Kevin Nash: OVERRATED OR UNDERRATED?

[It's...Baylariat!]

I'm bringing back my series of who's overrated or underrated. I don't recall doing a series on Kevin Nash... if I have, feel free to delete it.

That being said, Kevin Nash is one controversial subject. He has a huge fan base, and he has a huge base of fans who think he ruined WCW with his booking. As a gimmick wrestler, he was hit and miss. The misses were Oz and Vinnie Vegas. You remember those gimmicks?

Spoiler

Spoiler

Seriously. What the hell was he thinking? Probably something like, "I need work. Fuck it, I'll do it."

But Nash had some hits. With Diesel in the WWF. Face it, he went from bodyguard for Shawn Michaels to WWF/E Champion. Not too bad. Even wrestling Undertaker at Wrestlemania.

Then his second run in WCW came along. The NWO, his booking, his attitude. He was basically being himself for the most part. But as a wrestler, he was solid, but nothing special.

So, Kevin Nash. OVERRATED... or UNDERRATED?

 

[Stormlor]

Can we say a little in between?

I wouldn't count him as over-rated like John Cena, but at the same time I wouldn't consider him under-rated either. Yes he made some bad decisions and on top of that choose some bad friends too, but in a general sense Nash is still one of the smartest guys in wrestling. So because of his brain I would put him in between, if he didn't have that brain I probably say under-rated.

In any organization he was never pushed for long. He was like a mid-carder but a little higher up. Kind of like how Matt Morgan is now though he is more a mid-carder.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think we need an "rated correctly" level.

Nash has been an important player in wrestling history in my opinion. As Diesel, he was part of Shawn Michaels rise to the top, and was obviously a key factor in the nWo in WCW, which is probably one of the most influential stables in wrestling history. Even today, casual wrestling fans recognise Nash, giving TNA more credibility, even though he cant do much in the ring any more.

No one rates Kevin Nash as a great in-ring competitor. Yeah, he has a mean powerbomb, but as an actual wrestler he was very limited, and only has had a couple of really good matches in his career. His size made him what he was, and got him over as Diesel and he was just pretty cool as Big Sexy in WCW.

I think its Nash who over-rates himself more than anything. He still seems to think he is worth the biggest paycheck in the company, while putting in sub-par ring performances due to his wrecked knees.

Back in the day, I wouldnt say Nash was overated, because he was a very entertaining guy, but now I don't think he adds much to the show as an in-ring competitor. He would probably be best as a manager or commentator, as he is good on the mic and could contribute in that way

 

[dman1373]

Can we say a little in between?

I wouldn't count him as over-rated like John Cena, but at the same time I wouldn't consider him under-rated either. Yes he made some bad decisions and on top of that choose some bad friends too, but in a general sense Nash is still one of the smartest guys in wrestling. So because of his brain I would put him in between, if he didn't have that brain I probably say under-rated.

In any organization he was never pushed for long. He was like a mid-carder but a little higher up. Kind of like how Matt Morgan is now though he is more a mid-carder.

Are you kiding me? He was always at the top. He was wwf champ for a year. He was the one that finally beat goldberg. He was always near the top of the card. To say he was a matt morgan is very ignorant.

 

[Travaje]

I think Nash has a lot of charisma and personality, and is able to sell himself as valuable to the point where he's probably made a ton of money over his career. Hopefully he was smart with his money. Now that I really think about it, Nash doesn't strike me as likely he'll end up on that sad list of wrestlers who died early or retired broke.

Letter grades on Nash's career:
Steel: F
Oz: D
Vinnie Vegas: C+. That snake eyes is pretty sweet.
Diesel: B. He only gets this grade because I'm a HBK mark. I wasn't a huge Diesel fan, and his Jackknife wasn't that impressive to me, especially at a point where I've had a 3 year diet of Big Van Vader's powerbombs. Without Shawn, it's a C for me.
Kevin Nash WCW 1996-1998: A. Easily his finest work the first half of the nWo, being Hogan's bitch while never hurting his cred or popularity.
Kevin Nash WCW 1999-2001: C. Nash was always at his best when he had someone to work with. I hated the Wolfpac and the Red and Black and thought the nWo jumped the shark earlier than people say it did. He just got so full of himself, and it was very annoying, but not money.
Kevin Nash in TNA: D. I understand Nash is just collecting a paycheck, and once in a while he's funny or has something funny to say. If Nash became the new Jeremy Borash he could put over every wrestler he interviewed backstage and he'd be so good on the stick. He can be very entertaining. I have absolutely no desire to watch another Nash wrestling match though and all of his programs suck....every one of them.

