Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler as the WWE United States Champion in December 2011.
Ring name(s)	Dolph Ziggler[1] Nic Nemeth[2] Nick Metro[3] Nick Nemeth[2] Nicky[2]
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2][3][4]
Billed weight	213 lb (97 kg)[4]
Born	(1980-07-27) July 27, 1980 (age 31)[2][3] Cleveland, Ohio[2][3]
Resides	Phoenix, Arizona[5]
Billed from	Hollywood, Florida[4]
Trained by	Florida Championship Wrestling[2] Ohio Valley Wrestling[2] Steve Keirn[2] Tom Prichard[2] Lance Storm[6]
Debut	November 2004[2]

Nicholas Theodore "Nick" Nemeth^[2] (born July 27, 1980)^[2][3] is an American professional wrestler, who is contracted to WWE. He wrestles on the Raw brand under the name Dolph Ziggler.^[1] He is also known for his performances with WWE as Spirit Squad member Nicky in 2006.

Nemeth signed a development contract with WWE in 2004, and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). He was brought up to the Raw brand in 2005 as Kerwin White's sidekick. He was, however, sent back to OVW shortly afterwards, where he joined the Spirit Squad. They debuted on Raw in January 2006, and won the World Tag Team Championship once before returning to OVW that November.

In September 2007, Nemeth was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where he formed a tag team with Brad Allen. The pair won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship once, and Nemeth later won the championship for the second time with Gavin Spears as his partner. He returned to Raw as Ziggler in September 2008, and was drafted to the SmackDown brand in April 2009. At the SmackDown tapings on July 28, Ziggler won the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the first time. He held the championship for five months, until January 2011. He was awarded, and lost, his first World Heavyweight Championship on February 15, 2011. That March he returned to the Raw roster, and won the WWE United States Championship for the first time three months later.

Amateur wrestling career[link]

Nemeth attended St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio where he was an amateur wrestler, and holds the school record for most pins in a career with 82.^[3] At St. Edward, he was teammates with Gray Maynard and Andy Hrovat.^[7] During Nemeth's time at St Edward, the wrestling team won the National Championships on two occasions.^[8]

He wrestled collegiately at Kent State University, eventually setting what was then the record for most career wins in the team's history.^[3][9] Nemeth's record was passed in 2006, and as of 2010 he stands second all-time in career victories at Kent State.^[9] He had 121 career wins between 2000 and 2003.^[9][10] He was a three-time All-Mid-American Conference champion, winning the 165 lb (75 kg) tournament in 2000, 2002, and 2003, and as of 2010 is the last wrestler from Kent State University to have won three amateur wrestling championships.^[8]

Professional wrestling career[link]

World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE[link]

Ohio Valley Wrestling (2004–2006)[link]

Nemeth signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2004.^[10] He was assigned to their developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), debuting as "Nick Nemeth". He feuded with Paul Burchill and challenged unsuccessfully for the OVW Television Championship, losing a championship match against then-champion Ken Doane on August 12, 2005.^[3]

Nemeth was called up to the Raw roster shortly afterwards, making his television debut on the September 19, 2005 episode of Sunday Night Heat.^[2] He was made the enforcer and sidekick for Chavo Guerrero, Jr., who was using a golfer in-ring persona and going by the ring name of "Kerwin White".^[3] As such, Nemeth became White's caddy.^[3] His wrestling debut came on an episode of Sunday Night Heat, teaming up with White in a tag team match against Shelton Benjamin and Matt Striker.^[2] After the death of Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero dropped the "Kerwin White" character, and Nemeth no longer played the role of his caddy and tag partner. After a few months of wrestling in dark matches and at house shows, he was sent back to OVW.^[3]

The Spirit Squad (2006)[link]

Nemeth became a part of the Spirit Squad faction, a group of five wrestlers who used the in-ring personas of male cheerleaders, and adopted the name Nicky in OVW during late 2005.^[3] The Spirit Squad members trained with real cheerleaders and gymnasts to ensure their characters were believable.^[11] On January 23, 2006, they had their WWE television debut as a group, appearing on Raw and helping Jonathan Coachman win a Royal Rumble qualifying match against Jerry "The King" Lawler by performing cheers for Coachman and distracting Lawler.^[12] They later became a part of the on-going scripted feud between WWE chairman Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels. The heel (villainous) McMahon brought in the Squad to attack Michaels on numerous occasions, including placing them in multiple handicap matches.^[13][14]

