EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Nemeth on TNA’s WWE Partnership – “It’s Like I Never Left NXT”
“Time doesn’t exist. I am still in NXT. My life has come full circle. AEW never happened, and I have never left Full Sail!”
Ryan Nemeth has seen his fair share of major moments in professional wrestling, but few have felt as surreal as this. Once a regular at Full Sail University as part of WWE’s developmental system, Nemeth is now preparing to return to the very same building—only this time under the TNA banner.
With TNA’s partnership with WWE expanding, Nemeth is experiencing a career moment that he never expected: stepping back into the building that defined the peak of his early wrestling journey but now representing a different company.
Speaking exclusively to Mark O’Brien (@wrestlemobs) on Bodyslam.net, Nemeth reflected on how bizarrely poetic this situation is for him personally:
“Every time I go to Florida, I just get hit with all these memories. My time in FCW and NXT was probably the most formative time of my entire life, more than high school, more than college. That era of my career, training in FCW and then transitioning to NXT at Full Sail, was a huge part of who I am as a wrestler and as a person.”
“So when I saw that Full Sail was on TNA’s schedule, I had this reaction—like a physical, vibrating feeling through my body. It just felt unreal. It was like some kind of weird wrestling time loop, like time doesn’t exist. I messaged some of my old NXT buddies and said, ‘My life has come full circle. AEW never happened, and I never left Full Sail!’ It’s crazy, man. It’s just crazy.”
FULL INTERVIEW: Ryan Nemeth on WWE-TNA, AEW Exit, and More
🎥 Watch the full exclusive interview with Ryan Nemeth on Bodyslam.net, hosted by Mark O’Brien (@wrestlemobs):
🔗 Click here to watch the full interview now!
Nemeth on TNA-WWE’s Growing Relationship: “It’s a Wild Time in Wrestling”
Few could have predicted that TNA and WWE would be working together in 2024, but the partnership between the two companies is already producing major crossover moments that are blurring the lines between wrestling promotions.
At Hard to Kill 2024, WWE’s NXT North American Champion Trick Williams made a surprise appearance on camera alongside TNA talent—something that would have been unthinkable just months ago.
With TNA taping episodes of its weekly programming at Full Sail, the former home of WWE NXT, fans are now speculating about whether this crossover could eventually lead to matches between TNA and NXT stars.
Nemeth, who has deep ties to WWE through both his own career and his brother Nick Nemeth (fka Dolph Ziggler), believes we’re witnessing a new era in professional wrestling—one where the old walls between companies are breaking down.
“If you had told me a few years ago that TNA and WWE would have this kind of partnership, I would have thought you were insane. But that’s the state of wrestling right now—it’s unpredictable, it’s chaotic, and honestly, I think it’s amazing.”
“The business is changing. There’s more inter-company movement happening than ever before. And I know there are still fans out there who see things in black and white—’You’re a WWE guy’ or ‘You’re an AEW guy’ or ‘You’re a TNA guy.’ But honestly? Right now, you’re just a pro wrestler, and you can show up anywhere. That’s never been more true than it is today.”
This kind of openness between companies is something wrestling fans have wanted for decades. While WWE has historically operated in its own world, and AEW has attempted forbidden door crossovers, Nemeth sees TNA’s involvement with WWE as something that feels more organic and mutually beneficial.
“There’s so much history with WWE for me personally. I spent my developmental years there, my brother had a Hall of Fame-worthy career there, and even after leaving, I never felt like it was completely cut off. So now, when I see TNA working directly with WWE, I just think, ‘Yeah, this actually makes a lot of sense.’ I mean, look at the crossover—some of the biggest stars in WWE history spent time in TNA. AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes—TNA was a huge part of their journey. So it’s not really surprising that these doors are opening again.”
TNA’s Next Big Moves: “We’re Only Getting Bigger”
With this WWE crossover putting more eyes on TNA than ever before, the company is continuing to expand its presence in major cities. Upcoming shows in Los Angeles and New York are set to deliver some of the company’s biggest events in years.
Nemeth, who lives in California, is especially excited for TNA Rebellion in Los Angeles at the Galen Center—a major basketball arena that highlights TNA’s increasing momentum.
“Look at what TNA is doing right now—we’re selling out buildings left and right. We’re going into bigger arenas. We’re doing pay-per-views at places like the Galen Center in Los Angeles—a huge basketball venue. We’re hitting Long Island at the UBS Arena for Slammiversary. This is a company that is growing fast, and it’s not just wrestling fans noticing—it’s the whole industry.”
For a company that was once written off as a struggling brand, this TNA resurgence is now impossible to ignore. The partnership with WWE only further solidifies TNA as a legitimate, thriving promotion—one that top-tier talent, including Nemeth, is excited to be part of.
“I think people sometimes forget what TNA has accomplished. This company helped shape modern pro wrestling. We’re not some new brand trying to establish ourselves—we’ve been here, and we’re reminding people why we matter. When you have a roster this talented, when the fans are showing up in bigger numbers, when WWE wants to work with you—you know you’re doing something right.”
For Ryan Nemeth, this latest chapter in his career is proving to be one of the most unexpected yet rewarding. And with TNA continuing to break new ground, he’s ready to help push the company forward.
“This is the best time in a long time to be part of TNA. The momentum is real. The energy is real. And if you’re not paying attention to what we’re doing, you’re about to.”
📺 Watch the Full Interview Here:
🔗 Ryan Nemeth on WWE-TNA, AEW Exit, and More
🚨 Listen to the full exclusive interview on Bodyslam.net, hosted by Mark O’Brien (@wrestlemobs)! 🚨
