Nic Nemeth Recalls Kurt Angle Helping Him Get WWE Tryout, Talks Pro Wrestling Being ‘Cool’ Again

Nic Nemeth looked back at his arrival in WWE recently and credited Kurt Angle with helping him land the gig. The former WWE star spoke on Busted Open with Angle and about how Angle helped get him into WWE, as well as WWE shifting away from the label of “sports entertainment.” You can see some highlights below, courtesy of Wrestling Inc:

On Angle getting him a WWE tryout: “The reason I got a tryout with WWE, the reason Dolph Ziggler existed and had a chance was because you [Angle] were so good at your job, picking it up so quickly with WWE that in 2004 they gave a guy who is a 5’11”, 175 pounds, out of college — Kent State University, Division 1, all-time winningest wrestler there, no big deal … having that tryout, I only got a chance because you were coming along so quickly and picking it up so fast that they go, ‘Oh, these wrestlers have these mindsets that they want to be the best, and pick it up fast.’ Because of you, I got a tryout, a chance, and became a WWE Superstar, now a TNA star, NJPW star.”

On WWE leaning more into the pro wrestling label with Vince McMahon gone: “Vince very much … wanted to not be associated just with pro wrestling, but making it bigger and better in his mind, and that’s totally true. It is cool [now] because — you go to default. You’re not thinking, ‘What are the words I have to say today?’ You’re like, ‘No, man. I’m in pro wrestling, the thing I dreamed of, the thing I wanted to do my whole life.'”

On wrestling becoming cool again: “I remember eight years ago, WrestleMania would have one or two other shows and some signings near it,” Nemeth continued. “And now … there’s 10 events every single night. … It’s so cool and it’s this big moment of a week for everyone in pro wrestling to get together and have a blast.”