Nash Shoots On WWE

[SuperJerk 0]

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Here's some highlights...

 

IGNFF: What percentage of that do you think is due to the fact that these younger wrestlers never went through the training and time on the road that the older wrestlers, like yourself, had to work your way up through?

 

NASH: I'd say it's all high-impact... They never learned how to do the Shakespeare part of it. I remember when I broke in, I was in a locker room with Harley Race – Harley was older at that time, when I broke in, but he was still working – and I remember him telling me, "Kid, you'll never learn how to work until you work hurt." And I thought, "What the hell does that mean? What kind of old-timer thing is that?" But if you get hurt, you go out there – because if you can't land on your back, and you've got to go 12 minutes, damn right you'll learn how to work. You'll learn how to do something.

 

IGNFF: Do you think that's what happened when a lot of the classic WWF wrestlers made their way back to the fold after WCW folded?

 

NASH: It was almost one of those thing where anybody who came from WCW to the WWF, whatever their strongpoint was, they didn't do it. I wasn't allowed to talk. I wasn't allowed to be sarcastic. I wasn't allowed to be the persona that I was. I was this person that screamed and was angry all the time, and I did, like, wrestling promos. I never did wrestling promos – I just used to speak. I used to have conversations.

 

IGNFF: Where did that directive to repress the characters come from?

 

NASH: I just think that even thought he WWF – WWE – bought that company, I think that the battle was so bitter for so many years that, like, I'm sure that after the Civil War the Union guys didn't tell the Confederate guys, "Hey! Come on over! We're having a barbecue!" It was the North versus the South – that was exactly what it was. If you would have looked at it chronologically, at the beginning of the Civil War the South kicked their asses, and eventually because the North had industrialization and the ability to manufacture – they had things that, in the long run, they would prevail. But for two years, the South kicked a little ass, and then finally they beat us. But I don't think when we came in that they looked at us as, "Well, these are our guys now." I think that when the NWO came in as a collective group and we were going to go over at Wrestlemania in a couple of matches, I think that the guys we were going to go over walked in and said, "Let me get this right – they were the son of a b****es that almost put us out of business, and we're putting them over?" And Vince went, "You're absolutely right... No we're not." Now that he owned it, it was just that the NWO was "That thing that almost put us out of business... We're going to kill this."

 

IGNFF: So it was twisting the knife...

 

NASH: We came in, the house show revenue went up, the pay-per-view that we came out was like the highest rating that that pay-per-view had ever done by a huge amount of buys. We did what we were supposed to do – we came in and popped the place. And then in 6 weeks they chopped the head off it. They turned Hulk (Hogan) babyface, they had one babyface beating me and Scott up...

 

IGNFF: Really, it was a matter of putting you all in your place...

 

NASH: I felt that way. I just felt that it was like, "You guys left, you guys put us through hell, and here's a little something back." I never felt, the whole time that I was back during those two years, that I was ever forgiven for leaving in the first place. To me, watching Eric Bischoff on the Raw show is like, "Is he blinking?" I feel like he's one of the guys at the Hanoi Hilton... He doesn't even realize that he's a hostage, but he's just a hostage on that show.

 

IGNFF: It's amazing how many big names have left the business in the past few years...

 

NASH: To me, it's the Gewertz kid that writes for them... I think his name is Brian Gewertz. He's like the head writer of Raw, and I never understood how our show is based on sex and violence, and you've got a guy who's the head writer who's never been laid and never been in a fight.

 

IGNFF: So, in other words, most of the fans...

 

NASH: (laughing) Exactly! But that's why they live vicariously through those characters, you know? But I just never understood how the people that are in the creative room – I'm just thinking to myself, "And your credentials are? Let me see what you wrote for. Saturday Night Live? Have you written for The Drew Carey Show? Oh, one episode? Great, let's have you aboard."

 

IGNFF: Sometimes fighting the fight means walking away...

 

NASH: Yeah, and I think it worked for me. The only thing that I can say that I enjoyed about the whole process of coming back was that it was great to come back with Scott and Hulk. That was a great rush, because we did go out there and we did pop the place. And it was still there... that mystique of the three of us was still there. It was the same thing that worked the first time around. So that was still there, which was great, and then I got a chance to work with one of my dearest friends, Triple H, in about a 3-month program. And we ended up having the "Hell in the Cell" which they felt would be horrible because I was so beat up, but because we could tell a story, we had a good match.

