Nic Nemeth Originally Inked a Short-Term Deal with TNA

Nic Nemeth, formely known as Dolph Ziggler, is currently at the pinnacle of TNA as the reigning World Champion, securing his title at the Slammiversary event in July. As he prepares for his most significant challenge yet, a 60-minute Iron Man match against Josh Alexander at TNA Emergence, Nemeth reflects on his journey post-WWE.

In a recent interview with Fightful, Nemeth candidly discussed his mindset after being released from WWE. Initially, he had no desire to join another promotion. He expressed uncertainty about what the future held, admitting he wasn’t sure if his phone would ring again with offers. However, to his surprise, he was inundated with messages and offers almost immediately after his release.

Despite the overwhelming interest from various promotions, Nemeth was hesitant to commit to any long-term contracts. Having spent 19 years with WWE, the former World Champion likened his departure to ending a long-term relationship and emphasized that he wasn’t ready to jump into a new commitment. He mentioned that he was being paid well to “sit on the bench” in WWE and only be used in emergencies, which motivated his decision to leave.

“Yeah, first and foremost, I didn’t want to go anywhere. I was very, very lucky. Again I don’t know how the outside world works other than getting it through friends who are on the independents, friends in different companies, and you have an idea but you don’t truly know. My last day in New York, I didn’t know if my phone was never going to ring again or you get a couple of handful of people like, ‘Hey, congrats or good luck or you want to do this one show in six months.’ Legitimately, my phone got so many messages, it got so hot, it shut down, I couldn’t send a text for about six or seven hours. I go—this is not a brag—I go, ‘Wow, okay.’ But a lot of it was like, ‘Hey, hell of a run, blah, blah, blah, blah, what a run,’ bullshit that you say to people. But like a ton of it was, ‘How do we get you here right now?’ I said, ‘Guys, it’s a bit out of my standard. Like I’m just getting out of a relationship, a long-term 19 year relationship. I’m not looking to get engaged right now and sign a three year deal somewhere or a five year deal or even one year.’ I said, ‘What I want to do is the reason I asked to leave was 100% like, I’m getting paid a shitload of money to sit on the bench and occasionally break the glass and you have a big match or in case of emergency if somebody’s hurt.’”

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Furthermore, former TNA President Scott D’Amore played a pivotal role in bringing Nemeth to TNA, convincing him to agree to a deal initially set for ten dates. D’Amore presented a compelling case, emphasizing TNA’s strong locker room, long-term storytelling plans, and the quality of the people behind the scenes. Nemeth, who was hesitant about committing to a long-term deal, found the ten-date agreement appealing, allowing him to assess his fit within the company without feeling tied down. Ultimately, Nemeth appreciated the hard-working environment and the people involved and decided to give TNA a chance under these terms.

“Then I’ll never forget, Scott D’Amore was like, ‘We want you here.’ I go, ‘Listen, I appreciate that. I can’t do it.’ He goes, Here’s what we got in the background. Here’s the long-term storytelling. Here’s all the bits and pieces. Here are the people behind the scenes. The locker room’s so good.’ All these people from the locker room are texting me. I go, ‘I love it so much, I don’t want to be tied down. Like, what if I’m not helping you guys? Or what if I hate it? Or it doesn’t work out? I don’t want to sign a three year deal.’ He goes, ‘How about a year?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then how about 10 dates?’ I go, ‘Alright, that I can do. Let’s do 10 dates and if you don’t think I’m worth it, cut me out. Or if I say this sucks, I can’t, I don’t like this company.’ I love it so much. Everybody’s great. In a world where every locker room is pretty friggin’ awesome and hard working. Like there’s no wrestling locker room where people are like, ‘Oh nobody works hard here.’ It’s every place you go is like these guys are busting their ass to make something special happen. That is the exact same case with TNA. The infrastructure behind the scenes is really awesome. I love Gale Kim. I love Tommy. But like not even because I’m saying because I worked there. I actually know them and like them a lot. I go, ‘Okay, and there’s some of the people who get it.’”

As Nemeth continues to navigate his career post-WWE, his focus remains on making the most of his current opportunities and maintaining his position at the top of TNA. The upcoming match against Josh Alexander will be a significant test of his resolve and determination as TNA World Champion, so it will be a must-watch encounter in TNA.

What are your thoughts on Nic Nemeth originally signing a short-term deal with TNA? Sound off in the comments!