One year ago, Dolph Ziggler and his partner Big E wrestled against Team Hell No for the tag titles at WrestleMania 29. They failed to capture the belts, but no matter. The next night on Raw, Ziggy cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase on World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio. It received the biggest reaction of the night, a long-awaited payoff that made Ziggler a main event player. Dolph had won the hearts of the WWE universe as a heel. His speed, agility, and bumping abilities became increasingly hard to boo, no matter how egotistical he acted otherwise. He said that he was "just that damn good", and backed it up. Just as he'd become a marquee player, disaster struck. He sustained a concussion and was off TV for a month. Upon his return, the concussion was used to elevate Del Rio as a heel, who targeted Ziggler's head and won back the title. But instead of turning it around to elevate Ziggler as a resilient competitor, the company turned it into a soap opera between Dolph, AJ, and Big E. All momentum was lost, and then some. He was rarely seen on TV, usually losing matches when he did appear. Rumours swirled about his being punished for speaking out against the booking decisions, and fans were divided on whether the punishment was warranted. Eight months later, Dolph is experiencing a bit of a renaissance showing off more often and with greater success. One year later, the four other players from that WrestleMania match are in better standing than Ziggler; here's how to get him BACK in the main event picture.
Follow me @kickyhick :) I hold a degree in English Rhetoric & Professional Writing from the University of Waterloo in Canada. I've done technical writing, executive presentations, and recruiting materials for BlackBerry, and I write for non-profit organizations. My favourite project so far has been combining my passion for writing with being a die-hard wrestling fan. It's a pleasure to write here for WhatCulture, and also for TJRwrestling.com.
