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http://seanwaltmancom.proboards30.com/index.cgi?action=usersrecentposts&user=masterofwrestling

I was just thinking about the people, like all of you here, who have
supported Me and one person that I have never really publicly thanked
enough (or maybe at all) for helping My carreer & being one of an
extremely short list of true friends is Wade Keller who does the Pro
Wrestling Torch from Minnesota. I would not have recieved the
attention so vital to My success early in My carreer without the
coverage Wade gave Me. His coverage of My matches and also his fair
criticism of My wrestling and out of ring actions were always the most
accurate in My opinion. Often because he was able to get my
perspective on certain situations, but He still held his own opinion.
We have differing political views on many things, but I find that his
views on what's fundamentally right and wrong in life are the same as
my own. Over the years it seems that Wade has been the one to break
very important news to Me. Or in the case of My firing by Fed Ex by
Eric Bischoff I was talking to him on the phone when the Fed Ex
arrived & I jokingly said "It's from Nick Lambrose(WCW Legal). I bet
it's telling Me I'm fired." To My surprise, I was correct. Wade was
the one who told broke the news to Me about US forces bombing Baghdad
in '90(I think) to start the Persian Golf War. I remember watching the
skies being lit up on TV from the bombs & tracers , almost like a
fireworks display lighting up the sky in spectacular fashion. That was
the first war I experienced in life at the time. I was talking to him
when Sgt Slaughter ( WWF agent at the time) called to give Me my
tryout with WWF. I put him on hold for 2 minutes not realizing He was
with WWF and wanting Me to tryout. I was talking to Wade when Vince
called Me to tell Me I was hired & ran the Razor Ramon angle by Me. I
know it may sound like I did nothing but talk to Wade Keller all the
time, but that's not the case, just at very key moments. Wade called
and woke Me up early on the morning of Septmeber 11th, 2001 just after
the first tower of the World Trade Center was hit. We both watched
together as the second tower was struck live on television. He was
also the one who had to break the news to Me that one of My best
friends, Curt Hennig, died. I am not sure why I had to write this
about Wade, but I think it's because I want people to know what a good
friend and good man I think he is, not to mention that I rate him at
the top when it comes to his objective coverage of wrestling. His
journalistic integrity is something that isn't found in the world to
often. He never asked Me for "secrets" that he knew I was not supposed
to tell him. If I told him something in confidence, he never broke
that confidence. Even at the cost of not being the first to break the
news on some big stories. I truly never was put in a position where I
was pressured to leak information. I wasn't a leak. I would most
definitely give him the truth on things I could give him the real
story on. Anyone who has a problem with that has a problem with the
truth, so too bad. The truth. sometimes it hurts. Too bad. I have hurt
alot lately, but too bad!

So anyway I and most of the guys I know & consider to be the best in
wrestling consider Wade to be the most insightful when it comes to his
analysis of pro wrestling. Not only the in ring stuff, but the events
that shape industry as a whole. I like Dave Meltzer as well, I believe
he shares all those same qualities. Maybe he is a little more biased,
but then again I am sure that I am biased in saying that. Dave is not
to be slighted in any way by this, He was the first, and very
supportive of Wade early on.

So now I'm trying to make sure I don't hurt any one's feeling in the
wrestling news world. Actually I'm not, it's just Me trying to give
proper credit. I was not as close with Dave Meltzer as Wade. And I
have to tell everyone about one of My dearest friends who taught Me so
much about Japanese wrestling & their culture, Fumi Saito. He went to
Augsburg College in Minnesota, but lives in Japan. He is one of the
top people at Weekly Pro Wrestling magazine (Baseball Magazine Sha)
and a dear friend of Myself & My family along with so many other
American wrestlers. He would visit Me every Christmas when he would
come to the U.S. I always looked forward to it, because I had someone
to watch my wrestling videos with until the sun came up. Anyway. I
will stop now, YOu know Me & My tendency to ramble on. But I want
people to know a real account of Me. The stuff most never talk about
when they tell about their lives. I anyone could give the most
accurate Sean Waltman Biography it would be Wade Keller & Fumi Saito.

Thanks Wade. Thanks Fumi. 

With Humility & Gratefully Yours,

Sean 

The Hogwild match was a big disappointment for Me personally. I wish I
could have had that one anywhere but in Sturgis. That atmosphere was
terrible. The crowd was full of people who were maybe casual wrestling
fans. Anytime the crowd doesnt have to pay, they are never as diehard
a wrestling fan. People were revving their bikes in the middle of the
match. The crowd reactions were weak. I was really bummed out about it
afterwards. The 6 Man in Charlotte was a dream come true.

Sean 

Please forgive the typo and spelling errors in my letter. It was a bit
lengthy & I got sloppy & in a hurry. Also I wanted to say that if
anyone missed the interview I did in the Torch about 14 or so months
ago, It was around 4 hours in length & never officially ended. It was
the greatest interview I have ever done. Not so much because of the
length of it or My honesty as I have been just as honest & frank in My
answers elsewhere. That was a great interview because Wade Keller
prepaired for it like no other interviewer I have known. Not to
mention He had the advantage of knowing some of the right things to
ask that no one else could have known & because of our friendship he
through all Nolan Ryan & Gaylord Perry heat at Me. No soft balls came
across that plate at Me,as some might think He would do. Instead He
knew I would let some stuff slide that I would have gotten stiff with
anyone else over. I am glad He did & I am proud of that interview. I
wanted to give that to the wrestling community because I thought that
it hadn't truly been done at that time. I don't like to toot My own
horn ( I think it's tacky) but I believe it's one of the best
interviews ever done about the wrestling industry. I hope that doesn't
sound cocky.

Sean


--- Internet Rex 2.29