Blond Ambition

For a decade, Nic Nemeth has body slammed his way around the world. Known in professional wrestling's WWE as Dolph Ziggler, he has been performing since his days as a St. Edward High School standout. "On Fridays during wrestling practices," he recalls, "my buddy and I would try to give each other a black eye so we would look tougher for girls on the weekend." As the WWE Intercontinental Champion, Ziggler and his bleach blond hair return to The Q Dec. 14 for TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs.

Q| What was your plan after graduating from Kent State?

A| The plan was to go to law school, and then I was going to train to be a pro wrestler at night. ... With the amount of hard work that you have to put into each one, I never would have been able to do both.

Q| What's your advice for aspiring WWE Superstars?

A| I made a deal with my parents that no matter what dream I chased after, that I would finish college first. ... WWE is like any other professional sport where there is less than a 1 percent chance you will actually make a living from it.

Q| What do you miss most about Cleveland?

A| Since I'm always on the road for Browns games, I will call my dad right before kickoff and have him put his cellphone up to the radio in Cleveland. And wherever I am, I will put mine on speaker and listen to Jim Donovan call the entire game.