Dolph Ziggler lost to Bill Goldberg at SummerSlam in Toronto this year. According to Ziggler, the match was originally supposed to be a quick spear + jackhammer win for Goldberg but Ziggler fought hard in the back to get more time for the match. Ziggler spoke to Talk Sport about what happened backstage regarding the match.

Ziggler mentioned he was picked to face Goldberg to give him a good match after a poorly-reviewed match against the Undertaker in Saudi Arabia.

“Having that ‘You’re the guy to do this’ to set the record straight and give this guy and awesome match you go ‘Fantastic’. And they go ‘It’s going to be a bell, spear, pin’ and I go ‘come on,’” Ziggler said.

“I fought all day long, threatened to leave, threatened to quit, did everything I had to – ‘Give me two damn minutes!’ And I got a minute, whatever, what you going to do?”

Dolph Ziggler Interview Highlights

Ziggler was also asked about the rumors of his longtime friend John Morrison returning to the company.

“He keeps it under his coat about what he’s doing but for three years he’s been telling me he’s coming back! So, I don’t know if he’s messing with me or what so I stopped asking him. I hope he comes back. It’s been a really longtime, it’ll be so refreshing to see him.”

Ziggler was also asked about the worst thing Vince McMahon has ever said to him.

“Something along the lines of ‘This isn’t the Attitude Era, you can’t just go as long as you want out there’, with some yelling back and forth between us.”

The full interview can be read here.

In an interview with Metro.co.uk, former WWE Universal Champion Goldberg opened up about his matchup against The Undertaker from WWE Super ShowDown. The two competed back in June in a match that received heavy criticism from fans and professionals alike.

Speaking candidly, Goldberg confessed that the match took a toll on him, but made sure to contextualize the situation:

“People were very critical of me, and I’ll be honest, I never really respond to it – I do care what people think,” Goldberg said. “But when I know the whole deal and everything, it’s like, come on guys. Give me a break – I knocked myself out, dude. Now let me see you walk down the street – let alone pick up a 320lbs dude – when you’re knocked out.”

He then explained how his subsequent match with Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam helped to “reaffirm” his confidence.

“I think for me, what the Ziggler match did, was reaffirm my own self-confidence, not for anyone else. But I just needed to go out there and go through the motions, and know, man, just ’cause you stumble once, [it] doesn’t define you.”

He continued,” Unfortunately, I was defining myself by whether it be a move or a night or a match. The fact of the matter is, I’m extremely hyper-critical of myself and that’s what’s made me the person that I am. It’s a blessing and it’s a curse. I’m never happy, but I’m always striving to be better than anybody else… [The Ziggler match] helped me out a lot, it really did.”

Goldberg and NXT Superstar Matt Riddle have continued their back-and-forth war of words. Despite their interactions, however, Goldberg still claims not to know who Riddle is.

During a recent episode of the State of Combat Podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels addressed his involvement with Dolph Ziggler’s recent feud with Goldberg. Ziggler and Goldberg would face each other one-on-one last month at WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.

The build-up to this match involved a tease that Michaels might feud with Ziggler. This led the WWE Universe to speculate that HBK could be coming back for one more match. When discussing whether there was ever a possibility he would be getting back in the ring, Michaels confessed there was “absolutely no thought of me and Dolph.”

“I never know when the phone call is going to come and I’m going to jump on a plane,” Shawn explained. “I was just sort of doing what I was asked to do. If nothing else, with all these years later, after 30 years, I’m a pretty good employee. I just do what I am told, so to speak. It was fun to do but there was absolutely no thought of me and Dolph or anything like that. It was always going to be Bill Goldberg, but perhaps they needed somebody to light the fuse for Dolph Ziggler in that respect and I was the guy to do it as best as I could.”

Ziggler went on to face off, and be decimated by, Goldberg in 1 minute and 50 seconds.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg might be returning to WWE TV soon. 

As noted, Goldberg had an altercation with Dolph Ziggler over the weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, which he shared a video of it on social media. 

