What’s the story?
In a recent conference call to promote the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, WWE superstar Dolph Ziggler spoke about whether he prefers being a ‘heel’ or a ‘babyface’, his lucky number in the Royal Rumble match and a number of other things.
In case you didn’t know…
After losing a match to Baron Corbin on the 3 January episode of SmackDown Live, Ziggler superkicked Kalisto, who had come to save him from a post-match assault by ‘The Lone Wolf’, and turned heel in the process. He also engaged in a backstage brawl with Apollo Crews after the latter questioned his actions. A couple of weeks later, ‘The Showoff’ appeared on Jerry Lawler’s ‘King’s Court’ segment and delivered a superkick to Lawler before he left the ring.
The heart of the matter
When asked whether he prefers being the badass heel or the cheesy babyface, Dolph Ziggler claimed that he likes to relate his in-ring character to his frame of mind at different times in his life. He stated that people are aware of the frustration he has over his current status in the WWE and can relate to it when he is in the ring.
Ziggler said that he has never been a cheesy babyface but is thankful to the WWE Universe for helping him stay in the business. He admitted that he wouldn’t have had a job if it wasn’t for the fans but he does and also added that he didn’t like being cheesy. Here’s what he had to say:
“My favorite thing to do is to take reality and plug it into the ring. Everyone knows how frustrated I am with the position that I'm in, so they're starting to realize the frustration that I have out in the ring.
I don't know if a cheesy baby face is something that I've ever done, but thanks to the fans they're the reason I'm still around. If I had lost every single day and nobody gave a damn about me, I wouldn't be working here. Without them I wouldn't have a job, but I do -- and being cheesy sucks.”
Talking about the number at which he would want to enter in the Royal Rumble, the two-time World Heavyweight Champion opined that although coming out at #30 was certainly an advantage, he would prefer to be the first man to enter and outlast everyone to win the match. Ziggler said:
“It'd be stupid to not think that there's not an advantage to coming out last. The chip on my shoulder would not want me to come out last. I'd want to come out number one, out-last everyone, and win.”
What next?
Over the past few years, Dolph Ziggler has been a consistent performer in the Royal Rumble match but we will only come to know this Sunday if he will be able to outdo his past performances and win an opportunity to headline WrestleMania.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Ziggler may have enjoyed a lot of success in terms of winning titles in the WWE but his status has primarily been that of a mid-carder. Winning the 2017 Royal Rumble, though, may be just the kind of boost that he requires at the moment in order to propel his career to greater heights.
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