In our latest wrestling article, we will rank the best Dolph Ziggler matches!
Introduction – Best Dolph Ziggler Matches
So, let’s talk about Dolph Ziggler. Having started on the main roster as a caddy and later a cheerleader, Ziggler eventually did quite well for himself. He’s a former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, a six-time Intercontinental Champion, and a two-time United States Champion. Dolph also won Money In The Bank, as well as having various Tag Team Title reigns. Along the way, he also had outstanding matches with almost everybody he faced. Ziggler could also excel as either an opening match act or a main eventer depending on what the story required. This included his surprise NXT Title win in early 2022.
A bigger shock, though, was Ziggler receiving his WWE release after so many years of hard graft. Hopefully, Ziggler stays in wrestling, because he still has so much to give in the ring. And key to that point, he can still give us a plethora of terrific matches. But which of his matches explain why WWE could justifiably call him the Show-Off? Which of his bouts should you watch if you’re reminiscing on Ziggler’s WWE tenure? That’s what we will examine here as we rank the best Dolph Ziggler matches. So, let’s take a look at the best matches of Dolph Ziggler!
Best Dolph Ziggler Matches – Top Ten
10. Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE Superstars, March 8 2012

We start off with the most random entry on the entire list. Kingston and Ziggler battled many times over the years, especially during the early days of both men’s WWE tenures. In particular, they often clashed in 2010 and 2011 for the Intercontinental Championship. On this night, though, no titles were at stake. Furthermore, they battled on what most would consider the C- or even D-show. Superstars, despite the name, very rarely hosted memorable matches, and existed to fill time more than anything. So, why is this match on the list?
Simple: Kofi and Dolph defied the above statements to deliver an absolutely amazing battle. I used to enjoy Superstars because we would see longer matches featuring talents that normally had 2-3 minutes on weekly TV. Here, though, two established names made the most of their opportunity to steal the show when nobody expected it. Disagree if you must, but go back and watch this match on the WWE Network. It’s brilliant, and a worthy inclusion for our rankings of the best Dolph Ziggler matches. Even if it does take place on Superstars.
9. Dolph Ziggler vs. Cesaro vs. Tyson Kidd – WWE SmackDown, November 14 2014, Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat Match

I was in attendance for this three-way clash from a SmackDown episode in Liverpool, England. It’s the first of multiple entries from late 2014, which shows that Ziggler was on fire back then. So, with the Authority trying to break Dolph, they presented him with this challenge. Now, I use the word “challenge” loosely. That’s because Dolph had beaten Cesaro in two straight falls at Hell In A Cell 2014. Furthermore, Tyson Kidd was never given a major singles title win (or any singles title win, actually) at WWE. So, technically, this wasn’t exactly a major threat to Dolph’s status as Intercontinental Champion.
Or so you would think. Because all three men worked their tails off to deliver a superb three-way battle. They gave it everything they had at a time when SmackDown, especially, rarely featured must-see wrestling action. And the fans knew as they (and I) were watching that the three combatants were delivering something special. Of course, Ziggler retained; there was no chance of him losing his gold here. But he, Cesaro and Tyson produced a brilliant battle that Kidd himself told me was one of his favourites. And therefore this hidden gem absolutely belongs on our list of the best Dolph Ziggler matches.
8. Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio – WWE Payback 2013, World Heavyweight Championship Match

Now, you may look at this and think, “wait, this isn’t the night that Ziggler cashed in Money In The Bank?” The answer is, “no”, because that was a legendary moment, with an emphasis on moment. Instead, this list focuses on matches, and when Ziggler and ADR battled at Payback 2013, they delivered a very memorable match. Not least because of the rare double-turn that saw babyface Del Rio go heel, and heel Ziggler turn babyface.
To be honest, fans probably would have cheered Ziggler over Del Rio anyway. But the flawless layout of this match allowed the two combatants to tell a simple story very effectively. Plus, the head strikes that Ziggler took along the way were frightening, almost making the bout hard to watch. The only downer for Dolph fans is that he never regained a World Title after losing this bout. But perhaps such an opportunity awaits him in AEW, ROH, or Impact. Who knows?
7. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose – WWE Hell In A Cell 2018, Raw Tag Team Championship Match

