KEVIN NASH TALKS ABOUT WHY DX ISN'T WORKING, HOW HE WOULD REFORM THE NWO, OZ, NET FANS, WHY HE IS WORKING WITH THE X DIVISION AND MORE
By WorldWrestlingInsanity.com on 2007-01-07 10:51:00
This week’s edition of JG’s Radio Free Insanity is on the air and available for download right now at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com. This week, the one and only Kevin Nash stops by for a rare interview.
James Guttman begins the show by talking about how this week's episode has been hyped for two weeks. JG calls it one of the bigger editions of the show. He references the Steiners, Earl Hebner, and Samoa Joe the most asked about episodes. Other shows had crazy moments like Tracy Smothers, Koko B. Ware's singing, and the Demolition Reunion. James is happy to bring a diverse list of guests each week to the show and is glad to finally be able to add Kevin Nash to that list.
Guttman reminds listeners that Kevin's full interview is up on ClubWWI.com. It lasts 47 minutes and originally was posted there on New Year's Day. James says that Nash was a great guy to deal with and the listeners should really enjoy it.
James then switches subjects to Monday Night Raw. Guttman just saw the show and didn't have time to catch it when it was originally on. He says "Surprise, surprise," and expresses happiness over WWE's recent shows. JG says, "You can put me on record with this, WWE has definitely been on a creative upswing as far as the company goes." He recognizes the problems of the shows, but thinks that the on-air product on Raw has improved.
JG calls Raw a "feather in the cap" for WWE. He points to DeGeneration X's segment as a high point. Guttman reiterates that he's always said that Triple H is best in small doses. One of James's favorite moments was when Hunter married Stephanie McMahon during the Test wedding. He feels both Helmsley and Shawn Michaels have immense talent, but even great things are bad when they're overexposed.
Guttman then looks at the Vince McMahon-Donald Trump tease. He's split on it. One on hand, it could get a lot of attention. On the other, WWE might be focusing too much on celebrities. However, on yet another hand, World Wrestling Entertainment seems to be handling things well. Despite Kevin Federline's match with John Cena, the company still sold the Umaga conflict.
James also talks about Jerry Lawler's foreshadowing, Rob Conway's future, and then the weekly reader-voted Moment of Insanity. See if you can guess that one. From there, he sends us over to part two for Kevin Nash.
Part Two of Radio Free Insanity begins with the tunes of the New World Order. James Guttman welcomes listeners to the first show of the new year and tells them that they're about to hear the edited version of Kevin Nash's interview on ClubWWI.com. Guttman says that the full, uncut interview with Nash lasted for 47 minutes and is available right now on the Club. He reminds listeners to stick around at the end of the interview for some quotes from the uncut show. James says that this interview was not a TNA-sponsored interview and one that he set up with Kevin personally. So it's a straight shoot with no sugar-coating thrown in. With that, Guttman cues up the interview.
JG welcomes Kevin Nash to the show and asks how he's been doing. Nash replies that he's recovering from a shoulder operation and getting better. James says that fans have been watching him work with the X-Division lately and wants to know what he saw in the X-Division that made him want to work with them. Kevin says that they're all incredible athletes. When he first came in, he got to spend time with the X-Division and finds them all to be amazing because of their drive. He says they have fun and that's what the business is about. Nash calls it "contagious."
James says that many X-Division guys don't get good storylines or gimmicks. Kevin says that everything they do is so loosely scripted so guys get a chance to be themselves, or at least how they want to be portrayed. JG brings up over scripting in wrestling and how it doesn't teach guys improv skills. Kevin says that his last run in WWE was too much over scripting. He only likes using bullet points in case he thinks of something funny. He calls it "stifling," but in WWE's defense says that they have guys who need scripting. The problem is that it should be on a case to case basis, but it's not. He calls that a big problem in wrestling.
Guttman says that guys today get trained differently than they used to be. They don't know the basics. Kevin says that the psychology is the hard part. If you do moves without psychology, it doesn't work. Now it's hard to practice though because of limited dates. When Nash first started, guys could get 300 days a year. Now they're lucky to get 10% of that.
JG brings up the Oz gimmick and asks Kevin what his thoughts were when it was first brought to him. He says he was approached by Dusty Rhodes. Nash was under contract and sitting on a couch getting a paycheck. He knew he had to go do what Rhodes wanted to get his contract renewed. He did the gimmick mostly in Japan, but it died a quick death. Kev says he was a "green horn" and Dusty was a "legend." He says that in the business, you sometimes think someone knows what's best when they don't. It always amazed him how guys like to "rehash things." Nash said:
"This worked in 1961. Like I would never try to rehash the N.W.O. because it's a different era."
He references the different pop culture and how you can't come up with ideas unless you keep up with it. Unless you know what's going on, you can't do it. A lot of people in creative aren't doing that. Guttman brings up the wrestling bubble and how some people don't reach out beyond that. Nash mentions the women in wrestling and says that if he wants to watch girls, there's other things he can go to.
"When I want my wrestling, I want my wrestling. When I want my girls, I want my girls. I don't want them mish-mashed together."
Guttman says that when people think of the N.W.O., they think of DeGeneration X. He says that DX isn't hitting all cylinders and asks Nash what he would do to fix it if he could. Kevin says they almost have to be heels to be "anti-establishment."
"Like if Scott and I were to do the N.W.O. right now, it would work because we'd be acting like we were 30 but we're like older 40 guys. Now we're like the drunk dad at the birthday party. It's like, "Aw, Dad. Stop.' It works because you get heat off of that because you think you're young, hip, and cool, but you're not."
Nash also mentions that DX has no one to work with. He says that the Nasty Boys in their prime would have better programs with then. By mis-matching guys. Kevin adds:
"On the road, Flair's part of DX. It's just like…'What?' What do you mean? How did Flair get in DX?"
