Last September, Dolph Ziggler and several other talents were released from WWE. Ziggler became a free agent in late December.
On Thursday, Nic Nemeth, also known as Dolph Ziggler, made his NJPW debut at Wrestle Kingdom 18. Nemeth came to ringside before the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship match.
David Finlay defeated Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley in a Three-Way match to become the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion. Finlay challenged Nic Nemeth to a match after the bout. Finlay shoved Nemeth after the two exchanged a few words. They got into a brawl, and officials separated them.
Nic Nemeth attacked David Finlay backstage at Wrestle Kingdom 18. The 43-year-old star said the following to the press:
“Professional wrestling is about honor and believing in yourself and something bigger than you, something bigger than you a championship which means you are the one with strap the entire company and the world on your back. This brand new, Global Championship means more to me. And I’ve never been here. You wanna be a champion, you wanna be a leader, you stand up for it. You stand up for what’s right and do the damn thing, and you set an example for the rest of the damn world. You wanna be the best, you back it up. And if you are not, I’m gonna stomp on you’re a– and take this championship to the top where it belongs.
[David] Finlay is a spoiled child. And if I see him, here in the United States out in the street, I’m gonna do what’s right. This championship is going to mean something even more than everybody who just laid their blood out there. This Global Championship, this is what separates winners from losers, followers from leaders. If I ever get a chance and I don’t know I will [get a chance], if I get a chance, I will lay everything on the line just to show the world that this championship should be the pinnacle of success. I apologize, I’m so sorry. I don’t even work here. That title deserves better, and all can know it.”
Nic Nemeth