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.
