Dolph Ziggler Returns to WWE RAW After 2 Years: What Happened

Seriously, who saw that coming? After two long years, Dolph Ziggler just made his epic WWE return! The 45-year-old wrestling legend stunned the crowd at Madison Square Garden. He was Solo Sikoa’s surprise opponent in the massive “Last Time Is Now” tournament.

The atmosphere was electric! Ziggler nearly beat Sikoa, hitting his famous Zig Zag. But alas, he fell victim to the brutal Samoan Spike. Still, the 18,000-plus fans went absolutely wild. This marked his first WWE match since May 2023!

The Ultimate Swerve: How Ziggler Hit the Stage

Ziggler’s identity was kept totally secret right up until his entrance music hit. Solo Sikoa and Tala Tonga entered the ring, totally clueless about who was coming. But when “I’m Here to Show the World” rang out? The whole arena nearly took the roof off! That’s how you make an entrance, folks.

Can we talk about that near-fall? Ziggler nailed the Zig Zag, and Sikoa only just kicked out at two. Fans couldn’t stop talking about it! Then, Sikoa connected with the Samoan Spike for the win. The Garden audience, completely heated, immediately started chanting, “Ref, you’re a joke!”.

Twitter was already in a state of absolute frenzy! The official WWE account immediately tweeted, “OH. MY. GOD. DOLPH ZIGGLER is SOLO SIKOA’S surprise opponent. !!!”. Naturally, the tweet blew up, earning millions of views. User @TheMovementXx summed up the feeling perfectly: “ZIGGLER SOLD THE HELL out of that spike!”. Honestly, the wrestling community has totally lost its collective mind!

Even commentator Wade Barrett was completely blown away live on the panel. A clip shared by @FadeAwayMedia showed him expressing pure delight. Their real-life friendship shines through every single time. Barrett and Ziggler were even rivals in the ring once upon a time. It was a beautiful, human moment amid the chaos.

What the Heck Has Dolph Ziggler Been Doing?

Dolph Ziggler was a WWE mainstay for 18 long years. His contract ended in September 2023. He was released after almost two decades with the company. Since then, he’s been absolutely crushing it under his real name, Nic Nemeth!

Nemeth first appeared in TNA Wrestling in January 2024. He quickly went on to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Get this: he also snagged the TNA World Tag Team Championships. His tag partner was none other than his brother, Ryan Nemeth. Just last Friday, the man even main-evented TNA’s Turning Point special! Oh, and he’s also holding the Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy. He’s been busy.

He’s even popped up in New Japan Pro Wrestling and other independent promotions. We even saw him on NXT television recently. That was thanks to the super-cool WWE-TNA collaboration. However, this Raw appearance was his very first on the main roster in over two years.

Here’s the kicker: Ziggler had told the media he was not participating in this tournament. He claimed both he and Ryan were focused on their TNA commitments. Turns out, that was a pretty great smokescreen to pull off!

Social Media Went Nuclear Over the Return

Solo Sikoa, ever the villain, had a perfect backstage quip that Twitter user @reigns_era shared: “‘Take your ass back to where you were when you first came to.’ – Solo Sikoa. Chill”. Now that is some real, quality heel heat! Sikoa looked completely unimpressed, even though Ziggler absolutely dominated parts of the match.

On Reddit, discussions immediately focused on Ziggler’s legendary “bumping” ability. One user in the r/SquaredCircle forum wrote: “Ziggler did what he always did — he made his opponent look stunning”. Another user immediately commented: “The Showoff Showoffows how to make a statement!”. His vast experience and expertise clearly shone through in that performance. The crowd’s reaction highlighted his massive popularity. Fans started the “Let’s Go Ziggler” chant right away. Vice even noted that the MSG crowd “became disengaged” before his music rang out. That’s the undeniable power of a perfect, nostalgic return.

This leads to the biggest question: was this just a one-off thing? Cageside Seats noted that “Time will tell if this performance could lead to something else”. Intriguingly, Ringside News reported that Ziggler’s WWE Shop merchandise absolutely flew off the virtual shelves. His iconic gear is already topping the sales charts!

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The Future: What’s Next for the Showoff?

It’s unclear right now what this surprise return really means. Could Dolph Ziggler be back in WWE for a longer run? Many are already speculating that he might enter the 2026 Royal Rumble. As a Vice writer put it, “Perhaps we see him in the 2026 Royal Rumble?”. That would be truly spectacular!

Sikoa’s victory means he joins LA Knight, Sheamus, Rusev, and Jey Uso in the tournament quarterfinals. Sikoa is set to face Gunther’s opponent on Wednesday’s Raw. That “Last Time Is Now” tournament is rolling right along toward John Cena’s retirement!

Ziggler showed up for John Cena’s farewell show. This is similar to what Zack Ryder did on SmackDown recently. These two former WWE champions are paying tribute to Cena’s massive legacy. This nostalgic wave makes Cena’s retirement feel like a true landmark event. Wrestling history is being written every single week!

TNA hasn’t publicly commented on Ziggler’s WWE appearance yet. Does this affect his TNA commitments at all? Can he genuinely work for both promotions simultaneously? The current WWE-TNA partnership definitely allows for cool crossovers. We should see a few more surprise appearances soon! As WWE continues to evolve, Ziggler’s presence could lead to some amazing future storylines. Imagine Ziggler taking on current superstars like Cody Rhodes or CM Punk! The possibilities for dream matches are endless. His in-ring skills are sharp as a tack, even in his mid-40s.

Will Dolph Ziggler sign a brand new WWE contract? Will TNA manage to beat WWE’s contract offer? Or will he decide that freelance work across multiple companies is what he wants? Only time will truly tell the answer. But one thing is totally certain: the Showoff is still awe-inspiring!

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