On Monday, WInsider reports that people within WWE are expecting the Vegas altercation to lead to a SmackDown on FOX appearance by Goldberg. Let the speculation begin regarding what that means. 

Goldberg & Dolph Ziggler Scuffle At Las Vegas Restaurant, Matt Riddle Comments

The legendary pro wrestler made short work of Ziggler in a singles match at SummerSlam.

It should be noted that WWE’s next event in Saudi Arabia is coming up. Goldberg worked the WWE Super ShowDown pay-per-view event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia back in June. At the time, it was reported that Goldberg had agreed to do more matches. 

Whether this angle between Ziggler and Goldberg leads to a match remains to be seen but with WWE returning to Saudi Arabia on October 31st, this could be where Goldberg’s next match takes place. 

The premiere episode of WWE SmackDown Live on the FOX network, which will be a 20th Anniversary special, takes place on October 4th from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.

WWE has already confirmed Goldberg to make an appearance on this show.

Dolph Ziggler recently found himself crossing paths with Goldberg in Las Vegas and the confrontation between the two WWE stars ended with people having to pull them apart from each other.

The former WCW Star had commented on the matter by posting the video of the altercation. However, the show off had so far been quiet on the whole incident.

Ziggler finally broke his silence recently and commented on the incident via a tweet. The former World Champion said that he is not interested and Goldberg should get a hobby which he can enjoy without getting hurt:

Brad Pitt On Getting Into A WWE Ring

WWE’s own Cathy Kelley recently got a chance to sit down with Brad Pitt to interview the Hollywood star about his new space sci-fi film dubbed Ad Astra.

During the interview, Kelley asked Pitt about the movie and his interest in space. She revealed that she was interested in it when she was young and her mom had actually applied for a position at NASA.

Cathy also managed to ask Brad about possibly coming to WWE. Replying to the question, the Hollywood star indicated that he would be open to attending a show but when asked about possibly getting in the ring, he declined the possibility:

Goldberg posted a video of him and Dolph Ziggler getting involved in a pull-apart at a Las Vegas area restaurant recently. According to comments Goldberg made on an Instagram post, he was at Andiamo Italian Steakhouse and ran into his opponent from SummerSlam this year.

“Looks like @heelziggler and I still don’t see eye to eye! Fortunately for him I wasn’t still hungry! ” Goldberg’s post reads.

Matt Riddle Comments On Pull Apart Between Dolph Ziggler and Goldberg

The post drew the attention of NXT’s Matt Riddle, who has made frequent public statements regarding Goldberg over the last several months. Riddle posted the following to Twitter:

On the SummerSlam version of Watch Along, Riddle was a guest and told the story of meeting Goldberg backstage that weekend.

• Matt Riddle Shares Story Of Interaction With Goldberg At SummerSlam

Matt Riddle vs Goldberg Rivalry

Riddle commented on if he’s any closer to a match with Goldberg earlier this month in an interview with Sportskeeda.

• Matt Riddle Discusses If He’s Any Closer To Wrestling Brock Lesnar, Opens Up About Talking With Goldberg

“Well, the WWE… NXT has made mention of me wrestling Brock in promos and other things like that, but I’ve been calling out Brock since I started wrestling. It’s such a huge goal. If I get close to that, I’ll probably be really successful. If I do it, probably be a legend. Now I’m as close I’ve ever been, but I’m still pretty far.”

With their new push as a tag team, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode are on top of the division. 

Ziggler and Roode dethroned Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman as the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions. The match took place at the WWE Clash of Champions pay-per-view event in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Spectrum Center.

This match was set up on the August 26th episode of RAW when WWE held “the biggest Tag Team Turmoil match in WWE history.” 

WWE Clash Of Champions Results (9/15)

Heavy Machinery, The Revival, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Lucha House Party, Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode, War Raiders, Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins competed in the match. 

Ziggler and Roode won the contest. As a result, they earned the right to challenge Rollins and Strowman for the WWE RAW Tag Team Titles at the latest PPV event under the WWE banner. 

The only reason that Rollins and Strowman had the titles was to further build their program for the Universal Title. 

