Kevin Nash Performance : Wrestler

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2010)

Kings of Wrestling and feuding with Jeff Jarrett (2004–2005)

Kevin Nash in TNA

Nash debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling alongside the returning Scott Hall on November 7, 2004 at the inaugural monthly TNA pay-per-view, Victory Road, with the duo helping NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett retain his title in a ladder match withJeff Hardy.^[14] In subsequent weeks, the trio identified themselves as the Kings of Wrestlingand began feuding with Hardy and A.J. Styles. At Turning Point on December 5, the Kings of Wrestling were defeated by Hardy, Styles, and Randy Savage. Hall left TNA in early 2005, and Nash and Jarrett separated after Nash made clear his desire to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Nash received a title shot against Jarrett on February 13, 2005 at Against All Odds, but lost following interference from the debuting Outlaw.^[14] Following the defeat, Nash joined forces with Sean Waltman and began feuding with the newly formedPlanet Jarrett. At Destination X on March 13, Nash lost to The Outlaw in a First Blood matchfollowing interference from Jarrett, who struck Nash with his title belt. The rivalry between Planet Jarrett and Nash and his allies culminated in a scheduled Lethal Lockdown match atLockdown on April 24 pitting Nash, Waltman, and Diamond Dallas Page against Jarrett, The Outlaw, and "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown. Nash, however, was removed from the card and replaced with B.G. James after contracting a staph infection, which left him sidelined for much of 2005.

Nash returned to TNA on October 1, 2005 on the first episode of TNA Impact! to be aired on Spike TV,^[14] attacking and powerbombingJarrett. Nash went on to challenge Jarrett to a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Bound for Glory on October 23. In the weeks preceding the event, Nash and Jarrett had several heated confrontations, on one occasion brawling with one another and with guest referee Tito Ortiz. On October 22, one day before Bound for Glory, Nash was hospitalized with chest pains. At Bound for Glory, a battle royalwas held to determine the number one contender; Rhino won and then defeated Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Nash was later discharged from the hospital, having suffered a mild cardiac episode. He made a partial return to the ring in December 2005, wrestling several matches on a tour of South Africa.

X Division and Paparazzi Productions (2006–2007)

Nash returned to TNA once more on the April 27, 2006 episode of Impact!, announcing in a pre-taped segment that he would give a private interview to Alex Shelley one week later. The interview saw Nash claim to be the most profitable WWF World Heavyweight Champion of all time and describe the X Division as "basically filler". Nash went on to announce that he intended to destroy the X Division in order to reassert his position within TNA. He began his campaign at Sacrifice on May 14, powerbombing Puma and continued his campaign on the May 19 episode of Impact! by attacking Chris Sabin shortly after he had defeated Petey Williams to win the TNA 2006 World X Cup Tournament forTeam USA. Nash continued to attack X Division wrestlers over subsequent weeks, leading to Sabin challenging him to a match atSlammiversary. Nash's attacks were also coupled with pre-taped segments with Shelley (some appearing only on the internet websiteYouTube) and his "X Division debut" on the June 15 episode of Impact!, where Nash wrestled a comedy match against a midget Shelley dubbed a "Sabin-type wrestler". Nash defeated Sabin at Slammiversary in his second televised match in almost a year, albeit with the assistance of Shelley. Around this time, Nash and Shelley formed a stable known as Paparazzi Productions, with Johnny Devine as a cameraman. Nash then decided to go for the X Division championship. He got penciled into a Number One Contendership match for the title against Sabin at Hard Justice. He claimed that he had developed an 840° somersault splash that he would unveil in the match. However, over the weekend, he suffered a mysterious neck injury, supposedly while practicing it with Tito Ortiz, and named Alex Shelley as his replacement in the match. From a wheelchair, Nash was helpless as he watched Shelley lose the match to Sabin. Nash remained out of action due to the injury, but returned prior to Bound for Glory, and announced The Kevin Nash Open Invitational X Division Gauntlet Battle Royal. Austin Starrwon the match. Nash took an interest in Starr, which seemed to be at the behest of Shelley. Nash then worked with the X Division stars in a weekly segment known as the Paparazzi Championship Series (a play on the "Bowl Championship Series"). He also began continuing these skits along with Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal, in a segment called "Paparazzi Idol". Nash became a manager of sorts for Lethal, helping him adopt a gimmick where he impersonated "Macho Man" Randy Savage. At Sacrifice, Lethal and Dutt had an altercation. Nash broke it up, but Sonjay kicked him. Sonjay apologized, and Nash forgave him. Dutt then became the "Guru" with Nash humming mantras backstage.

