According to Dolph Ziggler in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated , the decision to move him to Monday Night Raw had nothing to do with him, but the company felt he needed a fresh start following his feud with Otis. The WWE superstar also said he believes the time was right for him to move brands, as he had nothing left to do on Friday Night SmackDown .
Ziggler opened up about his recent storyline with Otis, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville. In the storyline, Ziggler teamed with Deville to try and sabotage Rose and Otis’ relationship . The angle coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and Ziggler said he believes it would have turned out much better if the circumstances were different.
“I feel like [the program between] myself and Otis had kind of run its course. I really liked working with Otis, Mandy and Sonya. If this were the old days and we were going five days a week and doing live events, we would have had even more chemistry and a really special thing. In this day and age, where it’s just a TV show in a closed studio, as young superstars, they came along very quickly. But I don’t know where else we could go with that, so I completely understand the move to Raw .”
Ziggler also said that he enjoyed the story that led to the match between him and Otis at WrestleMania 36 . He described himself as more of a “mark” for storylines than wrestling matches, even though the in-ring contest between the pair did receive positive reviews from fans and pundits.
The superstar went on to say that WrestleMania was a big night and the only thing they needed to make the match more special was thousands of fans cheering for Otis. After the match, he and Rose kissed and consummated a romance that had been blossoming for months.
NOOOOOOOOO!!! ???
Not @otiswwe ‘ mom’s fruitcake!! That’s not very nice, @HEELZiggler . #SmackDown @WWE_MandyRose pic.twitter.com/k3Oqn8life
— WWE (@WWE) December 28, 2019
Since moving back to Monday Night Raw , Ziggler has been engaged in a rivalry with Drew McIntyre. When McIntyre returned to WWE and eventually got promoted to the main roster, he and Ziggler became tag team partners. However, McIntyre has since turned babyface and won the World Championship. Their history with each other makes them ideal adversaries.
According to Ziggler, however, the former allies are still similar to each other in the way they approach the business. He said he believes their ambition, fitness levels, and work ethic make them both stand out from many of their peers, and he added he hopes their rivalry leads to a long match that steals the show.
