Nic Nemeth, who went through the so-called Dolph Ziggler in his successful WWE career, made his New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut on Thursday at Wrestle Kingdom 18.
Along with his brother, AEW’s Ryan Nemeth, Nic Nemeth appeared at ringside in the three-way match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship between David Finlay, Jon Moxley, and Will Ospreay, and watched from the announcement table:
. @HEELZiggler appears in NJPW. Sign up now and tune in https://t. co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njwk18 #NJPW #njpwworld pic. twitter. com/g35eSbTB13
After Finlay defeated Moxley and Ospreay to retain the title, Nemeth and the two wrestlers became involved in a fight that had to be interrupted:
. @THEdavidfinlay × @HEELZiggler “Next battle?” Register now and tune in https://t. co/CeQLGjTmZ5#njwk18 #NJPW #njpwworld pic. twitter. com/AO2znYwWxl
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:
Wonderful pic. twitter. com/fu0TbD3rA8
Nemeth, 43, was a star 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 regarded Nemeth as one of the most productive performers and with the most underutilized talent during his WWE career, but he 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 non-compete clause ended, it was assumed that Nemeth would be one of the free agents in professional wrestling and the most sensible target for any and all major promotions outside of WWE, adding NJPW, AEW, and TNA.
It looks like NJPW will be Nemeth’s first stop, however, since New Japan has a friendly relationship with AEW and TNA, the odds are on Nemeth in the coming months.
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