Dolph Ziggler Is "Injured"

So, that big stretcher job Dolph Ziggler did on Monday night was meant to put him out of action "indefinitely." For those who don't remember or didn't watch, Rusev revealed that he was healed from his foot injury that kept him out (or it was a work all along, who knows) and used his crutch to "crush" Ziggler's trachea. Ziggler did a stretcher job with a neckbrace and everything.

WWE.com posted this report on Ziggler's condition, saying that he was monitored in the hospital overnight, and that he has trouble swallowing and speaking. He's going to be out indefinitely, which could mean anywhere from "surprise return on Monday" (otherwise known as the John Cena Special) to "never coming back again" because of his contract situation. The whole thing is actually quite murky and a big example of the company using all available resources to make sure what it wants hidden stays hidden. In a way, it's the new kayfabe.

Either way, the fact that this worked-injury is coming so close to his contract expiration feels curious. But then again, every move concerning Ziggler in the story is going to be microanalyzed vis-a-vis his contract situation, so at this point, it's all just a big wait-and-see. The more important thing is whether or not WWE can resist temptation and actually wait a couple of weeks to bring him back. The company is trying to give Ziggler that ol' Ricky Steamboat rub here, but the thing about that famous angle (when Randy Savage "crushed" his larynx with the ring bell in the lead-up to WrestleMania III) was that WWE didn't have a live television obligation every week. In a way, this whole thing is one of those deals that feels truly unpredictable, which is refreshing.