Looking back on 2013, many point to Dolph Ziggler as the biggest disappointment of the year. A man poised to take his rightful spot in the main event, struck down with a concussion during his World Heavyweight Title reign, and subsequently relegated to the mid card ranks while others crawled over him for top spots. A sadder story you could not find this year.
I however look at this story a little differently. First of all I want to say that I wish physical harm on NO ONE and regardless of place on the card, a concussion is a serious injury and the fact that Dolph Ziggler was able to walk away without permanent damage, and even come back to a VERY physical job is a feel good story in itself. But instead of seeing Dolph’s “de-push” as a failed opportunity, I see it as a natural progression. Dolph Ziggler is exactly where he should be.
Jim Cornette and Jim Ross were discussing carpenters during a recent podcast. For those who don’t know, a carpenter is a kayfabe term meaning “A wrestler on whom you built your house on”, meaning these were the guys that went out, oftentimes lost, and made the rest of your roster look like a million bucks. They lamented about the lack of such talented workers in these positions today and how it is having a negative effect on business. I couldn’t agree more.
Back in wrestling’s heyday of the 80s and 90s, there were a number of name wrestlers who were incredibly talented in the ring but just weren’t destined for the main event lights of the big time. Men like Curt Hennig, Owen Hart and Dean Malenko to name a few. Great in ring talents? Absolutely. Main eventers? Not quite. Here’s the thing though: That’s not a bad thing.
I think fans today tend to forget that being a main event guy doesn’t automatically equal greatness or respect, or even importance. Guys like Hennig and Malenko were crucial because although they never made it to the top as main eventers, their job was to make other guys look good so that when THEIR time came, people wanted to pay money to watch them. These ring generals were some of the best in ring performers of their generation, they were invaluable to the company because they could make or break a guy with the way they put them over.
In many companies (WWE Especially) the philosophy has always been that the main event sells the tickets, the workhorse brings them back. This is why a guy like John Cena has been on top for so long and why guys like Hulk Hogan and The Rock dominated the main event during their respective eras. They knew how to draw the people in. Their “carpenters” made sure there was always someone to help them draw money with.
Which brings us to Dolph Ziggler. A man who is unquestionably one of the best in ring performers of his generation. The way he bumps is jaw dropping at times and he can make anyone from Brock Lesnar to Zack Ryder look like a threat. At the same time if he wanted to, he could make those two same guys look like a sack of garbage. He’s that good. So if he’s that good, why not make him WWE World champion and have the best wrestling match in the main event?
This is an excellent question, but I believe the answer lies in the developmental problems WWE has had over the last few years. One of the problems they had is the fact that they had no skilled in ring performers whose role was to make other guys look good. They had no carpenters to build new stars. Is it fair that a guy like Dolph Ziggler never be in the main event picture? I think when you ask questions like that you miss the point. It’s not about fair. It’s about what’s best for business (to steal a current catch phrase). Since I’m already stealing lines here, let me put it another way. Dolph Ziggler is the main event player we deserve, but not the one we need right now. WWE NEEDS more carpenters, and there is no better tradesman on the roster than Dolph Ziggler.
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