Report: Vince McMahon Was 'Never High' On Dolph Ziggler

Of all the WWE releases on September 21, the exit of Triple Crown Champion Dolph Ziggler was the one that caught most fans off guard.

Ziggler’s release comes after a 19-year run in the company, a run that included two reigns as World Heavyweight Champion. However, according to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Vince McMahon was ‘never high’ on Dolph Ziggler, despite WWE pushing him to the top.

Meltzer suggests that when Ziggler was given ‘the big gold belt’, McMahon told his writing staff that it was only ‘short term’ and that Ziggler ‘wasn’t a top guy’.

Since his last world title win in 2013, Ziggler had stints all over the card in WWE, but was barely used in a meaningful position on the card in the last few years, despite having a short run with the NXT Championship in 2022.

Across his entire WWE career, Ziggler racked up 15 championship wins, as a member of the Spirit Squad, with Robert Roode as The Dirty Dawgs, with Drew McIntyre, and as a solo act. Ziggler is also a former Money in the Bank winner.