Dolph Ziggler Talks Absence From WWE Television, Addresses Repackaging Rumors

After being absent from SmackDown LIVE for several weeks, Dolph Ziggler made his return on last night’s show but seemed frustrated that it’s in a backstage interview.

Earlier this month, Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com said there’s a repackaging in store for the veteran performer. However, in a new interview with Channel Guide Magazine, “The Showoff” put an end to the rumor.

“There is all this talk out there about me being repackaged. I don’t think I’m doing that,” Ziggler said.

Before his brief interview last night, Ziggler hadn’t appeared on SmackDown LIVE since July 4, when he was a part of the Independence Day Battle Royal that was won by AJ Styles. His last televised singles match came on June 20, when he lost to Shinsuke Nakamura.

Throughout his career in WWE, Ziggler has rarely missed work. Without revealing much, Ziggler chalks up his current absence to simply an extended break away from the ring to make sure he’s fully refreshed when he returns. He doesn’t mind the rumors flying around, but he made it clear that he has no plans to stop wrestling anytime soon.

“It’s nice to take a little break and come back fresh. Not matter when or no matter what I’m doing, I think it will be nice,” he said. “I’ve only missed a handful of weeks of work. After a while, you just want to step out. People talking is fine. People are talking about you, so that’s a great thing. Some people’s jobs are to speculate. So, I can understand that. I’m still excited to be in the ring.”