Kevin Nash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kevin Nash |
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Nash in 2022
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| Birth name | Kevin Scott Nash |
| Born | July 9, 1959 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Tamara McMichael
(m. 1988) |
| Children | 1 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Chet Lemon Diesel Dr. X The Great Oz Kevin Nash The Master Blaster Master Blaster Steel Oz Vinnie Vegas |
| Billed height | 6 ft 10 in (208 cm) |
| Billed weight | 328 lb (149 kg) |
| Billed from | Detroit, Michigan "The Steel Mines" "Emerald City" North Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Trained by | Jody Hamilton WCW Power Plant |
| Debut | September 5, 1990 |
| Retired | January 5, 2020 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Army |
| Years of service | 1981–1983 |
| Rank | Specialist |
| Unit | 202nd Military Police Company |
| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Genre | Professional wrestling |
| Subscribers | 179 thousand |
| Total views | 44 million |
| Signature | |
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Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is signed to WWE under a legends contract, which means he is honored as a wrestling legend.
Nash became famous in the WWF in 1993 under the ring name Diesel. As Diesel, he became a top star, winning the WWF World, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Championships. This achievement is known as the WWF Triple Crown. His 358-day reign as WWF Champion is the longest of the 1990s. In the WWF, he was part of a real-life group of friends called The Kliq, which included Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman.
In 1996, Nash returned to WCW and, along with Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan, formed the famous group called the New World Order (nWo). The nWo storyline was a huge part of the Monday Night War, a ratings battle between WCW and WWF. Nash won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship four times.
Nash is a two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee. He was first inducted in 2015 for his own career and again in 2020 as a member of the nWo. He was a main event wrestler at many major events, including WCW's Starrcade, where he ended Bill Goldberg's famous 173-match winning streak in 1998.
Contents
- Early Life
- Professional Wrestling Career
- Personal Life
- Other Media
- Championships and Accomplishments
- See also
Early Life
Kevin Scott Nash was born on July 9, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a religious family. He attended the University of Tennessee, where he studied psychology.
At the university, Nash was a center for the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team from 1977 to 1980. The team even made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. After some disagreements, he left the team and tried to transfer to another university.
Instead, Nash moved to Europe to play basketball professionally. His basketball career ended in 1981 in Germany after he tore a ligament in his knee. After his injury, Nash joined the U.S. Army and served for two years in a military police company in West Germany. When he returned to the United States, he worked several jobs before deciding to become a professional wrestler.
Professional Wrestling Career
Early Years in WCW (1990–1993)
Nash started his wrestling career in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1990. His first character, or gimmick, was "Steel," a wrestler with an orange mohawk in a tag team called the Master Blasters.
A year later, he was given a new gimmick as Oz, a character based on the Wizard of Oz. He was managed by The Great Wizard and had a strong start, but this character did not last long.
In 1992, he was repackaged again as Vinnie Vegas, a tough guy character. He teamed up with Diamond Dallas Page in a tag team called The Vegas Connection. By 1993, Nash decided to leave WCW for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Rise to Fame in the WWF (1993–1996)
Two Dudes with Attitudes
In 1993, Nash joined the WWF at the suggestion of his friend Shawn Michaels. He was given the ring name Diesel and the nickname "Big Daddy Cool." His character was a cool, tough guy from Detroit. He started as Shawn Michaels's bodyguard, and together they were known as Two Dudes with Attitudes.
Diesel quickly became a star. In 1994, he won the Intercontinental Championship from Razor Ramon. Later that year, he and Michaels won the WWF Tag Team Championship, making Nash a double champion. After a match where Michaels accidentally kicked Diesel, the two split up, and Diesel became a fan favorite.
Longest-Reigning WWF Champion of the 90s
On November 26, 1994, just three days after Bob Backlund won the WWF Championship, Diesel defeated him in only eight seconds to become the new champion. This was a huge moment in his career.
Diesel held the WWF Championship for 358 days, the longest reign of the 1990s. He defended his title against top stars like Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XI and King Mabel at SummerSlam. He eventually lost the championship to Bret Hart at Survivor Series.
After losing the title, Diesel's character became more aggressive. He had a major match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XII, which he lost. Soon after, Nash decided to leave the WWF for WCW, which was offering big contracts to top wrestlers.
