Kevin Nash made clear he disagreed with one release in particular from WWE’s post-WrestleMania 42 roster cuts, singling out the Motor City Machine Guns as a team he would have kept.
Speaking during the Q&A portion of his latest Kliq This podcast, Nash was asked about the wave of releases that hit on April 24 and was direct when it came to Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin.
“I would not have gotten rid of the Motor City Machine Guns, that’s for damn sure,” Nash said.
Nash has history with both men dating back to their TNA days, where he and Shelley shared strong on-screen chemistry as part of Paparazzi Productions. Nash also served as a mentor to Shelley behind the scenes during that period. All three men share Michigan roots, adding another layer to Nash’s connection to the duo.
Shelley and Sabin had a nearly two-year run in WWE that included one SmackDown Tag Team Championship reign. AEW is expected to be their next destination once they are free to sign elsewhere.
When asked whether the broader wave of releases surprised him, Nash said it did not once he saw the compensation figures for TKO’s executive team. He took a playful shot at Nick Khan’s salary before making clear he believes the WWE President has earned every dollar.
“Not after like two weeks prior when I see what the CEOs are making. What Nick’s getting paid. I mean, Nick took half of the WrestleMania net. But I’m busting his balls because we sat here and went over the numbers and the year before was 1.4 billion. The next year, you’re 1.7 billion. So that’s 300 million,” Nash said.
Khan received $24.3 million in total compensation for 2025, comprising a $2 million base salary, $11 million in stock awards, and more than $10 million in bonuses.
Nash appeared at WrestleMania 42 weekend to help induct Dennis Rodman into the WWE Hall of Fame alongside Sean Waltman. Despite that involvement, he has described the overall weekend as feeling soulless given how TKO now operates the company.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Kliq This with Kevin Nash with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
