Real
Name:
Kevin Scott Nash
Nicknames: Big Sexy
Birthdate: 12/12/74
Height: 6' 11"
Weight: 317 lbs
Signature Moves:
Jacknife Powerbomb
Biography
“It was
destiny…" On July 9, 1959, Kevin Scott Nash made his debut into the world. The
wrestling stars of that time included Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, and Pat
O’Connor, and professional wrestling was a long way from the
sports-entertainment production it is now. Cable pay-per-view, Hummer vehicles
and the Nitro girls were decades removed from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.
In 1959, most American homes had black-and-white televisions; the average car
cost less than $2,000 and the Barbie doll was the new and daring idea! Was Kevin
Nash destined to become a wrestling Superstar? In a 1997 newspaper interview,
Kevin is quoted as saying, "It was destiny…I should have known I was going to be
a wrestler. It fits my personality." But was destiny already leading Kevin down
its path? Shaping the boy who would become the man? In his high school years,
Kevin would go with his buddies and saw wrestlers like The Sheik, Bobo Brazil
and Pampero Firpo. He had no inkling then that someday millions of fans would be
screaming when "Big Sexy was in the House." The Michigan native cheered for his
Detroit teams, and hockey, baseball, and basketball were the sports he followed.
His future dreams were of playing on a pro basketball team. The rebellious
personality demonstrated as an Outsider and Wolfpac member did not meet with
appreciation in his younger years. But the young Wolf was already asserting
himself. His ways resembled that of the wolfcub. There were times, before Kevin
ran with the Wolfpac, that were more suited to an outsider or a wolf, but less
than appreciated as a team player. Shooting hoops for Southgate’s Aquinas High
School earned him a career high of 16 points. He was on his way, the
All-American Dream seemingly within reach, when he was recruited by the
University of Tennessee basketball team. Kevin Nash became a starter for the UT
Volunteers at center in 1979-80. He was described as a solid, hustling, and
determined defensive player. "It was time to move on," Kevin said, and move he
did. He headed overseas, where for several years he played pro basketball for
various European teams. Stateside, the Cleveland Cavaliers gave him a shot at
training camp, but it was not to be. Kevin was waived. His basketball career
ended in 1985, when he tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his knee on the
basketball court in Germany. During this period, unsure of what he wanted to do
with his life, Kevin entered the United States Army where he served for two
years, stationed in Giessen, Germany. He was assigned to the 202nd Military
Police Company, and was known as Specialist Fourth Class Nash. Says Kevin, "The
army taught me discipline, and the value of hard work." After his discharge, a
bigger, stronger, bulked up Kevin Nash returned to the States. He had become as
strong of body as he was of head. Those qualifications lead to jobs in bars and
strip clubs as a bouncer. Dealing with scantily clad women and belligerent
men... experience that would also come in handy in the future. While working in
Atlanta as a bouncer, the story goes that Dusty Rhodes discovered Kevin the
bouncer and saw in him Kevin the wrestler. Nash went into the offices of Ted
Turner’s network, WTBS, looking for a job. "They told me I would be perfect for
their wrestling shows," said Kevin, and he was enrolled at the Power Plant to
train. The job of pro wrestler really appealed to Kevin Nash. "Where else can
you piledrive a chief executive officer through a desk, and get away with it?"
Nash said. "It's an escape. It's what every person would love to do once." At 6
ft. 11 in., and 300 lbs., he had the body. He had the attitude. He needed the
gimmick. Much later, when known as "Big Sexy", he said, "it’s easy when you are
being yourself. There's so much emotion involved in what we're doing." But it
took Kevin a while to express himself through his character. The NWA was near
its demise, having titles recently combined with the WCW. The federation was
struggling against the industry giant, the WWF, and just as it took WCW a while
to find its niche, Kevin struggled to find his. One of his early appearances in
the squared circle was with an orange Mohawk as a man named Steel of the tag
team Master Blasters. Early in 1991, we were introduced to Oz; silver of hair
but without the silver tongue much later associated with Kevin Nash. Oz was a
wizard, dressed in green, and followed by a midget. It didn't take a house to
land on him to be rid of this character…and as for Vinnie Vegas, a too-sweet
gangster dressed pretty in pink, even being managed by friend Diamond Dallas
Page didn't get Kevin the push and popularity he wanted. Vinnie Vegas worked the
house show circuit for a time, and that gamble soon faded. As for Kevin, it was
time to try his luck elsewhere… with another Vinnie. Vince McMahon signed Kevin
Nash with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and in 1993, Shawn Michaels, the
Heartbreak Kid, acquired Kevin as his new bodyguard. Helping Michaels win the
Intercontinental Title, and an impressive debut in the Royal Rumble the
following year, Kevin began to come into his own. Big Daddy Cool and Diesel were
his latest incarnations. Jet-black hair worked so much better than silver or
orange, and the leather chaps were the right move towards a big and sexy image.
