Nic Nemeth is relishing the opportunity to wrestle at his first independent event since leaving WWE.
Nemeth, known in WWE as Dolph Ziggler, recently appeared in NJPW and TNA. On Saturday, January 20, he will face wrestling legend Ray Gonzalez at WWC's Euphoria show in Puerto Rico.
The two-time World Heavyweight Champion previously wrestled in Puerto Rico during his 19-year WWE run. In an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Riju Dasgupta, he explained how much the upcoming match means to him:
"It's huge to me because in the past I've been to Puerto Rico with tours with WWE but doing it on your own is a little bit different," Nemeth said. "It's more exciting. I'm making my way. I chose to come do this show. I didn't just find it in an email. Like, man, I can't wait to get to the island. I wanna visit this, see this, do some sightseeing with my brother, and then go steal the show." [3:18 – 3:42]
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In the video above, Nic Nemeth also opened up about the in-ring chemistry he had with Alberto Del Rio, Kofi Kingston, and The Miz in WWE.
Why Nic Nemeth is so excited to wrestle in Puerto Rico
Although he competed all over the world as Dolph Ziggler in WWE, Nic Nemeth has never had the freedom to select where he wants to wrestle.
The former WWE star cannot wait to appear in front of a passionate crowd at a time when wrestling is doing so well globally:
"You get this different crowd [in Puerto Rico], this fanbase," Nemeth continued. "Right now wrestling is hot, period. It doesn't matter where you watch it, what you do, what you like. If you like all of them, some of them, one of them, doesn't matter. Wrestling is hot and that is so cool because I grew up on one or two of them, and if I was down about it or bummed out, there was nothing else to do." [3:43 – 3:59]
Nic Nemeth added that the wrestling business still means as much to him now as it did when he was a child:
"I love it so much that at five years old my goal was to be a professional wrestler, so I started amateur wrestling. That's where I started. My dad goes, 'You wanna be a pro? You start here.' I've been this excited for the last 38 years of doing everything, the highs and lows, you name it. I just love being a part of this business. I love it so much and I just wanna do more, and I wanna pass on things to everybody else, and I wanna steal the show and have people follow that." [3:59 – 4:25]
Puerto Rican crowds are known for letting wrestlers know exactly what they think. As a veteran performer with two decades' experience, Nic Nemeth is confident he will win over the fans this weekend:
"When you have a different fanbase like this, a crowd that I don't always get to see, maybe once every year, maybe every couple of years, but you know how much they respect the sport of pro wrestling, how much they love watching it. And if it's good, they're gonna let you know. And if it's bad, they're gonna let you know too! And that's what makes you go, 'I can't wait to blow their minds!' and hopefully hear them cheering and booing and go, 'This is what a main event is on a stacked card like Euphoria.'" [4:26 – 4:51]
Several high-profile names will appear at Euphoria, including Chris Masters, Matt Cardona, and Primo Colon.
What would you like to see next from Nic Nemeth? Let us know in the comments section below.
WWC presents Euphoria, the largest independent event in Puerto Rico in the last decade, on Saturday, January 20, at 7:00 pm (ET) in Puerto Rico's wrestling cathedral, the historic Pepín Cestero Arena at Bayamón.
Tickets are on sale at Rayting Mini Market in Mameyal at Dorado, Puerto Rico. Tickets will also be on sale the same day of the event (January 20) at the Pepín Cestero Arena, starting at 1:00 pm (ET).
The event is available to watch on PPV on FITE TV.
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