John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, The Big Show, and Brock Lesnar - they all have something in common, namely that they are nominated as superstar of the year for this year's Slammy Awards. This award, just like the prestigious and soon to be unified big titles are supposed to honor and glorify those men that did something for the WWE and the fans.
And still, so many men (and women!), so many talents go unnoticed. In both categories! Representative for them all, I want to talk about Dolph Ziggler today!
What we see in the ring is not always just a match. We see emotions. Skills, acting and wrestling alike. We see charisma, glory, and things that move us and take us in. And sometimes, we see boredom, force. Yes, we, the WWE Universe, notice when a wrestler can absolutely not be bothered with his match or his opponent. I am not pointing my finger here, but we see that as well!
One wrestler you never see, never saw, and hopefully never will see this in is Dolph Ziggler! His dedication for the sport, and the fans, is something that is sadly missing in many parts of the WWE nowadays. This year hadn't been too good for the ass wiggling wrestler. Many even say that he got screwed, out of his title and out of his push, and I agree to that. The reasons, rumored or true, will not be discussed here - nobody's perfect. But seeing that someone who surely noticed himself that he gets punished for something; cut off his screen time, "jobbed", losing match after match; still brings up so much dedication to the mat is something that moves me.
I am not the greatest Ziggler fan out there, but what this man deserves above everything is respect! With everything thrown in his way he goes out there night by night and does what he does best: put on a show! While he could be pouting and try to get the matches over with quickly, he seemingly pours his heart into every match. Not to make himself look good, but also to make his opponent look good! Nobody sells like Ziggler, people say that again and again, and it's true! Especially not with this commitment!
There are wrestlers like CM Punk who speak their minds when something is bothering them, who try to change something whether they risk getting fired or not. While this is a display of not only bravery and volition but also of strength, those who do not speak up deserve our respect as well!
Many wrestlers get treated so badly - from my perspective - in the WWE today. Damien Sandow, Zack Ryder, Antonio Cesaro, Vickie Guerrero, AJ Lee... Only to name a few, but all of them had to go through very rough patches this years - or even still have to. They are being jobbed, laughed at, booed, not shown at all, with terrible gimmicks bestowed upon them. And what do they do? They go out there! And they entertain us! No matter whether they lose their push, are displayed as sluts, forced to yodel, "screwed over" as the pessimists often say... They go out there! For themselves, sure, but also for us!
Dolph Ziggler is the first that comes to mind when I think about this, about dedication, about the love for their business! I had the rare and wonderful honor to meet him in person a couple of times, and he never fails to put a smile on his fans' faces. Always friendly, joking around, taking his time, giving autographs, posing for photos...
Isn't this what people always praise John Cena for? Putting his career and his fans first? Being there for Make a Wish campaigns, coming back early after a severe injury?
Just that the John Cena's of this company get rewarded with titles, main event spots, and - I call it now - Slammy awards. While the Dolph Ziggler's that even support their colleagues through rough times - may I mention him wearing the Zack Ryder shirt during the show in Long Island? - get... nothing. Their paycheck, yes, but don't they deserve more? At least Dolph Ziggler has one thing for sure, and that is the love and respect from the fans!