This marked the first match of the night for the top two stars on the RAW brand as they worked the headliner of this show as well. 

What are your thoughts on Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode winning the WWE RAW Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

On last week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, a new tag team debuted comprised of Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler. Together, the pair would emerge victorious from “the biggest Tag Team Turmoil match in WWE history.”

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the idea for this pairing came from RAW’s Executive Director, Paul Heyman. Apparently, the plan was to have their win on RAW act as a means to showcase Robert Roode’s in-ring skills.

Off the back of their victory, the two will now go on to face the RAW Tag Team Champions at WWE’s upcoming Clash of Champions pay-per-view. The Tag Team Champions just happens to be the team of RAW Universal Champion Seth Rollins and “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman. The duo recently won the titles from O.C. members, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, on the 19/8 episode of RAW.

At the time of writing, there is no further indication as to what WWE or Paul Heyman have planned for Roode and Ziggler. If the plan is to eventually get Roode over, however, then the team may not have any long-term plans.

Clash of Champions takes place on Saturday, September 15th from the Spectrum Center in North Carolina.

Dolph Ziggler conducted a Q&A session on Twitter with his fans, where he answered a lot of interesting questions which discussed whether he will watch AEW’s All Out, or he would he leave the main roster for NXT, and more.

Ziggler was asked if he would be watching AEW All Out, to which he said, “Nah. Hope it goes great! That’s good for everyone.”

One of the questions Ziggler was asked if he would like a name for his newly formed tag team with Robert Roode. He answered, “I’d prefer to not have one & just continues to be great at our jobs.”

He also gave a succinct “nah” for a question that asked if he would leave the main roster for NXT. He was also asked which woman he would want to tag with him and Roode. He choose Renee Young.

When asked who his favorite female wrestler was, Dolph replied, “Naomi. Always Naomi”.

Dolph Ziggler is scheduled to be in a tag team match where he will team up with Robert Roode against Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman for the Raw Tag Team Championships. The match is set to take place on Clash of Champions on September 15 2019, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The duo earned the opportunity by participating in an eight-man tag team turmoil match on Raw this week to determine the number one contender for the titles.

Dolph Ziggler recently did an interview where he called out another WWE legend. 

This interview was done before he stepped into the ring to take on WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg at SummerSlam. While speaking with Wrestling Inc’s Nick Hausman, Ziggler noted that he would like to wrestle fellow WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels in the near future. 

“I feel like once I get rid of Goldberg, I’m really kinda looking at Shawn Michaels, but, man, if anything happened there, I would try and make it happen,” Ziggler said. “I would love to see if Shawn Michaels could hang with me. 

Ziggler continued by noting that one day he wants to test himself against Matt Riddle to see if he can hang with him in the ring. He mentioned that he wishes him good luck doing everything he can because it’s not easy to get to the WWE roster.

Ziggler continued by noting that he’s not really friends with the ‘Attitude Era’ guys and brought up doing segments and matches with them.

He doesn’t think Michaels acts the way he used to act when he would tell people ‘follow that.’ He brought up HBK super kicking him last week on RAW. 

The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion added that he would love to see if Michaels could hang with him in the ring because he doesn’t think Michaels can. He closed out the question by noting that he would come out on top. 

Dolph Ziggler Lashes Out At Goldberg Fans

Dolph Ziggler is known to be a heel on and off WWE television, which is exactly what he did to a fan who told him that he was going to be speared into next year by WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg. 

The two stars are just 24 hours away from stepping into the squared circle at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. Ziggler wrote the following on his official Twitter account: 

“All you fickle, pathetic marks that complain online for a living, have a problem with part timers taking away from full time wrestlers, suddenly decide that redemption is the best way to send off a guy you have ripped on for 20 years. you are the problem!”

• WWE SummerSlam Predictions

Sasha Banks’ New Look

Former WWE Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks shared a new post on Instagram that showed off the change to her hairstyle. 

