WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash marked the 31st anniversary of his first WWE Championship victory, a moment that stands as one of the fastest title changes in the company’s history. On November 26, 1994, Nash, performing under the name Diesel, defeated Bob Backlund in just eight seconds at Madison Square Garden. This victory transitioned the title from a technical veteran to the towering bodyguard character that Nash had popularized over the preceding year.
Speaking on his Kliq This podcast, Nash expressed appreciation for Backlund’s professionalism during the title switch. Nash acknowledged that ending a championship run is rarely easy for a performer, regardless of the circumstances.
“I’ve said it numerous times, I appreciate him for doing the favor,” Nash stated regarding Backlund. “I know that he didn’t want to do the favor… but he had such a run for so long. I think that it’s very hard for anybody in our business to realize the run is over”.
Nash’s co-host, Sean Oliver, recalled the atmosphere of that night in 1994. He noted that friends attending the event in New York City suspected a major angle was imminent when high-ranking WWE officials Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco appeared in the crowd shortly before the match began.
Creative Changes and Character Direction
While the victory at Madison Square Garden was a career milestone, Nash spoke critically about the creative direction his character took immediately following the win. He described a shift in how the Diesel character was presented, moving away from the cool, anti-hero persona that had organically connected with the audience in cities like Providence.
“When I saw that thing today on Diesel, he had my folder the minute he anointed me the champion,” Nash explained, referring to Vince McMahon. “He had my folder, and he directed that year of my life, and I was really not feeling a ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ moment”.
Nash used strong terms to describe the alteration of his on-screen persona, suggesting that the company tried to force him into a traditional, virtuous babyface role that did not fit his natural charisma. “He slowly castrated the character that got over in Providence,” Nash stated. “Towards the end, I just realized, ‘Oh f***, man, he doesn’t get it.’ He has this red, white, and blue, larger-than-life vision”. This disconnect between the performer’s strengths and the promoter’s vision is often cited by wrestling historians as a contributing factor to the business struggles of 1995.
Shifting Industry Standards
Despite his frustrations with the creative booking, Nash expressed pride in the changes he helped implement regarding how wrestlers were treated and presented outside the ring. He noted that he broke the long-standing tradition of wrestlers wearing their ring gear or gimmick-specific clothing during mainstream media appearances.
“I was the first person to show up on any talk show not in their gear,” Nash said. “I showed up on Regis and Kathie Lee in a blue suit with a tie. I was the first person that said ‘uncle.’ No other athlete shows up in their outfits. We got it”.
Nash also detailed his efforts to secure better financial treatment for the locker room during international tours. He recounted a specific tour to India during his championship reign, which involved significant medical preparations and vaccinations for the talent. Nash used his leverage as the top star to ensure the roster received their compensation immediately upon returning to the United States, rather than waiting for standard payroll cycles.
“I bitched when we went to India and we didn’t know what the payments were going to be,” Nash recalled. “I got us the top of the card, I got us a base, and the bottom of the card, I got us a base… It was right before Christmas. I said, ‘When we get off the plane, we need to get our paychecks for that tour right then'”. Nash confirmed that WWE executive JJ Dillon met the talent in New York with envelopes containing their pay, ensuring they had funds for the holidays.
The History of Short Matches
The discussion of the eight-second victory prompted a review of other short title matches in wrestling history. Nash observed that WWE records often place him second to other superstars, specifically citing a match involving Brock Lesnar and Kofi Kingston.
“They made it where I was number one, and then I went to the other side. So then they had to make sure that any record I had was no longer,” Nash remarked.
The hosts reviewed a list of shortest title changes, noting that Lesnar’s win over Kingston was timed at approximately 7.6 seconds, narrowly beating Nash’s record. “Look at this list… a whole number for every one of these, except the one they put before Kevin, they have to go to point six, 7.6,” Sean Oliver noted, highlighting the specificity used to rank the matches.
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 watch or listen to the full podcast on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.