Overall, considering he's been around 20 years now and I really enjoyed 2 years of his work and at times only moderately cared about his work, I give his career a grade of a C+. I wouldn't say he's overrated (he has been at times), but he's definitely overachieved.

 

[Gabbo]

Are you kiding me? He was always at the top. He was wwf champ for a year. He was the one that finally beat goldberg. He was always near the top of the card. To say he was a matt morgan is very ignorant.

You're aware he was booking WCW when he booked himself to beat Goldberg? He was also top of the WWF for a year at a time when he was co-main eventing Summerslam with Mabel - so the WWF weren't exactly flush with quality main eventers. Diesel is also one of the lowest drawing WWF champions in history, a point amplified when you consider WCW wasn't even a major competitor to Vince in 1994/1995.

Still, over-rated. Not to say he didn't do anything of worth, the nWo was brilliant for two years but the nWO was Hogan. It would have worked just as well with HBK and Hart or any other top tier guys from the WWF at the time, as long as Hogan was the big guy. Nash built a career and an inflated ego from being in the right place at the right time for his WWF run and nWo run.

 

[Judah's Lion]

i didn't vote in the poll because, like Lariat, i think Nash is rated correctly. he was a bit of a revolutionary big guy in the WWF. he wasn't just a slow worker with one or two big power moves that did nothing else other than chokes and big splashes (Yoko, Andre, etc). he would brawl, almost like a bar bouncer. and it was believable and entertaining. plus, besides being powerful, he was cool. hence his nickname of Big Daddy Cool. so that was unique.
his part in the nWo is of course legendary and the powerbomb off the stage to Bischoff is one of those rare iconic moments. then again, he's also known for another iconic moment, though not in a good way. the fingerpoke of doom!
so he's had some hits and misses. such is life. so has everybody that's ever stepped foot in the ring. so you can't hold all of that against him.

i think he may over rate himself, but who doesn't. i work at a desk and pretend that i'm saving lives. most people, if they were honest with themselves, would admit that they have or still do over rate themselves from time to time. the difference here is that when Nash over rates himself, it's very public. that doesn't make it worse though.

Nash is rated correctly by the rest of the world. he was a big guy with some hits and misses, very memorable stuff in and out of the ring, had some good matches and feuds, dominated some in the ring, put over other young guys, etc. he's done it all and been in 3 of the biggest brands that mattered; WWF/E, WCW and now TNA. give credit where it's due. he's had a long career that could have been brilliant if not for some of his own ego, bad booking, bad friend(s) and tough injuries.

i give his grade a solid B+ to A-

 

[Optimist Prime]

Since there isn't a "Rated Correctly" like people have asked for...I had no choice but to vote "Underrated" because he's certainly not overrated.

These days too many people focus on the "in-ring talent" and not enough on the personality...and that (accompanied by a lot of angles already being done and not much left to do) is why wrestling is infinitely more boring today than it was 15 or so years ago and more.

I'm probably alone on this, and I don't really know why, but I'd much rather see a wrestler with mediocre ability and massive stage presence and personality than somebody with the personality of a dead moth flipping and flopping all over the ring. Pointless. Go to a circus and see the Ringling Brothers and their trapeze act or go to your local high school wrestling meet if you're so concerned with that stuff. They are putting on a show for everyone, just like a play or anything else similar...it would be like going to a broadway play and watching actors with no personalities performing...but they knew their lines very well and knew where to stand at all times. Regardless, it's boring.

Kevin Nash is one of the best personalities the business has seen...and for that reason, accompanied by the fact that people are saying that he's actually overrated - you must say that he's absolutely underrated in that respect. Because clearly people aren't giving him credit where credit is due.

 

[reddevil69]

You're aware he was booking WCW when he booked himself to beat Goldberg? He was also top of the WWF for a year at a time when he was co-main eventing Summerslam with Mabel - so the WWF weren't exactly flush with quality main eventers. Diesel is also one of the lowest drawing WWF champions in history, a point amplified when you consider WCW wasn't even a major competitor to Vince in 1994/1995.

Still, over-rated. Not to say he didn't do anything of worth, the nWo was brilliant for two years but the nWO was Hogan. It would have worked just as well with HBK and Hart or any other top tier guys from the WWF at the time, as long as Hogan was the big guy. Nash built a career and an inflated ego from being in the right place at the right time for his WWF run and nWo run.

Nash beat Goldberg on December 27 1998. According to Nash, he did not start booking for WCW until February of 1999. He claims that Bill Goldberg made that story up because he was upset about having to drop the belt.

