http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2013/08/13/21044381.html
Dolph Ziggler was asked to break down the SummerSlam matches that were announced at the time of this interview. Below are his answers:
Kane vs. Bray Wyatt
"As much as I see Kane as, and he is this awesome utility player who's been here for 15, 20 years and still moves the same as he did when he first got here, which is great — that guy is a leader and a star player and he's going to be in the hall of fame one day and he's awesome — I feel like Bray Wyatt, with his crew behind him, even though though this is an inferno match, which in this day and age I don't even know the rules to ... I'm just assuming it's flames around the rings like there were when Kane used to do those. I feel like they're up and coming, hungry guys who don't care about anything, and they'll injure people and they don't even care, as much as I like Kane and don't really care for these backwoods guys, I feel like even though this is Kane's kind of match, those guys are going to find a way to come out on top."
Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow
"First and foremost, watching that Money In The Bank pay-per-view, and watching that match, I go 'wow.' That was probably the moment of Cody's career, I think. He's been in title matches, he's been in programs with Randy (Orton), he's been in Legacy, all that stuff, and I went, 'wow, he made himself; well him and everyone else in that match made him a star that night.' And then you had Sandow win that briefcase. Great. Two guys with more potential to be put into a bigger spot, that's fantastic. So now, looking ahead those two guys going head to head, it's great, it's win-win for everybody. It's two young up and comers trying to make a name for themselves and those two are going to go out there and try to outdo each other, which is the best. When you have two young guys trying to prove to the world and fans that, 'we're the next guys,' 'I should have his briefcase,' or what it represents. That's really cool. I'm going to have to say, I think Cody wins the match and Sandow has the briefcase for a later date."
Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk
"In the world of WWE where anything can happen, I've gotta say, me being one of the, I guess when Daniel Bryan and Rey Mysterio isn't around, being the smallest guy in the sometimes main-event picture, I've got to go with the smaller guy, who has that love for this sport, this love for this business in him. And he still has that chip on his shoulder no matter what. He's become champion several times, he's made the big bucks, he's been in the premiere matches and he still has that anger to him, which I appreciate because that's what fuels me to keep going. Man, Lesnar ... I remember my freshman year at college was his senior year at the national tournament and I was on deck on a mat to wrestle and I saw him and I went, 'man, this guy is tough.' Little did I know years later we'd be working together. He is a beast. He is the most credible beast that I can ever imagine being in our company and beating people up for real. I feel like that is going to be a fun, very real, possibly bloody, busted-open match and through the match against WWE, I hope Punk pulls it off."
John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship
"Once again, I'm going to go with the guy who has a chip on his shoulder, something to prove. He's a smaller guy, he's not just a wrestler. Cena, personally I'm sick of him. Ten years, doing the same thing, same five moves, the crowd loves him, the crowd hates him, either way, he does the same thing ... I'm sick of it. I understand the awesome charity work he does, I understand what he represents, he makes a great face for our company ... I'd rather see his face on a WWE dollar bill than Daniel Bryan's. But I feel like we need a change, and as much as I feel like I'm that change, Daniel Bryan is in the position to actually beat John Cena. Not to go out there and go, 'oh, hey, he had a really good match, great, let's move on.' I don't know what's going to happen. I hope he wins."
Dolph Ziggler/Kaitlyn vs. Big E. Langston/AJ Lee
"One way or another, I've actually got to be in the ring with him. Here's the part that kills me. For about five months, on the road, whether I was in singles matches with him outside my corner, or in tag matches, tagging with him, I was literally taking him under my wing. And how great it is to have me as the guy helping out on the road, going, 'hey, no, you've got to think about this, you've got to do this.' Someone who loves it and is good at it actually passing knowledge down to a younger guy instead of giving him the wrong advice or trying to screw him over or whatever. Of course, it comes back to bite me. Now he's the strongest guy in the WWE I think, literally pound for pound. And now he's got some my knowledge in his and head and I have to go out there and face him. Although if you check his win-loss record and mine, it might be a laughable 150-2 to 2-150, but I would have to say at the end of the day, I would think that in my position, and being in my position in the WWE and what I've done here, it would be my time to overcome, beat him. It's not going to end his career, it's not going to end his run ... he's just getting going and he's going to be great. Right now, I feel like I'm the much better performer, he's still the young up and comer."