Banks, who is most known for sporting purple hair, is now blonde, as seen in these photos: 

Banks has not been seen on WWE television since WrestleMania 35 where after the show, it was reported that she tried to quit the company. There’s still no word yet on when she’ll make a return to in-ring action. 

Last night on RAW, Dolph Ziggler signed a contract for a match at SummerSlam. He thought he was signing on to face the Miz but it was revealed to him he had actually agreed to face a returning Bill Goldberg.

• 6 Takeaways From WWE RAW (8/5)

WWE.com caught up with Ziggler after RAW concluded and asked him for his thoughts on facing Goldberg at SummerSlam.

Dolph Ziggler on Facing Goldberg At SummerSlam

“I was caught by surprise, but when you’re someone who is me in this line of business, and you’ve made a career about preparing for everyone, absolutely everyone on this roster day in and day out, Goldberg’s not on that roster. So I was caught a little off guard tonight by a couple different people.”

In addition to being confronted by Goldberg last night, Ziggler also took a super-kick to the face from Shawn Michaels. Ziggler had done the same to HBK last week on Smackdown.

“I guess I was owed a kick to the face,” Ziggler continued.

With Ziggler vs Goldberg now confirmed for SummerSlam, the updated lineup now looks like this:

• WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins
• WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Natalya – Submission Match
• WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Ember Moon
• Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon – If Owens Loses He’s Forced To Quit WWE
• WWE Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
• Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
• WWE United States Champion AJ Styles vs. Ricochet
• Charlotte Flair vs. Trish Stratus
• Aleister Black vs. Sami Zayn
• Goldberg vs. Dolph Ziggler

WWE has officially confirmed that Goldberg will make his return to in-ring action when he takes on Dolph Ziggler at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. 

This comes after it was reported last week that the former WWE Universal Champion would be making his return. WWE had previously announced Ziggler vs. The Miz for SummerSlam but that wasn’t the plan. 

During Monday’s episode of RAW, WWE held a contract signing with Dolph Ziggler, Shawn Michaels, and The Miz. This was supposed to be for Ziggler vs. The Miz at this show.

The way that WWE set it up was by having Miz tell Ziggler that he can’t wait to get his hands on him next Monday and that Ziggler should’ve read the fine print. 

Goldberg walked out and signed the contract after Ziggler did. Goldberg told him that he was next and then Michaels hit Ziggler with a superkick to close the show. 

WWE RAW Results & Live Coverage (8/5)

WWE presents the SummerSlam pay-per-view event on Sunday, August 11, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario.

Updated WWE SummerSlam Card

• WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins
• WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Natalya – Submission Match
• WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Ember Moon
• Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon – If Owens Loses He’s Forced To Quit WWE
• WWE Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
• Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
• WWE United States Champion AJ Styles vs. Ricochet
• Charlotte Flair vs. Trish Stratus
• Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz
• Aleister Black vs. Sami Zayn
• Goldberg vs. Dolph Ziggler

Despite Dolph Ziggler vs the Miz having been announced recently for SummerSlam, the plan appears to be for Ziggler to actually wrestle Bill Goldberg on the show.

According to a report on Wrestling Observer Radio, the Miz vs Dolph Ziggler announcement was a red herring and Goldberg will be coming in for the show.

• Speculation On A Roman Reigns – Daniel Bryan Feud After SummerSlam

“Even though they announced Miz – and I don’t know how they are going to get to it – it is, in fact, Bill Goldberg,” Dave Meltzer said on the show. Meltzer would go on to state that Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan, which had also been reported, is also planned for the show.

You can listen to audio of the Observer Radio clip regarding Bill Goldberg wrestling at SummerSlam below:

Confirmed SummerSlam Lineup

1. RAW Women’s Championship
   Becky Lynch (c) vs Natalya
2. Universal Championship
   Brock Lesnar (c) vs Seth Rollins
3. Smackdown Women’s Championship
   Bayley (c) vs Ember Moon
4. WWE Championship
   Kofi Kingston (c) vs Randy Orton
5. United States Championship
   AJ Styles (c) vs Ricochet
6. Trish Stratus vs Charlotte Flair
7. Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt’s “Fiend”
8. Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon (If Owens loses, he’ll quit WWE)
9. Aleister Black vs Sami Zayn **
10. The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler ***

** Not officially confirmed.
*** Could change.

Yesterday, WWE announced that Dolph Ziggler vs the Miz will take place this year at SummerSlam. Since then, however, there have been reports that the match will not take place as announced. According to a report from Wrestling Observer, the match is not expected to occur as announced.

