Likely in response to the terrible Raw ratings the previous week, Brian Gewirtz pushed for Kevin Nash’s return earlier than planned. Nash was supposed to help spark ratings for the ten-man main event on Raw. Nash’s leg injury, which happened on live TV in a way that made Nash look like anything but a tough guy bad ass that he is portrayed as, may not have happened had Nash known days ahead of time he was going to wrestle. Nash, who suffered a torn left quadricep muscle, didn’t know he was scheduled to wrestle until arriving at the arena Monday afternoon. Before the match, Nash complained about being put in the match, saying that he hadn’t wrestled in three months and now they were throwing him on TV with short notice and no warm-up matches.
He didn’t even have his ring gear with him, so he had a friend go to his condo and have his ring gear sent out on the next flight. He ended up wrestling without his usual knee brace. Had Nash had several days warning, it doesn’t mean he would have necessarily done days of therapeutic stretches to get ready for his match, but it might have made a difference. It appeared his leg was cramping going into the match as when he first tagged in, he rubbed his thigh. After a big boot, he took a couple steps toward his opponents in the corner and then collapsed and screamed in pain. Unlike when Triple H suffered a quad tear, Nash was unable to continue the match. Gewirtz was said to be quiet backstage after the injury. Vince McMahon was said to look shaken. Nash flew to Birmingham, Ala. on Tuesday and met with Dr. James Andrews where surgery was scheduled.
With Nash out of the picture again, it weakens the NWO once again to just two active members – X-Pac and Big Show. Shawn Michaels planned to be in Nash’s corner at house shows this weekend. With Austin gone, Taker failing to draw, and Nash injured, pressure may increase for Michaels to return to the ring.
