Predicting What's Next for U.S. Champ Dolph Ziggler After Bizarre SmackDown Exit

Did we see Dolph Ziggler sing the final verses of his swan song on Tuesday's WWE SmackDown?

The Showoff fed into rumors of his departure by teasing an exit just two nights after winning the United States Championship at Clash of Champions. His apparent farewell, though, has all the makings of an angle. This is an era where reality bleeds into storyline, where WWE has deftly used hearsay to add depth to its onscreen narratives.

On Sunday's pay-per-view, Ziggler surprised the WWE fanbase by snatching the U.S. title from Baron Corbin in a Triple Threat match. His celebration on the following SmackDown was the talk of the show.

The heel stood in the ring and rattled off his accomplishments. Video clips reminded fans of his various title wins. Following the summation of his career, Ziggler barked at an audience he claimed never appreciated him. He exited, marching off in an indignant huff, but not before leaving the title belt in the ring to remember him by.

The moment left no shortage of questions to answer.

Was that him relinquishing the championship? Was this Ziggler's goodbye? Is he headed to Japan, to Ring of Honor, to focus on his comedy career?

Wade Keller of PWTorch isn't buying it. "All of these booking schemes he's part of are just stunts that lead nowhere, but are meant to generate buzz," he wrote.

The swirl of unknowns and all the intrigue that comes with it is exactly why things unfolded that way. Had Ziggler simply come out and delivered a standard gloating promo, it wouldn't be the stuff of headlines. As it stands, the U.S. champ's actions are subject to dissection and debate.

Ziggler is likely to step away temporarily as part of the storyline.

It would be good for him to ease his workload for a spell. It won't hurt to keep him off TV as part of a refreshing process. WWE Creative can come up something new for him while folks like Tye Dillinger or Mojo Rawley get his airtime in his absence.

WWE can push the narrative of Ziggler leaving hard and reel in fans effectively because the talk of him splitting with the company is so constant. As Adam Silverstein of CBS Sports wrote: "Rumors of Ziggler's eventual departure from WWE have gone on for years, mostly due to the fact that he's rarely received a legitimate and lengthy push."

Ziggler himself further flamed those rumors in a recent interview on the E&C Pod of Awesomeness (h/t The Wrap) when he talked about his frustrations with his place on the card.

"I hate it," he said of his position. "I hate that I'm not the champion. I hate that the show's not about me because that's the mentality you should have if you're in the business."

The fact that Ziggler's title win came days after this podcast is no coincidence. WWE saw an opportunity to build on the speculation born from it. And it once again merged rumor into its booking.

That has been a common technique of late. 

On Raw, Paul Heyman openly discussed the potential of Brock Lesnar leaving for the UFC amid whispers of that very thing. When rumors of the locker room disliking Enzo Amore emerged, he folded that into his character. 

WWE has done it with Ziggler, too. Last year, the usual talk of The Showoff cutting ties with the company percolated. The writers took advantage of that and had him put his career on the line against The Miz at No Mercy.

It was easier to believe that Ziggler might actually lose that bout because of everything going around about his future.

He won, of course. Ziggler continued to feud with The Miz over the Intercontinental Championship. And eventually, he moved on to a new tale.

WWE looked to tweak Ziggler's persona by having him mock other wrestlers for relying on flash. He stopped using entrance music and was a more no-nonsense character.

Another attitude shift is on its way. A manager may be at his side. His gear will be different and so will his entrance music. Just enough to shake things up with him as WWE did with Sheamus in 2015.

And while Ziggler goes a gimmick reset, there can now be a scrum for the United States Championship. A tournament would be an easy way to showcase Corbin, Dillinger and others en route to WrestleMania season.

Before long, the new champion will be interrupted and look up to see Ziggler stomping down the entrance ramp. After all, he would never have lost the title, and his demand to have the title back will be the catalyst for his next feud.

It's not quite the end of Ziggler's run, just the end of the current chapter of his WWE story.