Ex-WWE Star Claims Vince McMahon Gave Him “Chicks” Instead Of World Title
Dolph Ziggler, aka Nic Nemeth, spent nearly two decades with WWE, signing in 2004 and finally departing in September 2023 after being released.
Over his 19-year career, Ziggler picked up only two reigns as World Heavyweight Champion. Besides that, he racked up several mid-card title wins, including six Intercontinental Championships and two United States Championships. Fans and insiders always felt Ziggler could’ve done more, but WWE mostly used his talents to boost other stories or help new stars rather than letting him stay at the top for long.
Even though Ziggler earned respect for stealing the show every night, WWE often booked him in romantic storylines with top female talents instead of handing him more championship glory. Ziggler’s on-screen relationships with Vickie Guerrero, AJ Lee, and Lana became a big part of his WWE run, sometimes overshadowing his singles career.
The program with Vickie Guerrero in 2010-2011 gave him his initial push, while his 2012 romance with AJ Lee led to high-profile feuds but still didn’t earn him a lengthy world title run.
Dolph Ziggler Opens Up About How He Thinks Vince McMahon Viewed His Value to WWE
During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Dolph Ziggler joked that WWE’s way of rewarding his performances was pairing him with the ladies because Mr. McMahon saw him as good enough for major stories, but not the guy to build a brand around with world titles.
I got to a point where I’m like, “Oh, okay. Vince likes my work, but doesn’t think I should be the world champion; but my reward is to get chicks or something. In his mind, I think that was real, like he’s too small to be world champ, but he gets ladies, or I don’t know. By the way, the “reward” it’s not like real-life kissing; there are cameras, and everyone’s there, and everyone’s uncomfortable. Everybody’s dating somebody else, and everyone’s standing there, and you’re like This is the worst thing ever… That’s it. It’s like not a title. You’re not going to win, but you made out with that chick afterwards. Okay, I guess it’s all right. (From 0:22 to 1:02)
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