Kevin Nash Talks About The Kliq, Triple H In DX, Hulk Hogan's Heel Turn, John Cena

Kevin Nash recently spoke with The Miami Herald to promote Florida Supercon. Below are a few highlights:

Hulk Hogan's nWo heel turn and heels today:
"[Hulk] was watching the show, and he saw the momentum really shifting. He saw Scott and I as heel personas were perceived as being cool. He thought if there was a time to switch, it was now, because he could see the momentum going with Scott and I. So when he jumped, it was a shock, but it was a tsunami that pushed the thing for almost three years. It’s so hard. You look at John Cena. He plays the guy in the white cowboy hat,” Nash said. “Our society has gone with the anti-heroes probably since Brandon Lee in ‘The Crow.’ Times have changed. It’s no longer waving the flag as much as it was. There’s a lot of disgruntled people in society. When you look at the demographic, you ask, ‘Where’s the money at?’ Well, the money’s in this kind of tweener guy -- a bad guy with a cool persona. One thing about Hulk. If he smells dollar signs. it doesn’t take him long to make a decision. He saw the way it was going and made the decision."

The nWo and DX in WCW and WWE:
"They both had members of the Kliq. DX is what really made Triple H. He was playing the blue blood, and then Triple H went away from that persona and kind of took over DX, and that’s when Paul Levesque got to be himself. That’s when I think he really took off because he’s got an incredible sense of humor, a really fun loving guy. They kind of took our [nWo] formula. They [DX] were younger guys, and they made it a little hipper. Anytime WWE produces anything it’s going to be produced better.

The Kliq Members Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman and HBK Discuss the MSG Curtain Call Incident

WWE.com has posted a new interview up with Kliq members Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall. The interview was conducted during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, and below are some highlights of the interview, which focuses on the famous MSG Curtain Call incident in 1996. Click here.

This Day In Wrestling History

Sting defeats Hulk Hogan for the then vacant WCW World Championship.
February 22, 1998

Lanny Poffo Reveals the Issue Between Randy Savage and Vince McMahon

In 1994, Randy wanted to work with Shawn Michaels. He wanted to have a two-year program with him. They said they were having a youth movement, and that's why he quit. He said, 'I think I'll get a second opinion on that.' He would've lost the match to Shawn Michaels, at WrestleMania, but his goal, and one of the things that bothered him the most, was that he was never able to have a match as good as the one he had with Ricky Steamboat. He felt, even in his advanced years - I guess he was 41 - that he could have a Ricky Steamboat-calibre match with Shawn Michaels.

I don't know if he could or if he couldn't, if he was already too old or whatever, but wouldn't you love to see him try? He would've put him over, in the middle of the ring, and retired to the announce booth… but instead he went to the WCW and guess what he brought with him? 'Snap into a Slim Jim'. And Vince doesn't like to lose even one round.

source: shiningwizards.com

Kevin Nash Talks Working With Triple H During His Last WWE Run, Differences With Hulk Early On, More

Former WWE and WCW World Champion Kevin Nash was interviewed on this week's edition of the Big WrestleShark Show, ahead of his upcoming appearances alongside Scott Hall and Sean Waltman on the UK Takeover Tour. In the near hour long interview, Kevin discusses who took him under their wing, the feeling in the locker room when he joined WWF, jumping to WCW, the early days of the NOW, his thoughts on TNA as competition for WWE, working a ladder match at 52 years old and more. Here are some highlights from the interview:

Stories from the road: "We spent 300 days a year on the road when I first came in, and we would spend a ton of time in the UK because we did so well there. I think it kept the WWF alive. I remember doing a 19 day tour, being home for clothes and going back for a 21 day tour; only setting foot in the states to do TV's. At the same time, those trips were the craziest because you had a driver …when you have a driver and you're on a bus, there isn't much to do but drink beer and play cards, and that's what we did.

