Wrestler
Chapter One: Tom Nash of the Blackhearts
#PWHS #Interview #Wrestling #ProWrestling #TomNash #Blackhearts #Gangrel
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Question 1
Thank you Mr Nash for agreeing to this interview. In the past few weeks I have learned a lot about you in preparing for this interview. It would be more correct to say that I have found out there are several mysteries concerning Tom Nash the wrestler. Even worse, I have discovered there is a lot of misinformation concerning your great career and around your great tag team, The Blackhearts. In addition, there seems to be conflicting stories surrounding your life by so many “experts” on the internet. This is so unfortunate for such an important wrestler that definitely left his mark when one studies the history of Professional Wrestling, and more specifically the genre of tag teams. Before we get to the part where you were a TOP star for several years and graced the covers of multiple wrestling magazines, I will ask you to take us back to the beginning and we will proceed chronologically. Thank you once again for taking the time to answer my questions. Now for the interview:
Did you grow up watching wrestling on TV? Who were your favorite wrestlers?
Answer
I grew up In Chicago but moved to Florida when I was in the 4th grade. In Florida, I watched Florida Championship Wrestling. They also had a Latin channel from Los Angeles that had Chavo Guerrero, Moondog Mayne, Gordman & Goliath. In Florida I watched Dusty Rhodes, Buddy Wolfe, Dick Slater, Eddie Graham, and Steve Keirn. I had a friend who had a wrestling magazine with Mil Mascaras on the cover. As a Marvel comic book fan he looked like a super hero and I just had to buy some of these magazines and learn more. Through the years Tatsumi Fuijinami, Killer Karl Kox, and the Spoiler as well as as Ivan Koloff and Saito were early favorites.
Question 2
How did you break into the business? Who were your earliest trainers?
Answer
I met a guy named Jim Haley who did TV jobs for Florida Wrestling. I told him I always wanted to be a wrestler. He gave me the phone number of a man named Rusty Brooks, who at the time was the ICW tag champ for Savaldi’s. I agreed to meet him and when I got there he was training people with the Great Malenko and I began training with both of them. Both were equally great teachers and after a few months I began working independent shows in Tampa for Malenko and shows in Hollywood teaming with or against Rusty Brooks. They were getting ready to start doing TV in Florida with Gordon Solie. It was called the Global Wrestling Federation. Bob Roop was the booker, and to be honest he didn’t have a clue. Rusty’s independent show would out draw their TV show.
Question 3
Under what names did you wrestle as before transforming into the famous unknown masked wrestler Apocalypse of the Blackhearts?
Answer
In Florida, I began wrestling as Tom Nash, and then became Punisher Tom Nash in Global. I wrestled Dave Sheldon in Calgary a few times and it was as Nic Flair. I picked the name Apocalypse from X-Men comics. Later, Bill Apter’s magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated said Destruction was the better of the two Blackhearts as he did great flying moves and wrestled great. Well, I’m the only one who in the team that did flying moves. So, most said I was Destruction after that article.
Question 4
You were at one time married to wrestling great Luna Vachon. Is it true you both grew up knowing each other? At what age did you become friends? Did you become married before you entered Professional Wrestling? Is it true your marriage broke up because of her having an affair with your tag partner David Heath who she married?
