Rumor: Top Star *POSSIBLY* Leaving Soon

[Jack-Hammer]

According to a report at wrestlinginc.com, originally reported at MLW Radio, 4 time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2 time World Heavyweight Champion, 1 time WWE World Tag Team Champion, 1 time WWE United States Champion and 1 time Mr. Money in the Bank Dolph Ziggler MIGHT be leaving the company when his contract expires in a few months.

According to the report, there've been rumors of Ziggler being unhappy for quite some time. During an episode of MLW Radio, former WWE writer Court Bauer commented on the rumor, referring to Ziggler leaving like John Morrison did. Morrison now works for Lucha Underground as Johnny Mundo. Bauer said:

"Dolph's deal is up in a few months and he has indicated informally that unless he gets a big push, he may leave like Mundo."

I'd say there's probably a good possibility of this being legit. There've been other reports over the past few years of Ziggler being frustrated with not being given a substantial main event push; partially, allegedly, one reason why is concern over Ziggler's health due to suffering two concussions within about 6 months of each other and displaying symptoms of Post Concussion Syndrome via the first one he sustained after returning to action.

Ziggler turns 35 in a little over a month and he's been involved with WWE for practically his entire career. It's possible that, realistically, he figures he doesn't have a whole helluva lot of time left to be elevated to a main eventer, due to getting older and the fact that there's so much interest & buzz surrounding guys like Kevin Owens, Neville and Sami Zayn.

 

[Mustang Sally]

If this 'big push' stuff is true, I suppose it comes down to how much power Dolph actually has in the organization.

He's a midcard performer; a popular one, yes......but when the company has tried him at main event level in past years, they wound up quickly backing off and returning him to the midcard.

I enjoy his work but feel he relies too much on 'flopping'. While some folks seem to feel the company will crash & burn if Dolph's not here, I tend to doubt it will make much difference in gate receipts and that Dolph simply doesn't have the pull with management to get what he's asking for.

So, if he truly plans to leave if he doesn't get a push......then goodbye, Dolph.

Hopefully, he and management will find some middle ground to keep him around.

 

[justinsayne]

"Dolph's deal is up in a few months and he has indicated informally that unless he gets a big push, he may leave like Mundo."

See here's the thing though, why would WWE give him a huge push right now if his contract is about to expire? If he wants a big push he's going to need to sign an extension, & even then WWE has soo much invested in newer stars like Ambrose, Rollins, Reigns, Ryback & Owens, with guys like Sheamus, Cena, & Orton still at the the top of the card too. Dolph wasn also the guy given the honor of of sending the Authority packing back at SSeries, with the help of Sting, what was a huge role in a major storyline last year. Dolph needs to settle down, & realize that where he's at currently on the card is really a good fit for him. He's involved a feud with one younger guys WWE is really high on right now, & he's featured on every PPV in a solid match, which is more than guys like Big Show, Kane, & Randy Orton can say, hell he's getting a better push than KOTR winner Barrett is getting right now. I think WWE has faith in him to be a star for them he just needs to be a little more patient, & wait for his time to come around again, there are only sooo many spots in that main even level of the card, & simply isn't enough room up there for him right now, but he's killing it in the upper mid-card. If he does leave, he'll be just fine on the indies, he already works a style that would get him over huge with ROH & PWG crowds, & I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up working for LU as well.

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

Dolph has been a WWE superstar for 10 years now since the formation of the Spirit Squad. I am a bit surprised WWE have not pushed him harder. If it was down to me I would turn Ziggle in to a bad ass heel - cut the flamboyance out until he is in big matches and have him be a brutal brawler for the most part. Give him his own stable and let them run riot on the top stars- get him over as a bad guy with serious heat then turn him face in a year or 2. But I do not think he should leave WWE unless he can stand to make substantially more money than what he does in WWE at the moment.

 

[ISkye]

Whatever he wants to do is fine. I am a fan of Ziggler and will continue to support him. I'd like for him to get a push, but if he's unhappy and doesn't get any chances...I would rather watch him somewhere else where he is happy.

 

[yourdamnluck]

Will be a shame if zig zag left. He's good and i think he might get a Bryan like push. As for him being better than kane & Show they are about done in wwe they have achieved a lot more than ziggler ever did.

If vince intends to keep him where he is now then he's better off in the indies or LU. Less work, less injuries and he'll be a big deal there.

But I think vince will give him a short title run with a good build. With so many main event guys a punk like run is out of the question.

 

[Papa Pillman]

If he does leave, he'll be just fine on the indies, he already works a style that would get him over huge with ROH & PWG crowds.

Don't be so sure about this statement. I think some people confuse Dolph's pinball Crash test dummie style as being high workrate. In a company like the ones that you mentioned, Dolph would need to show far more diverse(and at times more logical) offense than what he displays in WWE to avoid losing the crowd after the initial buzz of his presence wore off.

