Dolph Ziggler took down The Authority ten years ago. Back at WWE Survivor Series 2014, WWE built to a massive main event contest between Team WWE and Team Authority with the future of the company on the line. Team WWE, led by John Cena, sought to overthrow the tyrannical regime of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Team Authority, led by Seth Rollins, sought to dispose of those who antagonized The Authority. From there, the stakes were set: if Team WWE (Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show, Erick Rowan, and Ryback) won, The Authority would be relieved of their corporate roles. If Team Authority (Rollins, Mark Henry, Luke Harper, Kane, and Rusev) won, all of Team WWE except Cena would be fired.
Late into the match, Big Show turned on his team, striking Cena with a knockout punch. Cena was eliminated and Big Show walked out, leaving Ziggler to fend for himself against Team Authority’s Rollins, Kane, and Harper. Ziggler chopped down Team Authority one by one, eventually getting it down to just himself and Rollins. While Triple H attempted to play spoiler, a debuting Sting gave Team WWE the assist, allowing Ziggler to cover Rollins and defeat Team Authority to close the show.
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Dolph Ziggler Reflects on WWE Survivor Series 2014
It was a night that further immortalized The Wanted Man’s career.
Speaking to ComicBook ahead of TNA Slammiversary, Nic Nemeth (formerly known as Dolph Ziggler) reflected on his historic performance at WWE Survivor Series 2014, praising the story that was put in place.
“The story was so good every step of the way,” Nemeth continued. “You could put somebody else there, but it might not be as beautiful and dramatic. Every step of the way was all this comeuppance for the bad guys, to get their due, and then to pay it off with Sting out of nowhere. I think the match is around an hour long. It’s so beautiful. There was so many good pieces.
“If you just had here’s the good guys and here’s the bad guys, and you do the match and it comes down to three on one, you’re like, ‘Okay, it’s a cool underdog story.’ But when you piece all those things together, it makes lasting impressions out of everyone. I don’t think everyone would be talking about it to this day if it was [just that]. It’s so special because of the emotion. I really think someone like me, I hate to say this because I’m a cocky guy, that I was an underdog a lot of times all through the years. I really think I’m someone that played that well and really helped that story come together.”
While the marathon of wrestling was difficult, perhaps the most challenging part of the match came when Ziggler was just lying down in the ring. As he and Seth Rollins were laid out on the mat, Sting made his WWE debut, appearing on a WWE broadcast for the first time in his multi-decade career. As The Icon made his way to the ring and confronted Triple H, Ziggler and Rollins remained passed out on the mat.
“Seth and I were so used to wrestling each other so much, but we didn’t really hang out too much, and we had to lay down next to each other for 10 minutes and not move,” Nemeth recalled. “I’m [lying there] and just like, ‘Hey man, I think Sting coming out.’ We’re fans first. Having that happen, we’re just got to chill out there and be like, ‘Oh, sick.’”
Ziggler has since left WWE and rebranded himself as “The Wanted Man” Nic Nemeth. He most actively competes for TNA and has been chasing TNA World Champion Moose and his villainous faction The System since his debut at TNA Hard to Kill in January.
Nemeth challenges for the TNA World Championship at TNA Slammiversary on Saturday, July 20th.
