RADICAN’S Kayfabe Commentaries Review Series – “Breaking Kayfabe” w/Kevin Nash

“Breaking Kayfabe with Kevin Nash” is the latest installment in the landmark series from Kayfabe Commentaries that gives viewers a look at the person behind the performer. Kevin Nash, who is usually very funny, gives viewers a rare look at the person behind the Kevin Nash/Big Daddy Cool wrestling persona. ……

RADICAN’S KAYFABE COMMENTARIES REVIEW SERIES
“BREAKING KAYFABE WITH KEVIN NASH”
RELEASED IN 2015
RELEASED BY KAYFABE COMMENTARIES
BY SEAN RADICAN, PWTORCH COLUMNIST

“Breaking Kayfabe with Kevin Nash” is the latest installment in the landmark series from Kayfabe Commentaries that gives viewers a look at the person behind the performer. Kevin Nash, who is usually very funny, gives viewers a rare look at the person behind the Kevin Nash/Big Daddy Cool wrestling persona. This is a great interview and the host, Sean Oliver, does a great job of pressing Nash on big topics ranging from his arrest on Christmas Eve last year to whether or not he thinks Hulk Hogan should have been fired for the racist remarks he made on his sex tape that became public over the summer.

Nash is a smooth talker, but early on after talking about the secret to staying married for 27 years while being on the road as a wrestler for most of that time, Oliver asks him how he stays grounded. Nash mentions his blue collar upbringing in Detroit helps him stay grounded, but as they push the conversation further, Nash admits that as a kid, he was tall and skinny and that’s what he still sees in the mirror. It’s a rare glimpse of insecurity behind the ultra-cool persona that Nash usually displays in public interviews.

Of course, a short time later, Nash discusses how he and his wife tried to have a baby for two years and they tested his sperm count. Nash tells Oliver that when the tests came back it turned out that he had 100x the amount of sperm compared to a normal person. Nash then does a very comical impersonation of the Indian doctor telling him that it definitely wasn’t his fault that he and his wife hadn’t had any luck getting pregnant yet.

Nash discusses his arrest last Christmas Eve in-depth after getting into a physical altercation with his son. This part of the interview is difficult to watch and it’s clear that Nash isn’t comfortable talking about the topic, but he is open and honest about what happened that night that lead to him and his son being thrown in jail and WWE immediately releasing him from his legends contract.

Nash shows his signature bravado when Oliver asks him why he was arrested, as he indicates that the low-level cops were on duty that night. It’s not shocking when Nash also revealed that he told the arresting officer that he was going to get him fired. Nash also gets in a funny line later on while recounting the story, as he said he debated going on his roof in fatigues once he got out of jail to give the cameras at his house a show.

The topic of Hogan being released by WWE this past summer after footage from his sex tape came out with him using racist language. Nash and Oliver get into an interesting discussion about WWE having to answer to their shareholders being a public company. Nash indicates that he understood WWE’s position, but says they were too quick to drop him. Nash suggests an alternative punishment where WWE would have suspended Hogan and given him sensitivity training instead of firing him.

Nash’s point of view here is almost laughable in terms of the thought of WWE sending Hogan to sensitivity training and then bringing him back. The footage of Hogan using racist terms brought about a ton of bad publicity for WWE and there’s no way they could have done anything but release Hogan. It’s understandable that Nash would defend his friend in this situation. It was a bit much that Nash called WWE’s handling of the situation very “Saudi Arabia.”

One of the more difficult things to listen to is Nash opening up about his son going to rehab for Xanax and beer. He said there’s a horrendous drug culture in Florida and talks about how his friends that are doctors and lawyers have kids that are in trouble with drugs. Nash tells some horrifying stories that his son shared with him from rehab about what other kids his son’s age said they did to score drugs. Oliver and Nash don’t fully explore the issues behind Nash’s son, Tristian, going to rehab, but it’s hard not to feel sympathy for Nash with what he’s gone through with his son over the course of the last year.

Nash also opens up about the topic of heart disease in his family. He says his father died at 36 of heart disease. “There’s no 60 year old Nash’s,” says Nash about his family history, which is scary. Oliver presses Nash, who opens up and admits he gets his heart check as often as his insurance allows him. Nash clearly has had a lot of wear and tear on his body over the years and hopefully he doesn’t join the long list of wrestlers that have died in their 50s from his generation. On the bright side, Nash’s mother remarried and Nash indicates that he had a good relationship with his step-father growing up.

There is some wrestling talk and it provides some light moments in the midst of some of the more difficult topics Oliver discusses with Nash. Oliver asks why people still care about the Kliq and Nash responds that people are drawn to a good buddy movie. Nash said the characters in the Kliq are so well-defined and he really makes some good points about why people still talk about them to this day.

One of the interesting things about Oliver and Nash’s discussion of the Kliq is that Oliver asks Nash if Justin Credible was a full member of the Kliq. Nash responds that if he was in the Kliq, he never would have worn a jockstrap on his head in WWE. Nash’s comments contrast with Scott Hall’s comments about Credible on his edition of YouShoot where he says Credible was a member of the Kliq.

In an era where it seems wrestlers never retire, Nash discusses actually making plan to get out of wrestling as he downsizes his life with his children getting older. It really is good to hear that Nash has been able to reflect on his accomplishments and the fully appreciate the money he’s earned. Nash talks with Oliver about how he’s ready to enjoy his life and relax, as the mentality he’s had is to be on the road and chase money every weekend. Nash talks about other things he wants to do like pain, write a screen play, and write a book. It’s nice to hear a wrestler that was in the business for as long as Nash has talk about scaling back his road schedule and enjoying life.

Overall Thoughts: (9.0) – Sean Oliver and Kevin Nash have great chemistry together and it takes a certain level of trust to get someone to open up to the level that Nash did in this interview. Nash covers all of the major topics in his career, but really opens up about his life away from the ring. Of course, Nash uses his humor to craft some great stories as well, but this is the most serious interview Nash has done to date.

Nash covers everything from his high-profile arrest last Christmas eve to his thoughts on Hogan being terminated by WWE, but it’s the insight he gives into his family life and the history of health problems in his family that are the most rewarding parts to listen to during this interview. Nash also gives his thoughts on the current WWE product and what he would do to fix it. He also tells an incredible behind the scenes story about Vince McMahon during SummerSlam weekend in Brooklyn this past August. This release gets a high recommendation.

You can purchase Kayfabe Commentaries’s “Breaking Kayfabe with Kevin Nash” on DVD by clicking HERE or by visiting KayfabeCommentaries.com. You can also purchase this show on VOD at WWNLive.com. For more information about other Kayfabe Commentaries releases, visit KayfabeCommentaries.com.

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