Every time Ziggler got hot, WWE cooled him off with losses or sudden character resets.
He was often pushed for short bursts but never given sustained storylines to elevate him to main-event status.
His prime years overlapped with Cena, Orton, Punk, Bryan, and Shield-era stars, limiting his chances.
Face, heel, comedy act, serious competitor—WWE constantly flipped his role, never letting one identity stick.
He was relied on to make others look good, which meant taking losses to build newer stars.
The concussion after his 2013 WHC cash-in run derailed the biggest push of his career.
WWE valued his reliability but never viewed him as “must-push now,” preventing major long-term pushes.