Vinnie Vegas
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor,
podcaster A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an episodic series of digital audio files that users can download to a personal device or stream to listen to at a time of their ...
and retired
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
. He is signed to
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures in
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
(WCW) and
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
(TNA). Nash first gained exposure in the professional wrestling industry by performing for WCW from 1990 to 1993 under multiple ring names. In 1993, Nash signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the name Diesel (nicknamed "Big Daddy Cool" and "Big Sexy"). While performing as Diesel, he achieved status as a top star in the company, winning the WWF
World The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
,
Intercontinental InterContinental Hotels & Resorts by IHG is a British-American luxury hotel brand created in 1946 by Pan Am founder Juan Trippe. It has been part of UK-based InterContinental Hotels Group since 1998. As of January 2023, there were 208 InterC ...
and Tag Team Championships (the WWF Triple Crown). His 358-day reign as WWF Champion is the longest of the 1990s. While in the WWF, Nash was part of
The Kliq The Kliq was a backstage group in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the mid-1990s, composed of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. Michaels, Nash, and Hall wielded a considerable amount of power ...
, an influential backstage group that included
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
,
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
,
Scott Hall Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE ...
and
Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names ...
. Nash left the WWF and returned to WCW in 1996, where he performed under his real name, partnering with Hall as
the Outsiders The Outsiders may refer to: Literature and stage * ''The Outsiders'' (novel), a 1967 novel by S. E. Hinton * ''The Outsiders'' (musical), a 2023 musical based on S. E. Hinton's novel * ''The Outsiders'' (play), a 1911 play by Charles Klein * ...
and founding the New World Order (nWo) with
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
. As the nWo storyline became one of the most prominent of the
Monday Night War The Monday Night War or the Monday Night Wars, was an era of mainstream televised American professional wrestling, from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001, in which the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF; now WWE) '' Monday Night Raw'' (later ' ...
, Nash maintained his status as a top star, winning the
WCW World Heavyweight Championship The WCW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the original world title of ...
four times and the
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship, originally known as the NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'', was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling ...
nine times. After WCW went out of business, Nash returned to the WWF in 2002, where he briefly reformed the nWo and feuded with Triple H over the World Heavyweight Championship. He then performed in TNA for seven years, and he held their
Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, comic books, and theater * ''Legend'' (Gemmell novel), a 1 ...
and
Tag Team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
championships once each. In 2011, Nash returned to WWE under a legends contract and he continues to make sporadic appearances for the promotion. During his in-ring career, Nash won 20 major
championships In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
, including six
world championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
and twelve
world tag team championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
s. Furthermore, he is a two-time
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
r, as he was inducted individually into the class of 2015 and in
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
as an nWo member alongside Hogan, Hall and Waltman. He headlined numerous
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
events for WCW, WWF/WWE and
TNA TNA may refer to: Organisations * Tamil National Alliance, a political coalition in Sri Lanka * The National Alliance, a political party in Kenya * The National Archives (United Kingdom), a UK public body * Tonga Nurses' Association, a trade union ...
, including WCW's flagship event,
Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from ...
, where he ended
Bill Goldberg William Scott Goldberg (born December 27, 1966), often known Mononymous person, mononymously as Goldberg, is an American professional wrestler, actor and former American football defensive tackle. He is signed to WWE. He is best known for his ten ...
's undefeated streak after 173 wins in
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
.


Early life

Nash was born on July 9, 1959, to a devout
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
family in southwest
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. Nash's father, Robert, died of a heart attack on April 4, 1968, aged 36, when Nash was eight years old. On December 27, 1994, Nash's mother, Wanda, died after a four-year struggle against
breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...
. He attended Aquinas High School and the
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...
, where he majored in
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
and minored in
educational philosophy The philosophy of education is the branch of applied philosophy that investigates the nature of education as well as its aims and problems. It also examines the concepts and presuppositions of education theories. It is an interdisciplinary fiel ...
. At the University of Tennessee, Nash was a
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
for the
Tennessee Volunteers basketball The Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball team is the collegiate men's basketball program for the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. The Volunteers (commonly referred to as the "Vols") compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athleti ...
team. He remained on the team from 1977 to 1980, during which time the team made it to the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Sweet 16. Following a physical altercation with head coach
Don DeVoe Donald Eugene DeVoe (born December 31, 1941) is an American former college basketball coach and former player. DeVoe played college basketball for Ohio State University, and later served as the head coach for Virginia Tech, the University of W ...
and a series of other on-campus incidents, Nash did not play a fourth year for the Volunteers,Davies, Ross. ''Kevin Nash'', p.19 and he attempted to transfer to
Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a Public university, public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized progr ...
in
Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green is a city in Wood County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 30,808 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located southwest of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo, it is part of the Toledo metropolitan area and ...
. Nash reconsidered his options and instead moved to
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, where he played basketball professionally for various teams. His career ended just one year later in 1981 in Germany (while playing for the
Gießen 46ers The GIESSEN 46ers (formerly GIESSEN 46ers) is a professional basketball club based in Gießen, Germany, that plays in the ProA. Their home arena is Sporthalle Gießen-Ost, with a capacity of 4,003 people. History The biggest achievements in clu ...
) when he tore his
anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...
. With his basketball career over, Nash enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 202nd Military Police Company in
Giessen Giessen, spelled in German (), is a town in the Germany, German States of Germany, state () of Hesse, capital of both the Giessen (district), district of Giessen and the Giessen (region), administrative region of Giessen. The population is appro ...
,
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
. He served in a secure NATO facility for two years, during which time he was promoted to the rank of
specialist A specialist is someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research. Specialist may also refer to: Occupations * Specialist (rank), military rank ** Specialist (Singapore) * Specialist officer, military rank in ...
. After the Army, he worked on an
assembly line An assembly line, often called ''progressive assembly'', is a manufacturing process where the unfinished product moves in a direct line from workstation to workstation, with parts added in sequence until the final product is completed. By mechan ...
at
Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
and as the floor manager of a
strip club A strip club (also known as a strip joint, striptease bar, peeler bar, gentlemen's club, among others) is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease and other erotic dances including lap dances. St ...
in
Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. He then decided to try professional wrestling.


Professional wrestling career


World Championship Wrestling (1990–1993)


Master Blasters (1990–1991)

Nash debuted in
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
(WCW) as the orange- mohawked "Steel", one half of the
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
known as the Master Blasters.Davies, Ross. ''Kevin Nash'', p.22 He was initially partnered with Master Blaster Iron, with whom he made his debut at the
Clash of the Champions XII ''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). ...
on September 5, 1990, defeating Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner. At the following '' Worldwide'' taping on September 7, the Masters Blasters began a
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with Tim Horner and
Mike Rotunda Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda Jr. (born March 30, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling in the 1980s and 1990s under the r ...
. They beat Horner and Rotunda on several
house show A house show (also commonly called a live event) is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in o ...
s. On September 22, Nash's partner Master Blaster Iron was replaced by "
Blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...
". The reconstituted Master Blasters continued their undefeated streak in October. Meanwhile, Steel had his first singles match on September 28 by defeating
Tom Zenk Thomas Erwin Zenk (November 30, 1958 – December 9, 2017) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He was a babyface for his entire career and was best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1986 to 1987 ...
. At
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event currently produced by WWE. Since 2020, it has been held annually for the company's WWE brand extension, developmental brand, NXT (WWE ...
on October 27, 1990, the Blasters upended
the Southern Boys The Southern Boys - also known as the Wild-Eyed Southern Boys and the Young Pistols - were a professional wrestling tag team active between 1987 and 1991 in Championship Wrestling from Florida, Southeastern Championship Wrestling, and World Champ ...
and began to move up the WCW
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
ratings. Their winning streak ended on November 22, when Tom Zenk and
Brian Pillman Brian William Pillman (May 22, 1962 – October 5, 1997) was an American professional wrestler and professional football player best known for his appearances in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme ...
handed them their first defeat with Pillman pinning Blade. They rebounded to go on another undefeated streak by defeating the Southern Boys as well as Alan Iron Eagle and Tim Horner, and earning a
NWA United States Tag Team Championship The NWA United States Tag Team Championship is a name used for several secondary tag team championship used by various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) members since 1958. There are eleven different versions of the NWA United States Tag Team Champ ...
title shot against then champions the
Steiner Brothers The Steiner Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Rick Steiner (real name Robert Rechsteiner) and Scott Steiner (real name Scott Rechsteiner). The brothers wrestled as amateurs at the University of Michi ...
, but were defeated in two occasions. They were squashed on television in 52 seconds by the Steiners in a match that aired on ''Worldwide'' on February 2, 1991. Following this loss, their momentum dissipated as they lost to the Southern Boys and
Ricky Morton Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an American professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit. For most of his career, Morton has performed with Robert Gibson (wrestler), Robert Gibson as the Rock 'n' Roll ...
and
Tommy Rich Thomas Richardson (born July 26, 1956) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tommy "Wildfire" Rich. He is a one time former National Wrestling Alliance NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Wo ...
, and they disbanded at the end of the month. Nash was then rebranded as the Master Blaster in February 1991, who was pinned by
Junkyard Dog Sylvester Ritter (December 13, 1952 – June 1, 1998) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and NCAA football, college football player, best known for his time in Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts), Mid-South Wre ...
on February 27. He also lost to Brian Pillman in house show matches, while appearing in tag team matches with
Stan Hansen John Stanley Hansen II (born August 29, 1949), best known as Stan "the Lariat" Hansen, is an American retired professional wrestler. Hansen is known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributed to his poor eyesight, and for his gimmick a ...
and
Arn Anderson Martin Anthony Lunde (born September 20, 1958), better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is an American professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Agent, road agent, author, and retired professional wrestler. Although he ...
. His final match in this guise was against Pillman at a house show on May 12.


