Nic Nemeth (Dolph Ziggler) appeared at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 earlier this month following his WWE release in September 2023.
Nemeth would make his New Japan Pro Wrestling in-ring debut by challenging David Finlay for the Global Heavyweight Championship on Night 1 of ‘The New Beginning’ in Sapporo on February 23.
On a recent edition of the “Talk is Jericho” podcast, Nemeth revealed that Shinsuke Nakamura boosted his post-WWE career by helping him get in touch with NJPW.
The Wanted Man said, “A couple of years ago, I’m not close friends with a lot of people, but a long time ago when Shinsuke came up from NXT, at the time I was doing the thing where everybody who shows up wrestles me. I didn’t really know him, I didn’t really watch Japanese wrestling, I don’t watch our wrestling. I famously don’t watch wrestling, I hate everything because I was in a bad place, but I love my job and doing what I do. After WrestleMania, Shinsuke comes up (to the main roster), does whatever he does, and we’re overseas. Him and I had to stay and do the dark match after TV and everyone else went on. We’re sitting next to each other, we put a couple of matches together, I’m not really outspoken. I had requested a bottle of jackfire whiskey and we had that for the ride. ‘You want a sip?’ We just start talking, we had a couple of whiskeys, and we were buddies. It was so great because he’s the biggest sweetheart in the world. We had a good bond I liked wrestling with him.”
He continued, “A long time ago, every time my contract comes up, I’m like, ‘I’m going to get out of here. I have nothing left to do, I’m kind of sitting on the bench.’ Break in case of emergency when someone is having a world title match or something. [Shinsuke] goes, ‘If you ever get out of here, I have some connections and I would like to help you out.’ ‘That’s so cool, I don’t know anybody.’ Years and years go by, and I sent an email to the boss. This is Vince [Vince McMahon]. At the time, we were not sure what was going on, but I sent Vince and incredibly long email, 90% thankful, ‘Oh my God, the years were so great, you taught me to do all this stuff.’ 10%, ‘This is messed up, I have to get the hell out of here, there is no purpose for me to be getting paid millions of dollars to sit on the bench or to be a three minute match like a local. Pay locals to do this. There is no reason for me to be here.’ I didn’t hear anything back for two weeks and then I found out I was released. I sent that to a few different people, I don’t want to name names, but I sent it to very important people. Vince was the only one that wrote back, instantly, and was like, ‘this is a lot to unpack, let’s talk about it further.’ ‘Sir, if you want me to fly to Stamford tomorrow, I’ll be on a flight.’ He said, ‘Thanks, we’ll think about it.’ Two weeks later, I was released. First thing I wanted to do was, I’ve never done independents. I’ve never gone around the country, except with WWE many times. I was like, ‘I’m still friends with Shin [Nakamura]. Hey Shin, do you think I’m still good at wrestling? What do you think about Japan?’ He’s like, ‘I got you.’ Put a couple of pieces together, get to Rocky Romero, who is the go between, and luckily for me, they were happy and excited. That was one of the first things I did when I got released. First week in.”
Former WWE superstar Nic Nemeth, better known by his ring name Dolph Ziggler, recently made his debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) at Wrestle Kingdom 18. This appearance came shortly after his release from WWE in September 2023.
Nemeth’s in-ring debut for NJPW took place on Night 1 of ‘The New Beginning’ in Sapporo on February 23. He challenged David Finlay for the Global Heavyweight Championship, marking an exciting start to his career in the Japanese promotion.
In a recent episode of the “Talk is Jericho” podcast, Nemeth shared that fellow wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura played a significant role in helping him transition to NJPW after his departure from WWE. The two had formed a bond during their time together in WWE, and Nakamura offered his connections to assist Nemeth in finding opportunities outside of the company.
Nemeth recalled a conversation with Nakamura, saying, “A long time ago, every time my contract comes up, I’m like, ‘I’m going to get out of here. I have nothing left to do, I’m kind of sitting on the bench.’ [Shinsuke] goes, ‘If you ever get out of here, I have some connections and I would like to help you out.’”
After being released by WWE, Nemeth sent a heartfelt email to Vince McMahon expressing his gratitude for the years spent in the company but also expressing his desire to explore new opportunities. McMahon responded promptly and expressed interest in discussing the matter further. However, two weeks later, Nemeth received news of his release from WWE.
Following his release, Nemeth reached out to Nakamura to inquire about the possibility of wrestling in Japan. Nakamura connected him with Rocky Romero, who helped facilitate his entry into NJPW. Fortunately, NJPW was enthusiastic about having Nemeth join their roster, and he made it one of his first priorities after leaving WWE.
Nemeth’s move to NJPW not only showcases his talent but also highlights the strong camaraderie and support within the professional wrestling community. The assistance provided by Nakamura and others demonstrates the willingness of wrestlers to help their peers succeed even outside of their respective companies.
Fans of Nemeth, now known as Dolph Ziggler in NJPW, eagerly await his future matches and anticipate the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for him in the promotion. With his impressive skills and the backing of his fellow wrestlers, it is clear that Nemeth’s post-WWE career is off to a promising start in NJPW.