STW - Sean Waltman [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Today we’re discussing a man who’s had ups and downs throughout his career - Sean Waltman!

Sean turned 51 just a few weeks ago - doesn’t seem like he’s 51 right?

It seems like the first time you would’ve seen Sean was in the GWF is that fair to say?

At the time - he was known as the Lightning Kid…and he was the first GWF Light Heavyweight Champion when he defeated Jerry Lynn in Dallas. Did you see the Kid - Lynn matches and how revolutionary were they at the time?

Did you know that they could change or revolutionize the business?

Kid didn’t always have it easy. There was a story when he worked for Dennis Coraluzzo in New Jersey when he had someone overshoot a suicide dive and landed on his head which caused a blood clot and almost had to retire from wrestling. How different is this business if Kid retired in 92?

In April of 93 Kid gets a tryout…the day after WrestleMania IX losing to Louie Spicolli in Phoenix. Do you know how Kid got the spot and the tryout?

What did you think of Kid in this match?

The next night in Tuscon Waltman gets the win over Spicolli and it feels like he’s going to be brought in. Did you guys know that right away?

Did you think - and this is the company/Vince mindset - that he would just be an enhancement guy or did everyone think this guy could seriously get over - at his size?

He debuts on TV at Monday Night Raw losing to Doink and on his tights it says L. KID but he’s known as “The Kamikaze Kid.” Was there a concern about his gear or anything like that?

It’s a squash match - in fact two were taped that night - do you remember why two were taped?

How did his name continue to evolve?

Did the roster see him as a guy that they can get in the ring with and look like a million bucks?

Did Sean need to be taught to be unselfish?

Next he’s shown as Cannonball Kid and gets squashed by Mr. Hughes on Raw. You all knew he could be recovered I’m assuming for the way he lost two weeks in a row - but did you already have the idea of the story with Razor in mind to set this up?

The Raw where Waltman gets the win over Razor is one of the very early classic episodes that featured not only this win but Marty Jannetty comes out of the crowd to return and defeat Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Title. Before we get to the 1-2-3 Kid vs. Razor match - was this the first Raw you can remember that stands out as being what everyone wanted in Monday Night Raw?

Dave Meltzer would write this is the first time in WWF TV history that someone has been given a win like this in this manner…where Kid was squashed the whole match before Kid hit one moonsault for the win and the celebration…it just all worked did it not?

Could this had worked with anyone else?

Was this a Pat Patterson idea - Scott Hall - Vince?

Did you know at the time this would lead to a Razor babyface turn?

Waltman still has a tour of Japan to finish up - but this is the kind of star making win that feels something doesn’t it?

With Waltman in Japan there’s a lot of challenges made on TV by Razor that it feels like Waltman is ducking and it takes Razor to offer up $10,000 for Waltman to accept the challenge. Does this make Waltman seem like less of a babyface?

It’s Randy Savage that coined 1-2-3 Kid on TV…but who actually was the one who came up with the name?

Was the name something that had to have changed at some point for him to move up a level?

The June 21st Raw where Kid returns for his match against Razor draws a 3 rating which at the time is a hell of a rating. The big spot everyone remembers…well except for Sean…is he goes up top to go do a tope onto Razor who’s outside…but he slips and crashes and knocks himself out. Razor gets him through the rest and he hits a moonsault…grabs the money and takes off into a waiting car. How messed up do you remember Sean being after?

The building of Kid here really is how you can make a babyface seem larger than life regardless of size am I right?

Ted DiBiase rubs it into Razor’s face about how he lost to the Kid to really cement Razor’s babyface turn…did you see Kid & Razor becoming a tag team at this point?

Kid would get a pin over DiBiase as well to continue the build here…how was the young Waltman getting acclimated to the locker room?

Kid’s first pay-per-view match would be against IRS at SummerSlam 93…and while himself & Razor have formed this kind of bond…Kid takes the loss from IRS to help build IRS for his series of Intercontinental title matches against Razor is it not?