 

IGNFF: There's another guy who's making the transition...

 

NASH: I looked at him at Wrestlemania and Paul's body was way-softer than it's been in a long time. I just think that after doing Blade and everything else, I think he's so burnt out... He's been pulling that wagon up there for a lot of years. I mean, he's by far – and not because he's one of my best friends – he's head and shoulders above anybody else over there on a day-by-day basis, with work, promos... I mean, that's the way I feel. I just think it's taking its toll on him. He needs some time just to chill.

 

He makes some good points, but he's blinded by his friendship IMO.

 

Thoughts?

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

He criticized Gewitz and some anonymous people - but not the entire roster. It wasn't exactly a scathing interview as some have led us to believe.

[Guest Adrian 3:16]

NASH: It was almost one of those thing where anybody who came from WCW to the WWF, whatever their strongpoint was, they didn't do it. I wasn't allowed to talk. I wasn't allowed to be sarcastic. I wasn't allowed to be the persona that I was. I was this person that screamed and was angry all the time, and I did, like, wrestling promos. I never did wrestling promos – I just used to speak. I used to have conversations.

 

I agree with him 100% on this one. He wasn't even Nash for most of the time he was there, just some generic big angry guy. The only time we got much of a taste of the real Nash was when he was clowning Jericho on his interview show before the hair match.

[Guest MikeSC]

He makes some good points, but he's blinded by his friendship IMO.

 

Thoughts?

IGNFF: What percentage of that do you think is due to the fact that these younger wrestlers never went through the training and time on the road that the older wrestlers, like yourself, had to work your way up through?

 

NASH: I'd say it's all high-impact... They never learned how to do the Shakespeare part of it. I remember when I broke in, I was in a locker room with Harley Race – Harley was older at that time, when I broke in, but he was still working – and I remember him telling me, "Kid, you'll never learn how to work until you work hurt." And I thought, "What the hell does that mean? What kind of old-timer thing is that?" But if you get hurt, you go out there – because if you can't land on your back, and you've got to go 12 minutes, damn right you'll learn how to work. You'll learn how to do something.

Well, in his case, it'd be take two steps, blow your knee out, be out for numerous months...

IGNFF: Do you think that's what happened when a lot of the classic WWF wrestlers made their way back to the fold after WCW folded?

 

NASH: It was almost one of those thing where anybody who came from WCW to the WWF, whatever their strongpoint was, they didn't do it. I wasn't allowed to talk. I wasn't allowed to be sarcastic. I wasn't allowed to be the persona that I was. I was this person that screamed and was angry all the time, and I did, like, wrestling promos. I never did wrestling promos – I just used to speak. I used to have conversations.

Yes, and nothing is sadder than watching a 40+ year old try to sound "street".

IGNFF: Where did that directive to repress the characters come from?

 

NASH: I just think that even thought he WWF – WWE – bought that company, I think that the battle was so bitter for so many years that, like, I'm sure that after the Civil War the Union guys didn't tell the Confederate guys, "Hey! Come on over! We're having a barbecue!" It was the North versus the South – that was exactly what it was. If you would have looked at it chronologically, at the beginning of the Civil War the South kicked their asses, and eventually because the North had industrialization and the ability to manufacture – they had things that, in the long run, they would prevail. But for two years, the South kicked a little ass, and then finally they beat us. But I don't think when we came in that they looked at us as, "Well, these are our guys now." I think that when the NWO came in as a collective group and we were going to go over at Wrestlemania in a couple of matches, I think that the guys we were going to go over walked in and said, "Let me get this right – they were the son of a b****es that almost put us out of business, and we're putting them over?"

I'd imagine the comments were more like "These talentless slugs who killed THEIR promotion are being put over big HERE?"

And Vince went, "You're absolutely right... No we're not." Now that he owned it, it was just that the NWO was "That thing that almost put us out of business... We're going to kill this."

 

IGNFF: So it was twisting the knife...

 

NASH: We came in, the house show revenue went up, the pay-per-view that we came out was like the highest rating that that pay-per-view had ever done by a huge amount of buys.

