Interview: From nWo to Magic Mike: An Interview with Kevin Nash

WCW was purchased by the WWE in 2001, effectively operating a monopoly on the professional wrestling business. Nash explains that regardless of inflation, back then was the time to make money in wrestling. “Back then is when it was good, because that was the wars… There’s nothing to bargain with now… I’m sure there are guys making money… I’m sure [John] Cena is making some cash. His merchandise sells so well. That’s the whole thing, if you’re merch sells, that’s a huge chunk of the upside is your merchandise. Cena won’t even be on shows and will out sell anybody else on the show four to one.”

Nash was involved with promoting the first ever pay-per-view event for NXT, which is WWE’s developmental training program. He explains why this is a key instrument in WWE’s monopoly. “The NXT arena basically looks basically like [Monday Night] RAW, without the arena. Basically it’s the same aesthetic so you’re conditioned to walk down to that ring and get into that setting. You’re taught to work a certain way and to do it the WWE way.” It’s no longer strategic to poach top talent from other promotions, Nash clarifies, “they don’t want to spend 300-grand, when they got a guy they can pay $75,000. And they don’t want to bring a dog in who thinks it’s ok to piss on the rug when they’ve got one right here who’s already house broken. You know, it’s already been trained the WWE way that they want this person to be, and if he hasn’t, if he hasn’t adhered to it, he’s already out of the program.” Nash explains the only other option now is to work the “indies” which is currently thriving. “I think the independent circuit has gotten good. There are some good shows. Like Tommy Dreamer throws really good shows.”

Nash is still collecting cheques from WWE as he’s signed to a “Legends” contract. “Basically you’re a PR guy for the company.” Nash expands, “because of the Network and what they have, there is so much programming and I’ve been a part of the business for 20 years.” The WWE Network being WWE’s latest invention. It’s their version of Netflix and plays host to every pay-per-view event, past or present, along with several other regular scheduled programs. “At Wrestlemania, I worked on the Randy Savage DVD that’s coming out, they got me doing some voice over, green screen stuff. Then for the network itself, the network has ongoing programming that has different segments. They might ask [me for my] top 20 matches of all time… as a fan, not as something [that] you lived.” He explains it as their way of keeping a core roster without having to further bust the humps of the young and active talent who are in the ring on a nightly basis.

Nash describes the differences of his era working at WWE, “Every time I go back, the universe that it covers, it’s almost like one of those super bugs that is resilient, it just continues to morph and morph and morph. It used to be three camera trucks and a ring truck. Now man, it looks like The Stones are playing… The Stones are coming with The Eagles. When you’re in the back lockers, there are 85 buses.”

“It used to be three camera trucks and a ring truck. Now man, it looks like The Stones are playing.”

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