“Dave Meltzer reports that — despite being announced for SummerSlam — The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler is a red herring and will be changed,” reads the report.

Ziggler and Miz’s rivalry has been building on episodes of MizTV. Last week on Smackdown, Ziggler super-kicked Shawn Michaels on the show.

Updated SummerSlam Lineup

Additionally, two matches were confirmed last night for SummerSlam as well. Trish Stratus vs Charlotte Flair was confirmed after having been rumoured. Sami Zayn also announced that he is interested in picking a fight with Aleister Black on the show.

• RAW Women’s Championship
  Becky Lynch (c) vs Natalya
• Universal Championship
  Brock Lesnar (c) vs Seth Rollins
• Smackdown Women’s Championship
  Bayley (c) vs Ember Moon
• WWE Championship
  Kofi Kingston (c) vs Randy Orton
• United States Championship
  AJ Styles (c) vs Ricochet
• Trish Stratus vs Charlotte Flair
• Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt’s “Fiend”
• Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon (If Owens loses, he’ll quit WWE)
• Dolph Ziggler vs the Miz
• Aleister Black vs Sami Zayn

• 4 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (7/30)

WWE presents a live special tonight on the WWE Network. The Smackdown brand will be inside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee for the event. 3 title matches have been confirmed for the show along with a special performance in “Music City” by Elias.

WWE Smackville Lineup

• WWE Championship Triple Threat: Kofi Kingston (c) vs Samoa Joe vs Dolph Ziggler
• Smackdown Women’s Championship Triple Threat: Bayley (c) vs Alexa Bliss vs Charlotte Flair
• Intercontinental Championship: Finn Balor (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE has also announced that Elias will give a special performance tonight.

Balor recently dropped the Intercontinental title to Nakamura on the Extreme Rules Kickoff show. Nakamura then defeated Crews on Smackdown this week while Balor has been scheduled to face Bray Wyatt at SummerSlam.

Kofi Kingston announced on Smackdown this week that should he retain his title in Nashville tonight, he’ll face Randy Orton at SummerSlam. Orton recently posted that he will be taking some vacation time between now and his title match in Toronto.

Should Bayley retain her title tonight, she is scheduled to face Ember Moon at SummerSlam. Flair meanwhile is rumored to be facing Trish Stratus at the event.

• Trish Stratus To Be Interviewed By Jerry Lawler On Smackdown

WWE also has a RAW brand house show in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma tonight.

WWE has announced 2 matches and an interview segment for this week’s Smackdown. The event will take place in Memphis, Tennessee and will feature an appearance from Jerry “the King” Lawler.

Finn Balor vs Dolph Ziggler

Finn Balor will face Dolph Ziggler in single’s competition. Ziggler is fresh off super-kicking Shawn Michaels last week while Balor is entering a program with Bray Wyatt.

Balor is also wrestling tonight on the WWE Network. He will challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental title on the Smashville WWE Network special. Dolph Ziggler will also face Samoa Joe and Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match on the show.

Xavier Woods & Big E (New Day) vs Drew McIntyre & Elias

Also scheduled for this week’s Smackdown will be a tag-team match between New Day’s Xavier Woods & Big E and Drew McIntyre & Elias in a non-title match.

Trish Stratus Scheduled For Smackdown Appearance

Also recently scheduled for Smackdown this week is a special appearance from WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. Trish will be a guest on Jerry Lawler’s “King’s Court” as there are reports she is scheduled to face Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam.

• Trish Stratus To Be Interviewed By Jerry Lawler On Smackdown

Dolph Ziggler has unfinished business with Kofi Kingston. Ziggler took part in an interview with USA Today recently and said that he is personally and professionally jealous of the success Kofi Kingston has had recently.