"We were all young guys, we knew we had to do this together, we were a team, and it was just like stone by stone, we had to build this thing back to what it once was. I think that group of guys on that bus, those 12 – 18 guys… I've got a picture of that group in the back of the bus; it's Taker, the Kliq, Stone Cold, the only person who's really not on that bus is The Rock. It's like the Attitude era and the NWO Era combined in the back of that bus (you can check out the photo here). It makes me feel good that I was fortunate enough to be part of that group of guys. It was the perfect storm."

His last run in WWE against Triple H: "If you would have told me at 50 years old, that at 52 I'd be in a ladder match [laughs]. I think it was a rib. I think they booked it, they called me up, put me on speaker and were waiting for me to start cursing and then I said 'alright fine I'll do it,' I think they just thought 'oh my god he's going to do it.' Visit Wrestling Inc. I knew it was against Paul, and I've always said I'll work against anyone good enough to carry me! I can't ballroom dance on my own. Gimme someone who can dance and I can do my part.

"He's so busy from a running the company stand point, we basically called it on the fly because we didn't have time to do anything. I got out there, picked up the ladder and I'm like, 'oh my god this thing is heavy.' I'm waiting for him to get up, and I know when he does I'm gonna swing it at him and I know just from the physics of it, I'm not gonna be able to stop this ladder once I swing it... so it's comin. That's the thing about working with your friends; you'll take real good care of somebody you don't know, but you'll beat the hell out of your friends."...More?

This Day In Wrestling History

Happy Birthday to Scott Hall
October 20, 1959

WCW fired Bret Hart due to his incapacitating injury - Hart announced his retirement.
October 20, 2000

Triple H defeated Kane at No Mercy to unify the World Heavyweight Championship & Intercontinental Title. The IC Title would later be re-instated in May of 2003.
October 20, 2002

Triple H talks about how he got signed to WCW

This Day In Wrestling History

WCW Nitro wins the first ever head to head meeting against WWF(E) RAW. Nitro scores a 2.5 rating while Raw scores a 2.2.
September 11, 1995

WWE Raw Box Set Announced

WWE will be releasing a "Raw 20th Anniversary Collection" containing 12 DVDs (or 10 blu-ray discs) that boast a full 20 episodes of Monday Night Raw, "uncut and unedited".

The box set is available for pre-order now through Amazon.com, and will be released on December 3rd in the United States for $79.99. They have also released a brief synopsis of the collection:

"Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Raw, WWE presents 20 of the most memorable Raw episodes in history all in one all-new collector's set. For the first time ever, this collection will feature 20 COMPLETE EPISODES of Raw spread out over 12 DVD discs (10 Blu-ray). Each episode will be featured in chronological order, and were carefully selected to present a wide range that showcases all eras, several milestones and historic moments throughout Raw history. This collection is a must-own for WWE fans."

Both the WCW/WWF "simulcast" and "homecoming" editions of Monday Night Raw will be included in the set. It's worth noting that if the collection is true to its word, and will leave each episode "uncut and unedited", both episodes feature matches with Chris Benoit. Other episodes that have been confirmed include Mankind's WWF Championship title win, the very first Raw Roulette, the night Raw finally ended Nitro's ratings dominance, the DX Invasion and the original ECW Invasion.

This Day In Wrestling History

Frank Gotch again defeats George Hackenschmidt in their rematch from 1908 in front of a reported crowd of 25,000 at White Sox (Comiskey) Park. Hackenschmidt badly injures his knee prior to the match, allegedly at the hands of Ad Santell. Supposedly, and this is one of pro wrestling's great unsolved mysteries, Santel was paid a sum of money to hook Hackenschmidt in training. Gotch hated Hackenschmidt and didn't want to give him a rematch.
September 4, 1911

WCW's Monday Nitro debuts live from The Mall of America. In a shocking event, top WWF(E) superstar Lex Luger appears on the show and makes harsh remarks against the WWF(E).
September 4, 1995

This Day In Wrestling History

WCW's Clash of The Champions XX celebrates its 20th year of wrestling on TBS. The show also featured the last appearance of Andre The Giant in the USA.
September 2, 1992