Kid gets some wins on TV and actually is part of the opening Survivor Series match teaming with Marty Jannetty, Razor and Randy Savage who would defeat IRS, Diesel, Rick Martel & Adam Bomb. Kid & Marty were the last two survivors and this would lead to them becoming a tag team. Where did the idea of Kid & Marty being put together come from?

Kid and Jannetty then went on to win the WWF Tag Titles on the first anniversary of Monday Night Raw on January 10, 1994 from Richmond, Virginia - defeating the Quebecers.

It’s only a one-week reign however and part of the story of the Quebecers build up to face Bret & Owen Hart at the Royal Rumble, as the Quebecers regained the titles at the Jan 17th MSG house show. This was just one of those - let’s throw a title change on TV and at a house show to build up the Quebecers was it not?

Speaking of Bret, Kid gets his first taste of some main events as he and the Hitman would have a run of house show matches against Owen and Shawn Michaels in February 94. How much did guys like Bret, Owen & Shawn like working with Waltman?

Kid missed out on wrestling at WrestleMania X due to the show running long as he was to be part of the 10-man tag that was cut due to time constraints and held on Raw a few weeks later instead, with IRS pinning Kid to win the match for the heel 5-some along with the Headshrinkers, Rick Martel and Jeff Jarrett.

Kid’s partners were the Smoking Gunns, Thurman “Sparky” Plugg and Tatanka. Do you know if this was a disappointment for him?

Crazy to think about this now…but Waltman would not wrestle on a WrestleMania until WrestleMania 15. How about that Bruce?

Kid has a tremendous showing for the 1994 King of the Ring tournament. He defeated Adam Bomb to qualify on the May 28th edition of Superstars.

Then at the PPV itself, Kid defeats Jeff Jarrett in the quarter finals.

Jeff then puts a beating on Kid after to bring some doubt in the fans minds whether Kid could continue in the semi-finals against Owen.

Kid did return and Owen defeated him in only 3:37 with the Sharpshooter, in one of the greatest shorter matches ever featured on a PPV, and worth watching again if you haven’t seen it in a while. These two could just go could they not?

Was this around the time that Waltman became the test for wrestlers that you’ve often talked about…if they can’t work with Kid they can’t work?

The next night on Raw, Kid won a #1 contender’s match against Nikolai Volkoff of all people (that’s right Nikolai Volkoff was getting a #1 contender’s shot in 1994) and so Kid got a shot at WWF Champion Bret Hart on the July 11th Monday Night Raw from Bushkill, PA

And it doesn’t disappoint. It’s probably the best match held on Raw up to that point, with Bret eventually getting the win with the Sharpshooter in an incredible 25 minute match. Go out of your way to see it on Peacock if you haven’t seen it - and it’s become really a classic match not just for fans but wrestlers today looking back hasn’t it?

In October on the second edition of the Action Zone taped in White Plains, Kid is involved in another incredible match in WWF TV, when he and Razor challenge tag champs Diesel and Shawn Michaels, with Michaels getting the pin on Kid following a big boot to the face from Diesel after 22 minutes of non-stop action. This has always been talked about how the members of the Clique would go all out when they were wrestling each other - did Vince realize this and make sure to put something like this together?

Kid is part of the Survivor Series 94 opener where Razor is the sole survivor as the rest of his team - Kid, the Headshrinkers and Davey Boy Smith are all eliminated by Diesel from the opposing side.

Shawn then accidentally hits the sweet chin music Diesel for the third time in as many months, and this causes the team to lose here, and the split of Shawn & Diesel.

Shawn & Diesel were still the tag champs when they split up and the titles were vacated, so in late 1994, an 8-team tournament was set up to crown new champions. How had Sean evolved at this point - either backstage or in the ring in your opinion?

Was he becoming a problem child at this point?

The Smoking Gunns were supposed to be in the tournament, but due to an injury suffered by Billy Gunn, the Gunns were replaced by Kid and Bob Holly.