“I’m genuinely, as a person and a performer, jealous of Kofi and his success,” Ziggler said. “So I would like to beat him — and I would like to beat him in front of a big crowd.”

Ziggler was defeated by Kevin Owens in 17 seconds at Extreme Rules. The two wrestled again last night on Smackdown with the match being ruled a no-contest after Shane McMahon’s interference.

Dolph Ziggler Interview Highlights

“What I do is usually steal the show and walk out with someone’s girlfriend afterward, too,” Ziggler continued. “But what I focus on now is winning that title from Kofi, because it means more to me beating him to prove how good I am.”

Ziggler would also talk about the long-standing rivalry between he and Kofi.

“It’s something that’s happened for a really long time. Sometimes it’s been just for bragging rights. Sometimes it’s been for the intercontinental title, the U.S. title,” Ziggler said of his rivalry with Kofi. “But in this situation, Kofi-Mania was running wild at Wrestlemania and now he’s jumped into this elite level as an up and coming, possible greatest WWE champion of all time. … I genuinely am happy for him. It just kills me that it’s not me instead of him.”

The full interview can be read here.

Dolph Ziggler vs Kofi Kingston Head-to-Head Stats

Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler have had 29 1-on-1 matches on WWE programming dating back to 2009. They have each won 14 matches against each other with one match being ruled a no-contest.

They’ve met 6x on PPV, with Ziggler having won 3, Kofi having won 2, and one match being ruled a no-contest.

PPV Single’s Match record:

1. SummerSlam 2010 – Intercontinental Title – Dolph Ziggler (c) vs Kofi Kingston – No Contest
2. Night of Champions 2010 – Intercontinental Title – Dolph Ziggler (c) defeated Kofi Kingston
3. Capital Punishment 2011 – US Title – Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston (c) – Title Change
4. Elimination Chamber 2013 – Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston
5. Super ShowDown 2019 – WWE Title – Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Dolph Ziggler
6. Stomping Grounds 2019 – WWE Title – Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler returned to in-ring action after taking three months away to reassess his options and career. People were surprised when he returned, as rumors were rife that Ziggler would not return at all, especially given his vested interest in his budding stand-up career.

Speaking with Jason Agnew on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, Ziggler spoke about why he took time away from WWE, as well as his comeback and his rekindled love for wrestling.

Ziggler asked for a specific time away to be away from television, believing his character had “done the same thing over and over, and maybe lost eight or nine and a half times out of 10.”

He knew that he needed to do something original and different, so he asked for 90 days away from the ring to formulate a plan.

During this time away, he would embrace his interest in comedy, performing at many comedy and improv clubs.

“I also got to do some stand-up sets and do some other different things, and work with my brother on writing some other stuff, sketches, and improv stuff. I just needed to be away from television, character wise. I’ve been very lucky for 14 and a half years only missing a month, a month and a half off. The cool part was I have this other job where I can get better at that, while I’m refreshing my character.”

“I Am There For It”

Since returning, Ziggler claims to be reinvigorated with his work. Once again a full-time pro wrestler, Ziggler exclaims that “[…] on the weekends, live events, TV, pay-per-views, everything they ask me to do, I am there for it.”

“You know what I really love doing?” he asked. “Is those weeks where I don’t go home. It’s a Saturday live event for WWE. Sunday live event for WWE. Monday live event for WWE. Tuesday SmackDown TV, and Wednesday when everyone goes home, and I know everyone is going home, I love catching that early flight out, hitting a workout, and like what I’ll be doing in Appleton, Wisconsin on July 10 and 11th Wednesday and Thursday two stand-up comedy shows. Friday I go home for half a day to go pack and wash my clothes and go right back out to a WWE live event.

Ziggler states that as long as WWE wants him to be apart of their roster, especially if it’s in the main event against calibre talent like Kofi Kingston, that’s his idea of the “perfect life” for the next 20 years.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

WWE Stomping Grounds take place this Sunday. The show features a Steel Cage match between WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston, and rival, Dolph Ziggler.