He then announced his intentions to begin managing The Motor City Machineguns, but would actually next appear in the role of Dr. Nash, "psychiatrist" and adviser to Kurt and Karen Angle. Nash then engaged in a small program with TNA Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle, which eventually culminated in Nash aiding Angle. Nash warned the Angles about how dangerous Sting can be based on Nash's experience feuding with Sting in WCW. At Bound for Glory, Nash interfered on Angle's behalf during his World Title defense against Sting. However, it was for naught, as Sting captured the title from Angle via Scorpion Death Drop after fending off Nash and Angle's wife, Karen. The following Thursday on Impact!, Nash and Angle had an altercation because Angle blamed Nash for him losing the World Title. Angle eventually attacked Nash, who retaliated by Jackknife Powerbombing Angle in the middle of the ring. The following week, Sting defended the TNA World Title against Angle in a rematch from Bound for Glory, and Nash had a ringside seat. After the match went on a bit, Angle and Sting were out of the ring and when Angle pushed Sting onto Nash, Sting turned around and knocks Nash in the face with a right hand shot, leading to Nash interfering on Angle's behalf, even though earlier he said he wasn't going to help Angle. Following the match, which Angle won, Nash offered a hand shake to Angle only to be "flipped off" by the new champ. An enraged Nash demanded a match with Angle, but TNA Management's public face, Jim Cornette, instead booked Nash into a tag team match as Angle's partner against Sting and a partner of his choosing, with the stipulation being that the person gaining the pinfall or submission would be crowned the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. After ared herring that Scott Hall was the mystery partner, it was revealed to be Booker T.

Kevin Nash with The Main Event Mafia

The Main Event Mafia and Legends Champion (2008–2009)

At Final Resolution, Nash and his partner Samoa Joe lost in a title match to TNA World Tag Team Champions A.J. Styles and Tomko after Nash abandoned and seemingly betrayed Joe. Yet on the following Impact, when Joe stormed into Nash's locker room looking for a fight, Nash was actually able to persuade Joe into accepting his Machiavellian mentorship. Nash lost to Kurt Angle in a one-on-one match on Impact! with the winner qualifying for the Three Ways to Glory match at No Surrender. On the September 11 edition of Impact, prior to No Surrender, he seemingly parted ways with Joe on good terms. One month later, Nash returned at Bound for Glory IV and in a swerve, turned heel on Joe by striking him in the back with Sting's bat and helping Sting win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. On October 23, he formally joined Sting, Booker T, and Kurt Angle to create a villainous stable called The Main Event Mafia. He explained that he never forgave Joe for his scathing comments directed at his best friend Scott Hall's no-show almost a year prior, and befriending him was all part of a long term plan to screw him out of the title. He then went on to defeat Joe at Turning Point. Nash, however, was removed from the card for Genesis due to a staph infection, and was replaced by Cute Kip. Nash returned on the January 29 edition of Impact! when the Main Event Mafia took over the show. On Impact! on April 23, he began an on-screen relationship with Jenna Morasca, who subsequently began acting as his valet. At Slammiversary, he was reunited with Joe, who became a villain and helped Angle win the World Heavyweight Championship.

At Victory Road, Nash defeated A.J. Styles for the Legends Championship, his first title in TNA.^[27] However, Nash lost the title only three days later to Mick Foley.^[28][29] Under a month later at Hard Justice, Nash defeated Foley to reclaim the Legends Title.^[30][31] At Bound for Glory Nash lost the Legends Title to Eric Young in a 3-way match, which also included Hernandez.^[32]

On the following edition of Impact!, after Angle announced the death of the Main Event Mafia and turned face, Nash also became a face as he began feuding with Eric Young and the World Elite.^[33]

Alliance with the World Elite (2009)

However, the following month at Turning Point Nash helped World Elite members Doug Williams and Brutus Magnus retain their TNA World Tag Team Championship, thus once again becoming a heel.^[34] On the following edition of Impact! Nash congratulated Young on outsmarting him at Bound for Glory and aligned himself with the World Elite, while also hinting at the return of the nWo once Hulk Hogan arrived in TNA, as when a paranoid Mick Foley came to him for information on who Hogan would be coming with, he facetiously suggested names such asSyxx-Pac, Scott Steiner, Buff Bagwell, and Scott Hall. Further suspicion was aroused to Hall’s return when Nash said that he was getting "the band" back together, hinting at an nWo return.^[35] At Final Resolution Nash took part in the "Feast or Fired" match and won the briefcase containing a shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship.^[36]

