Please…Don’t Hate 4.13.08: Kevin Nash (TNA Version)
Posted by Julian Bond on 04.13.2008
This week we look at the often hated on, former “Big Daddy Cool”, Kevin Nash who hails from the city of Detroit. Yes…Detroit…the city of sweet sports teams, crooked mayors, wrestling goodness and also the hometown of yours truly.
Welcome everyone to the second week of Please…Don't Hate , the weekly column which takes a look at some of the most hated on and complained about wrestlers, companies, and topics within the wrestling world.
This week's subject is Kevin Nash…the TNA version. I picked the TNA version of Nash because ever since the man has joined the company the constant complaints have been following him all along the way. We will break down why this is and how to stop the hating! But first…
Reader Reverb
This is the section I wanted to start where I pick out two reader comments; one being for the chosen topic and the other being against, and give my two cents on them. I want to thank everyone for their great comments last week, ranging from "Great first article" to "You suck"! I appreciate them and definitely encourage any and all comments good and bad.
Last week's topic was: TNA Wrestling
firebreakerchip (guest) writes:
I am glad somebody said here because TNA is damn entertaining sometimes. I'll never understand the hate Cage/Angle/Tomko/Styles angle gets. The characters are organic and three-dimensional . Here's a mind-blowing concept if advanced each week. Progression in storylines and an actual mid-card make TNA great. Not perfect, just a lot of fun.
I totally agree with you on the Cage/Angle/Tomko/Styles angle. Despite many people complaining about it gobbling up TNA's TV time, this is actually one of the few stories that the company has kept up with on a constant and increasingly changing basis, something that the WWE often has trouble doing. Going from the brutal beat-down of Abyss done by the Christian Coalition, to the Coalition turning on Cage and joining Angle, even to Styles trying to hook up with Karen Angle, it has honestly kept me wanting to tune in to see what happens next. But even with that, I hope that they will wrap it up soon to move on to newer angles and give this one a nice conclusion.
Daz (guest) writes:
here's the flaw with your logic. if you give a character to a wrestler, you have to use said character in a way that you can attach to and like. tna's god awful booking makes it hard to do that making it damn hard to care about the character at all.
the things to love about tna are all on the money. but when those things aren't being used or executed in the right way it's a missed opportunity and is a negative thing more so than a positive thing. unfortunately tna has executed things the wrong way on more than one occasion. in fact wrong execution is in the majority. sting/daniels is a prime example, they have one match. sting goes over, daniels ends up derailed and worse off than before. sting moves onto another pointless feud. tna's heart may be in the right place but it's head most certainly is not.
and who actually hates tna? as far as i'm concerned most people bitch about tna's product because they care about tna and want to see it succeed. People don't hate tna the company, they hate the booking behind it. just my opinion.
Good comments. I agree on some of your thoughts about their booking. They have definitely dropped the ball on some potential great angles in the last couple of years. The two that come to my mind are: the Daniels/Sting feud and the Feast or Fired match. I really wanted to see more of Sting/Daniels and they all of sudden dropped it after one match for an unknown reason and the Feast or Fired bout had good potential as a multi-title "Money In The Bank" type angle, but they made it so confusing and drawn out that the end result turned out kind of crappy. BUT my main point was that instead of complaining about the company's drawbacks all the time, people should talk about the good things they have going on. They're not a perfect company by any means, but are a hell of a better alternative to the regular goings of the WWE. People may say that they're bitching about the company because they want it to do better, but in the end if one bitches about anything for too long more than they're giving them props, their bitching becomes hating and that I believe needs to slow down.
Now onto this week's target of choice: Big Kev.
Why People Hate On…Kevin Nash
-The man is way too old and too injured to wrestle
-Single handedly killed the X-Division
-Uses backstage politics to headline matches and buries talent in the process
-Too big of an ego to help put anyone over, way too cocky in and out of ring
My Reasoning for Not Hating On…Kevin Nash
Before I start my reasoning, I would like to state three things that I think we can all agree upon about Kevin Nash: 1) The man is getting up there in age to be actively wrestling, 2) He has had, without a shadow of a doubt, the WORST luck in being out taken due to injuries in the last few years, and 3) Nash has always had a past reputation for being a cocky bastard in and out of the ring. So with these items out in the open, we should ask ourselves: Has Kevin Nash really been such a burden to TNA with his stay so far? My answer is no.
