Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Ziggler & Company Losing Speed

It's not unusual for the guy with the briefcase to get a bit of a losing streak prior to cashing in. It happens sometimes. Dolph Ziggler hasn't exactly been on a huge roll right now. He lost to Ryback this week and doesn't even seem to have a feud brewing heading into Wrestlemania. Again, no need to panic for Ziggler. And yet, I think the WWE is stupid for doing it.

A few months ago, Dolph Ziggler was getting pushed so well, I was wondering if there would be anything left for him after he eventually did win the title. After winning Money in the Bank, he was looking impressive against some big names. He retained his briefcase against Chris Jericho and John Cena. He was looking like something major. They could have kept that momentum going by having him win the title at any time in the last few weeks. Instead, they let all that momentum fizzle out. I find that stupid. You invest all that in him to make look credible, then you make him look this mediocre again? It was all to make Cena look good, right? If and when Ziggler does win the title, going by the recent trend of rotating centerpieces on Smackdown, Ziggler should get a good push again. Until then, they could be using him better as they head into Wrestlemania.

I have never really said anything about Big E Langston. What can I say? I like that pose he does by the barricade after he gives someone Ziggler is facing a cheap shot. You sometimes see a heel the WWE is developing to be a big star get a sidekick. Miz had Alex Riley. Ziggler has Langston. That's more than a sidekick. That's some muscle. I can't say I picture anything great for this guy's future after Ziggler, but when Ziggler does get his run as Smackdown's top guy as World Champion, Langston will be more relevant than he is now.

What about AJ Lee? For almost all of 2012, she was the best pushed of all the divas. She was developed as a periphery diva. She still is a periphery diva. But her momentum has definitely taken a hit. I frequently say that a periphery diva will benefit from whatever the guy she is aligned with is doing. She gets a rub by association. The bad side of that? What happens when the guy she is with starts getting booked poorly? Ziggler isn't being buried. If anything, the entire company is having trouble keeping the ball rolling for all the guys they want to push. I can understand that. They have a lot of guys to push and cannot always come up with good ideas. They also have trouble figuring out who to prioritize at times. No matter what suggestions people can come up with to fixing the diva division, it seems it will never be as great as it was until the WWE can also fix the problems with their men's division to make things as hot as they were prior to this recent staleness and reliance on past stars to help draw. Nevertheless, the WWE put themselves in this position with their diva division. It did not have to be this bad. A decline may have been unavoidable, but it did not have to look like the diva division you have today. And I don't feel bad for AJ Lee. With the exception of Vickie Guerrero, AJ is still in a better position than any woman on the roster.

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