6 Times Dolph Ziggler Got Screwed By WWE Creative

In case you missed it, Dolph Ziggler made his triumphant return at the Royal Rumble this past Sunday, entering to a rapturous ovation at number 30, then sweeping the competition aside to set up a WrestleMania showdown with AJ Styles.

Nah, just kidding. He lasted less than two minutes (one minute and 35 seconds, to be precise), scoring just one elimination - Goldust, as if it even matters - before getting dumped out by Finn Bálor. Some of the fans then started chanting for Daniel Bryan.

This represents the latest in a long line of examples of the WWE creative team dealing Dolph a raw hand. Whether it's cutting short his world title celebrations after an hour, or lumbering him with unfortunate, gone-tomorrow gimmicks, they seem to enjoy putting the The Showoff through the ringer year in, year out.

He's not the only member of the WWE locker room of whom this is true: Heath Slater and perennial loser Curt Hawkins aren't exactly pulling up any trees either, but at least they know where they stand. With Dolph, it's the hope that kills you.

Ziggler's first taste of the WWE creative team's, shall we say, lackadaisical approach to long-term booking came almost the moment he was promoted from OVW (the less glamorous NXT predecessor) way back in 2006.

To be clear: the issue here isn't that he was playing the role of a male cheerleader. It was never going to be the sort of gimmick that helps elevate its wrestlers to the top of the card - but people (or at least Hacksaw Jim Duggan) have got over with less.

Rather, it's the way in which the group were relegated back to the developmental leagues almost the very moment things began to turn sour on Raw. It was basically like saying: D-Generation X have had their fun with you - now get back in your box.

Actually, Triple H and Shawn Michaels literally put the five of them into a box, and then stuck a label on it reading "Destination: OVW". It was pretty funny, to be fair, but it's hardly surprising that only one of the men inside it went on to enjoy a WWE career worth talking about.