After several publications suggested that Dolph Ziggler signed a new contract with WWE earlier this year, the 14-year WWE veteran shot down those reports, clarifying that he hasn’t re-signed after all. While Ziggler continued to be booked to lose far more often than he won prior to this year’s Superstar Shakeup, his move to Monday Night Raw appears to have breathed new life into his character, as he teamed up with the returning Drew McIntyre upon his move to the red brand in April and won the Intercontinental Championship from Seth Rollins in June.
At the moment, it’s still unclear whether Ziggler plans to re-sign with WWE or not, but in a recent interview, he suggested that an update on his status might be coming very soon. Speaking to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson on Friday, the “Show-Off” said that he’s heard rumors that his WWE contract is expiring this summer and added some vague references to more information being available on Sunday or Monday. When pressed further by Johnson, Ziggler expounded on his earlier answer, suggesting that there might be more clarity on his contract status shortly after WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.
“So…I’m giving you a comment. I’ve been doing some great work and looking forward to doing what I do and Sunday or Monday, we’ll see what direction we’re heading in afterwards.”
Dolph Ziggler WWE Contractual Status Update https://t.co/Nf4FJ21R9J pic.twitter.com/djuP0nqkay
— WrestleZone (@WRESTLEZONEcom) August 18, 2018
Dolph Ziggler is scheduled to defend his Intercontinental Championship against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam on Sunday, in a match where Drew McIntyre and the returning Dean Ambrose will be at ringside as each competitor’s respective cornermen. Earlier on Saturday, Bleacher Report published a list of SummerSlam predictions, with four of the publication’s writers favoring Ziggler. While only one writer suggested that Rollins might lose to Ziggler due to Ambrose turning heel on his longtime ally, Sportskeeda suggested that this could indeed be the case, considering the fact that Ambrose just returned after a long absence with a new, more villainous look.
As Cageside Seats speculated, Dolph Ziggler’s contract status might depend on how he is booked at SummerSlam — if he beats Rollins, that could mean a few more years in WWE for the 38-year-old grappler, but if he loses, he could be leaving the company to focus on his other endeavors, which include acting, standup comedy, and political commentary. Either way, the publication noted that such contract-related rumors and teases in the run-up to a big match aren’t new for Ziggler, who reportedly signed new contacts in June, 2015, and October, 2016, after winning major matches.