Answer
I met Luna Vachon, the step daughter of Butcher Vachon, when I was in Tampa. I was dating a friend of hers and did not know her from school. She was 3 years older than me so we weren’t ever friends or anything till I met her through her friend. She was even with Dick Slater at the time. About 1 year later I met her again on a Rusty Brooks show. She said she heard I lived in Pompano and wondered if I could give her a ride because her car wasn’t starting and I gave her a ride. About 6 months later we did a show together and we got something to eat. Afterwards, we dated about 5 months on and off. We were married, but only for around 6 months. For about 3 months I was in Japan and it was difficult. I decided on the phone I didn’t want to be married anymore. We fought about everything and it got old real fast. She talked to me about trying to work it out, but it was too much for me. Me and Dave Heath were in Japan and he was getting ready to marry his girlfriend from high school (so NO, Luna and I did not break up because she and Heath had an affair, as some leave the inference). A week or 2 later they broke up and Dave lived with me and Luna for about a month. I still loved being single and she was just not for me. I moved out and he stayed with her to help pay rent. They began dating a month later. Dave and I still did another Japan tour and worked for Tri-State and Abrahm’s UWF. I didn’t care they were dating; I just wanted to make it. Me and Rusty Brooks trained Dave Heath. He tells a another story about Malenko but its just not true. Me and Dave had different ideas about wrestling. I felt I was better than him and he thought he was better. When Pro Wrestling Illustrated did their Top 500 and I was number 60 and he was number 125, he was really mad and wanted to go on his own. We split and All Japan chose me over him so I was a Blackheart and he became a vampire.
Question 5
Tom, we have already dispelled several internet rumors about your life. Let’s discuss the unique tag-team you were the mainstay in almost its entirety. Many would say the Blackhearts would definitely have a valid argument in being one of the top 20 tag-teams of all time. Take us back to the origin of this great team:
You began to gain notoriety in the Stampede territory in an unique tag-team known as the Blackhearts. This is where multiple questions long to be asked all at the same time. Please indulge me to set Pro Wrestling history straight:
Were the Blackhearts formed in the Stampede Territory? If not, where was the superb gimmick originated?
Answer
I was working an independent show for Boris Malenko and I met Angelo Poffo. He said he liked me and thought he could get me in Calgary or Portland. Sean Waltman and I were hanging out around New Years and I remember I told him in November that if I don’t get to a real territory by my birthday Jan 29, id quit. I was with Sean when Angelo Poffo told me to call Bruce and Stu Hart that I’d be starting in 2 months. When I made it to Calgary, Bruce Hart was fired and the Dynamite Kid was doing the booking. I did a TV and Dynamite said he’s giving me a chance to find work elsewhere; its nothing personal, but Bruce Hart is no longer booking. He went on to say he’s bringing in Harley Race and Don Muraco and some others he felt could really make money . I said ok. I told Stu Hart I’ll give my notice and Stu asked why. I told him and he said I don’t know about this. Helen said if you leave, you’re always welcome back here. I went back to Florida and was teaming with Rusty Brooks and Dave Heath. I got a call from Bruce Hart just a couple months later. Dynamite was doing a terrible job and has quit or fired, would I think about coming back. I said probably. When I got back to Calgary, Dynamite Kid was gone and a few others had been in a bad car accident
[Six roster members were injured: Ross Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite Kid, Kitahara, Chris Benoit, and the Jackal; aka Jason}. We did TV and our Calgary days had started. Dave Heath said 5 days later he didn’t like the training with Bruce. He wanted to see his kid so he’s leaving after 6 days. Dave Heath left and me and Jason Anderson became a Blackheart and Stampede International Tag Champs with me for the final 6 months of the promotion]
Question 6
How did the tag-team come into being?
Answer
I talked with Dave Meltzer and he and I came up with the Blackheart name and team, along with some ideas. I called Bruce Hart and he liked the idea. I came with some different masks. Bruce Hart talked over different ideas till we decided on the black spandex masks. I already had the outfits and the robes.
Question 7
The Blackhearts wore a mask that looked eerie as it was totally black with no openings; similar to the mask Ric Flair wore in his infamous Black Scorpion match. To add to your surreal aura, you wore a second white half mask before your introduction. It was expressionless and seemed to be made of hard plastic, almost ceramic, that was in contrast to their entire black outfits. It really added to your mystique. What is the story behind this and the symbolism?
