August 30th 2024.
Nic Nemeth, also known as Dolph Ziggler, is currently basking in the glory of being TNA Wrestling’s World Heavyweight Champion. However, things could have taken a different turn if he had his way. Despite his successful career, the 44-year-old veteran revealed that he was planning to retire in 2019 after facing off against Goldberg and The Miz.
In an exclusive interview with The Agency, Nemeth shared that he had agreed to lose to both men before stepping back from WWE. But then, the unexpected happened. He claimed that then-WWE boss Vince McMahon went back on their agreement. With a laugh, he recalled, “Let’s see what I can say here. It certainly wasn’t my idea after that Goldberg match, ‘I want to stay and keep wrestling.’ Get the hell out of here.”
The decorated champion joked that he would save the full story for his book, which he plans to write in a couple of years. However, he did admit that things didn’t turn out the way he had hoped. “We had a handshake deal, and one of us reneged on the deal, and it wasn’t me,” he teased.
Nemeth had thought that his match against Goldberg would be one of his last. He had agreed to make Goldberg look strong, believing that he was leaving the company. “It was pitched to me that if you’re leaving, you’re so good at being selfless in this business, only you could give two people you’re ‘going away match’, unlike everybody else having one,” he shared. “And I went, ‘You know what? Damn it all. Right, I’ll do it.’”
But things took a turn the following week after his match with The Miz. Nemeth was informed that the deal was no longer valid, and he had to keep wrestling after recently signing a new contract. He reached a point where he was begging to be taken off screen. “I was really excited to go away, at least for a while, or go somewhere else or disappear for a little bit, just because of never being injured, never being unavailable,” he said. “A couple of times I begged, ‘Please kill me off on TV. They see me every week for 18 years. I need to leave. Do I have to not sign with you to be able to sit at home for a few weeks and come back?’”
Now, Nemeth is the reigning TNA Wrestling World Champion. He has built a reputation for his diversity and consistency in the ring, which will be on full display tonight at TNA Wrestling Emergence. He is set to face Josh Alexander in a 60-minute Iron Man Match. Reflecting on his skills, Nemeth mused, “It’s nice to know that your particular skill set – Liam Neeson and Taken – is needed at all times. And that’s probably why I had a job for 20 years without having a friend in the office, and being five foot 11, 210 pounds.”
Since his release from WWE almost a year ago, Nemeth has been revitalized and is proud to be a part of such a stacked roster in TNA. “I’m much more interested in watching where everyone’s coming from and where they’re going, and what the story is,” he shared. “The company is hot right now. The company is crushing it.”
A major contributor to TNA’s growth over the past few years has been Josh Alexander, who will stand across from Nemeth in their highly anticipated rematch tonight. Excited about the upcoming bout, the champ exclaimed, “I can entertain, steal the show, and want everybody watching me – the sports entertainer part that sells tickets while we’re currently in one of the hottest runs for TNA in the modern era of this new TNA. So I back it up, and I’m going to back it up on Friday at Emergence… And I’m going to prove that I’m the best of both worlds and Josh Alexander, he’s a pro wrestler.”
For fans interested in watching the match, TNA Wrestling is available to stream on TNA+. And for those who want to keep up with all the latest news and updates in the entertainment industry, remember to stay tuned to The Agency. If you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, we’d love to hear from you. You can reach out to us via email, call us at 020 3615 2145, or visit our Submit Stuff page. We can’t wait to hear from you!
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