The Complete A-Z Of Wrestling In 2017

1. Z - Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler US Title
WWE.com

2017 was a calamitous year for Dolph Ziggler, up until he suddenly found himself as one of the most talked-about characters on television at the (very) bitter end.

His failures from January to November almost became a brand new calling card for 'The Show Off' years removed from the cheers that elevated his 2013 Money In The Bank cash-in to legendary status, but an unfathomably good Clash Of Champions Triple Threat United States Championship victory and the subsequent abdication of said title just 48 hours later went some way to undoing a host of misfires.

A listless heel turn dead by February, bloated and boring feuds with Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode in April and October respectively couldn't have foreshadowed Dolph's December to remember, especially considering that most assumed he was only entered into the supercard clash to take the fall in a retention for Baron Corbin or ascension for 'The Glorious One'. His future remains uncertain, but substantially brighter than it was just one month ago.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he 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 on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. 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 music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.