Kevin Nash Says Paul Newman Inspired His ‘Big Sexy’ Nickname

Kevin Nash says Paul Newman served as the inspiration for his “Big Sexy” nickname. Nash took on the name during his time in WCW, and he recalled during a WWE Retrospective how he came up with it after seeing the legendary actor on a late night talk show.

“I was watching — it was a late night, probably Leno at this point, and Paul Newman was on,” Nash recalled (per Fightful). ” They made reference to the fact that he was sexy. ‘Sexy, blue eyes. Paul Newman.’ I looked over to my wife, I said, ‘If you saw that flat-ass old man making a Slurpee at a 7-11, the first thing out of your mouth would be sexy?’ I said, ‘He’s sexy because he’s deemed sexy.'”

Nash continued, “I said, ‘I’m gonna go on TV and call myself ‘Big Sexy.’ I’m gonna dye my hair blonde. Change my complete image and everything.’ She said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Watch.'”

Nash was part of WCW until it went out of business and returned to WWE in 2002 for a short run. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on his own in 2015 and as part of the nWo in 2020.