TNA News TNA/WWE News: Kevin Nash interview - why he left TNA, return to WWE?, says WWE's youth movement "is a mistake," what would bring him back to TNA
Oct 21, 2010 - 12:43:04 PM
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By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor
Former TNA wrestler Kevin Nash talked about no longer being with TNA after the company did not offer him a contract extension during an interview on "Ringside Radio" last night.
"I was never given a contract (laughs) to sign. We never had the discussion," he said. "It just - I think they were involved in a couple of other things. TNA is a small company and I think some other things came up and I just slipped between the cracks."
Nash's deal came due earlier this month and he was asked to take a pay cut, but opted not to sign a new deal. He cited that he worked without a contract for a few weeks last year and figured TNA thought he would "just wait patiently" for a new contract offer to be made this year.
Asked if he has any desire to book or work on the creative team, Nash said, "Not in TNA." He added: "I'd help the creative some place, but I wouldn't want the responsibility - I don't have enough time in my life."
Nash said he believes the "Immortals" invasion angle could help TNA if they let the group "run the company" for several months to build heat before the babyfaces make a comeback. He talked extensively about his philosophy on building as much heat as possible on the heels to draw money.
"You know it works when the babyfaces in the company start walking in the booking office and start complaining," he said. "It leads to people pulling for the babyfaces. ... The heat always draws money."
Nash cited Fortune beating down EV2 and bloodying them early in their feud this summer, then EV2 coming back the next week and making a comeback, which hurt Fortune's heat from the week before.
-- Regarding a potential return to WWE, Nash said he would be honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but he doesn't believe he would be offered a deal to return because Vince McMahon is "going with the youth movement.
"I think it's a mistake, but they can do what they want to do," Nash said. He said his philosophy is wrestlers draw money between the ages of 35 and 40. "The younger wrestlers haven't been in the business long enough to know how to draw money," he said.
"You're basically going to wait six, seven years to get any return on it (investing in younger stars), and I don't think the business can wait that long," Nash said. He cited Edge as a wrestler who needed ten years to become a main eventer once the audience began to follow his character year after year.
Nash said he believes WWE made a major mistake with former WWE champion Sheamus when they had him run away from Nexus a few months ago on TV.
"I would never believe in that guy again," Nash said. "This is a guy who has potential to draw money. It definitely hurt the character." He added that WWE has to be careful with pivoting too far in one direction with unestablished younger characters.
-- Nash said he has no desire to write an autobiography. "Too many skeletons," he said. Nash said he doesn't want to go backwards pointing the finger at other wrestlers or naming names on the things he did earlier in his wrestling career.
Asked about a movie about his life, Nash wanted to know who would play him. The hosts suggested Matt Morgan. Nash joked that he's too young and doesn't have enough gray hair.
Nash talked up Morgan as a wrestler, saying: "Out of the younger guys, Matt's a talent. Maybe I'll just come back and manage him so I don't have to take any bumps."
-- Nash said his one last goal in wrestling would be to stand behind Shawn Michaels doing the fist-in-the-air while Michaels does the double biceps pose one last time. "That's not going to happen," he said. "Maybe his front yard or my backyard."
Nash added: "I'm happy with what I'm accomplished. Beat up, but not crippled. If I never wrestle another day, I'm cool with that."
Nash said if he were to return to WWE, he would like one last run against Undertaker with their matches "running on wisdom rather than testosterone." He suggested Nash's Career vs. The Streak for WrestleMania 27 after being proposed a "revenge match" after Taker ended Michaels's career at WrestleMania 26.
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