The Band (2010)

On the January 4, 2010, special live, three-hour Monday night edition of Impact! Hogan made his debut in TNA, and Scott Hall and Sean Waltman made their return to the company to greet him. Nash, Hall and Waltman quickly reformed their alliance, but Hogan kept himself out of the group, claiming that times have changed.^[37] At Genesis in their first match back together Nash and Syxx-Pac, who replaced Scott Hall in the match, were defeated by Beer Money, Inc.^[38] On the February 4 edition of Impact! Hall and Syxx-Pac turned on Nash.^[39] AtDestination X Nash and Young faced Hall and Syxx-Pac in a tag team match, where the Band's TNA futures were on the line. In the end Nash turned heel after turning on Young and helping the Band pick up the victory, which finally gave them contracts with the company.^[40] On the March 29 edition of Impact! Nash offered Young a spot in the Band, claiming that what happened in Destination X was just business and nothing personal. Young refused the offer and in the main event of the evening, teamed up with Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy to defeat the Band in a six man tag team steel cage match.^[41] Nash gained a measure of revenge on Young by defeating him in a steel cage match atLockdown. Later in the night, Nash replaced Syxx-Pac, who no-showed the event, and teamed up with Hall in a St. Louis Street Fight, where they were defeated by Team 3D.^[42] On the May 3 edition of Impact! Eric Young turned on Team 3D and joined The Band.^[43] On May 4, at the tapings of the May 13 edition of Impact!, after TNA World Tag Team Champion Matt Morgan had been attacked by Samoa Joe, Nash cashed in his "Feast or Fired" contract, teaming with Hall, and pinned him to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.^[44] Nash later named Young one third of the champions under the Freebird rule.^[45][46] At the June 14 tapings of the June 17 edition of Impact! The Band was stripped of the Tag Team Championship, due to Scott Hall's legal problems.^[47][48] The following day it was reported that Hall had been released from his contract with TNA.^[49] On the June 24 edition of Impact! Nash and Young decided to part ways, as Nash intended to go after Hogan, whom he blamed for what had happened to Hall and Waltman, and didn't want Young to get into trouble for it.^[50][51]

Alliance with Sting and Dinero, and Retirment (2010)

After Nash was unable to convince Hogan to re–hire Hall and Waltman and failed to secure a meeting with Eric Bischoff, he set his sights on renewing his feud with Jeff Jarrett, who claimed that Nash had tried to hurt TNA by bringing Hall and Waltman in.^[52][53][54] On the August 5th edition of Impact!, Sting, who had feuded with Jarrett prior to his 30 day suspension, returned to TNA and, together with Nash, beat down Jarrett, Bischoff and Hogan.^[55] On the August 26 edition of Impact! Nash defeated Jarrett in a singles match, after an interference from Sting.^[56] The following week Nash helped Sting defeat Jarrett. After the match Samoa Joe aligned himself with Jarrett and Hogan and drove Nash and Sting away.^[57] At No Surrender Jarrett and Joe defeated Nash and Sting in a tag team match, after Jarrett hit Sting with a baseball bat.^[58] On the September 16 edition of Reaction, Nash and Sting were joined by D'Angelo Dinero,^[59] who claimed to have gotten inside information from Bischoff's secretary Miss Tessmacher, that would suggest that Nash and Sting were right about Hogan and Bischoff being up to something.^[60] At Bound for Glory Nash, Sting and Dinero faced Jeff Jarrett and Samoa Joe in a handicap match, after Hulk Hogan, who was scheduled to team with Jarrett and Joe, was forced to pull out due to a back surgery. At the end of the match Jarrett abandoned Joe and left him to be pinned by Nash. At the end of the event it was revealed that Nash and Sting had been right about Hogan and Bischoff all along, as they turned heel with Jarrett, Abyss and Jeff Hardy, and in the process turned Nash, Sting and Dinero back to being faces.^[61] On October 13, 2010, Nash's contract with TNA expired and he announced his retirement from professional wrestling.^[6][62][63] His last TNA appearance was a taping broadcast on October 14, 2010, when Nash and Sting both (kayfabe) announced they were walking away rather than being a part of Hogan and Bischoff's regime.