WWE Opinion: Dolph Ziggler and 10 Superstars Who Desperately Need a Win

In the WWE's new-age, often frustrating style of booking, the term "here today, gone tomorrow" comes to mind. 

Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler and the Miz all seemed to be pegged as chosen ones who were to carry the WWE's legacy into the future. However, after a string of unfavorable booking, all three aforementioned stars are close to where they started, and in some cases, worse off. 

With the old guard now down to two wrestlers who will go out in grand fashion in their Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania, it is important now more than ever to elevate talent on the rise. 

Here's a crop of mostly young superstars at a point in their careers where a win could very well be make or break. 

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10. Mark Henry

No, he's not a young, up-and-coming star, but Henry's dominant run as world heavyweight champion earlier this year led to a rise in SmackDown's ratings (which are currently back in the tank) and restored value to the world heavyweight championship. 

In Henry, the WWE had a heel champion who was systematically booked to defeat opponents clean—a true novelty these days. 

Henry has since been derailed by injury, yet he still has plenty left to offer after getting in fighting shape early in 2011. 

The WWE is squandering a very valuable asset by having Henry booked to lose, as he did this past Monday on RAW when Sheamus made quick work of the former world champion. 

Once healthy, Mark Henry could continue to do good for the WWE, as his comeback story still has chapters yet to be written. 

9. Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio hasn't had the opportunity to win a match since going down with injury late last year. Upon returning, it will be important for Del Rio to return to form with wins out of the gate, as he has been away for enough time for people to forget about him. 

Del Rio figures to be in the mix in the ongoing power struggle between Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis, but too much time shouldn't pass before he is once again involved in the world title picture.

8. Ezekiel Jackson

Ezekiel Jackson has quickly gone from a potentially potent monster heel to a painfully irrelevant, smiling babyface. 

Jackson's recent clean loss to David Otunga had to be a career low, as Jackson is now officially chum bait despite his 300-plus pound frame. 

7. Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston recently admitted himself that he had become an afterthought in the WWE, and that's because he has. 

Kingston continues to ping-pong from the singles to the tag-team picture. However, he is the type of superstar who is perfectly tailored for tag-team action given his athleticism that is complementary to that of other superstars. 

A tag-team with R-Truth, as was seen this past Monday on RAW, could be the cure to Kingston's prevailing problem of being overlooked. 

6. Wade Barrett

Wade Barrett's recent elbow injury will prevent him from having an opportunity to win a match for a while. However, prior to going down, Barrett was lukewarm in terms of booking after a stellar feud with Randy Orton had placed him back on the map. 

Barrett's early career pattern of hot-cold booking could do him in, as otherwise world championship-caliber WWE superstars continue to find their footing. 

5. Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre's days of being the "Chosen One" have long since been over, as he is nothing more than Drew the Jobber these days. 

McIntyre seems primed for a renaissance year, however, as Booker T (and whoever is in his headset) has insisted that this will be McIntyre's year. 

McIntyre seems to be experimenting with an "arrogant playboy" gimmick laced with homoerotica. Should this gimmick get over, it could be McIntyre's ticket back to a respectable midcard position. 

4. Zack Ryder

It wasn't too long ago that Zack Ryder's underdog story saw him defeat Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship, as the Internet cult-icon had finally arrived. 

Fast forward a few weeks, and Ryder has since been beaten by Washington General Jack Swagger, and has spent the past few weeks being stretchered in and out of arenas at the hands of Kane. 

Ryder needs a win bad if he is to be taken seriously at any point in his career, and it could start at WrestleMania—possibly against Kane or in a mixed tag-team match against Eve. 

3. Jack Swagger

Sure, Jack Swagger is currently the United States Champion, but his win over Ryder seemed like it was more of a move to make Ryder a sympathetic figure than to ascend Swagger.

In any event, Swagger's fortunes seem to finally be swinging in the right direction after being mired in mediocrity following a forgettable reign as world heavyweight champion in 2010. 

Swagger needs to continue his winning ways and do so while defending the United States Champion. Only then will he come anywhere close to where he was in 2010. 

2. The Miz

A year removed from headlining WrestleMania, it is questionable if the Miz will even be on the WrestleMania card this year. 

Despite a rather strong showing in both the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, it has been months since Miz last won a singles match, as he continues to fade into obscurity. 

Miz needs a solid, upper mid-card feud where he can recapture his heel heat, and from there maybe he can help his cause by reentering the world title picture. Until then, he'll just have to languish in the doghouse. 

1. Dolph Ziggler

Once on the precipice of either winning the WWE Championship or firmly cemented as a main eventer, Dolph Ziggler quickly plummeted following his awkwardly booked loss to CM Punk and a series of losses to follow up. 

Ziggler is right back to where he was prior to challenging for CM Punk's WWE Championship, if not lower on the totem pole, as the former United States Champion has suddenly become the WWE's most head-scratching superstar. 

Ziggler has been a mid-card superstar for so long that it is only a matter of time before fans get used to seeing him in that position and in turn refuse to buy him as a legitimate main event star. 

When it comes to the curious case of Dolph Ziggler, the WWE simply needs to finish the job.