Two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion Nic Nemeth, widely known as Dolph Ziggler, expressed deep gratitude for the invaluable support he received from fellow wrestlers during the early stages of his career.
Having worked with WWE from 2004 to 2023, Nemeth initially gained recognition as male cheerleader Nicky before adopting the persona of Dolph Ziggler.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Riju Dasgupta, Nemeth credited his colleagues for providing essential guidance during his early days in the ring.
Reflecting on his experiences, he emphasized the significance of sharing the ring with legends such as Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Dusty Rhodes, Triple H, and Vince McMahon:
“It’s amazing, man. I’ve had like a 98 percent loss record, but I’ve been the luckiest guy in the world. I’ve been in the ring with Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Vince McMahon. All these people that you grew up watching, and then you come to realize how good they are. The reason I’m as good as I am today is because I got to be in the ring with those people.”
Nemeth also acknowledged the unique experience of being part of The Spirit Squad in 2006, despite initial uncertainties about its impact on his career. As a male cheerleader, he questioned the direction of the gimmick but soon realized the valuable opportunities it presented, particularly in working with iconic figures every weekend:
“A really special time for me was The Spirit Squad,” Nemeth said. “I was a cheerleader, I go, ‘What the hell are we doing here?’ and you start to realize it’s a foot in the door, people were booing us out of the building instantly, and then every weekend I’m working with Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and any other cast of Hall of Famers. I was so bummed out. I’m like, ‘I’m not sure what we’re doing here. When this ends, do I just go away?'”
Furthermore, Nemeth highlighted the influence of Kenny Dykstra, a fellow member of The Spirit Squad. Despite Dykstra’s younger age, he shared valuable insights behind the scenes, offering guidance that Nemeth found immensely beneficial:
“I’ve been the luckiest guy in the world learning from Jim Cornette, Rip Rogers. Kenny Dykstra was 19 years old and I was 25, and he was letting me know on the things behind the scenes, like, ‘Watch out for this. Make sure you do this.’ And I go, ‘That’s stuff I wouldn’t have learned for 10 more years,’ so I got to learn from everybody. And you don’t take everything from everybody and count it. That’s how it goes. But a lot of people were looking out for me, and I’ve been very fortunate, and I plan on giving back to everybody else for the next 20 years.”
Having ventured into various wrestling promotions post his WWE stint, including GCW, NJPW, TNA, and WWC, Nemeth expressed openness to a potential return to WWE but emphasized that it is not his current priority.