Nemeth (left) as Nicky, with Mikey (center) and Johnny (right) in the Spirit Squad

They also wrestled in the tag team division, and on April 3, on Raw, won the World Tag Team Championship when Kenny and Mikey, with outside help from the other three Squad members, defeated Big Show and Kane.^[15][16] After winning the championship, all five members of the Spirit Squad were recognized as the champions, allowing any combination of them to defend the championship.^[3]

In May, McMahon signed another Handicap match, with the Spirit Squad facing Michaels. The match never started, however; instead the Spirit Squad attacked Michaels, and, as part of the storyline, shattered his knee with a steel chair.^[17] McMahon brought Triple H to the ring to attack Michaels with a sledgehammer; however, after Triple H felt that the Squad had disrespected him, he attacked the group.^[17] This led to Triple H and Michaels reforming D-Generation X (DX) and they began a feud with the Spirit Squad.^[18][19] DX played various sophomoric jokes on the Squad and the McMahons, as well as defeating the Spirit Squad in handicap tag team matches at Vengeance and a clean sweep in an elimination handicap match at Saturday Night's Main Event.^{[19][20][21][22]}

At the same time as their feud with DX and their alignment with McMahon, the Squad also wrestled other teams in Raw's tag division over their World Tag Team Championship, successfully defending the championship against the teams of Jim Duggan and Eugene, Charlie Haas and Viscera, and Snitsky and Val Venis.^[20] They then entered a lengthy feud with The Highlanders, whom they eventually defeated to retain the championship at the Unforgiven pay-per-view in September.^[23][24] The Squad as a whole later began a losing streak with separate members losing singles matches to Ric Flair on consecutive episodes of Raw, until Kenny managed to defeat him on the October 23 episode.^{[25][26][27][28][29]} It was then announced that Flair and a WWE legend, selected by interactive voting, would wrestle the team for the World Tag Team Championship at the Cyber Sunday pay-per-view in early November.^[29] The fans chose Roddy Piper, and he and Flair defeated Kenny and Mikey to win the championship.^[30]

The group disbanded on the November 27 episode of Raw, when they were defeated in a five-on-three handicap match by DX and Flair. In a backstage segment later that night, DX placed all members into a crate stamped "OVW, Louisville, Kentucky", a reference to the developmental territory from which the Squad had come.^[31]

Brand switches (2007–2009)[link]

Ziggler in September 2008.

Nemeth returned to OVW on January 17, 2007, at the television tapings, again using his Nick Nemeth ring name, along with Mike Mondo, formerly Mikey in the Spirit Squad, as the "Frat Pack". The pair teamed with Mike Kruel in a match against Seth Skyfire, Shawn Spears, and Cody Runnels.^[32] The team disbanded in the early parts of 2007.^[33] Nemeth then competed in several dark matches before the OVW television tapings, competing against several wrestlers including Chris Cage, Bradley Jay and Jake Hager, before he began teaming with Mondo again in August.^{[34][35][36][37]}

At the end of August, Nemeth and Mike Mondo were moved to the Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) developmental territory and in his debut there, Nemeth gained the nickname "The Natural" and defeated Hade Vansen.^[2][3][38] In November 2007, Nemeth gained Big Rob as his manager, but their alliance was short-lived.^[2][39] At the start of 2008, he tweaked his name to "Nic Nemeth" and began teaming with Brad Allen, with the pair gaining Taryn Terrell as their valet.^[10] Nemeth and Allen started a frat boy type ring character with Terrell as a "sorority chick". On March 22, Nemeth and Allen won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship by defeating defending champions Eddie Colón and Eric Pérez, but lost the championship back to Colón and Pérez on April 15.^[10][40] Throughout April and May 2008, Nemeth wrestled in several dark matches prior to Raw, losing to Kofi Kingston and Ron Killings on several occasions.^[2] Soon after, he returned to the name "Nic Nemeth", and began teaming with Gavin Spears.^[2] The pair defeated Colón and Pérez to win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship on August 16, but lost it to Heath Miller and Joe Hennig less than a month later.^[2][41]

On September 15, 2008, Nemeth re-debuted on Raw, introducing himself in a backstage segment under the name "Dolph Ziggler".^[1] On October 10, 2008, Nemeth was suspended for 30 days for his first violation of WWE's Wellness Program policy.^[42] He returned to Raw on November 17 in a backstage segment with Rey Mysterio and Shawn Michaels.^[43] In his first match on Raw under the Ziggler name, he lost to Batista on the December 1 episode.^[44] The following week he got his first victory as Ziggler, by countout, against R-Truth.^[45] The next week on Raw, he picked up his first televised pinfall victory, when he defeated Charlie Haas.^[46]

Intercontinental and World Heavyweight Champion (2009–2011)[link]

Ziggler as the Intercontinental Champion in December 2010 at WWE Tribute to the Troops.

