Jim Ross has discussed his feelings on Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman and how he counts the fellow WWE Hall of Famer as one of his “dearest friends.”
In an episode of Ross’s podcast, Grilling JR, he and co-host Conrad Thompson were discussing the 2001 No Wy Out pay-per-view. During this event, X-Pac was part of a fatal four-way match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. X-Pac’s opponents that night were Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and the winner of the bout, Chris Jericho.
Ross discussed the match and then gave his personal feelings on Waltman, noting that things hadn’t always been so rosy between the pair.
Ross explained:
“X-Pac’s one of my dearest friends to this very day. We became friends later on because he could be a little bit of a problem child in those eras. He never was malicious or mean-spirited. He just had issues he wasn’t controlling well. That’s a medical issue in my view, that’s not a character thing where he’s rotten to the core. Sean Waltman was never, ever rotten to the core. Sean Waltman has a good heart especially today.”
‘Good Ol’ JR’ Jim Ross then explained that he could still see Waltman having an active role in the wrestling business today:
“What a smart kid. He could very easily be on someone’s booking team. I’m surprised that he isn’t. I think maybe his reputation follows him too closely, and that may be somewhat unwarranted in today’s world. But he’s got a very, very bright mind. I think that’s why his relationship with [Kevin] Nash and [Scott] Hall was so everlasting. Even though Waltman was not the big star, or positioned as the big star that Nash and Hall were.”
Sean Waltman has well-documented issues with substance abuse in the past. The former four-time WWE Tag Team Champion is now a successful podcaster in his own right, hosting his own X-Pac 12360 podcast since 2016.