Ziggler could excel at both singles and tag team action. He was part of the Spirit Squad as Nicky, and he later formed an efficient team with Bobby Roode. But most notable is his run alongside Drew McIntyre on Raw in 2018. The duo were very effective as a unit, and they smashed the B-Team to win tag team gold. Well, silver. Anyway, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose of the recently-reformed Shield found themselves as enemies of Ziggler and McIntyre. And that brings us to this championship bout from Hell In A Cell 2018.
On paper, this is just another doubles bout where four singles stars are thrown together to occupy their time. However, on this night, everybody went to the ring determined to steal the show. And despite other major encounters that evening, that’s exactly what these two teams did. It’s one of those bouts that you shouldn’t try to analyse; just sit back and watch the chaos unfold. Ziggler and McIntyre retain their belts in a bout that I couldn’t ignore from this list of the best Dolph Ziggler matches. However, Rollins and Ambrose would win the titles under very emotional circumstances around a month later.
6. Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE TLC 2014, Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match

The feud between Luke Harper and Dolph Ziggler stands as Harper’s greatest contribution to WWE. Yes, we saw him shine in the Wyatt Family, but here he was alone and stood out even more. So, shortly before Survivor Series 2014, Ziggler was forced to defend his IC crown against Harper. Due to the numbers game, Ziggler lost the title. But with the Authority gone, Ziggler suddenly found himself able to get a rematch. That rematch happened under Ladder rules at TLC 2014.
And what a battle it is. Both men beat the living hell out of one another for the duration, with some frightening violence along the way. We see some inadvertent blood spillage, as well as bumps that shortly resulted in broken bones. Harper, particularly, delivered one of his greatest in-ring performances here. But in the end, it was Ziggler who climbed the ladder to achieve a major victory in an outstanding battle. On our list of the best Dolph Ziggler matches, this brutal battle deserves a special mention.
Best Dolph Ziggler Matches – Top Five
5. Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE Royal Rumble 2011, World Heavyweight Championship Match

Both on-screen and off-screen, Ziggler would note his desire to steal the show. And that he did at Royal Rumble 2011 against Edge, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion of the day. So, the story was that Ziggler entered a storyline romance with Vickie Guerrero. They soon targeted Edge, due to Edge’s past relationship with Vickie. Ziggler was granted a title shot at the Rumble, and Vickie declared that Edge couldn’t use the Spear.
Despite that, Edge still delivered a tremendous performance; if anything, the Rated R Superstar thrived on working a different match than usual. Then you factor in Ziggler and his big bumps, and you have the recipe for a hugely exciting contest. Not least when Ziggler almost stole the WHC with a Zig Zag. But Edge endured, and after sneaking in a Spear behind the referee’s back, he struck Dolph with a match-winning Killswitch. If you’re inspired to watch the best Dolph Ziggler matches after reading, make sure this is one of them.
4. Team Cena vs. Team Authority – WWE Survivor Series 2014

Can we feature a five-on-five match on a list like this? Yes, if it features a particularly strong performance from its subject. And that’s what we have from the incredibly-booked main event of Survivor Series 2014. So, the Authority built a team to face a John Cena-fronted team. Somewhere along the way, Vince McMahon decided to place the Authority’s fate at stake here. Prior to the PPV, though, Triple H notably mocked Dolph Ziggler for joining Cena’s team. This included a beatdown for Dolph on SmackDown prior to the PPV. The Game would soon regret this.
So, the match featured highlight after highlight. This included quick eliminations, big bumps, heel turns, and more. It came down to Ziggler against Seth Rollins, Luke Harper, and Kane. Channelling his hero Shawn Michaels, Ziggler narrowed the odds to one-on-one against Rollins. A Zig Zag seemingly ended it, only for HHH to brutalise Ziggler. However, the debut of Sting, and his destruction of HHH, capped things off wonderfully. Okay, so Ziggler looked so weak when Sting just draped him over Rollins for the win. Nevertheless, if you’re ranking the best Dolph Ziggler matches, you can’t ignore this high-profile victory.
Best Dolph Ziggler Matches – Top Three
3. Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE Raw, August 29 2011

