WWE Classic of the Week: Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio from MITB 2013

This Sunday night, Dolph Ziggler will battle six other Superstars for the opportunity to become just the third Superstar to win two Money in the Bank briefcases. Two years ago, though, he was already in title contention and eyeing a third WWE World Heavyweight Championship as he battled Alberto Del Rio in singles competition.

A heated rivalry intensified by the events of the Payback pay-per-view just weeks earlier, Ziggler was determined to win back the championship taken from him by the Mexican aristocrat, who viciously and ruthlessly exploited an injury to capture the title.

With an unstable AJ Lee at ringside as well as the deceptively cunning Ricardo Rodriguez backing up Del Rio, the match had all the makings of an explosive one.

On a night when Rob Van Dam returned to compete in the marquee ladder match and John Cena defended his WWE title against Mark Henry, it was the company's resident show-off and his most hated foe that delivered another outstanding match in a string of them, proving their uncanny in-ring chemistry.

But first, their story.

Background

One year earlier at the same Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Ziggler captured the SmackDown brand's briefcase, earning himself a guaranteed championship opportunity at any point over the next year. It was a triumphant moment and, for fans of the performer, proof that bigger and better things were ahead for him.

Just 24 hours after WrestleMania 29, inside the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Ziggler seized the opportunity and cashed in his shot, defeating an injured Alberto Del Rio to win the title for the second time in his career. Whereas the first was merely a plot device, the second felt like a reward for years of hard work.

After repeatedly proving himself, the Showoff was getting the opportunity to steal the show in high-profile main event matches.

Then tragedy struck.

During an episode of SmackDown, Ziggler caught a hard kick to the head, courtesy of "Real American" Jack Swagger, and his world went dark. The proud performer, determined to prove himself as champion, was suddenly forced to the sidelines with a severe concussion.

While the champion slowly recovered, Del Rio continued to chase the gold that he felt was unfairly taken from him. He defeated Swagger in an "I Quit" match at Extreme Rules in May, thus earning himself a shot at the world title whenever Ziggler was cleared to return to the squared circle.

And therein lied the problem. See, Ziggler's injury was so bad that there were questions surrounding his ability to return in a timely fashion.  Fortunately, he was cleared to compete, and at Payback in June, Del Rio would finally receive his deserved rematch.

Ziggler entered the match the arrogant heel, Del Rio the conquering hero.

But as the match began, something happened. Del Rio exhibited renewed aggression, knowingly and purposefully targeting the head of Ziggler. The Showoff, already one of the best sellers in the industry, created such sympathy for himself with every bump he took that midway through the bout, the Chicago fans began rooting for him.

It was to no avail, though. Ziggler took a brutal beating, his head repeatedly struck with kicks and other high-impact maneuvers as the ruthless, vile and unapologetic Del Rio picked up the victory and ended Ziggler's childhood dream before it ever really got started.

With the tables turned, Ziggler would arrive at Money in the Bank the fan favorite, determined to regain the title that injury cost him. Del Rio would again do whatever it took to hold onto it. And what about the associates of the competitors? 

What roles would AJ Lee, Big E Langston and Ricardo Rodriguez play as the match got underway?

The Match

The Analysis

At Payback, Del Rio and Ziggler worked a match that was based in story rather than actual in-ring action. It was an instant classic and the perfect example of the power of body language and facial expressions in pro wrestling. 

Here, they worked a traditional match that had quite the flow before the stupid finish.

AJ Lee attempted to prevent Del Rio from cheating and, in the process, got Ziggler disqualified. It set the seeds for the on-screen couple's split, something that had to happen if he was to be taken seriously as a full-on babyface. 

The match was a notch below their outstanding Payback bout but still a worthy entrant into their canon.

Ziggler and Del Rio were unique in that WWE could throw them out against each other and fans would be all but guaranteed a great match. They wrestled each other so many times over the course of the years that they could probably craft a match blindfolded and it would be better than most of the other stuff on the show.

This was no exception.

The Aftermath

Ziggler would fall out of title contention and into a feud with AJ and Big E, who betrayed him shortly after Money in the Bank. Kaitlyn would get involved, continuing her program with AJ, and a mixed tag team match was booked for SummerSlam. 

The babyfaces would be victorious in what was a highlight in an otherwise dismal second half of 2013 for the Cleveland native.

Del Rio, on the other hand, would continue his monumental year, defeating Christian at SummerSlam in a phenomenal wrestling match and surviving the challenge of Rob Van Dam via disqualification at Night of Champions.

His reign would come to an end at the hands of Cena, who returned at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.

Ziggler and Del Rio would meet numerous times in the months that followed their Money in the Bank clash though never in a bout as high profile as that one. Unfortunately, both fell out of favor with WWE Creative and found themselves wading through the mess that was the midcard.

By the time the summer of 2014 approached, Ziggler would be in the middle of a career renaissance while Del Rio would be searching for a new promotion to call home after WWE released him from his contract.