 

[Bernkastel]

I hope that he does. I may just get up and dance. I seriously don't like the guy and haven't seen his appeal in years. I had hoped that he might have evolved his style past looking like a fish out of water, but alas I think that ship has sailed. The guy's charismatic, got to give him that, but he's just not a very good worker. And certainly he's never going to sniff the main event again. I'm sure WWE pays him well though. As they normally do all their upper/mid card talent. So if he does stick around I'm indifferent. He has a role as a mid carder, and I'm sure he'll play that role well.

 

[That N Word]

I see him leaving in one of two ways. One would be CM Punk "Summer of Punk" type of thing which would lead to him possibly resigning for a push. Or he will leave like John Morrison, quietly and with WWE.com reporting it.

People don't understand Ziggler has been in the WWE for literally 10 years and has gotten little pushes but was always taken away not long after, so I understand where he's coming from.

However, at the same time he has to understand where WWE is coming from. They have huge pushes going on for so many people it is nearly impossible to push him right now. He also has had some great accomplishments (2x WHC,MITB,IC Champ,Tag Champ,US Title,being there when Sting debuted and being the one to get the pin and almost every pin at Survivor Series in a team captained by Cena.)

 

[Prince Vee]

I love Dolph Ziggler. Even though he over sells his injuries and his moveset is mediocre I love him yes of course. But in the recent weeks I didn't enjoy his matches. His matches lack something which I couldn't figure out. For instance, the most anticipated IC title match at the EC. Perhaps it won't be a great loss for WWE if he leaves.

WWE are in a transition period now. But its going in a good way till this context. They're dealing with Injuries, Major stars leaving the company among the many other things. But the roster is strong. They got a hell of a roster waiting back in the NXT. So probably the loss of Dolph Ziggler won't hurt them.

But you see, it'll hurt Dolph undoubtedly. No other companies pays better than the WWE right now. And the wages he gets from the merchandise sale, can you imagine if he'll get it elsewhere? Talking about the wrestling perspective, he can't be on TV twice a week if he goes out of WWE.

Dolph certainly not gonna outshine everyone in the Lucha Underground. They got the best highfliers which obviously Dolph isn't. ROH got more wrestling talents and independent wrestlers than him. TNA got more charismatic guys than him. It's better for him to stay with the WWE.

He isn't getting the push he wants anytime soon or perhaps ever. But he still gets the crowd behind him every week. He should appreciate it and stay there.

Cheers!!

 

[Softcore Holly]

I like Dolph as much as the next fan, but he doesn't exactly have a very strong hand to be making demands right now. Sure he's a popular face but the roster is pretty heavy with faces that need pushing atm with more waiting to be brought up from NXT. There's no competition he can go to that WWE cares much about and as mentioned before it's unlikely he'll make the same amount(or more) of money as he's making now.

There's a few months left so hopefully they can work things out since like I said before I do like the guy and think he can continue to be a great asset to WWE. But if it's really going to take a big push in the next push in the next few months where the top storyline will be totally occupied by Brock, Rollins and the Authority.....seems unlikely to say the least.

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

Dolph should have started negotiating after Survivor Series when he was arguably the #1 face on the roster. Instead another storyline and he falls even further down the card. Lately, he seems like he is just card filler. I don't want Dolph to go, but if need be, good bye dude

 

[legendkillerbsal]

He's going to get s big push right out the door. You think they're going to have home leap frog Rollins, Reigns, Ambrose, Lesnar and Cena for the title? The U.S. Title will probably be put on Owens and Zig just lost to him. Ryback is going to have a good run as IC champion so he won't win that. Unless they bring back the European belt then he won't get any big push.

 

[ASKane]

For all the people wondering why WWE hasn't been pushing Ziggler too high in recent months this is your answer. WWE do not want to invest alot in a guy whose contract is expiring and he isn't certain to sign when they have a developmental system full of wrestlers more talented than him. WWE wasn't pushing Punk in the final year for the same reason and he walked out early because he knew he would just be used to put over younger guys and that is the role Ziggler will see himself in the next few months, he will put over Rusev and a few other talents before leaving to pursue other ventures such as comedy or acting

 

[tak161]

My opinion of Ziggler is that they have tried him out in a top spot a few times, and for one reason or another, it hasn't worked. Whether it has been an injury, his own doing, or the company not having full faith in him, he has always dropped back down into the midcard. Honestly, I don't see where he is now as a bad thing, he is regularly one of the most popular, gets high profile matches on high profile events, and can be counted on to have a decent to great match each time. The truth is not every guy is cut out for the main event scene, and Doplh might be one of those guys.

It will come down to his choice of greater exposure, greater money, and higher fame vs. lower pay, smaller exposure, and potentially being a headliner of a smaller company. I think he's fine where he is though, as he has created a nice spot for himself.