If it’s traditional singles action that you enjoy, though, then Ziggler almost peaked way back in 2011. He and Randy Orton had tremendous chemistry, with several memorable bouts over time. This included their most notable contest on PPV at Night Of Champions 2012. Based on the actual action, however, I always think back to this gem from Raw in 2011. Moments earlier, Triple H effectively ended the original brand extension by announcing Raw Supershow; Raw, with SmackDown talents each week. And Orton and Ziggler kicked off this new era of sorts with a bang.
Up to this point, Ziggler was often associated with “good but not great” bouts, despite entries on this list that predate this evening. But on this particular night, Dolph was on fire and delivered a near-perfect performance. His opponent, meanwhile, was enjoying a career year; Orton’s 2011 is the best year he ever enjoyed from an artistic standpoint. Mix the two together, and you get one of the most underrated Raw matches ever. Oh, and look at the finish: Orton throws Ziggler up, Dolph bounces off the canvas and immediately tastes an RKO. Fantastic stuff, and an essential entry on our list of the best Dolph Ziggler matches.
2. Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE SummerSlam 2009, Intercontinental Championship Match

How good is this match? So, Ziggler was looking for his breakout performance; a match that made fans stand up and take notice. Thankfully, though, he was facing Rey Mysterio, who was enjoying an amazing year in the ring in 2009. Of note, Mysterio had recently completed a tremendous, classic-filled feud with Chris Jericho. Nevertheless, that feud showcased two legends, so high quality was virtually guaranteed. Against Ziggler, though, Mysterio needed to work that little bit harder to convince fans that his opponent deserved such attention.
That he did. And, of course, Ziggler brought the fire in what was a highly charged and fast-paced opener. Some of the spots are truly hair-raising. And the fans in Los Angeles, California responded by providing a raucous atmosphere from bell to bell. Originally, rumour has it that Ziggler was supposed to win the IC Title here. But instead, Mysterio found a way to keep hold of the strap for a little while longer. Ziggler lost the match at SummerSlam 2009, but he earned a ton of respect from fans. This is a more than worthy entry on our rankings of the best Dolph Ziggler matches.
Top Ranking – Best Dolph Ziggler Matches
1. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE No Mercy 2016, WWE Intercontinental Championship vs. Career Match

The number one pick on our “best Dolph Ziggler matches” list comes against one of his most frequent opponents. Yes, The Miz. But this was a career highlight for both men, with the IC Title receiving more relevance than it had for aeons. So, Miz had defeated Ziggler at Backlash, and Dolph demanded a rematch. Miz insisted that Dolph had to put his career at stake to receive the opportunity. Crucially, though, the promo battles between the two were utterly convincing. So much so that this felt like a big-time match, despite being the latest in a long series between them.
Oh, did I mention that Ziggler dropped sufficient hints about leaving WWE for good? Therefore, fans watched this bout expecting to see Dolph wave goodbye to the WWE Universe. Instead, though, a particularly devastating superkick earned Dolph a major victory over the often-despised Miz. Furthermore, the match is plentiful with stand-out moments, from Spirit Squad interference to Dolph surviving the Skull-Crushing Finale. It’s funny that Ziggler and Miz battled so many times to almost register below the radar. Except for their autumn 2016 feud, that is. And this particular bout is incredible. Hence why Dolph Ziggler’s best match is his showdown with The Miz from No Mercy 2016.
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