Is Lana a detriment to Dolph Ziggler?

Is Lana a detriment to Dolph Ziggler?

Dolph Ziggler was all smiles when we first saw him on the latest SmackDown, but those smiles evaporated courtesy of a vicious Brogue Kick from Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior was not all he had to contend with, though: Ziggler was once again caught up in the ongoing drama between his girlfriend, Lana, and her former companion, Rusev. Did this latest distraction lead to the loss? If so, is Lana bad news for her new beau?

Midway through the match, the injured Rusev emerged on his crutches in an attempt to win Lana back. Lana approached him, but she ended up turning her back to him, leaving the former United States Champion to angrily storm away. Ziggler visibly turned his attention to the events, and, though he continued to compete, Rusev’s antics may have thrown The Showoff, well, off his own show.

This raises the question: Could Lana be negatively impacting Ziggler’s career? It does not seem as though this Rusev issue is going away any time soon, as he continues to make his presence felt despite a debilitating leg injury. Rusev has attempted to win Lana back for weeks, and does not appear to be taking “no” for an answer, displaying his obsession in the ring, backstage and even on Twitter.

Wherever Lana goes, Rusev follows — and, lately, wherever Rusev goes, Summer Rae seems to follow. Could the Rusev/Lana drama become even more of a distraction for Ziggler with the “Marine 4” damsel’s involvement? It is unclear what Summer’s intentions are in getting involved in this fracas, but the Diva who has betrayed Fandango and the former Damien Mizdow in the past seems to indicate trouble. Even if that wasn’t a direct danger to Ziggler, it certainly creates an additional layer of drama. This is the last thing Ziggler needs, as dealing with these interconnected personalities might take focus away from his own success.

It will be difficult for the former World Heavyweight Champion to compete with title contenders like Sheamus if he is constantly looking over his shoulder. On the other hand, Ziggler did earn victories over Adam Rose on Raw, as well as Bo Dallas on last week’s SmackDown, with Lana at his right hand. What should these mixed results mean for Ziggler’s approach? It is doubtless that Lana offered a boost for Rusev during his United States Championship reign, but now that her affections became a source of contention, it could very well prove to be a liability.

Ziggler’s loss to The Celtic Warrior calls his association with his lovely supporter into question. While few would deny that she is indeed ravishing, Ziggler must be careful to not let her beauty — and the attention it brings — distract him from in-ring success. Unless he can figure out a way to dispose of The Bulgarian Brute, once and for all, The Showoff might be better off letting Rusev and Lana work out their issues on their own.

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