Former World Heavyweight Champion's request to be released from WWE was denied immediately

A former World Heavyweight Champion recently made some revelations about his final days in WWE.

Dolph Ziggler was let go by the global juggernaut in the wake of the WWE-UFC merger in September last year. This brought an end to his 19-year stint with the Stamford-based promotion, making him a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Since then, Nic Nemeth has embarked on a new chapter with major promotions like NJPW and TNA.

In an interview with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Dolph Ziggler revealed that he asked World Wrestling Entertainment to release him from his contract multiple times, but his request was denied:

“I started realizing, okay, I’m a mainstay here, I’m needed. But I got to a point where I was ready to go. I’d asked the company a few different times whether I was ready to go, and they told me I was signed, and they weren’t letting me go. So I started asking them, ‘Hey, can I start doing this, can I start something else’. So I was prepared to be done and to start exploring other avenues.”

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Will Dolph Ziggler return to WWE?

On a recent edition of the Grilling JR podcast, AEW commentator Jim Ross shared his belief that Triple H will likely bring back The Showoff in some capacity:

"I don't know that he's permanently gonna be gone from WWE. I think once the dust settles and you start thinking about roles that he could fill, and there are many, not just wrestling (…) Ziggler's a star, and you don't just cast stars to the side. So I'm predicting that Ziggler gets back in the game of WWE in some role, but a different role than wrestling."

Ziggler is focusing on making his name in TNA and NJPW, seemingly ruling out a potential signing with AEW. Will the 43-year-old star return to the Stamford-based promotion before wrapping up his career? Only time will tell.

Would you like to see Triple H re-sign Dolph Ziggler in the future? Let us know in the comments section below.