Dolph Ziggler has done it all in the WWE despite the company booking him continuously as the good guy who always comes up short. His best run came when he was booked as an obnoxious heel and was paired with AJ Lee.
After turning face in a match against Alberto Del Rio, Ziggler was booked as the good guy who always fought the good fight. But when Wrestlemania 31 came about, Ziggler was one of the favourites to win the Intercontinental title ladder match, even though the field included one Daniel Bryan.
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Ziggler would beat all the IC title contenders in a gauntlet match to gain momentum but would come up short in the actual match. Today we look back at the gauntlet that Ziggler won. We also remember the debuts of Rhyno and Spike Dudley as well as the inglorious run of DDP in the WWE.
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#1 Dolph Ziggler wins the IC title contenders’ Gauntlet match – 19 March 2015
Wrestlemania 31 finally brought prestige back to the secondary titles in the WWE when it was announced that both the Intercontinental and the United States title would be defended on the show that year.
It would be John Cena moving away from his main event duties and challenging Rusev for the US title, whereas the IC Champion Bad News Barrett would defend his title against six men in a ladder match.
With the likes of Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose involved in the latter match, WWE decided to have a preview of the match by entering all six challengers to the title in a Gauntlet match. Ambrose started the match and beat both Stardust and R-Truth before running into Luke Harper.
The Wyatt family member would get rid of Ambrose with a powerbomb before battling the eagerly awaited entrant Daniel Bryan next.
Bryan would produce yet another master class, countering Harper’s Powerbomb into a leg lock to pick up the submission victory. This would leave Bryan alone in the ring against the final entrant Dolph Ziggler. The duo would have a great match and it would be Ziggler coming out on top with a ZigZag out of nowhere to win the Gauntlet.
Ziggler and Bryan would also battle each other during the climax of the title match at ‘Mania where a battle of headbutts would see Bryan drop Ziggler from the top of a ladder to claim the title.
#2 Rhyno and Spike Dudley debuts in the WWE – 19 March 2001
On the March 19, 2001, episode of RAW is WAR, the tag team titles would change hands twice and all three of the greatest teams of the decade would be involved. First, Edge and Christian would beat the Hardy Boyz to win the gold when a debuting Rhyno speared Jeff Hardy out of his boots.
The former ECW Champion – a real life friend of Edge and Christian – would go on to hold multiple titles in the WWE including the United States, Hardcore and Tag team titles.
The same night, E&C would put their newly won tag team titles on the line against Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley only to see karma strike them when a debuting Spike Dudley interfered in the match. Spike would deliver the Dudley Dog to Christian enabling the Dudleys to win the titles.
#3 DDP gets buried – 19 March 2002
Diamond Dallas Page was the most criminally underutilised WCW star who jumped ship to the WWE once the former folded. DDP was booked in the main event during his WCW days, but he was booked in the lower mid card for the majority of his short WWE run.
He did get into a feud with the Undertaker on his debut and win the Tag team titles, but the stalker persona that the WWE gave him was a disgrace. He soon fell down the pecking order and was reduced to feuding with the likes of Christian.
The humiliation was complete when DDP was restricted to an insignificant battle royal during the WWE vs. WCW show off at Survivor Series. He was even booted out of the match unceremoniously and it was won by another mid carder in Test. What a fall for the multiple-time WCW World Champion.
DDP was later given a comedic gimmick and won the European title, but he was never taken seriously as a main event contender again. On an episode of Raw on March 19th, 2002, DDP’s burial was complete when he was booked to tap out to former WCW lower mid carder William Regal in a match for the European title.
DDP never got what he deserved in the WWE, but at least he has his millions from his WCW days and DDP Yoga,
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