The curious case of Dolph Ziggler

WWE is generally confusing to anyone who bothers to pay attention to the details but Dolph Ziggler is an especially bewildering case.

Late last year, he went on a crusade against the fans for the love they offered wrestlers he perceived to be lesser than him. Then he was booked in a multi-man title United States championship match at Clash of Champions, where he won the title.

His first act as champion was to say the fans didn’t deserve him, leave the belt in the ring, and walk out of the company.

He didn’t return for over a month, when he came back as a surprise entrant in the men’s Royal Rumble match. He even got the coveted number 30 spot! That means after winning a title and then vacating it by seemingly quitting the company, he was brought back in a match where he would earn a title shot if he won.

He didn’t win, of course, but just a week later his return to television was announced for SmackDown Live where he would wrestle Baron Corbin. Days later, it was revealed the winner would be inserted in the WWE championship match at Fastlane. Yet again, he was put in a match where the prize was a title shot.

The match never happened, instead switching to Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn and Corbin vs. Kevin Owens and if both won they would both get into the title match. They both did.

Then this interview happened:

Everything that happened before he left is ignored in favor of Renee Young simply saying “what a big return for you here tonight.” Ziggler proceeds to cut the same promo he always does, that he wants to achieve his ultimate goal of a main event at WrestleMania, to prove he’s the best, all the usual.

So he left as a heel, returned as a babyface, with no explanation for any of it, and WWE, after watching him quit following a title win in a multi-man match, booked him in such a way that he now has a chance to win an even more important title in another multi-man match.

My head hurts.