Attitude-Era Colleague Explains Why Rock May Bring On Backlash Against Him In WWE Locker Room

In a recent interview with Wade Keller on the PWTorch Livecast's VIP-exclusive Aftershow (Subscribe in iTunes), Sean "X-Pac" Waltman defended The Rock against criticism from current WWE wrestlers who think he's "taking their spot" and "out for himself only," but also said Rock brings on some of the criticism with his actions.

Jim Ross recently reacted to criticism from within WWE's locker room that Rock was out for himself and stealing someone else's spot. He said on a recent WWE Legends Roundtable, "You've got to be kidding me!"

Waltman agrees it's ridiculous. "It blows mine, too," he said on the PWTorch Livecast earlier this month. "I'm at a loss for why a lot of these guys are up in arms over Rock returning? It's nothing but more money for everybody? All that complaining and all those points people are making, it doesn't mean anything. He's coming back to help out the business. He's helping himself out too. Just like last year when he came back right around the time 'Fast and Furious 5] came out, I think that had to do with how well the movie did.

"Rock didn't come in to take anybody's spot. If there's a spot for The Rock, nobody else can take that spot. I understand that mentality because I remember when [Ultimate] Warrior came in for a little bit and he came back at WrestleMania in Anaheim and he squashed Hunter in a minute or something and then he was gone not long after that. I just don't see the parallel because I don't see Rocky and Warrior as nearly the same type of person. I think Rocky actually cares about the business and Warrior, I don't think he gives a sh–."

Waltman did, though, say Rock might bring on some of the resentment by not mingling enough with "the boys" and conducting himself as if he falls in a different category now that he's a mega-box office movie star.

John Cena and C.M. Punk have recently said Rock doesn't make himself particularly accessible or visible backstage before the show. Cena's alluded to it on Raw, noting that he's not hard to find, but he never sees Rock. Rock, just this weekend, said that he praised Sheamus for a recent match, perhaps a pushback against his rep for not associating with today's wrestlers.

"Here's the thing," Waltman said. "When he comes back and has his own dressing room and security, that is kinda giving a stand-offish impression. If you don't know him and he comes back and that's your experience, I can understand why some people might think that. They don't know the guy."

For more from the interview, including what Waltman thinks about the Cena-Rock heat, how real it is and what did Cena tell him a year ago that made him realize Cena found Rock difficult to work with, click here.