Nic Nemeth is finally opening up about why he returned to WWE last year — and according to him, it had everything to do with John Cena.
Nemeth made a surprise one-night WWE return during the November 17, 2025 episode of RAW at Madison Square Garden as part of Cena’s “Last Time Is Now” tournament. The appearance created a huge reaction from fans, especially since Nemeth had spent the previous two years outside WWE following his release.
Now, while speaking to the Pro Wrestling Podcast, Nemeth revealed he had already turned down prior WWE return discussions before eventually agreeing to come back specifically for Cena.
“They had asked me to come back a couple different times for some other things, and I was like, ‘Uh, I don’t know. It’s been two years. I don’t really want to.’”
According to Nic Nemeth, everything changed once WWE explained the return would directly involve Cena and their long history together.
“And then they said, ‘This is for Cena.’ They said, ‘We’ve had a million matches together. Incredible guy. We’ve done so much. We have a story. We have a history.’”
Nic Nemeth then spent several minutes praising the Leader of Cenation for everything he has done behind the scenes throughout his career.
“And I know all the good that he’s done. You could roll down a Santa Claus list of everything he’s done—what he’s done for us in the back, what he’s done to help the guys and girls, what he’s done granting wishes—everything. Come on—he’s the greatest of all time.”
Once WWE framed the appearance around helping Cena’s farewell run, Nemeth said agreeing to the comeback became an easy decision. Even then, Nemeth admitted part of him also wanted to prove something by walking back into WWE after succeeding outside the company.
“So now, come back for this tournament? Yeah—hell yeah, I’ll come back. I really wanted to go, ‘I want you to see how good I am still.’”
The former TNA World Champion then hilariously compared returning backstage to showing up at a party where your ex is present.
“It’s like going to a party and you know your ex is there. You’re like, ‘Oh, I’m getting my hair done, I’m getting a nice new shirt, make sure I’ve got a tan, get a workout in.’ And then you walk in like, ‘Oh hey, what’s going on?’ Just for that one moment of walking by—to let them know you’re doing great.”
However, Nemeth also made it clear he has no interest in returning to WWE full-time despite enjoying the experience.
“I don’t want to come back full-time, but if you want me to come back down the line and work something out once in a while for special moments—to help my friends—in a heartbeat.”
Instead, Nemeth noted that his main focus over the past several months has actually been helping TNA Wrestling secure a stronger television future. He then admitted the return felt much easier because most of the WWE locker room remained familiar to him.
“My goal was to help TNA get a TV deal, and we got it on AMC. That was the important part for me the last six months. It wasn’t like I’d been gone 20 years and everybody was new—it was 90% all the same people I was with. And it was fun.”
The comments add a lot more context to Nemeth’s emotional Madison Square Garden return, especially after he previously revealed he kept the comeback secret from nearly everyone in his personal life for weeks beforehand.
Bottom line: Nic Nemeth says he originally turned down prior WWE return offers, but once the company explained the appearance would be tied to John Cena’s farewell tournament, he immediately agreed to come back for the special moment.
Do you think Nic Nemeth should eventually have another WWE run someday, or is he better off continuing his current success outside the company? Leave your thoughts and feedback below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