Oz (1991–1992)

A week later, Nash reappeared under his new
gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...
, having been repackaged as the silver-haired Oz, a character based on the Wizard of Oz from the 1900
children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
''
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a 1900 children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the ma ...
''.Davies, Ross. ''Kevin Nash,'' p.25 Oz, managed by The Great Wizard, was pushed strongly for about a month, he squashed several wrestlers before losing to
Ron Simmons Ronald K. Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American former professional wrestler and Gridiron football, football player. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Prior to becoming a professional wrestler ...
at
The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event held during the summer and has been produced by the American promotion WWE since 2004; since 2020, it has been held as an annual event for WWE's developmental brand, NXT. Created by Dus ...
on July 14. In reality, all plans for Oz were immediately scrapped when Nash refused to sign a $300/night guarantee as WCW was cutting costs. A decision was made to retain Nash until a new gimmick could be developed. On October 27, he lost to
Bill Kazmaier William Kazmaier (born December 30, 1953) is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During his illustrious career, he set over 40 powe ...
at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event currently produced by WWE. Since 2020, it has been held annually for the company's WWE brand extension, developmental brand, NXT (WWE ...
. Nash wrestled as Oz throughout the remainder of 1991 and went on a lengthy losing streak, suffering defeats by Kazmaier,
Rick Steiner Robert Rechsteiner (born March 9, 1961) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Rick Steiner. Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he wa ...
,
Dustin Rhodes Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes, with a nickname of "The Natural" and is a member of The Sons of ...
, and Arachnaman. He later used the gimmick for
New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional-wrestling promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV Asahi and Amuse Inc. owning minority shar ...
as the Great Oz in May 1992.


Vinnie Vegas (1992–1993)

On January 21, 1992, at Clash of the Champions XVIII, he was repackaged as Vinnie Vegas, a wisecracking pseudo-mobster based on
Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...
's character in the 1990 film '' My Blue Heaven.'' Vegas was quickly recruited into "A Half-Ton of Holy Hell", a
stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
of large wrestlers created by
Harley Race Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and trainer. Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AW ...
which included WCW World Champion
Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and gridiron football player. He is best known for his work with Jim Crocke ...
,
Big Van Vader Leon Allen White (May 14, 1955 – June 18, 2018), better known by his ring names Big Van Vader or simply Vader, was an American professional wrestler and professional American football, football player. During his career, he performed for New J ...
and
Mr. Hughes Curtis Hughes (born December 7, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, also known by the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. He also worked for the Americ ...
. The stable separated in February 1992 after Luger left, and Vegas joined the
Diamond Mine There are a limited number of commercially available diamond mines currently operating in the world, with the 50 largest mines accounting for approximately 90% of global supply. Diamonds are also mined alluvially over disperse areas, where dia ...
, a stable led by
Diamond Dallas Page } Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), is an American fitness instructor, actor, and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract, under the ring name Di ...
that also included the Diamond Studd and Scotty Flamingo. In the summer of 1992, after Studd and Flamingo left the stable (Studd leaving for the WWF and Flamingo striking out on his own), Page and Vegas began teaming together as the Vegas Connection. The tag team split in late 1992 after Page was fired by
Bill Watts William F. Watts Jr. (born May 5, 1939), better known under the ring name Bill Watts, is a retired American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, promoter and former American football player. Watts garnered fame under his "Cowboy" Glos ...
. Nash spent the first half of 1993 teaming with Big Sky. In June, he decided to depart for the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
(WWF) and had his final WCW match on June 3, teaming with Big Sky in a losing effort against The Cole Twins, this match would air on ''Worldwide'' after his WWF debut.


World Wrestling Federation (1993–1996)


Two Dudes with Attitudes (1993–1994)

In June 1993, Nash left WCW, signing a contract with the WWF at the request of
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
. He was given the stage name of "Big Daddy Cool Diesel" ("Diesel" or "Big Daddy Cool" for short), with an alpha-male gimmick. For the role, he grew long hair, taking on the appearance and demeanor of a cocky thug from
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, sporting black sunglasses and leather garments. The name of Diesel, suggested by
Shane McMahon Shane Brandon McMahon ( ; born January 15, 1970) is an American businessman and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for his tenures in WWE. The son of Vince McMahon, he is a fourth-generation wrestling promoter as a ...
, was a play on the fact that Nash was from Detroit, known famously as the "Motor City". His initial
entrance music The use of music at sporting events is a practice that is thousands of years old, but has recently had a resurgence as a noted phenomenon. Some sports have specific traditions with respect to pieces of music played at particular intervals. Others ...
was a series of truck engine and horn noises. Diesel started out as the
bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an very important person, important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public offic ...
/best friend of Shawn Michaels, with the two being known as Two Dudes with Attitudes. He made his WWF debut at a house show on June 6, 1993, by assisting Michaels in defeating
Marty Jannetty Fredrick Martin Jannetty (born February 3, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler who has worked for promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Champion ...
for the
WWF Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, along ...
. He first appeared on television the next night on ''Raw'', June 7, as he was introduced as Michaels's bodyguard. In January 1994, Diesel appeared at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, first as one of the many wrestlers who assisted WWF Champion
Yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the o ...
in defeating
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
in their casket match and then in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating seven men in under 18 minutes of in-ring time. Diesel won the Intercontinental Championship from
Razor Ramon Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE ...
, following interference from Michaels on the April 30, 1994 episode (taped April 13, 1994) of ''
Superstars A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity. Superstar or superstars may also refer to: People * "Superstar" Krishna (1943–2022), Indian film actor, director and producer in Telugu cinema * "Superstar" Mahesh Babu (born 1975), Indian actor * ...
.'' The duo of Diesel and Michaels defeated
The Headshrinkers In professional wrestling, the Samoan SWAT Team was a tag team comprising Juicy Finau and Lance Anoa'i, who work in Major League Wrestling (MLW), where they are former MLW World Tag Team Champions. The original Samoan SWAT Team primarily compri ...
to win the
WWF Tag Team Championship WWF may refer to: Computing and games *WWF (file format), a campaign for unprintable PDF documents *Windows Workflow Foundation, a software component of the .NET Framework *''Words with Friends'', a mobile computer game franchise Non-profit orga ...
on August 28, making Nash a double champion. However, Diesel lost the Intercontinental Championship back to Ramon the following night at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
. The alliance between Diesel and Michaels dissolved after
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
, when Michaels accidentally performed a
superkick Strikes can be offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional ...
on Diesel. Diesel then chased Michaels, and despite failing to catch him, the reaction from the crowd turned him
babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
. However, Nash was no longer a tag team champion, as Michaels' actions resulted in the team being forced to
vacate A vacated judgment (also known as vacatur relief) is a legal judgment that legally voids a previous legal judgment. A vacated judgment is usually the result of the judgment of an appellate court, which overturns, reverses, or sets aside the judgme ...
the titles.