1994 was a great year for Kevin Nash. He proclaimed, "I think I've found my
niche. I really enjoy this more than anything I've ever done. I've always been
an extroverted person…" and this was "a dream job." His jackknife powerbomb made
short work of his opponents. He made his mark in WWF championship history, with
a 358 day reign as World Champion. Defending his title against former tag-team
partner Shawn Michaels, and against others such as Bret Hart and Davey Boy
Smith, he was running amok through the WWF. The dangerous Diesel began attacking
wrestlers and doing run-ins. Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker finally defeated
him. It was time to move on. Nash’s final match for the WWF was a steel cage
match at Madison Square Garden. Diesel (Nash) and foe Shawn Michaels were joined
in the ring by HHH and Scott Hall. Both Hall and Nash were departing the WWF.
All close friends, they were over as enemies in the ring. They broke with the
kayfabe tradition of playing to the marks, and embraced and said goodbye in the
ring as "themselves". This was unheard of in the business, and not appreciated
by the WWF management. That moment of reality led to Kevin’s new persona:
playing Kevin Nash. Returning to the WCW with Scott Hall, Kevin Nash made a bold
statement. He announced he and Hall were "taking over" the WCW, and underscored
this grand pronouncement by a powerbomb… to the executive VP Eric Bischoff,
blasting his head right through a stage. It appeared that Nash meant business,
and the nice guys would be finished off by the jackknife powerbomb. The heel
turn of Hulk Hogan was a stunning moment, and the three introduced the New World
Order. The nWo became a very popular and profitable angle, and the WCW began to
draw in more fans. New fans "discovered" wrestling, and old-school wrestling
fans and defectors from other federations flocked to WCW events. The crowd
turnouts, television ratings and pay-per-views ordered, along with merchandising
numbers, continued to grow. So did the popularity of Kevin Nash. The "Outsiders"
shook up the WCW. The nWo split into two feuding factions; the new faction using
the "Red and Black" and calling themselves the Wolfpac. Nash’s success as a tag
team with Scott Hall continued to draw. Syxx was inducted into "The Wolfpac",
and they sought other members into the nWo. Ultimately, Buff Bagwell and Konnan
were added to the faction. "Big Sexy" was the alpha wolf. Finally, Kevin Nash
had come into his own. Wrestling certainly suited Kevin’s personality. All his
talents and abilities, and all that he had experienced prior to this time, were
apparent in "Big Sexy" the wrestler, and Kevin Nash, the man. He could work a
crowd, and play on the humor and intelligence he possessed. He utilized the
brains and brawn and outright rebellion that he’d exhibited back in his
University days. Nash won his inaugural World Title. With the help of Scott
Hall, Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash reigned when he toppled the mighty Goldberg. At
Kevin’s hands, Goldberg suffered his first loss. Within days of that portentous
moment at Starrcade ’98, Nash gave his belt to Hollywood Hulk Hogan, symbolizing
the unity and dominance of the New World Order once again. May ’99 saw Kevin
reclaim the belt by defeating former friend Diamond Dallas Page. He held onto
the belt for two months, then lost to Randy "Macho Man" Savage at Nitro of July
7th. That very Nitro saw Nash help Hogan defeat Savage for the belt. This
interference by Nash lead to a conflict with Hogan, to be resolved at ’99 Road
Wild. It was a retirement match, and all expected Nash to conquer, driving the
older Hogan to retirement. Instead, it was the younger Kevin who lost the match.
But the defeated wolf did not run off, submissive to the winner. Fans didn’t see
Nash for several months, but he wasn’t really gone, just stalking the prey from
afar and awaiting his opening. Establishing his dominance from behind the
scenes, he was using his wit and cunning to cull the herd. Destiny may have lent
a hand, as one by one wrestlers fell. And Kevin waited and watched. In May 2000,
Kevin Nash defeated Jeff Jarrett and Big Poppa Pump and reclaimed the title.
Rather than keeping it, he declared that it was rightfully held by Ric "Nature
Boy" Flair, who had been stripped of the World Title due to medical problems.
The World Title changes hands, and was eventually held by Booker T. of Harlem
Heat fame. With the help of Scott Steiner, Vince Russo, and Jeff Jarrett on
guitar, Booker T was robbed of the title. The belt was Kevin Nash’s once again,
until Booker T regained it in a match against Nash in September 2000. World
Championship Wrestling was in a decline as 2000 came to a close, things were
changing fast and the world was watching. With the year 2001 came the shocking
purchase of WCW by Vince McMahon of the World Wrestling Federation. Where did
this leave Kevin? The months that followed were quiet ones for Kevin Nash Fans.
The remainder of 2001 saw a few television appearances, but not the regular
sitings of Big Sexy in the ring that the fans were waiting so patiently for. As
2002 came upon us, Kevin Nash became a free agent. He now could wrestler
wherever he chose; if he chose to wrestle at all. The rumors started flying, the
name dropping and hints were everywhere.... Fans were left wondering, yet again,
what Kevin would do, and what he was up to now. Face or heel? Which alliances
would hold, and which would crumble? What did the future hold for Kevin Nash?
But maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be, when you follow your destiny.