They defeated Well Dunn in the quarter finals on the January 7th 1995 edition of Superstars, and the Heavenly Bodies the following week to reach the finals against Bam Bam Bigelow & Tatanka.

The finals were at the 1995 Royal Rumble PPV in Tampa, and Kid & Holly pulled the big upset and won the titles. How crucial is this win by Waltman & Holly to set the stage for Bigelow & Lawrence Taylor? Would it had worked with any other tag team?

It’s an even shorter reign than last time however, at just 1 day, as the next night on Raw, the Gunns are back and win the titles from Kid & Holly. Was this always the plan?

Kid suffered a few injuries in early 1995 including a concussion and a fractured vertebrae, leading to a few months away to heal up. Was this just based on his style and things he would do with his body that would lead to these things?

Kid is back in June, and loses to the Roadie at the July In Your House PPV after a scary looking piledriver finisher from the middle turnbuckle.

Kid also lost to Hakishi at SummerSlam. Had the 1-2-3 gimmick run its course at this point in your mind? Were you pushing for a heel turn?

Following SummerSlam we begin a slow burn process to turn Kid heel.

Kid loses to Dean Douglas via DQ on the September 9 Superstars after Razor interferes, and Kid argues with Razor after the match for costing him the match. Did you see more out of him being a heel?

On Raw 2 days later, Kid costs Razor a match against the Bulldog via DQ.

After the match, Vince McMahon conducted an in-ring interview with Razor and the Kid, with the Kid dismissing McMahon’s questions about the match and instead challenged Razor to a match the following week so that Razor would finally take him seriously and give him respect; after the Kid left ringside, Razor said he was the one who made the Kid famous and said if the fans wanted the match, if McMahon wanted the match, and if the Kid wanted the match then he would accept the challenge  It was time for Kid to start showing some personality besides the scrappy underdog right?

A week later on Raw, Kid would pick up the victory over Razor, pinning him following interference from Dean Douglas while Kid and the referee were not looking and didn’t see the interference. It felt like Kid was a backdrop during all this for the eventual Dean Douglas program…did Vince not have confidence in him to go all the way?

At In Your House on September 24 from Saginaw, Dean would pin Razor this time Razor was distracted by Kid. Razor had hit the Razor’s Edge as referee Tim White was knocked down, with the Kid then appearing and counting a pinfall himself; after Razor then realized the referee didn’t make the pin, he shoved the Kid out of the ring to avoid getting disqualified and was caught from behind by a roll up from Dean; after the match, Razor pulled the Kid in the ring, with the Kid and Razor trading shoves and slaps until referees and officials broke it up. Could you had seen Razor - Kid being a WrestleMania type program?

Razor and Kid have a rematch against each other on the October 2nd Raw to try and settle their differences, with Razor pinning Kid three separate times.

Razor originally won the match with a clothesline but the Kid demanded the bout continue; Razor pinned the Kid a second time by catching him coming off the ropes and hitting a powerbomb but again the Kid wanted the match to continue; Razor pinned the Kid a third time with an inside cradle; the Kid wanted to keep going but his body gave out and he and Razor would reconcile their differences, leaving ringside together. This…doesn’t make the Kid look like a big bad heel does it?

Kid & Razor then got a shot at the Smoking Gunns at the next In Your House PPV on October 22 from Winnipeg.

Ramon did the Razor's Edge on Billy and stalled around while Kid begged for the tag so he could win the title. After more stalling, Ramon tagged Kid, who went for a cocky pin, but Billy ended up crucifixing him to the mat for the three count to keep the title. After the match, Kid threw a temper tantrum, shoving Ramon, who walked out on him, and attacked both Gunns. Was the plan always to put Kid with DiBiase so he could use a mouthpiece?

To cement the heel turn, on the November 13th Raw, Kid is made the special referee of a non-title match between IC Champ Razor and Sid.

