Kevin Nash Tells ESPN Wrestling Died At WrestleMania 20; The Wrestling World Responds

by Matthew Harrak on August 9, 2012

There’s been a TON of talk the past day or so since an interview with Kevin Nash was posted on the ESPN-owned blog, Grantland.com. In this interview, Nash made more than a few controversial but the one that really lite a fire under the wrestling world was this:

“When Benoit and Guerrero hugged [at the end of WrestleMania XX], that was the end of the business,” Nash says. “Has business been the same since that WrestleMania? Has it come close to the Austin era? Has it come close to the nWo or the Hogan era? You put two fucking guys that were great workers that were the same height as the fucking referees, and I’m sorry, man. Are you going to watch a porno movie with a guy with a three-inch dick? Even if you’re not gay, you will not watch a porno movie with a guy with a three-inch dick. That’s not the standard in porno films. So you put a 5-foot-7 guy as your world champion.”

Continuing to say about current stars WWE Champion CM Punk and Daniel Bryan:

“They are not bigger than life,” he says. “I bet they could both walk through airports and not be noticed unless they have a gimmick shirt on and the belt.”

Obviously this is only one man’s opinion and one that he is absolutely entitled to. But a few other members of the wrestling community weighed in on the subject Wednesday.

WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper wrote on his Twitter:

“I love all the real deal boys in biz. Fact, I’m one of the smallest. Fact I out drew almost everyone. Fact,Without ALL the boys, I’m nothing.”

Another WWE Hall of Famer, Jim Ross addressed the comments on his blog at JRsBarBQ.com:

“I’m an old school guy who thinks that wrestlers come in all shapes and sizes and that the final, final decree on how well said talents produce is ultimately left up to the consumer aka the fans.”

“Lots of sub six feet tall athletes have been huge box office draws in the biz over the years. There are too many to mention here.”

“Several big men who have migrated into the pro wrestling world simply because of their size have failed. Some haven’t. Kevin Nash was and still is very successful. He’s made a lot of money and he’s saved it. Smart guy. Out of the entire Grantland piece the thing that I felt was most compelling for today’s wrestlers, rookies, wannabe’s, etc, is that Kevin Nash made big money and he took care of it.”

“Nash is a brilliant guy…love him or hate him. He’s a survivor and by any means necessary which at times doesn’t sit well with some people.”

“I helped give Kevin one of his first breaks while we were both in Atlanta in the early 90′s when WCW management, and I use that term loosely, did not know what to do with an athletic, 7 footer who could talk and who had a great look. When management heard Kev in on my WSB Radio show it opened their eyes to what they potentially had.”

“No, I don’t agree with Kevin on his smaller wrestlers theory as I like all that have true talent. But I do defend his right to express himself and chuckle at the ability that he has to manipulate fans and peers alike in 140 characters or less.”

The only person Nash seemed to take offense to or bother responding to is current WWE star and former WWE & World Champion, Chris Jericho.

Jericho wrote on Twitter:

“Funny how @realkevinnash says wrestling ‘died’ when Benoit and Guerrero were champs-Yet the worst year for WWE biz was 95 when he was on top”

To which Nash quipped:

“Once again the puppet master pulls the marks strings .Knew Jericho was a closet mark.First one eliminated on a bulls–t sing show…REALLY!!”

It was Jericho though with the last word (as of this writing):

“Hope @realkevinnash doesn’t tear his quad tweeting! #typicalbigman#nwothirdwheel”

Quick Quip: There’s a lot more to the Grantland article than just these few quotes and well worth a read. I don’t agree with much Nash had to offer but then again, when was he even known to not try to put himself over?

Tags: Chris Benoit, chris jericho, Eddie Guerrero, kevin nash, Roddy Piper, Wrestlemania 20, WWE

Source: Grantland.com

Matthew Harrak

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James A

Didn’t you think that Piper’s comment disagreed with Nash, then?

MVP also commented, as well as Smith Hart. Smith questioned what Nash’s theory meant for his good friends HBK and X-Pac, while MVP facetiously agreed with Nash, noting that nobody cared about smaller boxers like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather…
http://twitter.com/Kanta_Mizuno Ryan Alarie

Many people disagreed with Nash, but Nash only ‘got into it’ with Jericho, everyone else he either didn’t bother to respond to or never knew they said anything in the first place.
James A

Yeah, I see what Matt meant now, my mistake. It is weird that Nash only responded to Jericho.

JR’s response annoyed me, by the way. He always seems to sit on the fence whenever difficult questions are asked of him. Nash said some idiotic things – why would JR spend so many words singing his praises in response?
Mike Gojira

By Nash’s theory, Great Khali should be a major headliner simply because he’s over 7 feet tall. This from the guy who once attempted to make Rey Mysterio and TNA’s X-Division into what he believed would make them more “credible.”
Bob

This retard is almost as bad as Matt Hardy’s repeated “working the internet” attempts.
Pingback: Wrestling Video Site » Stop Calling Former WWE Champion Kevin Nash a Smart Worker – Bleacher Report
http://twitter.com/BlairADouglas Blair A. Douglas

I’m not one for watching too many shoot interviews that aren’t for hilarity’s sake (Iron Sheik, New Jack, etc) but I’ve watched both the Kevin Nash ones that RF Video did, as well as some shorter ones. Nash is one of my absolute favorite real-life speakers about the business. He doesn’t take it too seriously, treats it like a job where the object is to make money – which it is, is one of the few guys who is brutally honest about his limitations, and makes fun of his own in-ring ability.