Hmm,

 

NWO 2000 PPV Buyrate: 1.2

NWO 2001 PPV Buyrate: 1.31

NWO 2002 PPV Buyrate: 1.10

 

Guess which of the 3 they appeared on.

We did what we were supposed to do – we came in and popped the place. And then in 6 weeks they chopped the head off it. They turned Hulk (Hogan) babyface, they had one babyface beating me and Scott up...

They "popped the place"? News to anybody watching.

IGNFF: Really, it was a matter of putting you all in your place...

 

NASH: I felt that way. I just felt that it was like, "You guys left, you guys put us through hell, and here's a little something back." I never felt, the whole time that I was back during those two years, that I was ever forgiven for leaving in the first place. To me, watching Eric Bischoff on the Raw show is like, "Is he blinking?" I feel like he's one of the guys at the Hanoi Hilton... He doesn't even realize that he's a hostage, but he's just a hostage on that show.

Poor Nash, so held down, so mistreated. I mean, he worked how many matches in his ENTIRE WWE stint?

IGNFF: It's amazing how many big names have left the business in the past few years...

 

NASH: To me, it's the Gewertz kid that writes for them... I think his name is Brian Gewertz. He's like the head writer of Raw, and I never understood how our show is based on sex and violence, and you've got a guy who's the head writer who's never been laid and never been in a fight.

And, God knows, when you think "shoot fighting", you think Kevin Nash.

IGNFF: So, in other words, most of the fans...

 

NASH: (laughing) Exactly! But that's why they live vicariously through those characters, you know?

Yeah, I live vicariously through a tall, plodding oaf who hasn't had a good match since about 1995.

But I just never understood how the people that are in the creative room – I'm just thinking to myself, "And your credentials are? Let me see what you wrote for. Saturday Night Live? Have you written for The Drew Carey Show? Oh, one episode? Great, let's have you aboard."

And NASH'S credentials are?

 

"Hmm, lowest drawing champ in WWF history. Booked WCW into their death spiral in 1999. Your title reign in 1998 killed the company. We want HIM!"

IGNFF: Sometimes fighting the fight means walking away...

 

NASH: Yeah, and I think it worked for me.

Just don't blow a knee out in the process.

The only thing that I can say that I enjoyed about the whole process of coming back was that it was great to come back with Scott and Hulk. That was a great rush, because we did go out there and we did pop the place. And it was still there... that mystique of the three of us was still there.

The "mystique" being "How in the heck do THESE guys have jobs?"

It was the same thing that worked the first time around. So that was still there, which was great, and then I got a chance to work with one of my dearest friends, Triple H, in about a 3-month program. And we ended up having the "Hell in the Cell" which they felt would be horrible because I was so beat up, but because we could tell a story, we had a good match.

Yet the match at Judgment Day was unmitigated crap.

IGNFF: There's another guy who's making the transition...

 

NASH: I looked at him at Wrestlemania and Paul's body was way-softer than it's been in a long time. I just think that after doing Blade and everything else, I think he's so burnt out... He's been pulling that wagon up there for a lot of years. I mean, he's by far – and not because he's one of my best friends – he's head and shoulders above anybody else over there on a day-by-day basis, with work, promos... I mean, that's the way I feel.

Of course, your knowledge of what draws or what fans want is, let's be generous, limited.

-=Mike

[SuperJerk 0]

He criticized Gewitz and some anonymous people - but not the entire roster. It wasn't exactly a scathing interview as some have led us to believe.

He may not "name names", but he's pretty much saying that guys today can't work.

 

I'm really taken aback by his blind devotion to Triple H, and opinion that HHH is carrying everyone else.

[AndrewTS 0]

The spin on the nWo in WWF thing is hilarious. No, Nash, you and Hall didn't "pop the place." Hogan did--that old guy who actually drew in his prime and wrestled in 2002 without suffering an injury walking.

 

"NASH: To me, it's the Gewertz kid that writes for them... I think his name is Brian Gewertz. He's like the head writer of Raw, and I never understood how our show is based on sex and violence, and you've got a guy who's the head writer who's never been laid and never been in a fight."

 

So this is the old "if you don't wrestle, you aren't qualified to write about wrestling" line put in a different light?

