From SummerSlam onwards Ziggler wrestled pointless
matches on RAW and SmackDown and appeared only on pay-per-view pre-shows if he
appeared at all on Sundays. It was very disappointing to watch a man who'd been
one of the hottest guys in the company for the first six months of the year
completely wasted like that.
But, as I say, the Royal Rumble showed that things
weren't lost to 'The Show Off'. He got a rousing response when he sprinted to
the ring and got similarly loud cheers when he performed his first sequence of
moves. That his elimination was met with boos was a promising sign too. It all
showed that people cared about Ziggler and wanted to see him do well.
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| Will Dolph ever be the WWE champion? |
It's not just crowd support that demonstrates Ziggler
could be doing more. A recent promo on the WWE app regarding a SmackDown loss
to Antonio Cesaro revealed a passion that's rarely seen on WWE screens. 'The
Show Off' talked about being the best on the roster and working hard to outdo
everybody. It was clear how much success, or a lack of it, means to Ziggler and
the buzz it created once again showed that fans remain interested in him and
prepared to rally behind him. Had something similar been said in the ring, in
front of a crowd, I'm convinced it would have had a great reaction. There's a
lot to be said for letting wrestlers speak candidly in front of audiences. The
realism can be sensed and it generates a better response.
The support for Ziggler stems from the same place as the support
for Daniel Bryan. Fans desire new stars in top spots. The current list of top
names in WWE is quite small but they've all been around for a long time (even
Punk had been on top for going on three years when he walked out). People want
new guys at the top because it will mean new matches, new scenarios and a new
direction for the company, and because they want to see hard work rewarded.
Bryan and Ziggler, as athletic men who have worked for years to become
incredibly good at what they do, have understandably been singled out as men
fans want to see succeed.
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| Vinnie Mac with his New Generation boys |
Why WWE isn't listening to its audience is anyone's
guess. The situation is similar to the one that was faced in the early
nineties. Then Vince McMahon launched his New Generation campaign and
structured events around smaller, more athletic wrestlers Bret Hart and Shawn
Michaels. While business didn’t pick up until Hart left and Michaels took
lengthy time off they were the men who helped the company stay afloat, and they
were picked to succeed by fans.
Perhaps Vince is part of the trouble now. Or rather the
lack of him might be. Triple H has become an increasingly important figure in
the backstage working of WWE and while Vince will retain the final say on
everything company related until the day he dies it's possible he's giving 'The
Game' as close to a free rein as he'll allow anyone to test him out as a
successor. It would explain the increased focus on Randy Orton, who seems to
fit the mould of ‘The Game’s’ preferred headliner figure, and the lack of significant
roles for men chosen by the fans. The pushes of Hart and Michaels, and later
Austin, all show that Vince listens to fans after a while. We've no precedent
for Triple H doing the same.
Last year should have been Ziggler's year. For that
matter this year should be Daniel Bryan's. As I keep writing, and will almost
certainly write again, sooner or later WWE will have to start creating new
stars because a reliance on part-timers cannot go on forever: the returnees in
question will retire sooner than later and the comebacks they make before they
do will suffer from diminishing returns. There's still support for the Zigglers
and Bryans of the roster. I remain hopeful WWE will act on it before
WrestleMania so that the new guys are exposed to as many viewers as possible.
Give people a reason to keep watching in May and beyond.
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