Nic Nemeth (Fka Dolph Ziggler) Explains Why He Knows He Had Heat With Vince McMahon In WWE

Nic Nemeth — the man who would eventually be known as Dolph Ziggler — signed his first WWE contract in 2004. Nearly 20 years later, Nemeth was released by WWE. Appearing on a recent episode of "Talk Is Jericho," Nemeth was questioned about a rumor that, despite all his time with the company, he had heat with Vince McMahon simply because WWE producer Pat Patterson was a vocal supporter.

"Let me squash that rumor, because it's a fact," Nemeth said.

Nemeth began his explanation by complimenting Patterson's wrestling knowledge and how to go about things the right way in the ring. Patterson took a liking to Nemeth and constantly offered him advice that made him a better performer, eventually bringing Nemeth's name up in meetings as someone who deserved a push.

"It got to a point where he was pitching for me so much for years that the second highest [executive] that there could be in a meeting at that point was like, 'Yeah, we're just to a point where we're just making you lose just to watch his face,'" Nemeth continued. "And I go, 'Oh, that's not a great way to run the company.'"

The former WWE star described taking meetings with McMahon, with Nemeth stating that he was perfectly okay with losing 99% of the time but felt he had to pick up an important win every once in a while to keep him a credible threat in the ring. Nemeth believes that McMahon's opinion on the character would go back and forth over time, with McMahon sometimes feeling that Ziggler was the modern-day version of Shawn Michaels. However, that feeling wouldn't last, and others within the company didn't see the same potential. Nemeth was therefore never able to rise to the top of the card.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Talk Is Jericho" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.