziggler

Charlotte Becky Lynch
WWE.com

The forgotten man of SmackDown Live! and WWE in general, Dolph Ziggler will commemorate a year since his last WWE Title shot by failing to even make the show altogether 12 months on.

His SummerSlam 2016 clash with Dean Ambrose was intended to promote the blue brand as a progressive place for performers to ply their trade, with an underdog champion instantly elevated by the emotional shortcomings of his embittered challenger. The loss to the 'Lunatic Fringe' marked the beginning of a woeful heel turn for Ziggler, and his non-starters with Kalisto and Apollo Crews signposted what many now feel is the beginning of the end.

His presence in the company's Money In The Bank ladder match was a red herring for any future involvement in a title chase, and his grossly underwhelming match with Shinsuke Nakamura in the 'King Of Strong Style's debut at April's Backlash pay-per-view left little defence for a vocal minority that still fought his cause.

That Ziggler is probably the least surprising name on this list is the most damning indictment of all. His exit has been rumoured for a long time indeed, but growing apathy towards his eventual decision represents how deep the mutual malaise has cut.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett