In a recent episode of the podcast “Wise Choices” hosted by Eric Bischoff, reigning TNA World Champion, Nic Nemeth, better known as Dolph Ziggler, shared insights about his exit from WWE in September of 2023.
Fascinating details revealed in the podcast are presented below:
Considering his career as something that would always revolve around WWE, Nic shared: “Absolutely. Initially, the idea was that I would always be a part of WWE. A decade into my career, during discussions with Vince, I got the feeling that eventually, I’ll be supporting backstage operations, giving inputs on live events, gradually becoming an integral part of the team, and participating in important meetings. I had made peace with the fact that contrary to those I came across online not associated with WWE, I would probably be unable to explore opportunities outside this realm. For instance, the impressive Hiroshi Tanahashi, whose career I’d followed over the years. It seemed exciting to imagine having a match with him, but I always felt tied down to WWE and didn’t think that such outside encounters were possible for me.”
Nic continued, stating, “To my surprise, my association with WWE did come to an end and I got to live the dream in having a match against Tanahashi. I also had the opportunity to wrestle against David Finley, Fit Finley’s rising star son, making his mark in New Japan. Interestingly, my background wasn’t from the independent circuit. During my time at WWE, I’d often vent my frustrations regarding my creative path in interviews by stating, ‘I don’t know, I don’t watch.’ As others within the wrestling community began including Indy’s in their circles, I focused on WWE and didn’t interact much outside, with one exception, Shinsuke Nakamura.”
Detailing how Shinsuke Nakamura connected him to NJPW, Nic recounted: “Several years ago, he told me, ‘If ever you decide to leave WWE, I can introduce you to some people. I would vouch for you.’ I was truly touched by his offer. Years later, I remembered our conversation and asked if his offer still stood. He connected me with Rocky [Romero], and thus began my amazing journey with New Japan. It was a unique and exciting experience to explore the wrestling world outside WWE, testing my abilities and observing different work cultures.”
Check out the video embedded below to hear the entire podcast:
[embedded content]