Dolph Ziggler: Breaking Down WWE Star's Upside, Direction & Long-Term Potential

If a random poll were to be conducted with the question relating to who the WWE's next breakout star is, the majority of those asked would likely respond with Dolph Ziggler.

The Show Off is technically a former World Heavyweight Champion, although his reign lasted for less than 20 minutes, so he is still looking for his first legitimate world title run in the company.

Ziggler appears to have it all and is simply waiting for an opportunity to prove it on the big stage.

Ziggler has gotten a couple of abbreviated runs in the main-event scene, but he has never been anything more than a transitional challenger. Now he must take the next step and become an established top heel.

Keep reading for another installment of my 25-part WWE superstar breakdown series in which I analyze the upside, direction and long-term potential of every top wrestler in the company. Today I will examine how Ziggler can complete his rise to prominence.

Origins

Ziggler's road to this point has certainly been an interesting one.

He was a record-breaking amateur wrestling champion at Kent State, and after graduating in 2003, he signed a developmental contract with WWE. Ziggler was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling where he wrestled under his real name of Nick Nemeth. After just a year in OVW, Ziggler was called up to the main roster to serve as Chavo Guerrero's caddy since he was playing the gimmick of a golfer named Kerwin White.

That didn't last long, and Ziggler was soon sent back to OVW and repackaged. During his second tour of duty in developmental, Ziggler became a part of the Spirit Squad, which was a group of five heel, male cheerleaders. He was known as Nicky and was eventually called back up to WWE where he and his partners engaged in some big-time angles against D-Generation X with Vince McMahon backing them.

Ziggler won the WWE Tag Team Championships with the Spirit Squad and defended them under the Freebird rule, which states that any two of the team's members can defend the titles at any time. Once the Spirit Squad angle came to an end, Ziggler was once again demoted.

Ziggler debuted in 2008 as the character that we have now grown accustomed to, and he has since won the Intercontinental and United States Championships.

Current Storyline

For quite some time, Ziggler was stuck in a really bad situation, as he was tagging with Jack Swagger and they were constantly putting other teams over.

It isn't as though Swagger is a poor talent by any means, but Ziggler clearly needed to be on his own. They finally broke up a couple of weeks ago, but things haven't gotten much better for Ziggler. He lost to Sheamus in a triple-threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship on SmackDown and doesn't seem any closer to becoming a world champion than he was previously.

The biggest issue is his continued allegiance to Vickie Guerrero.

He and Vickie have been together for roughly two years, and while there have been some good aspects to the relationship as Vickie has gotten him a lot of heat over the years, Ziggler needs to be on his own now. He is established enough that he no longer needs a mouthpiece or a source of cheap heat because he speaks just fine on his own when given the chance.

Luckily, Ziggler seems to slowly be proceeding toward as breakup with Vickie.

He has become disillusioned by her interest in becoming permanent general manager rather than focusing on him as a client. It resulted in Vickie slapping him on SmackDown, and the pair then went on to lose a mixed tag-team match to Sheamus and AJ on Raw. Dolph tagged in Vickie, who then got pinned by AJ, so something is clearly brewing between these two.

Strengths

The common school of thought seems to be that CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are head and shoulders above everyone in the WWE as far as in-ring work goes, but my personal favorite is Ziggler.

He is able to do a little bit of everything. He can brawl, mat wrestle and execute high-risk maneuvers. Perhaps his greatest ability is his penchant for making opponents look good. Ziggler sells moves so well that it could almost be viewed as a detriment to himself, but it is something that has gained him a lot of respect.

Ziggler also seems to have the look of a main-eventer.

It's something that is difficult to put into words, but Ziggler just looks like a big deal when he comes out to the ring. He is quite reminiscent of Shawn Michaels when he first broke out on his own as a singles competitor. Ziggler is on the smaller side, but he puts on great matches with nearly everyone and is a guy who would be very believable as a world champion, so he has that working in his favor.

Also, Ziggler is a very charismatic guy.

He isn't given a lot of time on the mic because of Vickie's presence, but he can hold his own in that regard. Ziggler has a WWE YouTube show called Download and always shows off his personality in that setting. Ziggler is also often a guest star on Zack Ryder's show, so the internet fans know that Ziggler can talk. He never embarrasses himself when handed the stick on television either, so I would consider that to be a strength of his.

Weaknesses

Ziggler, more than anything, has been a victim of circumstance.

He has been a part of a faction or a team for the vast majority of his career, and he has been saddled with the stigma of a guy who hasn't gotten the job done on his own.

Ziggler has every tool you look for in a legitimate superstar, though, so I have no doubt that he can excel without the help of anyone. All Ziggler needs is an opportunity, and it looks like he may finally be getting one.

