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KEVIN NASH IS FULL OF IT, BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS YOU THINK

For a guy who walked into the wrestling business with two bad knees, he's made himself a millionaire, changed pro wrestling, won World titles, amassed quite the name value for himself and is definition of "making the most with the least."

I don't write that as a knock on the guy. In many ways, it's the biggest compliment you can give him. He was extremely limited in the ring and until WWF figured out how to make him a silent monster bodyguard, was never able to wrap his head around drawing money as a personality in the business.

But, Nash did. He became the only person up until that point to win every WWF title in the course of a year during a time period where those belts meant something. He headlined Wrestlemania. He jumped to WCW and made himself and WCW bigger in the process. He helped put the Monday Night War on the map. No one can ever take any of that away from him.

However, like all things, time changed pro wrestling. TIme aged Kevin Nash. What made him "Big Daddy Cool" in 1995 and "Big Sexy" in 1997 didn't serve him well as he grayed and the mindset of the business changed. What fans cared about in 1996 isn't what fans in 2012 care about today.

But Nash rolled with the punches. He had another run in WWE in the early part of the decade, although an ineffective one. Let's be honest here. The NWO in WWE was nothing but a joke, just like every other WCW and ECW idea imported into WWE. To be fair, everything on WWE creative was a joke at that point as it was the beginning of the Stephanie McMahon era and well, it just sucked. Booker T vs. Edge over a Japanese hair shampoo, anyone?

Nash ended up working with his friend HHH, but injuries curtailed the run and he was out the door. He moved to TNA, where he saw the work as a small independent film compared to his work worldwide for WWE and WCW. He lent whatever his name value was to the company but for the most part, didn't do much. Anyone fondly remember his blueprint and vignettes for the X-Division? Nah, me neither.

Nash got to have one last great hurrah in WWE, but it wasn't the Triple H grudge match or getting eaten up by CM Punk on TV. It was his return to the best persona of his career, Diesel at the Royal Rumble. He got a massive pop that day, partially because PWInsider.com broke the story that he was en route to the Rumble that morning. By the time he walked through the curtain, word had spread online. Major WWE PPVs have the most die-hard attendees there anyway, so when he showed up, it was a tremendous nostalgia reaction. Booker T got the same response.

But, the big return storyline for Nash didn't work out. The idea was to make Punk a hotter persona coming out of losing the WWE title to Alberto Del Rio at Summerslam. Didn't work. The storyline did more to put the brakes on Punk than anything at that point in his run with the company as a top-tier performer. Nash was shifted over to his pal Triple H, again, put in a solid farewell and was out the door.

Since leaving WWE, Nash is making the same rounds as every other former performer. Hit the conventions. Work some indy shows. Sell merchandise. As he himself noted in the Grantland.com article, why would he walk away from the ATM? Hell, I would do the same. So would you. So would anyone.

But, Nash needs to be more than just some guy sitting on the fringes of the business making pocket change. He was always the guy who changed the business. He was the guy who made promotions mean more, who headlined PPVs and now he's sitting at home, doing some acting (good acting, I will admit) and watching the world and the business move on without him.

So, Nash turns around and does the one thing that he can and always did well - he opens his mouth to get attention for himself. He says that two guys who can't defend themselves - because they are dead - were the epitome of what was "the death of the business." He knocks the two darlings of the die-hard fans - CM Punk and Daniel Bryan - because he knows it's the online equivalent of nailing a hornet's nest with a baseball bat. He knocks how "smart fans" look at the business with a comparison to classical art, forgetting that no one person looks at anything - art, theater, wrestling, music - the same.

That doesn't matter, because it's all part of his plan and it's a plan he's used to brilliance his entire career. Nash wants to stir things up and put the attention on himself because, well, if he doesn't put himself over and make people stand up and take notice, who else is going to do it for him in 2012?

Nash is doing the one thing that he can to get your attention - piss you off - and in doing so, get attention for himself within pro wrestling.

Maybe he'll grab Vince's ear and end up with a job. Perhaps Dixie will come calling. Maybe Sinclair thinks ROH needs some name power. It could be as small as perhaps some new Twitter followers or few extra indy bookings. Maybe it was just for a few more chuckles with his friends about how stupid the marks and some of the boys are. He just wanted to throw a rock in the middle of the lake and see what the ripples bring him back.

You have to hand it to him. It's a good plan, because people have always fallen for it before and now he's got Chris Jericho, Roddy Piper and MVP, among others falling for it. Once again, accomplishing the most with the least amount of effort.

But, not with me.

Kudos to you Kevin for trying to get yourself back on TV and back in the minds of those running promotions by telling the media that what they are doing doesn't work because no one has the freak show ability to turn heads in an airport like you did back in the day.

People reacting to that doesn't make you the Twitter Puppet Master. It makes you sadder every time you try and pull it, because it becomes increasingly transparent.

Oh and Kevin, I got two words for you on your theory on smaller wrestlers - Shawn Michaels. I think you know the guy.

And finally, I've got some words for you to listen to:

2012 isn't 1996. Deal with it.

Mike Johnson can be reached at . He does suggest Kayfabe Commentaries' Timeline 1995 DVD with Kevin Nash, which you can order at www.kayfabecommentaries.com.

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