Return to WCW and the nWo (1996–2001)
The New World Order (nWo)
Nash returned to WCW in June 1996, joining his friend Scott Hall, who had returned two weeks earlier. They were called The Outsiders and acted like they were invading WCW from the WWF. At the Bash at the Beach event, they revealed their third partner was Hulk Hogan. This was a shocking moment, as Hogan had always been a hero.
The three men formed the New World Order (nWo), a group that changed wrestling forever. Nash and Hall, as The Outsiders, won the WCW World Tag Team Championship many times.
By 1998, there was tension within the nWo. Nash and Hogan fought for leadership, which led to the group splitting into two. Nash led his own group called the nWo Wolfpac, which included stars like Randy Savage and Sting. The Wolfpac became very popular with fans.
World Champion and Final WCW Years
At Starrcade in December 1998, Nash faced the undefeated Bill Goldberg for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. With help from Scott Hall, Nash defeated Goldberg, ending his incredible 173-match winning streak and becoming the new world champion.
In 1999, the nWo factions briefly reunited. Nash won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship two more times that year. He spent his final years in WCW feuding with wrestlers like Booker T and Scott Steiner. He also formed a tag team with Diamond Dallas Page called The Insiders. In 2001, WCW was sold to its rival, the WWF. Nash had a contract with WCW's parent company, so he waited for it to expire before returning to the WWF.
Return to WWE (2002–2003)
In 2002, Nash, Hogan, and Hall returned to the WWF (now called WWE) and brought back the nWo. They appeared at No Way Out and immediately made an impact. However, Nash suffered a bicep injury that kept him out of action for months. Soon after returning, he injured his quadriceps muscle, and the nWo was officially ended.
After recovering, Nash returned in 2003 and began a feud with his real-life friend Triple H over the World Heavyweight Championship. They had a series of intense matches, including a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood, which Nash lost. His last match during this run was in an Elimination Chamber match at SummerSlam.
Years with TNA Wrestling (2004–2011)
In 2004, Nash joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He reunited with Scott Hall and feuded with wrestlers like A.J. Styles and Jeff Hardy. He later formed a group called the Main Event Mafia with other wrestling legends like Sting, Booker T, and Kurt Angle.
During his time in TNA, Nash won the Legends Championship twice and the TNA World Tag Team Championship once. In 2010, he formed a new group called The Band with Scott Hall and Sean Waltman. Nash left TNA in 2011.
Final WWE Appearances and Hall of Fame (2011–present)
Nash made a surprise return to WWE at the 2011 Royal Rumble, entering as his old character, Diesel. He later had feuds with CM Punk and Triple H.
Over the years, Nash has made several special appearances. He appeared at the 2014 Royal Rumble and reunited with the nWo on an episode of Raw for Hulk Hogan's birthday.
In 2015, Nash was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for his individual career. He was inducted by his friend Shawn Michaels. He was inducted a second time in 2020 as a member of the nWo, along with Hogan, Hall, and Waltman.
Personal Life
Nash married his wife Tamara in 1988. They have one son, Tristen, who was born in 1996. Sadly, Tristen passed away in 2022 at the age of 26.
In 2016, Nash announced that he would donate his brain to science after his death to help researchers study the effects of head injuries in sports.
Other Media
Nash has appeared in several movies and TV shows. His first movie role was in 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, where he played Super Shredder. He also played The Russian in the 2004 movie The Punisher.
He had a role in the 2012 movie Magic ... and its 2015 sequel, Magic ... XXL. He also appeared in the movie John Wick and the TV show Detroiters. In 2022, he started a weekly podcast about his wrestling career.
Championships and Accomplishments
- World Championship Wrestling
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (9 times) – with Scott Hall (6), Sting (1), and Diamond Dallas Page (2)
- World War 3 (1998)
- World Wrestling Federation/WWE
- WWF Championship (1 time)
- WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Shawn Michaels
- WWE Hall of Fame (2 times)
- Class of 2015 – individually
- Class of 2020 – as a member of the New World Order
- Third Triple Crown Champion
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- TNA Legends Championship (2 times)
- TNA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Eric Young and Scott Hall
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Match of the Year (1995) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XI
- Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1994)
- Tag Team of the Year (1997) with Scott Hall
- Wrestler of the Year (1995)
- Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1995
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Nash para niños