Answer
Bruce felt the Phantom of the Opera was pretty hot, so he sent a friend to go to a local costume shop to find masks like phantom of opera. They wanted to cut the masks but I liked just the way they were. The Blackhearts also had a high-pitched scream from Day One that Bruce Hart and I came up with..…To step back, I wanted to come to Calgary with Rusty Brooks but he was a single dad. Bruce wanted me and my partner to look the same, so I asked Dave Heath and he said, “Sure”. This team lasted 6 days, as I said.
Question 8
My research has you appearing with David Heath in Tri-State, UWF, and All Japan rings as the Blackhearts; is that correct? Any specific memories you would like to share concerning any of these territories or about Heath?
Answer
Once we came home, I talked with Dave Meltzer and he told me Jimmy Suzuki was booking guys in Japan. I called Jimmy Suzuki and sent him tapes of mostly me in Calgary and Florida. It was August and he said I’d be going to All Japan in January. Later we talked about tag team Blackhearts again, so I invited Dave Heath to come back and work Japan. Herb
Abrams needed some local guys and we were gonna work his show in Ft Lauderdale. He gave us a match and told us he loved us and we’d be his first tag champs. Additionally, Steve Williams told Herb we were friends of his and were pretty good. Somewhere along this timeline I met Gertrude Herd, most of you know her as Luna. She worked for Joel Goodharts and Todd Gordon’s Tri-State wrestling aganst Medusa. So Joel asked us to come up and work for him and we won his tag belts. After the Apter mag deal I was ranked higher than Dave Heath and Dave said he felt they were wrong. He said I must’ve spoken to somebody. He went on to say he should work singles so everybody would know he was better. I laughed, and from then on we were no longer freinds. Shortly after, we split. We both spoke with All Japan. They chose me, not him. So i started training with Dave Johnson who i felt looked like Dave Heath and wrestled the same. We were working in Florida and for Memphis feuding with Duggan and JYD and doing battle royals every night against Jarrett and Lawler, who were great to work with. Money sucked and after 6 weeks we quit. We were still working and began working for Dennis Carluzzo and some Al Snow shows.
Question 9
Go right on, I know our readers are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for you to clear up a few other questions they are wanting answered.
Answer
We went to All Japan and just before I messed up my knee pretty bad, the tour was going ok. Dory Funk Jr, Steve Williams, as well as the Patriot Del Wilkes told me I should work singles; that I’ve had 2 partners that were not that good. I told Dory I’m probally not gonna wrestle anymore, things are not going well. He told me it takes time, that I do some great moves and take one of the best backdrops ever. He said he would call me in Florida. About a week later on my answer machine Mike Graham and later Dusty Rhodes called and wanted us in WCW. I called Dory Funk Jr and thanked him. He said do a great job and I said thanks; what a great man Dory Funk Jr! When we got to WCW, it was a mess. Bill Watts had just been fired. Dusty and Ole were running things. They were pretty cool I must say. We did some squash matches and went home. We came back and did some TV. I ran into my old friend Rob Van Dam; an awesome talent. My good buddy Tyler Mayne was teaming with Vinnie Vegas as Big Sky (formerly Nitron with Woman). Before we went there, Terry Gordy said not to go as it suuucks; brother you’ll hate it! I didn’t know what to think. We came back and did about 8 TV shows and it was ok. Then we came back a month later to feud with the Cole twins. They were really nice guys, but just very hard to do anything with. We had a TV match with them where they forgot every spot. Dave Johnson put one in a headlock forever to settle him down, and they were supposed to have a big come back which never happened. It was horrible and I said to Dave Johnson on the way home “I don’t want to do this anymore”. After 11 years I was over it. Jim Neidhart talked me into doing a few shows for him in Tampa. Jim’s a great guy. Afterwards, All Japan called, I didn’t call them back. WCW called, I didn’t call them back. Dennis Carluzzo called, I didn’t return his call. I didn’t return Dave Johnson’s calls. I started working as an electrician.
