The origination of these articles
He wanted to be the talk of professional wrestling.
I remember when I first saw him, about eight years ago. It was a sweltering August day, and I was attending a Pro Wrestling America show. A ring had been set up in the parking lot of a shopping mall in the north part of Minneapolis.
The opening bout began. I won't even try to recall the name of his opponent, but I'll never forget how surprised I was to see this skinny kid entering the ring wearing red tights with lightning bolts emblazoned on them. There was snickering in the audience, as the people in attendance obviously questioned the skills of this lanky youngster (I found out later he was only 17).
When the bell rang, he went into his "zone." He shocked his opponent and the crowd with a combination of aerial and martial arts moves. Slowly the mocking tone dissipated and the crowd began to take notice of this new face. He did not win the match, but he won over a few fans. It was a trend that would continue for several months. He wanted to be the talk of professional wrestling.
I met him for the first time after that show. We found out we had a great deal in common. He was just starting out in the wrestling industry, and so was I. I attended a few more shows over the summer and fall, and we talked frequently both before and after his matches. His story was fascinating. He came up to Minnesota at age 16 to become a professional wrestler. He had just finished training with Boris Malenko and wanted to show his wares in the Midwest.
He wanted to be the talk of professional wrestling.
As the months went on, we struck up a friendship. We would often go out to dinner together after shows and talk wrestling on the telephone. I was impressed with his vast knowledge of the sport's history and his obsessive desire to excel in his chosen field. No matter how much he was earning for a match, he gave it his all in the ring. Whether he won or lost, he wanted everyone in the crowd to leave with his name on their lips. He wanted to be the talk of professional wrestling.
His first national exposure came down in Texas with the Global Wrestling Federation, where he captured the light heavyweight title. Promotions in Japan favoring the lithe high-flyers and risk-takers invited him overseas to compete. He was starting to gain the recognition that he longed for throughout his young career. But he was still not the talk of professional wrestling.
He was, however, growing and maturing as a wrestler. No longer were there titters of laughter from the crowd - quite the opposite. Fans eagerly anticipated his appearances, and this was in spite of the fact that he was a rulebreaker. The dirtier he became, the more the crowd roared its approval. In this day and age of rulebreaker worship, he was ahead of his time. At least in Minnesota, Texas and Japan, he was becoming the talk of professional wrestling.
Big-time opportunity finally knocked in 1993. The WWF came calling, and he was off to the bright lights of Titanland. But he was starting over, a small man in a land of super heavyweights. He was considered an underdog, a man who could occasionally upset the major stars. But his success inspired many of his peers and his growing legion of fans. He was moving toward becoming the talk of professional wrestling.
In 1996, he moved on to WCW, reuniting with his friends Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Unfortunately for him, his jump from the WWF to WCW came only a few months after Hulk Hogan officially turned rulebreaker and formed the nWo, so it didn't have the impact he had hoped it would.
On March 9 of this year (1998), a Federal Express delivery driver knocked on the door of his Minnesota home. He answered the door, accepted the package, and opened it. In it was his termination from WCW. While most wrestlers would look at this as a low point of their career, for him, it was the start of his quest to realize a goal.
His name was all over the Internet. His picture was on the cover of PWI Weekly. He was the one wrestler who was on the minds of all the fans. How did he feel about his firing? Where would he go next? It was a story that played itself out for several weeks, and his name was on the tip of every wrestling fan's tongue. When he made his decision to return to the WWF at the end of March, the 'Net intensity increased and still remains. Would he join DX? What would he call himself now?
Even though I do not speak to him as much as I once did (the rigors of both of our schedules), I still consider him a friend. We talk occasionally, reminiscing about the past and the paths that we both have taken since we first met. We have both achieved a lot of the goals we set for ourselves back then. But finally, the one thing that was most important to him for so long has become reality, and I know how thrilled he is about that.
Sean Waltman (a.k.a. The Lightning Kid, The 1-2-3 Kid, Syxx and now X-Pac) is the talk of professional wrestling. He wanted to be the talk of professional wrestling.
