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What's the story?
Dolph Ziggler really threw us all for a loop when he showed up on SmackDown Live after picking up the United States Championship at Clash Of Champions. Following a scathing promo about how the fans didn't deserve him, The Show Off simply put his US Title in the ring and walked away.
There were reports at the time that Ziggler was going to be kept off of television but still work live events. However, he has been pulled from future live shows as well at this point to sell the angle. But don't worry, because Ziggler is just fine with WWE because he is expected to come back soon and probably work a program in the US Title picture when he does make his comeback.
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In case you didn't know...
Ziggler is a huge fan of pro wrestling and loves the business. It has given him a lot and although he might be looking to wrap up his career soon enough, he can still perform at a very high level.
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Ziggler's character has been stagnant for a while now and although he keeps performing with the best. Therefore this kind of career change-up has been needed for quite a while.
It is speculated that Ziggler could return at the Royal Rumble or the SmackDown Live afterwards.
Heart of the matter
It looks like WWE taking Dolph Ziggler off of live events is a sure sign they're going to really try their best and sell this angle. With the current tournament to declare a new United States Champion, there could be an interesting confrontation whenever Ziggler decides to come back.
What's next?
Some people have been hinting at Dolph Ziggler leaving WWE for quite some time now but nobody's really gotten it right yet. After all, if all reports were correct Ziggler's contract ran out a long time ago. But it looks like he signed another extension, therefore, who knows how long he'll be around at this point?
Author's take
With the US Title Tournament concluding at the Royal Rumble, this might be a great time for Dolph Ziggler to make a return and declare himself the champion. After all, he never officially vacated his title. A ladder match very well could be in line for Ziggler to give him one more WrestleMania moment, but only time will tell if it will be his last.
