Does Dolph Ziggler’s Babyface Turn on ‘Raw’ Signal Big Things For The Showoff?

Dolph Ziggler turned babyface on the December 3 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. The Showoff had some choice words for his running buddy Drew McIntyre, who suddenly severed their partnership. 

As the moment happened, it became clear that Drew had turned the corner. He’s moving up the ladder on Raw and the company needs him to do it alone. But it also became clear that Ziggler is right back in the same spot he was in before he brought The Scottish Psychopath to the red brand. Now many fans are surely asking if this is a good move for Dolph Ziggler.

This move should perhaps not be all that surprising. Raw has been in dire need of another top babyface for several weeks now. Roman Reigns is out dealing with leukemia. Braun Strowman is recovering from elbow surgery. Kurt Angle is nowhere to be found and the company has shown no signs of elevating anyone besides Elias. Then there’s the fact that while Ziggler is a better heel, he is capable of being whatever WWE needs him to be.

Monday Night Raw is a brand in a state of flux and WWE must find a way to get the program back on track. The only way to do that is to even the odds and get the protagonists moving in the right direction once again. 

Watch Ziggler turn on McIntyre:

Dolph Ziggler interrupts Drew McIntyre Appreciation Night: Raw, Dec. 3, 2018

That’s what logic says. But the problem with pro wrestling logic is that Vince McMahon’s company doesn’t always use it. Is it possible that Dolph is only switching sides due to a creative decision and nothing more? Yes, Ziggler can deliver whatever WWE needs but if a longterm plan is not in place for him, then he will flounder, just like before.

Does that even matter now? Ziggler is not exactly a top tier talent. WWE has had an ample amount of time to book him as such, but it hasn’t happened yet. He seems to just be along for the ride. Oftentimes, the WWE fanbase has its own idea of how things should go and that’s definitely true in this instance. But is Ziggler really struggling or is he just doing his job?

At one time, Dolph was a major underdog and a fan favorite. If there was ever a case of a guy that deserved more, it was him. Ziggler always worked hard. He always shined brighter than the majority of the locker room. Fans rallied behind him because they thought he had earned more and they wanted to see him get it. Ziggler was the epitome of a top athlete, a true pro wrestler in every sense of the word. He still is. But he lost the crowd.

Fans will usually only support a guy for so long until it becomes obvious that the company has given up on him. That’s exactly what happened with Dolph Ziggler. He’s still there and he’s still valuable but the crowd no longer has his back. Could that change now?

Watch Drew threaten Ziggler and Finn Balor:

Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre: Raw, Dec. 3, 2018

Does the fact that Ziggler has turned his back on McIntyre mean that fans will change their minds? Is it as easy as just pressing a button to convince the crowd that a guy is worth their support? Or is all of this a pointless effort on WWE’s part? Assuming there is no plan in place for Ziggler, then it’s safe to assume that this is not a new lease on life for him. That means this play is born out of convenience and nothing more.

The biggest problem here is that Raw is in a holding pattern. The company hasn’t gained any ground in terms of moving ahead. Everything is frozen in time because the main event talent pool is thin. But WWE is waiting for its absentee stars to return and there seems to be no effort to elevate anyone else. As a result of that, no one is progressing. 

Fans are in for more of Raw as the Baron Corbin show. The acting General Manager is loyal only to those who are loyal to him. He and his cronies are running roughshod over every Superstar that gets in their way. Finn Bálor made some headway on the December 3 Raw but he ended up flat on his back. The heels won the day regardless of his efforts. Is there any reason to believe that this won’t be Ziggler’s fate every week from this point on?

Watch Drew threaten Ziggler and Finn Bálor on Raw:

Drew McIntyre vows vengeance against Dolph Ziggler and Finn Bálor: Raw, Dec. 3, 2018

The ironic part is that if Dolph Ziggler worked in any other pro wrestling promotion, he would likely be the world champion. He’s highly skilled, he’s reliable and all he cares about is stealing the show. He could be the face of any company he chose because he is just that good. But he chose WWE. This is what he has and this is what fans have to deal with.

But maybe this time, things will be different. Maybe Ziggler will connect with the WWE faithful like he never has before. Perhaps this will be the biggest run of his wrestling career and he will become the hottest star in WWE. Stranger things have happened. But if history has proven anything, it’s that despite how good Dolph Ziggler is, he has a ceiling. He seems incapable of breaking through that ceiling.

Monday Night Raw is indeed in a tough spot. The Universal champion is not around. The talents that appear on TV every week can’t ever seem to get over due to bad booking. The heels win the day everyday and babyfaces cannot get ahead. Now there’s one more babyface in the mix and his fate is in the hands of a company that never seems to trust him in the clutch.

Dolph Ziggler is indeed The Showoff. But unless WWE truly commits to him, then the only thing he will show is his willingness to be a team player. Of course, that’s not a bad thing. But for anyone that knows he has much more to offer, it’s not exactly a suitable consolation prize. Dolph can do more. He’s done it before. Whether or not WWE will allow him to do it, remains to be seen.

 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes,YouTube, iHeart Radio, boinkstudios.com and live every Friday at 12pm EST on Wrestling Rumors Facebook Live