Dolph Ziggler on Royal Rumble; Scott Steiner's Son Eyes WWE; Rumors on Shawn Michaels
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Nemeth Entertains Potential Royal Rumble Appearance
Competing in TNA Wrestling hasn't stopped some wrestlers from appearing in the Royal Rumble match. Current champion Nic Nemeth was enthusiastic about the idea of returning to WWE and reprising his old Dolph Ziggler gimmick.
"A Rumble spot, though? Dude, that's so cool," he said in an interview with the Daily Star (via Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News). "WWE's killing it right now. To do something fun—wear my old trunks, get the old music to play, come out there, and kick somebody in the face—that would be awesome.
"But the most important thing would be creating a viral moment, so I could talk about TNA. That's the only reason I'd want to do it. It'd be cool to see some old friends, but most importantly, I just—you know, I left on purpose. Not because I hated that place. They're killing it right now."
Fans always expect some surprises when it comes to the Royal Rumble entrants. With 30 stars competing in the men's and women's Battle Royals, there are plenty of opportunities to bring back a past legend or showcase an NXT talent.
In the case of Nemeth, he would be following in the footsteps of Mickie James. The Impact Wrestling women's champion at the time, she showed up at the 2022 Royal Rumble and brought the belt with her.
Especially if he were to use his old Dolph Ziggler music, Nemeth would undoubtedly create a viral moment by walking through the entrance at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Feb. 1.
Son of Scott Steiner Harbors WWE Aspirations
The worlds of WWE and college football briefly came together in Jacksonville State's 30-27 loss to Ohio in the Cure Bowl. That's because Scott Steiner's son, Brock Rechsteiner, is a redshirt junior wide receiver on the Gamecocks.
Steiner was interviewed during the ESPN broadcast and naturally asked about Brock perhaps entering the squared circle one day.
"That's the plan; that's what he wants to do," Steiner said. "Whatever makes him happy. ... I'm happy for him. [Watching] him fulfill his athletic dreams, so once football is over, he'll do it with wrestling."
Rechsteiner caught 16 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns this season. He has one more year of eligibility at Jacksonville State, which finished at 9-5.
A few years ago, wrestling fans were learning of the football exploits of a different member of the Steiner family. Bron Breakker, whose real name is Bronson Rechsteiner, played collegiately at Kennesaw State from 2016-19.
Even with the family lineage, few could've imagined at the time the son of Rick Steiner would adapt so naturally to pro wrestling and climb the WWE ladder with such expediency. Breakker signed a developmental deal in February 2021 and was crowned the NXT champion the following January.
Beyond having to live up to his father's Hall of Fame career, the seamless transition his cousin made from football will only add to the expectations thrust upon Brock Rechsteiner if he decides to try his hand with WWE.
NXT Championship Match Draws Internal Praise
Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe were unable to determine a winner in their NXT Championship match last Tuesday. The bout ended in a draw after Williams pinned Thorpe but had his shoulders on the mat as well as the referees counted to three.
Williams retained the title as a result of the draw, much to the chagrin of the challenger. In the aftermath, Thorpe confronted NXT general manager Ava and shoved NXT creative lead Shawn Michaels.
According to Fightful Select (via Ringside News' Steve Carrier), the match finish and ensuing fallout received an "overwhelmingly positive" reaction behind the scenes.
"Backstage, it seems like the chaos hit all the right notes, with NXT sources applauding the segment for its unpredictability and storytelling," Carrier wrote.
The finish had HBK's fingerprints all over it.
An April 2007 match on Raw between Michaels and Orton had the exact same outcome. Michaels delivered Sweet Chin Music to Orton and fell backward. His and Orton's shoulders were both on the canvas as two different referees counted a pin.
It's a great device to advance a story and build to an even bigger encounter.
Fans might have been left disappointed with how the last episode of NXT concluded, but that's kind of the point. Clearly, Williams and Thorpe have unfinished business.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode below.
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
