TNA Wrestling star Nic Nemeth, fka Dolph Ziggler in WWE, has shared an update on his in-ring retirement plans.
With Nic Nemeth making his in-ring debut in 2004, this November will mark his 22nd year as a pro-wrestler.
Speaking with GOhioCasts at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, Nemeth noted that he is not currently thinking about retirement, despite previous timeframes he had given himself.
Nemeth explained:
“Every couple years I think about it and go ‘Okay, five years from now I’ll do this.’ It makes no sense. I have no pain, I don’t get hurt.
“I work more and more, I thought I’d be half-retired by now, but every time there’s an opportunity to have a show, I’m there for it. Not to just be a part of it, to go steal it. At this point, I don’t know.
“Since COVID days, it went from seven days a week, to six days a week, to one or two days a week with the WWE guys. Now someone like me, I could work five times a week, one day a week, whatever it is.
Noting that he’ll know to step away once he loses a step, the 45 year-old continued:
“I continue to keep going at a full schedule because I love it and I want to challenge myself, and I don’t even think about it. Every couple years I go ‘Oh, okay, at 45, at 50, you’re going to have to do a check.’
“But five solid years, and not just hanging out, setting the standard out there. If I lose a step, I’ll be the first to know it before anyone else does, and then I’ll go ‘Okay, now my time has come.’ That hasn’t happened yet.”
Nic Nemeth signed a new contract with TNA Wrestling in January 2026.
Prior to this, he was one of two stars to make their WWE returns as part of the John Cena Last Time Is Now tournament in November 2025, alongside Zack Ryder.
With TNA Wrestling and WWE having a partnership which has seen talent cross over in both directions, we could see Nic Nemeth/Dolph Ziggler make another return to WWE TV in 2026.
