Dolph Ziggler Should Turn Heel to Freshen Up His Act

Dolph Ziggler is almost certainly the most popular underdog babyface in WWE.

As much as the company wants fans to believe that John Cena and Roman Reigns have the odds stacked against them, it's something that they truly believe to be the case with Ziggler.

In 2013, Ziggler completed one of the hottest Money in the Bank cash-ins of all time to win the World Heavyweight Championship. His reign was cut short by a concussion, and he has failed to win the big one since.

The Showoff is an incredible talent who deserves to be working at the summit of WWE. He is arguably the best seller in the company and can put on a high-level match with just about any opponent. As his nickname suggests, he often steals the show.

WWE.com

Ziggler has been a babyface for almost exactly two years at this point. His connection with the fans is huge, but he has done little more than act as a midcard pinball since dropping the world title. He has held the Intercontinental Championship on several occasions, but his reigns have been brief and uneventful.

The time has come for Ziggler to turn on the fans and embrace his potential as a reality-inflected heel character.

If professional wrestling were an unscripted sport, Ziggler would be one of the most frustrated performers around today. Despite repeatedly proving himself and tearing the house down, he has not been given the opportunities that have greeted others.

Late last year, he was the man who vanquished the Authority after scoring the final pinfall in the Survivor Series main event. Only months later, his push had stalled and he was back in throwaway midcard title matches.

WWE.com

Ziggler has been a loyal employee of WWE since he appeared as Nicky in The Spirit Squad back in 2005. Since then, he has watched the entire career cycles of many Superstars who have not had the company loyalty he has shown.

A prime example of this is Neville. He has only been on the main roster for a few months but is already arguably a tier above Ziggler in terms of the WWE pecking order.

The Money in the Bank ladder match, which features Ziggler and Neville, could be the perfect opportunity to plant the seeds for a feud between the two men following a Ziggler turn.

Ziggler could scale the ladder, with no one else around. He has his fingers outstretched, inches away from the briefcase and the golden opportunity that it provides, when he is tugged down by Neville.

WWE.com

Neville climbs the ladder himself, but instead of grabbing for the case, he executes a jaw-dropping dive onto Ziggler. Whilst both men are down, another performer steals their chance at glory and grabs the briefcase.

The next night on Raw, Neville is being beaten down by a heel. Ziggler rushes to the ring, but instead of saving Neville, he lays the high-flyer out with a superkick.

He grabs a microphone and tells Neville that he deserves everything he is getting. Instead of taking the opportunity he had at Money in the Bank, Neville tried to pop the fans and missed his chance. Ziggler says that he has been falling into that same trap for years, but not any longer. He isn’t out for the fans now; he’s out for himself.

This would immediately establish Ziggler as a heel with a grudge. His intense emotional connection with the fans would be immediately reversed, cementing a character capable of drawing immense heat.

As a cocky, self-righteous heel frustrated at the fruitlessness of being a fan favourite, Ziggler has a high ceiling. Within a short period, he could be up in the main event scene again, which is where he deserves to be.

Ziggler is going nowhere as a babyface. As a heel, though, the sky could be the limit.