Dolph Ziggler was asked to break down the SummerSlam matches that were announced at the time of this interview. Below are his answers:
Kane vs. Bray Wyatt
"As much as I see Kane as, and he is this awesome utility player who's been here for 15, 20 years and still moves the same as he did when he first got here, which is great — that guy is a leader and a star player and he's going to be in the hall of fame one day and he's awesome — I feel like Bray Wyatt, with his crew behind him, even though though this is an inferno match, which in this day and age I don't even know the rules to ... I'm just assuming it's flames around the rings like there were when Kane used to do those. I feel like they're up and coming, hungry guys who don't care about anything, and they'll injure people and they don't even care, as much as I like Kane and don't really care for these backwoods guys, I feel like even though this is Kane's kind of match, those guys are going to find a way to come out on top."
Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow
"First and foremost, watching that Money In The Bank pay-per-view, and watching that match, I go 'wow.' That was probably the moment of Cody's career, I think. He's been in title matches, he's been in programs with Randy (Orton), he's been in Legacy, all that stuff, and I went, 'wow, he made himself; well him and everyone else in that match made him a star that night.' And then you had Sandow win that briefcase. Great. Two guys with more potential to be put into a bigger spot, that's fantastic. So now, looking ahead those two guys going head to head, it's great, it's win-win for everybody. It's two young up and comers trying to make a name for themselves and those two are going to go out there and try to outdo each other, which is the best. When you have two young guys trying to prove to the world and fans that, 'we're the next guys,' 'I should have his briefcase,' or what it represents. That's really cool. I'm going to have to say, I think Cody wins the match and Sandow has the briefcase for a later date."
Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk
"In the world of WWE where anything can happen, I've gotta say, me being one of the, I guess when Daniel Bryan and Rey Mysterio isn't around, being the smallest guy in the sometimes main-event picture, I've got to go with the smaller guy, who has that love for this sport, this love for this business in him. And he still has that chip on his shoulder no matter what. He's become champion several times, he's made the big bucks, he's been in the premiere matches and he still has that anger to him, which I appreciate because that's what fuels me to keep going. Man, Lesnar ... I remember my freshman year at college was his senior year at the national tournament and I was on deck on a mat to wrestle and I saw him and I went, 'man, this guy is tough.' Little did I know years later we'd be working together. He is a beast. He is the most credible beast that I can ever imagine being in our company and beating people up for real. I feel like that is going to be a fun, very real, possibly bloody, busted-open match and through the match against WWE, I hope Punk pulls it off."
John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship
"Once again, I'm going to go with the guy who has a chip on his shoulder, something to prove. He's a smaller guy, he's not just a wrestler. Cena, personally I'm sick of him. Ten years, doing the same thing, same five moves, the crowd loves him, the crowd hates him, either way, he does the same thing ... I'm sick of it. I understand the awesome charity work he does, I understand what he represents, he makes a great face for our company ... I'd rather see his face on a WWE dollar bill than Daniel Bryan's. But I feel like we need a change, and as much as I feel like I'm that change, Daniel Bryan is in the position to actually beat John Cena. Not to go out there and go, 'oh, hey, he had a really good match, great, let's move on.' I don't know what's going to happen. I hope he wins."
Dolph Ziggler/Kaitlyn vs. Big E. Langston/AJ Lee
"One way or another, I've actually got to be in the ring with him. Here's the part that kills me. For about five months, on the road, whether I was in singles matches with him outside my corner, or in tag matches, tagging with him, I was literally taking him under my wing. And how great it is to have me as the guy helping out on the road, going, 'hey, no, you've got to think about this, you've got to do this.' Someone who loves it and is good at it actually passing knowledge down to a younger guy instead of giving him the wrong advice or trying to screw him over or whatever. Of course, it comes back to bite me. Now he's the strongest guy in the WWE I think, literally pound for pound. And now he's got some my knowledge in his and head and I have to go out there and face him. Although if you check his win-loss record and mine, it might be a laughable 150-2 to 2-150, but I would have to say at the end of the day, I would think that in my position, and being in my position in the WWE and what I've done here, it would be my time to overcome, beat him. It's not going to end his career, it's not going to end his run ... he's just getting going and he's going to be great. Right now, I feel like I'm the much better performer, he's still the young up and comer."