I remember when I first saw him, about eight years ago. It was a sweltering August day, and I was attending a Pro Wrestling America show. A ring had been set up in the parking lot of a shopping mall in the north part of Minneapolis.
The opening bout began. I won't even try to recall the name of his opponent, but I'll never forget how surprised I was to see this skinny kid entering the ring wearing red tights with lightning bolts emblazoned on them. There was snickering in the audience, as the people in attendance obviously questioned the skills of this lanky youngster (I found out later he was only 17).
When the bell rang, he went into his "zone." He shocked his opponent and the crowd with a combination of aerial and martial arts moves. Slowly the mocking tone dissipated and the crowd began to take notice of this new face. He did not win the match, but he won over a few fans. It was a trend that would continue for several months. He wanted to be the talk of professional wrestling.
I met him for the first time after that show. We found out we had a great deal in common. He was just starting out in the wrestling industry, and so was I. I attended a few more shows over the summer and fall, and we talked frequently both before and after his matches. His story was fascinating. He came up to Minnesota at age 16 to become a professional wrestler. He had just finished training with Boris Malenko and wanted to show his wares in the Midwest.
He wanted to be the talk of professional wrestling.
As the months went on, we struck up a friendship. We would often go out to dinner together after shows and talk wrestling on the telephone. I was impressed with his vast knowledge of the sport's history and his obsessive desire to excel in his chosen field. No matter how much he was earning for a match, he gave it his all in the ring. Whether he won or lost, he wanted everyone in the crowd to leave with his name on their lips. He wanted to be the talk of professional wrestling.
His first national exposure came down in Texas with the Global Wrestling Federation, where he captured the light heavyweight title. Promotions in Japan favoring the lithe high-flyers and risk-takers invited him overseas to compete. He was starting to gain the recognition that he longed for throughout his young career. But he was still not the talk of professional wrestling.
He was, however, growing and maturing as a wrestler. No longer were there titters of laughter from the crowd - quite the opposite. Fans eagerly anticipated his appearances, and this was in spite of the fact that he was a rulebreaker. The dirtier he became, the more the crowd roared its approval. In this day and age of rulebreaker worship, he was ahead of his time. At least in Minnesota, Texas and Japan, he was becoming the talk of professional wrestling.
Big-time opportunity finally knocked in 1993. The WWF came calling, and he was off to the bright lights of Titanland. But he was starting over, a small man in a land of super heavyweights. He was considered an underdog, a man who could occasionally upset the major stars. But his success inspired many of his peers and his growing legion of fans. He was moving toward becoming the talk of professional wrestling.
In 1996, he moved on to WCW, reuniting with his friends Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Unfortunately for him, his jump from the WWF to WCW came only a few months after Hulk Hogan officially turned rulebreaker and formed the nWo, so it didn't have the impact he had hoped it would.
On March 9 of this year (1998), a Federal Express delivery driver knocked on the door of his Minnesota home. He answered the door, accepted the package, and opened it. In it was his termination from WCW. While most wrestlers would look at this as a low point of their career, for him, it was the start of his quest to realize a goal.
His name was all over the Internet. His picture was on the cover of PWI Weekly. He was the one wrestler who was on the minds of all the fans. How did he feel about his firing? Where would he go next? It was a story that played itself out for several weeks, and his name was on the tip of every wrestling fan's tongue. When he made his decision to return to the WWF at the end of March, the 'Net intensity increased and still remains. Would he join DX? What would he call himself now?
Even though I do not speak to him as much as I once did (the rigors of both of our schedules), I still consider him a friend. We talk occasionally, reminiscing about the past and the paths that we both have taken since we first met. We have both achieved a lot of the goals we set for ourselves back then. But finally, the one thing that was most important to him for so long has become reality, and I know how thrilled he is about that.
Sean Waltman (a.k.a. The Lightning Kid, The 1-2-3 Kid, Syxx and now X-Pac) is the talk of professional wrestling.
Credit: The Wrestler. © 1998, London Publishing Company. August 1998
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