Question 10
After your Blackheart tag-team days ended, the word on the internet concerning your whereabouts is nothing but guesses and conjecture. The strongest rumors had you wrestling in Japan or England. What is the real truth—where was Tom Nash?
Answer
Within a year of working as an electician, I was doing work for some guys and the law surounded their house with helicopters and all. They arrested me and said these guys are drug dealers, have killed people and they wanted me to testify. I was like, “ I’m just doing electric work; I dont know what they do.” They also had me under the wrong name and had to release me from prison after 4 days. I went to see a lawyer and he told me these guys are really bad news and the Feds are gonna re-arrest me soon and its a mess. A friend told me he was building houses in Costa Rica. I went to see a lawyer and he told me i was looking at 15 years if i didn’t testify. I’ve never did drugs, didn’t drink much. I thought 15 years; I’m going to Costa Rica. I was on the run for 15 years and Interpol caught me. I sat in prison in Costa Rica for a few months; lost my girlfriend who was beautiful and awesome. They transferred me to the US of A and I was in prison for a couple years. A judge said I really didn’t do anything; never been arrested before ever. He gave me 5 years of probation and I was released 2 months later. About 6 months ago I was released from probation 2 years early for good behavior. I’ve been partners with my Dad for 3 years until he just passed away.
Question 11
David Heath formed another Blackhearts team with him being Destruction and a Todd Passmore being Agony; any comments?
Answer
I never knew about a different Blackheart team till recently. I’ve not spoken to anybody in wrestling except Pete Lederberg, Barry Rose, and Jeff Bowdren, and just spoke to Rusty Brooks and Norman Smiley. Recently I spoke to Dave Meltzer also. All are great friends. Until lately, I haven’t thought about wrestling or cared in years.
Terry Kent
In closing, let me say what a pleasure it has been for me to be welcomed into the private world of one of the greatest tag-team wrestlers ever. The Blackhearts were talented and took kayfabe to the edge. Very rarely have I been completely captivated by a participant or tag-team. It was entertainment that was spelled the old-fashioned way: STORYLINE that put butts in the seats. They made you believe IT WAS REAL and you didn’t know what was going to happen next; you would keep 1 eye on the action, and 1 eye on the nearest exit if you would have to flee at a second’s notice. Tom Nash was the brains and main talent of this championship team. There is so much misinformation on the internet that I have not found one site (so far) that had the truth as brought to you in these 3 parts. There were more than 2 Blackhearts. There were 5 in all. They were:
Tom Nash
David Heath
Jason Anderson (Stampede tag champion)
David Heath (again)
David Johnson
Later, David Heath and Todd Passmore wrestled as the Blackhearts
Barry Rose, my good friend and one of Florida’s top historians, said about Tom Nash: “I first got to know Tom in the mid-1970s. He’d attend the weekly matches on Miami Beach every Wednesday with his father and younger brother. Being roughly the same age, we got to know each other over the years and we certainly had a bond in pro wrestling. There was a group of us, maybe a half dozen or so, that were hardcore fans. We’d hit West Palm Beach on Mondays, Miami Beach on Wednesdays, and Ft. Lauderdale on Fridays. Once in a great while, we’d even make special trips up “north” to Tampa, Orlando, or St. Petersburg to see wrestling. Tom would always talk about his favorite wrestler growing up, Mil Mascaras, and then he’d needle me over my favorite, Rocky Johnson. Tom also always talked about wanting to break into the business. We heard that a lot, with fans thinking they were tough and ready to enter the ring. But, there was something honest and genuine about Tom. When he told you he was going to be a wrestler you believed him. The passion poured out of him and you could literally see how dedicated he was just by looking into his eyes. We lost touch in the mid-1980s, but the first time I saw him on TV I was so excited. He had a dream, and not many of us can say we actually fulfilled ours. Tom did, and I know he never had any doubt that he would.”
Thanks Pete Lederberg, Barry Rose, and especially to you Tom Nash.