I'm not commenting on who's right or wrong, just posting what I've read on the matter.

 

[MisterMondayNight]

I've always said OVERRATED.

-He's okay AT BEST in the ring.
-He's nothing special. He only got over because of a great angle. If not for the nWo, he'd be regarded as an okay big guy who had a too-long run as WWF champion.
-Outside of 1996-1997, it was Kevin Nash and his buddies havin' a grand ole' time in WCW, making in-jokes and holding down those "vanilla midgets."
-His run as WWF Champion nearly lead the company to bankruptcy, because he wasn't super-over.
- His second WWE run was "okay" at best.
-Still holding down people in TNA, when he's almost 50.

Overall, a C-, only because of timing. Bischoff had the idea of the nWo, and Nash came into the company as he was formulating the idea. The ANGLE got over, not necessarily Nash. If Hulk Hogan didn't agree to turn in the yellow and red, the angle pretty much dies there, and Nash has a relatively normal career.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Like it's been noted, since there isn't a "rated correctly" option to vote for—which is where he belongs—I have no choice but to vote underrated because he is by no means overrated.

Nash has something that few in this business can lay claim to today: personality. And that personality carried him to the top where he belongs. His character was always at the forefront of the industry for over a decade and with good reason — it was interesting, and it remains interesting to this day regardless of the fact he wasn't capable of pulling off a moonsault or shooting star press.

 

[Optimist Prime]

I've always said OVERRATED.

-He's okay AT BEST in the ring.
-He's nothing special. He only got over because of a great angle. If not for the nWo, he'd be regarded as an okay big guy who had a too-long run as WWF champion.
-Outside of 1996-1997, it was Kevin Nash and his buddies havin' a grand ole' time in WCW, making in-jokes and holding down those "vanilla midgets."
-His run as WWF Champion nearly lead the company to bankruptcy, because he wasn't super-over.
- His second WWE run was "okay" at best.
-Still holding down people in TNA, when he's almost 50.

Overall, a C-, only because of timing. Bischoff had the idea of the nWo, and Nash came into the company as he was formulating the idea. The ANGLE got over, not necessarily Nash. If Hulk Hogan didn't agree to turn in the yellow and red, the angle pretty much dies there, and Nash has a relatively normal career.

Everything you've just written is absolutely ridiculous. You have no basis for any of this. You make wild accusations and pawn it off as truth.

In 1993, Vince McMahon was indicted for distributing steroids within his business and the trial began in 1994...the same year that Kevin Nash won the World Title.

The ironic part is that you're all for new guys getting a chance but you don't seem to look at logic and reasoning. All of the wildly famous wrestlers from the old guard were let go due to being too expensive or connections with the steroid scandal. So now all of the sudden you have all new guys literally all at once...no gradual transfer. THAT is what caused the low ratings. Not Kevin Nash's title reign.

How do you figure he's "still" holding people down in TNA? I don't get it...

And the majority of those "Vanilla Midgets" really shouldn't have had a title run anyway. I mean look at have of these jokes winning the title these days...Rey Mysterio Jr??? Rob Van Dam??? Most of those guys were cruiserweight flip floppers with zero personality. Why the hell would you want to push those jokes?

 

[Optimist Prime]

You know how I know that wrestling will never be as good as it used to be?

By looking at the poll above.

The topic of the entire section is "Old School Wrestling" yet it still gets flooded with the new fans who like a ringling brothers trapeze and circus act rather than any personality whatsoever.

Sad.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think I'm actually going to vote because, as others have said, there isn't a "correctly rated" or "in-between" option. When it comes to Kevin Nash, I've often heard lots of people talk about Nash in the extreme. I've heard some fans talk about the man as if he were a god come to Earth and I've heard some fans talk about him as if he's the single worst thing to ever happen to wrestling.

When it comes to actual in-ring work as a wrestler, Nash can never be considered anything special. Most of the time, I've never particularly enjoyed Kevin Nash inside the ring unless he was being carried by a much more talented opponent. I typically found him to be slow, plodding and just generally boring.

However, Nash didn't become a star because of his in-ring talent. Nash became a star due to physical presence, personality, charisma and connections. Nobody can deny the fact that Nash has personality and is a great talker and that he's been involved in some of the biggest angles and storylines of the past 20 years in pro wrestling. I generally enjoyed him more as Diesel and he is still among the longest reigning World Champions the WWE has produced in more than 20 years. But, at the same time, Nash was WWF Champion during a time when the company was at an all time low. However, Nash was a big reason for the initial success of the nWo and helped make it one of the best and most memorable factions in history. At the same time, I do believe that Nash was a big reason, later on, as to the declining quality of WCW.

