Nic Nemeth has reflected on his time as the TNA World Champion and his decision to remain a part of the company for the foreseeable future.
Following his WWE release in 2023, the former Dolph Ziggler first made an appearance in New Japan at Wrestle Kingdom 18 before making his second shock appearance at the TNA Hard to Kill pay-per-view later that month. 6 months later, Nemeth emerged as the last man standing in a six way elimination match to begin his first reign as the World Champion.
Remaining the top star in the company for the rest of the year, Nemeth recently secured his future with TNA by signing a new deal with the company and is set to put the title on the line against Joe Hendry at the Genesis pay-per-view on January 19th. Speaking with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, Nemeth is proud to fly the flag for TNA as the World Champion:
“It means a lot for them to have the confidence in me. It really started as a let’s see how it goes. If it went well, we’d stick with it. I’ve appreciated that part. The reign adding in the Hardys, Joe Hendry, Masha [Slamovich], Jordynne [Grace] and everyone stepping up. All these pieces have led to the company doing well. I’m so proud to be one percent of that chunk of us pushing forward and having everyone talking about TNA at the moment.”
When asked about the decision to stick around, Nemeth praised the backstage environment and how there is something special going on in TNA right now:
“At first, I wasn’t sure what to do. I’d just gotten out of a 20-year relationship and wanted to take a break and not immediately jump into another one. I wanted to check out the independents, go to some different countries and do things I haven’t done without the umbrella of WWE. I wanted to have a bunch of matches I never thought I would. Scott D’Amore kept saying to give them a chance, check out the locker room, and that they had something special going on over here. He wanted me to be a part of it. I got a text from Frankie Kazarian, Brian Myers, Bobby Roode, so many different people were like, “You’ve got to give it a try.” I said, “Let’s find a way where I could dip my toe here and be affiliated with you guys but still do my own thing.”
After the first payday, I got the locker room, the vibe and how everyone was on the same team. I thought, “Let’s go. Let me lock in and be a part of this.” One of the first things I told them was I didn’t want to be the champion or in the title picture for six months to a year. If it doesn’t come to me somewhat organically, then I didn’t want it to happen. Storyline-wise three or four months in we got to a match, but still Moose remained champion. Slowly, different pieces fell into place where it felt right for the time for what TNA was doing. I think we’re all doing such great work that I’m happy to be a piece of it as champion at the moment.”
Nic Nemeth Discusses New WWE Partnership
Earlier in the week, news broke that WWE and TNA had signed a new multi-year deal that would see talent exchanges continue along with more opportunities for collaboration. When asked about the partnership, the former WWE star was very positive about the potential for both sides:
“I think it’s a great move for both companies. It could be a week or two from now or longer or even this weekend. I like you have that aspect of you never thought you’d see these two guys or gals or this moment, and now you know it could absolutely happen. That aspect of surprises or someone showing up out of nowhere is one of the best parts of professional wrestling. Now anything can genuinely happen on any given Tuesday or Thursday or Saturday, you name it. That is great for the fans and long-term for both parties involved.”
Featured image: TNA