When he first came on board in 2004, I was kind of excited that they brought him in after his somewhat lackluster run in the WWE and was looking forward to what angle he was going to be involved in. He was awesome as Diesel back in the good ol' days and was the epiphany of cool in the original NWO, so I was looking to see some of that in TNA. He first came into the fold with another version of the Outsiders (the Kings of Wrestling) with his old partner Scott Hall and Jeff Jarrett, then he turned around and fought Jarrett for the title, got injured shortly afterwards, came back to challenge Jarrett again, got put on the bench once AGAIN after being rushed to hospital before the match occurred, came back to "destroy" the X-Division with his fight against Chris Sabin, got injured one last time for good measure, came back to start a good long series with various members of the X-Division, and is now chilling out with the likes of Christian Cage and Samoa Joe. So if you were a very well-known wrestler who, I'm sure had a good amount of money saved up from their heyday and is aware that their days as an active wrestler are soon approaching an end, why would you want to constantly come back to a wrestling organization that you don't have any true alliances to? I believe it's for the love of the sport and the desire to help a company out.
People may say that all Nash has done was take the spotlight away from the younger talent and cause trouble, but I honestly don't think that he would keep coming back to TNA over and over again with the bad luck he has had in such a short time just to try and bring it down. Everyone should read the pretty good and insightful interview he did with the Canadian wrestling site, Slam Wrestling back in 2006 (click here to read), right before his match with Chris Sabin at the Slammiversity PPV. In the chat, he talks about his time in TNA so far, how he wants the company to succeed, and how he wants to assist the younger talent with developing their characters. Some critics may of course say that the man is full of crap, but his comments seemed very genuine and it's very doubtful that he would just say these things for no reason.
On top of his willingness to help out the company he is actually a very good asset in wanting to do so. He first is a well-known established name with being a multiple World Champion in both WWE and WCW and having a very significant run in the wrestling industry (NWO start-up, his matches as Diesel). So with having Nash mix it up with the new, upcoming TNA wrestlers on the roster it brings some uniqueness and further creditability to the ring with the old facing the new. People who don't know about TNA may watch an episode of Impact not recognizing a great talent like A.J. Styles but will know Nash from the past and would then look forward to seeing the two fight it out in the ring.
Second of all, the man has a knack for creating some of the funniest skits on TNA thus far and also for helping out those in the X-Division with developing their characters. With his Paparazzi Production skits and Chris Sabin feud, he's helped them become more than just the stereotypical "high-flyers". Now with that being said and before the flurry of comments come my way just for that sole sentence, let me say that he alone shouldn't be the one to blame for the "death" of the division; bad booking moves (made by several people I'm assuming) were the cause. And even with the sometimes stupid storylines that the X-Division has been stuck with they still always managed to put on great bouts. So not to fully justify some of the mistakes that were made with the handling of these developments, the character build with them still needed to be done or otherwise it would be the same spot-fest night after night until people ultimately got bored with it. Nash shouldn't be blamed or hated on for "burying" them when all he was doing was trying to help.
Good Reasons to Love….Kevin Nash
Funniest Segments in TNA
If you can honestly tell me to my face that you haven't found ANY of Nash's skits in TNA the least bit funny then I just don't know what to tell you.
Despite the strong criticisms Nash has been a great assistance to the X-Division. His feud with Chris Sabin was a good attempt to bring the division in with the heavyweights (later done a bit better with Team 3D) and he brought in Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Alex Shelly with the hilarious Paparazzi Productions skits that ran for months. And you have to admit when have you EVER seen X-Division wrestlers get this much TV time without having to break their necks in the process? Silly or not, Nash helped them out with this.
Seeing the former "Big Daddy Cool" in action against the fresh faces of TNA is definitely a unique sight to see. His verbal battles with Samoa Joe and his recent in-ring bout with A.J. Styles have been cool to watch. Heck, I even marked out a little bit when Scott Hall came back a few months ago for an Outsiders reunion, despite him sadly and expectantly flaking out at the last second.
So, on this eve of the 2008 edition of Lockdown, if you happen to see Big Kev in his Lethal Lockdown cage match, just know that despite him being old and despite the growing possibility that he (God forbid) may get injured AGAIN, you shouldn't hate on the man for trying to help a company out. Other wrestlers in his position would have walked away a long time ago, but he remains there because he wants to help out and because he truly believes in a company that's attempting to be different than the rest.
