Nic Nemeth was a recent guest on the “Busted Open Radio” podcast to discuss a variety of topics, including Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut.
The former Dolph Ziggler believes AEW should have had her debut take place a bit later in the show.
Additionally, Nemeth says the former Sasha Banks is a natural heel.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On believing AEW should have had her debut a bit later in the show: “Maybe, [Mone] is coming, because we don’t know for sure, you don’t know a segment. As long as you don’t blow it to the end. In 2024, you don’t want an audience sitting for an hour and 50 minutes, waiting for the thing that they knew was happening,” he said. “Tease them, take it away, whatever, first 30, 45 minutes, something happens, and she shows up out of nowhere.”
On Mone calling out Willow Nightingale but coming out to help her later: “Something I got, when they stared each other down, they had their moment, I said, ‘Okay, what are we going to do here… Is Mercedes going to back away?’ And Willow raised her hand for both of them in the ring. It almost looked like Mercedes didn’t want it to be raised or touched, to where she took it and was like, ‘Alright, you can hold my hand up. You can share the ring with me and take a little glory of this new star debuting.’”
On Mone being a natural heel: “I think she also, there’s very real cockiness to Mercedes that… you can just see in her eyes. She’s a natural heel, but when you’re a superstar, and you’re over, and everybody’s cheering for you, and everybody’s talking about you, it almost doesn’t matter.”
Nic Nemeth, also known as Dolph Ziggler, recently appeared on the “Busted Open Radio” podcast to discuss various topics, including Mercedes Mone’s debut in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Nemeth expressed his opinion that AEW should have timed Mone’s debut later in the show for maximum impact.
Nemeth believes that it is important to create anticipation and excitement among the audience. He suggests teasing the audience and building up suspense for the first 30 to 45 minutes of the show before Mone’s surprise appearance. According to Nemeth, this approach would prevent the audience from waiting for almost two hours for something they already know is going to happen.
In addition to discussing the timing of Mone’s debut, Nemeth also commented on a specific moment during her appearance. When Mone confronted Willow Nightingale in the ring, there was a brief hesitation before Mone eventually accepted Nightingale’s gesture of raising their hands together. Nemeth interpreted this moment as Mone initially not wanting to share the spotlight but eventually allowing Nightingale to bask in the glory of her debut.
Furthermore, Nemeth praised Mone’s natural ability to portray a heel character. He described her as having a genuine sense of cockiness that is evident in her eyes. Despite being a natural heel, Nemeth acknowledged that when a superstar becomes popular and receives overwhelming support from the audience, their character alignment becomes less significant.
Mone’s debut in AEW has generated significant buzz and excitement among wrestling fans. As a former WWE superstar himself, Nemeth’s insights into the timing and character dynamics of Mone’s debut provide an interesting perspective on how wrestling promotions can maximize the impact of such moments.
Overall, Nic Nemeth’s appearance on the “Busted Open Radio” podcast shed light on the importance of strategic timing in wrestling debuts and highlighted Mercedes Mone’s potential as a natural heel. As AEW continues to make waves in the wrestling industry, fans eagerly anticipate what lies ahead for Mone and other talented performers in the promotion.