On April 15, 2009, Ziggler was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft.^[47] He made his debut on the April 17 episode of SmackDown, defeating the United States Champion, Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) in a non-title match, and, as a result, the following week he demanded a match for the championship.^[48][49] On the May 1 episode of SmackDown, however, he failed to win the championship, after he was pinned by MVP.^[50] Ziggler then started a rivalry with The Great Khali, losing to him by disqualification after attacking Khali with a steel chair.^[51] As a result, Khali began coming out to the ring during and after Ziggler's matches, in attempt to gain revenge and to stop Ziggler from cheating.^[52][53] Over the next few weeks, Ziggler defeated Khali by countout and disqualification after making it look like Khali had struck him with a steel chair.^[54][55] At The Bash pay-per-view, Ziggler defeated Khali by pinfall, after Kane interfered and attacked Khali.^[56]

Ziggler then entered an on-screen relationship with WWE Diva Maria and she became his valet.^[3] He simultaneously started a scripted rivalry with Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio, who defeated Ziggler at the Night of Champions and SummerSlam pay-per-views to retain the championship.^[57] In September, Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison, and Ziggler entered a feud with Morrison, losing to him at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.^[58] On the episode of SmackDown, following Hell in a Cell, Ziggler ended his on-screen relationship with Maria after she cost him a match against Morrison.^[59] On the February 26, 2010 episode of SmackDown, Ziggler defeated John Morrison and R-Truth in a triple threat qualifying match to compete in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI, but was ultimately unsuccessful.^[60][61]

In June he began a romantic storyline with Vickie Guerrero, who began accompanying him to the ring.^[62] On the July 9 episode of SmackDown, Ziggler defeated Chavo Guerrero and Montel Vontavious Porter in a triple threat match to qualify for the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, where he once again failed to win the match.^[63][64] On July 28 at the tapings of the August 6 episode of SmackDown Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the first time.^[65][66] In his first title defense at SummerSlam, he retained the championship against Kingston when the match ended in a no contest due to interference from The Nexus.^[67] Ziggler was able to make a successful title defense against Kingston at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, and against Kaval at Survivor Series.^[68][69]

In November 2010, Ziggler was announced as a Pro for the fourth season of NXT, with Jacob Novak as his Rookie.^[70][71] At Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Ziggler successfully retained the Intercontinental Championship in a three-way ladder match against Kingston and Jack Swagger.^[72] On the January 4, 2011 episode of NXT, Ziggler won a battle royal to earn the right to choose a new rookie, and chose Byron Saxton. His original rookie, Novak, was the first rookie eliminated later that night.^[73]

At the SmackDown tapings on January 4, Ziggler lost the Intercontinental Championship to Kingston after a five month reign. That same night, Ziggler won a four-way match against Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, and The Big Show to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship.^[74] Ziggler received his match for the championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view against Edge, but was unsuccessful.^[75] On February 4, Ziggler's girlfriend Vickie Guerrero, who was the Acting General Manager of SmackDown, announced that she had banned the spear – Edge's finishing move – and if Edge used it during the rematch between the two, Ziggler would be automatically awarded the championship.^[76] In the interim, Ziggler's second rookie, Byron Saxton, was also voted off of NXT.^[77] On the February 11 episode of SmackDown, Ziggler received a rematch for the championship, only to lose after being speared.^[78] On the February 14 episode of Raw, Guerrero announced that Edge had lost the championship due to using the spear and that Ziggler would be crowned the new champion.^[79] On SmackDown on February 18, Guerrero fired Edge, claiming that he had attacked SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long several weeks prior, and awarded Ziggler the championship during a coronation ceremony later that night. Long returned during the ceremony however, and Guerrero revealed Ziggler as the attacker after being accused of orchestrating the attack by Long. Long rehired Edge and gave him his rematch, in which Edge regained the championship.^[80] Ziggler's first World Championship reign lasted only 11 minutes and 23 seconds. After the match, Long fired Ziggler in storyline.^[81]

United States Champion and various feuds (2011–present)[link]

Ziggler as the WWE United States Champion in November 2011.

