In the world of professional wrestling, where larger-than-life personas and dramatic feuds are the norm, it seems that there is still some lingering tension between two prominent figures: LA Knight and Kevin Nash.
The sparks of this ongoing feud were reignited when LA Knight took a shot at Kevin Nash during a recent episode of SmackDown. Knight, known for his sharp wit, decided to school Nash on grammar. He referenced Nash’s statement that “play” is an adjective, correcting him by asserting that “play” is, in fact, a verb. This seemingly minor linguistic jab drew the attention of many fans, but it’s just one layer of the animosity between the two.
Kevin Nash, never one to back down from a challenge or a verbal exchange, responded to LA Knight’s remarks on his Kliq This podcast. Nash, who has a history of criticizing Knight for allegedly ripping off the styles of iconic wrestlers like Steve Austin and The Rock, had plenty to say.
Nash expressed his awareness of LA Knight’s contract negotiations with WWE, particularly the financial aspects that seemed to be a sticking point. Nash, who shares a history with Knight through their association with The Kliq, decided to give his old buddy a call to get to the bottom of the situation.
In his response, Nash seemed to downplay the significance of LA Knight’s verbal jabs, implying that Knight’s path to success had been fraught with mistakes due to a lack of clear direction. He suggested that Knight had essentially copied the wrestling styles of The Rock and Steve Austin, taking a jab at his originality.
As for the contract negotiations, Nash discussed his conversation with Triple H, who oversees talent relations in WWE. According to Nash, Triple H expressed confusion about why they were in negotiations with Knight in the first place. He humorously referred to Knight as a “kid,” even though they are likely around the same age. Nash jokingly questioned whether they should be worried that Knight’s fan appeal would recede as quickly as his hairline. He also made fun of Knight’s choice of sunglasses.
In essence, Triple H indicated that the only way they would consider signing Knight to a new contract is if he were to serve as a nostalgia act, much like the legendary wrestlers who paved the way for today’s stars. This decision stemmed from the perception that Knight’s wrestling style borrowed too heavily from past icons, making it difficult to justify paying him the same as those who were creating original content.
“I had read different things where he took a shot at me, and I said, ‘How’s that really taking a shot at me?’ I said, ‘So what you’re basically saying is this is a guy that basically is a bottom feeder. I mean, the guy, it took him 29 years to get over, so he’s gonna make mistakes along the way because he wasn’t like he had any kind of clear-cut pattern or plans to make it besides he figured he just, The Rock and Steve have been gone long enough that he would just do their sh*t. I hear, I see where he’s up for a new contract. So I called Triple H. I said, ‘What’s the deal with this?”
“You know, because early it said that, you know, negotiations are going great and all of a sudden it seemed like there was a hitch. Paul told me, he goes, ‘I didn’t understand why this kid, and I use that term lightly.’ I said, ‘What do you mean? He goes, ‘Kid. The guy is my age.’ I said, ‘I don’t think he’s quite your age.’ ‘ He’s pretty damn close.’ ‘I said, are you more worried about the fact his fan appeal will recede as fast as his hairline is? Is that something you’re worried about?’”
“It’s bad enough like I said, unless you’re just a knob gobbler, there’s no way you would pick those sunglasses as a pair of sunglasses that you would wear. Paul said, ‘We’re so far apart because the only way I’ll sign this guy is on a nostalgia act.’ I said, ‘You mean like me, like, be on the legends.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, well he’s doing their sh*t. I can’t give him the same pay as guys that are going out there and doing original sh*t.”
