Nash Says Wrestling Died When Benoit and Guerrero Became World Champions

[Jihad]

Nash Says Wrestling Died When Benoit and Guerrero Became World Champions
By Daniel Pena
Aug 7, 2012 - 6:48:56 PM

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.

Source: LordsOfPain.net

While I don't agree with much of what he is saying, I still find this hilarious...lol

[Matt]

Loved the article. Kevin Nash is always an entertaining read. He has a real knack for making sense, and you say "well, that doesn't sound so ridiculous" and realize "Oh, wait, that's right, it's Kevin Nash" and just laugh.

[Untouchable]

I like Nash but... the guy's an idiot when discussing this topic IMO.

There is so much more to wrestling than this , I enjoy the larger than life type more than anyone but thats not to say there isnt a place for the CM Punks and Eddie Guerrero's of the wrestling world.

Also convenient how he forgets how the WWF almost "died' with his larger than life ass portraying Diesel as the WWF champion week in and week out.

Not too mention that CM Punk is about the exact same size and his good ol buddy Shawn Michaels. Hypocrite.

[Werehunter]

I disagree with him, but unlike some people who hold the same opinion, at least he knows how to back it up with logic. His larger then life bit does make a bit of sense, but at the same time people also enjoying seeing people they can relate to more then larger then life personalities win from time to time. Pro Wrestling needs a bit of both.

[The Hypeman]

I have learned that Kevin Nash is one of those guys that watches porn to see huge dicks.

[Coco]

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.

Seems Daniel Pena's not trying to hide his opinions on the things he reports.

I think Nash has a point when you look at the numbers smaller main eventers do compared to "larger-than-life" guys. But then again, mainstream fans are so used to digesting these "larger-than-life" guys that it shouldn't be a surprise when they don't come out in droves to immediately support something else. I say if wellness is really a priority for management, it's certainly worth their time to push smaller, more natural looking guys and hope the fans acclimate to the new status quo. The only way they're going to win more hearts and minds on this is by staying the course.

Basically, that's a long-winded, measured way of saying Nash's thinking isn't without its merits, but it's antiquated and counter-productive.

[ShinobiMusashi]

This dude is an idiot. You can't honestly compare the actual in ring product of guys like Malenko, Benoit and Guerrero to the big, slow, bad cardio behemoths like Nash, and honestly tell me they were bad for business. The boom died with the competition. It probobly would have been even worse had those pushes been given to guys like Nash, who sucked in the ring from bell to bell.

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.

Self centered moron that helped kill the boom with his terrible WCW booking.

[BadNewsFan]

Well I agree that the lack of larger than life superstars has contributed to the decline in pro wrestling's popularity.

I disagree with the fact that it has anything to do with the size of the wrestlers and instead the characters and personalities of them.

Like someone just pointed out, his friend HBK wasn't a big guy, but his persona was much more exciting than most of the guys on top of the business now.

So he's right about the wrong things, so to speak.

[ShinobiMusashi]

This all reminds me of the time he booked himself to squash Rey Mysterio's giant killer push in WCW. Rey should have beat him.

[Coco]

This dude is an idiot. You can't honestly compare the actual in ring product of guys like Malenko, Benoit and Guerrero to the big, slow, bad cardio behemoths like Nash, and honestly tell me they were bad for business.

You can when you look at the business Shawn Michaels did as the top guy or how business improved when Cena and Batista took over for Benoit and Guerrero. The boom dying from a lack of competition and Rock and Austin's audience leaving with them doesn't negate Nash's point.

I like small guys who are great wrestlers. But I think we have to acknowledge the possibility that mainstream fans who enjoy them as part of the show aren't looking for them to be the focal point. That thinking could change, and I hope it does, but I don't think you have a realistic grasp of how people see wrestling. I think people are slowly changing the way they see this issue, but it's slow going and it's too soon to dismiss some of the truth in Nash's words or see him as a minority who doesn't get it.

Of course The Rock making fun of Daniel Bryan's height helps nobody...

[Djm]

Original smarkbait.

