Nic Nemeth Says He Turned Down WWE Several Times Before John Cena Tournament Return
During John Cena's 'The Last Time Is Now Tournament,' many notable names returned to WWE like Matt Cardona – who has since been signed under his real name – and Nic Nemeth, who also returned as "Dolph Ziggler."
During an interview with "The Sweet Pop," Nemeth revealed that the tournament was actually not the first offer he received to return to WWE following his 2023 release.
"They'd asked me to come back a couple different times for some other things, and I was like...'It's been two years, I don't really want to,'" Nemeth explained. "And then they said, 'This is for Cena,'"
Nemeth added that his history with Cena and everything 'The Champ' has done in and out of the ring ultimately persuaded him.
"He's like, Greatest Of All Time," Nemeth exclaimed. After his 2023 release, Nemeth had no plans to return to WWE. Instead, he hoped to prove that he could thrive outside WWE.
"I have to prove to myself that I don't just fit into this WWE [mold]," he said. "I can adapt anywhere."
Nic Nemeth expressed that his return felt like going to a party knowing your ex-girlfriend would be there
While coming back for John Cena was an easy decision for Nic Nemeth, he admitted that he did it as much for himself as he did for Cena.
"It's like, you're going to a party, and you know there's going to be [one] of your ex-girlfriends there," he explained. "And you're like, 'Oh, I'm getting hair done, I'm getting a nice new shirt, make sure I get a tan, a workout, and go, 'Oh, hey? What's going on?' and just walk, just for that one moment of walking by to let them know you're doing great."
Nemeth further admitted that he does have a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but that he genuinely wanted WWE to see how good he is without having him back already.
"If you want me to come back down the line, and we can work something out once in a while for special moments to help my friends? In a heartbeat," he claimed, before stating where his current focus actually is. "My goal is to help TNA get a TV deal and we got it on AMC...that's the important part for me in the last six months."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Sweet Pop" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.