Every fan has their opinion of who should be “pushed” by The Machine. Whether you’re in the pre-teen demographic who rabidly supports the Cenation, or you’re an old-school wrestling kind of guy who prefers actual wrestling that you would see through other products. And, yes, there is a difference between sports entertainment and professional wrestling.

In the days of territories, talent exchanging, and local followings, you would find a deeper meaning in the title pictures. Whether it was the NWA Texas, National, North American, World Heavyweight Championships, etc., there was a measure of prestige that came with the honor. I’m not going to white wash things. We know Professional Wrestling is a "work."

Side Note: “a work” according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary is described as, “to have an effect or influence, as on a person or on the mind or feelings of a person.”

The word FAKE has become a popular word, carrying with it a negative connotation, when addressing wrestling and wrestlers. What we do is a work. It is violence designed to effect you on a personal level. Let’s be honest. We all want to believe that while the Titanic was sinking, Leonardo DiCaprio really sacrificed his life to save his darling love. In a heart wrenching moment, we were all beside Rose on the raft watching our truest love freeze to death in the cold, cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, that was a movie. A portrayal of possibly real events designed to effect you on an emotional basis. It was not REAL, nor was it FAKE. It was a presentation.

When a wrestler was running with a title, in the territory days, it “meant something.” It was a local hero who dethroned the vile villain. It was a heart-warming moment when Kerry Von Erich toppled "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair shortly after the tragic death of his elder Von Erich brother. The very foundation of Baltimore, Maryland itself was shaking when Sting took down the Nature Boy. How about when one of the most hated turncoats of all time, Hollywood Hulk Hogan took the WCW World Heavyweight Title? Trash filled the ring. Batteries and beer bottles were flung at his head in hatred! This is what wrestlers live for! The emotional connection with a crowd ,as to be loved or hated. They climbed a mountain by either underhanded tactics or by their undying desire to destroy the enemy!

Dolph Ziggler has gone from barely-recognizable Spirit Squad member, to multiple time World Champion through quite a number of twists and turns. His feuds with Shawn Michaels and John Cena, to now the currently defunct Authority, have been amazingly received by the bulk of fans. On the heels of Survivor Series, let’s take a look at how Dolph Ziggler was ACTUALLY used in that role:

Poorly: He aligns himself with John Cena. This has to be number 1. Why? John Cena has such an unbelievable following with younger crowds but as far as the crowd that pays the ticket prices? More than often, the WWE Universe is less than enthused about ANYONE being so closely related to him (Zack Ryder……anyone?). To stand him next to such a diverse crowd as Big Show, Ryback, Eric Rowan, and Cena, he is obviously the underdog, strictly from aesthetic standards. This is good, however, Ryback does not have the strength of consistent fan base for this to be exciting, Eric Rowan is fresh into the light as a babyface, and Big Show fans are Big Show fans. He clearly “Rises Above” these three in fan base, but the dysfunctional fan base of John Cena is a difficult mountain to climb for the casual fan who has only seen Ziggler as a “mid-card guy.”

Positively: His victory in the Survivor Series match was emotionally triumphant to some, while others are saying, “Sting took the spotlight,” or, “It was too predictable.” No opinion is wrong, because, guess what? No matter how it affected you as a Ziggler fan, positively or negatively, you still got WORKED!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the name of our game. Dolph Ziggler was able to, with the aide of writers, bookers, producers, and with the brothers who shared the ring with him, WORK YOU! That’s not a bad thing. That simply means that the man is doing his job. So with all of that being said, does Dolph Ziggler deserve a push? My response to that is: “THIS IS A PUSH!”

Does Dolph Ziggler deserve to be pushed? Excuse my breach of penmanship etiquette, but ABSO-FRIGGIN-LUTELY he deserves it... from a work-rate standpoint. His matches are 99% of the time show stealing efforts by him and whoever he is in the ring with. Think about his matches with Shawn Michaels, or more recently with Luke Harper. You see a crisp, psychological, well wrestled matchup. From a business standpoint, does he deserve to be pushed? I hate to take the short cut here, but we seriously don’t know. What we do know is the current top stars (John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Triple H, Brock Lesnar) all do so much outside of the ring. John Cena is a huge star with Make-a-Wish Foundation. Triple H is “the guy” in the offices now. Daniel Bryan does so much publicity and promotional work while injured it’s almost like he’s still there in the spotlight. Brock Lesnar brings the sense of legitimacy to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship that the “E” longs to provide. What does Dolph Ziggler have to offer in this category? We honestly don’t know.

On this topic, make your own decision, and let your voice be heard! NONE of the boys and girls in the business make it to the top alone. To quote the Warrior, “…if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something larger than life, then his essence, his spirit will be immortalized.”