5 ways to book Dolph Ziggler's return

Dolph Ziggler shocked the WWE Universe when he defeated Bobby Roode and Baron Corbin to become the US Champion at Clash of Champions. He shocked them even further, when he came out to celebrate his win on SmackDown Live, and relinquished the title he'd just won.

Ziggler has been a mainstay in WWE for many years. Like he complains on screen, it is easy to forget how integral he's been to the company's proceedings, over the last few years. Many Superstars have come and gone, but Ziggler has always been somewhere in the mix.

This storyline can allow him to freshen up his character and present a brand new persona to the WWE Universe. This article speculates how the storyline that has commenced on SmackDown Live, can proceed in the weeks to come...

How will Dolph Ziggler return to WWE?

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#5 Ziggler shows up on another brand

Could we see him on RAW or NXT soon?

Many in the WWE Universe are speculating that Ziggler is on his way out of the company. This is unlikely to be the case considering he's part of a central storyline, right now. Although, he could be leaving SmackDown Live. Ziggler could show up on RAW or NXT.

Yes, there has been speculation that superstars from the main roster could be moved to NXT. With the recent injury to Drew McIntyre, Ziggler could add a lot of star power to the brand. He could be an invaluable player-coach for the brand.

Imagine him in RAW, as well. Ziggler could have a bunch of fresh feuds with the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins or even Finn Balor.

Ziggler may actually fare better if he never returns to SmackDown Live again.

#4 Ziggler upsets AJ Styles, vacates the WWE Championship

Styles and Ziggler could have a really Phenomenal match

Throughout their careers, both Styles and Ziggler have been compared to Shawn Michaels, arguably the greatest in-ring performer of all time. We can say without a shadow of a doubt that if these two men wrestled for the WWE Championship, they could tear it up.

At this point in time, AJ Styles does not have a challenger for the Royal Rumble. Of course, he cannot compete in the Royal Rumble match itself, as he is the current WWE Champion. What if Dolph Ziggler were to challenge AJ Styles and upset the Phenomenal One?

If this were to happen, Ziggler could relinquish yet another championship in the middle of the ring, to further his gimmick. It would make the Fastlane pay-per-view feel important, where a brand new WWE Champion could be crowned.

Some may argue that this will devalue the WWE Championship. That is a valid perspective, but it would also shake things up. The sudden air of uncertainty would make the product quite interesting indeed.

#3 Ziggler eliminates US Champion from the Royal Rumble

Will Ziggler come back to take out the new US Champion?

Maybe the next stop for Dolph Ziggler is the Royal Rumble match. As we've seen recently, Ziggler is taking this storyline seriously. He's not even posted anything on his Twitter account, in recent times. We don't see a post coming until he chooses to reappear.

Let's say that the Tournament to crown a new United States Champion, that has commenced on SmackDown Live, plays out on television. A new Champion is crowned. For the sake of this point, let's assume it is Bobby Roode.

Fast forward to the Royal Rumble, where Roode is faring quite well. We could see Ziggler return to eliminate him and kickstart a brand new feud.

This would be a fresh, new coat of paint on a feud that has been going on for a while.

#2 Ziggler disrupts the US Championship tournament finals

What if Ziggler doesn't allow anyone to win the Championship?

This is another possibility that we could see play out on SmackDown Live. A US Championship Tournament is underway, and one man will walk out with this coveted title.

What if Ziggler did not allow that to happen? What if Ziggler superkicked both men, not allowing either to pick up the win?

This would establish Ziggler as the grouchy employee who cannot let go. He may believe himself wronged by the system, and it would bother him to see anyone with the gold. This may not be the most interesting arc, but it would definitely shake things up.

#1 Ziggler steals the US Championship

We've seen many superstars do this, in the past

You don't always need to win a Championship to hold the belt. As we've seen several times in the past, sometimes all you have to do is steal it!

Just before a new US Champion is crowned, Ziggler could come out and take the title home with him. This could lead to an interesting program in the future, where a babyface chases him to retrieve the title. Maybe it could culminate in a ladder match at WrestleMania 34?

These are just a few scenarios we could think of. Let us know what's on your mind as well. We'd love to hear from you.

Also, let us know who you think will win the US Title tournament!