Eric Bischoff Explains why Kevin Nash Missed Starcade 1997

During a recent edition of his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff discusses why the scheduled Kevin Nash vs. The Giant match did not take place at Starrcade 1997. However, Nash went to the hospital because he feared he was suffering a heart attack. Below are some highlights (transcript via WrestlingInc.com).

Bischoff on being contacted by Nash’s wife: “To set the record straight, I got a call from Kevin’s wife right away. Kevin thought he was having a heart attack. It was over the holiday season. There was a lot of partying going on. Kevin had family and friends over and all that kinds of stuff and had a couple of glasses of wine. Kevin had gone to the gym the night before when he got sick or was concerned he was having heart issues… Kevin had done a heavy, heavy leg workout the night before and got up that morning, was socializing, getting ready to go on the plane to get ready for the event, but then he started to feel uncomfortable.”

Bischoff on Nash going to the hospital: “So going back to that day, Kevin wakes up in the morning and doesn’t feel well. His blood pressure was up from probably what he was eating and drinking at the time. He was feeling uncomfortable, he had shortness of breath, he had done the right thing – he had gone to the hospital.”

Bischoff on this not having anything to do with Nash not wanting to job to The Giant: “The initial diagnosis was that he was suffering a mild heart attack. That was the last conversation I had with him. At the moment, the decision was made, and I was in contact the entire time with him. I had originally doubted it, I am not going to lie. When I first got the phone call I was sitting in Atlanta and I was like, great, right before Christmas Big Grouchy didn’t want to come to TV. It had nothing to do with doing a job for The Giant. That is more dirt sheet BS… When I hung up with Kevin Nash, I was convinced that he had suffered a mild heart attack. It turned out later, after another blood panel or two when those enzymes went down that it wasn’t caused by the heart muscle breaking down it was caused by the heavy leg workout that produced the same enzyme.”