 

Granted, Gerwitz isn't qualified to write for TV period, but Nash is all wrong about why he isn't.

 

Then again, Nash isn't a wrestler, and he was a shitty booker in WCW, so maybe there's something there.

[Guest Adrian 3:16]

NASH: To me, it's the Gewertz kid that writes for them... I think his name is Brian Gewertz. He's like the head writer of Raw, and I never understood how our show is based on sex and violence, and you've got a guy who's the head writer who's never been laid and never been in a fight.

 

Bwahaha, I missed that the first time around. That's what I get for just skimming over it. Everything I hear about Gewertz, from everybody from Nash to Raven, paints him as nothing but a complete nerd. It sure explains a lot, but I wonder how he even landed the job to begin with- he seems like the kind of guy Vince and most of the wrestlers would take lunch money from in school.

 

And to whoever said the NWO didn't get pops on their inital return- they did, and to say otherwise is just revisionist history. Now their heat dwindled down to nothing from Mania 18 until they got HBK, but that's another story.

 

I admit Nash lost me when he was talking about all his "good matches" though.

[AndrewTS 0]

NASH: To me, it's the Gewertz kid that writes for them... I think his name is Brian Gewertz. He's like the head writer of Raw, and I never understood how our show is based on sex and violence, and you've got a guy who's the head writer who's never been laid and never been in a fight.

 

Bwahaha, I missed that the first time around. That's what I get for just skimming over it. Everything I hear about Gewertz, from everybody from Nash to Raven, paints him as nothing but a complete nerd. It sure explains a lot, but I wonder how he even landed the job to begin with- he seems like the kind of guy Vince and most of the wrestlers would take lunch money from in school.

He wrote for Big Wolf on Campus!

 

And to whoever said the NWO didn't get pops on their inital return- they did, and to say otherwise is just revisionist history.  Now their heat dwindled down to nothing from Mania 18 until they got HBK, but that's another story.

 

Of course they got return pops, but those faded pretty quickly and Hogan was the main reason people cared. At Mania X8, they lost Hogan, and Austin beat Hall after dominating the feud. However, a single loss usually doesn't kill pops by itself.

 

I admit Nash lost me when he was talking about all his "good matches" though.

 

A good match for Nash is any match he can walk away from without an injury.

[Guest Adrian 3:16]

Of course they got return pops, but those faded pretty quickly and Hogan was the main reason people cared.  At Mania X8, they lost Hogan, and Austin beat Hall after dominating the feud.  However, a single loss usually doesn't kill pops by itself.

They lost a lot more than just one match though.

 

Hogan leaving so soon wasn't how I would've booked it, but after the reaction they got at Mania they didn't really have much choice. The NWO angle could've still been salvaged if they hadn't lost Nash for a while to an injury, and then lost Hall permanantly. Don't forget for a good while there the only active NWO members on TV were Big Show and X-Pac. So of course the superstar factor and return pops weren't gonna be there for THEM. Then they got Nash back for like a week, we get Raw is Quad and after that even Vince says "fuck it" and pulls the plug.

 

The NWO return is one of those funny things where everything that could go wrong, DID go wrong. Call it karma.

[SuperJerk 0]

To me, the low point of the NWO run (not that there weren't a lot of them) was when Scott Hall couldn't even get a clean win over Bradshaw at Backlash.

 

Logically, Triple H should've retained the belt that night and joined the NWO. That'd have helped the angle greatly and saved us from the horrid Taker/Hogan feud...

 

Of course, that whole show was fucked up beyond all recovery.

[Guest wildpegasus]

Yes, and nothing is sadder than watching a 40+ year old try to sound "street".

Why? Are only "cool", young people allowed to sound "street"?

[1234-5678 0]

At the very least, Hall should've been put over Austin at Mania to keep that feud going. Instead we had superman Austin beating the hell out of all 3 of em, and taking Hall hostage and making a fool of him. Then during the actual match, he proved he could beat both Outsiders at the same time.

