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

Nash was also involved in promoting this year’s Wrestlemania, the WWE’s annual largest event of the year and the 30^th anniversary in the Wrestlemania legacy. “Wrestlemania is probably in the realm of one of the 10 largest productions. You can’t run a building that holds less than 80,000 people, all you’re doing is just hurting revenue. It’s not whether you’re going to sell out, it’s what building can we get into that we’re going to sell out. It’s become a situation where it’s an event. They drew as much money in New Orleans with Wrestlemania as they did with the Super Bowl. Just as many people. Actually we can get more people in Wrestlemania because you got the floor.” And he’s right; Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome hosted 71,024 people in February of 2013, where as Wrestlemania XXX held 75,167 people in the same venue this past April.

Wrestlemania XXX made news around the world when The Undertaker lost to Brock Lesnar to bring his record to 21-1 and ending his Wrestlemania undefeated streak. The arena went silent and every wrestling fan in the world was in shock and some outraged. Nash has his opinion as well on the match, “yeah, disappointed. I didn’t see an upside in it.” He looks at it from Undertaker’s point of view though, “if you’re going to beat by someone, I’d want to be beat by a shoot world champion.” Lesnar of course being a former UFC champion. What irritates a lot of wrestling fans is that Brock Lesnar is a part-time wrestler and usually only performs at a couple big events every year. Nash explains that Lesnar never liked the amount of travelling involved with working in the WWE, even from the time he first moved up from Ohio Valley Wresting, where he trained. He’s also not the type of guy who likes to be in the public eye.“He’s a quiet guy too. I think he grew up in North Dakota in like a really rural area… He’s one of those guys that are like me, Taker, there are certain guys that when you walk the airport, you’re you. You’re not some guy who looks like Brock Lesnar. You can just tell by his structure, his stature. If you don’t want to deal with that and accept that as part of it, it’s really hard.” Nash tells us about the days when he travelled with Hulk Hogan, who you’d have to be blind not to recognize. “Granted he’ll wear his yellow and red colours, he’ll just go with it. There are not many guys in a bandana, with a fu-Manchu and sunglasses.”

Nash actually made an appearance in the ring at this year’s Royal Rumble match. A match where 30 men enter the ring, one at a time, every 90 seconds and the only way to eliminate someone is to throw them over the ropes and out of the ring. It is one of the most important matches of the year, with the winner getting a main event championship match at Wrestlemania. Nash is known for his performance in the 1994 Royal Rumble as Diesel where he achieved seven eliminations to tie the record at the time. His time was short-lived this year at only one elimination before being taken out by Roman Reigns, who set a new record of twelve eliminations. Nash, of course, was just pleased to be involved. “The thing that was the most rewarding to me was they called me two-weeks out, at 54 years old and they knew I’d be in shape and ready to go… It’s nice to be able to get that call and be in your 50s.”

“They drew as much money in New Orleans with Wrestlemania as they did with the Super Bowl.”

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