Sid controlled much of the match because Douglas attacked Ramon early while Kid "didn't see." Ramon made a comeback and had Sid in the Razor's Edge, but Kid broke up the move.

Sid powerbombed Ramon and Kid gave a fast three count. Ted DiBiase stuffed money in Ramon's mouth and Kid took the money from Ramon's mouth and left with Sid & DiBiase. What did you see the ceiling as being with Kid as a heel?

6 days later and in his first match as a heel, Kid is the sole survivor in the opening elimination match at Survivor Series, with Kid defeating former partner Marty Jannetty at the end to win the match. This is a big deal and pushed as one…but it seems to stall not long after this. Was this just the issues with the Kliq…or Waltman? Was he having issues backstage?

Kid would go on to cost Razor the IC Title to Goldust at the Royal Rumble PPV in Fresno on January 21st 1996.

The next night on Raw, Kid interferes in Razor’s match with HHH and sprays Razor with milk from a large baby bottle. This is right out of Cornette isn’t it?

This sets up the Crybaby match between Razor and Kid at the February 96 In Your House PPV from Louisville.

Razor Ramon pinned 1-2-3 Kid in a crybaby match in 12:01.

Kid came out with a stroller and a Ramon teddy bear. Ted DiBiase threw baby powder in Ramon's eyes to give Kid an advantage….

From the Observer

They went to several near falls before DiBiase distracted the ref and threw the baby powder bottle to Kid. Kid poured the powder in his hands, but when Ramon turned around, he kicked Kid in the hands and the powder went into Kid's eyes. Ramon used one Razor's edge and refused to pin Kid, but then did so after a second one. Ramon then put the baby bottle in Kid's mouth, threw powder in DiBiase's eyes, put a diaper on Kid and poured baby powder all over him.

When Kid revived in the ring, he started crying. ***

They all hated this didn’t they?

What did you think?

In one of Kid’s last WWF appearances, he wrestled Marc Mero at the pre show of the April 28, 1996 In Your House PPV in Omaha.

Meltzer noted “Kid physically looked bad. His work was sloppy and he was way down in weight, appearing to be in the 165-170 range.” Were his backstage issues bad at this point?

Kid wrestled his final WWF match of this run two days later against Savio Vega, and was put in drug rehab afterwards. But he doesn’t return and Kid was let go. Chat me up Bruce…the timing of this with Scott Hall & Kevin Nash leaving…this looked like it was just time for him to go…but man what a factor he ended up being in the Monday Night Wars right?

Kid then debuted in WCW on September 16, 1996 on Nitro joining the nWo as “Syxx” or sometime “Syxx-Pac” - there was a big legal issue with him appearing in WCW was it not? What were the issues?

In October 1997, a neck injury sidelined Waltman from wrestling, but he continued to appear on television for several weeks after.

While later recuperating at home, he was fired via Fed Ex by Eric Bischoff. Waltman claims this was a power play aimed at his friends Hall and Nash, whose backstage influence was felt as a threat.

Bischoff later said Waltman was a competent performer when sober, but sober periods were "few and far between", and "in many ways, Sean was lucky to even have a job". When you hear Waltman was let go - were you hesitant to bring him back into the locker room? Who was pushing for him to return?

So, 18 months after joining WCW, Waltman returned to the WWF the night after WrestleMania 14, now known as X-Pac, and joined DX with a very memorable promo.

HHH said he was forming a DX army and "when you start an army, you look to your blood... you look to your buddies... you look to your friends... you look to The Kliq…

HHH signaled toward the entrance way and out walked Waltman, sporting a full beard, a DX t-shirt, sunglasses, and his signature wagging tongue. Jim Ross said: “Look who’s back. A new day is dawning for DX. Apparently there is a new leader in DX.” Waltman leaped into the ring and climbed the ropes as the fans popped huge for his return. He did an intense crotch chop (his invention which Eric Bischoff banned him from doing in WCW). This has been said to really help jumpstart the WWF ratings with Stone Cold and coming off WrestleMania with Mike Tyson…and Eric Bischoff has credited Waltman with being a big catalyst in all this. What credit do you give Sean in all this?