I don't really think that Kevin Nash, overall, can be looked at as really a good wrestler or a bad one. I always kind of saw him as being somewhere in-between.

 

[Dzone]

I, personally, wouldn't call him overrated or underrated... UNDER performed yes. He had the look, he was ok on the mic, ok in ring (IMO ¬.¬) and he got pretty big crowd reactions. I truly believe he didn't fully capitalise on this and he should have...

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

I am proudly going to go with underrated.

Kevin Nash is without doubt the most charismatic, funny and genuinely interesting big man in the history of pro wrestling. In his prime, he had such a fantastic look (tall, dark and handsome ). He also speaks with such presence and character that very few people can claim.

Key term being big man.

The guy is 7' tall, do you really expect him to busting out backflips and other stupid shit like MCMG? Then what would be the appeal of the smaller guys? Bigger guys are suppose to be stronger and more methodical because they KNOW they can't match up with the much faster and smaller guys. So, they do powerful slams and try to knock the smaller guys the fuck out and literally throw their weight around.

Character wise, I just think people hate the fact that he is so damn 'honest'. Pro wrestling is a business and Kevin Nash is a shrewd businessman. He admits that he only got into the business for the money and his success proved it. He never prattled on some bullshit about how the love of the 'sport'. He never bragged about his in-ring accomplishment simply because he knew it was fake. Duh.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

Like many other have said that since there is not a "rated perfectly or in between option I am going to have to go with Underrated. Nash has contributed alot to this business and He was apart of one the greatest storylines in wrestling history. For a guy his size Nash is good in the ring, and he is also very good on the mic.

 

[WolfNyte]

its a tough call

.....In the ring he was never very impressive IMHO he had the basic...to quote the Cena haters and Hogan Lovers..." 5 moves of Doom" and the jackknife PB...as a previous poster said Vader did it better. So for In ring...OVERRATED

On the Stick he can be gold...that is IF he is in the mood and not being a Prima Donna at the moment..We have all seen his Prima Donna moments over the years especially If you have watched him over the years...the most being after the birth of Diesel..."Im in the Cliq you cant touch me I am a god attitude"...so Correctly Rated.

I will give him this he was right on the Money with RVD tho in his tweet ...just sad he didnt have the testicular fortitude to stay with his convictions.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I think the boys before have said it right.

Kevin Nash is a very good character. His promos can be ball-bouncingly hilarious and then in the same breath can carry a tone of bloody murder as well. His work and impact in WCW can never be overlooked. The obvious is all but known but I think it's that over-exposure that sells the man's talents short. Kinda like Hunter's situation in WWE.

True, he may not be as agile as Hunter in the ring but the man was a pretty good big man. Had an impactful finisher and sold his part in the ring just as well as the next guy.

I'm gonna vote underrated because I always found the man entertaining, in the squared-circle, he really isn't as bad as people rip on him for being.

His politicking does kinda dock points but then again if you were in his powerful shoes...

 

[kobrad]

UNDERRATED

I don't know how many of you on here watched Kevin Nash in his WCW days and in his later WWF days but let me tell you something. During that time frame he was the best big man in wrestling! THE BEST. Sure you had Undertaker, but he isn't really the best mic worker, he works his butt off in the ring and that's about it. Seriously though, Kevin Nash is an amazing sports entertainer.

He might not be a 14 time world champ or have an undefeated streak at Mania, but this guy could do it in the ring and on the mic. I still remember him and Hall giving their promos on WCW, they were really good and really funny. Nash is no doubt a top 3 big man of all time.

 

[MWRedskins]

this is a tough one, i think his wrestling skills are somewhat overrated because in his later years, he became dull and boring, BUT his promo/mic skills are underrated. His feud with Foley over the Legends title was better because of the mic work in my view with Foley wanting the title because for the love of the sport of wrestling then Nash wanting it for money. He was even entertaining as a member of NWO or as the commish in WCW, underrated on the mic, a little bit overrate in the ring, like many people said, i give him a letter grade of C.

 

[reddevil69]

I've always said OVERRATED.

-He's okay AT BEST in the ring.
-He's nothing special. He only got over because of a great angle. If not for the nWo, he'd be regarded as an okay big guy who had a too-long run as WWF champion.
-Outside of 1996-1997, it was Kevin Nash and his buddies havin' a grand ole' time in WCW, making in-jokes and holding down those "vanilla midgets."
-His run as WWF Champion nearly lead the company to bankruptcy, because he wasn't super-over.
- His second WWE run was "okay" at best.
-Still holding down people in TNA, when he's almost 50.

