WWE Vengeance 2011: Why Dolph Ziggler Will Be WWE's Breakout Star at Vengeance

With just hours to go until WWE's Vengeance pay-per-view hits airwaves, many are discussing the event's top three matches.

John Cena, Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, Triple H, The Miz, R-Truth, Big Show, and Mark Henry are among the hottest names in the sport heading into tonight's show, but there is one man in position to truly steal the show, to elevate himself to a level that has, to this point, eluded him.

He is the current WWE United States Champion, and the most underrated star in all of professional wrestling, Dolph Ziggler.

In recent weeks, internet reports have indicated that Vince McMahon and others with power inside WWE have taken a liking to Ziggler, due to his rapidly improving microphone skills and his solid in-ring work, including his carrying of the very inexperienced Mason Ryan.

That increased interest and faith in Ziggler has resulted in the current US titleholder, and former Intercontinental Champion, competing in separate matches on the Vengeance card.

Dolph, along with tag partner Jack Swagger and manager Vickie Guerrero, has seen increased television time in recent weeks and has been featured in several high-profile matches on Monday Night Raw. He has quietly developed into one of the really great in-ring workers the company has on its roster, adding a little of Mr. Perfect and a little of Shawn Michaels to create the total package.

But Dolph was not always considered to be a breakout star in the company.

In 2005, Dolph Ziggler debuted under his real name, Nick Nemeth, as the caddy for Chavo Guerrero's embarrassing Kerwin White character. The gimmick was short lived but Nemeth would re-appear on television soon enough, this time as one-sixth of the dubious Spirit Squad faction.

The Spirit Squad, while boasting some talented members, was a joke and was treated as such too often for any of its members to be taken seriously. As Nicky, Nemeth was one of the more talented in the group but was often pushed to the background in favor of Johnny Jeter or Kenny Dykstra. Two years later, however, Nemeth would have the last laugh as he was the sole survivor of the Squad.

When he debuted as Dolph Ziggler, shaking hands and repeating his name to every Superstar he approached, most assumed Nemeth was destined to be saddled with terrible gimmicks. It did not help when, shortly after his in-ring debut, he was suspended for a violation of the WWE's Wellness Policy.

It was a blessing in disguise, however, as Ziggler returned with a slimmed-down figure and, as a result, his in-ring work blossomed. Over the course of 2008 and 2009, Dolph slowly transformed into one of the more talented workers in the business and, in the summer of '09, he feuded with Rey Mysterio in a series of high-quality matches. Subsequent matches with Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, and others displayed Dolph's constant development as an in-ring performer.

As 2010 came to a close, and 2011 was on the horizon, Dolph Ziggler stepped up his game. A hot rivalry with Edge over the WWE Championship, a rivalry that temporarily led to a rise in Smackdown ratings, proved to the world that Dolph was ready to take the next step up the ladder.

Unfortunately, an ill-timed arrival on the Raw brand would halt that rise to the top.

The first few months of Ziggler's current Raw stay were uneventful. Stuck largely in the same position he had been prior to his run with Edge atop the Smackdown brand, Ziggler never let any potential disappointment shine through in his work. He and Kofi Kingston electrified crowds over the spring and early summer while helping Alex Riley stay over following the wrap-up of his feud with The Miz.

As Vengeance approaches, it appears as though all of Dolph's hard work is finally paying off. Much like it did Mr. Perfect 20 years ago, the entire mid-card scene within WWE centers around Dolph Ziggler. He is the centerpiece of a very talented undercard, its champion and the member of the team challenging for the company's top prize in the tag division.

He has been charged with, almost single-handedly, getting Zack Ryder over with the fans unfamiliar with his Youtube show. As the shining stars of the mid-card, Dolph and Jack Swagger have also been the perfect foil for tag champions Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne.

Rather than being faced with largely under-pushed talents like the Usos or Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins, Air Boom's matches with Vickie Guerrero's charges has allowed the team to get that much more over with the tag team-depraved audience.

It is highly unlikely that Dolph will leave Vengeance with both the United States Championship and the Tag Team Championship. As a matter of fact, he may not leave with either championship and that would not be a bad thing.

The fact that the company has given one man, a non-main event star at that, a spot in two separate matches on one show, when pay-per-view spots are so hard to come by for most, is evidence of Vince McMahon and the creative team's trust in the Ohio native to deliver. Performing at a high level in two completely different types of matches would only help to elevate his star within the company.

Dolph Ziggler will break out at Vengeance because, as he has shown over the course of the last two years, few work harder to improve and provide exciting matches for the fans than Dolph Ziggler. He has flown under the radar for most of his career, a single piece in a puzzle far larger than himself. He has been given the opportunity to succeed, to reach up and grab the proverbial brass ring.

Later tonight, he will succeed where so many before him have failed. And  by the time Vengeance 2012 rolls around, Dolph Ziggler will be WWE or World Heavyweight Champion.