On The Next Episode of…"Please…Don't Hate"
I was going to save this topic for later on down the line because I knew it would definitely be a firestarter, but due to popular demand (3 readers!!), I bring you….the man…the myth…the master of thugonomics…John Cena.
I agreed with the majority of your points last time, but not this.
Kevin Nash is and always has been one of the worst people in wrestling.
The PCS were all horrible, unfunny and pointless. Let the X-division go out and blow people away in the ring, don`t give them pointless crap to do that does nothing to establish them.
Nash`s "injuries". Funny how they only seemed to occur when he was supposed to return a job.
He should never have been anywhere near the main event in his prime, let alone at this stage in his career.
The sooner he is off my television the better, but then I`ve been saying that since 1994.
Posted By: Chris Nelson (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 03:40 PM
bullshit, seriously nash sucks and has yet to put anyone over. he made the X-Division guys look like a joke with the midget wrestling and ruined Paprazzi Productions. Give it up TNA is the new WCW and Nash's days are over
Posted By: tony (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 03:43 PM
i agree completely. with your article. i like nash. all he wants to do is help the company out and everybody jumps all over him.
Posted By: douk nouk kem (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 03:44 PM
Kevin Nash is without a doubt the funniest and most intelligent wrestler I've ever watched. In my view, he doesn't need to be an active westler, TNA can use is vast knowledge of the wrestling business to their advantage. Besides he could always serve as an on-screen authority figure of sorts or join the announce team (that so despererately needs a change).
Posted By: Kristi (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 03:45 PM
Good article. I like what you had to say & you also had good points. But guess what? Kevin Nash has been hated by the IWC for so long that he would have to bring about everlasting world peace & buy everyone on earth a 52" HD TV to change our opinion of him. The guy sucks bro, & there is no way to get around that. It's too easy to hate Kevin Nash. As for me, I don't hate him. I could honestly care less about him. The faster he retires the better we will all be.
Posted By: FakeDiesel (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 03:56 PM
I'd say the PCS skits were necessary, if not executed correctly.
Guys flipping around doing high risk moves with no personalities have never made significant progress. Even Chris Benoit needed a personality as a super intense wrestling machine to move up the card. Eddie Guerrero needed to be 'Latino Heat'. Blowing people away every night would have gotten them over with the smarks, but the public in general wouldn't have been able to tell one from the other, not make that emotional investment.
Now, the personalities that came out of it might have needed a bit more thought (personally, I think they went too far with Jay Lethal, maybe dress a little like Macho, and use some moves, but not a wholesale imitation) but it has helped these guys out, and was a quick way of showcasing a number of guys.
Posted By: Robin (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 04:03 PM
Even though I'm a card-carrying member of the Klique if Nash really wants to help TNA it should be done out of the ring. Maybe replacing Jim "push me around & I'll give you what you want" Cornette. Or he can help by powerbombing Tenay & West off the stage.
Posted By: NastyRud (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 04:13 PM
Nash should've never left the WWF in 1996. When he went to WCW, he relied solely on his WWF accomplishments and nothing else. He never shined in WCW except on the mic. So pretty much, Nash was last a good wrestler in 1996. After that, his career has been forgettable and I'm still making sure to forget. Yes, I understand Nash was getting paid a buttload of money in WCW, but he sucked there. As for TNA, I've got no problem with him being there because he does his role well there.
Posted By: dude11767 (Registered) on April 13, 2008 at 04:31 PM
yeah he's old but lets not forget that Nash could hurting the Company more. He's very important to the history of wrestling and considering how many old WCW veterans TNA has brought in past their prime (I cringe at every Sting Match) he's got nothing personal to be hated about. besides for all his politicing, he hasn't even been close to a #1 contenders match in years and perfers midcard skits to anything. A true egotist demands the company build around him, he just requests to be allowed to joke around on screen.
Posted By: Davy (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 04:31 PM
helping out the company or HIMSELF that is the question that has dogged nash his entire career
Posted By: Guest#1526 (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 04:57 PM
I've always liked Kevin Nash, so I agree with what's been written here. The only thing I need to say is, the grey hair's got to go. I can't buy him kicking ass with his grey hair
Posted By: Marty (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 05:45 PM
I agree soley man, and believe me, I am no Kevin Nash fan.
