The 2012 TWB 100 Slow Release: #3

Ziggler folding up CM Punk like an accordion Photo Credit: WWE.com

3. Dolph Ziggler
Points: 4689
Ballots: 50
Highest Vote:1st Place (Jesse Powell, Josh Ray, Sean McLaughlin, Brandon Infinger)
Last Year's Placement: 3rd Place

TH: Dolph Ziggler backslid in my estimation a bit last year, but he still was excellent in his role. I don't know whether the slide from the top spot was just because being the best two years running is hard, whether he got disinterested, or whether booking clouded my judgment. However, he still got an 11th Place vote from me, and that's better than all but ten wrestlers in America. That's pretty good company.

Obviously, the Ziggler Scale is a huge reason why he's on here. The man takes some of the ballsiest bumps that I've ever seen in a ring, whether it be on a RAW undercard match or in a pay-per-view main event, which he had one nominal and another one (against CM Punk at the Rumble) that was on that same level. While he added a few new moves to his repertoire, I think the fact that it took him a little while to really acclimatize them into his offense held him back some. However, if you needed a good, free TV match, Ziggler was there to deliver.

Ziggler throwing a bow at A-Ry Photo Credit: WWE.com

Jesse Powell: Dolph was my number one, and there wasn’t a close second, because, my God, have you seen his matches? The man can make gold in any situation. His bumps, his facial expressions, his offense, his smirk, everything works to perfection with this guy, and I can’t wait to see him get the ball and run with it.

Cewsh: The Bumpmaster 5000. If Daniel Bryan didn’t work for WWE, then Ziggler would likely be universally recognized as the standout workhorse in the company. He has a way of taking matches that shouldn’t mean anything, and making you focus on them, and WWE has taken notice too, sticking him in a match virtually every single week of 2012 to capitalize on his skill. As such, he wrestled pretty much everyone on the roster and made every single one of them look great, and in particular had some matches against John Cena and Sheamus that I just had to go and watch again because they’re that good. I have no idea how long he can keep going at this pace, but 2012 sure wasn’t the year he slowed down.

Justin Daley: He is arguably the best at selling in the business, which when done right can be the most entertaining thing in a match. I mean he will make a simple clothesline look like the most brutal thing that has ever happened in the squared circle. Aside from the brutality of selling other peoples moves, he can also take a simple move like the Zig Zag and makes that seem like one of the most dominating moves in wrestling. He is one of the most entertaining wrestlers that I have seen in years, but maybe that's just cuz he is the SHOWOFF.

John Rosenberger: Having a smooth in ring style and an effective and varied move set is half of making any wrestling match great. The other half of pro wrestling and the half that I argue with my students about the most is the art of the sell. In order to make something look good, it has to be sold properly. This can be said for everything from used cars to RKOs. I don’t need to tell you that Ziggler is one of the best sellers in the WWE, if not the absolute best. If you’re reading this blog, you already know that.

Ziggler throwing a trademark dropkick to Kofi Kingston Photo Credit: WWE.com

Dave Musgrave: It would be hard to imagine anyone better than Ziggler. He should have been a champion in 2012 but was still at main event level despite not being given the ball completely.

Dylan Hales: I rated Dolph Ziggler reasonably high on my ballot. I had to. I enjoy his insane bumping. I think he works hard every night. He had some very good matches over the course of 2012, particularly his ladder match with John Cena. But if I'm being honest I have to say that I thought Ziggler had a very disappointing year and I think he has become wildly overrated with many hardcore fans.

At the beginning of 2012 I really thought it would be a breakout year for Ziggler. It wasn't. Some of that's not his fault - he was booked poorly, particularly after his victory over John Cena. But I also felt like he regressed some as an in ring talent. I saw less of him working compelling heat segments in matches and more of him taking whacky bumps. A guy who had been steadily improving for two straight years, really looked like a guy who had decided his act was going to be "move fast, bump big." He was still a good wrestler, but it no longer felt like he was on the road to being a truly great wrestler.

Maybe that's just my perception of him and maybe I missed key matches that would have made me think differently. I expect him to finish very highly in this poll. But from what I saw in 2012 he really shouldn't.

Typical ROH Fan: Another guy who should probably be ranked a little higher but I don't know. While he's probably in the elite of the best in ring workers in the wrestling world, nothing really stood out to me when making this list as a signature performance. In pure consistency, he probably could be #1 but maybe he's spoiled me that I was disappointed nothing felt like a signature match. (Favorite 2012 match: vs. a bunch of dudes at Money In The Bank)

FULL ZIGGLER, thanks to Tensai Photo Credit: WWE.com