The Living Truth challenges The Showoff to an impromptu bout.

About the only positive development Dolph Ziggler can point to in the past week has been his appointment to Raw’s Survivor Series team. Besides that, it’s been a series of left-field stunners and upsets at every turn, beginning with a WWE World Cup Finals loss to Shane McMahon, of all people, who entered himself in the finals after The Miz suffered an injury (Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon will evidently deal with that one next week) and continuing with a defeat on Raw at the hands a newly-insurgent Elias.

The loss was all the more demoralizing because The Showoff was in control for almost the entire match. Ziggler’s amateur background has done wonders for him of late, and that skill set paid similar dividends here, keeping The Living Truth in first gear until he threw hands to turn the match into a brawl. Ziggler hit the Zig Zag despite the change of pace, only to have the pinfall attempt broken up when Elias reached the ropes. In the ensuing confusion, The Showoff stumbled right into his opponent’s clutches, and Elias executed Drift Away to win the match. The result was enough to leave Ziggler livid in the ring, and justifiably so: The Showoff might have a leg to stand on by crying conspiracy over a loss to Shane. But for all his undeniable pedigree, he let this one get away from him.