Kevin Nash praises The Rock for what he did at WrestleMania 40
WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash recently appreciated what The Rock did for everyone at WrestleMania 40. Nash and Rocky have had their differences in the past, but that beef was squashed in 2021.
When Big Daddy Cool returned to WWE in 2002, The Rock was at the height of his popularity and was close to leaving for Hollywood. There were reported tensions backstage, with Nash just looking out for his position in the card.
Fast forward to 2021, and Nash broke the ice by thanking The Final Boss for his workout gear sponsored by Under Armour. The Great One returned the favor by praising the veteran's physique before Nash apologized for what happened nearly 20 years ago.
On a recent episode of the Kliq This podcast, Kevin Nash pointed to The Rock's heel turn as one of the reasons why many tuned in for WrestleMania 40. Nash felt Rocky blurring the lines between kayfabe and reality made the show more interesting, allowing the company to flourish.
"I was absolutely invested in WrestleMania, and when Dwayne came out at WrestleMania that pulled me in. He kind of blurred the lines a little bit. (…) [They’ve] taken it from what I'm f*cking programmed to know as a work, and now you've blurred that line even though I know that it's not. It's just that I appreciate so much that I need that effort," Nash said. [1:26:25 - 1:27:57]
It will be interesting to see whether The Rock will be part of WrestleMania 41. There are contradicting rumors about him possibly missing the event, while there are hints that he's going to have a storyline in place.
Kevin Nash on having heat with The Rock
In an appearance on Title Match Wrestling in 2012, Kevin Nash explained the heat between him and The Rock. Nash admitted to "rubbing" The Final Boss the wrong way, and there were even threats of violence.
"I'm sure I rubbed him the wrong way because I'm an abrasive South Detroit f**king co**ksucker. And he had already pi**ed all over his territory, and I went in there and said, 'Dude, I'll knock you the f**k out.'" [H/T: WrestlingInc.]
The Rock started pursuing a full-time career in Hollywood in 2004. Meanwhile, Kevin Nash's pro wrestling career was plagued by injuries, and he left WWE in mid-2003.
If you use any quotes from this article's first half, please credit Kliq This and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.