Kevin says it's because they want to do less bumps, but doesn't blame them because he doesn't want to do bumps. He knows that people give Hunter and Shawn grief, but they're the only thing that works. Guttman says that he was trying to think of someone that John Cena could feud with. He went to WWE.com and couldn't find anybody. Nash laughed and replied.
"Who? That's what I do! I go, "Ah, if I could book that, I'd…ooo, Jeez, shut my mouth!"
He says that everyone gives creative a hard time but have no talent to work with. JG asks if it has to do with guys coming up early. Kevin says that there's "just not any talent." He says that they're trying to find new faces, but have to do it by live fire. They have to try things and do something to get new faces on TV. It's one of those businesses where they have to realize that one day Chris Benoit will leave and they have no one to groom for his spot. Nash says, "Try to replace him. You can't do it." He says that's why Hacksaw Jim Duggan is still there because he has more charisma than most of the guys.
- break -
We come back and Kevin's talking about the reason fans react to some stars and not others. He says that when you break in, you get booed. Then you become an underneath guy and they cheer you. You have good matches and they know you love it. Then one day that guy becomes a champion and they chant "You suck!" Nash goes on and says:
"He became successful. Because 90% of the people in the crowd aren't successful…It's funny how no one who's successful is over in the business for the smarts. If you're successful…I mean name a guy who's successful that's over."
James brings up how promotions turn cool heels baby face and lose heel-loving fans. Nash says that playing heel is the easiest thing in the business. The hardest thing is being "Cena - white meat baby face." Guttman asks why John Cena isn't working and Nash says the crowd is smarter. He mentions how John's over on pay-per-views because it's more of an "entertainment dollar than a wrestling ticket." Kevin also references that Cena is a selling a lot of merchandise and if he's outselling everyone 3:1 "Boo me to the bank." Kev says that if he's over, then he's over somewhere. It's just not "chic" to be open about supporting Cena as a fan. JG says that people have John Cena pillows and hide them in their beds.
Guttman brings up the famous Kevin Nash quote that "in this business, you can make friends or make money." Kevin says it's true. It's something that Chief Jay Strongbow told him and Scott Hall. He says it's a really selfish business. You can give your buddy a little something extra, but you have to be selfish. He compares it to a movie. You can't put your buddy over in a movie just because he's your buddy. You have to follow the script. JG says you have to separate business and personal. Nash replies that what kills him is that office calls it the "business," but when a worker treats it like a business, it's wrong. He says that it's a "business for everybody."
Kevin says he leaves his family for several days, he wants to be treated well and paid well. He says it's not too much to ask. On a movie set, you're treated like "the King of France." Guttman brings up wrestlers who now have no money when their careers ended. Nash replies that some guys might not have money, but no one in the business can say that they didn't get to have some of the greatest times of their life. Kev says it's what he misses most about the business. He loved hanging out with the guys and mentions all the members of the Klique by name. He's glad to have them as friends. He also mentions Jeff Jarrett and says that he's blessed to have really good friends in the business.
James closes things out by asking Kevin Nash could wrestle if he could face someone that he didn't get a chance to. Nash thinks and names a number of people he worked with. He can't think of someone at first, but eventually chooses Andre the Giant. He also would have loved to fight Jesse Ventura as a baby face.
Also, he never had a one-on-one with Tom Zenk. He throws his name out on TNA trying to get him to respond. James says he disappeared and tells Z-Man to drop World Wrestling Insanity a line if he's around. Kevin says that Scott Hall wants to know too. They talked about it two nights ago. "What happened to Z-Man?"
Before signing off, James asks Kevin to give a statement to his fans. Kevin says to buy his dolls because he needs residuals. When JG says to get the TNA doll, Kev stops him and names all the other dolls he has available. Guttman says, "If you have the old vibrating WCW dolls, you can…uh…" Nash jumps in and ends the interview by saying:
"Give that one to mom!"
Once the edited interview comes to an end, James Guttman reminds listeners that the full interview is up on ClubWWI.com and plays some quotes:
"I really don't care what anybody says. I caused it to end? Alright I caused it to end. Every night, I toss and turn because I killed WCW. I haven't slept since."
"The biggest problem was that we had some power and it was the jealousy of the people who weren't in the Klique."
"It was a party, man. There was beer and a lot of good times. It was a party and the party carried on after it. I loved going to work on Mondays."
"There's always the new best thing like the Ring of Honor…"
JG: "The timing of the AOL buy out happened when the company was a creative low point. Do you think a lot of fans, they only watch the product on TV because the show was so bad?"
Nash: "The show was so bad? Yeah the show... Was it a creative down…how was it a creative down…?"
And…
"This is how I work. I do five things. I do five or six things that's all I do. I'm not gonna throw in something because some guy in a sheet says I'm boring."
Guttman says that the quotes show how Kevin definitely shoots on the Club. Head over to hear him talk about Mr. Kennedy, Unions in wrestling, the Klique, "Death of WCW," and so much more. It's 47 minutes uncensored and you can hear it on ClubWWI.com.
Also on ClubWWI.com, you can hear over 50 exclusive interviews with wrestling’s top names including Bobby Heenan, Ted DiBiase, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, Rhyno, Ivory, The Steiner Brothers, Nidia, Christy Hemme, Bobby Heenan, Christopher Daniels, Jimmy Hart and dozens of others.
JG’s Radio Free Insanity is always free and always on the air each weekend at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com, with extended interviews and show archives available on ClubWWI.com. James Guttman’s book, World Wrestling Insanity, is available at Amazon.com or wherever books are sold.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section,
which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts,
interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
