Nic Nemeth Says He Was Almost Part Of Short-Lived WWE Tag Team, Being Used For Ribs

Nic Nemeth (previously known in WWE as Dolph Ziggler) is currently enjoying the freedom of the open market since parting ways with the WWE last year. The 20-year veteran has been performing in TNA and NJPW as of late, and recently revealed that he has had conversations with AEW's Tony Khan.

While many fans are familiar with Nemeth's early days in the WWE as a member of the Spirit Squad, he revealed on ECW Original Francine's "Eyes Up Here" podcast that he almost debuted as part of a short-lived tag team that was even less memorable and successful than the male cheerleading group. "There was a chance I was going to be in the Heart Throbs," Nemeth said. "They were great wrestling dudes, who I liked, and they were jacked, and they had a couple of months run. Their debut was, like, losing. And I go, 'That was almost me.' And I was mad that I was in a cheerleading group."

In 2004, WWE packaged a team called the Heart Throbs that consisted of Antonio Thomas and Romeo Roselli, two wrestlers that came through Ohio Valley Wrestling around the same time as Nemeth. Nemeth — who did win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship twice, among other milestones — also spent a fair share of time staring at the lights, especially in his early days. Nemeth said some of those early losses were booked simply to rib one of his biggest supporters backstage.

"Pat Patterson was a big fan of mine," Nemeth recalled. "The top of the top, other than Vince, pulled me aside and said, 'Pat pushes for you so much because he sees such great things in you, that we're now actively ribbing him by having you lose every week'... and they thought it was like a cool thing to tell me."