Question 1
Thank you Mr Nash for agreeing to this interview. In the past few weeks I have learned a lot about you in preparing for this interview. It would be more correct to say that I have found out there are several mysteries concerning Tom Nash the wrestler. Even worse, I have discovered there is a lot of misinformation concerning your great career and around your great tag team, The Blackhearts. In addition, there seems to be conflicting stories surrounding your life by so many “experts” on the internet. This is so unfortunate for such an important wrestler that definitely left his mark when one studies the history of Professional Wrestling, and more specifically the genre of tag teams. Before we get to the part where you were a TOP star for several years and graced the covers of multiple wrestling magazines, I will ask you to take us back to the beginning and we will proceed chronologically. Thank you once again for taking the time to answer my questions. Now for the interview:
Did you grow up watching wrestling on TV? Who were your favorite wrestlers?
Answer
I grew up In Chicago but moved to Florida when I was in the 4th grade. In Florida, I watched Florida Championship Wrestling. They also had a Latin channel from Los Angeles that had Chavo Guerrero, Moondog Mayne, Gordman & Goliath. In Florida I watched Dusty Rhodes, Buddy Wolfe, Dick Slater, Eddie Graham, and Steve Keirn. I had a friend who had a wrestling magazine with Mil Mascaras on the cover. As a Marvel comic book fan he looked like a super hero and I just had to buy some of these magazines and learn more. Through the years Tatsumi Fuijinami, Killer Karl Kox, and the Spoiler as well as as Ivan Koloff and Saito were early favorites.
Question 2
How did you break into the business? Who were your earliest trainers?
Answer
I met a guy named Jim Haley who did TV jobs for Florida Wrestling. I told him I always wanted to be a wrestler. He gave me the phone number of a man named Rusty Brooks, who at the time was the ICW tag champ for Savaldi’s. I agreed to meet him and when I got there he was training people with the Great Malenko and I began training with both of them. Both were equally great teachers and after a few months I began working independent shows in Tampa for Malenko and shows in Hollywood teaming with or against Rusty Brooks. They were getting ready to start doing TV in Florida with Gordon Solie. It was called the Global Wrestling Federation. Bob Roop was the booker, and to be honest he didn’t have a clue. Rusty’s independent show would out draw their TV show.
Question 3
Under what names did you wrestle as before transforming into the famous unknown masked wrestler Apocalypse of the Blackhearts?
Answer
In Florida, I began wrestling as Tom Nash, and then became Punisher Tom Nash in Global. I wrestled Dave Sheldon in Calgary a few times and it was as Nic Flair. I picked the name Apocalypse from X-Men comics. Later, Bill Apter’s magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated said Destruction was the better of the two Blackhearts as he did great flying moves and wrestled great. Well, I’m the only one who in the team that did flying moves. So, most said I was Destruction after that article.
Question 4
You were at one time married to wrestling great Luna Vachon. Is it true you both grew up knowing each other? At what age did you become friends? Did you become married before you entered Professional Wrestling? Is it true your marriage broke up because of her having an affair with your tag partner David Heath who she married?
Answer
I met Luna Vachon, the step daughter of Butcher Vachon, when I was in Tampa. I was dating a friend of hers and did not know her from school. She was 3 years older than me so we weren’t ever friends or anything till I met her through her friend. She was even with Dick Slater at the time. About 1 year later I met her again on a Rusty Brooks show. She said she heard I lived in Pompano and wondered if I could give her a ride because her car wasn’t starting and I gave her a ride. About 6 months later we did a show together and we got something to eat. Afterwards, we dated about 5 months on and off. We were married, but only for around 6 months. For about 3 months I was in Japan and it was difficult. I decided on the phone I didn’t want to be married anymore. We fought about everything and it got old real fast. She talked to me about trying to work it out, but it was too much for me. Me and Dave Heath were in Japan and he was getting ready to marry his girlfriend from high school (so NO, Luna and I did not break up because she and Heath had an affair, as some leave the inference). A week or 2 later they broke up and Dave lived with me and Luna for about a month. I still loved being single and she was just not for me. I moved out and he stayed with her to help pay rent. They began dating a month later. Dave and I still did another Japan tour and worked for Tri-State and Abrahm’s UWF. I didn’t care they were dating; I just wanted to make it. Me and Rusty Brooks trained Dave Heath. He tells a another story about Malenko but its just not true. Me and Dave had different ideas about wrestling. I felt I was better than him and he thought he was better. When Pro Wrestling Illustrated did their Top 500 and I was number 60 and he was number 125, he was really mad and wanted to go on his own. We split and All Japan chose me over him so I was a Blackheart and he became a vampire.