In an interview with Gamespot, Kofi spoke highly of his opponent. He called Dolph one of his favorite opponents before estimating that they have had around 500 matches together during their time in WWE.

Despite their familiarity with one another, Kingston claims that things have escalated now the WWE Championship is involved.

“Dolph is one of my favorite opponents, and I almost forgot how much I enjoyed competing against him,” Kingston said. “Over the past few weeks, I’ve been able to do so on some of the live events, and back in 2000, I think it was 2009 all the way through 2010, we wrestled each other every single week on Raw and Smackdown, and all the live events; probably a good 500 times. Now we get to go out and do it again after our careers have both gone in different directions, and now we come back and do it again for the WWE Championship, like that’s really what it’s all about.”

“We Were Guys Who Were Underrated”

The two have battled one another through the years and the ranks in WWE, often vying for different championship accolades. Kofi likens their feud with a legendary rivalry: Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels.

“Back in the day, you had Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart going at it for the Intercontinental Championship, and then years, later they were doing the same thing for the WWE title as well,” Kingston continued.

“Not to put ourselves on the same level as those legends, but that’s really the way I like to think about it is, we were guys who were underrated, undersized, underappreciated, underused, undervalued, and somehow, someway we’ve been able to stay at it and for the past decade, and still be at the top of the game.”

Kingston explains that their story goes deeper than just the physicality of the cage match, saying “[…] It’s the whole journey that we’ve been through over the past decade of trying to get to this point, and now we can finally do it in the steel cage at Stomping Grounds, it’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be a war between us, but from a performer’s perspective I can’t wait, I can’t wait. I feel like we bring out the best in each other, and the real winners are going to be the fans that get to witness us go at it toe-to-toe, so I’m pretty excited about it.”

Stomping Grounds takes place this Sunday from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington.

Dolph Ziggler made his return to WWE television where he attacked WWE Champion Kofi Kingston. 

The angle was done after Kingston had beat Sami Zayn in a singles match on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live in Providence, RI. This led to a lengthy beatdown from Ziggler to Kingston.

Later in the show, Ziggler cut a promo on the stage about his actions which is where he explained that he should’ve been the one challenging for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 35 and not Kingston. He would then challenge Kingston for the WWE Title at Super ShowDown.

Ziggler was last seen working a match under the WWE banner at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event by entering the Men’s Royal Rumble Match at number 28 and making it all the way to the final four.

WWE presents the Super ShowDown pay-per-view event on Friday, June 7th, 2019 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium that will air on the WWE Network at 2PM ET/11 AM PT. Here is the updated card:

Updated WWE Super ShowDown Card

The Undertaker vs. Goldberg

Randy Orton vs. Triple H

50-Man Battle Royal:

WWE Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler

Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley

Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon

WWE Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor vs. Andrade

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Former WWE Superstar and leader of the Spirit Squad Kenny Dykstra recently spoke to WrestlingINC on his WWE run. The former ‘captain’ of the team had some interesting comments regarding his reaction when he was pitched the gimmick.

“It was really cool, it was different,” Dykstra stated. “Vince brought us into his office and said, ‘I want five male cheerleaders’ and I thought it was a joke at first because growing up I’ve always been an athlete. I was touring with them before the Spirit Squad as Ken Doane, just doing my own thing, and I thought, ‘There’s no way that’s what they want me to do.’ But lo and behold, that’s what they want, so you just do what they want and make it work. It’s different, over-the-top, it’s not going to be duplicated because we’re going to know where you got it.”

Dykstra elaborated further, discussing his recent run in WWE alongside Dolph Ziggler and another Spirit Squad member, Mikey. “I don’t know, I don’t really make the decisions, I just know that they stopped calling, “Dykstra recalled. “The first time, I don’t know, I’m sure there are a lot of stories out there to what could or would have happened. The second time they called out us out of nowhere and then after nine weeks they stopped calling.”

You can check out the full interview with WrestlingINC below.

