Five years ago, if you would have told me that a member of the Spirit Squad would someday be one of my favorite wrestlers in the business, I would’ve laughed in your face. Followed by my hearty chuckle, I most likely would have given you a swift backhand for even mentioning such an excruciatingly annoying stable.
If you would have then told me that the member of that frightful fivesome that I would favorite would be anyone besides Mikey (that little spaz cracked me up), I would have asked you to leave the room.
And now, in the year 2011, I have to admit something. A former Spirit Squad member actually is one of my favorites in the game, and it isn’t little Mike. It’s the one who used to carry Kerwin White’s golf clubs.
That’s right; Dolph Ziggler has seemingly done the impossible. Ever since he dropped the green and white jumpsuit in favor of black tights and a Mr. Perfect-esque hair-do, he has done nothing but improve every aspect of his craft. Sure, in his first few months his promos were limited to “Hi, I’m Dolph Ziggler,” with an extended hand. Since then, however, he has made his mic-skills one of his strengths. And in the ring, he went from “that guy who jobbed to Batista” to, in my opinion, one of the hardest working guys on the roster. Every match the guy is involved in it seems that he wants to steal the show, and recently he has been succeeding. I remember a guy who had a
knack for that… Shawn something.
His work on the microphone is unfortunately overshadowed by the boos shaking the arena every time his manager yells her infamous phrase, “Excuse me!” It’s infuriating for me to watch, actually. I wish Ziggler, just once, would rip the microphone out of her hand and yell “Excuse me, Vickie, but I can actually work the mic, I don’t need you anymore!” Admittedly, after his handshake days he seemed to be holding back some of his natural charisma and was having trouble drawing heat. I assume that’s why they slapped Guerrero on him; to give him some cheap boos. But now, he doesn’t need that. He can draw his own.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the dude is incredibly gifted with his words. Don’t believe me? Check out some of his “Heel Ziggler” segments on Zack Ryder’s hit YouTube show, Z! True Long Island Story. Ziggler is incredibly clever and obviously has a knack for the heel promo. His work at the commentary table when he is a guest is always incredibly entertaining, even with King cracking fat jokes toward his manager the whole time (I heard that one in fifth grade, try again Jerry). I think that Dolph Ziggler has refined his mic-work so much that he could draw heat without a “cougar” by his side. Watching him verbally dismantle Hugh Jackman on RAW this week was a highlight of the show without a doubt. The guy knows exactly what he wants his character to be, and he’s incredible at playing it.
When it comes to technical ability, Dolph Ziggler is most certainly up there in the WWE. With legitimate amateur credentials backing him up, no one can deny that. But as shown in the past, being a great amateur wrestler doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be a great pro wrestler (Sylvester Terkay, anyone?). Ziggler, though, has managed to combine his technical skills with his incredible athleticism and showmanship to become one of my favorite people to watch wrestle.
After a recent victory on Monday Night RAW, Ziggler yelled multiple times at the top of his lungs, “Top that!” While I’m sure this was in character, it seems as though Ziggler lives by that motto. Night in and night out, he strives to be the absolute best he can be. When Ziggler and Daniel Bryan meet in the ring they tear the house down, and his matches with Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship proved to me that not only can he hang with the big boys, but he can thrive. Why the only title reign he got out of that feud lasted 11 minutes and 23 seconds is beyond me. The Spears he took on the floor during that angle were so vicious that they should have warranted him as many titles as he so pleased.
So now, it’s prediction time. For the short term, he’ll bring some real credibility back the United States Championship. And if he continues to step up his game every single time he appears on my TV screen, it’s not unrealistic to believe that by the end of 2012, Dolph Ziggler will win a major championship, WWE or World. And just like he did in his first taste of the main-event pie, he’ll thrive. Mr. Money in the Bank 2012, anyone?
And to think that not too long ago, this guy was washing Chavo Guerrero’s balls.
Dolph Ziggler is super underrated and one of my favorite guys to watch on a weekly basis.