Dolph Ziggler Must Transition into Heel Role During Dean Ambrose Feud

Dolph Ziggler shocked the wrestling world when he survived a Six-Pack Challenge to become the new No. 1 contender for the WWE World Championship on the July 26 edition of SmackDown Live.

But the best has yet to come from him in his title program with Dean Ambrose.

Ambrose and Ziggler are far from strangers inside the squared circle, having faced off on several occasions over the past three years. At SummerSlam 2016, however, they will meet for the most prestigious prize in the business, and the stakes could not be higher.

That said, their program is already off to a strong start as of Tuesday's SmackDown, with the two engaging in a fantastic verbal exchange. While Ambrose has always been excellent on the mic, Ziggler showed fire for the first time in years when discussing his desire to reach the mountaintop again.

The bleached-blond Superstar never lost the ability to cut a passionate promo or to have an awesome match. Rather, his character development—or lack thereof—has held him back from getting back to where he once was earlier in his career.

With SmackDown recently returning to its former glory, now is the most appropriate time for Ziggler to become a main event-caliber competitor again, though it must be as a heel.

Credit: WWE.com

Ziggler spent the first several years of his WWE tenure as a villain and played the part to perfection. Although he struggled to elicit heat on his own, he found great chemistry with Vickie Guerrero and AJ Lee, who helped him get over as a heel.

He had plenty of potential to break out as a sympathetic babyface fans could rally behind when he gradually made the turn in the summer of 2013, but inconsistent booking and a lack of real motives caused him to grow stale in the months and years that followed.

At this point, it is imperative that Ziggler be solidified as a top-tier talent on SmackDown. If not, fans will have no reason to take him seriously as a threat to the title in the future.

Considering he has been in desperate need of some sort of shakeup for well over a year, this program provides the former two-time world champion with a great opportunity to go rogue at long last. That is the role he appears to be most comfortable in, especially when motivated.

A babyface-versus-babyface bout for the WWE world title at SummerSlam would still be solid, but the feud would benefit from one of the two turning on the other, and Ambrose has a lot left in the tank as a face for the foreseeable future.

Assuming Ambrose successfully retains his title against Ziggler at SummerSlam, it will be interesting to see who he sets his sights on next. He has already feuded with Bray Wyatt, and John Cena and AJ Styles have been embroiled in a rivalry of their own. So it would only be logical to continue Ambrose vs. Ziggler past the pay-per-view.

It is entirely possible that WWE will get a match or two out of them in their current characters. Meanwhile, if Ziggler won the strap through nefarious means at the August extravaganza and put Ambrose in chase mode, it would drastically extend the shelf life of the title program heading into the fall.

Ziggler may be nearing the final few years of his stint with the company, but he is far from damaged goods. A heel turn would be exactly what's needed to rejuvenate his stagnant persona. Ditching the tired tights and adopting a new attitude would be a step in the right direction, as well.

Furthermore, a Ziggler transition from a face to a heel would breathe new life into the SmackDown roster, opening up a plethora of fresh feuds for him. The blue brand could use more credible bad guys, while also allowing Wyatt to emerge as the fan favorite he was destined to be sooner than later.

Regardless of whether it's prior to the pay-per-view or at the event itself, a reset of the Ziggler character in the form of a heel turn will be what solidifies him as a mainstay in the main event picture on Tuesday nights.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a digital journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.

Follow @WrestleRant