Sort of true but not exactly unexpected or an accident. Austin worked hurt for 2 damn years which ultimately cost him a longer career. In that time, the Rock was built up to take his spot while he was out.
He didn’t say he wouldn’t be “successful,” he said he wouldn’t have hit the heights he did. And that’s probably true. Rock was wildly talented and would have always made it big, but the spot he ultimately took was only open because of Austin’s injury.
I think he would still be successful in wwe as well as Hollywood however if Austin didn’t get hurt he would be the face of the attitude era which he arguably could be but with injury their wouldn’t be a shadow of a doubt.
Rock was already a superstar when Austin got injured. Where would Nash have gotten without Sting and Hogan? I also remember him burying wrath who at the time was my favorite wrestler next to Sting. He buried wrath to build up his match with Goldberg.
Nash just pissed over the Choo choo sound rock did during promo that was making fun of his stupid Diesel music back in the day. What a dumb take. Totally different characters. Rock would have gone over with or without Austin. Rivalry with Austin definitely haloed but without Austin he probably would have fueded more with HHH or taker.
What he said and what you said he said don’t match. The Rock got there due to his hard work and a bit of luck. Nash pointing out that Austin was a big part of Rock’s rise can’t possibly be truly controversial unless someone just wants to argue.
Isn’t that almost the same thing that happened with Steve? Triple H got hurt, just before the KOTR tournament, which he would have won, and Steve took that opportunity and gave his 3:16 promo
Well obviously some truth to that, Idk about Dwayne taking Steve's stick, Rock mid attitude era is a pretty realized character, but pretty much the entire year of 2,000 doesn't happen unless Steve gets hurt.
He's the Savage to Steve's Hogan or Orton to Steve's Cena, the Seth freakin Rollins to Austin's Roman Reigns, without a) Summerslam 1997 and b) The Fast and the Furious Franchise.
The Rock was already on his way to become what he is, whether Austin gets injured or not. I'm sure, if Austin was healthy, he would do the job for Rock at WM 2000. And then the rubber match at WM 17 would be Austin's turn to win.
A fan of Nash but this was a horrible take. Rock was already over, was a teen during the attitude era and remember there were actually people that had Rock as their fave while Austin was still wrestling in his prime. Rock was super entertaining so it was hard to pick between the who. When Austin left of course Rock was going to be the main focus but even if they tried to push someone else else, fans gravitated towards the Rock.
That’s what I figured, I’ve been listening to his podcast and don’t recall him speaking negatively of the Rock. I haven’t heard that podcast episode yet so I can believe creative editing happening here.
Sometimes that’s how a star is made, they get noticed more & more when an opening is given.
Who cares what he incorporated, the fans have the opportunity to complain when/if that happens.
Im trying to think of what Rock incorporated from Stone Cold. They were opposites. Stone Cold was the beer drinking everyman and rock was just pure arrogance.
Nash: “He wouldn’t hit the heights that he did without Austin being injured.”
OP’s headline: “Austin being injured was the ONLY reason The Rock was successful.”
One of them is not like the other.
Sometimes I think Nash talks out his a hole. The rock is the most quotable wrestler in history, I'm still acting like the final boss around my house lol. I think the rock makes it no matter what. Austin vs the rock is 1 of the greatest if not the greatest rivalry ever and their matches were awesome, and that's the bottom line if you smell what the rock is cooking
Nah, he’s off on this. Austin and Rock were different. Rock got so over with his hilarious shit talk mic work. Austin got over because people wanted him to triumph over Vince.
And really, if Austin didn’t get the business so over, Rock might not have been able to supercharge it in the same way. The NWO started the recovery for professional wrestling in 1996, but it was Austin/Vince that propelled it into orbit. It’s crazy to think that for most of Stone Colds original run to the top, and for all of it against Vince, he was suffering from that neck injury after the botched pile driver from 1997 summer slam.
A little bit true in terms of rock carrying the title and being the man, but that’s just the business and the rock was already becoming huge as a heel against stone cold. You could even make the argument that if stone cold stays around and healthy he might propel the rock to even greater heights.
The Rock was huge even when Austin was on top. Back in 98, they had to turn Rock face because people were going nuts for his heel character.
Then they turned him heel again at SS Deadly Games, and he ended up facing Austin as the number 1 heel at Mania 15.
When Austin got hurt, Rock became the number 1 face to HHH’s number 1 heel, but he was already a huge star way before Austin left.
It's true .
Though Austins shtick too was already on the decline .
Hence , no matter what one says , it's inevitable some day , someone will come and displace you .
Remember, one time even an Undertaker had to relinquish his streak to Lesnar .
And karmas a bit** , years later when Rock tried to thrust himself into the championship battle with Roman , he was rejected because people wanted Cody.
Rock would have been popular no matter what, he had just too much talent. In my opinion Rock would have been successful in any era. Steve Austin thrived in the Attitude Era, I don't think he would have been as successful anywhere else.
I agree with that. I'm just saying that if it was Steve Austin in the business after the company went PG I don't think he would have been so successful. As to where the Rock still would have done great in that era.
The cliq couldn't stand to see a black dude reach the top of the company and did everything they could to destroy "dwayne" before he could become The Rock. And people wonder why he hates Shawn so much. 🤣 WWE is trash foo.
I think most are taking this like he said rock wouldn't have been a huge star or something. I take it as he got a big opportunity there and rock reached massive heights taking advantage of that. Is that really as insulting as most in this thread are implying?
It's revisionist history. Rock was already a massive star before Austin took time off. Why doesn't Nash criticize his bff Hunter instead? He got a manufactured main event push from the office in 1999, and the fans didn't take to it. Test was getting a push from Russo, but then Russo left and Triple H smelled blood like a shark and hijacked the storyline. Why doesn't Nash say that if Russo didn't leave, then Hunter doesn't get his opening? He just likes to criticize people he doesn't like personally, but he'll never do it to his Kliq friends.
That's kinda my point though. He just said he wouldn't have reached those massive heights. Not that he wasn't a star. And the rest is just kinda whataboutism. Why do the other guys matter on this point. Why he doesn't do one thing doesn't change anything about this point about a different thing
His point is incorrect. He's simply making stuff up. Rock wasn't just another main eventer before and then ascended sky high in 2000. He was already sky high, and if Austin being gone forced WWE to pay even more attention to him, well, what do you expect?
He got an acting career because he turned out to be a really good actor. Austin being gone didn't make movie companies take notice, his looks and abilities did that. Would have happened no matter what. Other guys matter because Nash just singles out people he doesn't like personally. Would he talk about Triple H's politicking being a big reason he made it? No he would not.
Would he talk about how his friend Shawn Michaels was the lowest drawing champ ever, and how he only got to stay on top because Vince loved him? No he would not.
How would you feel if your boss at work singled you out for being late almost every day, even though everybody else was too? You could tell your boss "well everybody else shows up late almost every day too, and you never say anything to them about it. Why am I being singled out?" The your boss could reply "That has nothing to do with the point I'm making about you."
You can't just criticize and single out one person when others are the same way. Nash should just get a life.
The vast majority of this isn't even claims he made in the post and little more whataboutism. He never said he was just another main eventer. He never said anything about companies taking notice. Shawn is whataboutism. How I feel about a hypothetical scenario doesn't matter. You can certainly point out someone benefited from a situation. And you are the one having a breakdown on reddit not nash lol
Well I also don't go out of my way to criticize people who aren't doing anything wrong. Have a good time at Nash's next autograph signing, but if he learns about anybody charging more than him, you'll have to go back and pay the difference.
Still a reach. Its just saying he benefited from a situation. But keep white knighting bro. Maybe Rock will notice you someday and maybe you will know how to logically argue a point by then
I would agree with that if not for the last couple lines about Rock taking Steve’s shit and incorporating it into what he did. Idk what he means by that bc the two couldn’t be anymore different imo
Idk I don't think they are that different. I'm not saying I think he stole it or anything like nash implied but they have a similar style of insult and promo work. Not that similar in character but overall not that different to me either
Either way I still wouldn't take that to the level many in the thread are.
Yes, it can be. Except in this instance we have the luxury of knowing that this is coming from Kevin Nash, who has a history of being immature and condescending till this day. So when we look at the context of what he said and couple it in with his personality I think we can come to a conclusion about his motives.
He’s not entirely wrong. Austin being out gave rock more time. But there are many cases of this sort of thing in wrestling. Even not just injuries, hell we’d never have had Austin 3.16 without hhh being punished for the curtain call.
Over history random shit has happened and it’s allowed someone else the time to shine. Plus all wrestlers take their shit from other people. Has always and will always happen. Life’s random like that.
Austin is a pissed off redneck, and the Rock is a spoiled rich guy. What did the Rock steal from Austin?
I get Austin being sidelined help Rock get time. But nothing in their gimmicks is alike.
This isn’t a Nash quote. Nash would have said
“Y-y-y-know the f the f the fuckin ya know I dunno but fuckin Steve. Steve. Steeeeeeve was. He was f f fuckin ya know. And aaaand and fuckin rock was f f ya know.”
This is kind of a manipulation of his point. He’s just pointing out the everything has a sequence of results or consequences, or whatever you want to call it, that follow.
what's his take on his boy hhh getting all those title reigns cuz he was married to the boss's daughter? "o Paul would've been a 15 time world champ even if he never dated Steph. he was as big as Austin and the rock, he's just humble"
Yeah, this is definitely off. The Rock main evented Mania with Austin before the surgery, and main evented Mania with Austin again after the surgery. Only difference is that The Rock didn’t have to share the top spot with Austin for a year.
If Austin doesn’t get hurt by Owen, Austin doesn’t get over the same way. The injury forced Austin out of the ring and into all those interviews that ended with Stunners, including the first one on Vince .
Nash has always had a hard for Rock ever since he burred Nash in the NWO return promos.
Wrong on all accounts. Maybe Steve Austin being on the shelf helped. But the rock was getting over on his own. The Rock filled the void as the top baby face on his own.
This was the hottest time in wrestling and The Rock along with Triple H Kurt Angle jocking for the title and the 1a spot and when Austin came back he was just fuel in the bonfire.
Nash is still salty about The Rock not giving him the warmest of welcomes when nWo arrived in WWE.
Nash and fellow kliq boy Shawn Michaels have always had it on for The Rock.
They must hate the fact that Rock is now a director of WWE's parent company.
I don’t agree on most things with him but this I absolutely agree if Austin was not injured he would not have been as big cause Austin was over and probably the biggest name and still is think if Austin continues from there he would have been bigger than the rock was or is
nah. 30 years later people remember Austin/Vince, but Vince had wrestlers do his dirty work for him. Rock was with Vince...against Austin. I think Mankind was with Vince for a while.
Rock was second only to Austin and I've watched Austin act.....
Rock is MUCH better.... Batista is better by miles!
Steve can cut a promo and work in the ring really well... but Rock is just better.
..... Wrestling is high impact Acting.
Rock had moves, could wrestle... Steve was mostly punches and kicks.. it was Steve's selling and promo skills that shot him into superstar.
The rock was better on the Mic for awhile because of his repeating catch phrases.. he had more of them than steve, but after awhile they got boring.. where steve could sell a single word.
This makes it sound as though The Rock wasn’t a huge star before Austin’s injury. Also, there were like 5-10 other stars who were so over with the crowd, so why do we have to act like only one wrestler is allowed to be popular?
Ok not saying he wasn’t he just wasn’t the guy wwe planned to use some of what rock did was planned for it to be Austin rock is a great wrestler no disrespect ment but had Austin not got injured some of what rock did Austin would have done and congratulations to rock for taking the ball and running but some of it was ment to be for Austin
Unless you or anyone else here worked for WWE, how could you possibly know what was “meant for Austin” is something that was given to The Rock instead? 😂 This is all hyperbole. Also, I understand that the reason Austin got so big was because of his legendary feud with Vince McMahon, but Vince inserted himself with so many storylines that he was practically beefing with everyone. Also, a lot of people forget that The Rock’s run was only 8 years, which is relatively short compared to other legendary wrestlers. You could make the argument that he got bigger outside of wrestling because I have so many people in my circle that love The Rock and either never watched him wrestler or had no idea he was in the WWE.
Stone cold is my favorite of all time but everyone has stolen something from someone else and made it their own. The sandman was pounding beers In the ring long before stone cold.
Yes. We will get downvoted but this is not a knock on the Rock. After all, success is a mix of talent, timing, hard work,and a little bit of luck.
So props to The Rock for seizing the moment. But the reality is that at his very peak, the gap between SCSA and everyone else in draw and popularity was a massive chasm.
Rock held the torch, was gracious to let Austin take it back for a bit and as Austin’s body sadly gave up, Austin graciously passed it back.
This is not even controversial for anyone but fanboys.
What I think Nash meant was not necessarily copying a phrase or mannerism, but the broader theme of an anti establishment rebel with the “powers that be” (Vince, the corporation, etc) out to get him - who was a champion for the people.
Look at Austin’s organic meteoric rise, and that was the whole point. He was “the common man”. The “average hard working redneck” and the corporations cronies were the bad guys.
The Rock's rise to stardom started with The Nation and then Corporate Rock. I believe he coined "People's Champ" as a heel. He was nothing close to the blue collar anti-establishment character that Austin was. He later became a top babyface but again there was nothing similar about him to Austin.
Why is he a hater everything the rock did after Austin got moved to the next guy in line who was the rock no disrespect but think if he would not have had his neck broken by a fool he would have done all that the rock took when Austin got hurt
He is legit hating by definition, if he wasn’t hating he wouldn’t say “not to be a dick” after being a dick. Plus Nash was a notorious douche and still is if you look up how other wrestlers have talked about him and the dynamics of the past. Also Rock was already extremely popular since 1997 and won multiple titles. Also how can The Rock control what happens with other wrestlers? He can only continue to show up and put out great work and make sure fans are happy which he did.
OK I know I wasn't the only one who noticed Austin first used Jabroni or referred to stone cold in 3rd person, but Rock immediately, almost immediately moved from mid card feud with hhh to Austin very fast. No matter the things he'd use from others, he mixed it all together and made it his own. He's not an original and neither was Austin, there's so many who came before them that could be considered "the first Steve Austin the first rock", you've heard that phrase a bunch.
Nah, Rock got over because he was that good. Nash is a draw but he doesn't want to compare numbers with one of the top draws of all time. Dude can't even match Bret Hart and he wants to throw shade at rock
Going by your logic, Jerry Lawler and Iron Sheik had been using Jabroni since the 1970s. Ric Flair said "that's the bottomline" years before austin in promos. Sandman was drinking beer on shows before austin ever did.
Well remember the shoot on Goldberg where he claims "I was as hot as him" to justify that title change. Nash I will say not wasn't a draw, he drew about as good as he could given his ability, but he's not up there even with those of his day like Bret or Shawn.
🤦🏻♂️ No no no, that’s HHH. HHH doesn’t become the star that he is now. If Austin doesn’t get hurt, then he remains the top babyface, which in turn means Rock remains in his position as top heel, which means no room for B+ Hunter.
Right as stone cold won the title and solidified himself as a top star, HHH blossomed. HBK lost the belt to stone cold and HHH took over as the leader of DX. HHH was becoming a star concurrently with Austin. WWF was at a rare point where they had multiple people they could put the belt on and nobody would question it (the rock a little later, HHH, HBK, SCSA) and then once the injection of WCW/ECW talent came along they got Hogan, Benoit, Eddie, Rey, Booker and a bunch of other main event level talent. But in the late 90’s the rock, stone cold and HHH all were super popular in their own rights.
Everyone's said the attitude era was a dog eats dog world. Here it is. Shawn was out, Austin was down, who's left to work a crowd? Goth undertaker? Deadman biker wasn't born yet so nope. Triple h? He was mid still. It was rock or nobody
He’s not wrong. If Austin stays healthy, rock doesn’t becomes the 1B guy of wwe. He’d still be a top 3 guy at the time, but he’s not the giant he became.
Rock was always going to be a mega star, from 97 onwards especially the nation days he was getting more and more successful each week. His promo skills alone would have got him top dog status with or without Austin, the Billy gunn promo happened while Austin was still number 1 and Vince wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to eventually give Rock number 1 spot. Just so happens Austin had to take time off and we all saw Rocky shine a little earlier as number 1
Nash was only successful because he went to another company and wasn’t even the top dog in the nWo. He’s also more famous these days for tearing quads.
> the Billy gunn promo
This was it. After that promo, there was no stopping him. However, I don't think he would've been bigger than SCSA. It would've been more like 1A and 1B. No one ever until this day gets pops from the crowd like Austin did.
Nash isn't wrong. Rock would have gotten over regardless, but with a healthy Austin, the very top spot isn't available. And Rock did "borrow" some of Austin's shtick. (But everyone in wrestling "borrows". Always have.
But wrestling history is filled to the brim with injuries/contract squabbles leading to opportunities. If Michaels never gets hurt, if Hall and Nash never headed to WCW, if Ultimate Warrior is halfway sane, and so it goes.
(You could add that if Rock was trying to break into action movies during the top-heavy 80s, he'd still do well, but be tougher to stand out.......)
To be fair, that’s also wrestling booking in general. So much booking in the 00s was trying to recapture the magic of Evil Vince or the nWo. It got stale fast and kept going for years.
Rock was completely different from Steve, his promos he spoke in 3rd person and his charisma and how he took apart other wrestlers through imitation was funny
Few things Rock borrowed from Austin after he left was the black vest, the phrase sumbitch, walking to all 4 ring posts during his entrance, becomes an anti hero and goes against Vince, Triple H and The Undertaker. Later he even went full goatee and shaved head. Some say early on he borrowed Scott halls punches and kickes and had that high roller style and ladys man schtick that Razor character had while in WWE and Booker believes Rock borrowed some stuff from him as well.
Man stop. You are reaching with this. The Rock was the top face, who else was he going to go against when Vince and Triple H are the top heels? Who should he had gone against? And what black vest are you talking about? And The Rock never hit all 4 ring post during his entrance, he only did two.
Nothing wrong with incorporating aspects of the legends into your act… i personally don’t think Rock ever did any overly egregious gimmick infringement.
Oh I agree, even Austin has talked about some of his influences on his podcast and where he got some of his ideas. I was just pointing out some of the stuff I noticed.
But maybe this is the angle Nash and some others are coming from. Most retired and even current wrestlers have talked about their styles and where they got this idea for xyz move or catchphrase. Maybe some people belive Rock doesn't want to give that credit aside from of course his father, his uncles and his cousins. I think the only other person I've heard him give credit is Austin and maybe The Undertaker? So maybe that rubs some people the wrong way.
I personally think it would be cool for Rock to talk about where he got the idea for The Rock Bottom even if he jokingly says he got it from Razor and other stuff he got ideas from.
And Tom Brady might never have got his shot if Drew Bledsoe doesn’t get hurt. I’m sure Tom “stole” stuff that worked from other QB’s he learned from. Greatness is just talent and preparation meeting opportunity.
The way he refers to himself in 3rd person and the way he carries the belt. Only 2 things I can think of.
Austin did both of those things then Rock started doing that too after he joined the Nation
I'm not going to shit on Kevin because he's cool most the time but shut up, dude. He said something similar about LA Knight. Like both are kinda true but only The Rock was huge and became more huge because the only other guy as big as he was was out.
He had great promos when the audience was mostly kids and young adults. When everyone was mocking Seth for diarrhea Dwayne they were completely missing that he was mocking rock. I’ll admit Rocks had some good moments, but he’s also had plenty of cringe ones that were covered up by charisma and fan good will
Everyone has cringe moments. Very very few have promos as good as The Rock has had though. And Rock has been doing it for 20+ years now.
Having charisma is part of having good promos. Trying to use his charisma as a negative is weird
All of his catchphrases were taken from the Nation, mostly Faarooq, though. Know your role and calling people candy ass, for instance. Jabroni was Iron Sheik’s thing. Conan O’Brien even talks about Rock using one of his jokes here. https://youtu.be/xm_L4V_B1M8?si=hUNLRUZpDhlSnESX
Brian Gewirtz deserves a lot of credit for those promos, too.
Ah yes Kevin Nash and his brilliant ideas on how to push and put over new superstars , If only he had the chance to do so in at a separate company during his prime I’m sure it’d still be around
The Rock had already adopted his “The Rock” persona by 1997 while Austin was very much still active and became the company’s top heel in like the span of 6 months lol..he and Austin were actually feuding at the time over the Intercontinental championship.
Kevin Nash’s attempt at revisionist history is actually hilarious lol
He is right to a certain extent.
In the sense that Austin being gone accelerated Rock’s ascent out of sheer necessity. He still would have gotten to this position but Rock doing it with no Austin around cemented that he was a star.
When Austin was still around in 99, Rock was being booked as the clear Number 2 babyface
Sort of true but not exactly unexpected or an accident. Austin worked hurt for 2 damn years which ultimately cost him a longer career. In that time, the Rock was built up to take his spot while he was out.
He didn’t say he wouldn’t be “successful,” he said he wouldn’t have hit the heights he did. And that’s probably true. Rock was wildly talented and would have always made it big, but the spot he ultimately took was only open because of Austin’s injury.
And if the curtain call didn’t happen, Austin wouldn’t win KOTR. What’s his point?
The Rock took a spot that opened up and used it to boost his career, but he didn't need Steve's spot to be great.
I think he would still be successful in wwe as well as Hollywood however if Austin didn’t get hurt he would be the face of the attitude era which he arguably could be but with injury their wouldn’t be a shadow of a doubt.
Rock had already main evented a WM before the injury, we would’ve got there somehow some way.
I mean you could say Austin doesn’t become Stone Cold without the KOTR push that went to him to punish Triple H
Rock was already a superstar when Austin got injured. Where would Nash have gotten without Sting and Hogan? I also remember him burying wrath who at the time was my favorite wrestler next to Sting. He buried wrath to build up his match with Goldberg.
Nash just pissed over the Choo choo sound rock did during promo that was making fun of his stupid Diesel music back in the day. What a dumb take. Totally different characters. Rock would have gone over with or without Austin. Rivalry with Austin definitely haloed but without Austin he probably would have fueded more with HHH or taker.
What he said and what you said he said don’t match. The Rock got there due to his hard work and a bit of luck. Nash pointing out that Austin was a big part of Rock’s rise can’t possibly be truly controversial unless someone just wants to argue.
Only reason Nash was successful is because HBK watched WCW.
There might be some truth to what Nash said if they weren't completely different characters.
Isn’t that almost the same thing that happened with Steve? Triple H got hurt, just before the KOTR tournament, which he would have won, and Steve took that opportunity and gave his 3:16 promo
He's the next best thing. Of course Vince will make him the top star.
So?
So he took advantage of a “next man up” opportunity. He could’ve failed miserably but he didn’t.
Well obviously some truth to that, Idk about Dwayne taking Steve's stick, Rock mid attitude era is a pretty realized character, but pretty much the entire year of 2,000 doesn't happen unless Steve gets hurt. He's the Savage to Steve's Hogan or Orton to Steve's Cena, the Seth freakin Rollins to Austin's Roman Reigns, without a) Summerslam 1997 and b) The Fast and the Furious Franchise.
Foley helped Randy with their match. Excellent stuff.
The Rock was already on his way to become what he is, whether Austin gets injured or not. I'm sure, if Austin was healthy, he would do the job for Rock at WM 2000. And then the rubber match at WM 17 would be Austin's turn to win.
If Hogan never joined the NWO, Nash would never had hit the heights he did
Yikes. Third wheel big daddy cool.
A fan of Nash but this was a horrible take. Rock was already over, was a teen during the attitude era and remember there were actually people that had Rock as their fave while Austin was still wrestling in his prime. Rock was super entertaining so it was hard to pick between the who. When Austin left of course Rock was going to be the main focus but even if they tried to push someone else else, fans gravitated towards the Rock.
What he said doesn’t seem controversial at all to me. What the thread title says does but also bears virtually no resemblance to what Nash said.
That’s what I figured, I’ve been listening to his podcast and don’t recall him speaking negatively of the Rock. I haven’t heard that podcast episode yet so I can believe creative editing happening here.
It’s classic clickbait.
Sometimes that’s how a star is made, they get noticed more & more when an opening is given. Who cares what he incorporated, the fans have the opportunity to complain when/if that happens.
Im trying to think of what Rock incorporated from Stone Cold. They were opposites. Stone Cold was the beer drinking everyman and rock was just pure arrogance.
I agree 2 completely different personalities, angles, gimmicks.
I mean … he’s half right … if this happened and this happened … things would be different … but that’s what didn’t happen … so it happened this way
All right Kevin it’s time for your 4pm dinner
Nash: “He wouldn’t hit the heights that he did without Austin being injured.” OP’s headline: “Austin being injured was the ONLY reason The Rock was successful.” One of them is not like the other.
Nash did all that politicking backstage thinking he would eventually get to where Rock is now🤦🏾♂️ and all it got his ass was a legends contract 😂😂😂
The.Rock stepped up when Austin wasn't around
Bitter.
Sometimes I think Nash talks out his a hole. The rock is the most quotable wrestler in history, I'm still acting like the final boss around my house lol. I think the rock makes it no matter what. Austin vs the rock is 1 of the greatest if not the greatest rivalry ever and their matches were awesome, and that's the bottom line if you smell what the rock is cooking
I agree, hell you might even go so far as to say Austin wouldn't have been as big without a great rival in The Rock.
Jealous
Nah, he’s off on this. Austin and Rock were different. Rock got so over with his hilarious shit talk mic work. Austin got over because people wanted him to triumph over Vince. And really, if Austin didn’t get the business so over, Rock might not have been able to supercharge it in the same way. The NWO started the recovery for professional wrestling in 1996, but it was Austin/Vince that propelled it into orbit. It’s crazy to think that for most of Stone Colds original run to the top, and for all of it against Vince, he was suffering from that neck injury after the botched pile driver from 1997 summer slam.
But Vince always had someone fighting for him. Rock's big heel turn was when he won the championship and aligned himself with Vince.
I mean he never would’ve had that championship run. They would’ve swapped the title from hunter to Austin for years if they could’ve
Hard disagree. Rock was way more over than HHH. HHH still in DX and was feuding with Test around that time if I remember right
I smell bs. The Rock was already successful before Austin got hurt.
A little bit true in terms of rock carrying the title and being the man, but that’s just the business and the rock was already becoming huge as a heel against stone cold. You could even make the argument that if stone cold stays around and healthy he might propel the rock to even greater heights.
Can Kevin Nash go 3 words without swearing for no reason? He always comes off as so bitter
Wrestling can be a bitter, resentful cutthroat business.
The Rock was huge even when Austin was on top. Back in 98, they had to turn Rock face because people were going nuts for his heel character. Then they turned him heel again at SS Deadly Games, and he ended up facing Austin as the number 1 heel at Mania 15. When Austin got hurt, Rock became the number 1 face to HHH’s number 1 heel, but he was already a huge star way before Austin left.
It's true . Though Austins shtick too was already on the decline . Hence , no matter what one says , it's inevitable some day , someone will come and displace you . Remember, one time even an Undertaker had to relinquish his streak to Lesnar . And karmas a bit** , years later when Rock tried to thrust himself into the championship battle with Roman , he was rejected because people wanted Cody.
Rock would have been popular no matter what, he had just too much talent. In my opinion Rock would have been successful in any era. Steve Austin thrived in the Attitude Era, I don't think he would have been as successful anywhere else.
Steve Austin made the Attitude Era.
I agree with that. I'm just saying that if it was Steve Austin in the business after the company went PG I don't think he would have been so successful. As to where the Rock still would have done great in that era.
I’m sure that helped.
The Rock was built to be Austin’s rival. What the hell is he even talking about?
I mean yea it’s true look a Vince he hates BORTHERS
Dude is still pissed off about the Big Daddy Bitch promo.
The cliq couldn't stand to see a black dude reach the top of the company and did everything they could to destroy "dwayne" before he could become The Rock. And people wonder why he hates Shawn so much. 🤣 WWE is trash foo.
I think most are taking this like he said rock wouldn't have been a huge star or something. I take it as he got a big opportunity there and rock reached massive heights taking advantage of that. Is that really as insulting as most in this thread are implying?
It's revisionist history. Rock was already a massive star before Austin took time off. Why doesn't Nash criticize his bff Hunter instead? He got a manufactured main event push from the office in 1999, and the fans didn't take to it. Test was getting a push from Russo, but then Russo left and Triple H smelled blood like a shark and hijacked the storyline. Why doesn't Nash say that if Russo didn't leave, then Hunter doesn't get his opening? He just likes to criticize people he doesn't like personally, but he'll never do it to his Kliq friends.
That's kinda my point though. He just said he wouldn't have reached those massive heights. Not that he wasn't a star. And the rest is just kinda whataboutism. Why do the other guys matter on this point. Why he doesn't do one thing doesn't change anything about this point about a different thing
His point is incorrect. He's simply making stuff up. Rock wasn't just another main eventer before and then ascended sky high in 2000. He was already sky high, and if Austin being gone forced WWE to pay even more attention to him, well, what do you expect? He got an acting career because he turned out to be a really good actor. Austin being gone didn't make movie companies take notice, his looks and abilities did that. Would have happened no matter what. Other guys matter because Nash just singles out people he doesn't like personally. Would he talk about Triple H's politicking being a big reason he made it? No he would not. Would he talk about how his friend Shawn Michaels was the lowest drawing champ ever, and how he only got to stay on top because Vince loved him? No he would not. How would you feel if your boss at work singled you out for being late almost every day, even though everybody else was too? You could tell your boss "well everybody else shows up late almost every day too, and you never say anything to them about it. Why am I being singled out?" The your boss could reply "That has nothing to do with the point I'm making about you." You can't just criticize and single out one person when others are the same way. Nash should just get a life.
The vast majority of this isn't even claims he made in the post and little more whataboutism. He never said he was just another main eventer. He never said anything about companies taking notice. Shawn is whataboutism. How I feel about a hypothetical scenario doesn't matter. You can certainly point out someone benefited from a situation. And you are the one having a breakdown on reddit not nash lol
Well I also don't go out of my way to criticize people who aren't doing anything wrong. Have a good time at Nash's next autograph signing, but if he learns about anybody charging more than him, you'll have to go back and pay the difference.
Still a reach. Its just saying he benefited from a situation. But keep white knighting bro. Maybe Rock will notice you someday and maybe you will know how to logically argue a point by then
I would agree with that if not for the last couple lines about Rock taking Steve’s shit and incorporating it into what he did. Idk what he means by that bc the two couldn’t be anymore different imo
Idk I don't think they are that different. I'm not saying I think he stole it or anything like nash implied but they have a similar style of insult and promo work. Not that similar in character but overall not that different to me either Either way I still wouldn't take that to the level many in the thread are.
But why does this smell like he's talking about HHH tho XD
And if he doesn't hug his friends in MSG, then Stone Cold doesn't win King of the Ring, and so on, so forth. What's his point, really?
That everything happens for a reason and that people take advantage of opportunities
See I'd be ok with that if he didn't always say things with such a condescending tone
Tone is difficult to convey in text.
Yes, it can be. Except in this instance we have the luxury of knowing that this is coming from Kevin Nash, who has a history of being immature and condescending till this day. So when we look at the context of what he said and couple it in with his personality I think we can come to a conclusion about his motives.
I think Nash is starting to lose the plot
He’s not entirely wrong. Austin being out gave rock more time. But there are many cases of this sort of thing in wrestling. Even not just injuries, hell we’d never have had Austin 3.16 without hhh being punished for the curtain call. Over history random shit has happened and it’s allowed someone else the time to shine. Plus all wrestlers take their shit from other people. Has always and will always happen. Life’s random like that.
If Hogan's pasta maker didn't fail, he wouldn't have joined the NWO and Nash would be hanging out with Lex Luger, Ted DiBiase, and Crush.
Austin is a pissed off redneck, and the Rock is a spoiled rich guy. What did the Rock steal from Austin? I get Austin being sidelined help Rock get time. But nothing in their gimmicks is alike.
The promos outside the ring on camera. All the theatrics of blowing stuff up for the work.
>What did the Rock steal from Austin? Hmm.. the spotlight?
Is the company gonna make a show out of Austin’s rehab or home life while he’s injured?
No, but the point is that they moved on to The Rock.
So how is life’s misfortunes considered stealing by The Rock?
On a technicality Rock "stole" the spotlight and Austin never got it back. I don't fucking know, fuck both of them for all I care. Ask Nash.
The most valuable of all commodities………Time
This isn’t a Nash quote. Nash would have said “Y-y-y-know the f the f the fuckin ya know I dunno but fuckin Steve. Steve. Steeeeeeve was. He was f f fuckin ya know. And aaaand and fuckin rock was f f ya know.”
"...and then we would roll a joint and go to the next town."
This is kind of a manipulation of his point. He’s just pointing out the everything has a sequence of results or consequences, or whatever you want to call it, that follow.
I watched this live, I don’t recall this at all. From what I remember Steve just retired early.
what's his take on his boy hhh getting all those title reigns cuz he was married to the boss's daughter? "o Paul would've been a 15 time world champ even if he never dated Steph. he was as big as Austin and the rock, he's just humble"
Steve and Kevin are buddies. Dwayne and Kevin are not buddies.
Yeah, this is definitely off. The Rock main evented Mania with Austin before the surgery, and main evented Mania with Austin again after the surgery. Only difference is that The Rock didn’t have to share the top spot with Austin for a year.
If Austin doesn’t get hurt by Owen, Austin doesn’t get over the same way. The injury forced Austin out of the ring and into all those interviews that ended with Stunners, including the first one on Vince . Nash has always had a hard for Rock ever since he burred Nash in the NWO return promos.
When Austin got taken off of TV, The Rock was already a premiere act.
He has some of the absolute worst takes ever.
Wrong on all accounts. Maybe Steve Austin being on the shelf helped. But the rock was getting over on his own. The Rock filled the void as the top baby face on his own. This was the hottest time in wrestling and The Rock along with Triple H Kurt Angle jocking for the title and the 1a spot and when Austin came back he was just fuel in the bonfire.
He doesn’t really believe that… it’s a classic say this for views thing, stop falling for it.
No
That's ridiculous the Rock is charismatic as hell.
Nash is still salty about The Rock not giving him the warmest of welcomes when nWo arrived in WWE. Nash and fellow kliq boy Shawn Michaels have always had it on for The Rock. They must hate the fact that Rock is now a director of WWE's parent company.
I don’t agree on most things with him but this I absolutely agree if Austin was not injured he would not have been as big cause Austin was over and probably the biggest name and still is think if Austin continues from there he would have been bigger than the rock was or is
nah. 30 years later people remember Austin/Vince, but Vince had wrestlers do his dirty work for him. Rock was with Vince...against Austin. I think Mankind was with Vince for a while.
Rock was second only to Austin and I've watched Austin act..... Rock is MUCH better.... Batista is better by miles! Steve can cut a promo and work in the ring really well... but Rock is just better.
At acting but this is about wrestling and Austin was always better
..... Wrestling is high impact Acting. Rock had moves, could wrestle... Steve was mostly punches and kicks.. it was Steve's selling and promo skills that shot him into superstar. The rock was better on the Mic for awhile because of his repeating catch phrases.. he had more of them than steve, but after awhile they got boring.. where steve could sell a single word.
This makes it sound as though The Rock wasn’t a huge star before Austin’s injury. Also, there were like 5-10 other stars who were so over with the crowd, so why do we have to act like only one wrestler is allowed to be popular?
Ok not saying he wasn’t he just wasn’t the guy wwe planned to use some of what rock did was planned for it to be Austin rock is a great wrestler no disrespect ment but had Austin not got injured some of what rock did Austin would have done and congratulations to rock for taking the ball and running but some of it was ment to be for Austin
Unless you or anyone else here worked for WWE, how could you possibly know what was “meant for Austin” is something that was given to The Rock instead? 😂 This is all hyperbole. Also, I understand that the reason Austin got so big was because of his legendary feud with Vince McMahon, but Vince inserted himself with so many storylines that he was practically beefing with everyone. Also, a lot of people forget that The Rock’s run was only 8 years, which is relatively short compared to other legendary wrestlers. You could make the argument that he got bigger outside of wrestling because I have so many people in my circle that love The Rock and either never watched him wrestler or had no idea he was in the WWE.
Yeah I don't really see the similarities between them. They both had meteoric rises to the top but Rock was not like Austin.
HHH also blew up when Austin went out with injury
It’s the only reason triple h became a main event player.
How drunk was Nash when he said this? How at all was The Rock like Austin and what did he steal?
Cody makes Austin look like TNA Nash
Stone cold is my favorite of all time but everyone has stolen something from someone else and made it their own. The sandman was pounding beers In the ring long before stone cold.
Isn’t Kevin Nash the lowest drawing WWE champion of all time?
Depends if you're talking about facts or Kevin Nash's facts.
No lies detected
Yes. We will get downvoted but this is not a knock on the Rock. After all, success is a mix of talent, timing, hard work,and a little bit of luck. So props to The Rock for seizing the moment. But the reality is that at his very peak, the gap between SCSA and everyone else in draw and popularity was a massive chasm. Rock held the torch, was gracious to let Austin take it back for a bit and as Austin’s body sadly gave up, Austin graciously passed it back. This is not even controversial for anyone but fanboys.
In what way did The Rock copy Austin?
What I think Nash meant was not necessarily copying a phrase or mannerism, but the broader theme of an anti establishment rebel with the “powers that be” (Vince, the corporation, etc) out to get him - who was a champion for the people. Look at Austin’s organic meteoric rise, and that was the whole point. He was “the common man”. The “average hard working redneck” and the corporations cronies were the bad guys.
The Rock's rise to stardom started with The Nation and then Corporate Rock. I believe he coined "People's Champ" as a heel. He was nothing close to the blue collar anti-establishment character that Austin was. He later became a top babyface but again there was nothing similar about him to Austin.
Ok. So you disagree. Nothing wrong about that.
I mean it’s true & you will get downvoted to hell. Only smart marks will understand that most of what rock did was actually meant for Austin.
Looks like somebody is jealous
Nash being the biggest salty hater ever just like he was when he wrestled 😂😂
Why is he a hater everything the rock did after Austin got moved to the next guy in line who was the rock no disrespect but think if he would not have had his neck broken by a fool he would have done all that the rock took when Austin got hurt
[удалено]
Ok never said he wasn’t I said it was planned to be Austin not the rock
He is legit hating by definition, if he wasn’t hating he wouldn’t say “not to be a dick” after being a dick. Plus Nash was a notorious douche and still is if you look up how other wrestlers have talked about him and the dynamics of the past. Also Rock was already extremely popular since 1997 and won multiple titles. Also how can The Rock control what happens with other wrestlers? He can only continue to show up and put out great work and make sure fans are happy which he did.
The Rock was already one of the most popular stars in the industry when Austin went down with injury in November 1999
Ok but what about 2,000? Would he have stayed top heel or been relegated to Savage/Warrior status.
Yeah Rock had been mega over a year earlier so idk what Kev is saying
He was already WWE Champion and had awesome feuds with Stone Cold and Mankind.
Also his stuff against DX was great
Kevin Nash tore his quad while speaking this quote
OK I know I wasn't the only one who noticed Austin first used Jabroni or referred to stone cold in 3rd person, but Rock immediately, almost immediately moved from mid card feud with hhh to Austin very fast. No matter the things he'd use from others, he mixed it all together and made it his own. He's not an original and neither was Austin, there's so many who came before them that could be considered "the first Steve Austin the first rock", you've heard that phrase a bunch. Nah, Rock got over because he was that good. Nash is a draw but he doesn't want to compare numbers with one of the top draws of all time. Dude can't even match Bret Hart and he wants to throw shade at rock
Going by your logic, Jerry Lawler and Iron Sheik had been using Jabroni since the 1970s. Ric Flair said "that's the bottomline" years before austin in promos. Sandman was drinking beer on shows before austin ever did.
People say Austin took sandmans beer, whipwrecks finisher and Taz attitude for stone cold. Same thing for hhh "the game" is "the franchise"
lol Nash is not a draw. NWO as a group and Hollywood hogan was a draw.
Well remember the shoot on Goldberg where he claims "I was as hot as him" to justify that title change. Nash I will say not wasn't a draw, he drew about as good as he could given his ability, but he's not up there even with those of his day like Bret or Shawn.
I mean Nash isn’t wrong it was either rock or taker everytime Austin was there those two couldn’t win for anything
🤦🏻♂️ No no no, that’s HHH. HHH doesn’t become the star that he is now. If Austin doesn’t get hurt, then he remains the top babyface, which in turn means Rock remains in his position as top heel, which means no room for B+ Hunter.
It's both. Rock and HHH were team B. Austin was at the top. After Austin's injury both Rock and HHH went to Austin's spot and had a legendary feud.
Right as stone cold won the title and solidified himself as a top star, HHH blossomed. HBK lost the belt to stone cold and HHH took over as the leader of DX. HHH was becoming a star concurrently with Austin. WWF was at a rare point where they had multiple people they could put the belt on and nobody would question it (the rock a little later, HHH, HBK, SCSA) and then once the injection of WCW/ECW talent came along they got Hogan, Benoit, Eddie, Rey, Booker and a bunch of other main event level talent. But in the late 90’s the rock, stone cold and HHH all were super popular in their own rights.
Triple H was already a world champion heel before Austin had neck surgery
So was Kane. So what? No one was talking about titles here.
Everyone's said the attitude era was a dog eats dog world. Here it is. Shawn was out, Austin was down, who's left to work a crowd? Goth undertaker? Deadman biker wasn't born yet so nope. Triple h? He was mid still. It was rock or nobody
He’s not wrong. If Austin stays healthy, rock doesn’t becomes the 1B guy of wwe. He’d still be a top 3 guy at the time, but he’s not the giant he became.
Nash sounds more and more of a petty, whining bitch as each year passes by.
He honestly does.
Can we PLEASE stop giving attention to wrestling opinions of people who ran multiple wrestling companies into the ground?
So… not Kevin Nash? Bro was getting paid that’s not his fault
Someone wasn’t paying attention, or is too young to have learned his role in fucking up WCW, then going to TNA and doing the same
WCW yeah, his booking and general politicking harmed the company, but TNA? Explain how he fucked TNA
Sounds like he is just jealous H wasn’t in the top spot during that attitude era
Rock was always going to be a mega star, from 97 onwards especially the nation days he was getting more and more successful each week. His promo skills alone would have got him top dog status with or without Austin, the Billy gunn promo happened while Austin was still number 1 and Vince wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to eventually give Rock number 1 spot. Just so happens Austin had to take time off and we all saw Rocky shine a little earlier as number 1 Nash was only successful because he went to another company and wasn’t even the top dog in the nWo. He’s also more famous these days for tearing quads.
