WWE superstar Dolph Ziggler delivered an impressive victory when he defeated Bron Breakker and Tommaso Ciampa in a Triple Threat Match to become the new NXT Champion, and now he’s headed to Stand & Deliver for his first title defense. Ziggler will be taking on Breakker at the WrestleMania weekend event, and while he never planned on becoming NXT Champion, he couldn’t be happier about it, and is thrilled to be standing at the top and showing the NXT 2.O crew how it’s done. ComicBook.com had a chance to speak to the Champion all about why he decided to jump into NXT, what he thinks of Breakker, how he feels about assumptions thathe’s only here to help move Breakker to the main roster, and his dream WrestleMania match-up.
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Ziggler only came to NXT to do some scouting for Vince McMahon, so he is as surprised he’s in this position as everybody else is. “I’ll make it real short. I went to scout talent and report back to Vince about who I saw could be an up-and-comer, someone who had something to do, maybe after WrestleMania, maybe in a year, somebody with some potential,” Ziggler said. “And next thing you know, I’m not only involved, I’m the NXT Champion. And I cannot stress to you enough that no one is more surprised than I am. I cannot stress that enough.”
I asked if the crowd’s reception has changed since he won the title, especially since he’s started repping the ‘We Are NXT’ tagline. Ziggler feels that the assessment isn’t really accurate.
“I feel like there’s a little confirmation bias on your own part because the first day I showed up, they were happy to see me,” Ziggler said. “And then, when I became Champ, it’s only been one week, or one TV since I became Champ. So they went from yay, he’s here. What’s he doing? Oh, he’s screwing with our favorite Champion that we’re a little on the fence about because he’s not proven. ‘Oh, no, he’s the guy, man. Maybe, he’s going to take this place to the top. All right. We better hedge our bets and get behind him a little bit. But you know what? Breakker’s going to win it back at Stand & Deliver. We know for a fact that’s going to happen. So let’s get our hopes up and we’ll get behind him.’”
“It happens to all of us all the time, but it is funny to have that hyped up 400 people living and dying by every step of the way you talk to them, you showing up, they were excited and I get it. I was excited to be there, and then they realize why you’re there. Then you take them on a little bit of a ride and you go, I’m walking out of here Champion. They go, ‘no, you’re just here to get Bron ready for the main roster. Get Bron Breakker ready for the main roster.’ They go, nope, I’m the Champ now. So who’s got something to say now?”
Ziggler’s no stranger to big stages and big moments, and while he couldn’t be happier about being the NXT Champion, he isn’t approaching this moment any different than the many others he’s experienced along the way, and that is one of the bigger differences between him and Breakker.
“No, it’s not, and I think that’s a slight difference between me and Breakker. He’s fantastic. He has this crazy closing speed. He hits like a linebacker in his prime who doesn’t need a helmet or pads and it hurts and he is going to be something special. That’s the only difference, when he steps out on that stage at Stand & Deliver to kick off WrestleMania weekend in the main event of NXT 2.0 show, you’re going to go, wow and take it all in and enjoy it. I’ve been there before, 17 other freaking times. So when I walk out there I go, damn right. All right, hold on to your butts, because we’re going to steal the show here and you’re going to be wondering why the rest of the weekend didn’t catch up to this main event,” Ziggler said.
Ziggler isn’t the only veteran at the top of NXT at the moment, as Mandy Rose and Toxic Attraction are ruling over the Women’s Division currently. That’s why I asked if he and Mandy were the greatest men and women’s NXT Champion duo thus far, and while he does not watch the product, he couldn’t say no.
“You know what? I famously do not watch. So I don’t know who else was Champion. I love that myself and Mandy are Champs. And I know that Robert Roode was Champ at one point for almost a year, which is wild,” Ziggler said. “Because he’s so damn good and I’m always happy when I find out some other cool stat and another Championship that he holds. But Mandy and myself, I really like that we are sticking it to the developmental talent, who’s become its own special brand, become its own special flavor that people tune in just to see NXT and what’s going down and Mandy and myself, the veterans on top, where we should be.”
Ziggler original mission was to come to NXT and see if anyone held that promise for something bigger that he could take back to Vince, so I had to ask if someone had caught his eye as his next challenge or as someone who needed to be on the radar.
“This is going to let you know that I truly don’t watch, but also let you know that I don’t care. I gave a pep talk this morning to the crew because I didn’t want them. I wanted them to act like you’ve been there before at this big WrestleMania weekend coming up, now that I’m the leader and I’m carrying the title and the brand on my shoulder. I said, go this weekend, be ready to go, step up. Everybody is doing a lot of hard work. Everybody’s busting their butts,” Ziggler said. “Everybody’s good. Somebody needs to stand out in that pack. And so far, no one has.”
“So maybe the night after, maybe the Tuesday after, somebody gets in my face and says, you know what? I’m taking that off you. And I’m like, you know what? Let’s beat the hell out of each other and see what happens. So I welcome that because I have 17 years of experience, and I am ready to go for anybody to walk through that door. Even somebody who is not even in the company that day, just come out. I go, I got to plan already. I’m going to win this,” Ziggler said.
WrestleMania is the perfect event for dream match-ups and long-awaited returns, and this year will see the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who will be in the ring with Kevin Owens for a special KO Show that will more than likely lead to some punches thrown and some empty beer cans. If Ziggler could bring someone from outside the company or someone out of retirement to face in his dream WrestleMania match, there’s only one answer.
“Shawn Michaels. 100%. No question. I would love to beat the hell out of him and have him hit the hell out of me and go off into the sunset with the greatest match you ever had,” Ziggler said.
It would be the battle of the Superkicks, and Ziggler would love every minute of it. “Yep. I mean, I lived on him and Kurt Angle going toe to toe nonstop, with the amateur wrestling in between and the counters of the counters and those two brains, those two are two of my absolute favorites, not just because of Championships because you know how good they are and you know they can back it up in two different, very different ways, but man, two of the greatest to ever do it, those two are my heroes and I emulate them in the good ways and the bad. And if I’m not happy with something and I steal the show and I’m not getting the credit for it, you better believe I’m coming back into gorilla and telling everybody to go to hell.”
You can watch Ziggler defend his NXT Championship against Breakker at Stand & Deliver this Saturday at 1 PM EST exclusively on Peacock.
Who do you want to see Ziggler face next? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