Question 5
Tom, we have already dispelled several internet rumors about your life. Let’s discuss the unique tag-team you were the mainstay in almost its entirety. Many would say the Blackhearts would definitely have a valid argument in being one of the top 20 tag-teams of all time. Take us back to the origin of this great team:
You began to gain notoriety in the Stampede territory in an unique tag-team known as the Blackhearts. This is where multiple questions long to be asked all at the same time. Please indulge me to set Pro Wrestling history straight:
Were the Blackhearts formed in the Stampede Territory? If not, where was the superb gimmick originated?
Answer
I was working an independent show for Boris Malenko and I met Angelo Poffo. He said he liked me and thought he could get me in Calgary or Portland. Sean Waltman and I were hanging out around New Years and I remember I told him in November that if I don’t get to a real territory by my birthday Jan 29, id quit. I was with Sean when Angelo Poffo told me to call Bruce and Stu Hart that I’d be starting in 2 months. When I made it to Calgary, Bruce Hart was fired and the Dynamite Kid was doing the booking. I did a TV and Dynamite said he’s giving me a chance to find work elsewhere; its nothing personal, but Bruce Hart is no longer booking. He went on to say he’s bringing in Harley Race and Don Muraco and some others he felt could really make money . I said ok. I told Stu Hart I’ll give my notice and Stu asked why. I told him and he said I don’t know about this. Helen said if you leave, you’re always welcome back here. I went back to Florida and was teaming with Rusty Brooks and Dave Heath. I got a call from Bruce Hart just a couple months later. Dynamite was doing a terrible job and has quit or fired, would I think about coming back. I said probably. When I got back to Calgary, Dynamite Kid was gone and a few others had been in a bad car accident
[Six roster members were injured: Ross Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite Kid, Kitahara, Chris Benoit, and the Jackal; aka Jason}. We did TV and our Calgary days had started. Dave Heath said 5 days later he didn’t like the training with Bruce. He wanted to see his kid so he’s leaving after 6 days. Dave Heath left and me and Jason Anderson became a Blackheart and Stampede International Tag Champs with me for the final 6 months of the promotion]
Question 6
How did the tag-team come into being?
Answer
I talked with Dave Meltzer and he and I came up with the Blackheart name and team, along with some ideas. I called Bruce Hart and he liked the idea. I came with some different masks. Bruce Hart talked over different ideas till we decided on the black spandex masks. I already had the outfits and the robes.
Question 7
The Blackhearts wore a mask that looked eerie as it was totally black with no openings; similar to the mask Ric Flair wore in his infamous Black Scorpion match. To add to your surreal aura, you wore a second white half mask before your introduction. It was expressionless and seemed to be made of hard plastic, almost ceramic, that was in contrast to their entire black outfits. It really added to your mystique. What is the story behind this and the symbolism?
Answer
Bruce felt the Phantom of the Opera was pretty hot, so he sent a friend to go to a local costume shop to find masks like phantom of opera. They wanted to cut the masks but I liked just the way they were. The Blackhearts also had a high-pitched scream from Day One that Bruce Hart and I came up with..…To step back, I wanted to come to Calgary with Rusty Brooks but he was a single dad. Bruce wanted me and my partner to look the same, so I asked Dave Heath and he said, “Sure”. This team lasted 6 days, as I said.
