#2. Where Was Nash & Triple H Monday?
How many fans even noticed they weren't on Raw this week? How many cared one way or the other?
Since the Raw where Kevin Nash laid out Triple H with a sledgehammer and put him out of action, their program has been rocky at best. Given the fact that Hunter hasn't been on tv that entire time, it's hard not to blame Nash and his lackluster promos entirely.
There's no question that Kevin seems to have lost a little on the mic, but I think there's more to it than that. If you consider how much Vince has changed his mind on what to do with Nash since his return, his rustiness on the stick should be a bit more understanding.
First, he was supposed to explain his attack on CM Punk at SummerSlam – Hunter had apparently texted him to "stick the winner" of Punk's match with Cena. This was the start of a promising "conspiracy" angle revolved around who actually texted Nash from Hunter's phone and who is trying to keep CM Punk from being Champion. WWE scraps those plans and asks Nash to reveal that he sent the text to himself.
Off to a great start!
Nash's explanation of the text incident subsequently killed the conspiracy angle and moved his focus more toward Triple H. Could it have had something to do with throwing a rusty Nash to the proverbial wolves (CM Punk) in a verbal head-to-head? NO ONE would have stood a chance in a "shoot" battle with Punk at that point. Rumor also has it that WWE made Nash read from a script following their first verbal confrontation, yet Punk got to continue shooting from the hip. Again, a losing battle for Nash from the very beginning.
Then, even more obstacles for Nash to overcome as he had to leave for six weeks to finish filming a movie. When he returns at Vengeance, it's all about Hunter from that point on and the following night on Raw was the aforementioned sledgehammer incident. Since then, Nash has been forced to do more of the same – "EXPLAIN YOURSELF, MAN!" Well, he's tried. Week after week – up until this past Monday – Nash has been asked to do nothing but bitch and moan about his best friend not hiring him after he returned at the Rumble.
The problem with it? That's NOT Kevin Nash.
The real Kevin Nash would never beg for a job. The real Kevin Nash is all about the money. The real Kevin Nash STILL hasn't signed an actual worker's contract with WWE – I'm sure because HIS terms haven't been met. Yet they want him to act and speak completely out of character. Oh, and be good at it too!
Mind you, the entire plan all along was for Nash to begin a new group with Miz, Truth, and one or two others, potentially led by Vince McMahon or Johnny Ace. This would allow Nash to be the "muscled veteran" of the group with considerably less responsibility – a roll he would be very comfortable doing. Vince apparently changed his mind on factions in wrestling altogether, so Kevin Nash stays solo as a result.
Does all of this forgive Kevin Nash completely? No, but it does leave room for hope that Nash could still be an effective, contributing member of the roster IF he's put in the right situations. A personal feud with Triple H would have been fine if Kevin hadn't lost so much momentum prior to going into it. And the fact that he wasn't present or addressed on Raw this past Monday is an apparent sign that their match is going to be delayed even further now.
The Rumble is nearly two months away. I can only imagine how little fans will care by then, especially if they continue putting Nash in uncomfortable situations that don't highlight his strengths.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
