WRESTLING SHOW AT EASTWOOD FIELD A magic year for Kevin Nash

July 16, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

Kevin Nash has been a professional wrestler for decades, but it’s safe to assume the Detroit native hasn’t enjoyed a year like this before. This spring Nash was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by longtime friend and Kliq member Shawn Michaels.

“That was nice,” said Nash, calling from outside of Waterloo, Iowa. “I was hoping someday I’d get in. It was great to be put in by Shawn and to be there with all of my friends. And it was amazing to get out the next night with Hulk and Scott [Hall], and to be a part of the Triple H/Sting match was just like icing on the cake. It made it a great weekend.”

The 6-foot-10 beast of a man stressed he was confident. Based on his New World Order (NWO) wrestling past alone, he said he knew one day he’d get the hall of fame nod. In fact, Nash believes there’s a direct link between the success of NWO and “Monday Night Raw.”

Furthermore, he said today’s WWE Network keeps his name and game in front of wrestling fans who seem to be getting younger and younger.

“I have more 7-year-olds in my line now for autographs than I do 30-year-old men because they don’t differentiate between what’s going on with ‘Raw’ and what they’re watching on the network,” Nash said. “To them, it’s just guys who are wrestling. They either like it or they don’t. And they don’t really care if they show up and a guy has gray hair.”

These days, the ladies are also paying attention, which brings us to Nash’s other recent achievement. That would be his appearance in the recently released film “Magic Mike XXL,” which stars Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello.

“It’s a good franchise and nice to be a part of the sequel,” Nash said. “Originally, I knew [Steven] Soderberg was directing, so I know that fans of his were going to watch it. Also, I knew the ladies were going to come out. It had a dark indie feel to it, but it had a great cast.”

In addition to performing in the ring, Nash is quite busy acting. He’s appeared in numerous feature films over the years including “John Wick,” “Rock of Ages,” “The Longest Yard,” “The Punisher” and “DOA: Dead or Alive.”

While talking to Nash about his acting in general and “Magic Mike XXL” specifically, it’s apparent he’s on top of his career in a way most athletes moonlighting in front of a camera aren’t. He’s well versed in not only the opening weekend numbers of “Magic Mike XXL,” but also what the first movie did overall. His business acumen is impressive.

“You can be book smart and not street smart,” said Nash, who played basketball for the University of Tennessee. “I went to school, but also being on the road for 30 years, you become very street smart.”

In terms of the business that is professional wrestling, Nash is excited about the recent trend in the industry that is getting away from the spotlight of the big arenas and instead returning to its grass roots, albeit it in unexpected venues.

This includes his upcoming return to Northeast Ohio for the Northeast Wrestling event billed as Wrestling Under the Stars. The live wrestling event, which takes place Saturday at Eastwood Field in Niles, features Nash, Matt Hardy, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Mickie James and Northeast Wrestling Champion Matt Taven.

“There’s some great talent, really great talent,” Nash said.

“The one thing I like about the independent circuit, it takes the wrestling event back to an era where it wasn’t so commercialized. It’s a lot more family-oriented with the mom-and-pop shows.

“The last five years, it really has a push and attendance is up. There’s really some great talent out there, and this show will be no exception.”