WWE News: Dolph Ziggler reveals the interesting plan WWE had for him before The Spirit Squad
What's the story?
Dolph Ziggler has been in WWE for more than a decade now and has a number of character changes in that time, but one of WWE's greatest ideas for him never actually made it to TV.
In case you didn't know...
Ziggler is a former World Champion who started his career as a caddy for Chavo Guerrero, this wasn't a character that lasted very long, but when it was over he was given a second chance as a member of The Spirit Squad.
The team of five male cheerleaders was one of the most hated groups on WWE TV at that time, and much like his days as a caddy, Ziggler knew that his days as a cheerleader would be limited.
It is only after he dropped these characters and went on to prove his worth in the ring that WWE decided to take a gamble on him and he has since become one of the most popular wrestlers in the company.
The heart of the matter
Ziggler recently appeared on Lilian Garcia's Chasing Glory Podcast where he was able to reveal that The Spirit Squad wasn't WWE's original plan for him when he returned for the second time. (Transcript via WrestlingInc)
"A little before I got called up to do the Spirit Squad I was told by the in-between when you're hearing you're gonna get called up to WWE, the main roster. They were like, 'hey they really like that you have an amateur wrestling background' and I had my crew cut, my military haircut. They go, 'it's great that you have no tattoos, we're kinda looking at you as Kurt Angle's protegee or something.'"
Ziggler's background has definitely boded well for him throughout his WWE career, but interestingly this was something that WWE decided to scrap in favor of putting Ziggler in The Spirit Squad.
"If Kurt Angle hadn't won that gold medal and came to WWE I might not have even got a chance. But because he was so good and he did so well when he got here they're like, 'maybe we can give some smaller guys a try and because of him I got a chance to work here. And they go, hey maybe we consider you as his protegee and I go, 'what? This is the craziest thing ever!' Cut to four weeks later and I'm a cheerleader with four other guys, but still the thought was there that maybe that was gonna happen."
What's next?
Ziggler is the current Intercontinental Champion, he has proven that he is able to remain relevant in the company over the past 13 years and continues to step up his game on a regular basis.
Do you think WWE should have followed through on this idea? Have your say in the comments section below...