During a recent appearance on the “AEW Unrestricted” podcast, AEW Superstar Ryan Nemeth commented on signing with AEW after meeting Tony Khan at Brodie Lee Jr.’s birthday party, working a match against Hangman Page, and more. You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
Ryan Nemeth on joining AEW after meeting Tony Khan at Brodie Lee Jr.’s birthday party: “I showed up to surprise her and the boy for his big birthday party. I was great friends with Amanda and Brodie back in Tampa in NXT times. They were trying to tell me for a few months that I should come, and they were doing a birthday party for Brodie Jr, and that I should come and surprise Amanda and say hi. I was listening to this thinking that I don’t want to show up at a wrestling promotion I don’t work for. To me, that’s bad etiquette and it’s weird. It will seem like, ‘Hey guys, can I have a match?’ I know everybody does that, but I just didn’t want to do that. I was like, sure, so I showed up. Brodie Jr did not recognize me at all. Back in Tampa years ago, sometimes I would babysit. He was the funniest little monster ever. He used to run around naked. He would tear his clothes off, start running around, and jumping off things. That was when he was freshly hatched. I remember Brodie sitting in a chair just thinking, ‘There he goes.’ To see him as full -1, and everybody is going, ‘Yes, be that all the time.’ I remember Amanda going, ‘There’s Ryan. Do you remember him?’ He just goes, ‘No.’ I was very flattered and excited that Tony Khan decided that I would then wrestle Hangman Adam Page on Dynamite the next day.”
On making his AEW debut against Hangman Page on Dynamite: “I just remember walking into the arena next morning, and I’ll tell you the truth, I was a little bummed out. I was like, ‘This is a great company, and I sort of wish I was some part of it.’ I was a little bummed. Jess Palombo walks down the hallway next to me on the phone and goes, ‘Hey, it’s you and Hangman on Dynamite tonight.’ I said, ‘What?’ Yeah, the coolest thing that has ever been said to me. Yes, that is pretty cool. I’ll also say that I remember my brother texted me from whatever city he was in and said, ‘How’d it go? How was the birthday party?’ I’m like, ‘Well, I’m on Dynamite tonight.’ I was so massively blown away. ‘Okay, great. Good thing I brought my shorts.’
(h/t – 411 Wrestling)