PWInsider Wrong – Ziggler WWE Deal Not Yet Signed

Despite a report last week by PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, it would appear that the Ziggler WWE deal has not been signed and, in fact, is still in the process of being negotiated.

Ziggler, appearing Monday on the Chad Dukes radio show on 106.7 The Fan, disputed the report, including a mention in the Boston Herald over the weekend that seemed to cite Johnson’s report, though without attributing the story to him.

Johnson, last Friday, wrote on PWInsider,

For those who have asked about the future of Dolph Ziggler and WWE, PWInsider.com has confirmed that Ziggler and WWE came to terms on a new contract several weeks ago. I am told it’s a multi-year deal.

The Herald closed its own interview with Ziggler writing the following:

Ziggler, 34, who was rumored to be considering leaving the WWE when his contract is up in a few months, reportedly has decided to re-sign with the wrestling conglomerate.”I mean, it feels like I started here, I should end my career in the WWE,” he said. “I feel like they like having me around and I love working here, so it would be really hard to walk away.”

Ironically, in citing the story in the Herald as a way to bolster the legitimacy of his own story, Johnson left out the part where the Herald wrote, “…reportedly has decided to re-sign…” which in journalistic parlance means they did not get that confirmation directly from Ziggler, but rather were using other reports (like Johnson’s) to ascribe context to a comment made by Ziggler in talking vaguely about his future.

Johnson would write, in a second report on Ziggler, “On staying with the company, Zigger said, ‘I mean, it feels like I started here, I should end my career in the WWE. I feel like they like having me around and I love working here, so it would be really hard to walk away.’”

Unfortunately, for Johnson, Ziggler wasn’t speaking with the Herald “on staying with the company,” but rather on “his future with the company” whether or not he chose to re-sign a deal.

“I’m thinking about it right now. I had a request for an upcoming contract that would end a few months from now, maybe two or three months from now, and they requested back what they would like, I countered another offer and we’re waiting to finalize some things,” Ziggler said on the Dukes show Monday. “…if I can’t find that happy medium, I might have to go away for a little bit.”

James Caldwell, in covering this story for the PWTorch characterized it like so:

WWE star Dolph Ziggler says his contract status has not been resolved yet. Ziggler said in a new interview that he has not re-signed with WWE, but he is considering their latest offer.

He also called out that, according to Ziggler on the radio appearance, “…WWE’s travel schedule is a hang-up in negotiations. Ziggler said he wants to pursue things like stand-up comedy mid-week, but the travel breaks are necessary for the WWE job.”

Over at ProWrestling.net, Jason Powell ran the story with the lede that “WWE wrestler Dolph Ziggler… stated that he has not re-signed with the company despite a Boston Herald story indicating that he had.”

In his Powell’s POV footnote, which runs below every report also noted that the Boston Herald story stated that Ziggler “reportedly has decided to re-sign” with WWE.

PWInsider’s Johnson ran another update Monday afternoon which reiterated his Friday story about Ziggler signing a multi-year deal, and then quoted claims that Ziggler told the hosts he had not signed the deal.

“Dolph Ziggler appeared on this afternoon’s Chad Dukes Versus The World on 106.7 The Fan in Washington DC, commenting that his WWE deal isn’t done. PWInsider heard from WWE sources last week that the two sides had completed a new deal.”

Never one to be shown up, or proven wrong, Johnson seemed to take an argumentative stance against apparently Ziggler himself.

“The comments would also be at odds with a statement made over the weekend to The Boston Herald about signing a new deal.”

Once again, unfortunately for Johnson, Ziggler’s statements weren’t actually at odds with anything Ziggler said to the Herald. Johnson simply mid-classified the Herald story.

As Ziggler is the only person close to the situation actually commenting on it with first hand knowledge, it seems like a bizarre stance for PWInsider to take.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.