Dolph Ziggler Is in Desperate Need of a Heel Turn at WWE Fastlane

In the main event of the WWE Fastlane pay-per-view, former intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler should make the biggest impact imaginable by turning heel on Daniel Bryan and giving the victory to Roman Reigns.

As much as the WWE Universe has come to love Ziggler, costing Bryan the chance at the main event of WrestleMania 31 against Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship will result in legitimate heel heat.

WWE gave Reigns the win at the Royal Rumble because it has faith in the former member of The Shield as the future of the business. If the company rides with the decision to book Lesnar vs. Reigns, moving Bryan away from the title scene and into a long-term feud with Ziggler is an acceptable consolation prize.

The Showoff needs a major change, and turning to the dark side now makes sense. Besides his triumphant moment at Survivor Series, Ziggler has been booked to lose constantly and was forced to miss television appearances while he was “fired” by The Authority.

Any momentum Ziggler had built as the likable underdog face during Bryan’s recovery from neck surgery was cast aside upon the return of the fan favorite. Based on the notion of being passed over and underappreciated, Ziggler could have the basis for his contempt toward Bryan and the reason he attacks him at Fastlane.

Add in the fact that the company is in dire need of top heels, especially if Lesnar leaves for MMA after WrestleMania, and Ziggler’s road back to the main event would be accelerated if he became one of the top antagonists in the company.

Ziggler has truly been forgotten as one of the wrestlers who stood up against The Authority and put them out of power at Survivor Series, and he has been lumped in with Ryback and Erick Rowan ever since. Both Ryback and Rowan are talented performers, but Ziggler is drawing a bigger reaction than most of the stars on the roster.

Not only is Ziggler one of the best technical wrestlers in the business today, but he also has the ability to cut entertaining promos. Combine his willingness to sell for his opponents and the ring awareness to tell a convincing story, and it’s unfathomable that Ziggler is not booked better.

There is a hardcore group of wrestling fans that will cheer Ziggler regardless of how he is portrayed by the company, but the majority of the WWE Universe would turn on him against Bryan or another top face. As long as he is given a storyline he and the fans can get behind, Ziggler should have no problem getting the crowds to begin viewing him as a heel.

One of the reasons Ziggler has wallowed in the midcard for so long is that he is always getting beat by the same Superstars. After making the successful transition to a bona fide bad guy, he will be able to spark new and unique feuds against the top faces in WWE.

Whether it’s Bryan, John Cena, Dean Ambrose or any number of options, Ziggler would have the chance to truly shine as the dependable heel who can be plugged into the main event scene whenever needed.

Watching The Showoff put on great matches every night is one of the main reasons he has built such a cult following, but he deserves to be booked like a top star in the company. If he cannot find any support as a face, turning heel may be his best opportunity to reach his full potential.

If Ziggler stays a midcard face through WWE Fastlane and doesn’t have a marquee feud on the road to WrestleMania, the chances are that he will never get the respect he deserves from the decision-makers behind the scenes.

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