Dolph Ziggler is set to be in WWE for a good while yet after saving his career and winning the Intercontinental Title at Smackdowns No Mercy pay-per-view earlier this month. The Show Off went into his match against then champion The Miz in California knowing that defeat would force him to retire from the company he signed for way back in 2004.Ziggler triumphed in a spectacular bout, dealing with interference from Mizs wife Maryse and former Spirit Squad pals Kenny and Mikey to prevail with a Superkick. However, the Cleveland-born star admits he did fear his WWE tenure could be coming to an end before his big victory - and had begun plans for a life outside the ring. Ziggler defeated The Miz at No Mercy to save his career Id been in talks with an agent for about a year and told him to have a couple of things ready after the date after the No Mercy pay-per-view just so I had my bases covered, Ziggler told journalists during a conference call ahead of WWEs UK tour in November.But while I was prepared to go, I sure as hell never wanted to go.WWE is a business but [WWE chairman] Vince McMahon is a human being and if I went to him and said I need to leave because I cant go higher on the card, I believe he would understand and let me go.I could go and do other things, too - I am fortunate that I have a stand-up career, while I have also gone on Fox News to talk politics, something I study, write about and have lots of ideas about.But I am still prepared to be the best WWE Superstar I can be and I want to keep doing this. Ziggler is in his fifth reign as Intercontinental Champion Ziggler says his WWE career was at a crossroads ahead of No Mercy, having failed to win the WWE World Title at SummerSlam in a match against Dean Ambrose and then been unable to prise the Intercontinental strap from The Miz at Backlash and on Smackdown.The 36-year-old subsequently agreed to put his career on the line for one last shot at The Mizs title, and reckons the emotion and backstory of the bout made it his best ever.Any world championship or WrestleMania match Ive had didnt have the build that this match did, said Ziggler, who is now a five-time Intercontinental Champion.All 11 years of my career - mainly how I lose all the time - played into it, with Miz showing a highlights package featuring every terrible thing that has happened to me in this company. The Miz presents a video package detailing Dolph Ziggler’s WWE ‘failures’ I had to put something on the line to force myself to step up or go away. I knew I needed to be more special than someone who is just good at wrestling and overcoming that challenge and becoming champion has hopefully given my career a whole new lease of life.Ziggler also reckons Julys WWE brand extension, during which Superstars were drafted exclusively to either Raw or Smackdown and not eligible to appear on both shows, has given him a boost.He added: I said the brand split would be a chance for a lot of up-and-coming guys to get a chance to be on television, get a few minutes of microphone time or introduce themselves.I didnt see it happening for me but it has actually given me a chance to be myself and not memorise something or say a catchphrase. It has been real and reinvented me. Raw and Smackdown now feature separate Superstars Ziggler is a proud holder of the Intercontinental Title, a belt first won by Pat Patterson in 1979 and held over the years by luminaries such as Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels and The Ultimate Warrior.The Show-Off is now looking to restore the championship to its former glory, something he confesses - albeit begrudgingly - that his rival, The Miz, had already begun to do.About 20 or 30 years ago that was a stepping stone title or showed you who could be the next guy to take the ball and run with it, said Ziggler.Everyone has been talking about getting it back to that and I think Miz did a great job. Ziggler says The Miz boosted the Intercontinental strap He is a jerk but he took that title everywhere he went, found a way to get everyone talking about it, and made it more than he was.Hopefully I can add my two cents to it, make it more special and ensure a match for the title main events a Smackdown Live or becomes the focal point of the show.Ziggler has certainly become a focal point of the blue brand but the kingpin in WWE remains McMahon, the companys majority owner and key decision maker.I have always been told its important to have a relationship with Vince but at the same time it is difficult, said Ziggler. Vince McMahon is very receptive, says Ziggler The one or two days a week you would see him he is extremely busy getting the shows ready for the live audience, so if you find two or three minutes youd better have something good to say as he is a workaholic and you are eating into his time.He is a little scary at first but the more you talk to him, the more you deliver in the ring and the more he can count on you [the more time he has for you].For years I have taken the time to say hello and bring up an idea and he is usually very receptive. He has started to trust me a lot more.Ziggler and his WWE peers are about to embark on a 10-show tour of the UK which will include flagship programmes Raw and Smackdown taking place in Glasgow for the first time.And Ziggler believes it may not be too long before a pay-per-view returns to these shores. Newcastle-born Neville is one of a number of British and Irish stars in WWE I think we are getting closer, he added. The audience is so huge, great and loyal and we as performers think they have gone above and beyond to deserve