Sean Waltman on Paul Levesque leading WWE: ‘He’s here for the fans’
“When we were at Raw, I said to him, ‘You deserve all this. And the fans deserve you.’”
When Monday Night Raw made its debut in 1993, the show was built around one fundamental tenet: anything could happen.
In order for that abstract philosophy to come to life, something out of the ordinary needed to occur. In the show’s fifth month, when spring was dawning in the New York City air outside the Manhattan Center, that is precisely what happened when an unknown 20-year-old wrestler–and he looked even younger than that–defeated Razor Ramon on Raw.
In a well-orchestrated moment, The Kid became the 1-2-3 Kid–and a star was born.
“The first big moment on Raw was me and Scott,” said Sean Waltman, who rose to fame as the 1-2-3 Kid when he defeated Scott Hall, who played the Ramon character. “Scott was incredible, and that was the moment that changed everything for me.”
The victory was a launchpad for Waltman, who built a lasting career with career highlights as a singles wrestler, as well as during his time in both DX and the NWO. Waltman was in the crowd for the Raw on Netflix premier this past Monday, and he reflected on growing up every week on live television.
“I loved being on Raw,” said Waltman, who wrestled an all-time classic against Bret Hart on Raw–and made a lasting impression when he returned to WWE on the Raw following WrestleMania 14 in 1998 to cut a scathing promo on WCW’s Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, effectively christening a new frenzy with the hype surrounding the Raw after WrestleMania. “I’m grateful I was part of a lot of other big moments.
“From a young age, pro wrestling was all I ever wanted to do. I worked all my life for this. As soon as I saw my first wrestling match live, it’s all I ever wanted to do. The main event was Dusty versus Flair for the title in St. Petersburg. Les Thornton was under a mask for the opener, Brad Armstrong was on the show. Adrian Street wrestled Magnum T.A. before he was even Magnum. It was the biggest deal in my life. I was blown away by it all. I still love it.”
Waltman, 52, is now a two-time WWE Hall of Famer, inducted with the DX in 2019 and then the NWO in 2020. He is honored to be welcomed back to events like Raw this past Monday, where he was afforded first-class treatment.
“We get treated so well,” said Waltman. “That wasn’t always the way it was. There’s been times over the years I’ve seen older wrestlers so disappointed that they weren’t even acknowledged. It’s a big deal to us. This was our life. So it means the world to be treated the way we’re treated.
“Being at Raw, I loved it. I was telling my wife this, even people I wasn’t close with back in the day, I’m so happy to see them now.”
Waltman’s longtime friend is Paul “Triple H” Levesque. As members of The Kliq backstage and DX on-screen, as well as all their travels on the road, they created a lasting bond. Waltman shared that he is incredibly proud of Levesque’s ongoing success overseeing the creative of WWE.
“I’ll share something I haven’t told anyone else,” said Waltman. “When we were at Raw, I said to him, ‘You deserve all this. And the fans deserve you.’ The fans dealt with a lot of bullshit over the years. It was hard to be a fan for a while, and I don’t fucking mind saying it. It’s different now. He’s here for the fans. There is so much happiness and excitement surrounding WWE. This is what I always envisioned for him. It’s amazing.”
While he doesn’t travel as much as he did during his heyday, Waltman is back on the road this weekend. He will brave the cold this Saturday in Boston at the Causeway Card Show at Big Night Live.
“Boston this weekend, I legitimately enjoy doing these shows and meeting the people,” said Waltman. “It’s fucking great. That’s stuff I really like.
“I’m in a really good place in life. I have plenty of time with my wife and dog. I love being around them. And it’s nice to see people who love wrestling and can’t wait to talk about it.”
Forever “The Kid” amongst his peers, it is odd that Waltman is slowly becoming one of the industry’s old-timers. Wrestling in five different decades, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge–but it still feels peculiar to think he is one of the older guys now.
“When I was young, I remember looking up to the old guys,” said Waltman. “And I’m talking about the old-timers, the ones who were even older than the guys from the 80’s like the Road Warriors. I ended up working with a lot of those guys. But I’d look at the old guys from the generation before that and think, ‘Wow, I wonder if I’ll ever be one of those guys.’ I’ve been around wrestling so long now, I think I am.
“I mean this–it’s everything I ever wanted. Holding up my Hall of Fame rings, that means something to me. I wear my rings every single day–to the point where one needs to be repaired. That’s how much they mean to me.”
Waltman gets to showcase his ring this weekend in Boston, as well as reconnect with fans that often feel like family.
“I’ve always liked Boston, and I’m a big Kevin McHale fan,” said Waltman, referring to the Boston Celtics legend. “I have some relatives from where he’s from in Minnesota. He’s like Bob Dylan out there. Maybe I’ll meet some of his fans. I can’t wait.”