Nic Nemeth Explains Why He Was Rooting For AEW While Still In WWE

Nic Nemeth spent nearly two decades in WWE, making a name for himself as Dolph Ziggler before departing the company in 2023. Throughout his tenure, he experienced the highs of Money in the Bank cash-ins and the lows of creative frustration. Now, as he carves a new path in his career, Nemeth has been vocal about his views on the wrestling industry, including reminiscing on his support for AEW — even while still under a WWE contract. Speaking on "Busted Open Radio," Nemeth explained why AEW's emergence was crucial for the wrestling business. 

"I was in WWE when I was doing work that I wasn't really proud of," Nemeth said. "I go, man, there's something not so special happening right now. We need an alternative, and the world wanted one, and they got one, holy crap... I want 10 alternatives where I wanna be able to go. I don't know which one I can watch this week, because I'm so hooked at all these different possibilities."

Over the years, fan perception of AEW has shifted, especially as WWE has significantly upped its game. What was once seen as a must-watch alternative now faces challenges in maintaining long-term engagement. Nemeth empathizes with this viewpoint.

"But there are so many people like that saying, I was rooting for this, it was an awesome alternative, it really made WWE step up their game," Nemeth said. "Now every time in the last year or so I get similar discussions, [it's] I'll always love this alternative, it's cool, I'll probably watch it sometimes, but it's just not grabbing me. It's not keeping me long-term, and a really important part is it's not forcing me to go, I have to see this next week.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.