How Dolph Ziggler Could Win the WWE Title in 2012

Dolph Ziggler has never really been viewed as a bona fide main-event talent until recently, but oddly enough, he’s going to be competing for a world title at his second straight Royal Rumble. 

At last year’s pay-per-view, Ziggler faced Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship in what looked like a "test" for a potential main event run down the road, and he delivered one of the better pay-per-view matches of 2011.

This year, Ziggler finds himself in a similar situation, challenging CM Punk for the WWE Championship.

While some fans of "The Showoff" are hoping that this leads to Ziggler’s first real world title win, I just don’t think that’s the case.

In recent years, the Royal Rumble has been a pay-per-view that’s given relatively unproven wrestlers a chance at competing for world titles (as evidenced by The Miz and Ziggler in 2011 and Sheamus in 2010), but shortly thereafter, they typically fade back into the upper mid-card or non-title feuds around WrestleMania time.

Unfortunately, I think that’s what’s going to happen to Ziggler this year. With The Rock vs. John Cena, The Undertaker defending his streak and the likely WWE title match between Punk and Jericho, chances are that Ziggler won’t have a very high-profile singles match at WrestleMania. 

I know that Ziggler fans won’t like that, but it might be worth it if what I think might happen actually does.

From F4Wonline.com (via SEScoops.com):

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WWE is currently discussing bringing back the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 28. If the match does return to WrestleMania, it’s a good sign the Money in the Bank themed pay-per-view could be rebranded in 2012. 

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Would I rather see Ziggler competing for a world title on the grandest stage of them all?

Absolutely.

But if that’s not going to happen—and it doesn’t look like it will—then Ziggler’s easiest path back to a world title is through the Money in the Bank match.

If MITB does indeed return to WrestleMania this year and Ziggler is involved in the match (which I think is highly likely), then he is one of the favorites to win that bout and the guaranteed title shot that comes along with it.

Realistically, I think the only other guys who could win the Money in the Bank match are Cody Rhodes, Sheamus and Wade Barrett, but Ziggler’s odds of winning the bout would increase dramatically if one or more of those stars weren’t involved in it.

Sure, there are a lot of ifs and buts here. But Ziggler’s run in the main event scene is only getting started, and I honestly don’t think it will really take off until WrestleMania 28. 

Of course, we all know that every Money in the Bank winner has gone on to successfully cash in his briefcase, and I honestly can’t think of anyone whose gimmick would fit that briefcase better than Ziggler. It works really well when paired with the right superstar (like it did with Edge or The Miz), and it can add a new dimension of cockiness to Ziggler’s already brash character.

I can already picture Ziggler making his ring entrance while holding up the MITB briefcase, smirking and yelling at the fans, "How damn good am I?!"

It’s like that briefcase was made for someone with the nickname "The Showoff" and—make no mistake about it—if Ziggler wins it, he will turn his arrogance up a few more notches as he heads for the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship.

Personally, I’d love to see Ziggler cash in his briefcase at WrestleMania and shock the world, but I think it’s much more likely that Ziggler holds on to it for a few months and cashes in during the summer.

We all know that John Cena will likely make his way back into the WWE Championship picture once his WrestleMania match with The Rock is over, so I could see something like this going down:

Jericho beats Punk for the WWE title at WrestleMania or Extreme Rules and then goes on to feud with Cena for the belt. Cena beats Jericho for the title, and then Ziggler successfully cashes in on Cena at some point over the summer to ignite a feud between those two.

Cena vs. Ziggler is a money feud that has been teased numerous times before, but one that we haven’t really seen yet. So, I would bank on that feud happening at some point in 2012.

And, though a lot has to happen for my predictions to come true, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ziggler’s path to calling himself WWE champion start when he’s able to call himself "Mr. Money in the Bank" at WrestleMania 28.

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