it.Im sure at some point it will be in the works and it will be one of the greatest crowd responses we have ever had.You can catch Dolph Ziggler when WWE LIVE returns to the UK between November 4-10. For tickets, visit http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Friday, 4 Nov, 7:30 pm: The SSE Wembley Arena, London, EnglandSaturday, 5 Nov, 7:30 pm: Butlins, Minehead, EnglandSaturday, 5 Nov, 7:30 pm: Manchester Arena, Manchester, EnglandSunday, 6 Nov, 5 pm: Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, EnglandSunday, 6 Nov, 7:30 pm: First Direct Arena, Leeds, EnglandMonday, 7 Nov, 7:30 pm: Monday Night Raw at The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, ScotlandMonday, 7 Nov, 7:30 pm: GE Oil & Gas Arena, Aberdeen, EnglandTuesday, 8 Nov, 7:30 pm: SmackDown Live at The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, ScotlandWednesday, 9 Nov, 7:30 pm: Genting Arena, Birmingham, EnglandThursday, 10 Nov, 7:30 pm: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, WalesYou can watch Premier League and EFL Cup football, plus Englands tour of Bangladesh and the Mexican Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy six months at half price! Also See: WWE news WWE videos WWE features WWE on Sky Sports Wholesale Shoes China .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Discount Shoes Online . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. http://www.discountshoescheap.com/ . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Cheap Shoes Nike . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Cheap Shoes Free Shipping . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . South Carolina softball alumni are getting together in support of wounded members of the military with a pair of events this week in Lexington and West Columbia, South Carolina. The Louisville Slugger Warriors, which is a highly decorated national slow pitch softball tournament team consisting of U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel who have suffered service related wounds, travel all around the country to raise awareness for disabled servicemen and women. Gamecock softball alumna Kate (Pouliot) Abney and Fun4All helped bring such a team to the area for the second straight year.When I first learned about these guys, it was a no-brainer for me, said Abney who serves as the Director of Softball Operations for the team and is also an occupational therapist at Lexington Medical Center Extended Care. This combines two of my greatest passions in life: softball and rehabilitation in coming back from something that can be devastating, and deciding to overcome that. To push through the rehabilitation process, overcome obstacles and begin to live life to the fullest is what occupational therapy is all about.The first event will have the Louisville Slugger Warriors take on a team from Joint Base Charleston at the Lexington County Baseball Stadium beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 14. Admission is $2, and donations will be accepted at the gate.These are young men who are very competitive in nature, and I can relate to that as an athlete, Abney said. I can also relate to them in a special way with the relationship I have in medicine and therapy. Im learning a lot from them. I have so much fun with them, too.On Saturday, October 15, the Louisville Slugger Warriors and more than two dozen South Carolina softball alumni will be on hand as part of a fast pitch tournament called USSSA Louisville Slugger Operation Thank You, which will be played at Pine Grove Sports Complex in West Columbia.They will be playing a round robin tournament mixed in with South Carolina softball aalumni, Abney said.dddddddddddd We already have around 25 Gamecock softball alumni coming in to play from all around the country. We are creating four teams where the Louisville Slugger Warriors will be playing alongside alumni from the past several decades.The Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission is a generous sponsor of the event by hosting both fields for the tournament, which features youth club teams for 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U. The gate fee for entry to the tournament is $6 for adults, $4 for youths, while children under 12 get in free. Funds and donations raised at the events help the team to continue its travel across the country and compete in the tournaments, while raising awareness of the needs of disabled veterans. After a successful event last year in Columbia, the goal is to raise $30,000 at this years event in the Midlands.We go around the country and play in tournaments against able-bodied teams, Abney said. The team does really well. Theyre hungry for high level competition. It also raises awareness. These guys are coming back home injured, but that doesnt mean that they still cant be incredible athletes and that they are very capable of pursuing their passions.The goal is to continue to build on their rehabilitation process that theyve gone through since their injuries. We have eight amputees on the team, and several of the other guys have some of the invisible wounds that you are hearing a lot more about these days, such as traumatic brain injury, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and things like that. This really gives them a sense of comradery again and helps them get out to further their physical and mental rehabilitation.Donations can be made at either of the events or if you would like more information on how you can make a donation to the cause, contact Kate Abney via email at kate.pouliot@yahoo.com. ' ' '