Kevin Nash feels that wrestling is missing a “gritty feel” that makes matches look like fights
During an episode of the Kliq This podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash discussed how wrestlers in previous generations benefited from working a high volume of matches and spending extensive time on the road together, which helped them develop their in-ring skills. The conversation shifted to wrestling’s harder-hitting style, with co-host Sean Oliver citing Samoa Joe and Necro Butcher after the topic of Dark Side of the Ring was brought up.
Here was the exchange…
Nash: “I was watching on YouTube the other day—or it might have just been on Instagram—but it looked like it might have been a TV taping from a while back. It was Tully Blanchard versus Sam Houston. It was probably about a four-minute clip, and it looked like they were having a fight. You know, it really had a gritty feel to it. I think that’s one of the things that’s missing.”
Oliver: “Is it okay that that maybe the product has evolved? I mean, movies evolve. Everything evolves. I was thinking of something the other day when I was looking at a still of Cody for the SummerSlam main event. We always talked about heels and babyfaces, and you know, you’ve got to root for someone. But I was thinking about traditional sports, right? Marciano and Ali. No one was the heel or the face, but maybe I was vehemently, passionately cheering for Ali, and maybe you were vehemently, passionately cheering for Marciano. The Lions and the Bears, right? Ford Field. You have passionate fans on both sides. Nobody needs to do anything dastardly for that to happen. Maybe wrestling has just become like the NFL in that way. Well, is that valid? Is that possible?”
Nash: “I’ve said this my entire career. That’s all good, said and done, but the blueprint of the match is somebody’s got to make a comeback, and somebody’s got to give at the end of the night.”
Oliver: “Is it okay if the stadium’s 50/50 when that happens, or is that the problem?”
Nash: “I don’t know. How many years did we watch them chant, ‘Let’s go Cena! Cena sucks!’?”