Kevin Nash

Kevin Nash

Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959 in Detroit, Michigan) is a professional wrestler who has performed in both World Wrestling Entertainment and the former World Championship Wrestling.

His primary sport while growing up was basketball. He was the second-most-recruited player in Michigan in his senior year of high school, behind future basketball legend Magic Johnson. Nash was a center for the Tennessee Volunteers from 1979 - 1980 but it did not work as well as he had hoped. A year later he began playing professional basketball in Europe and ended up seriously injuring his knee. Nash was unsure of what to do with his career then, and enlisted in the United States Army, serving in Germany for two years. He went on to become a bouncer, and was eventually scouted by WCW's Dusty Rhodes and joined the organization.

Nash first worked as part of a tag team known as the Master Blasters, wrestling under the name "Steele". Later, he wrestled under the name of Oz, and still later as Vinnie Vegas.

In 1993, he left WCW and signed with the then-WWF, adopting the gimmick of Diesel, originally a "bodyguard" for real-life friend Shawn Michaels. Nash still holds unprecidented credentials; he defeated Bob Backlund in November 1994 for the WWF heavyweight chamionship in 9 seconds, a WWF record, and was the only wrestler to acquire the WWF Tag Team title, Intercontinental title, and Heavyweight title (all of the Federation's titles at that time) within a calendar year. Nash's WWF heavyweight championship run lasted for an impressive 358 days, a rarity in the Federation. After several successful years in the WWF, he left to rejoin WCW, and teamed up with another real-life friend, Scott Hall, to form the nWo (New World Order). After the nWo was split into two factions, Nash joined the "Wolfpac" faction.

After leaving WCW Nash again joined WWE and attempted to re-form the nWo, but failed after a ankle injury put him out. He came back from the ankle injury, but his wrestling career ended after a previously existing shoulder injury recurred in 2003, forcing him to undergo reconstructive surgery. He has announced the end of his in-ring career, although he has said he wants to stay in the wrestling business.

Kevin Nash had notable roles in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Secret of the Ooze as "Super Shredder", and, more recently, in the 2004 movie The Punisher as "The Russian".

Finishing move

• Jacknife Powerbomb

External link

• Official Website of Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash (http://www.kevinbigsexynash.com/)