WWF Champion (1994–1995)

On November 26, 1994, Diesel faced
Bob Backlund Robert Louis Backlund (born August 14, 1949) is an American retired amateur wrestling, amateur and Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Fede ...
for the
WWF Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American profe ...
he had won from
Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
three days prior at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
. In the match at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
, Diesel defeated Backlund in the first ten seconds of the bout. Diesel then promised Hart a match for his title, which they had the next month at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
. The match ended in a
draw Draw, drawing, draws, or drawn most commonly refer to: * Draw (terrain), a terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between them * Draw (tie), in a competition, where competitors achieve equal outcomes * Draw ...
due to interference from several wrestlers, including Shawn Michaels. Michaels was irate about his former bodyguard having beaten him to the WWF Championship and was sufficiently motivated to win the
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
later that evening, earning himself a title shot at
WrestleMania XI WrestleMania XI was a 1995 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the 11th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 2, 1995, at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, ...
. At WrestleMania XI on April 2, Nash, accompanied to ringside by actress
Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress, model and media personality. She rose to prominence after being selected as the February 1990 ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Month. She went on to make regular appearan ...
(who was supposed to valet for Michaels), defeated Michaels to retain the title. After the match, he left the ring with both Anderson and Michaels' replacement for her,
Jenny McCarthy Jennifer Ann McCarthy-Wahlberg (' McCarthy; born November 1, 1972) is an American actress, model, television personality, and anti-vaccine activist. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ''Playboy'' magazine and was later named thei ...
. The next night on ''
Monday Night Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show features character ...
,'' Michaels was betrayed by his new bodyguard,
Sycho Sid Sidney Raymond Eudy (December 16, 1960 – August 26, 2024) was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenures in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), wrestling under the ring names Sid Jus ...
, prompting Diesel to come to his rescue and thus reunited the tag team. Diesel successfully defended the WWF Championship against Sycho Sid at the
inaugural In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inau ...
In Your House In Your House was a series of professional wrestling supercard events created by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The events originally aired on pay-per-view (PPV) from May 1995 to February 1999 when the promotion w ...
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
on May 14, and at In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks on July 23. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
, Diesel retained the WWF Championship by defeating King Mabel, who had won the
King of the Ring King and Queen of the Ring, formerly and still commonly known as simply King of the Ring, was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The event was established in 1993 and originally c ...
tournament. On September 24 at
In Your House 3 In Your House 3 (retroactively titled In Your House 3: Triple Header) was the third In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of WWE pay-per-view events, event produced by the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It t ...
in
Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township, ...
, Diesel and Michaels challenged the reigning WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna. The match had a winner-take-all stipulation, as in addition to the tag belts, Diesel's WWF Championship and Michaels' recently won Intercontinental Championship were also on the line. When Hart did not show up at the event, he was replaced by
Davey Boy Smith David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring names Davey Boy Smith and The British Bulldog. Smith ...
. In the course of the match, Hart arrived at ringside, entered the ring and was pinned by Diesel for the win and the title, making him and Michaels holders of all three major WWF championships. The reign did not last long, however, as Hart and Yokozuna had the titles returned to them the next night on ''Raw'' due to Hart not being an official part of the match when he was pinned. Diesel's WWF Championship reign continued until November 19, when he was defeated by
Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
at
Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
. Following the loss, Diesel attacked Hart and began a tweener turn.


Final feuds; departure (1995–1996)

At
In Your House 5 In Your House 5 (retroactively titled In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings) was the fifth In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on December 17, ...
in December 1995, Diesel defeated
Owen Hart Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999) was a Canadian-American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
, who had injured Diesel's ally Shawn Michaels in a match the prior month. In January 1996, Diesel competed in the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, entering at number 22. Diesel was the last man to be eliminated from the Royal Rumble, being
superkick Strikes can be offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional ...
ed over the top rope by the winner, Shawn Michaels. Following the match, Diesel teased attacking Michaels before instead giving him a
high five The high five is a hand gesture whereby two people simultaneously raise one hand and slap the flat of their palm against the other. The gesture is often preceded verbally by a phrase like "Give me five", "High five", or "Up top". Its meaning var ...
. Diesel went on to interfere in the main event between
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
and WWF Champion
Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
, costing The Undertaker the title. At
In Your House 6 In Your House 6 (retroactively titled In Your House 6: Rage in the Cage) was the sixth In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on February 18, ...
on February 18, Diesel attempted to regain the WWF Championship from Hart in a
steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
, losing after The Undertaker attacked him in retaliation for his actions at the Royal Rumble. Shortly before
WrestleMania XII WrestleMania XII was a 1996 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the 12th annual WrestleMania and took place on March 31, 1996, at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in An ...
, Nash's contract status was in a state of flux. At the time, WCW was offering large amounts of money to the WWF's talent by
Eric Bischoff Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955) is an American television producer, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Booker, professional wrestling booker, promoter, and performer. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Sen ...
, WCW Executive Vice President, to jump ship. In fact, Bischoff had succeeded in convincing several high-profile WWF stars to sign with WCW over the previous two years, including five-time former WWF Champion
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
and his on-again, off-again friend and two-time former WWF Champion
Randy Savage Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...
, and was in the process at the time of talking to Nash's friend Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall about a contract as Hall's too was set to expire. Nash explained on the
WWE Classics on Demand WWE Classics On Demand was an American subscription video on demand television service provided by WWE. It featured footage from WWE's vast archive of wrestling footage, including classic WWE, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Champions ...
exclusive series ''Legends of Wrestling'' that Hall had been the first to sign with the company and was offered a contract that paid him "above
Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...
money" (at the time, Sting was one of the highest paid wrestlers in the company and although
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...
,
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
, and
Randy Savage Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...
had been making more, Sting's contract was used as a measuring stick). Hall also informed Nash that he had been given "
most favored nation In international economic relations and international politics, most favoured nation (MFN) is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade. The term means the country which is the recipient of this treatme ...
" status, which meant that if someone new was hired for more money, Hall's contract would increase to match that contract. Bischoff ended up offering Nash a three-year guaranteed contract with a $1.2 million annual salary. Nash said to
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
that he did not want to leave the WWF and that if McMahon was willing to match the offer, he would stay. McMahon said no because, according to Nash, he would have had to offer matching contracts to other wrestlers and with the
promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
in a bad financial situation, he simply could not afford it. Nash signed his contract shortly thereafter. Diesel lost to The Undertaker at WrestleMania XII on March 31, after which he finally turned heel and went on to feud with Shawn Michaels once again after he turned on him at a Madison Square Garden live event. In his last televised WWF appearance until 2002, Diesel challenged Michaels for the WWF Championship (which he had won from Hart at WrestleMania XII) at In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies on April 28. He wrestled Michaels for the title once again in a steel cage match at a house show on May 19, but was again defeated. After the match, Diesel, Michaels, Razor Ramon, and
Hunter Hearst Helmsley Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
, a group of off-screen friends known collectively as "
The Kliq The Kliq was a backstage group in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the mid-1990s, composed of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. Michaels, Nash, and Hall wielded a considerable amount of power ...
", hugged one another in the ring and wished each other farewell. This incident, later referred to as the "
Curtain Call A curtain call (often known as a walkdown or a final Bowing, bow) occurs at the end of a performance when one or more performers return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for the performance. In musical theatre, the performers typi ...
" or "MSG Incident", was a serious breach of character, as it showed heels and babyfaces consorting with one another. Shortly thereafter, with his obligations to the WWF now completely fulfilled, Nash left for WCW.