Question 8
My research has you appearing with David Heath in Tri-State, UWF, and All Japan rings as the Blackhearts; is that correct? Any specific memories you would like to share concerning any of these territories or about Heath?
Answer
Once we came home, I talked with Dave Meltzer and he told me Jimmy Suzuki was booking guys in Japan. I called Jimmy Suzuki and sent him tapes of mostly me in Calgary and Florida. It was August and he said I’d be going to All Japan in January. Later we talked about tag team Blackhearts again, so I invited Dave Heath to come back and work Japan. Herb
Abrams needed some local guys and we were gonna work his show in Ft Lauderdale. He gave us a match and told us he loved us and we’d be his first tag champs. Additionally, Steve Williams told Herb we were friends of his and were pretty good. Somewhere along this timeline I met Gertrude Herd, most of you know her as Luna. She worked for Joel Goodharts and Todd Gordon’s Tri-State wrestling aganst Medusa. So Joel asked us to come up and work for him and we won his tag belts. After the Apter mag deal I was ranked higher than Dave Heath and Dave said he felt they were wrong. He said I must’ve spoken to somebody. He went on to say he should work singles so everybody would know he was better. I laughed, and from then on we were no longer freinds. Shortly after, we split. We both spoke with All Japan. They chose me, not him. So i started training with Dave Johnson who i felt looked like Dave Heath and wrestled the same. We were working in Florida and for Memphis feuding with Duggan and JYD and doing battle royals every night against Jarrett and Lawler, who were great to work with. Money sucked and after 6 weeks we quit. We were still working and began working for Dennis Carluzzo and some Al Snow shows.
Question 9
Go right on, I know our readers are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for you to clear up a few other questions they are wanting answered.
Answer
We went to All Japan and just before I messed up my knee pretty bad, the tour was going ok. Dory Funk Jr, Steve Williams, as well as the Patriot Del Wilkes told me I should work singles; that I’ve had 2 partners that were not that good. I told Dory I’m probally not gonna wrestle anymore, things are not going well. He told me it takes time, that I do some great moves and take one of the best backdrops ever. He said he would call me in Florida. About a week later on my answer machine Mike Graham and later Dusty Rhodes called and wanted us in WCW. I called Dory Funk Jr and thanked him. He said do a great job and I said thanks; what a great man Dory Funk Jr! When we got to WCW, it was a mess. Bill Watts had just been fired. Dusty and Ole were running things. They were pretty cool I must say. We did some squash matches and went home. We came back and did some TV. I ran into my old friend Rob Van Dam; an awesome talent. My good buddy Tyler Mayne was teaming with Vinnie Vegas as Big Sky (formerly Nitron with Woman). Before we went there, Terry Gordy said not to go as it suuucks; brother you’ll hate it! I didn’t know what to think. We came back and did about 8 TV shows and it was ok. Then we came back a month later to feud with the Cole twins. They were really nice guys, but just very hard to do anything with. We had a TV match with them where they forgot every spot. Dave Johnson put one in a headlock forever to settle him down, and they were supposed to have a big come back which never happened. It was horrible and I said to Dave Johnson on the way home “I don’t want to do this anymore”. After 11 years I was over it. Jim Neidhart talked me into doing a few shows for him in Tampa. Jim’s a great guy. Afterwards, All Japan called, I didn’t call them back. WCW called, I didn’t call them back. Dennis Carluzzo called, I didn’t return his call. I didn’t return Dave Johnson’s calls. I started working as an electrician.
Question 10
After your Blackheart tag-team days ended, the word on the internet concerning your whereabouts is nothing but guesses and conjecture. The strongest rumors had you wrestling in Japan or England. What is the real truth—where was Tom Nash?
