On June 10, 1996, Kevin Nash shocked the wrestling world by leaving WWE for WCW alongside the late Scott Hall. The move led to the formation of The Outsiders and ultimately the creation of the nWo, a faction that transformed the industry and set the stage for Hulk Hogan’s legendary heel turn.
But according to Nash, the decision was anything but easy.
Speaking on his Kliq This podcast, Nash explained that his bond with Vince McMahon made the choice emotionally complicated.
“He was strong like my dad was,” Nash said. “I was very emotionally connected to him. It was very hard. One of the hardest decisions.”
Nash described McMahon as a father figure “to a degree,” which added weight to the departure. However, personal circumstances ultimately tipped the scales. At the time, Nash’s wife was six months pregnant, and the WWE schedule had kept him away from home for extended stretches.
“It would have been so hard, had it not been for the fact that my wife was six months pregnant, and I hadn’t seen her but probably 45 times in the last year and a half,” he explained.
WCW’s lighter travel schedule offered a chance for more stability as he prepared to become a father.
Nash also revisited a significant moment he shared with McMahon during WWE’s 1993 steroid trial, when McMahon was acquitted. The group, including Pat Patterson and members of The Kliq, reportedly gathered at a diner to celebrate.
“Vince was a Scotch guy,” Nash recalled. “When we beat the trial, we all met at a diner. Vince, Pat, the Kliq. After we ate like egg white omelets, we started doing shots of Dewar’s.”
The anecdote underscores the layered nature of their relationship. Professional loyalty, personal connection, and business realities all collided in 1996.
Nash’s jump to WCW helped ignite the Monday Night Wars and permanently reshape wrestling’s mainstream popularity. Yet behind the industry-altering move was a deeply personal calculation about family, legacy, and timing.
