Dolph Ziggler Reveals When He Found Out About His WWE Return Plans

Nic Nemeth, formerly known as Dolph Ziggler, was revealed as the final surprise entrant in WWE’s Last Time Is Now Tournament on RAW at Madison Square Garden. He appeared as the mystery opponent for Solo Sikoa, closing out the tournament’s lineup after weeks of speculation. WWE announced the tournament on November 1 and kept Ziggler’s participation confidential until the night of the match.

Ziggler discussed the timing of his return during an interview on Busted Open Radio. He learned about his role a couple of weeks ago, before the official reveal. According to Nemeth, the level of secrecy was extensive. He said he limited the news to only his brother, Ryan Nemeth, and added that he warned his brother that any leak would be traceable to him, since no one else had been told.

“Two, three weeks, perhaps… There is a handful of surprises and big moments that everybody remembers… I didn’t tell my parents. I told my brother. ‘If anybody finds out, I’ll know you told them because I told nobody else.’ Okay, we have that.”

Ziggler mentioned that he was in a group chat with Bobby Roode, Zack Ryder, and Brian Myers while preparing for the surprise appearance. None of the members disclosed their roles or potential involvement in the tournament. Nemeth recalled fielding questions during interviews at The Big Event, including inquiries about a possible match on RAW at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m in a group chat with Bobby Roode, Zack Ryder, and Brian Myers. I didn’t say anything. Me and Zack didn’t say anything. We said nothing… A last of couple interviews I did too… The Big Event on Saturday, I had two different interviews, and they were like, ‘Hey man, no spoilers, but are you wrestling on Monday at the Garden?’ That caught me off guard, and I was like ‘Pshhh, I wish. That would be cool. Cena’s last RAW. But I’ll be polishing my boat or something.’ He was like, ‘Oh, are you really not there?’ I was like, ‘No, I’m sorry.’”

While Dolph Ziggler and Matt Cardona both lost their respective matches, their returns were highly praised by the fans. It remains to be seen if they will make future appearances in WWE.

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IT’S DOLPH ZIGGLER AKA NIC NEMETH pic.twitter.com/Cu0M6brM6k

— 𝕿𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊 ❄️ (@Swerveinmone) November 18, 2025