Andrew Ravens
Nic Nemeth turned down WWE on multiple occasions before agreeing to return for John Cena‘s farewell tournament, he revealed on the Sweet Pop podcast.
Nemeth said that when WWE first came calling, he was not interested. It was only when he learned the return would be tied to Cena that he changed his mind.
“They had asked me to come back a couple of different times for some other things, and I was like, ‘Uh, I don’t know,'” Nemeth said, before explaining what turned the tide. When told the opportunity was connected to Cena, he said the decision became easy given their shared history and everything Cena has done for talent inside and outside the ring.
Nemeth went on to compete in the Last Time Is Now tournament, returning at Madison Square Garden to face Solo Sikoa in a match to determine Cena’s final opponent.
Nic Nemeth regrets selfless approach in WWE
In the same interview, Nemeth reflected on his nearly two-decade WWE run under the Dolph Ziggler name, acknowledging that his instinct to put others over may have cost him at the top of the card. He described himself as someone who prioritized making matches and opponents look good over positioning himself for bigger opportunities, calling it both a strength and a liability.
“To a fault, I was a little selfless,” Nemeth said. “I want this match to be great. I want everyone to be talking about it — instead of going, ‘I want to be talked about as world champion.'”
He credited that approach with keeping him employed for 20 years while admitting it likely held him back from consistently cracking the main event. Regardless, fans will remember him for being one of the best in-ring workers of his era and a missed opportunity by WWE management in charge. For now, he is showing off as a top star in TNA Wrestling.
