Former WWE Superstar might show up at the 2025 Royal Rumble, predicts Chris Van Vliet
The 2025 edition of the WWE Royal Rumble will emanate from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 1st. Recently, wrestling interviewer Chris Van Vliet speculated that a former WWE Superstar could make a surprise appearance in the multi-man gimmick match next year.
Dolph Ziggler was released from the Stamford-based promotion in September 2023. The star now performs under his real name, Nic Nemeth. The Show Off went on to capture the TNA World Championship at the 2024 Slammiversary event.
On the INSIGHT podcast's AskCVV segment, Chris Van Vliet was asked about Dolph Ziggler's potential WWE return. The interviewer predicted that Joe Hendry would defeat the 44-year-old for the TNA Championship at the Genesis event on January 19, 2025.
CVV also speculated that Nic Nemeth, rather than his Dolph Ziggler persona, might make a surprise appearance at the 2025 Royal Rumble.
"I feel like there's a good chance we could see him in the Royal Rumble," Vliet said. "I feel like Joe Hendry beats Nic Nemeth for the TNA Championship [at Genesis on January 19, 2025] and I would not be surprised, and I'm not saying it's going to happen. But I'm saying I would not be surprised if Nic Nemeth, not Dolph Ziggler, shows up at the Royal Rumble on February 1st," he added. [From 30:30 to 31:33]
You can listen to the full episode below:
Dolph Ziggler comments on making an appearance at WWE Royal Rumble
The reigning TNA World Champion recently sat down for an interview with the Daily Star. During the conversation, Dolph Ziggler was asked about his potential spot in the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble Match.
Nic Nemeth revealed his interest in participating in the 30-man Rumble match, primarily driven by the goal of creating a viral moment that could be used to promote TNA.
"A Rumble spot? Dude, that's so cool. WWE's killing it right now. To do something fun and wear my old trunks, get the old music to play, come out there and kick somebody in the face, that would be awesome. But the most important thing, it would just be creating a viral moment, so I could talk about TNA. That's the only reason I'd want to do it. It'd be cool to see some old friends," he said.
Fans will have to wait and see if The Natural will make an appearance at the Royal Rumble with his new persona, potentially enhancing the crossover between TNA and WWE.
Please credit Chris Van Vliet's INSIGHT and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use the quotes from above.