Overall, a C-, only because of timing. Bischoff had the idea of the nWo, and Nash came into the company as he was formulating the idea. The ANGLE got over, not necessarily Nash. If Hulk Hogan didn't agree to turn in the yellow and red, the angle pretty much dies there, and Nash has a relatively normal career.

While I would agree that Nash was not the greatest WWF champ of all time, let's please dispense with the "he almost led the company into bankruptcy".

That is untrue, I've read the financial reports for every year WWF had in the 1990's.

Furthermore, to sit back and claim that the WWF was on the verge of bankruptcy at that point is to discredit stars like Undertaker and Bret Hart who were clearly drawing decent money at that point.

WWF's financial problems didn't become a serious concern until late 1996 and into 1997, when WCW took over the ratings war.....and that was due in large part to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall forming the NWO.

 

[CruelButFair]

I would say underrated. I agree that nowdays watching his matches can be tedious (I remember a match with Mick Foley that made me cringe with how awful it was) but i think people forget how good a WRESTLER he actually was near the end of his run as Diesel and the beginning of the NWO. He popularized bigman moves like the side slam and snake eyes that virtually all the bigmen picked up for their move sets afterward. I see alot of people prefer Vader's powerbomb but the fact that Nash would pull it off on people like Big Show (watch the one from SuperBrawl in '97) always seemed more impressive to me. He also used to use a catapult over the top rope, namely in matches with Big Show and King Mabel. His bigman match with Undertaker at WM12 was a template that Nash/Big Show and Undertaker/Kane matches would borrow from over and over again in future main events. Watch his match in Wrestlemania 11 with Shawn Michaels and you see a bigman with alot of athleticism and maneuverability. That ontop of the fact that he was one of the first tall wrestlers with any personality and charisma really made him a bit of a forerunner.
Now when i watch his matches its sorta sad, cause his knees are obviously just shot. And some of his bad moments were BAD. The fingerpoke of doom really killed my love for the NWO. But remember that he did not become a star by booking himself to be one, he was there because he had charisma and athleticism that was very uncommon in his size range. And of course dropping Vinnie Vegas didn't hurt.

 

[The Crock]

I said overrated. He's had some good stretches but he was never AMAZING, so I don't really understand why people are so crazy about him. He's fairly bad in the ring, but he was better when he was younger. He definitely held back a ton of people in WCW and now in TNA, and he really didn't matter in the NWO. As Diesel he had a ton of potential, but he got lazy in the ring and became an average "giant". I think his misses definitely outweigh his hits. Nash has pretty much just gotten so much time in the business because he has powerful friends. He doesn't respect the business, so there's no need to respect him.

 

[One to Remember]

BIG SEXY
Marketability: B+
Charisma: A+
Wrestling skills: C-
Drawing power: B
Personal conduct: F
Work ethic: C

Diesel
Marketability: D
Charisma: C
Wrestling skills: C+
Drawing power: C+
Personal conduct: C-
Work ethic: A

Kevin Nash (current)
Marketability: D
Charisma: B
Wrestling skills: D
Drawing power: D
Personal conduct: B+
Work ethic: A
Fiscal responsibility: A

I think Kevin Nash gets the treatment and respect he deserves. He has for the majority of his career in wrestling had great mic skills and he can definitely do well in a group setting. In his early days his ring skills weren't marvelous but thats common for a big man. His jack knife power bomb definitely is the strongest version or variation of that move i have ever seen. He is a better power bomb practitioner then Vader, Undertaker, or Batista combined.. I do think that his use of wrestling to make ends meat and then some has lead to a lot of fall out from wrestling fans but I think he is a a lot smarter then some of the wrestlers who do it for the love of the sport. Its sad seeing grown men like Jake the Snake broke as a joke after years of prominence. As far as finances are concerned most wrestlers be they 22 or 62 have a poor track records and often make spectacles of them selves. Nash will not have to face that dilemma. In TNA he has behaved, has name recognition, an will try to perform or make dates to the best of his abilities. I think his allegiance to the gravy train lead to him making selfish and catastrophic decisions in WCW. If he had been concerned about the business the same way he has been in TNA then WCW would be around still and he would be collecting WCW checks as opposed to TNA checks which is always better. The fallout and lingering controversies over his role in the locker room and his influence over the WCW brass will be the main cause for him being under rated by some. The majority never over rate him but accepted him as he was. The Wolfpac was good, the NWO contrary to some comments in this thread was not Hogan powered solely, and Diesel paved the way for the likes of Batista and other strongmen/enforcers...