Ziggler = HBK
Dolph Ziggler is NOT Shawn Michaels, and I won't try to spit out reasons of why he is. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But there are early parallels that can be made as it seems WWE wants to follow a very similar formula for success with Dolph that they did with HBK.
I predicted this on my Raw post-show Monday. AJ and Langston would respectively play the parts of Sensational Sherri and Diesel, aligning themselves with Dolph. (I like pointing out calls I make correctly, as it doesn't happen very often.) The live edition of Smackdown on Tuesday quickly made the trio unification official.
And we're now off to the races with the modern-day "Heart Break Kid".
If there's one area Dolph needs to improve going forward, I think it's showing off (no pun intended) more of what he can do offensively. We all know how well he can sell, and we are finding out he's capable of talking as well. What we don't see yet is a concrete checklist of offensive moves he'll become known for as he transitions into a main event mainstay and eventual champion. Every top star has that in common, and we haven't seen enough of it from Dolph up to this point.
Did I see him use the superkick the other day? Maybe that can be included in the checklist.
I don't think WWE should shy away from the HBK-like qualities they allow Dolph to use in his own career. There are worse he could follow. And I personally believe Dolph has what it takes to live up to those standards. Very few can.
Keep in mind, HBK wasn't labeled the best all-around entertainer the sport has ever seen at the point of his career that Dolph is now. It took years of him being that good before fans started truly recognizing him as such. Plus, fans really don't dictate who gets those labels either. Other wrestlers do.
Fans heard enough wrestlers talk about HBK being the best, and we started to reflect those same feelings (for the most part). Dolph is already being talked about by his peers much the same way. And when the talent is as good as they are today (technically, athletically), it's saying something when others doing it put you over that much.
If you think my constant praise of Dolph Ziggler is unjustified, I encourage you to argue your points in the Comments section below. Keep in mind, however, that this is coming from one of the world's biggest HBK fans you'll ever find.
You can also tweet me your reasons. I'll be sure to respond to every single comment (that doesn't piss me off).
Flair's Future
As I outlined above, Dolph's plate is going to be rather full going forward. There's absolutely NO place, in my mind, for Flair to come in and cloud that scene even more. Plus, Dolph doesn't need Flair's help. John Cena is doing more for Dolph right now than Flair could provide as a mouthpiece.
That being said, there are other candidates who could benefit from those exact services.
Mark Madden mentioned Ryback. Interesting choice and I'd be open to that. It could certainly help him get some of the momentum back that he's lost in the past couple of months. I don't see this pairing becoming a reality, but I'm not necessarily against the idea.
Eventually turning Flair and having him lead The Shield is another idea I see popping up in places. Not horrible, but it's another example of unnecessary crowding. Ambrose and crew are capable of vocalizing their own messages, so why throw Flair in the middle of it?
I know there's still value in Flair, and it's not as an active wrestler any longer, but where he fits could be more of a challenge than one might expect. Would love to hear some ideas…