Another issue with Ziggler is that he hasn't done enough to distinguish himself yet.

That has a lot to do with the fact that he has been weighed down by Vickie, but while the fans have actually gotten behind him, he needs to do something impactful.

Every top heel does something dastardly that makes the fans hate them, but all Ziggler really does is put on great matches and display some arrogance from time to time. That is enough to make him an up-and-comer, but Ziggler must really make a power move in order to be a top guy.

Finally, Ziggler must fight against the stigma of being a smaller wrestler.

I don't believe that Vince McMahon is as insistent on big guys being in the main-event scene as he once was, but Ziggler is certainly at a disadvantage. Punk and Bryan are already two smaller guys at that level, so there is some concern about whether there is enough room for another. Ziggler is oozing with talent, so I don't anticipate him being held back by that, but he will have to work that much harder.

Greatest Match

Perhaps Ziggler hasn't been involved in the main-event scene very often as a member of the WWE roster, but he has constantly put on top-notch matches with essentially everyone he has faced.

He has a lot of great bouts to choose from, but I particularly enjoyed his battle with Daniel Bryan way back at Bragging Rights in 2010.

Entering the match, Ziggler was intercontinental champion, while Bryan had the United States Championship, so it was a contest between two rising, mid-card stars.

There is no question that Ziggler and Bryan are two of the best pure wrestlers in the business, and that was true two years ago as well. The match had a breakneck pace to it that even fringe wrestling fans would appreciate. It was truly a back-and-forth affair, and both men came out looking great.

Bryan ultimately defeated Ziggler with the LeBell Lock, but you could tell even then that Ziggler and Bryan would both become top guys.

Bryan has already reached that level. He held the World Heavyweight Championship for a few months and is in hot pursuit of the WWE Championship, but Ziggler is still waiting for his shot. He is only 31 years old and has plenty of time, but he is ready to be in the same spot as Bryan.

This match is the perfect example of why Ziggler is deserving of being a main-event heel, and one can only hope that the WWE brass has been taking notice over the past couple of years.

Career Potential

It may seem to fans of Ziggler that the transition from dominant mid-card heel to main-eventer is taking an eternity, but I have no doubt that he is on the precipice of making that ascent.

Even if it takes a little longer than I anticipate, Ziggler is certainly a future world champion. It would be an immense waste to hold back someone with his wrestling talent, look and personality for too long, so it is only a matter of time before Ziggler is an established top guy.

Ziggler is ready now, but perhaps the fact that the WWE has taken its time with him is a good thing.

Guys like Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio were pushed to the top too quickly, and while poor booking had as much to do with their failures as anything, they may have gotten too much too soon. The WWE has avoided making that same mistake with Ziggler, and that might suggest that the company realizes how special he is.

There seems to be a concerted effort being made to make sure that Ziggler doesn't get ruined, and I can respect that.

Whenever he is given the ball, he is going to run with it, but I'm sure he doesn't mind waiting if it means being put in the perfect situation. A lot of the top guys are starting to get a little older, so Ziggler is the future of the company and someone who can carry it for the next decade. Sooner or later he'll have the opportunity to prove that to be true.

How He Gets There

The solution of how to get Ziggler to the next level is very simple, and it figures to take place in about two weeks.

Ziggler isn't yet a part of the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank ladder match, but with Del Rio receiving a title shot against Sheamus at Money in the Bank, it is obvious that Ziggler will be in the mix for the contract. There are currently five participants in the match, and since there are going to be qualifying matches over the next two weeks, there figure to be at least eight or 10 guys in the contest.

Ziggler will be one of them, and he has to be considered the overwhelming favorite to win.

None of the announced participants have a real chance to win the match, and Ziggler's only true competition appears to be Cody Rhodes. Ziggler is higher up on the totem pole than he is, though, so all signs point to him getting the first crack at things.

There is some concern that Ziggler's current storyline could result in him becoming a face if he turns on Vickie, but most would agree that it would be a mistake to go that route.

Hopefully, Dolph wins Money in the Bank and resists Vickie when she tries to celebrate with him.

He can say that he earned it on his own and has never needed her. Then, I would like to see Ziggler eventually cash in on Sheamus or whoever the World Heavyweight Champion is a few months down the line.

Ziggler can have a good run carrying the briefcase, and after being built up, he'll be ready for the big time.

Check back daily for new entries in this WWE 25-superstar countdown. Here are the five most recent editions for your viewing pleasure:

11. Zack Ryder

10. Wade Barrett

9. Alberto Del Rio

8. The Miz

7. Cody Rhodes

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