*Credit to WrestlingINC for the transcription

Dolph Ziggler hasn’t wrestled a match since the Royal Rumble earlier this year. According to comments he made recently to Chris Van Vliet, he wasn’t supposed to be in that match either.

In fact, Ziggler had done an interview with Van Vliet not long before the Royal Rumble this year, specifically saying he would not be in the match. After Ziggler did, in fact, appear in the Rumble this year, many said he had been purposely misleading in his previous comments. Ziggler addresses the issue in the most recent interview.

• Dolph Ziggler Says He’s “On Hiatus From WWE”

Dolph Ziggler Interview Highlights

“When I talked to you, I was not booked for the Royal Rumble and I have no reason to lie to anybody or be like ‘Hey listen, I don’t know what the deal is’,” Ziggler explained. “I was just on hiatus and I got a call to be there. And if I wasn’t in town for a booking for a comedy show that night I would not have even been in Phoenix. I got a call the night before saying ‘Hey, you gotta get here.””

Being in the Rumble match actually caused Ziggler to be late for his comedy gig later that night.

“I was one of the last people in the ring that night and my comedy show three blocks away had to start an hour late because I was running over with sweat and my bags. I almost went in my gear but I was like I’m going to have to shower.”

Ziggler doesn’t feel his booking for the Rumble had anything to do with his rivalry with Drew McIntyre. He feels WWE just needed an extra person for the match.

“I think it was more just I was in town and I’m one of their guys and it happened to work out so I got a double booking, double pay day, WWE and the comedy show,” he continued.

Dolph Ziggler has opened up on his status with WWE right now, which has been a topic that fans have been speculating about over the last few months.

Ziggler was last seen working a match under the WWE banner inside of the squared circle at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event by entering the Men’s Royal Rumble Match at number 28 and making it all the way to the final four.

Ziggler would eliminate his former tag partner, Drew McIntyre in the match. However, he was eventually be eliminated by Braun Strowman.

The former World Heavyweight Champion spoke with 98.5’s Wrestling Inside the Ropes about his current status with WWE. This is where he was asked whether he was still under contract with the company. Ziggler revealed he’s working under a “handshake agreement” with the company, which affords him the flexibility to pursue his comedy career and other outside ventures.

“Technically, I am [under contract], yes,” Ziggler said. “It’s weird because for the last two years I’ve had somewhat of a handshake agreement, kind of behind closed doors deal with WWE.

Ziggler added, “We’ll know some more details in the coming months.”

• Dolph Ziggler Mocks Fan Who Suggests Miz Should Jump To AEW

You can listen to DZ’s appearance on Wrestling Inside The Ropes here:

For fans attending WrestleMania 35 weekend in New York City, Dolph Ziggler will be doing two nights of live comedy at Caroline’s on Broadway. Visit Ticketweb.com for more details.

Dolph Ziggler responded to a fan on his official Twitter account who brought up how he hoped that Ziggler and The Miz leave the WWE in order to jump ship to AEW (All Elite Wrestling).

Ziggler was last seen working a match under the WWE banner inside of the squared circle at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. This comes after a few WWE stars had been granted their releases from the WWE that includes Tye Dillinger, TJP, and Hideo Itami.

The fan wrote, “I hope @HEELZiggler @mikethemiz will switch to AEW once their contracts with WWE comes to an end this year, because you need to fly out of the cage to know there is different world outside that cage.”

This led to Ziggler responding by writing, “Hahahahahaha yeah man, tons of talking time, his own talk show, his own reality show, multiple movies, commercials, title reigns oh, and he main-evented WRESTLEMANIA…that miz just can’t catch a break.”

Cody, Brandi Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Chris Jericho, PAC, Trent Barreta, Chuck Taylor, Pentagon Jr., Fenix, Britt Baker, MJF, Joey Janela, Penelope Ford, Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels, Scorpio Sky, Jimmy Havoc, Sonny Kiss, Sammy Guevara,, Aja Kong, Yuka Sakazaki, Kylie Ray, Nyla Rose, and Kenny Omega are currently the talents under contract.