Return to WCW (1996–2001)


New World Order (1996–1999)

After two weeks of
Scott Hall Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE ...
returning on WCW programming and taunting announcers, wrestlers, and the company, Nash also returned alongside his friend on June 10, 1996, after Hall interrupted Eric Bischoff. The duo were known as The Outsiders, and the storyline originally pushed them as "invaders" from the WWF (which WCW eventually had to scale back due to legal concerns from the WWF). At
Bash at the Beach Bash at the Beach was a yearly professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It was the company's PPV for the month of July, held from 1994–2000. As the title implied, the show centered on a b ...
, Hall and Nash fought the team of
Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and gridiron football player. He is best known for his work with Jim Crocke ...
,
Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...
, and
Randy Savage Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...
and promised to add one more man to their entourage. After Luger was taken out of the match, Hulk Hogan came out to make the save, only to turn on Savage and reveal himself as Nash and Hall's third man. Immediately after this, they began cutting promos calling themselves the New World Order (nWo). During his return, he had dyed his hair blonde. Through late 1996 and into 1997, Nash normally teamed with Hall as the Outsiders, and they held the
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship, originally known as the NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'', was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling ...
. Nash also began to show his leadership qualities in the nWo, and became a sort of "second in command" alongside Hogan. Nash, Hall, and
Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names ...
distinguished themselves from the rest of the nWo, calling themselves the "Wolfpac" in 1997. After a while, however, the nWo began to fight within its ranks, with Hogan and Nash battling for control. The situation came to a head on April 20, 1998, during a match between Hogan and recent nWo inductee (and rival) Randy Savage for Savage's recently won
WCW World Heavyweight Championship The WCW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the original world title of ...
. During the match, Nash interfered on Savage's behalf and jackknifed Hogan to the mat, signaling the breakup of the nWo into two separate factions (Nash's interference was not enough to prevent Hogan from regaining his championship, thanks to
Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
's interference shortly thereafter). Nash became the leader of nWo Wolfpac, alongside Savage,
Curt Hennig Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003), better known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler. Considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time by peers, critics, and fans, he per ...
, and
Konnan Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. On ...
. Hennig, however, shortly thereafter defected over to Hogan's
nWo Hollywood The New World Order (commonly abbreviated as nWo) was an American professional wrestling group who originally consisted of "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash. The stable originated in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) with the ...
faction. Then, during a match between Hall, Nash, Sting and The Giant (who had recently rejoined the nWo after being kicked out two years prior), Hall turned on Nash by hitting him with his tag team title belt and leaving the ring. The Wolfpac, however, was not down for long as Lex Luger joined Nash's team. Sting would eventually become a member as well, after being recruited heavily by both sides towards the middle of 1998. After Sting won Giant's half of the tag team title at the
Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event held during the summer and has been produced by the American promotion WWE since 2004; since 2020, it has been held as an annual event for WWE's developmental brand, NXT. Created by Dusty ...
that June, Nash became Sting's partner. They defended the championship until July 20, when they were defeated by Hall and The Giant. Nash then set his sights on his former partner, and the rivalry came to a head at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event currently produced by WWE. Since 2020, it has been held annually for the company's WWE brand extension, developmental brand, NXT (WWE ...
on October 25. During the course of the match, Nash jackknifed Hall twice but, instead of pinning him, left the ring and lost via countout. In November 1998, Nash and Diamond Dallas Page became a part of a loosely organised "creative team" which also included Dusty Rhodes and Kevin Sullivan. The following month at World War 3, Nash entered the 60-man, three ring battle royal that was a staple of the pay-per-view, with the winner getting a shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Starrcade the following month. Nash survived to the end after literally clearing his ring out and
big boot Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * '' Big!'', a Discover ...
ing Lex Luger, who had Scott Hall in the
Torture Rack The rack is a torture device consisting of a rectangular, usually wooden frame, slightly raised from the ground, with a roller at one or both ends. The victim's ankles are fastened to one roller and the wrists are chained to the other. As the in ...
, over the top rope, and earned his shot at the title. At
Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from ...
, Nash won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Goldberg (who had an officially given 173–0 win–loss record before the match) after Hall shocked Goldberg with a stun gun. In doing so, Nash broke Goldberg's long running undefeated streak. On January 4, 1999, Nash and Goldberg were set to meet in a rematch, but the match did not happen because of Goldberg being arrested for stalking
Miss Elizabeth Elizabeth Ann Hulette (November 19, 1960 – May 1, 2003), best known in professional wrestling circles as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling Manager (professional wrestling), manager, occasional professional wrestler and prof ...
. That night also marked the return of Hulk Hogan after his "retirement" two months prior. With Goldberg unable to wrestle, Nash challenged Hogan instead. Hogan simply poked Nash in the chest, who proceeded to fall down and willingly allow Hogan to pin him for the title. The gesture marked the reunion of the feuding nWo factions into one. The return, however, was short-lived, and by May 1999, the nWo reunion was over due to injuries to Hogan, Hall, Luger and Steiner. Meanwhile, backstage, Nash became WCW's head booker in February 1999 and helped write some of the later
angles Angles most commonly refers to: *Angles (tribe), a Germanic-speaking people that took their name from the Angeln cultural region in Germany *Angle, a geometric figure formed by two rays meeting at a common point Angles may also refer to: Places ...
for WCW.


WCW World Heavyweight Champion (1999–2001)

In May 1999, Nash won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship for the second time by defeating Diamond Dallas Page at
Slamboree Slamboree was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held from 1993 through 2000. It was originally billed as "A Legends' Reunion" b ...
. He then appeared on ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
'' and put up a $250,000 challenge to Bret Hart for its May 24 program. However, Bret's brother,
Owen Owen may refer to: People and fictional characters * Owen (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Places United States * Owen, Missouri, a ghost town * Owen, Wisconsin * Owen County, Indiana ...
, died in a wrestling stunt just as Bret was flying to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
; this immediately canceled their match and the feud. Nash then entered a feud with the returning Randy Savage, who was later joined by a returning
Sid Vicious Simon John Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the second bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. After his death in 1979 at the age of 21, he remai ...
at
The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event held during the summer and has been produced by the American promotion WWE since 2004; since 2020, it has been held as an annual event for WWE's developmental brand, NXT. Created by Dus ...
in June when he powerbombed Nash during the match, thus giving Nash a disqualification victory (as the signature move of both men, the Jackknife Powerbomb, had been ruled an "illegal" move by WCW leadership due to its high potential for injury). This rivalry culminated in a tag team match at
Bash at the Beach Bash at the Beach was a yearly professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It was the company's PPV for the month of July, held from 1994–2000. As the title implied, the show centered on a b ...
in July 1999 which pitted Nash and Sting against Savage and Sid. A stipulation was added that whoever got the pin in the match would become WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Nash was pinned by Savage and lost his championship, but would get his revenge the next night on ''Nitro'' in a title match between Savage and a returning Hulk Hogan, and in a similar situation to Savage's first title defense from the previous year, he used a Jackknife Powerbomb on Savage, preserving the victory for Hogan. The following week, however, Nash attacked Hogan during a match pitting Hogan against Vicious. Nash, Sid, and Rick Steiner then feuded with Hogan, Sting, and a returning Goldberg until
Road Wild Road Wild (originally known as Hog Wild) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that was held in the month of August from 1996 to 1999. It was a free event held in Sturgis, South Dako ...
, where Hogan defeated Nash in a "retirement" match. On October 4, 1999, Nash returned to WCW along with Scott Hall, which was later revealed to be a new version of the nWo involving Nash, Hall, Bret Hart, and
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he both wrestles and serves as Director of Business Development. He is also ...
called 'nWo 2000'. This would not last long either due to the injury of Hart, and Nash spent most of 2000 feuding with the likes of
Terry Funk Terrance Dee Funk (June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023) was an American professional wrestler and actor. Widely considered one of the most influential and greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Funk was known for the longevity of his car ...
,
Mike Awesome Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
,
Scott Steiner Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler. Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett ...
, and
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 194 ...
. Nash won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship again from Booker T on the August 28, 2000 episode of Monday Nitro in
Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; ; lit. 'the crosses') is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the county seat, seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 United States ce ...
. He eventually lost it to Booker T later on at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name wa ...
. He even had a stint as WCW Commissioner, and he served as a coach/mentor to the Natural Born Thrillers, who would eventually turn on Nash. Nash aligned himself with Diamond Dallas Page, reuniting the Vegas Connection, but renamed the Insiders. They feuded with the
Perfect Event The Perfect Event was a tag team in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 2000–2001. The team consisted of Shawn Stasiak and Chuck Palumbo. They are former WCW World Tag Team Champions. Stasiak feuded ...
(
Shawn Stasiak Shawn Emile Stipich (born July 21, 1970) is an American-Canadian chiropractor, motivational speaker and retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the professional wrestling promotions the World Wrestling Federatio ...
and
Chuck Palumbo Charles Ronald Palumbo (born June 15, 1971) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotions World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment ...
) and won the
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship, originally known as the NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'', was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling ...
at
Mayhem Mayhem most commonly refers to: * Mayhem (crime), a type of crime Mayhem may also refer to: People * Monica Mayhem (born 1978), Australian pornographic actress * Jason "Mayhem" Miller, American mixed martial arts fighter * Mayhem Miller (dr ...
on November 26, 2000. Shortly after, they were stripped of the title by Commissioner Mike Sanders in mid-December. Weeks later, they won the title back at
Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from ...
. In 2001 (WCW's final months), the Insiders continued their feud with the Natural Born Thrillers. Nash lost another "retirement" match to Scott Steiner at
SuperBrawl Revenge SuperBrawl Revenge was the eleventh and final SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and the penultimate pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It took place on February 18, 2001, from the Nashvill ...
, but it would not be long before WCW announced the sale of the company to the World Wrestling Federation. As he had a guaranteed contract with
AOL Time Warner Warner Media, LLC (doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City. It was established as Time Warner i ...
, Nash elected to wait out the remainder of his contract, which expired on December 31, 2001.


