WWE Extreme Rules 2019: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly 

The Bad #2 - Dolph Ziggler's career trajectory

WWE Extreme Rules: Kevin Owens vs Dolph Ziggler

It wasn't all that long ago. The year was 2014 and with the help of the debuting Sting, Dolph Ziggler was the lone survivor, the last man standing at WWE's annual fall tradition. Outlasting the seemingly insurmountable and unscrupulous Authority, Ziggler overcame overwhelming odds to outlast everyone else, including WWE's golden goose, John Cena. It seemed like the company may be doubling down on the obviously talented Ziggler, but then there was nothing for half a decade.

Sure, Ziggler had minor title runs and always showed up to put some of WWE's most compelling Superstars over (see Kingston, Kofi), but he hasn't been a major player in the WWE since Big E and A.J. Lee were at his side. That seems like a lifetime ago.

Tonight, Ziggler's role was simply to put Kevin Owens over. Owens is riding a wave right now as a "Stone Cold" Steve Austin-esque babyface. Formerly, one of the best heels in the business, the role is unfamiliar to Owens, but thus far he is excelling and tonight that climb up the proverbial ladder came once again at Dolph Ziggler's expense.

The bout opened with a disrespectful slap to Owens' face. That was all the offense Ziggler would get in. Owens, now carrying the mantle of every man, kicked Ziggler in his abdominal region and then immediately hit a Stone Cold Stunner for a pinfall victory. The match lasted all of 17 seconds and just like that Ziggler's evening was over.

Both Owens' entrance and post-match speech were longer than the actual match and once again one of WWE's most talented Superstars was a mere afterthought with little to no explanation why.

Perhaps Ziggler summed it up best last summer when he appeared on Lilian Garcia's Chasing Glory podcast,

"I’ve done everything I can….If you’ve done everything you can and creative has nothing for you sometimes they have nothing for you. Sometimes it’s personal. Sometimes it’s not."