After nearly two decades with company, Dolph Ziggler (Nic Nemeth) was released by WWE in September 2023.
Ziggler had a storied career in WWE, winning the World Heavyweight Title, Intercontinental Titles, United States Title, and more during his run. However, Ziggler hadn't wrestled since May and was rarely featured on television since his NXT run in 2022.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Ziggler was asked about his WWE release and being prepared for free agency.
"I was prepared. For the last six, eight, ten months going, 'At some point, I have to make a change here.' As you get ready to go and see you don't have a chance to be in a PPV match and steal the show. You don't have a chance to have a six-minute match to steal the show. You have a match and it's three minutes and you don't get an entrance and everyone knows who is winning. Can I find a way to have that work? Once that started happening, even a couple of years ago when Roode [Bobby Roode] and I were tagging, I was thinking, 'At some point, I have to be ready to go. Will my shape and stamina still be there?' I have been preparing so long and getting things ready to go, it wasn't 'What? What do I do now? I'm free.' I was planning for half of this entire last contract going, 'I know at some point, I'm being paid way too much to sit at home so I'm gonna have to get out of here.' I always wanted to be ready to go, just in case they said, 'I know you've been doing 90-second matches, can you do 30 minutes with The Undertaker?' You're damn right I can. I was ready to go anyway, I just wanted to have every option available. It wasn't out of the blue. I had sent emails to the boss over the last few months saying, 'I have to move on to somewhere else, can you let me do this?' Eventually, without exact back and forth, that's how it worked out. It wasn't weird because it was so six, eight, ten months in place going, 'Here it comes.' Now, I have 90 days sitting around, which broke my heart, but I just got extra workouts," he said.
After his 90-day non-compete clause was up, Ziggler made a surprise appearance at NJPW Wrestling Kingdom 18, confronting IWGP Global Champion David Finlay.
Ziggler and Finlay got into a brawl after Finlay defeated Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley to win the title and then continue to brawl in the backstage area.
Ziggler has not been announced for any upcoming NJPW shows, but will be part of World Series of Wrestling in June.
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