Answer
Within a year of working as an electician, I was doing work for some guys and the law surounded their house with helicopters and all. They arrested me and said these guys are drug dealers, have killed people and they wanted me to testify. I was like, “ I’m just doing electric work; I dont know what they do.” They also had me under the wrong name and had to release me from prison after 4 days. I went to see a lawyer and he told me these guys are really bad news and the Feds are gonna re-arrest me soon and its a mess. A friend told me he was building houses in Costa Rica. I went to see a lawyer and he told me i was looking at 15 years if i didn’t testify. I’ve never did drugs, didn’t drink much. I thought 15 years; I’m going to Costa Rica. I was on the run for 15 years and Interpol caught me. I sat in prison in Costa Rica for a few months; lost my girlfriend who was beautiful and awesome. They transferred me to the US of A and I was in prison for a couple years. A judge said I really didn’t do anything; never been arrested before ever. He gave me 5 years of probation and I was released 2 months later. About 6 months ago I was released from probation 2 years early for good behavior. I’ve been partners with my Dad for 3 years until he just passed away.
Question 11
David Heath formed another Blackhearts team with him being Destruction and a Todd Passmore being Agony; any comments?
Answer
I never knew about a different Blackheart team till recently. I’ve not spoken to anybody in wrestling except Pete Lederberg, Barry Rose, and Jeff Bowdren, and just spoke to Rusty Brooks and Norman Smiley. Recently I spoke to Dave Meltzer also. All are great friends. Until lately, I haven’t thought about wrestling or cared in years.
Terry Kent
In closing, let me say what a pleasure it has been for me to be welcomed into the private world of one of the greatest tag-team wrestlers ever. The Blackhearts were talented and took kayfabe to the edge. Very rarely have I been completely captivated by a participant or tag-team. It was entertainment that was spelled the old-fashioned way: STORYLINE that put butts in the seats. They made you believe IT WAS REAL and you didn’t know what was going to happen next; you would keep 1 eye on the action, and 1 eye on the nearest exit if you would have to flee at a second’s notice. Tom Nash was the brains and main talent of this championship team. There is so much misinformation on the internet that I have not found one site (so far) that had the truth as brought to you in these 3 parts. There were more than 2 Blackhearts. There were 5 in all. They were:
Tom Nash
David Heath
Jason Anderson (Stampede tag champion)
David Heath (again)
David Johnson
Later, David Heath and Todd Passmore wrestled as the Blackhearts
Barry Rose, my good friend and one of Florida’s top historians, said about Tom Nash: “I first got to know Tom in the mid-1970s. He’d attend the weekly matches on Miami Beach every Wednesday with his father and younger brother. Being roughly the same age, we got to know each other over the years and we certainly had a bond in pro wrestling. There was a group of us, maybe a half dozen or so, that were hardcore fans. We’d hit West Palm Beach on Mondays, Miami Beach on Wednesdays, and Ft. Lauderdale on Fridays. Once in a great while, we’d even make special trips up “north” to Tampa, Orlando, or St. Petersburg to see wrestling. Tom would always talk about his favorite wrestler growing up, Mil Mascaras, and then he’d needle me over my favorite, Rocky Johnson. Tom also always talked about wanting to break into the business. We heard that a lot, with fans thinking they were tough and ready to enter the ring. But, there was something honest and genuine about Tom. When he told you he was going to be a wrestler you believed him. The passion poured out of him and you could literally see how dedicated he was just by looking into his eyes. We lost touch in the mid-1980s, but the first time I saw him on TV I was so excited. He had a dream, and not many of us can say we actually fulfilled ours. Tom did, and I know he never had any doubt that he would.”
Thanks Pete Lederberg, Barry Rose, and especially to you Tom Nash.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Interview with Tom Nash.
Interviewer: Terry Kent.
Published: 2014.
Wrestler Interview: #1.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Interview with Tom Nash.
Interviewer: Terry Kent.
Published: 2014.
Wrestler Interview: #1.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
An interview with Tony Nardo - Read Here.