Return to WWF/E (2002–2003)


New World Order reunion (2002)

Following the expiration of his AOL Time Warner contract, Nash, along with Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan, were rehired by the WWF. Their rehiring was announced several weeks before their debut, with
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
claiming to have hired the nWo in order to destroy the WWF – of which
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...
was now a co-owner, which McMahon could not tolerate. Billed as the original nWo, Nash, Hall, and Hogan returned to the WWF at No Way Out on February 17, 2002. In the course of the evening, the nWo delivered an
interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...
in which they claimed to have reformed, gave a six pack of
beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
to
Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired Professional wrestling, profes ...
(which he refused), and traded insults with The Rock. They interfered in the main event of the evening, helping
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
retain his Undisputed WWF Championship against Austin. At
WrestleMania X8 WrestleMania X8, also known as WrestleMania 18, was a 2002 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the 18th annual WrestleMania and took place on St Patrick’s Day on Ma ...
on March 17, Nash continually interfered in the match between Hall and Austin to the point where he was forced to return backstage. Later that night, he and Hall turned on Hogan after he had offered congratulations to The Rock for defeating him. In March, Nash suffered a biceps injury that put him out of action for several months and almost immediately upon returning, suffered a quadriceps tear in a tag match on the July 8 episode of '' Raw''. On the July 15 episode of ''Raw'', the nWo was officially disbanded by Vince McMahon as Eric Bischoff became Raw general manager.


Feud with Triple H (2003)

After a nine-month injury, Nash returned as a face on the April 7, 2003 episode of ''Raw'', much to the delight of both Shawn Michaels and Triple H, who were feuding with each other when Nash returned. As part of the storyline, Nash was given a choice to remain friends with either Michaels or Triple H. After Nash would not make the decision, Triple H made the decision for him and turned on him with a low blow. This led to Nash and Triple H feuding with one another. Nash teamed up with Michaels and Booker T against Triple H,
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...
and Chris Jericho in a
six-man tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...
at
Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
on April 27 which ended with Triple H picking up the win for his team, pinning Nash after hitting him with a
sledgehammer A sledgehammer is a tool with a large, flat, massive, often metal head, attached to a long wooden or solid handle. The long handle is combined with a heavy head which allows the sledgehammer to pick up momentum during a swing and applying a large ...
. Following Backlash, Nash was granted a shot at Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship, and the two squared off at
Judgment Day The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
on May 18 with Michaels and Flair in their respective corners. Triple H would get himself disqualified and kept the title as a result, but this did not stop Nash from attacking Triple H following the match, putting him through the announcer's table with a Jackknife Powerbomb. The next month, they fought again in a
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
match at Bad Blood on June 15 with
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and author. He is signed to WWE, under a Legends contract while also serving as an ambassador. Foley worked for many wrestling promotions, including the W ...
as the special guest referee, but Nash lost the match. In August, Nash feuded with Chris Jericho and was forced to cut his hair after losing a
hair vs. hair match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
against Jericho on the August 18 episode of ''Raw''. This was made to cover Nash having to cut his hair for his role as The Russian for the 2004 ''
Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher ma ...
'' film. His last match in WWE was at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 24 in an
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
match for the World Heavyweight Championship against Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Goldberg, Chris Jericho, and
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
. He was the first to be eliminated after Jericho pinned him following Sweet Chin Music from Michaels. Before leaving, however, he executed a Jackknife Powerbomb on Jericho and Orton. Nash then stepped away from in-ring action and underwent neck surgery.


Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2011)


Kings of Wrestling (2004–2005)

Nash debuted in
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
(TNA) alongside the returning Scott Hall on November 7, 2004, at the inaugural monthly TNA
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
, Victory Road, with the duo helping
NWA World Heavyweight Champion The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professiona ...
Jeff Jarrett retain his title in a
ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
with
Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and also appears on partner promotion WWE on its NXT (WWE brand), NXT brand. He is re ...
. In subsequent weeks, the trio identified themselves as the
Kings of Wrestling The Kings of Wrestling was a professional wrestling stable that worked on the independent circuit. It was formed in Chikara as a large stable, but also appeared in numerous promotions mainly as a tag team of Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli. H ...
and began feuding with Hardy and A.J. Styles. At
Turning Point A turning point, or climax, is the point of highest tension in a narrative work. Turning Point or Turning Points may refer to: Film * ''The Turning Point'', a 1914 silent film starring Caroline Cooke * ''The Turning Point'' (1920 film), an Am ...
on December 5, the Kings of Wrestling were defeated by Hardy, Styles, and Randy Savage. Hall left TNA in early 2005, and Nash and Jarrett separated after Nash made clear his desire to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Nash received a title shot against Jarrett on February 13, 2005, at Against All Odds, but lost following interference from the debuting
Outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...
. Following the defeat, Nash joined forces with
Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names ...
and began feuding with the newly formed
Planet Jarrett Planet Jarrett was a professional wrestling stable in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), led by the eponymous Jeff Jarrett and containing many of the main event heels in the promotion.Hornbaker, Tim. Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Hea ...
. At
Destination X Destination X was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of TNA pay-per-view events, event held by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion TNA Wrestling. The event primarily revolved around the X-Division, the 2005 ...
on March 13, Nash lost to The Outlaw in a
First Blood match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
following interference from Jarrett, who struck Nash with his title belt. The rivalry between Planet Jarrett and Nash and his allies culminated in a scheduled
Lethal Lockdown match A Lethal Lockdown match is a professional wrestling match used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). This match has become a staple of TNA's Lockdown pay-per-view event, but has also made appearances at other TNA pay-per-views, and during ''Im ...
at
Lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
on April 24 pitting Nash, Waltman, and
Diamond Dallas Page } Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), is an American fitness instructor, actor, and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract, under the ring name Di ...
against Jarrett, The Outlaw, and "The Alpha Male"
Monty Brown Montaque "Monty" Brown (born April 13, 1970) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and National Football League, NFL linebacker. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action W ...
. Nash, however, was removed from the card and replaced with B.G. James after contracting a
staph infection A staphylococcal infection or staph infection is an infection caused by members of the ''Staphylococcus'' genus of bacteria. These bacteria commonly inhabit the skin and nose where they are innocuous, but may enter the body through cuts or abrasi ...
, which left him sidelined for much of 2005. Nash returned to TNA on October 1 for the first episode of '' Impact!'' on
Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel and the flagship property of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, who operates it through the MTV Entertainment Group. The network's headquarters are locate ...
, attacking and
powerbomb A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted (usually so that they are sitting on the wrestler's shoulders) and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a s ...
ing Jarrett. Nash went on to challenge Jarrett to a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Bound for Glory (2005), Bound for Glory on October 23. In the weeks preceding the event, Nash and Jarrett had several heated confrontations, on one occasion brawling with one another and with guest referee Tito Ortiz. On October 22, one day before Bound for Glory, Nash was hospitalized with chest pains. At Bound for Glory, a battle royal (professional wrestling), battle royal was held to determine the number one contender; Rhino (wrestler), Rhino won and then defeated Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Nash was later discharged from the hospital, having suffered a mild cardiac episode. He made a partial return to the ring in December 2005, wrestling several matches on a tour of South Africa.


