8 Early Predictions For WWE Backlash 2016
5. Dolph Ziggler Vs. Apollo Crews
WWE have been dropping hints of an impending Dolph Ziggler heel turn for a few weeks now. It started on the pre-SummerSlam edition of SmackDown, when Dolph blasted Dean Ambrose with a Superkick out of nowhere, and it continued this week. In playing-up Ziggler’s frustration and depression towards his inability to win the big one, WWE are demonstrating that not all is well in The Show-Off’s head, and if it’s not heading anywhere, WWE are missing a trick.
If Dolph does turn, he suffers from a lack of quality babyface opponents. John Cena looks set for a spell on the sidelines, Randy Orton is engaged with Bray Wyatt, while Ambrose has moved-on to challengers new. This means Apollo Crews is likely next in the pecking order: an unideal opponent, but he might be WWE’s only choice.
A loss to Crews on a forthcoming SmackDown broadcast could be the straw that breaks the Ziggler’s back. He’s got to snap at some point, and while Crews is still struggling to get over, he could be a solid foil for heel Ziggler.
Crews needs crowd support, and Ziggler needs something to spike his interest levels. His comeback story has been compelling so far, but he needs to start gaining traction in the ring, and turning on Crews could represent a turning point for both men. If the match takes place, look for Dolph to win through nefarious means to push him back towards title contention, and build some all-important sympathy for Crews, whose vanilla personality remains an issue.