KEVIN NASH ARTICLE

[jimsteel]

FROM LORDS OF PAIN

Grantland.com has published a lengthy article on the life and controversial wrestling career of Kevin Nash, who has begun to gain traction in Hollywood. A notable point in the article has the six-time world champion reiterating his stance on "Vanilla Midgets," a dismissive term he used as booker in the late '90s in World Championship Wrestling to describe small-statured, gifted technical wrestlers who didn't project larger than life personalities but were beloved by fans, such as Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko. "Big Sexy" feels the professional wrestling industry died in 2004 at WrestleMania XX when WWE's "Super Bowl" concluded with the image of the under six-foot-tall grapplers reigning supreme as champions and emotionally celebrating. Even though the two wrestlers are now deceased, he still believes they never belonged in the main event scene due to their small stature.

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

Nash has the same problem with today's "Internet heroes," CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.

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

Nash also discussed how The Kliq shifted financial compensation in the wrestlers' favor, how his 1995 heel turn inspired the "Attitude Era" and the subsequent ascent of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, cursing out Tom Cruise's makeup artist on the set of Rock of Ages and more

FULL ARTICLE AT www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8241536/wrestling-star-kevin-nash-making-headway-hollywood-keeps-night

[jimsteel]

I totally disagree with Nash Wrestling Died that day? Come on. These smaller guys get you more excited about shows then most of the big guys

[MonkeyDBain]

Nash is a bitter old man. He tends to forget it was smaller men who made him, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.

[jcr48]

Jim, Kevin Nash is going to be at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con this weekend August 9-12. You should go see him in person and tell him what you think.

[Phoenix]

He created the Attitude Era?
That's a new one.

[Deleted]

Nash forgot to mention how both Guerrero and Benoit were bigger draws as WWE and World Heavyweight Champion than he was in either WWE or WCW. WWE weren't giving away half (or more) of the tickets to events with those guys on top like they did with practically everyone WCW had on top from 98-01.

I could go on a huge rant about how much of an idiot Kevin Nash is, but it's 4 AM and I don't really feel like going on a huge rant about Kevin Nash's stupidity right now. Might do it later, though!

"I bet they could both walk through airports and not be noticed unless they have a gimmick shirt on and the belt."

I'm pretty sure Punker would disagree with that statement.

[jeromy1983]

People seem bitter and can't understand that times change. Bryan Danielson could out wrestle Nash and make him tap out, even back in his prime. I'm glad smaller guys get the push now, they are faster and use more actual wrestling holds, well as much as Vince will allow. Just because you are larger than life doesn't mean you are the best, look at Brock Lesnar's UFC debut against Frank Mir. Lesnar tried to use his power to win and Mir made him tap. Look at Kimbo Slice's first loss, it was to a guy who looked like he weighed 90 pounds compared to Kimbo and he knocked him out in seconds.

[marktaggart]

In the entire history of wrestling there is a relatively short list of men of superhuman large stature who have consistently drawn big money. He did very well for himself, but he was never able to draw on top on his own. I write that as a big fan of the Diesel character who thought the WWF blew it with the way they used him as champ, but if size was the dictating factor he should've been able to overcome that. Being a talented performer with a great presence is vital to making money in wrestling. Nash without question has those tools, but I have never seen a size chart with a "legitimacy" cut off.

Every person has a skewed view of things based on their particular perceptual bias; Nash's is all about size because that's his thing. He has been criticized for making it in wrestling based on size alone, so he has justified himself in his own mind by deciding that size is the main criteria for making money in wrestling. He continues to espouse this idea in public despite dozens of examples to the contrary staring him right in the face, many from his own era: Shawn, Bret, Austin, Flair, Savage, etc.

There's a lot I like about Nash's public persona and a lot I respect about him, but there's some I don't. This just another silly thing to get people wound up. I wouldn't expect him to change, and I don't expect fans to, either. He'll keep saying what he says and they'll keep getting enraged about it.

[swarm]

Aug 7, 2012 19:21:42 GMT -5 @ Kevin Nash said:

"When Benoit and Guerrero hugged [at the end of WrestleMania XX], that was the end of the business,"

I thought wrestling died with the finger poke of doom?

Kevin Nash has big man's syndrome. It's the same thing as Napoleon Syndrome but for overly large/tall people. In my bouncing days, I knew guys like this. Life at 7 feet tall and over 300 lbs. comes with a lot of emotional baggage. It's a lot to live up to, and guys like Nash are easily threatened and intimidated once the masses stop being in awe of them, and start becoming in awe of someone who is the opposite of them aka Daniel Bryan.

Fact is Nash never got the crowd reaction Daniel Bryan does. DB would probably waste Nash in a real fight. Even in his prime. But a guy like Nash just can't accept that, or deal with it. He lives in an absolute fantasy land. I've seen guys 6'10 290 gets KO'd by a guy who weighs 200 lbs. A guy who can fight will always beat up a guy who can't, no matter the size difference. It's obvious to anyone watching that both Punk and DB can fight. Nash on the other hand, it just a tall dude who walks around slow and looks into the crowd at all the people staring at him and that's it.

Nash's constant need to bury everyone (before this it was Sheamus and Wade Barrett) got old a long time ago.

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2012 7:04:54 GMT -5 Swarm said:

DB would probably waste Nash in a real fight. Even in his prime.

I'd pay real money to see that fight, actually.