Paparazzi Productions (2006–2007)

Nash returned to TNA once more on the April 27, 2006 episode of ''Impact!'', announcing in a pre-taped segment that he would give a private interview to Alex Shelley one week later. The interview saw Nash claim to be the most profit (economics), profitable WWF World Heavyweight Champion of all time and describe the X Division as "basically filler". Nash went on to announce that he intended to destroy the X Division in order to reassert his position within TNA. He began his campaign at Sacrifice 2006, Sacrifice on May 14, powerbombing T. J. Perkins, Puma and continued his campaign on the May 19 episode of ''Impact!'' by attacking Chris Sabin shortly after he had defeated Petey Williams to win the 2006 TNA World X Cup Tournament, TNA 2006 World X Cup Tournament for Team USA (professional wrestling), Team USA. Nash continued to attack X Division wrestlers over subsequent weeks, leading to Sabin challenging him to a match at Slammiversary (2006), Slammiversary. Nash's attacks were also coupled with pre-taped segments with Shelley (some appearing only on the internet website YouTube) and his "X Division debut" on the June 15 episode of ''Impact!'', where Nash wrestled a comedy match against a midget Shelley dubbed a "Sabin-type wrestler". Nash defeated Sabin at Slammiversary in his second televised match in almost a year, albeit with the assistance of Shelley. Around this time, Nash and Shelley formed a stable known as Paparazzi Productions, with Johnny Devine as a cameraman. Nash then decided to go for the X Division championship. He got penciled into a Number One Contendership match for the title against Sabin at Hardcore Justice, Hard Justice. He claimed that he had developed an 840° somersault splash that he would unveil in the match. However, over the weekend, he suffered a mysterious neck injury, supposedly while practicing it with Tito Ortiz, and named Alex Shelley as his replacement in the match. From a wheelchair, Nash was helpless as he watched Shelley lose the match to Sabin. Nash remained out of action due to the injury, but returned prior to Bound for Glory (2006), Bound for Glory, and announced ''Gauntlet for the Gold, The Kevin Nash Open Invitational X Division Gauntlet Battle Royal''. Austin Aries, Austin Starr won the match. Nash took an interest in Starr, which seemed to be at the behest of Shelley. Nash then worked with the X Division stars in a weekly segment known as the Paparazzi Championship Series (a play on the "Bowl Championship Series"). He also began continuing these skits along with Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal, in a segment called "Paparazzi Idol". Nash became a manager of sorts for Lethal, helping him adopt a
gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...
where he impersonated "Macho Man" Randy Savage. At Sacrifice 2007, Sacrifice, Lethal and Dutt had an altercation. Nash broke it up, but Sonjay kicked him. Sonjay apologized, and Nash forgave him. Dutt then became the Guru with Nash humming mantras backstage. He then began managing The Motor City Machine Guns, but this was short-lived before he next appeared in the role of Dr. Nash, psychiatrist and adviser to Kurt Angle, Kurt and Karen Jarrett, Karen Angle. Nash then engaged in a brief program with TNA Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle, which eventually culminated in Nash aiding Angle. Nash warned the Angles about how dangerous Sting can be based on Nash's experience feuding with Sting in WCW. At Bound for Glory (2007), Bound for Glory, Nash interfered on Angle's behalf during his World Title defense against Sting. However, it was for naught, as Sting captured the title from Angle via Reverse DDT, Scorpion Death Drop after fending off Nash and Angle's wife, Karen. The following Thursday on ''Impact!'', Nash and Angle had an altercation because Angle blamed Nash for him losing the World Title. Angle eventually attacked Nash, who retaliated by Jackknife Powerbombing Angle in the middle of the ring. The following week, Sting defended the TNA World Title against Angle in a rematch from Bound for Glory, and Nash had a ringside seat. After the match went on a bit, Angle and Sting were out of the ring and when Angle pushed Sting onto Nash, Sting turned around and hit Nash in the face with a right hand shot, leading to Nash interfering on Angle's behalf, even though earlier he said he was not going to help Angle. Following the match, which Angle won, Nash offered a hand shake to Angle only to be "Finger (gesture), flipped off" by the new champ. An enraged Nash demanded a match with Angle, but Professional wrestling authority figures#Total Nonstop Action Wrestling authority figures, TNA Management's public face, Jim Cornette, instead booked Nash into a tag team match as Angle's partner against Sting and a partner of his choosing, with the stipulation being that the person gaining the pinfall or submission would be crowned the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. After a red herring that Scott Hall was the mystery partner, it was revealed to be Booker T.


The Main Event Mafia (2008–2009)

At Final Resolution (January 2008), Final Resolution on January 6, 2008, Nash and his partner Samoa Joe lost in a title match to TNA World Tag Team Championship, TNA World Tag Team Champions A.J. Styles and Tomko after Nash abandoned and seemingly betrayed Joe. Yet on the following ''Impact!'', when Joe stormed into Nash's locker room looking for a fight, Nash was actually able to persuade Joe into accepting his Machiavellian mentorship. Nash lost to Kurt Angle in a one-on-one match on ''Impact!'' with the winner qualifying for the Three Ways to Glory match at No Surrender (2008), No Surrender on September 14. On the September 11 episode of ''Impact'', prior to No Surrender, he seemingly parted ways with Joe on good terms. One month later, Nash returned at Bound for Glory IV on October 12 and in a Swerve (professional wrestling), swerve, struck Joe in the back with Sting's bat, helping Sting win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, turning heel once again in the process. On the October 23 episode of ''Impact!'', he formally joined Sting, Booker T, Scott Steiner, and Kurt Angle to create a villainous stable called The Main Event Mafia. He explained that he never forgave Joe for his scathing comments directed at his best friend Scott Hall's no-show almost a year prior, and befriending him was all part of a long-term plan to screw him out of the title. He then went on to defeat Joe at Turning Point (2008 wrestling), Turning Point on November 9. Nash, however, was removed from the card for Genesis (2009), Genesis on January 11, 2009 due to a Staphylococcal infection, staph infection, and was replaced by Monty Sopp, Cute Kip. Nash returned on the January 29 episode of ''Impact!'' when the Main Event Mafia took over the show. On ''Impact!'' on April 23, he began an on-screen relationship with Jenna Morasca, who subsequently began acting as his valet. At Slammiversary (2009), Slammiversary on June 21, he was reunited with Joe and helped Angle win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. At Victory Road (2009), Victory Road on July 19, Nash defeated A.J. Styles for the TNA Television Championship, Legends Championship, his first title in TNA. However, Nash lost the title on the July 30 episode of ''Impact!'' to
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and author. He is signed to WWE, under a Legends contract while also serving as an ambassador. Foley worked for many wrestling promotions, including the W ...
. Under a month later at Hard Justice (2009), Hard Justice on August 16, Nash defeated Foley to reclaim the Legends Championship. At Bound for Glory (2009), Bound for Glory on October 18, Nash lost the Legends Championship to Eric Young (wrestler), Eric Young in a 3-way match, which also included Shawn Hernandez, Hernandez. On the following episode of ''Impact!'', after Angle announced the death of The Main Event Mafia and turned face (professional wrestling), face, Nash also became a face as he began feuding with Eric Young and the World Elite. However, the following month at Turning Point (2009 wrestling), Turning Point on November 15, Nash helped World Elite members Doug Williams (wrestler), Doug Williams and Nick Aldis, Brutus Magnus retain their TNA World Tag Team Championship. On the following episode of ''Impact!'' Nash congratulated Young on outsmarting him at Bound for Glory and aligned himself with the World Elite, while also hinting at the return of the nWo once Hulk Hogan arrived in TNA, as when a paranoid
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and author. He is signed to WWE, under a Legends contract while also serving as an ambassador. Foley worked for many wrestling promotions, including the W ...
came to him for information on who Hogan would be coming with, he facetiously suggested names such as Sean Waltman, Syxx-Pac,
Scott Steiner Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler. Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett ...
, Buff Bagwell, and Scott Hall. Further suspicion was aroused to Hall's return when Nash said that he was getting "the band" back together, hinting at an nWo return. At Final Resolution (2009), Final Resolution on December 20, Nash took part in the "Streak vs Career match, Feast or Fired" match and won the briefcase containing a shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship.