[Jericholic82 0]

This is funny, coming from a guy who only became a superstar due to being friends with shawn michaels. If he didn't win the title from backlund in 94, he woulda stayed a midcarder and maybe shawn would be the face and he would be the heel in the split up of the tag team. shawn wins the rumble, beats backlund at wm 11 and maybe feuds a little bit with diesel,....well you get the point, I am sorry for going all fantasy booker on you guys there. I am just saying that I don't really give a crap what Kevin Nash has to say about the business today, saty home and go out drinking with hall and make more crappy movies, just stay out of wrestling.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

This is funny, coming from a guy who only became a superstar due to being friends with shawn michaels. If he didn't win the title from backlund in 94, he woulda stayed a midcarder and maybe shawn would be the face and he would be the heel in the split up of the tag team. shawn wins the rumble, beats backlund at wm 11 and maybe feuds a little bit with diesel,....well you get the point, I am sorry for going all fantasy booker on you guys there. I am just saying that I don't really give a crap what Kevin Nash has to say about the business today, saty home and go out drinking with hall and make more crappy movies, just stay out of wrestling.

Actually it was his RRumble 94 performance that saved his ass. If the crowd didn't get into him for it, McMahon was all set to pull the "fuck-you-you're-fired" plug.

 

Sadly, the crowd went crazy for Diesel's domination in the first half of the match.

[AndrewTS 0]

To me, the low point of the NWO run (not that there weren't a lot of them) was when Scott Hall couldn't even get a clean win over Bradshaw at Backlash.

 

Logically, Triple H should've retained the belt that night and joined the NWO. That'd have helped the angle greatly and saved us from the horrid Taker/Hogan feud...

 

Of course, that whole show was fucked up beyond all recovery.

Yeah, I'd agree. A solid undercard ruined by two of the most shitacularly boring matches I've ever seen. Austin and Taker completely stunk it up as a neutered Flair hung around wearing clown shoes. Then HHH and Hogan had a match nearly as bad, doing everything wrong that Rock-Hogan did right. Then we get the Hulkastalgia title win and a set up to a match nearly as bad for JD.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

To me, the low point of the NWO run (not that there weren't a lot of them) was when Scott Hall couldn't even get a clean win over Bradshaw at Backlash.

 

Logically, Triple H should've retained the belt that night and joined the NWO.  That'd have helped the angle greatly and saved us from the horrid Taker/Hogan feud...

 

Of course, that whole show was fucked up beyond all recovery.

Yeah, I'd agree. A solid undercard ruined by two of the most shitacularly boring matches I've ever seen. Austin and Taker completely stunk it up as a neutered Flair hung around wearing clown shoes. Then HHH and Hogan had a match nearly as bad, doing everything wrong that Rock-Hogan did right. Then we get the Hulkastalgia title win and a set up to a match nearly as bad for JD.

I didn't think the Backlash HHH/Hulk match was TOO bad,considering Trips was in lazy fuck mode from his 20+ pound inflation, and the fact Hogan was....Hogan.

 

 

But Hulk/Taker I admit was just...BAD! The botched Chokeslam was the icing on the cake.

[SuperJerk 0]

But Hulk/Taker I admit was just...BAD! The botched Chokeslam was the icing on the cake.

Remember when the motorcycle died?

 

The horror...the horror...

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

Horror? That was fucking hilarious! Remember how they had to cut to JR and King babbling about nothing to cover that up, and Lawler was trying not to crack up?

[AndrewTS 0]

Hogan/HHH wasn't quite *as* bad as Hogan/Taker, but HHH doing his really bad Flair impression, attacking Hogan's knee when he SURE AS HELL isn't Flair sucked. It would have made more sense to target the bad back and destroy that like he was doing with HBK would have been infinitely more interesting.

 

What we got was HHH/Angle, only longer, more boring, and without Angle's skillz to make it entertaining--the ending was just as stupid, though.

[AndrewTS 0]

Horror? That was fucking hilarious! Remember how they had to cut to JR and King babbling about nothing to cover that up, and Lawler was trying not to crack up?

I personally found the draggin' incident more amusing, but yeah, that was great too. *I*

 

Goldberg's car stalling was funnier, though.

[The Mandarin 0]

Yes, and nothing is sadder than watching a 40+ year old try to sound "street".

Why? Are only "cool", young people allowed to sound "street"?

What about the Rappin' Granny?

[SuperJerk 0]

Well, in his case, it'd be take two steps, blow your knee out, be out for numerous months...