On the March 7 episode of Raw, Ziggler was introduced as the newest member of the Raw roster, and defeated John Morrison in a singles match. Ziggler was accompanied by Guerrero, who had also been fired from SmackDown, but she was forced to earn her spot on the Raw roster.^[82] Ziggler, along with Guerrero, and LayCool then feuded with Morrison, Trish Stratus and Jersey Shore guest star Snooki, culminating in a mixed tag team match at WrestleMania XXVII which Ziggler and his team lost.^[83][84] On the April 18 episode of Raw, Vickie introduced the "new and improved" Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler came out with his hair cut short and brown and went on to defeat Evan Bourne in a singles match.^[85] He had re-bleached his hair by the May 23 episode of Raw.^[86]

Ziggler beat United States Champion Kofi Kingston in a non-title match on the May 30 episode of Raw, leading to a championship match at WWE Capitol Punishment which Ziggler won to earn his first United States Championship.^[87][88][89] The next night on Raw, Kingston invoked his rematch clause in a two out of three falls match and won via disqualification, allowing Ziggler to retain. After Jack Swagger suggested to Guerrero that she should manage him in addition to Ziggler, a jealous Ziggler teased tension with Swagger.^[90][91] This, coupled with Ziggler's concurrent feud with Alex Riley, led to Ziggler to defend and retain his United States Championship in a fatal four-way match against Swagger, Riley, and John Morrison at Night of Champions.^[92]

On the September 19 episode of Raw, Ziggler lost a non-title match to Zack Ryder when guest star Hugh Jackman helped Ryder by punching Ziggler in the face.^[93] Although Ziggler would later claim to have a broken jaw due to Jackman's punch, it was reported that the supposed injury was fake.^[94] Later that night, Guerrero officially began managing Swagger, and Swagger began interfering in Ziggler's matches to help him win.^[95] Ziggler and Swagger unsuccessfully challenged Air Boom for the WWE Tag Team Championship at Hell in a Cell and at Vengeance, where Ziggler also successfully defended the United States Championship against Ryder.^[96][97] He went on to successfully defend the championship against Morrison at Survivor Series.^[98] At Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Ziggler lost the United States Championship to Ryder.^[99]

On the December 26 episode of Raw, Ziggler defeated WWE Champion CM Punk in a gauntlet match for a championship opportunity following interference from John Laurinaitis.^[100] The following Raw, Ziggler defeated Punk by countout after Laurinaitis interfered again; as a result, Ziggler did not win the championship.^[101] At the 2012 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Ziggler failed to capture the WWE Championship from CM Punk.^[102] At the Elimination Chamber, Ziggler failed again to capture the WWE Championship after being eliminated second by Chris Jericho.^[103] Nemeth noted to Arda Ocal in an interview for The Score Television Network that the Elimination Chamber left him with multiple minor injuries and it is a match he least looks forward to working.^[104]

On the February 27 edition of Raw, Ziggler and Swagger unsuccessfully challenged Primo and Epico for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat tag team match, also involving Kofi Kingston and R-Truth.^[105] On the March 19 edition of Raw, Ziggler and Swagger were announced as the newest members of Team Johnny for the 12 man tag team match at Wrestlemania XXVIII. On the April 2 edition of Raw, Ziggler and Swagger unsuccessfully challenged Santino Marella for the United States Championship in a triple threat match.^[106] After the match, Ziggler would begin a feud with Brodus Clay, who headbutted Ziggler after he and Swagger tried to attack Marella.^[106] On the following episode of Raw, Ziggler and Swagger were defeated by Clay and Marella in a tag team match.^[107] In the following weeks, Ziggler and Swagger would lose to Clay and Hornswoggle in singles and tag team matches.^[108][109] At Extreme Rules, Ziggler was again defeated by Clay.^[110] In May, Ziggler and Swagger unsuccessfully challenged Kofi Kingston and R-Truth for WWE Tag Team Championship, first at Over the Limit and second on the May 28 episode of Raw, resulting in Ziggler showing signs of wanting to break away from Guerrero and Swagger.^[111][112]

Other media[link]

Nemeth appeared on the November 3, 2009 episode of Deal or No Deal with Maria Kanellis and Eve Torres.^[113] He then appeared on Lopez Tonight on August 9, 2010.^[114] Nemeth appears in a 2011 episode of Silent Library alongside Chris Masters, Trent Baretta, JTG, Caylen Croft, and Curt Hawkins.^[115] Nemeth regularly appears on fellow WWE wrestler Zack Ryder's YouTube web series, Z! True Long Island Story.

