Nic Nemeth, Fka Dolph Ziggler, Details Conversations With AEW After Leaving WWE

Since his shocking departure from WWE last year after more then a decade, Nic Nemeth (formerly known as Dolph Ziggler) has made a name for himself touring with TNA, NJPW, AAA, GCW, and plenty other indie outfits. One place many might have expected the high profile former WWE star to land would be AEW, the second-largest promotion next to WWE in the U.S., but that has yet to transpire. Still, Nemeth expressed his adulation towards the promotion during a recent episode of "Eyes Up Here," explaining why he ultimately chose to remain independent despite talks with AEW President Tony Khan. 

"I talked to Tony a long time ago and he was like, 'Just so you know, you can do anything you want while you work here,'" he recalled. "He wants everyone to have a good time and doing the best possible thing. That's awesome, and a lot of people did think I was going to AEW, and I love a bunch of people in AEW, I love AEW, Tony's freaking great. I was just weighing my options and figuring out, I didn't have a plan."

Nic Nemeth said he was also contacted by Scott D'Amore — then TNA President — after his WWE departure became clear, but Nemeth made it clear that he didn't want to be signed to a promotion.

"I've got this thing in my head. I wanna go and make a name for myself on the independents," he said. "Just to see if I can go outside of this New York bubble ... I wanna see if I can hang, or be better, or the best everywhere around the world ... I just got out of a long term relationship, I'm not looking to get engaged, or engaged to be engaged."

Nemeth has continued to appear with TNA on sporadic appearances, even challenging Moose for the TNA World Championship in April.

Please credit "Eyes Up Here" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.