PART 14
nWo History – Part 14
Kevin Nash and the WWF have reached agreement and the paperwork is expected to be finalized within days, perhaps in time for the Jan. 7 2002 Raw. Sources familiar with the status of negotiations earlier this week said everything was moving forward toward a deal and it was just a matter of days. Nash responded to various subsequent internet reports stating he had a done deal. “Wrestling websites are reporting today (Thursday, Jan. 3) that I have signed with the WWF. That is false, 100 percent incorrect,” Nash said through his website. “I have not, let me repeat, have not signed a contract with any wrestling organization. In fact, I have not even received a contract from the WWF. For those who do not understand how law works, there has been no paperwork signed yet.” He said a day earlier in reaction to net reports about his status, “When I do sign a contract, I will be the first to announce it, not someone else.”
He did not say he had not reached an agreement with the WWF, instead specifying that he had not signed paperwork yet. Nash could debut as part of a major angle on Raw on Monday, and his statement may have been meant to quell expectations that he might make a “surprise” appearance so soon. With so much hype going toward Triple H’s debut, and Nash’s known friendship with Triple H off camera over the years, expectations are high that Triple H and Nash will be involved in an angle together on TV this month. One WWF source, though, says he believes Triple H and Nash won’t be aligned at all and Nash’s program will remain separate from Triple H at the start.
Nash’s contract with AOL Time Warner expired at the end of 2001, so he couldn’t officially negotiate with the WWF without jeopardizing his AOL Time Warner contract until 2002. His contract with AOL Time Warner paid him close to $2 million per year. His WWF contract, given current salary structure in the company, was expected to be significantly less than $750,000 guaranteed, but with potential to earn substantially more than that if the WWF draws well.
