Video: Nic Nemeth Appears at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 After WWE Run as Dolph Ziggler
Nic Nemeth, who went by the name Dolph Ziggler during his hugely successful run in WWE, made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut Thursday at Wrestle Kingdom 18.
Along with his brother, AEW's Ryan Nemeth, Nic Nemeth showed up at ringside during the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship three-way match between David Finlay, Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay, and he watched from the announce table:
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After Finlay beat Moxley and Ospreay to retain the title, he confronted Nemeth, and the two wrestlers engaged in a brawl that had to be broken up:
Following his NJPW debut, Nemeth posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which he referred to himself as "Wanted Man," and killed zombies in what amounted to a short horror movie:
Nemeth, 43, was a star collegiate wrestler at Kent State before signing a developmental deal with WWE in 2004.
After cycling through a few characters, including Nicky of the male cheerleading group known as The Spirit Squad, Nemeth became known as Dolph Ziggler in 2008, and he went on to become one of the most decorated Superstars in WWE history.
Nemeth was a two-time world heavyweight champion, six-time intercontinental champion, two-time United States champion, four-time tag team champion, one-time NXT champion and a one-time winner of the Money in the Bank ladder match.
Fans widely viewed Nemeth as one of the best all-around performers and most under-utilized talents during his WWE run, but he always tended to make the most of his opportunities.
After being used on television only sparingly and in lower-card angles for months, Nemeth was released from WWE in September, ending his nearly 20-year stint with the company.
Once his no-compete clause ended, it was assumed that Nemeth would be one of the hottest free agents in pro wrestling and a top target for all of the main promotions outside of WWE, including NJPW, AEW and TNA.
It appears as though NJPW will be Nemeth's first stop, but since New Japan has a friendly working relationship with both AEW and TNA, the possibilities are endless for Nemeth in the coming months.
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