Let’s figure out Dolph Ziggler’s secret stipulation for Extreme Rules 2020

WWE is either desperate or biding time whenever they give Dolph Ziggler a shot at the WWE championship. We saw it when he feuded with Kofi Kingston last year, and it’s happening now with Drew McIntyre.

The extra wrinkle to their upcoming championship match on July 19 during The Horror Show at Extreme Rules is that Ziggler will choose the stipulation, and he’s keeping it secret until the match actually takes place.

Keeping the stipulation secret was a smart decision by WWE. Let’s face it, McIntyre was absolutely correct when he said that we all know he’ll obliterate Dolph in a steel cage match, or a street fight, etc. So if Dolph already announced a relatively common gimmick match like that well ahead of time, it wouldn’t add much interest to their fight.

Instead, Dolph is keeping it a secret, and he even suggested on The Bump that it will be a stipulation that we’ve never seen before. The whole idea is that he’s smarter than Drew, and will fully take advantage of McIntyre’s cockiness in allowing Dolph to name the stipulation.

So I’ve been brainstorming a few ideas for what the stipulation might be. Here’s what I’ve come up with.

No Claymore Kick

A lot of people are talking up this possibility. WWE has done this kind of stipulation before, where a babyface’s key move will result in a loss and title change. But I don’t think it’s all that effective in this case. It’s not much of a stretch to believe that Drew can beat Dolph without the Claymore.

McIntyre loses to a one count pin fall

It seems like Drew McIntyre is pretty good at withstanding damage and still kicking out at one. But what if he has to kick out before a one count every single time, or else he loses the title? Well now I can believe that Dolph has a shot to win.

Beat the Clock & Ricochet

Both men get to squash Ricochet, and whoever squashes him the fastest wins the WWE championship. Ricochet is such a lowly jobber that I do believe one Zig Zag is all it will take.

Punjabi Prison match

This match has happened before, so it violates the idea of a brand new concept. But here’s one thing that I’ve never actually seen - a good Punjabi Prison match. Dolph and Drew are both well above average workers. I’d like to see if they can pull off one of these matches and make it good, because if they can’t, then it’s probably not possible. Either way, Dolph has the advantage because he’ll presumably commit the rules of the match to memory in the days leading up to the show, whereas Drew will be completely confused as to what the hell is happening when this is sprung on him at the last second.

Eye for an Eye in a Swamp Fight

Check out this novel match idea. Two dudes are fighting in a swamp, surrounded by crocodiles and Wyatts and whatnot, and the only way to win is to extract your opponent’s eye. I know it sounds completely ridiculous to book this match, especially considering WWE’s aversion to blood and guts, but I’m pretty sure that Dolph has the advantage due to his more athletic hands.

Evacuate Ric Flair from the building

Both men start in the ring in the Performance Center. The winner is the man who can run to the back and evacuate Ric Flair from the building and to safety the fastest. The guy is 71 years old; he really needs to stop being called in for WWE’s television shows while there is a global pandemic going on. I think Dolph has the advantage because he’s faster than Drew.

McIntyre has both hands tied and cuffed behind his back, both ankles tied and cuffed together, he’s blindfolded, MVP is the special referee, Angel Garza is allowed to interfere, and Drew starts the match locked in Bobby Lashley’s full nelson

I don’t understand why a heel never chooses a match like this, where there is simply no way that the babyface can win.

Obviously I’m getting desperate myself at this point and running out of ideas. So let me know in the comments what stipulations you’d like to see Ziggler choose at Extreme Rules 2020.