Nic Nemeth Almost Quit WWE Over SummerSlam 2019 Match With Goldberg

Nic Nemeth said he nearly walked out of WWE over the layout of his SummerSlam 2019 match with Goldberg, revealing in a recent interview that he fought backstage to avoid what he saw as an automatic squash bout. Nemeth said the original plan called for Goldberg to enter, land a spear and a jackhammer, and finish the match almost immediately, a formula he resisted so strongly he threatened to leave the company on the spot.

Nemeth said he argued that the match needed at least a small narrative to engage the live crowd rather than ending on a single move. "If I cant be in this match doing something, then I have to leave this company right now," he said. After an extended dispute, he said, a compromise was reached that allowed him to land two superkicks at the bell, create a false finish and produce a brief back and forth before Goldberg delivered the decisive spear and jackhammer.

The bout played out as Nemeth described: a short flurry of offense culminating in Goldberg's victory. Nemeth recounted that the added moments, including a surprised reaction from the broadcast commentator, validated his push for change. He also described the physical toll of taking repeated spears and said...