Nash Says Wrestling Died When Benoit and Guerrero Became World Champions

[Big Hoss Rambler]

Grantland.com has published a lengthy article on the life and controversial wrestling career of Kevin Nash, who has begun to gain traction in Hollywood. A notable point in the article has the six-time world champion reiterating his stance on “Vanilla Midgets,” a dismissive term he used as booker in the late ’90s in World Championship Wrestling to describe small-statured, gifted technical wrestlers who didn’t project larger than life personalities but were beloved by fans, such as Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko. “Big Sexy” feels the professional wrestling industry died in 2004 at WrestleMania XX when WWE’s “Super Bowl” concluded with the image of the under six-foot-tall grapplers reigning supreme as champions and emotionally celebrating. Even though the two wrestlers are now deceased, he still believes they never belonged in the main event scene due to their small stature.

“When Benoit and Guerrero hugged [at the end of WrestleMania XX], that was the end of the business,” Nash says. “Has business been the same since that WrestleMania? Has it come close to the Austin era? Has it come close to the nWo or the Hogan era? You put two fucking guys that were great workers that were the same height as the fucking referees, and I’m sorry, man. Are you going to watch a porno movie with a guy with a three-inch dick? Even if you’re not gay, you will not watch a porno movie with a guy with a three-inch dick. That’s not the standard in porno films. So you put a 5-foot-7 guy as your world champion.”

Nash has the same problem with today’s “Internet heroes,” CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.

“They are not bigger than life,” he says. “I bet they could both walk through airports and not be noticed unless they have a gimmick shirt on and the belt.”

Nash also discussed how The Kliq shifted financial compensation in the wrestlers’ favor, how his 1995 heel turn inspired the “Attitude Era” and the subsequent ascent of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, cursing out Tom Cruise’s makeup artist on the set of Rock of Ages and more. The full article is available here.

Lol'd at the second paragraph. So true.

 

[Lacky]

I just read the article on another site, and I couldn't stop laughing at the second paragraph.

 

[seabs]

LOL Nash talking about who should be World Champ, bye.

 

[Crayo]

Mad because they both drew more than this scrub ever could.

 

[Brother Loathe]

LOL Nash talking about who should be World Champ, bye.

Pretty sure he was champion in WCW more than once. :burns:

 

[Cloud]

REALLY?

Nash insulting two of the guys that for I imagine a few of us here were great champs and we loved.

Eddie was awesome and fucking ruled. RIP!

 

[seabs]

Mad because they both drew more than this scrub ever could.

Doubt they drew as much as him tbh, even though he wasn't a main factor Nash was still part of the NWO angle which made crazy money.

 

[Big Hoss Rambler]

Wonder how he felt about Rey becoming a WHC.

 

[Cloud]

Maybe Seabs but still what a twat!

 

[Crayo]

Doubt they drew as much as him tbh, even though he wasn't a main factor Nash was still part of the NWO angle which made crazy money.

Shh I'm venting my anger at a washed up scrub with inaccurate statements. Gawd.

 

[seabs]

Pretty sure he was champion in WCW more than once. :burns:

David Arquette held that belt, should we listen to him too? Plus it doesn't mean he was worth it, sure he was a solid speaker but couldn't wrestle for shit. He was the polar opposite of Benoit, both had a major flaw.

 

[Asskicker]

Lol but wtf Nash go suck your self you're big but you suck ass in the ring.

 

[Cloud]

90% certain that as fans we hold Benoit and Guerreo closer to our hearts!

 

[Stopspot]

lol. Isn't Nash reportedly one of the biggest pro Punk guys out there? I read tons of tweets from him when Punk attacked Rock at RAW 1000 saying he had Punk's back and such. What a maroon. He doesn't get that we as fans love it when guys of normal size win since they connect better with us. Larger than life or not

 

[Sackfist]

Nash is a fool. They both were great in the ring, and deserved to be champions, the matches they had at Mania were of great quality.

Benoit and Guerrero put a lot into that business and deserved the titles. I will say that they picked up ratings as RAW and Smackdown was at it's best when they were champs, I would say after they lost the titles the brand began to dip exponentially

I disagree with Nash completely