What if Dolph Ziggler beats Goldberg at WWE SummerSlam?

WWE made a major swerve for SummerSlam on Monday Night RAW, hen it was revealed that Dolph Ziggler would not battle The Miz at the PPV, as had been set up, but rather face off with a returning Goldberg.

Goldberg is enough of a legend to generate some electricity when he appears on television, and particularly when such an appearance wasn’t announced in advance. Just the same, once the initial shock of the moment wore off, the wrestling world wasn’t exactly buzzing about this match.

The reasons are clear enough. For as big of a star as Goldberg is, he was never the kind of performer to work great matches. His advanced age has only intensified that point, given his string of lightning-quick bouts from late 2016 into early 2017, and his dud of a match opposite The Undertaker at Super ShowDown.

While Ziggler is much closer to his prime and certainly capable of taking some entertaining bumps, he hasn’t exactly been set up as a real threat for Goldberg. So how excited can fans get for a squash match?

There is another possibility, however, for as remote as it may be. What if Ziggler wins? This article takes a look at the possibility.

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#5 Reestablishing Dolph Ziggler as a title contender

Dolph Ziggler doesn't look like a title contender now. A win over Goldberg could change things

Dolph Ziggler is both an established veteran and a skilled performer in the ring that WWE can insert him into a world title contention more or less at will, as he’s needed.

Indeed, WWE demonstrated that point precisely when Ziggler returned to challenge Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship as something of a placeholder to occupy the new champ for a couple of months.

After failing repeatedly against Kingston, it’s hard to make a case for The Showoff remaining in that title picture. He comes across as no more credible going after the Universal Championship.

Beating Goldberg could change things.

Despite Goldberg being well past his prime, he carries the name recognition and has still been a protected enough character that anyone other than a fellow legend or megastars like Brock Lesnar or The Undertaker beating him means huge things. Ziggler could be thoroughly re-elevated with a big win over Goldberg.

#4 Goldberg finishing up for real

If Goldberg put over Dolph Ziggler, it might be as sure of a sign as any that he's hanging up his boots for good

In booking Goldberg for SummerSlam, it would appear that WWE is trying to cash in on his drawing power while they still can, and we have to assume that he agreed, in part, to erase memories of his poor outing at Super ShowDown.

So it is that the conventional logic would see Goldberg storm the ring in Toronto, spear Dolph Ziggler once or twice, nail him with a Jackhammer, and collect the pin in under two minutes.

If Ziggler were to pick up the victory, though, it might suggest less about WWE reaffirming the legend of Goldberg than using it to put over someone else on his way out the door.

True, Goldberg’s two most recent matches saw him eating pins from Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker, but it’s difficult to argue that either of those losses really made a big difference for the career of the man beating him.

In putting over Ziggler, Goldberg could ride off into the sunset having honored the tradition of the business, furthering a younger talent before disappearing from the WWE landscape for good.

#3 Ziggler as the new legend killer

Randy Orton first got over in his Legend Killer gimmick; Dolph Ziggler could take up that mantle

One of the premises of Dolph Ziggler facing off with Goldberg at SummerSlam is that he has been disrespecting legends, not least of all including Shawn Michaels in the promo segment leading up to Goldberg’s return. It would follow that Goldberg is going to deliver his comeuppance to him as a special attraction on PPV.

However, if The Showoff were to shock the world with an upset victory over his opponent, it could mean him inheriting the old Randy Orton mantle as Legend Killer.

Maybe Goldberg wouldn’t be the only legend Ziggler would put out to pasture. HBK is already set up as another prospective rival, and there’s no shortage of other Hall of Fame talent or guys who have retired from full time competition in recent years for Ziggler to work his way through, reestablishing himself as a top player via this non-traditional path.

#2 Still a short match

Goldberg has only worked short matches in recent years; even if he were to lose to Dolph Ziggler, we can expect more of the same

Most fans expect for Goldberg to squash Dolph Ziggler in under five minutes at SummerSlam, following the pattern of previous matches opposite Brock Lesnar and Kevin Owens.

The formula works, given that it protects Goldberg from showing his limitations or risking injury, while also highlighting what got him over as a top tier star in the first place—explosive domination of anyone who got in his way.

Even if Goldberg were to take the loss to Ziggler, though, fans still shouldn’t expect a long match. Despite looking like a beast, at this point in his career, Goldberg’s body isn’t built to weather a high volume of bumps.

Moreover, he was never known for selling and generating sympathy as a face. No, if Ziggler wins, we can anticipate that it will come as a result of Goldberg missing a spear early on, getting caught by some surprise, offense, or Ziggler stealing a roll up to finish things in shockingly quick fashion.

#1 Ziggler has help

Dolph Ziggler's best chance against Goldberg would involve getting some help from his friends.

If Dolph Ziggler were to defeat Goldberg, it’s possible he would do so alone to really put him over and set him up for a big run. Another possibility would be that Ziggler would get significant help from outside the ring.

Who would come to Ziggler’s aid? He could rekindle his partnership with Drew McIntyre, given that McIntyre hasn’t exactly gone on to much bigger things since they teamed up.

Moreover, it could be that joins a faction with McIntyre and Shane McMahon, and perhaps pave the way to a Goldberg facing off with either of them down the road, or else establishing Ziggler and his new crew’s credibility for having taken Goldberg down.

There are other prospective directions, like Ziggler getting a new monster heel heater to have his back or a new manager to lend him a different presentation.

In any event, outside interference could protect Goldberg while setting Ziggler on a new path with this major victory.