Kevin Nash Apologises For 'Mr Bojangles' Remark About Je'Von Evans Following Backlash

Kevin Nash has apologised for his remarks about Je'Von Evans on the Kliq This podcast, during which he said Evans was "too f*cking Mr Bojangles" and Nash wished the WWE talent was a "little bit more urban."

"He's an incredible athlete. He's a little bit too f*cking Mr Bojangles for me. I wish he was a little bit more urban. I understand it's Netflix. I understand there's a big f*cking world out there besides the ones that 66-year-old Detroit boy Kevin Nash wants, but I just want him to have a little bit of an edge. But if he's not going to have an edge, he can strike, he throws a good punch. F*cking take your time throwing a good punch, maybe put two or three together. Something where f*cking you tell me if this sh*t was real all this athleticism I have, I can use, not if this sh*t was real motherf*cker I would cartwheel off your motherf*cking body like you would never see. He sells good. He does everything good," Nash stated.

Nash's remarks immediately resulted in a backlash on social media and the WWE Hall of Famer has now apologised for his comments, although he also mentioned the term 'Uncle Tom' and claimed he is the only person who pays attention to the development of Black wrestlers.

"How often have you heard the term Uncle Tom? Most likely, it was used in a degrading way. If you've actually read the literature, Uncle Tom was whipped to death for helping free two female slaves. I apologize for the use of the term Mr Bogangles, it was in poor taste and obviously offensive. I just see talent being pushed in a direction that I disagree with. He should be the male version of Sol Ruca. More contemporary than urban. It's funny how I'm usually the only person who pays attention to the development of black talent," Nash tweeted.

Mr. Bojangles refers to Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, an African American tap dancer who performed throughout his life and was the highest-paid Black entertainer during the first half of the 20th century.

Uncle Tom was the titular character of Uncle Tom's Cabin, an 1852 anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. In the climax of the novel, Uncle Tom, a slave, was asked to reveal where two slave women who had been sexually abused by the plantation owner were hiding. He refused, which resulted in Uncle Tom being beaten to death.

Minstrel show retellings of Uncle Tom's Cabin, however, were often pro-slavery and did not include this part of the story. Instead, Uncle Tom was portrayed as an older Black man who would do anything to curry favour with his white master or mistress. This resulted in 'Uncle Tom' becoming a derogatory term.