WWE News: Former champion is "genuinely jealous" of Kofi Kingston, opens up on recent run

What's the story?

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, former World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler asserted that he is "genuinely jealous" of the recent success Kofi Kingston has achieved, particularly as regards the latter's run as WWE Champion.

Additionally, Ziggler weighed in on his recent run in WWE and whether his shocking 17-second loss to Kevin Owens in their matchup at Extreme Rules hurt him more, or ended up providing a useful boost to KO's on-screen character.

In case you didn't know...

Dolph Ziggler is regarded by many as one of the most consistent and athletic performers in the professional wrestling industry today.

"The Showoff" has previously held the World Heavyweight title in WWE, however, in recent years, the talented Superstar has been relegated to a mid-card role in the promotion.

The heart of the matter

Addressing his one-sided loss to Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler explained that as much as losing in that fashion hurt him, it ultimately ended up ensuring that Kevin Owens' on-screen character heads in the right direction.

Furthermore, Ziggler elucidated that Owens wasn't really doing much before their match at Extreme Rules, and it was KO's dominant win over the former, which has now served as a great boost for Owens' character on SmackDown Live.

Moreover, Ziggler emphasized that he's genuinely jealous of WWE Champion Kofi Kingston's, stating --

"I'm genuinely jealous that Kofi got this. He has everyone behind him. He has the locker room behind him -- But then he went above and beyond to get that Kofi Mania, a real-life thing, happen to where people in the back are cheering."

"I was out, and to get behind that and still be rooting for someone else, it's weird because we're all wanting ourselves to be the champion." (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)

What's next?

Kofi Kingston is set to defend his WWE Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Dolph Ziggler and Samoa Joe at this Saturday's Smackville event, which will air on the WWE Network.

What are your thoughts on Dolph Ziggler's statements? Sound off in the comments below!

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