Eric Bischoff awarded Triple H the new WWE Raw World title, exclusive to Raw.
September 2, 2002

This Day In Wrestling History

42,000 fans attended the WWF and Super World of Sports' WrestleFest event at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
March 30, 1991

Triple H kicks Shawn Michaels out of D-Generation X and becomes the leader of the group. Later that night X-Pac, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg join DX with Triple H and Chyna.
March 30, 1998

WWE issued the following:

World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. Closes Transaction With Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2001--World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWF - news) today announced that it has closed its transaction to acquire certain assets of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
March 30, 2001

Wrestlemania 24 takes place, featuring Ric Flair's final WWE match. Flair would retire after Wrestlemania, but later come back to wrestle on shows in Australia for Hulk Hogan and for TNA.
March 30, 2008

This Day In Wreslting History - WWE Buys WCW

The announcement that shook the wrestling world is made:

STAMFORD, Conn., March 23, 2001 - World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWF) today announced its purchase of the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) brand from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS Inc.), a division of AOL Time Warner.

The purchase of WCW creates a tag team partnership with the World Wrestling Federation brand that is expected to propel the sports entertainment genre to new heights.

In keeping with the company's strategic alliance with Viacom, new WCW programming is anticipated to air on TNN in the near future. The possibility of cross-brand storylines and intrigue, however, may start as early as Monday night during WWF Raw Is War on TNN and the final performance of WCW Monday Nitro Live on Turner Network Television (TNT).

The binding agreement provides World Wrestling Federation Entertainment with the global rights to the WCW brand, tape library, and other intellectual property rights.

"This acquisition is the perfect creative and business catalyst for our company," said Linda McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment. "This is a dream combination for fans of sports entertainment. The incendiary mix of World Wrestling Federation and WCW personalities potentially creates intriguing storylines that will attract a larger fan base to the benefit of our advertisers and business partners, and propel sports entertainment to new heights."

"The acquisition of the WCW brand is a strategic move for us," said Stuart Snyder, President and Chief Operating Officer for World Wrestling Federation Entertainment. "We are assuming a brand with global distribution and recognition. We are adding thousands of hours to our tape library that can be repurposed for home videos, television, Internet streaming, and broadband applications. The WCW opens new opportunities for growth in our Pay Per View, live events, and consumer products divisions, as well as the opportunity to develop new television programming using new stars. We also will create additional advertising and sponsorship opportunities. In short, it is a perfect fit."

More?

This Day In Wrestling History

Sting defeats Hulk Hogan for the then vacant WCW World Championship.
February 22, 1998

This Day In Wrestling History

After only 18 months with the WWF(E), Ric Flair made his return to WCW at SuperBrawl III.
February 21, 1993

WWE Looks at Moments We Never Expected

WWE's website has a new article looking at 10 moments you never expected to see in WWE.

Shane McMahon appearing on the final WCW Nitro in 2001 topped the list, followed by Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart reconciling on RAW in 2010, Bruno Sammartino accepting a WWE Hall of Fame invite, Vince McMahon hugging Eric Bischoff on RAW in 2002, and the nWo invading WWE in 2002.

Legendary Manager Surprised TNA Is Still In Business

Legendary manager J.J. Dillon recently appeared on the Ministry Of Slam radio show. During the interview, Dillon discussed TNA and why he feels they will never be able to be competitive with WWE.

"I was very disappointed when WCW went out of business, because there was no competition left – and competition is always healthy for the industry," Dillon said (via FSM). "All of a sudden, here was a new company (TNA) who had something different to offer fans than what WWE were handing out. I was hoping TNA would be that product to fill the void left by WCW. There were some great minds instrumental in starting it, such as Jerry and Jeff Jarrett, but I've always said that you have one opportunity to make a good first impression. It was a chance for them to establish their own identity right away, but there seemed to be a pattern right from the beginning for guys to talk about how they had been held back in WWE."

