WrestleMania 28: Dolph Ziggler Most in Need of a WrestleMania Moment

A WrestleMania moment varies greatly depending upon the WWE superstar. 

For one wrestler, it could be beating a long-time rival on the grandest stage of them all. For another, it could be winning the Money in the Bank match. For yet another, it could be winning your first World championship in front of 80,000 fans. 

In all cases, though, a WrestleMania moment is basically just a fancy way of describing a career-defining moment, but one that just so happens to take place at the WWE’s biggest pay-per-view of the year. 

So, when pondering the question in the title—which superstar is most in need of a WrestleMania moment?—I decided to go with a man who, though he is being viewed as a breakout star, has never really had his true breakout moment. 

Randy Orton, John Cena, CM Punk and even guys like The Miz and Daniel Bryan have huge career-defining victories that they’ll probably never top again. Most veterans have already had the most exciting moments of their careers, and some youngsters—like Zack Ryder—may very well have had theirs. 

But one guy who hasn’t? Well, here’s a hint: He is perfection. 

I’m talking, of course, about Dolph Ziggler. 

“The Showoff” is quickly developing a reputation as one of the best overall wrestlers in the WWE. He’s really stepped up his game in 2010 and 2011, putting on fantastic matches with guys like Bryan, Orton, Punk and even Cena dating back to the end of last year. 

Yet, what does Ziggler have to show for it? Well, basically just a lot of mid-card accomplishments. 

Ziggler has held the Intercontinental and United States Championships and spent about 15 minutes as World Heavyweight Champion on Smackdown, but those are the only major accolades he has. 

Despite the fact that he’s been one of the best and most consistent WWE superstars for the better part of a year now, Ziggler has never won the Money in the Bank match, legitimately won a World title or even been involved in a lengthy feud for one. 

For the most part, Ziggler has been an upper mid-carder on the borderline of the main event, just waiting for the right opportunity to make that leap to the main event and World title scene. For good.

And he definitely deserves (and needs) to have that happen at WrestleMania 28. 

At WrestleMania 27, Ziggler was relegated to a six-man celebrity tag-team match involving Snooki, and at WrestleMania 26, he was involved in the Money in the Bank ladder match, though he was never really a threat to win. Meanwhile, he only served as a lumberjack in a dark match at Wrestlemania 25. 

For the most part, Ziggler has been completely irrelevant during WrestleMania time so far in his WWE career. He hasn’t competed in a title match or a singles match, and he was even left completely off the card in 2009. 

Yet, here we are nearing 2012, and much of the chatter about Ziggler is that he deserves to win the Royal Rumble and face Punk for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 27. 

My, oh my, has Ziggler skyrocketed up the card or what? 

He’s gone from afterthought to perennial mid-carder to someone who is seen as one of the most important pieces of the WWE’s future. 

It’s amazing to think about how far Ziggler has come, but the huge strides he’s made in 2011—both on the mic and in the ring—should result in him getting his chance to shine at WrestleMania 28. 

And I’m not saying Ziggler should just compete for the WWE Championship at the pay-per-view. He should win it, too.