Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: WWE Has to Capitalize on Dolph Ziggler's Momentum

1. Follow Up with The Showoff

Dolph Ziggler emerges from Survivor Series a hero. WWE put him in a spot we have seen John Cena fight out of so many times.

Outnumbered 3-to-1, beaten, worn down, with no chance to save his and and his teammates' jobs, he did the impossible. The choice to have him knock off Kane, Luke Harper and (with some help) Seth Rollins elevates Ziggler.

It gives him an outstanding record at Survivor Series. It has him looking every bit like the main event star his fanbase has known he can be.

Credit: WWE.com

Now comes the follow-up.

WWE is need of fresh faces on top. Ziggler is both an emerging star and a man with ample experience. He doesn't need to be world champ to be a success, but the company can't just keep him in midcard limbo.

There's an energy surrounding The Showoff that needs to be tapped into. Fans believe in him—and not just the snarky fans who roam the Internet. There was audible joy when Ziggler went on his run at Survivor Series.

The goal moving forward has to be make use of that feeling. Build on Ziggler's gutsy moment. His feuds need to be high-profile ones.

Put him in there with Rollins, Big Show and, eventually, Triple H himself. At this point in his career, Triple H's matches are so rare that they feel like special events. 

Give Ziggler one of those exceptional chances against The Game. It's time to construct atop the foundation for his megastardom.

2. Concessions Kane

For those who watched Kane set Jim Ross on fire or send high voltage to Shane McMahon's testicles, it's surreal to see him today. 

With The Authority's reign now over, the Director of Operations switched positions. Daniel Bryan made him Director of Food and Beverage.

GIF from WWE.com

Kane flicking a hot dog in Ryback's face is a depressing sight. It's hard to watch heroes grow old, just as it's hard to watch a monster's fangs fall out.

3. Cesaro's Losses Piling up

WWE is asking The King of Swing to lose at a surprising rate. A man many believe could be a top-tier star is being used to help establish other guys, at least for now.

His loss to Jack Swagger at Survivor Series marked his ninth straight defeat. 

During that stretch, Erick Rowan, Dean Ambrose and Ryback have all toppled him. On Halloween, Cesaro even ended his bout stumbling around with a jack-o'-lantern over his head.

Over the last few months, his win-loss record and winning percentage have him looking more like a jabroni than a star:

• August: 2-5 (.286)
• September: 3-4 (.429)
• October: 4-3 (.571)
• November: 0-6 (.000)
• August through November: 9-18 (.333)

As frustrated as he might be heading into December, looking nothing like the badass he could be, he has to be thankful he's at least not wearing an apron and playing with food. 

Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.

4. Throwback Promo of the Week: Steve Austin on a Ladder

Pay no attention to the atrocious fashion sense of the three wrestlers in the ring. Steve Austin tearing apart Woman, Mikey Whipwreck and The Sandman in 1995 is a clinic in trash-talking.

Standing on a ladder, Austin calls Whipwreck a loser and threatens to run all over The Sandman. This was Austin before he found himself as Stone Cold, before he had fully harnessed his raw, gritty energy. 

Without his experience in ECW, where he was allowed to seek out his voice, he likely never would have gotten The Texas Rattlesnake. That's a reminder for WWE to let its younger stars be themselves more, to not box them in so much with scripted dialogue.

Maybe the next Austin is at NXT right now. The company has to be careful not to make him the next Ringmaster instead.

5. Don't Split Up The Miz and Damien Mizdow Just Yet

Just as WWE has to make the most of Ziggler's win, it has to maximize the power of Damien Mizdow's popularity. Few wrestlers are getting the kind of loud, passionate reactions from the audience as he is, and he's supposed to be a heel.

At Survivor Series and the Raw and Main Event that followed, the crowd made it clear that it loves Mizdow's antics.

After putting the tag team title on him and The Miz, WWE has to delay the breakup it's teasing between them as long as possible. The more WWE makes us wait for that moment when the stunt double has had enough, the more satisfying it will be.

As we saw with Daniel Bryan's WrestleMania win and Ziggler's Money in the Bank cash-in, a victory long pined for is superior to one that comes too quickly. Make Mizdow tearing away from The Miz as moving and memorable as those moments.