"If you continue to talk about your main competitor, then I feel the average fan will see that competitor as the major leagues. That happened time and time again, and it turned that chance at a first impression for TNA into a group of WWE cast-offs who had come together and were all sour grapes. After all these years, I'm surprised that TNA are still in business, because they have tried everything. I don't think they'll ever be at the stage where they'll be competitive with WWE."

WWE 'Shooting Straight' Panels Recap

It wasn’t long after Michael Cole politely reminded the members of D-Generation X that WWE is now in a post–Attitude Era during their “Shooting Straight” panel that Triple H fired out a word that would have had network executives pulling out their hair had it been uttered during a live Raw broadcast.

From that moment on, it was clear that WWE’s new “Shooting Straight” panels were going to be every bit as uncensored as the advertisements promised.

Introduced to the WWE Universe as part of Royal Rumble’s Fan Fest weekend, the three sessions — which focused on 1997’s Montreal Screwjob, D-Generation X and WCW — gave an intimate crowd of WWE fans the opportunity to hear inside stories about some of the most pivotal moments in sports-entertainment history from the men who lived them.

“I think it’s something we should have done a long time ago,” Booker T told WWE.com shortly after participating in Sunday’s WCW panel. “Letting our fans get a chance to ask those questions they’ve been wanting to ask for years and getting a true answer from someone who was there — I think it’s priceless.”

It was early Saturday night when WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels, Bret “Hit Man” Hart and Jerry “The King” Lawler sat down with Michael Cole to discuss the infamous events of the 1997 Survivor Series. Although it has been nearly 16 years since the most notorious night in WWE history, it was clear that the controversies of that evening still resonate with WWE fans. As for HBK and Hart, both have matured considerably and have let go of any animosity. Still, The Excellence of Execution took pleasure in graphically describing the loogie he spit in Mr. McMahon’s face seconds after he was conned out of the WWE Title.

“That was like a 10 egg white omelet,” the “Hit Man” said with a laugh.

The next panel got just as messy as D-Generation X members Shawn Michaels, Triple H, X-Pac, Billy Gunn and The Road Dogg got together with Michael Cole to reminisce about the most anti-authority group in WWE history. In between crude jokes and bouts of riotous laughter, The Game revealed that he was nearly paired up with The Honky Tonk Man before DX took off. Another untold tale aired out for those in attendance was how, following DX’s infamous “attack” on WCW in Norfolk, Va., a subsequent invasion of WCW’s Atlanta headquarters nearly got the boys thrown in jail.

“They called the police and told them they were under attack from a militia group,” Triple H said, still in disbelief. “A hundred cops came with riot squads!”

The weekend’s final panel got underway on Sunday morning when former WCW competitors Booker T, Big Show, X-Pac and Kevin Nash talked with moderator Matt Striker about the rise of The New World Order and The Monday Night War. As expected, nothing was left unsaid as Nash revealed that Sting was nearly the third man to join the original nWo and that the reckless Goldberg was his least favorite competitor to face. On the topic of Goldberg, X-Pac added that the former WCW Champion wanted to call himself “The Hybrid” before his impressive winning streak began.

By the time the WCW panel ended, it was clear that WWE had taken a revolutionary step in inviting the audience behind the scenes. For the traditionally guarded world of professional wrestling, it’s a major shift, but one that is welcome.

“Whoever came up with this idea is an absolute genius, because the goal of WWE is to grow and I saw children out there who don’t remember The nWo and now they’re going to go back and learn about them,” Striker told WWE.com.

If you weren’t able to be in Phoenix for the first “Shooting Straight” panels, don’t fret. Chances are WWE will be bringing these innovative sessions to your town in the near future.

“I think it was a hit,” The Game said during the final moments of the DX panel. “And I think it’s something we’re going to do more often.”

source: wwe.com

This Day In Wrestling History

The WCW World Heavyweight Title is vacated by Chris Benoit. Benoit, Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero are released by WCW.
January 17, 2000

This Day In Wrestling History

Sean O'Haire & Chuck Palumbo defeat Kevin Nash & Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW Tag Team Titles. They would be the last official tag champions before WCW was bought out by the WWE.
January 14, 2001