Kevin Nash is pulling back the curtain on what could have been a major moment during WWE’s nWo revival, revealing that a planned WrestleMania scenario involving Steve Austin collapsed just before showtime.
While speaking during his KliqThis podcast, Nash addressed longtime questions about why he didn’t wrestle at WrestleMania after the nWo arrived in WWE. According to Nash, there was originally a clear plan in place that involved both him and Scott Hall facing Steve Austin in a situation designed to protect everyone involved. Nash explained that the creative direction was built around making the match work as a two-on-one scenario rather than forcing Austin into a singles loss to Hall.
“The reason people — I’ve seen shows on why didn’t Kevin Nash have a WrestleMania match when they came in. The reason was we were supposed to f*ck Steve, and Steve wasn’t going to put Scott over solo. So I was there to be the reason, like to make it two-on-one so he could do the favor.”
According to Nash, everything changed right before the event. He said the plan unraveled at the last minute when Austin decided not to move forward with the match, leaving Nash without a WrestleMania bout and forcing WWE to change direction quickly.
“And then day of or the night before, Steve said no. And so I didn’t have a match and we just said both ended up getting stunned.”
Nash also shared his belief about what may have led to Austin pulling back from the plan. While he admitted he couldn’t say for sure, he speculated that memories of the intense rivalry between WWE and WCW during the Monday Night Wars could have played a role in Austin’s mindset.
“I’m sure he sat in his room and thought about how we almost put them out of business and how our t-shirt was selling like crazy and said, ‘You know what, man? F*ck them. Like, I’m Stone Cold. This is my company.’”
Despite the situation becoming one of those long-discussed “what if” moments in wrestling history, Nash made it clear that he doesn’t see much value in revisiting the debate today. In his view, the moment passed, and business moved forward regardless.
“There’s no reason to talk about it… money doesn’t change ratings. Who gives a f*ck.”
In wrestling, timing is everything, and Nash’s story shows how one decision behind closed doors can reshape an entire WrestleMania moment. Fans still talk about the nWo’s WWE run years later, and revelations like this keep those conversations alive while adding new layers to the history of that era.
What do you think — should WWE have moved forward with the original nWo plan involving Steve Austin, or was changing course the right call? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know how you think that moment should have played out.
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