WWE Hall of Famer Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman recently spoke about making a name for himself in pro wrestling despite being smaller compared to the majority of his fellow Superstars at the time. He stressed the importance for smaller wrestlers to do something different in order to stand out and make an impact during an episode of his podcast, X-Pac 1,2, 360.
Referencing the recent discussion surrounding All Elite Wrestling’s Marko Stunt, Waltman highlighted how people used to laugh at him for being smaller and leaner compared to his muscular opponents.
“The first time I got in the ring, I wrestled Ricky Rice. He’s built very well, I mean not huge but f’n built well. And I was totally pale, skinny af, and so everyone laughed, they were all laughing at me as I come to the ring,” Waltman stated. “So it took about a minute and then they were on their feet because I German-suplexed them, wrestled them, and then I dove out of the ring. No one had ever seen that kind of s**t.
He continued, “So, it didn’t take long. They took to me really quick, it was something different. Everyone else were these big jacked up guys, and to be honest with you, a lot of them had this sense of entitlement. That they were from Minnesota and they were jacked up on the gas, and that they were gonna get a phone call.”
Waltman admitted he used to have a chip on his shoulder and wanted to go an extra mile to bring “believability” into his matches. He wanted fans to look at him and think that, although he was skinny, he was also a “buzzsaw.”
H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
