WWE No Way out 2012: What's Next for Dolph Ziggler After Losing to Sheamus?

Dolph Ziggler challenged Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship in the opening match at No Way Out. After a very competitive match, Ziggler would ultimately fall to Sheamus, but not without putting up a fight.

Ziggler gave Sheamus quite the run for his money. Even though he was only named the No. 1 contender a week ago and wasn't really built up as a believable contender, it definitely seemed possible that Ziggler could have won.

Throughout the match, Ziggler locked in the Sleeper Hold a few times, hit the Fame Asser, two strong DDTs, and a top rope Facecrusher, to name a few. The only move Ziggler wouldn't manage to pull out of his arsenal would be the Zig Zag. Had he hit Sheamus with his trademark finisher, he probably would have left the IZOD Center as World Heavyweight Champion.

Sheamus would end the match by countering Ziggler's Sleeper Hold into White Noise. This set up the Brogue Kick, which Sheamus nailed for the clean pin.

As competitive as the match was, Ziggler doesn't lose much by getting pinned. He more than proved that he fits in the world title scene. This loss won't knock him too far down the ladder, and it shouldn't be long before Ziggler is challenging Sheamus for a rematch.

Ziggler is more than capable of being a credible challenger for Sheamus throughout the summer. Alberto del Rio is sidelined with a concussion and there's no telling how long he will be out. All that is certain is that del Rio's injury provides Ziggler with a perfect opportunity to show what he can do as a "main eventer."

For the time being, Ziggler should continue to contend for the World Heavyweight Championship. He made Sheamus look like a million bucks at No Way Out. In addition, the WWE could definitely use a summer feud that will provide consistently solid wrestling.

Finally, del Rio could return and claim that his injury is the only reason Ziggler was in a main event position. This would yield two possibilities.

They could have Ziggler make short work of del Rio and solidify himself as the top heel in the World Heavyweight Championship picture. Another option is a lengthy feud between Ziggler and del Rio, ultimately turning Ziggler babyface.

Personally, all I really want is to see more from Sheamus and Ziggler. They set the bar very high with their opening match at the No Way Out pay-per-view. Hopefully their feud will continue to move forward and we'll see more excellent matches.

Michael Prunka is a Bleacher Report Featured Columnist. To stay up to date with his WWE and NHL commentary, you can like his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter.