WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash recently shared a poignant and sobering anecdote involving fellow Hall of Famer Kurt Angle that puts the long-term physical cost of professional wrestling into stark perspective. The story highlights the severe, permanent damage that both men continue to live with decades after the peaks of their in-ring careers.
Both Nash and Angle are legendary figures in the industry, but both are also well-known for the significant injuries they sustained. Nash, standing 6-foot-10, endured numerous knee, back, and neck issues throughout his time in WWE and WCW, many stemming from the repetitive impact of his size and power-based move set.
Kurt Angle, an Olympic gold medalist, is famously known for wrestling with a “broken freakin’ neck” on multiple occasions. His high-intensity, physically demanding style resulted in a long list of severe injuries, particularly to his neck, which required multiple surgeries and ultimately contributed to the end of his in-ring career.
Speaking on his Kliq This Podcast, Nash recounted an interaction he had with Angle a while back when the two were at an independent show for a signing. The conversation detailed a shared physical ailment that led to a shocking admission from both men.
Nash and Angle On The Physical Toll
Nash explained that both he and Angle were suffering from numbness in their hands, a side effect of severe neck damage. This prompted Angle to ask a blunt question about their careers.
“One of the last times I saw Kurt Angle was at a signing,” Nash said. “We were sitting next to each other at an indie show. Both of our hands went numb because our necks are so f**ked up. He looks over at me and goes, ‘If you knew your were going to be this fu**ed up, would you still have done what you did?’ I said, ‘F**k, no.’ He said, ‘Me neither.’”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Kliq This with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can find new episodes weekly at kliqthistv.com.