In the past, I’ve seen Nash say a TON of good things about CM Punk. He’s also said on many occasions that Shawn Michaels is the greatest of all time. He’s even said that Alex Shelley would be his pick for THE future superstar of the business. ALL these guys would be considered smaller wrestlers.

So – all that being said – I have no idea what this is all about. There’s no defending these remarks at all. I guess the moral of the story is that he’s just inconsistent and out of his mind sometimes. Or that he just shows up for some interviews drunk – like that one promo he did with Punk the night after SummerSlam last year.
Starcade

That smell you sense is a bunch of burning bridges on the part of Kevin Nash.

Look, Big Man, the only reason you got over is because of the fact that you were tall, big, cocky, and had one big move.

This almost sounds like 1980′s Vince needed a mouthpiece and found Kevin Nash.
Sideshowbob

I read the article. Yes these comments are absurd. But just as ridiculous was him saying he wants to star in a movie about a wrestler on the way up, as opposed to the movie The Wrestler where Ram was in the twilight if his career… Kevin Nash. On the way up. ?? 15 yrs ago maybe… Now, he’s old grey and half crippled. If he dyes his beard n hair he has that droopy Uncle Scar look.. On the way up.. Dude is Randy and don’t even realize it..
I have an idea. At the Raw XX episode, lets have Nash vs Hart for old times sake. I think the stroke survivor may be more mobile..
On the way up.. Okay dude..
flamingwombat

I think I get what he was trying to say here. He’s not denying that Eddy and Benoit were great workers (he calls them great) but he has a problem with putting undersized guys as the face of the company (i.e. the carry the company, both in and out of the ring, world champion level). I assume he thinks that the average, more “mark”-ish, wrestling fan would prefer to see the larger than life Hogans and Warriors than smaller workers. And, he’s probably right. (I say probably, but I’m pretty sure the correct word is “absolutely”.) He’s in no way suggesting that schmucks like Khali should be the face of the company, nor that there isn’t a place for talented smaller workers, as some other commenters are implying.

I’m not saying I agree with what (I assume) he is saying. But I sympathize to a point. Remember when action movies had larger than life superstars with limited acting ability (Ahnold, Sly, VAN F’IN DAMME) and now they’ve been replaced by such stallions as Matt Damon and SHIA LABEOUF?! Matt and Shia are smaller workers with better skills, but I have to say that modern action movies suck the big one, mostly due to this transition. That’s why I’m going to kill you last.
CB40

Someone’s looking forward to The Expendables 2!
Mike Gojira

The twentieth Raw was back in 1993, bob.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=615281575 Bill Hedrick

I was working a booth at the Metrodome in like ’03, Taz walked by – they were in town and he was going to a baseball game, I knew it was him IMMEDIATELY, and would have marked out completely if I wasn’t working. FYI Taz is not tall (ha!)
lawlore

Screw the wrestling part of it, I’m still trying to untangle his “Even if you’re not gay” comment- that just seems an odd detail to mention in this particular context.
flamingwombat

I can guarantee that the Expendables 2 will be the greatest film of all time. Next to Predator.
flamingwombat

I think he means if you are watching porno just for the penises, as opposed to the many other fine attractions available to the porn viewer.※

※I mean boobies.
lawlore

I’d even go a step further than that- I don’t think it’s even the markish fans he’s particularly talking about. It’s non-fans who could become fans- I think his point, muddled as it is, is ultimately that someone with little or no prior knowledge of wrestling is not going to be wowed on first sight by Eddy or Benoit. Bring a non-fan to watch a show, they’ll see someone larger than life- Hogan, Nash, Taker and go “Wow, that guy’s huge/ripped/etc.”. But if they see Eddy, Benoit (or Punk, Bryan, if you will), no, you probably won’t get that same instant reaction. Explain all about their ability and talent, and their gut reaction on first sight is still likely to be “Oh, that guy’s the champ? That guy?”. There’s probably some truth in that.

However, the problem is that Nash seems to think that one point is the start and end of the success or failure of the whole industry, and that’s just not the case. If business isn’t what it was, there are a plethora of reasons for that, and to attribute it to just one, to hail smaller wrestlers main eventing as the “death” of the industry, is just silly.
lawlore

I’m just amused by the thought that Nash has undertaken a study on how many people would watch porn- be it straight or gay- if it featured three-inch penises, as opposed to those who wouldn’t.
Sideshowbob

Back to the radioactive island with you…
20th anniversary jackwagon.. Its only funny cuz I know you know better… Since the 10th anniversary was called Raw X… If, then…. Raw XX..
Sideshowbob

Ah quoting the real Matrix.. Nice. I remember seeing Commando at the movies.. Good times..
Skeith

Nash hit the nail on the head I was heavily into WWE before Lesnar put Eddy over. Then when Eddy beat Angle, and Benoit when the Big Gold Belt at WMXX, I lost interest. I still sorta watch WWE every now and then. But that real passion died that night. The Midget Hug of Doom basically drove LOTS of people away. The business ain’t dying any time soon, but that was a significant negative turning point.
Nassar

Wait a second, I thought wrestling “died” when one big guy that looked the part poked another big guy that looked the part with a finger in his chest to win the championship??
CB40

^this