Dolph Zigglers surprise WWE return at Madison Square Garden during the November 17, 2025 episode of RAW might have felt like a spontaneous shock to fansbut it turns out that wasnt the original plan at all.
Ziggler, now working under his real name Nic Nemeth, opened up about the behind-the-scenes details during an interview with Jonathan Coachman. He revealed that WWE initially wanted to announce his return ahead of time as part of the Last Time Is Now tournament, but he personally pushed back on the idea.
Despite losing to Solo Sikoa in the match, Zigglers surprise pop from the crowd added a major energy boost to the showand WWE officials reportedly appreciated his performance. But dont get too excited about a full-time return.
According to Fightful Select, Zigglers appearance was a one-off, similar to Matt Cardonas short-term SmackDown return a week earlier. WWE hasnt offered Ziggler a new contract, and he remains affiliated with TNA.
TNA sources also noted that Nemeth prefers the freedom of not being locked into WWEs strict structure after spending years there.
The November 17 match brought Ziggler back into the WWE spotlight, but for now, hes still walking the independent roadand doing things on his terms.
Do you think WWE should offer Ziggler a new contract, or is he better off staying in TNA with more creative freedom? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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