8 Times WWE Completely Failed Dolph Ziggler

5. Spoiling His First World Title Reign

dolph ziggler world title

Through all his initial struggles - the bland introduction and his rapid-fire Rumble elimination - Dolph Ziggler could get the job done inside the ring. When the bell rang, Ziggler was one of the better performers on the WWE roster from the off, so it was only a given that he'd shoot up the card and someday be considered a contender for the top titles.

It must have been a nightmare for Dolph when WWE completely flopped his first shot at a heel run with the World Heavyweight Title. Not only was he meekly handed the belt by Vickie Guerrero (who was looking to stick it to her ex, Edge), Ziggler also dropped the belt back to his 'Rated-R' enemy on the exact same episode of SmackDown.

Talk about a struggle: this debacle painted Dolph as someone who wasn't in the same league as Edge. While that may have been true in February, 2011, Ziggler was supposed to be the future of WWE, so the promotion had to at least try to make him look good.

Instead, he held the title for a mere 45 minutes or so before kissing it goodbye. So much for that.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.