Nic Nemeth Reveals Vince McMahon Took Issue With One Aspect Of His WWE Presentation

In his run as "Dolph Ziggler," Nick Nemeth quickly captured both the WWE Intercontinental and United States Championships within two years of his new gimmick, but between the two reigns, he suddenly had his gimmick changed. One night, Vickie Guerrero simply introduced Nemeth as the 'New-and-improved Dolph Ziggler,' sporting a short, brown hairstyle instead. According to Nemeth, during an interview on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," his look was all a part of Vince McMahon's plan. 

"Oh God, yeah," he recalled after Van Vliet reminded him of the gimmick alteration. "At the time, my record was somewhere around two wins to eighty-six losses, and Vince told me that I wasn't credible enough, and it was probably because of my hair..."

Nemeth claimed that he tried to argue with McMahon that it was his incredible losing streak that was making him seem less credible, but the then-WWE Chairman wouldn't budge, and urged him to cut his hair and return to a color closer to his natural brunette.

"Weirdly no," he added when Van Vliet asked him if the hair change helped him win more matches. "So, it must've been the short black hair must've been really...Incredible? I guess, yes. Infamous?" 

As many fans know by now, Nemeth quickly went back to his signature bleached-blonde hair, which the veteran still sports in TNA today, where he's a former world champion.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.