Dolph Ziggler was red-hot in the spring of 2013. The Showoff had the WWE Universe in his corner even while playing a heel, and they erupted to see him cash in his MITB contract to become World Heavyweight Champion. Ziggler was on top of the world with AJ Lee and Big E Langston by his side. And then everything changed in an instant with a kick to the head by Jack Swagger.
Ziggler missed five weeks of action due to a concussion suffered on the May 10 edition of SmackDown in 2013. Upon his return to the ring, Ziggler would drop the gold to Alberto Del Rio. Dolph wouldn't be able to regain the gold, never again reaching the top of the mountain. The Showoff fell back down to the mid-card, where he'd remain for most of his career.
Dolph Ziggler's Epic Money In The Bank Cash-In
When Dolph cashed in his MITB contract the night after WrestleMania 29, he received one of the loudest reactions in WWE history. DZ cashed in on a wounded Del Rio, who was playing a face, but the audience sided with the cool villain over the relatively bland babyface.
The WWE Universe was clearly ready for a main event run for Dolph. Unfortunately for Ziggler, a head injury prevented The Showoff from rising to the next level. Following his concussion, WWE no longer treated Dolph as a long-term investment for the main event.
Dolph Ziggler's Concussion
Ziggler bent over to pick up a ladder but was kicked in the head by Jack Swagger, which reportedly caused Dolph to receive a concussion and retrograde amnesia. Dolph lost two days of memory as a result of Swagger's kick. The Showoff was unable to remember what happened on Raw the night before and everything that happened during that Tuesday's SmackDown taping. However, Dolph was able to remember AJ Lee and Big E taking him to the airport on the morning after the concussion. This injury would put Ziggler on the shelf for more than a month, seriously cooling his momentum.
This concussion happened a month into Ziggler's World Title reign and would change the trajectory of The Showoff's career forever. Ziggler was initially supposed to defend his title against Swagger and Del Rio in a triple threat ladder match at Extreme Rules 2013. This match would turn into an I Quit match between Alberto and Swagger for the number one contender spot for the World Title. Del Rio would win and go on to defeat Ziggler in DZ's first televised defense of the World Heavyweight Championship.
In January 2014, Dolph would suffer another concussion, this time in a match against Ryback on a taping of WWE Superstars. He'd return to the ring 20 days later to compete in the Royal Rumble match.
Ziggler Was Primed For The Main Event Prior To His Injury
Long before Ziggler cashed in on Del Rio, The Showoff was being positioned for a main event run. Dolph had world title feuds with the likes of Edge and CM Punk, even receiving a short-lived World Title reign in February 2011. Shortly after dropping the Intercontinental Title, Ziggler would engage in a high-profile feud with Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. Dolph's initial reign with the Big Gold Belt didn't last longer than an episode of SmackDown, but that wouldn't stop The Showoff. Months later, Dolph would add the US Title to his resumé, embarking on a 182-day reign. A year later, The Showoff would become Mr. Money In The Bank.
To close out 2012, Ziggler was already in the main event, feuding with John Cena at the top of the card. Dolph defeated Cena in the headlining match of that year's TLC pay-per-view, with help from AJ Lee. Ziggler stole Cena's girlfriend, the spotlight, and the goodwill of the WWE Universe despite his heelish ways. If Ziggler hadn't suffered that concussion early in his second World Title run, he could have very well become a main event mainstay.
Ziggler Was Far From The Main Event By The End Of 2013
Ziggler and Del Rio would swap the face and heel roles at Payback 2013, but in Dolph's case, he just didn't feel natural as a babyface. Dolph would lose his world title rematch at the next pay-per-view via disqualification following interference from AJ Lee, which also caused their break-up. After winning his feud with Big E and AJ, the former World Champion wasn't even able to win mid-card championships, failing in his pursuit of the United States and Intercontinental titles all throughout the remainder of 2013.
The final pay-per-view of the year featured Dolph Ziggler losing to Fandango on the pre-show. While Ziggler was able to main event the previous year's TLC PPV, he wasn't even able to make it on the main card of the 2013 edition. Ziggler ended the year by defeating Curtis Axel on the last Raw of 2013.
Dolph's Career Has Never Truly Recovered Following The Concussion
Ziggler has been put in a few prominent programs following the 2013 concussion, but he'd always slip right back into the mid-card. Dolph was the sole survivor of the 2014 Survivor Series, overcoming the odds after being outnumbered 3-1, but his big win was overshadowed by Sting's debut. Ziggler has competed for the WWE Championship on PPV against stars like Drew McIntyre and Kofi Kingston, but his role was to make his opponent look stronger.
Following his second World Title run, Dolph racked up multiple reigns with the Intercontinental Title, becoming a six-time champion in the process and having standout feuds with The Miz and Seth Rollins. He's also won tag team gold alongside McIntyre and Robert Roode. But when it comes to the main event, Ziggler has fallen far in the pecking order.
After the concussion, Ziggler's stock fell dramatically and WWE no longer trusted him in a top spot. The Showoff's main event potential was never fulfilled, and he remains a mid-card act to this day.