The Band (2010–2011)

On the January 4, 2010, special live, three-hour Monday night edition of ''Impact!'' Hogan made his debut in TNA, and Scott Hall and Sean Waltman made their return to the company to greet him. Nash, Hall and Waltman quickly reformed their alliance, but Hogan kept himself out of the group, claiming that times have changed. At Genesis (2010), Genesis on January 17, in their first match back together Nash and Syxx-Pac, who replaced Scott Hall in the match, were defeated by Beer Money, Inc. On the February 4 episode of ''Impact!'', Hall and Syxx-Pac turned on Nash. At Destination X (2010), Destination X on March 21, Nash and Young faced Hall and Syxx-Pac in a tag team match, where The Band (professional wrestling), The Band's TNA futures were on the line. Nash turned on Young and helped the Band pick up the victory, which finally gave them contracts with the company. On the March 29 episode of ''Impact!'', Nash offered Young a spot in the Band, claiming that what happened in Destination X was just business and nothing personal. Young refused the offer and in the main event of the evening, teamed up with Rob Van Dam and
Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and also appears on partner promotion WWE on its NXT (WWE brand), NXT brand. He is re ...
to defeat the Band in a six-man tag team steel cage match. Nash gained a measure of revenge on Young by defeating him in a steel cage match at Lockdown (2010), Lockdown on April 18. Later in the night, Nash replaced Syxx-Pac, who no-showed the event, and teamed up with Hall in a St. Louis Street Fight, where they were defeated by Dudley Boyz, Team 3D. On the May 3 episode of ''Impact!'', Eric Young turned on Team 3D and joined The Band. On May 4, at the tapings of the May 13 episode of ''Impact!'', after TNA World Tag Team Champion Matt Morgan had been attacked by Samoa Joe, Nash cashed in his "Feast or Fired" contract, teaming with Hall, and pinned him to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship. Nash later named Young one third of the champions under the Freebird Rule. At the June 14 tapings of the June 17 episode of ''Impact!'', The Band was stripped of the Tag Team Championship, due to Scott Hall's legal problems. The following day it was reported that Hall had been released from his contract with TNA. On the June 24 episode of ''Impact!'', Nash and Young decided to part ways, as Nash intended to go after Hogan, whom he blamed for what had happened to Hall and Waltman, and did not want Young to get into trouble for it. After Nash was unable to convince Hogan to re–hire Hall and Waltman and failed to secure a meeting with Eric Bischoff, he set his sights on renewing his feud with Jeff Jarrett, who claimed that Nash had tried to hurt TNA by bringing Hall and Waltman in. On the August 5 episode of ''Impact!'', Sting, who had feuded with Jarrett prior to his 30-day suspension, returned to TNA and, together with Nash, beat down Jarrett, Bischoff and Hogan. On the August 26 episode of ''Impact!'', Nash defeated Jarrett in a singles match, after an interference from Sting. The following week Nash helped Sting defeat Jarrett. After the match Samoa Joe aligned himself with Jarrett and Hogan and drove Nash and Sting away. At No Surrender (2010), No Surrender on September 5, Jarrett and Joe defeated Nash and Sting in a tag team match, after Jarrett hit Sting with a baseball bat. On the September 16 episode of ''TNA Reaction, Reaction'', Nash and Sting were joined by Elijah Burke, D'Angelo Dinero, who claimed to have gotten inside information from Bischoff's secretary Brooke Adams (wrestler), Miss Tessmacher, that would suggest that Nash and Sting were right about Hogan and Bischoff being up to something. At Bound for Glory (2010), Bound for Glory on October 10, Nash, Sting and Dinero faced Jeff Jarrett and Samoa Joe in a handicap match, after Hulk Hogan, who was scheduled to team with Jarrett and Joe, was forced to pull out due to back surgery. At the end of the match Jarrett abandoned Joe and left him to be pinned by Nash. At the end of the event it was revealed that Nash and Sting had been right about Hogan and Bischoff all along, as they aligned themselves with Jarrett, Abyss and Jeff Hardy. On October 13, 2010, Nash's contract with TNA expired and he announced his retirement from professional wrestling. His last TNA appearance was a taped broadcast on October 14, 2010, when Nash and Sting both announced they were walking away from TNA rather than being a part of Hogan and Bischoff's regime. In January 2011 Nash signed a new contract with TNA, but was granted a release before reappearing on television, after being contacted by WWE.


Independent circuit (2011–2018)

Nash along with Hall and Waltman made an appearance at the 2011 Gathering of the Juggalos. Nash teamed with Waltman for a win against Road Dogg and Billy Gunn. On September 23, 2012, Nash made his debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with Keiji Mutoh in a tag team match, where they defeated Seiya Sanada and Taiyō Kea with Nash pinning Sanada with the Jackknife Powerbomb for the win. Nash briefly signed with Global Force Wrestling as a "Legend" to help promote events and tours, making appearances at two GFW events on August 28 and 29, 2015. On August 10, 2018, Nash defeated Flex Armstrong for the Big Time Wrestling Heavyweight Championship. This would become his last match, confirming his retirement on January 5, 2020, to heal his body.


Second return to WWE (2011–present)


Feuds with CM Punk and Triple H (2011–2012)

On January 30, 2011, at the Royal Rumble (2011), Royal Rumble, Nash, billed as Diesel for the first time since In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies, 1996, returned to the promotion, taking part in the Royal Rumble Match. He entered the match at number 32, but was eliminated by Wade Barrett. It was announced that he had signed a five-year WWE Legends contract. On April 2, Nash, along with
Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names ...
, was on hand to celebrate the induction of
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
into the
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
WWE Hall of Fame (2011), class of 2011.
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
inducted Michaels, and after Michaels gave his speech, Nash and Waltman joined the two on stage to celebrate. Nash, no longer billed as Diesel, returned at SummerSlam (2011), SummerSlam on August 14, attacking CM Punk after he became WWE Championship, WWE Champion, which allowed Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank ladder match, Money in the Bank briefcase and win the title, thus turning heel. The following night on ''Raw'', Nash claimed Triple H, on-screen chief operating officer of WWE, had instructed him by text to attack the winner. Punk verbally berated Nash on the microphone, so Nash attacked him the next week. He also distracted Punk in a match, making him miss out on a championship match. Nash was signed to an on-screen contract the next week by John Laurinaitis and demanded a match against Punk. After Triple H booked himself in the match against Punk instead, Nash attacked them both at a contract signing and was fired on screen. At Night of Champions (2011), Night of Champions on September 18, Nash interfered in their match, alongside The Miz and Ron Killings, R-Truth. Triple H then attacked Nash with a sledgehammer before winning the match. Nash returned at Vengeance (2011), Vengeance on October 23 to help The Miz and R-Truth defeat Punk and Triple H. After the match, he attacked Triple H with a Jackknife Powerbomb and attacked him again the following night with his sledgehammer, preventing him from receiving medical attention and taking him off television. The following Monday, on October 31, Laurinaitis again signed Nash to a new contract. He continued to appear on ''Raw SuperShow'', attacking Santino Marella with a Jackknife Powerbomb and cutting promos about how Triple H was more of a boss than a friend. On the December 5 episode of ''Raw SuperShow'', Nash competed in his first televised WWE match in eight years, defeating Santino Marella. Nash went on to face Triple H at TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs (2011), TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 18 in a ladder match with a sledgehammer hanging above the ring which he lost by pinfall after a sledgehammer shot to the face, ending the feud in the process.


Sporadic appearances and WWE Hall of Famer (2012–present)

In late 2012 and early 2013, Nash began appearing on WWE's developmental training show, ''WWE NXT (TV series), NXT''. Nash initially appeared as the guest Match Commissioner for the night, a title given to him at the request of Dusty Rhodes. After announcing this to the crowd, Nash was interrupted by Heath Slater to whom he promptly delivered his finisher, effectively turning face. Nash later again appear on the January 20 tapings of ''NXT'' to reunite with members of
The Kliq The Kliq was a backstage group in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the mid-1990s, composed of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. Michaels, Nash, and Hall wielded a considerable amount of power ...
, allowing him to effectively settle all issues with
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
, embracing him once again. The reunion also turned into a reunion of D-Generation-X and Nash was awarded the title of being an honorary member of the stable. Nash then helped DX take down Damien Sandow. Nash competed in the Royal Rumble (2014), 2014 Royal Rumble Royal Rumble match, match as the 14th entrant, eliminating Jack Swagger before being eliminated by Roman Reigns. He inducted his real-life close friend and former tag team partner, Scott Hall, into the WWE Hall of Fame WWE Hall of Fame (2014), class of 2014. Nash appeared on the August 11 episode of ''Raw'' to reunite the nWo with
Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
and Scott Hall as part of Hogan's birthday celebration. Nash was suspended by WWE on December 24, 2014, following his arrest, but was quickly reinstated when the charges were dropped. On the January 19, 2015 episode of ''Raw'', Nash appeared with Sean Waltman, X-Pac and Scott Hall to reunite the nWo, and along with The Acolytes Protection Agency and The New Age Outlaws, they beat down The Ascension (professional wrestling), The Ascension, who had been insulting legends from past weeks. On March 23, 2015, it was announced that Nash would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2015. On March 28, he was inducted by long-time friend and Kliq member,
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
. On March 29, Nash appeared at WrestleMania 31 alongside Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall, in their attempt to even the odds in favor of
Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...
in his match against Triple H, who had D-Generation X (Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, Shawn Michaels, and X-Pac) in his corner. However, Sting lost the match after
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...
hit him with a
sledgehammer A sledgehammer is a tool with a large, flat, massive, often metal head, attached to a long wooden or solid handle. The long handle is combined with a heavy head which allows the sledgehammer to pick up momentum during a swing and applying a large ...
as he was attempting a Stinger splash. Nash made a return to WWE for the ''List of WWE Raw special episodes, Raw Reunion'' show on July 22, 2019. On December 9, 2019, it was announced that Nash would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame (WWE Hall of Fame (2020), 2020 Class) for a second time as a member of nWo, together with Hogan, Hall, and
Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names ...
.


