Dolph Ziggler's Heel Turn on WWE SmackDown Leaves More Questions Than Answers

Dolph Ziggler is once again wearing the black hat in WWE.

The Showoff's nearly four-year babyface run came to an end recently, thanks to his constant frustration over never winning "the big one." Fans have been aware of those frustrations as they've followed Ziggler through the ups and downs of his career from the beginning.

But now that Ziggler has turned heel again, fans are left with more questions than answers.

The reason for that has little to do with Ziggler's attitude. His anger and disappointment over his own shortcomings are understandable, and some may be wondering why it took him this long to make the turn.

Anyone in his position would be ready to explode, which is exactly what happened.

However, Ziggler's new direction seems to be somewhat pointless. The fans who supported him over the past four years are the same fans who supported him before. Fans were supposed to hate him during his run against Alberto Del Rio in 2013, but they instead cheered him on to victory.

When Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship from Del Rio, the crowd reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

Everyone knew Ziggler had worked hard to get his shot, and they appreciated him more for it. Fans love the underdog story, and perhaps no one in WWE other than Daniel Bryan has played the part better than Ziggler has.

He is one of the best hands in the company, and fans have always recognized that.

But perhaps WWE is now depending on Ziggler's underdog persona to be the catalyst for change. Instead of respecting him and wishing him success, fans may now reject him because they're sick of seeing the same story get repeated time and again.

Every time Ziggler got close to the brass ring, WWE always pulled it farther out of his reach.

The problem is that fans may not be falling for it. Ziggler's cockiness and swagger have endeared him to the WWE faithful, and it's possible that no amount of heeling out can change that now. Unlike Chris Jericho, Ziggler has not had multiple world title runs to pad his future Hall of Fame career.

Jericho's ability to make every character work is complemented by his level of comfort in that character. He's not struggling to succeed in a company that doesn't seem to appreciate him. He's also not fighting to prove he deserves to be a main event star.

Jericho can come and go when he wants, and he will still get over. There's no higher plateau he needs to reach or greater level he's never experienced. We cannot say the same about The Showoff, who continuously seems to be the odd man out despite his work both in the ring and on the mic.

So why would fans choose to turn on him now just because he's frustrated? 

Maybe there is some boredom when it comes to Ziggler. Fans have seen him in the same spot for so long that it's just not worth their time to believe in him anymore. But the moment Ziggler finds himself back in the title picture, will fans suddenly rediscover their respect for his work?

What made Ziggler click as a heel is precisely what made him click as a babyface; there's no reason to believe that will change now.

The move to turn him heel could be a means to an end—a way to bring him back down and then build him back up. WWE has used this method many times over the years, often with great success. 

The company utilized it with Ziggler's greatest rival, The Miz.

The Miz was WWE champion at one point, but his career always seemed to dip just when it could have taken off. The company just didn't seem to be all that interested in elevating The Miz, so he ended up trying to make the best of it until he reached the level of success he's now enjoying.

The Miz's potential to succeed may have been in doubt before, but that's not the case now. Fans see what he's capable of, as he's arguably become the best heel in the company.

However, Ziggler's potential has always been apparent. Tearing him down and rebuilding him will lead him back to the same place he's always been: the role of the underachiever. Until WWE can find a way around that, no heel or face turn will work for him.

Fans will see through it for the distraction that it is. Many still respect and support him, but at some point, that sentiment could lead to disinterest. In that case, fan will not hate Ziggler for his actions; they will just be indifferent.

If that happens, then Ziggler is in trouble. 

Loving or hating a guy is fine, but when the crowd reaction becomes so mixed that it's barely registering anymore, then it's obvious the talent in question will face a tough road ahead. Perhaps that's where Ziggler's career is heading now.

If fans see the heel turn as a cheap way to reinvent him, then they will not respond positively. If they've seen him lose too many big matches, they may not believe in him anymore. Unless WWE finds a new avenue for Ziggler that doesn't involve the same old story that's been told for the bulk of his career, then fans may not care about him at all.

The easiest solution was perhaps to just elevate him as a serious main event player, but that never materialized. He's seen a glimpse of it and is capable of doing it, but now, it may be too late. 

WWE has put Ziggler in the position of needing a desperate character change because it has booked him as a desperate talent. He deserves more, and he's earned more.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.