10 Former WWE NXT Wrestlers You Totally Don't Remember

4. Briley Pierce

Jamie Keyes
FCW.com

Briley Pierce is Dolph Ziggler’s younger brother, but never even came close to replicating The Show-Off’s success as a WWE superstar. As a rookie wrestler, Pierce won a one-year paid scholarship with OVW in 2010, and started wrestling under his real name (Ryan Nemeth). He was brought into the WWE fold after completing his OVW contract, and became an FCW Tag Team Champion with Brad Maddox shortly afterwards.

His NXT career never really got off the ground, however. Pierce was initially relegated to a role as a backstage interviewer in his early days, and struggled to break onto television. His first televised appearance came through a match with Sakamoto that was quickly interrupted by a rampaging Conor O’Brian, who defeated the duo in a handicap match the following week. He left the company shortly afterwards, and soon faded into wrestling obscurity.

Pierce hasn’t stayed particularly active in the business since his release, though he occasionally appears for a handful of Californian and Ohioan independents. It’s likely that he’ll forever be known as “Dolph’s little brother,” and with wrestling no longer his primary focus, Pierce currently works as an actor and writer under his real name.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.