Personal life

Nash and his wife Tamara married in 1988, separated in 2000, and later reconciled. Their son, Tristen, born on June 12, 1996, was a solo musician and poet. On October 20, 2022, Tristen died from cardiac arrest that had been triggered by a seizure as a result of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. He was 26 years old. On March 2, 2016, Nash announced he will donate his brain to the CTE Center at Boston University and the Concussion Legacy Foundation after his death. Nash is a supporter of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party and considers himself to be a New Democrats (United States), centrist Democrat. Nash publicly supported the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign. He has been outspoken about supporting gay wrestlers. Nash is of partial Cherokee descent.


Legal issues

In May 2011, Nash was arrested for battery by assaulting a drunk man in a parking lot of a restaurant in Florida, while he and his wife Tamara were leaving. In June 2011, it was announced by prosecutors that Nash was clear of all charges against him, stating that he was only acting in self-defense, as the drunk man was trying to flirt with Nash's wife. On December 24, 2014, just after midnight, Nash was arrested for battery against his 18-year-old son, Tristen. Two hours later, police were called back and Tristen was arrested for battery against Nash's wife, Tamara. On January 15, 2015, prosecutors announced that Nash would not face charges. Nash's lawyer maintains that Nash was only defending his wife the night he was arrested.


Legacy

During his time as WWF Champion, Nash drew poorly and is often labeled as one of the lowest drawing champions of WWF. He has reasoned that in the mid-1990s nobody drew because professional wrestling was in a major recession due to the steroid scandal following the ''United States v. McMahon'' legal case. Nash jumping ship to WCW in 1996 along with Scott Hall has often been cited as the main reason behind
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
's decision to start offering downside guaranteed contracts to all of his talent in order to avoid a mass exodus of his talent roster and compete with WCW. The decision proved to be a boon since it changed the salary structure for the WWF wrestlers and helped increase the pay scale for the industry. McMahon also acknowledged in 1998 that letting them defect to WCW made him start offering guaranteed contracts. In his autobiography ''Controversy Creates Ca$h'', former WCW President
Eric Bischoff Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955) is an American television producer, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Booker, professional wrestling booker, promoter, and performer. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Sen ...
praised Kevin Nash and
Scott Hall Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE ...
for contributing to the key elements of the nWo's feel and attitude, while others have said that many of the booking ideas that propelled WCW's rise came from Nash and Hall. Veteran wrestler Randy Savage, "Macho Man" Randy Savage credited Nash for spearheading the nWo Wolfpac faction in 1998 which grew in popularity with the fans and became the company's hottest selling merchandise.


Other media

In 1991, Nash made his acting debut in ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze''Kevin Nash; Acting Videos
. Kevinbigsexynash.com. Retrieved on May 10, 2014.
as the genetically enhanced version of the villain, Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Shredder, called the Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Super Shredder. He also had a very minor role as a jackhammer worker in the 1998 movie ''Family Plan''. In 1999, Nash created and co-wrote a comic book titled ''Nash'', set in a dystopian future and featuring himself as the primary character. Image Comics published an ashcan copy, ashcan preview edition and two regular issues. He was the first choice for the role of Sabretooth (character), Sabretooth in ''X-Men (film), X-Men'', but the role ultimately went to his former tag team partner Tyler Mane. Nash appeared in a fight scene as The Russian in the 2004 film ''The Punisher (2004 film), The Punisher''. While filming the scene, Nash was accidentally stabbed with a real knife by actor Thomas Jane. He made guest appearances in three different TV shows. He appeared on one episode each of ''The Love Boat: The Next Wave'' (episode "Captains Courageous") and ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series), Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' (episode "The Crucible") and in two episodes of ''Nikki (TV series), Nikki'' as The Big Easy (episodes "Gimme Shelter" and "Stealing Nikki"). In 2009, he appeared on Fox's show ''Brothers (2009 TV series), Brothers'', in which he came to get his stolen championship belt back. In 2012, he played a male stripper in ''Magic Mike'' and reprised the role in the 2015 sequel ''Magic Mike XXL''. In 2017, he appeared as Big Hank Cramblin on ''Detroiters (TV series), Detroiters''. In the spring of 2022, Nash launched a weekly podcast called Kliq This.


Filmography


Video games


Championships and accomplishments

* Big Time Wrestling ** BTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * Covey Promotions ** CP World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ** PWI Match of the Year, Match of the Year (1995) ** Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1994) ** PWI Tag Team of the Year, Tag Team of the Year (1997) ** PWI Wrestler of the Year, Wrestler of the Year (1995) ** Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the ''PWI 500'' in 1995 ** Ranked No. 59 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the ''PWI Years'' in 2003 *
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
** TNA Television Championship, TNA Legends Championship (List of TNA Television Champions, 2 times) ** TNA World Tag Team Championship (List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, 1 time) – with Eric Young (wrestler), Eric Young and Scott Hall ** Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#Feast or Fired, Feast or Fired (Final Resolution (2009), 2009 – Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#Feast or Fired#Results, TNA World Tag Team Championship contract) *
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
**
WCW World Heavyweight Championship The WCW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the original world title of ...
(List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions, 4 times) **
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship, originally known as the NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'', was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling ...
(List of WCW World Tag Team Champions, 9 times) – with Scott Hall (6),
Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...
(1) and
Diamond Dallas Page } Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), is an American fitness instructor, actor, and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract, under the ring name Di ...
(2) ** World War 3 (1998) ** WCW Monday Nitro#Notable episodes, Cannonball Champion of Spring Break (1998) * WWE, World Wrestling Federation/WWE ** WWE Championship, WWF Championship (List of WWE Champions, 1 time) **
WWF Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, along ...
(List of WWE Intercontinental Champions, 1 time) **
WWF Tag Team Championship WWF may refer to: Computing and games *WWF (file format), a campaign for unprintable PDF documents *Windows Workflow Foundation, a software component of the .NET Framework *''Words with Friends'', a mobile computer game franchise Non-profit orga ...
(List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010), 2 times) – with
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
**
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
(2 times) *** WWE Hall of Fame (2015), Class of 2015 – individually *** WWE Hall of Fame (2020), Class of 2020 – as a member of the New World Order ** Slammy Award (4 times) *** MVP (1994 Slammy Awards, 1994) *** Best Tag Team (1994) – *** Worst Tag Team (1994) – *** Most Predictable Outcome of the Year (2011 Slammy Awards, 2011) – ** List of wwe triple crown champions, Third Triple Crown Champion * ''Dave Meltzer#Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best Gimmick, Best Gimmick (1996) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Improved, Most Improved (1994) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Overrated, Most Overrated (1999, 2000) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler, Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (2000) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Feud of the Year, Worst Feud of the Year (2011) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Gimmick, Worst Gimmick (1991) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Wrestler, Worst Wrestler (1999, 2000)


''Luchas de Apuestas'' record


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nash, Kevin 1959 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century American professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers American male film actors American male professional wrestlers American male television actors American male television writers American television writers American men's basketball players American sports podcasters Basketball players from Detroit California Democrats Centers (basketball) Giessen 46ers players Living people Male actors from Detroit Professional wrestlers from Detroit Professional wrestling managers and valets Professional wrestling podcasters Professional wrestling writers Tennessee Volunteers basketball players The Kliq members New World Order (professional wrestling) members TNA Television Champions TNA/Impact World Tag Team Champions United States Army soldiers WCW World Heavyweight Champions WCW World Tag Team Champions World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010) Writers from Detroit WWE Champions WWE Hall of Fame inductees WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions 20th-century American sportsmen