The promo is well remembered as Waltman basically shits on Hogan, Bischoff, WCW, his friends and it’s a new day for DX and really the WWF. Was this the Waltman you thought you always had that was never given the chance…or was this a side you didn’t know existed?

DX would launch itself into the stratratsphere that night with Hunter, Chyna & X-Pac helping the New Age Outlaws win the tag team titles from Cactus Jack & Terry Funk in a cage match and almost instantly they’re babyfaces. Did you imagine DX becoming babyfaces so quickly after being the top heels for 6 months?

Between invading WCW and the CNN Center…to the mockery of the Nation…Waltman is a part of some big moments in the summer of 98…but it took him a while to get back into the ring and ring shape from his injury did it not?

Was there any reluctance to bring him in because of the injury?

Do you think Sean had lost some steps in the ring at this point?

Eventually the DX feud moves to Jeff Jarrett & Southern Justice, with X-Pac defeating Jarrett in a a hair vs. hair match at SummerSlam from the Garden. The most memorable part of all this story is Howard Finkel being involved is it not?

In September 98, X-Pac defeated D-Lo Brown for the European title on Raw, lost it back two weeks later, and regained it another two weeks later at Judgment Day on October 18. He’s firmly placed in the midcard - but it wasn’t a small contract he was signed to just 6 months earlier. Was it just the role he was in because of DX?

Chyna turns on DX and joins the Corporation the night after the Royal Rumble 1999 PPV in January which sets up the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre PPV for February where Chyna and Kane would defeat HHH & X-Pac after X-Pac was distracted by Shane McMahon. Putting Shane in a program with X-Pac was ideal to help him learn how to work?

The next night on Raw, Shane would become European Champion. But it’s in a tag match with Shane & Kane defeating X-Pac and HHH with the added stipulation that if X-Pac was pinned, whoever got the fall would become European Champion, and Shane got the pin after interference from Chyna. Had DX run its course at this point do you think?

Did Waltman have an issue with the group breaking up?

X-Pac finally gets his first match at a WrestleMania and it was at WrestleMania XV to challenge Shane for the European title.

Prior to this match, HHH defeated Kane thanks to Chyna and had seemingly rejoined DX.

But it’s a swerve bro, as HHH costs X-Pac the match here vs Shane, and HHH has really joined the Corporation, while Kane has been removed and DX is basically disbanded. There was never really a big blow off to Hunter turning on DX - as Hunter vs. X-Pac never takes place. Why do you think that was?

X-Pac then befriends Kane and just 2 days after WrestleMania (aired 6 days later on Raw) the oddball tag team defeated Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett to become the tag champions. Putting these two together just seems weird but it really worked did it not?

The Acolytes would win the titles on the May 31st edition of Raw following interference from Shane McMahon before Pac goes on a run in the 1999 King of the Ring tournament. It’s built around the last 3 members of DX, as Waltman would defeat Road Dogg in the semifinals before losing to Billy Gunn in the main event. Feels like Waltman is treading water here does it not?

At the 1999 Fully Loaded PPV in July, X-Pac & Road Dogg would defeat Chyna & Mr Ass for the “rights to the DX name”. Did you ever see Road Dogg and X-Pac being anywhere near the original New Age Outlaws?

On the August 9th Raw, Kane & X-Pac regained the tag titles from the Acolytes.

X-Pac had been trying to humanize Kane prior to this, including helping him build up to speak his first words in character, without the help of a technological device—and after winning the titles, Kane’s first words were appropriately, “Suck it.” The big man little man tag team and Waltman’s influence over having Kane be a babyface just worked didn’t it?

They would lose the tag team titles before DX would reform as a heel stable in late October of 99. Was it worth going back to this gimmick? Did Hunter need the rest as heaters as the World Champion?

