Sean Waltman, aka X-Pac, is a 2-time WWE Hall of Famer and host of the Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast. He joins Chris Van Vliet for an in-person interview in Los Angeles, CA to talk about his legendary career, being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice, his role in the NWO and DX, his friendships with Triple H, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, being Kane’s tag team partner, his reaction to the term “X-Pac Heat” and much more!
On the origin of the name X-Pac:
“It’s just a name I made up. So when I came to WCW, Eric Bischoff named me 6. People were like what does that mean. Well one plus two plus three equals six. I still don’t really know the answer to that. I don’t remember Eric ever confirming where he got it from. But everyone asked me did I ever think I would have a name to do with numbers. But long story short, Hulk would call me six pack, after a six pack of beer. Then the guys from the younger generation changed it to Pac. So it was six-PAC. When I left, Vince was trying to figure out a name for me. He knew I didn’t want to be called kid anymore. He goes ‘Well what if we called you The Man?’ This was before Becky Lynch by the way. I’m like [sucks teeth] I’m not really feeling it man. But he would throw out ideas, and if you weren’t a fan of it, you wouldn’t hurt his feelings.”
On getting recognized by people:
“I look like X-Pac in 2021 but not necessarily X-PAC in 1999. People do still recognize me at the grocery store and things like that. But they are not sure. They are like ‘I think that’s him.’
On possibly becoming a 3 time WWE Hall of Fame inductee:
“I would be very grateful, but it’s not something that I am actively hoping for. [Chris mentions Sean would be the first three time inductee] I don’t think that they are going to let that happen. How can I be a three time Hall of Famer and Ric flair is only two times? Come on man. I’m just being honest here.”
On being inducted as an NWO member:
“There are others out there that deserve to be inducted for being a part of the NWO as much as me. So I am grateful. Big Show, Randy Savage, I’m thinking of the guys that were like the NWO crew when I was there. Then there was [Scott] Norton and [Buff] Bagwell People here may not understand their contributions, but over in Japan they were crushing it.”
On how the jump to WCW came about:
“Originally I was supposed to be the first member. When we all jumped, I was the one that started it. I was out here training and recovering from injuries. I was training at Gold’s Gym and I met with Barry Bloom. So Barry told me that Eric had opened up his chequebook and was going to sign some people. I was definitely interested, because I wasn’t main eventing and I wasn’t making much money. So we were talking and I got on the phone and called Scott [Hall], and that set the whole thing in motion.”
Why didn’t he sign with Nash and Hall:
“It never got that far. The contracts back then, when you didn’t give 90 days notice, the contract rolls over. I f*cked up the timing on my 90 day notice and it had already passed. So we had this big long tour, it was Scott and Kevin’s last Europe tour. We got back from the tour and I was really bummed out, because they were leaving. I was in the doghouse, because they knew I was the one that instigated all of this. I was already having substance issues, I had a reputation for it. Then I overdosed in a production meeting and they sent me to rehab. I made sure I took a handful of pills before I sat in the production meeting.”
On people seeing his career as 3 different characters:
“A lot of people look at it that way, but I’ve always just considered it a name. These were just different versions of me at different points in my life. But now I am a long way from the debauchery of the 1999 X-PAC that said suck it! As a person I have evolved and grown. But at the time I was very similar to my character. All that notoriety, I leaned into that.”
On not drinking and substance issues:
“By the time I got back to WWE I didn’t really touch alcohol. I occasionally had a sip. I didn’t consider it to be the main problem, that was the pharmaceuticals. When you mix them with alcohol, it goes hand in hand, which it shouldn’t! I never did that sh*t before I went to WWF. When you’re using them, you need to start taking more because of the tolerance. At one point I was buying bottles of 500 and taking various amounts a day, not quite as bad as Kurt though. I would maybe take 8 or 10.”
On some of his greatest moments as a wrestler:
“Me personally, things like standing across the ring from Ric Flair, being in there with Hulk, guys like that. My heroes became my friends, how many people can say that. I knew I wanted to be a wrestler after seeing my first live wrestling match at 10 years old. It was Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes for the NWA title. I was 15 when I started training, I wasn’t much shorter than I am now. I probably weighed about 150lbs. Also I was 16 for my debut match, I’ve been wrestling most of my life.”
On an unfortunate injury:
“I missed a bronco buster on Jerry Lynn’s retirement match. I’ve done the move a million times, but the turnbuckle was exposed a bit. The threads of the turnbuckle literally ripped my asshole. I had to have surgery, I was bleeding out. After the match, I knew I was bleeding. You can see me say ‘I tore my f*cking asshole.’ But there was an afterparty, it was Jerry’s retirement. I just put some sweats on over my gear. The gear held everything together. During the afterparty, I sprung a leak. I’m like uh oh. When I took everything off, the bathroom was covered in blood. I called an ambulance and I started getting dizzy. It was a serious loss of blood. I had to have emergency sphincter-plasty surgery. I’m cracking jokes and they are like don’t do that because it is hard to perform surgery when you are laughing.”
On a possible comeback:
“If I’m planning to do another match again I got to be in shape. I’m not making a rule of I’m done, I don’t put that sh*t on myself. It’s just that I’m not planning this big one more run. I am still under a legends contract with WWE. It so they can use my likeness and put me on their merchandise. I still get residuals, but I’m not sure what my cut of NWO at DX merch is. When WWE went public, I got stock options. I had to hold onto them for like a year, and cashed them out when I needed the money. Certain situations in my life I needed the money.”
On a match he didn’t like:
“I hated the crybaby match with Scott. That’s an example of me being in the doghouse. Usually when someone leaves the company, they put someone over on the way out. Scott is leaving the company, they still put him over and they put a diaper and a bottle on me.”
On the phrase ‘X-Pac heat’:
“It was around the time when the term started making its rounds. It was just an internet thing. There was a certain segment of the wrestling fan community had enough. I get it, actually I don’t know if I do. I mean we are talking about it’s not the same as the boos. The chatter on the internet, the reactions I am getting were not indicative of the X-Pac heat. The go away heat is when you’re busting your ass and they are not making a noise. It was just 2 different things going on at the same time. I’m almost 50 years old, I can’t let sh*t like that [bother me].”
On what he is grateful for:
“My dog, my support system, my relationship with my kids and my health.”
Featured image: Wrestling News.CO
Sean can be found on Twitter here
Sean’s podcast Pro Wrestling 4 Life can be found here.
