Nic Nemeth has nothing but praise for TNA.
It’s now been over a year since Nic Nemeth rocked the wrestling world and debuted for TNA at 2024’s Hard to Kill. After spending two whole decades with WWE, the move was always going to be a big change for Nemeth. But it seems like the TNA World Champion has found the transition easy, describing the backstage environment as “the coolest ever”.
Speaking with TV Insider, Nemeth described how it felt to part with WWE, comparing it to ending a long-term relationship with a partner:
“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.”
Nemeth explained how the deal came about, and how a number of people at TNA contacted him to persuade him to make the move:
“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.’”
He went on to point out certain individuals who have helped create the welcoming environment at TNA:
“I’m a link in this team that is kicking ass behind the scenes. Ariel (Schnerer), Tommy (Dreamer), Gail (Kim), kicking ass. Motivating all the talent, having a relationship with the talent where it’s like, ‘how about this? How about this,’ and then meeting in the middle. Like, whoa, that can happen. Like, this is the coolest thing ever.”
Nemeth became TNA World Champion at Slammiversary in July last year, but explained how he wanted to bide his time before moving into the title picture:
“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… I’m happy to be a piece of it as champion at the moment.”
Nemeth is scheduled to defend his title against Joe Hendry at Genesis tonight.
Nic Nemeth Hoping TNA’s Partnership With WWE Could Lead To John Cena Moment
During his time at WWE as Dolph Ziggler, Nemeth had a number of clashes with John Cena, particularly throughout 2013. With Cena’s retirement run well under way, The TNA Champion is hopeful that they may be able to recreate some iconic moments, and even reunite with some old allies.