Multi-time WWE Hall of Famer, friend of current WWE leaders Triple H & Shawn Michaels, and cool heel pioneer Kevin Nash had his name trending around the wrestle web yesterday for a pair of separate items. We’re sharing them together since they both involve prominent members of the Raw women’s roster… and they indicate Nash thinks the two wrestlers are in essentially opposite phases of their careers.
Raquel Rodriguez is apparently someone Nash and at least one other influential veteran see bigger things
for in the future. The 34-year-old, second-generation wrestler from Texas told Metro that she’s one of several current WWE stars benefiting from The Undertaker’s coaching these days:
“Undertaker’s really stepped up, and he’s been giving a little bit more of his time and advice and his knowledge to everyone in the business, including myself.”
Nash had some unsolicited advice for Rodriguez earlier this year, saying he loved when people compared the pairing of Raquel with Liv Morgan to his own alliance as Diesel with Michaels, but that he gets “pissed off” because Rodriguez “works small. I’ll see her selling and she’ll make herself small instead of staying up and selling big”.
The big man liked the way Rodriguez responded (she told our old pal Shakiel Mahjouri, “I mean if that’s coming from Kevin Nash, I fully take that to heart… because if anybody knows how to be a cool guy, if anybody knows how to be a strong, big guy, it’s Kevin Nash”), and Raquel revealed to Metro that she now gets tips from Nash remotely:
“Kevin Nash has been so gracious since the comments, and I think he really took my response in a very nice way as well. He’s been nice enough to message me here and there and give me a little couple of tips about videos and matches that he’s seen.
‘“So I know he’s watching the product. I know he’s watching me, and that makes me feel good, because he’s out there to want to make me better.“
Someone Nash isn’t high on, at least not any more? One of WWE’s biggest stars of the last almost-decade, who’s featuring in Raw’s main event angle heading into the ESPN era… Intercontinental champion Becky Lynch.
On the latest edition of his Kliq This podcast, Big Sexy talked about Kelly Osbourne’s negative reaction to Lynch’s promo in her father Ozzy’s hometown of Birmingham, England last week. Nash didn’t seem to think the heat lines were that bad, but still sees them as evidence The Man doesn’t really have it any more:
“I think her run’s over. I think she’s grasping at desperation. I think the business has passed her by. I don’t think that she said anything that was derogatory to Ozzy.”
Still, while Nash wasn’t personally shocked by the line, he didn’t like it as an investor in the company Becky works for:
“I don’t see how they always say, ‘Oh, any kind of publicity is good publicity.’ I don’t know, man. I mean, when somebody passes and you f- with the family. And the daughter is the one that makes the comment, I don’t think that’s exactly the look that the WWE or its shareholders, which I’m one of. I’m a TKO shareholder. I don’t particularly want that coming out of somebody’s mouth as a shareholder.”
That would not be my take, but I’ve been (accurately) called a mark for The Man. Is this just a worker stirring stuff up for podcast listens/views? A motivational/promotional ploy cooked up with his buddy Triple H? Or is Nash right that Lynch’s best days are all behind her?
And how high do you think the ceiling is for Rodriguez, especially with two all-time greats helping her improve?
Lots to talk about, and you know where you can do it (hint: keep scrolling down)…
