Tag: Nic Nemeth

TNA’s Nic Nemeth Returned On Raw As Dolph Ziggler In ‘Last Time Is Now’ Tournament

In a surprise that lit up social media before the bell even rang, former TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth stepped back into WWE rings Monday night—only this time he re-embraced the persona fans know best: Dolph Ziggler. The longtime WWE standout returned on “Raw” as a mystery entrant in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament, a high-stakes bracket that will determine who gets the honor of facing John Cena in his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

But Ziggler’s comeback run hit a wall early, courtesy of Solo Sikoa.

After “Raw” GM Adam Pearce kept Sikoa’s opponent under wraps all night, Ziggler emerged to a huge reaction. Sikoa made his entrance with Talla Tonga at his side, though he wouldn’t end up needing any backup. Ziggler came out hot, trying to overwhelm Sikoa with quick strikes and a series of elbow drops as he looked to shake off any ring rust.

The former World Heavyweight Champion pushed the pace, even locking in an early submission attempt that forced Sikoa to scramble for the ropes. When the action spilled to the floor, Ziggler bounced Sikoa off the announce desk, giving himself a brief opening. Back inside, a top-rope elbow and the Blonde Ambition weren’t enough—Sikoa kicked out with authority each time.

Momentum shifted when Ziggler lined up for Sweet Chin Music. Sikoa caught the first attempt, but Ziggler still managed to land a clean shot moments later. The problem? It didn’t keep Sikoa down for long. As Ziggler tried to regain his balance, Sikoa blasted him with a devastating Samoan Spike, dropping the 19-year WWE veteran for the three-count.

With the win, Solo Sikoa advances in the tournament, inching closer to a potential showdown with John Cena. As for Ziggler, his WWE return created plenty of buzz—even if his run in the bracket ended just as quickly as it began.

Nic Nemeth Is Legitimately Furious Over Trick Williams’ TNA World Title Win

In one of the most shocking cross-promotional moments of the year, Trick Williams walked out of NXT Battleground 2025 as the new TNA World Champion—defeating Joe Hendry in a high-profile clash that’s sent ripples through both brands. But while fans are buzzing over the surprise result, not everyone is thrilled—especially former TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth, who’s made it clear he’s furious over the title changing hands.

Speaking candidly in a new interview with WhatCulture, Nemeth didn’t mince words. “I’m absolutely furious and pissed off about it, and that’s not a joke or a game,” he said, clearly frustrated by what he sees as a major misstep for the TNA brand.

Nemeth, who lost the title to Hendry earlier this year, praised his former rival for raising TNA’s profile, but didn’t hold back when it came to the result at Battleground. “Joe Hendry has accomplished so much… he’s brought so many eyes to TNA… and then he loses our world title to a guy from a different company?” Nemeth fumed.

While he made sure to acknowledge Trick Williams as a legitimate talent—calling him “a badass” with “a great future”—the veteran wrestler emphasized that the optics of an NXT star now holding TNA’s most prestigious championship don’t sit well with him.

“This isn’t a world of participation medals… I don’t go, ‘hey, great job, buddy’ when you lose our world title,” Nemeth continued. “When you mess up, you own up to it. Joe lost our world title. I am not okay with that.”

In a move that may raise some eyebrows backstage, Nemeth even suggested old-school accountability might be needed. “We might need to bring back wrestler’s court or something,” he said, half-joking but clearly serious about the gravity of the situation in his eyes.

This marks a rare moment of genuine tension bleeding out into the open between brands, as TNA and WWE’s NXT continue to explore a working relationship that’s seen talent appear across both promotions. Trick’s win could open the door for more crossover storytelling—but it’s also created internal friction, at least for those like Nemeth who view the TNA World Title as sacred ground.

Whether TNA management or locker room leaders will echo Nemeth’s outrage remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: Trick Williams has everyone talking—and that might be exactly what both companies wanted.

Nic Nemeth Captures Vacant AAA Mega Title At Triplemania XXXII

Nic Nemeth’s post-WWE career has found him uniting two unlikely promotions: NJPW and AAA. Already the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Nemeth competed against Alberto El Patron for the vacant AAA Mega Championship at AAA Triplemania XXXII: Monterrey on Saturday.

Nemeth was successful in his challenge, capturing the title, despite being a champion in NJPW, who has a partnership with AAA’s rival promotion CMLL. The animosity between the two promotions has caused trouble with AEW in North America, as AEW has a partnership with NJPW, but has AAA contracted talent like Rey Fenix and Penta El Ciero Miedo on the roster, leading to those talents not being able to work cross promotional shows like AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door. The AAA Mega Championship was vacant because former champion El Hijo Del Vikingo underwent surgery for a knee injury in March, after holding the title for over 800 days. There is no word on when Vikingo will return.

Nemeth was released from WWE in September 2023, after WWE and UFC finalized the merger to become TKO Group Holdings. After his non-compete clause was expired, Nemeth appeared in NJPW and TNA before finding his way to AAA. The former World Heavyweight Champion dethroned IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay earlier this year after debuting at Wrestle Kingdom 18, the second champion in the belt’s young lineage. The title was created to replace the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, which had been dubbed the IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight Champion by Will Ospreay before the belt was retired in favor of the Global Title.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Nic Nemeth Confronts Champion After NJPW Debut At Wrestle Kingdom 18

Nic Nemeth and David Finlay needed to be pulled apart during today’s NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 event. David Finlay had just captured the IWGP Global Championship in a three-way match with Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley, before engaging in a heated exchange with Nemeth. 

Nemeth had been seated at ringside at Wrestle Kingdom alongside his brother Ryan Nemeth when Finlay came into focus. It was mentioned on the broadcast that Nemeth chased Finlay down backstage just as Kazuchika Okada made his entrance for the next match.

After their exchange, the former WWE star spoke to the media backstage while holding Finlay’s Global title. He noted that he isn’t currently signed to NJPW but he has a degree of pride for the IWGP Global title and found Finlay’s actions to be disgraceful. He made it clear that he would like to wrestle for the title, further decreeing to make the belt “the pinnacle.”

Nemeth, formerly known as Dolph Ziggler, was released by WWE in September 2023 after 19 years with the company. In recent years, the likes of Chris Jericho and Mercedes Mone have been brought into NJPW as major attractions owing to their previous runs in WWE. Like Nemeth, Jericho was involved in IWGP mid-card title programs, for the United States and Intercontinental titles, while Mone featured in the IWGP Women’s title program with inaugural champion — and now-WWE star — Kairi Sane. Mone similarly debuted at Wrestle Kingdom last year. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.