Former WWE Star Dolph Ziggler Discusses Shift Away From 'Sports Entertainment'

One of the many recent changes taking place within WWE is an alleged move away from the phrase "sports entertainment," which was a mainstay in the company under the leadership of Vince McMahon. Someone who knows the term all too well is Nic Nemeth, who previously performed in WWE for many years as Dolph Ziggler. Speaking on "Busted Open Radio," Nemeth shared his thoughts on the recent shift.

"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," Nemeth said. "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.'"

Nemeth was present in WWE when McMahon decided to move away from the word "wrestling" and toward "sports entertainment," and remembers having to force himself to use the correct terminology onscreen. Looking back on how things have changed since that period, Nemeth sees the re-adoption of "professional wrestling" as just one of the many ways the company has grown.

"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."

As someone who has booked his own comedy shows during the weekend of WWE WrestleMania, Nemeth knows from experience that it has become more difficult to book venues around the event. Even during his time with WWE, Nemeth had already started dipping his toes into the comedy world, and that has increased since his departure from the company.

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