6. Bayley Bound for Big Things

Charlotte has more "it" factor. Sasha Banks is a better wrestler. Bayley, though, is going to be hugely popular once she reaches the main roster.

NXT fans chant "Bayley's going to hug you" as she readies for battle. That's the kind of thing that catches on and thrusts a wrestler forward.

This won't be the next short-lived craze, a la Fandangoing. She's too talented and too likable to not build on that entry point.

On last week's NXT, she put on a strong performance against Becky Lynch.

She sold extremely effectively and did well to make her loss feel like an unjust act. Her skilled use of facial expressions allows her to create pathos. That's going to make her one hell of a babyface.

7.  Introducing Sting

The fantasy of Sting coming to WWE finally came true. It did so a good 10 or 15 years too late, but that didn't stop his debut from sending electricity through fans' veins.

For those who didn't grow up watching The Stinger in action, let WWE Network be your guide on a journey into the past. To fully appreciate what Sting does in a WWE ring, one has to see what he did for WCW and, to a lesser degree, TNA.

Be sure to start with these:

• Sting vs. Ric Flair: Clash of the Champions I
• Sting vs. Cactus Jack: WCW Power Hour—Nov. 23, 1991
• Sting vs. Vader: Starrcade 1992
• Sting vs. Diamond Dallas Page: WCW Nitro—April 26, 1999
• Sting vs. Samoa Joe: Bound for Glory IV

His matches with Flair catapulted him into stardom. Their chemistry made just about all their bouts something special. You can't go wrong with his feud against Vader either. 

Their bouts showed off a more intense side of A Man Called Sting.

8. Mark Henry at Survivor Series

The World's Strongest Man was the first man to fall in Survivor Series' main event. Big Show popped him in the jaw in the opening moments to provide the first of many shocking moments. Had WWE referenced its own history more, that moment would have been even bigger.

Until that night in St. Louis, Henry had not lost a traditional Survivor Series Elimination match.

Year	Teammates	Opponents	Result
2014	Luke Harper, Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev	John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, Ryback, Big Show	Loss
2009	Kofi Kingston, MVP, R-Truth, Christian	Randy Orton, William Regal, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, CM Punk	Win
2008	William Regal, Shelton Benjamin, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes	CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Batista, Matt Hardy	Win
2003	Christian, Randy Orton, Scott Steiner, Chris Jericho	Shawn Michaels, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, The Dudley Boyz	Win
1999	Val Venis, Gangrel, Steve Blackman	Mean Street Posse, British Bulldog	Win

It would have been smart to play that up as one of the bout's subplots, trying to make it seem more likely Team Authority would win.

WWE did a stellar job of playing up Undertaker's WrestleMania record. The company, though, should look to use win-loss records and streaks as a narrative device more often.

9. Armchair Booking: Paige

Her story with AJ Lee now over and her rivalry with Alicia Fox something WWE didn't do much with, it's time for Paige to return to the core of who she is. At NXT, she was at her best when she was vicious and dangerous, a woman William Regal called "Hell in Boots."

She should grow frustrated with her losses and tap into her inner Brock Lesnar.

Credit: WWE.com

Paige should run through the division, trampling over both heels and faces. Have her throw Layla over the security barricade after beating her. Have her hold tight to the PTO after Natalya has tapped out, leaving her in need of a sling afterward.

Build up Paige as an unstoppable wrecking ball. After Brie Bella beats her sister for the Divas title, send Paige after her. 

Brie can put up a good fight and even survive a defense or two, but Paige leaves as champion. She should look about as impossible to overcome as Lesnar did after SummerSlam.

That's when WWE can make its next top Divas babyface. Whether Emma, Bayley or Charlotte finally topples Paige, one of those women is going to benefit greatly from finally dethroning a destroyer.

10. Jim Ross on The Bunny

If you just don't get the appeal of The Bunny, you're not alone. A Hall of Famer isn't into Adam Rose's long-eared pal either.

Jim Ross wrote of the character on his blog, "Sorry...but the Rabbit gimmick is WAY out of my demo. Not pulling against it because it provides someone with work but it's not my flavor of sauce." I see what you did there, J.R. 

The thing is, it's not clear whose flavor it is. If The Bunny is supposed to appeal to kids, having him be hump-happy isn't the best way to go.