 

[TheLittleOne]

he wants to be a star more than a wrestler.

ps. i wanted to post simply that one sentence above, last time i did that wz got heat w/ me via message.. so

nick did not dream of this like steen or ambrose or rollins or bryan or cena even.. he had a good run.. he loves being on stage and screen.. he wants fame & money & power.. i doubt he'll do much wrestling, unless he has lotta time off but he has better chance than mundo to get silver screen work..and some comedy hook ups.. amy/ foley...

maybe the E will offer him more money for another year to help out the younger roster.. probably not

bye mr. it looks like i hurt myself more than my opponent on my own finish!!

 

[FlairFan2003]

The problem here isn't with WWE or Ziggler....either he isn't good enough to sustain a ling term top tier storyline or WWE just cant write one that suits him. That's OK, you cant please everyone and not everyone is worthy of being a major star.

The problem is WWE is the only game in town. TNA doesn't have the touring capacity to reach live audiences or the TV exposure WWE has, not even close Ditto for ROH, the overwhelming majority of wrestling fans don't even know they exist. There is no WCW with a national touring brand and TV exposure on a major top level cable outlet and monthly PPVs to go to....Guys like Ziggler have existed for a million years.

Ziggler was Stunning Steve Austin from WCW....but he went to WWE and became Stone Cold

Barry Whyndam was a tag team mid carder in the WWE, he went to the NWA, main evented in major arenas all over the country vs Ric Flair in 1987, and joined The Four Horsemen and became US Champ in 1988

Rick Rude found major success in the NWA,...parlayed that into a lucrative deal with WWE....then parlayed that into a lucrative deal with WCW

Scott Hall was tag team guy mid carder in the AWA and was stuck in neutral as The Diamond Stud in WCW....then he took the Diamond Stud gimmick to WWE and Razor Ramoan became a big star.

HHH & Kevin Nash couldn't get noticed in WCW but found huge success in WWE, Nash actually parlayed his WWE fame into even bigger fame in later in WCW.

Lex Luger left Florida and built into a star into the NWA, felt WCW wasn't treating him and got a big money deal to join WWE and turned that into a good deal to return to WCW when he wasn't happy with his standing.

Randy Savage was clearly upset with his "lack" of a push and use in WWE....so he went to WCW and made big money and got loads of national exposure in the process.

There are so many other examples....the point is unless Ziggler goes to Japan there is no where for him (at least domestically) where he can make similar money with similar exposure and get a better push/storyline. Anything in the US will represent a huge come down in terms of exposure and likely pay for him.

That's not just bad for Ziggler....its bad for fans.

 

[Messiah]

People don't understand Ziggler has been in the WWE for literally 10 years and has gotten little pushes but was always taken away not long after, so I understand where he's coming from.

Jesus, Dolph Ziggler get pushes all the time, he's always in big storylines and he's a multiple time World Champion. He's constantly on the show week in and week out.. The only thing is he's not a constant main-event performer, which is understandable since he's not main-event material.

 

[stingray11214]

Let's be real: Ziggler is 35, he does not push merch. He does not put asses in the seats. His style is over the top and he has a concussion history. He is staying put if he stays in WWE. He will never sniff the WHC again. So, what does he do? If he was smart, he ferreted his money. And, he leaves the E and goes to Japan with a side deal with with GFW. The Japanese will eat his schtick up. AND, he will be doing far less work for about the same money. He will be able to control his bookings AND be at home far more than he is now. If he can clear $7K a week after travel and expenses, he will be good to go.

 

[kumarjtk]

come on guys we are in reality era. the power is in our hands. now Bryan is gone we support ziggler and support him for the main event push.

 

[Hem]

If the WHC and the brand split were still around and used well then Dolph could be a huge star but really with the way things are in todays WWE, I don't see Dolph being a permanent main event star.

If Dolph decides it's time he goes away then he has had a hell of a career and I hope he doesn't jump to TNA or GFW. He can make a good living like AJ Styles.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

If this 'big push' stuff is true, I suppose it comes down to how much power Dolph actually has in the organization.

He's a midcard performer; a popular one, yes......but when the company has tried him at main event level in past years, they wound up quickly backing off and returning him to the midcard.

They could try out a face push as a top guy. It could work.

But even as a mid-carder I think Ziggler would be fine in that spot if Mid-carders were given more to do in that spot. I mean let's say face it despite being for the WHC the Del Rio/Ziggler feud was pretty much a mid-card feud, the face/heel switch went really well and if WWE just kept that feud running it would have been a great rivalry.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Do we have to emulate the main site's horrendous, clickbaitey tendency to obscure what stories are about behind their titles?

Dolph Ziggler's fine. Inexplicably popular. A good hand to have around. Claims to always steal the show despite never stealing the show. Leave, go, give a shit.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Best for everyone involved if he truly has better things to do. He will never improve, thusly will never go above were he is at.

We have fallen far since the bust ass matches with Rey mysterio in the "I am perfection" days.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I think he's over values himself. He's got a good gig in WWE. Featured weekly, get's championship runs, finds himself on most PPV events. If he thinks he should be higher up the card than he is he's mistaken.

I'm sure he can make a comfortable living elsewhere, but thinking long term WWE won't ever need him back.