8 Times WWE Completely Failed Dolph Ziggler

7. Eliminating Him So Quickly In The 2009 Royal Rumble

Common sense would dictate that WWE might want to protect their newest character and give him some momentum as 2009 began. The last few months of 2008 hardly represented an exciting start for Dolph, but things got worse when he was coolly eliminated from the Royal Rumble in just over 20 seconds.

As Dolph sprinted his way to the ring, Jerry Lawler on commentary said it was time for Ziggler to introduce himself to the Rumble for the first time. This should have parlayed into Dolph showing what he could do, maybe even ousting a few entrants himself. Unfortunately, WWE were on their own sprint to the Rumble's finish by the time Ziggler entered as #27.

Offering up a handshake to Kane and once again saying hello, Dolph was eliminated with a simple Irish Whip. As if that wasn't enough, someone agreed to let Ziggler go through the curtain with what looked like Christmas tinsel on his trunks. This was a lose-lose situation, and should never have happened so quickly into Dolph's run.