Former WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler (Nic Nemeth) recently shared a vivid story from his time working with John Cena, recalling a memorable and chaotic steel cage match at Madison Square Garden that wasn’t televised — but remains one of his favorite matches of all time.
Speaking with KVIA ABC-7, Ziggler detailed how the bout pushed past arena curfew, potentially costing Vince McMahon half a million dollars in additional fees.
“One of my absolute favorite matches I’ve ever had with him was at Madison Square Garden — a steel cage match that wasn’t televised,” Ziggler said. “And here’s the best part. There’s a curfew at MSG, and if you don’t hit that curfew, the bill becomes half a million dollars more. Everybody at MSG gets excited because, well, it’s MSG. We were in the main event in a steel cage — we’re about to go out and there’s eight minutes till ‘Hey, if we go past this time, it’s a half-million dollars on Vince [McMahon]’s tab.’ I said, ‘What are we doing? We can’t shortchange these guys.’ He goes, ‘Absolutely not. We’re going to talk to the boss.’ The boss says, ‘Give them their money’s worth.’”
Ziggler revealed that he and Cena ignored the curfew and delivered a 30-minute match for the fans — but the night didn’t end without a painful twist.
“Went out there for 30 minutes. During the match, the steel cage door got caught — I put my hands up like this and busted out my front teeth,” he recalled. “So I’m covered in blood, leaving this cage match with John Cena at Madison Square Garden after giving back to the fans even more than we promised them. Those moments are the things people don’t see on TV, and that’s what makes it extra special to us behind the scenes.”
Ziggler’s story highlights the passion and commitment shared by both performers, even in an untelevised setting, as they gave the New York City crowd an unforgettable experience.