What I do like about his TNA version, is he does those little things to get wrestlers over, like the PCS's or the whole Paparazzi Production skits.
Even now, he's tried getting Samoa Joe THAT much more over. Sure, he can't wrestle that great, but he's still able to use his name to help the company, and I respect him for that.
Good column man.
Posted By: M.I.B. (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Where's the PCS push up contest?
Posted By: Barbecued Ribs (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 06:21 PM
Big Daddy is a big asset for TNA he is helping the younger guys out and TNA is better for it!
Posted By: Nash fan (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 07:58 PM
Please...enough with the Kevin Nash hating. You guys are jealous.
Kevin Nash should never have been near the main event? What are you thinking? I don't care what you say about his "work" skills, the man was and is gold behind a microphone and that plus his size and look make him main event material.
Posted By: Andrew (Guest) on April 13, 2008 at 08:31 PM
I've always liked Kevin Nash; I've never really understood why he gets so much heat from smarks. I mean look at Ronnie Retard over here, Chris Nelson? Yeah, if there's one thing people know about Nash is that he will go under the KNIFE not to job.
Please. It's like he said in an interview,
"Who hasn't beat me?"
Posted By: Johnny (Guest) on April 14, 2008 at 12:16 AM
Ok look maybe Kevin Nash wants to help TNA out but come on the reason he is on TV is the same reason Hogan, Flair, Duggan and all those other old timers hang around to stroke their ego built up from yesteryear and also coz they got no place else to go. Also Nash would no way get this kind of exposure in WWE. People like Edge, Taker, HHH, HBK, Cena etc... will not job to him and TNA will take anyone from WWE and try to make a star out of them. Nash knows this and is exploiting this. If he really wanted to help he would be in matches only to put people over and maybe become some type or GM or manager for a rising star. Instead he is booked strong and remains a top card talent.
Posted By: Brappy (Guest) on April 14, 2008 at 12:19 AM
oh you don't have to sell me on kevin nash. i've bought in....shouldn't be wrestling though.
Posted By: steveo (Guest) on April 14, 2008 at 09:51 AM
dude Kevin Nash rules!! i'm sorry he can't go like he used to but i was tuning in to see Big Kev win the Xdivision title off of Sabin. I wouldn't mind him and Matt Morgan getting the tag titles off of AJ and Tomko.
Posted By: travis (Guest) on April 14, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Nash should've never left the WWF in 1996. When he went to WCW, he relied solely
on his WWF accomplishments and nothing else. He never shined in WCW except on
the mic. So pretty much, Nash was last a good wrestler in 1996. After that, his
career has been forgettable and I'm still making sure to forget. Yes, I
understand Nash was getting paid a buttload of money in WCW, but he sucked
there. As for TNA, I've got no problem with him being there because he does his
role well there.
Posted By: dude11767 (Registered) on April 13, 2008 at 04:31 PM
Are you seriously suggesting that his career has been forgettable since 96!? nWo!!!!!!! He helped kickstart the Monday Night Wars w/ Hogan, Hall, & Bischoff. He also had a few runs w/ the WCW Title and was in a pretty good Hell in a Cell match w/ H in 03. Nash has never been a great wrestler, but people complain about him too much. Maybe I'm being biased because I've always beem a huge Kliq mark, but I think Nash has been good for the business. Yes, he did help take WCW down, but he wasn't the only one. His intelligence is really underrated as well IMO.
Posted By: Bobby (Guest) on April 14, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Nash and Tenay on commentary would be pure comedy gold! Nash could provide heelish color commentary to counteract Tenay's nerdy penchant for being the "professor" of wrestling.
Posted By: Paisa el Toro (Guest) on April 14, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Fuck all you Nash haters. He is one of the most entertaining, sports-entertainers today. Yea he'll be 50 y/o in July. So his wrestling days are numbered, its better than him going another 10 years like Flair did. Nash 4 Life.
Posted By: NickNitro (Guest) on April 14, 2008 at 12:12 PM
So far I think he's doing just fine in his current role. While he's still one of the big dogs he's not the focus of the whole show anymore and what's more he actually shows up.
His ol' buddy Scott could take a lesson or several from him.
Posted By: The Adamantium Elbow (Guest) on April 14, 2008 at 03:44 PM