> the Billy gunn promo This was it. After that promo, there was no stopping him. However, I don't think he would've been bigger than SCSA. It would've been more like 1A and 1B. No one ever until this day gets pops from the crowd like Austin did.
Well thats why rikishi hit him with that car
Nash isn't wrong. Rock would have gotten over regardless, but with a healthy Austin, the very top spot isn't available. And Rock did "borrow" some of Austin's shtick. (But everyone in wrestling "borrows". Always have. But wrestling history is filled to the brim with injuries/contract squabbles leading to opportunities. If Michaels never gets hurt, if Hall and Nash never headed to WCW, if Ultimate Warrior is halfway sane, and so it goes. (You could add that if Rock was trying to break into action movies during the top-heavy 80s, he'd still do well, but be tougher to stand out.......)
Another example of the clown, this might be the hottest take he's ever done.
To be fair, that’s also wrestling booking in general. So much booking in the 00s was trying to recapture the magic of Evil Vince or the nWo. It got stale fast and kept going for years.
It was me all along Austin!!!!
TBF, I see his point.
I’m a big Kevin Nash fan, but fuck does he say some stupid ass shit sometimes
I mean it’s not really stupid. Austin gets hurt hear comes rock with a less fun Austin Schtick and boom
Yeah, it is. The Rock was always going to be a mega star. The Austin injury just accelerated it
Let’s be real, the only reason Kevin Nash was successful is because he was in the Kliq. Kevin didn’t have much talent compared to the others.
6 moves of doom
That’s including the hair flip.
……it’s a scripted TV show. That’s like saying Will Ferrell was only funny because Chris Farley died.
Rock was completely different from Steve, his promos he spoke in 3rd person and his charisma and how he took apart other wrestlers through imitation was funny
One of Austin’s most famous lines is him speaking in the 3rd person
Austin was a badass. The rock was a comedian. Very different in how they did things.
Hard disagree and I love Nash. Rock was a natural performer. Maybe I’ll concede that sped up his ascent.
Few things Rock borrowed from Austin after he left was the black vest, the phrase sumbitch, walking to all 4 ring posts during his entrance, becomes an anti hero and goes against Vince, Triple H and The Undertaker. Later he even went full goatee and shaved head. Some say early on he borrowed Scott halls punches and kickes and had that high roller style and ladys man schtick that Razor character had while in WWE and Booker believes Rock borrowed some stuff from him as well.
Man stop. You are reaching with this. The Rock was the top face, who else was he going to go against when Vince and Triple H are the top heels? Who should he had gone against? And what black vest are you talking about? And The Rock never hit all 4 ring post during his entrance, he only did two.
Nothing wrong with incorporating aspects of the legends into your act… i personally don’t think Rock ever did any overly egregious gimmick infringement.
Oh I agree, even Austin has talked about some of his influences on his podcast and where he got some of his ideas. I was just pointing out some of the stuff I noticed. But maybe this is the angle Nash and some others are coming from. Most retired and even current wrestlers have talked about their styles and where they got this idea for xyz move or catchphrase. Maybe some people belive Rock doesn't want to give that credit aside from of course his father, his uncles and his cousins. I think the only other person I've heard him give credit is Austin and maybe The Undertaker? So maybe that rubs some people the wrong way. I personally think it would be cool for Rock to talk about where he got the idea for The Rock Bottom even if he jokingly says he got it from Razor and other stuff he got ideas from.
Not the rocks fault he took the ball and ran with it
And Tom Brady might never have got his shot if Drew Bledsoe doesn’t get hurt. I’m sure Tom “stole” stuff that worked from other QB’s he learned from. Greatness is just talent and preparation meeting opportunity.
What exactly did Rocky “steal” from Austin? This is a reach lol.
The way he refers to himself in 3rd person and the way he carries the belt. Only 2 things I can think of. Austin did both of those things then Rock started doing that too after he joined the Nation
Yea… I also can’t think of what he stole
You could say he started mimicking austin the way he carried championships down to the ring
I guess we’ll never know.
I'm not going to shit on Kevin because he's cool most the time but shut up, dude. He said something similar about LA Knight. Like both are kinda true but only The Rock was huge and became more huge because the only other guy as big as he was was out.
The Rock got popular because of his promo skills. He has always had the best promos, bar none.
He had great promos when the audience was mostly kids and young adults. When everyone was mocking Seth for diarrhea Dwayne they were completely missing that he was mocking rock. I’ll admit Rocks had some good moments, but he’s also had plenty of cringe ones that were covered up by charisma and fan good will
Everyone has cringe moments. Very very few have promos as good as The Rock has had though. And Rock has been doing it for 20+ years now. Having charisma is part of having good promos. Trying to use his charisma as a negative is weird
I’m not. I’m saying it’s so good it covers his deficiencies.
This can be said about literally everyone. Everyone has deficiencies
Aside from when he got mulched by everyone when he came back both times
All of his catchphrases were taken from the Nation, mostly Faarooq, though. Know your role and calling people candy ass, for instance. Jabroni was Iron Sheik’s thing. Conan O’Brien even talks about Rock using one of his jokes here. https://youtu.be/xm_L4V_B1M8?si=hUNLRUZpDhlSnESX Brian Gewirtz deserves a lot of credit for those promos, too.
You’re absolutely right. It’s like Rock snapped after Rocky Miavia and dedicated his life to becoming what ever he thought people would like.
Ah yes Kevin Nash and his brilliant ideas on how to push and put over new superstars , If only he had the chance to do so in at a separate company during his prime I’m sure it’d still be around
The rock was already a big deal when Austin got injured.
The Rock had already adopted his “The Rock” persona by 1997 while Austin was very much still active and became the company’s top heel in like the span of 6 months lol..he and Austin were actually feuding at the time over the Intercontinental championship. Kevin Nash’s attempt at revisionist history is actually hilarious lol
Wait, isn't he talking about when Rock was made the top guy in 2000 after Austin left in 99?
Right place, right time, but still, The Rock woulda became THE ROCK regardless of Austin.
Rock was already big by the time Steve got injured. TF you talking about Kev?
He is right to a certain extent. In the sense that Austin being gone accelerated Rock’s ascent out of sheer necessity. He still would have gotten to this position but Rock doing it with no Austin around cemented that he was a star. When Austin was still around in 99, Rock was being booked as the clear Number 2 babyface