The storyline between Kane and X-Pac was inherently personal, given they were portrayed as much more than just tag team partners, but close friends who had helped one another become the best versions of themselves. Their feud only intensified when Kane’s girlfriend, Tori, left him for X-Pac, sending Kane on the warpath as he pursued revenge. This was X-Pac at  his heel best was it not?

This was after Kane had lost a match where the stipulation was Tori had to spend the Christmas holidays with X-Pac if Kane didn’t win. But on returning, Tori said X-Pac was “the perfect gentleman”

On the January 27, 2000 edition of SmackDown, Tori officially turned on Kane to join X-Pac and DX, as they began to reveal the dirty secret of what really went on between the two during the holidays. The swarmy Waltman & Tori combination worked for so many reasons did it not?

Do you think it hurt to have them together directly underneath Hunter & Stephanie or do you think it added to it?

Then at the No Way Out PPV in February, Tori would help X-Pac defeat Kane, but Kane would get the final win at WrestleMania 2000, teaming with Rikishi to defeat X-Pac and Road Dogg. It was time to move on wasn’t it?

At King of the Ring 2000, X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Tori defeated the Dudley Boyz in a dumpster match; during the bout, Tori was powerbombed through a table by the Dudley Boyz, marking the end of her affiliation with X-Pac. Did Tori & X-Pac get along well backstage? Why was it time to move Tori away from the group?

In August 2000, growing dissension between X-Pac and Road Dogg saw the two face one another at SummerSlam, with X-Pac winning the bout following a low blow; after the match, Road Dogg attacked X-Pac, marking the end of their tag team and the dissolution of DX. It feels like everytime DX dissolves it ends with a whimper and not with a bang. Why do you think that is?

In September 2000, X-Pac began feuding with Chris Jericho, with Jericho defeating X-Pac at Unforgiven and then again in a cage match at No Mercy in October. During the feud, X-Pac sustained a neck injury when Jericho gave him a powerbomb, sidelining him for three months. Was this the beginning of Jericho’s heat backstage? Was Sean upset?

When X-Pac returned in February 2001, it was part of a new faction - the X-Factor with Albert and Justin Credible. The most notable thing about the faction is probably their theme song by Uncle Kracker. This…this wasn’t great was it?

Was Sean having issues at this time with demons?

Despite the reign occurring during the WCW Invasion angle, where the WWF side was mostly portrayed as faces, the fans were vocal in their disapproval of Waltman during his reign. This fan disapproval, later known as "X-Pac heat", was acknowledged on-screen by both Alliance member Billy Kidman and, later by WWF member Edge. It’s around this time that people are talking about X-Pac heat being go away heat. Was this something of a sentiment just online or was it backstage?

X-Pac really gets lost in the invasion as X-Factor breaks up when Credible goes with the Alliance…and even though Waltman would win the Cruiserweight Title from Kidman and hold the Light Heavyweight Title and feud with Tajiri…it just feels like he’s stuck. Was it time for him to go away and get a fresh paint of coat?

X-Pac would return to TV after taking time off for some injuries to join the nWo and attack Hulk Hogan - attempting to cut another promo like when he rejoined the WWF - but this just didn’t work did it?

It was portrayed that Waltman was the little buddy of the group again…and he was hurt again during a match with Booker & Goldust and would need more time off. Was the WWF tired of his inability to stay healthy?

Of course…X-Pac cut Michael Hayes’ ponytail off on the infamous plane ride from hell in early May. Was Waltman more trouble than he was worth at this point?

The nWo disbands after Nash tears his quad and in something of an unheard of move at the time…Jim Ross announces at SummerSlam that Waltman & the WWE had parted ways. Why this extreme way of saying it?

Did Waltman leave with a ton of heat?

How bad was the relationship at the end?

Waltman would find his way back to the company for various events, Hall of Fames, and with FCW before NXT…before he himself was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice as a member of DX & the nWo. What is Sean’s legacy in the business do you think?