Booker T Believes Dolph Ziggler Didn't Change With The Times, Not Surprised By WWE Release

Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T wasn't necessarily surprised to see Dolph Ziggler's name listed in the latest round of WWE releases.

The Show-Off's 19-year association with the company ended when he was let go last week, much to the surprise of many fans. Addressing Ziggler's departure on a recent edition of The Hall of Fame podcast, Booker said:

“It seems like he's been on cruise control for like the last ten years. It seems like he got to a point where he just said, 'Im just going to ride, pretty much ride the thing as long as I can'. Dolph is one of those guys that really never changed. You know, his look, he always was the same guy all the time. And for me, I always said if you don't change with the times, the times will pass you by. You got to know how to really be able to keep up with what's going on out there in the music world, entertainment world and whatnot. And I think Dolph Ziggler just stayed that one character throughout his whole time now," said Booker.

The former five-time WCW World Champion did not question the 43-year-old's in-ring ability, noting his versatility, dependability and how hard he worked:

"Was he a guy who could go out and perform at a very, very high level in the middle of that squared circle? Oh yes. Dolph was a guy that could go out and work with anybody, but then Dolph became that guy that if you needed to get somebody over, you would call Dolph. And I say that because sometimes you can put, you can literally find yourself putting yourself in that position when you do not know how to change with the times. But there again, I think Dolph Ziggler is a guy that will be okay too. I think Dolph, he's smart. He's a smart dude. He's a college-educated dude as well. He's not just a wrestler. 

"So I see Dolph being okay in life, period. He's a guy that you could call, and you could trust Dolph Ziggler to go out there and make sure the job was done properly. And one thing about this business, you need guys like that. That's why Dolph stayed around for more than 20 years. You got to be smart to stick around for more than 20 years in this business as well as people got to like you people, people like Dolph Ziggler. He was a guy just like Shelton [Benjamin]. You're not going to hear Dolph in the news. you haven't heard any scandals along his career. He's been a guy that like me, puts his hard hat on, his boots, comes to work, gets the job done, and goes home. But I tried to change with the times at the same time," Booker said.

A recent report suggested that Vince McMahon was 'never high' on Ziggler.

H/T 411Mania