after losing an intercontinental championship match against daniel bryan on the "raw" following wrestlemania 31, ziggler was attacked and brogue kicked by the returning sheamus. claiming that "the era of underdogs (like ziggler) is over", sheamus and ziggler started a feud, with sheamus challenging ziggler in a kiss me arse match at extreme rules, which ziggler won. however, sheamus refused to follow the stipulation, and instead made ziggler kiss his buttocks. ziggler lost the rematch against sheamus at payback. ziggler participated in the elimination chamber match for the vacated intercontinental championship; other participants were winner ryback, king barrett, r-truth, sheamus who eliminated ziggler, and mark henry at elimination chamber. at money in the bank, ziggler competed in the money in the bank ladder match, which was won by sheamus. on july 4 at the beast in the east live event in japan, ziggler and john cena defeated king barrett and kane in the main event.