IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Nic Nemeth (formerly known as Dolph Ziggler in WWE) has made it clear that he is not looking for any long-term commitments.
Nemeth ended a 19-year run with WWE in September last year. Several promotions contacted him after his release and wanted to bring him on board.
Nemeth’s first post WWE appearance was for NJPW where he debuted his ‘Wanted Man gimmick.’ He also started making appearances for TNA Wrestling shortly after.
In recent times AEW has been the preferred destination for the free agents. Former World Champions like Adam Copeland and Mercedes Mone have decided to join AEW after departing WWE. Nic Nemeth however, chose a different path because he has other plans.
Nic Nemeth doesn’t want to be ‘locked in’
Speaking on Keepin It 100, Nemeth revealed that he had some discussions with AEW but he had some other plans chalked out in mind for his career outside WWE. He claimed that Scott D’Amore insisted him to sign with TNA Wrestling.
Moreover, one of the locker room members had also reached out to him and he eventually decided to sign a short-term deal with the promotion. However, he has the freedom to compete in other promotions as well. Nemeth said:
“In the past, some [talks] but I had a plan that I’ve been working on for probably the last year and a half. I didn’t want to go anywhere. I appreciate that several companies reached out immediately.
I [said] I have this one plan, I want to do this on my own and even so, Scott D’Amore was so insistent because the locker room was so strong and somebody in the locker room of TNA reached out and I go ‘man you guys are really making this hard.'”
The former WWE star made it clear that he wouldn’t sign a long-term deal because he didn’t want to be held down by any promotion. He added:
“[I said] let’s do some dates. I’m not gonna sign for 3 years but I said I just wanna bounce around and be a hired gun. I’ll go with anybody and do anything. [I said] I just got out of a long-term relationship, 19 years. I don’t want to sign a paper that says you can’t do this.
I can still represent companies, I am a great brand ambassador. I just don’t want to be locked in. I did it for too long. I stayed a couple extra years to get the good money.”
Nic Nemeth feels that he is in the best shape of his career and reiterated that he wants to ‘bounce around’ for some more time and eventually settle down at a promotion.
In April, huge opportunities are lined up for Nemeth. He will challenge Moose for the TNA World Championship at TNA Rebellion on April 20.
A week later, on April 27, Nemeth will battle Alberto El Patron for the AAA Mega Championship at AAA TripleMania XXXII. Nemeth has also issued a challenge to a veteran NJPW star. Find out more below: