Kevin Nash says Vince McMahon creatively castrated his character after his big WWE Championship win back in 1994.
Kevin Nash, then wrestling as Diesel, defeated Bob Backlund in eight seconds to win his first WWE Championship at a house show in Madison Square Garden in November 1994. Speaking on his Kliq This podcast, Nash recalled the iconic moment and had high praise for Backlund’s professionalism during the title change.
“I’ve said it numerous times, I appreciate him for doing the favor,” Nash stated regarding Backlund. “I know that he didn’t want to do the favor… but he had such a run for so long. I think that it’s very hard for anybody in our business to realize the run is over”.
Speaking further, Kevin Nash expressed his disappointment over how Vince McMahon transformed his big anti-hero gimmick, which organically connected with the fans, into a traditional babyface. Nash felt McMahon was creatively castrating his Diesel character by forcing him to be a virtuous babyface after the title win.
“When I saw that thing today on Diesel, he had my folder the minute he anointed me the champion,” Kevin Nash explained, referring to Vince McMahon. “He had my folder, and he directed that year of my life, and I was really not feeling a ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ moment”.
“He slowly castrated the character that got over in Providence,” Nash stated. “Towards the end, I just realized, ‘Oh f***, man, he doesn’t get it.’ He has this red, white, and blue, larger-than-life vision”. [H/T: WrestlingNews.co]