[Jihad]

I'm still laughing at that porn analogy...lol

[Coco]

Original smarkbait.

Cheap dismissal of my reasonable, measured responses.

[BadNewsFan]

The Rock dissing Daniel Bryan's height is exactly what a bigger guy would do to a smaller guy in any real life confrontation.

You can't run away from the fact that he's smaller, alot smaller than most wrestlers.

That being said, it's still not so much about the height of these guys, it's more about the larger than life personas that's missing now.

We need characters, exciting characters, and it won't matter if they're 5'11' or 7 ft tall, they just have to be exciting larger than life characters.

[Djm]

Cheap dismissal of my reasonable, measured responses.

Not you. Nash. The originator of smarkbait.

[BadNewsFan]

I'm still laughing at that porn analogy...lol

Me too, because it's totally true.

[Summer of Punk]

It's amazing to me how some people in the sports and entertainment industry can be so stupid. Kevin Nash, Jerry Lawler, Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, Harold Reynolds…the list goes on and on.

[Crippler]

As if I needed another reason to hate this old, boring, outdated, self-absorbed piece of shit.

[Coco]

Not you. Nash. The originator of smarkbait.

No, I get that. But does it being smarkbait mean we can't have a reasonable discussion about the matter?

[Coco]

The Rock dissing Daniel Bryan's height is exactly what a bigger guy would do to a smaller guy in any real life confrontation.

You can't run away from the fact that he's smaller, alot smaller than most wrestlers.

You don't have to run away from it, but you don't let a guy like the Rock, a guy whose words stick, define a rising star in those terms.

It's amazing to me how some people in the sports and entertainment industry can be so stupid. Kevin Nash, Jerry Lawler, Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, Harold Reynolds…the list goes on and on.

I'm not sure what Jerry Lawler stupidity you're privy to that I'm not.

[Heartbreak Kid]

He has a point to a certain extent. I beleive that there should be weight classes in wrestling and the wrestlers should stick to thoise weight classes.

[Djm]

No, I get that. But does it being smarkbait mean we can't have a reasonable discussion about the matter?

At this point, no. We CAN'T. Everyone has chosen sides. Everyone has decided that their supposed objective argument is the right one and that everybody else is just a dumb mark.

There will be more trolls and baiting on this forum tomorrow, and they'd still be there if this article didn't come out.

[Jihad]

I also find it funny how Nash has been singing Punk's praises about him being the future of WWE or whatever. Even going as far to suggest that there be an nWo reunion with Punk at the forefront & now he's dismissing him as another vanilla midget. I guess his nWo pitch didn't ogo over too well with Punk...lol

The Rock dissing Daniel Bryan's height is exactly what a bigger guy would do to a smaller guy in any real life confrontation.

You can't run away from the fact that he's smaller, alot smaller than most wrestlers.

True, Vince Mcmahon who's a legit 6'1 dissed Bryan about his height, a few weeks back. So it makes no sense for anyone to ignore it, if it's staring you right in the face.

That being said, it's still not so much about the height of these guys, it's more about the larger than life personas that's missing now.

We need characters, exciting characters, and it won't matter if they're 5'11' or 7 ft tall, they just have to be exciting larger than life characters.

Exactly, a lot of guys' characters are lacking in depth, purpose & relativity. They don't jump out at people & aren't given mic time to hone their promo skills, or creative storylines that help develop their characters.

[Summer of Punk]

I'm not sure what Jerry Lawler stupidity you're privy to that I'm not.

He's not smart enough to figure out that he's burying talent on commentary. The guy is a moron.

[Bang Bang]

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."

I have a hard time believing the above quote was specifically about Punk and Bryan. Nash has been nothing but positive about Punk for over a year now. All of a sudden he decides to turn on him for no reason? I call BS and question the way the article is written and specifically the way the quotes were possibly taken out of context. Notice the quotes don't have either wrestler's name in them. He could have been talking about some other wrestlers and the writer decided to throw Punk and Bryan in. Now I'm not saying Nash hasn't said stupid shit before but I just don't see him talking porrly of Punk after praising him publicly for more than a year