Some of the best stories in pro wrestling incorporate shoot (real) elements from the lives of the wrestlers involved. In this case, it was the state of Dolph Ziggler’s career. Despite being one of the best in-ring athletes of his generation with a character that popped, any momentum that Dolph had periodically been able to build in his 11 year run had never launched him to the level that many fans, and Ziggler himself, felt he belonged. By now he had ground to an absolute halt, his main job being to put new guys over (lose to them). He was genuinely considering leaving WWE. This was used to great effect in the build up to this match, the angle being that after back-to-back losses to the Miz, Dolph would put his career on the line in a last ditch attempt to turn things around and claim the Intercontinental Championship. The frustration Dolph was feeling in the story was real, and his pain made for powerful promos that had the fans firmly in his corner.
As well as an emotionally raw Dolph, this match boasts one of the greatest heels working today, the infinitely slappable Miz. It can be hard to get fans to hate you these days, but Miz still manages it, and there was no one better to rub salt in Dolph’s wounds. In the lead up to this bout Miz even created a lowlights reel of Ziggler’s career, which included his time with the green-clad cheerleading outfit, The Spirit Squad.
Apart from trying to put Dolph down once and for all, Miz also had his own point to prove. Since arriving at WWE fresh out of the reality TV circuit in the mid noughties, Miz had been trying to prove to all of his haters that he belonged. He’d crafted an oh-so-hateable character over the years, the Hollywood A-lister who only starred in D-list movies, and had recently brought relevancy back to the Intercontinental Championship with a reign in which he showed he’d do anything to retain the title. Nevertheless, Daniel Bryan had recently accused him of being a cowardly wrestler who fought like he was afraid to get hit, and more than ever Miz was out to show the world that he could go as good as anyone. All this combined to create one of the greatest matches of both superstars’ careers. It’s stiff and intense from the start, and never lets up.