On February 1, 2012, Nemeth debuted WWEFanNation's "WWE Download" and is the host of the YouTube series.

Personal life[link]

Nemeth has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was five years old, when he attended a wrestling event at the Richfield Coliseum and decided to become a professional wrestler at age twelve.^[8][10] His younger brother, Ryan, has a developmental contract with WWE and wrestles in FCW under the ring name of Briley Pierce.^[116] Nemeth is a graduate of Kent State University, where he majored in political science with a pre-law minor.^[5] Prior to his WWE tryout, he was living in Phoenix, Arizona, and had been accepted to the law school at Arizona State University, where he was due to start his first semester.^[5][8] He is good friends with his former Spirit Squad teammates, particularly Michael Brendli, with whom he lived in Florida until 2008.^[117] Since then, he has returned to residing in Phoenix.^[5] Nemeth is also fluent in American Sign Language.^[118] Nemeth later revealed in Colt Cabana's Wrestling Podcast that he chose the name "Dolph" because he is a huge fan of Dolph Lundgren and he said that his friend suggested the name "Ziggler".

Nemeth previously dated former WWE Diva Nikki Bella.^[119][120]

In wrestling[link]

Ziggler applying a headlock to Alex Riley

Dolph Ziggler as WWE Intercontinental Champion.

Ziggler (left), with his new look, and his manager Vickie Guerrero in April 2011.

• Finishing moves
  • Jumping reverse STO^[121] – FCW
  • Sleeper hold, sometimes with bodyscissors^[122][123] - 2010; used as a signature move thereafter
  • Zig Zag (Jumping reverse bulldog)^[124] - 2009–present

• Signature moves
  • Bridging German suplex^[125]
  • Corner splash^[126][127]
  • Crucifix pin^[128]
  • Dropkick,^[125][129] sometimes while sliding to the outside
  • Fireman's carry gutbuster,^[129] sometimes from the second rope^[130]
  • Fireman's carry takeover^[131][132]
  • Headlock,^[133][134] sometimes with a head stand^[135][136]
  • Inverted body slam^[137][138]
  • Jumping elbow drop^[125]
  • Namedropper^[139] (Leg drop bulldog)^[125][140]
  • Neck snap^[141][142]
  • Scoop powerslam^[125][129]
  • Sitout facebuster^[143][144]
  • Superkick^[145][146]
  • Swinging neckbreaker^[147][148]

• Managers
  • Taryn Terrell^[2]
  • Big Rob^[2]
  • Maria^[149]
  • Vickie Guerrero^[2]

• Wrestlers managed
  • Kerwin White^[3]

• Nicknames
  • "The Natural"^[3]
  • "The #Heel"
  • "The Show-Off"^[150]

• Entrance themes
  • "I Am Perfection" by Jim Johnston and performed by Cage 9 (June 2009 – July 2011)^[151][152]
  • "I Am Perfection" by Jim Johnston and performed by Downstait (July 2011 – November 2011)^[153]
  • "Here to Show the World" by Jim Johnston, performed by Downstait (November 2011–present)^[154]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Ziggler as the WWE United States Champion in July 2011.

• Florida Championship Wrestling
  • FCW Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Brad Allen (1) and Gavin Spears (1)^[10][41]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #17 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011^[155]

• World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
  • World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[156]
  • World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with the Spirit Squad^[15]
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)^[66]
  • WWE United States Championship (1 time)^[87]
  • Twenty Second Triple Crown Champion¹

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Most Improved (2011)^[157]
  • Most Underrated (2011)^[157]

1 ^ Ziggler is not recognized as a Triple Crown Champion by WWE, since the organization does not consider the Spirit Squad's Nicky and Dolph Ziggler to be the same character.^[4]

See also[link]

Professional wrestling portal

	Book: Spirit Squad
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Spirit Squad

References[link]