Just for the record, I'm pretty sure Nash got a kick in on Booker T before he blew his quad in that match.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Hogan leaving so soon wasn't how I would've booked it, but after the reaction they got at Mania they didn't really have much choice. The NWO angle could've still been salvaged if they hadn't lost Nash for a while to an injury, and then lost Hall permanantly. Don't forget for a good while there the only active NWO members on TV were Big Show and X-Pac. So of course the superstar factor and return pops weren't gonna be there for THEM. Then they got Nash back for like a week, we get Raw is Quad and after that even Vince says "fuck it" and pulls the plug.

Another problem I think was that the NWO didn't really affect anyone in the fed outside of Rock, Austin, and Flair. I mean remember how when the NWO first came out there was that when are they going to strike factor. They could attack anyone from Rey to Lugar to Larry Z, anyone. All the NWO did in WWF was mess with Flair, Rock and Austin and that's it. No one else in the fed really.

[Toxxic 0]

Goldberg's car stalling was funnier, though.

Yeah, but to give Goldberg credit he didn't waste any time retrying it - he just got out and legged it. And JR did a brilliant cover in his one and only good bit of work for the last three years or so by suggesting that Rock had sabotaged Goldberg's car to make sure he could get away. Surprisingly quick thinking from a senile hoss-lover.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Hogan leaving so soon wasn't how I would've booked it, but after the reaction they got at Mania they didn't really have much choice.  The NWO angle could've still been salvaged if they hadn't lost Nash for a while to an injury, and then lost Hall permanantly.  Don't forget for a good while there the only active NWO members on TV were Big Show and X-Pac.  So of course the superstar factor and return pops weren't gonna be there for THEM.  Then they got Nash back for like a week, we get Raw is Quad and after that even Vince says "fuck it" and pulls the plug.

Another problem I think was that the NWO didn't really affect anyone in the fed outside of Rock, Austin, and Flair. I mean remember how when the NWO first came out there was that when are they going to strike factor. They could attack anyone from Rey to Lugar to Larry Z, anyone. All the NWO did in WWF was mess with Flair, Rock and Austin and that's it. No one else in the fed really.

Rey Mysterio; human dart will forever be tattooed in my mind as the funniest shit I've ever seen.

[Guest nikowwf]

It didn't help Hogan/HHH that it was preceded by about 900 hours of the most boring Austin / Taker match conceived by man, if i recall correctly. (I may be wrong, as i was trying to poke my eyes out with a fork during that one.)

 

niko

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

It didn't help Hogan/HHH that it was preceded by about 900 hours of the most boring Austin / Taker match conceived by man, if i recall correctly. (I may be wrong, as i was trying to poke my eyes out with a fork during that one.)

 

niko

It was 26:00 long, and I remember looking at the clock every 10 seconds screaming "END THE FUCKING MATCH!". I actually cheered when UT won. Not because I liked him, but because it was over.

[bradolson 0]

i was there at no way out when they first came back. before the show everyone in the crowd was so excited to see them and they got a huge pop the first time they came out. but then at the end of the show when they came down and spray painted austin everyone was like "we've seen this already" and became tired of them already, after one show.

[Guest Trivia247]

that doesn't seem like much of a bashing of the WWE. As it seems like more like just genuflecting what happens to him. There maybe some measure of revenge on ex WWF/WCW wrestlers who came back to the WWE. But it depends on which wrestlers they believed screwed them the most. I think they couldn't intially nail Hogan in vengeance for his role in the WCW because he has too many fans still love him when he came back in. But later on they manage to break him apart bits and pieces. until he was just a masked moron that was fired and forgotten so quickly you think he was in a Yokozuna match.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

that doesn't seem like much of a bashing of the WWE. As it seems like more like just genuflecting what happens to him. There maybe some measure of revenge on ex WWF/WCW wrestlers who came back to the WWE. But it depends on which wrestlers they believed screwed them the most. I think they couldn't intially nail Hogan in vengeance for his role in the WCW because he has too many fans still love him when he came back in. But later on they manage to break him apart bits and pieces. until he was just a masked moron that was fired and forgotten so quickly you think he was in a Yokozuna match.

Wasn't Hogan behind the idea of "Mr. America", and if so, the excuse Vince made him do it is canceled out.