Sean Waltman On Arn Anderson Being Let Go By WWE, Alicia Fox Reports
Ever since WCW was bought out by WWE, Arn Anderson was a staple backstage as a road agent and producer. That ended recently as Anderson was let go after working for WWE for nearly 17 years.
As Wrestling Inc. exclusively reported earlier this week, Anderson was released due to an incident at a live event in which he allegedly allowed Alicia Fox to perform while she was presumably intoxicated.
"Not making excuses because there aren't any, but Arn comes from a generation before me...I get it," said Waltman. "And I get the company's position but try to understand that this is a throwback to the mentality that we all had that was instilled in us... So I see how that all happened. I just wonder if there was something else, you know you have all these people they're bringing in and things like that and when you're trying to free up some space around there."
Waltman is alluding to the fact that WWE recently hired several new road agents including Jeff Jarrett, Shane Helms and Abyss. With all of these new faces, perhaps, there was no longer a need for Anderson but Waltman also says the "old-school mentality" Anderson had may no longer fit in today's environment.
"If we're going to work there, we have to not think that way anymore. I really believe that you know because it's really important that the wrestling culture doesn't go backwards and continues to move forward in the right direction as far as the health of the talent," stated Waltman.
"One more thing, Arn Anderson is going to be just fine, just fine, because Arn Anderson has something very few people have. He's brilliant and he's also amazing to have around. When he's around, people are laughing, he's funny as sh**, he's brilliant. There is a lot of buyers in the market right now and he has something worth buying."
After our report on Anderson being released, there were different unsubstantiated rumors about Fox floating around saying that she went AWOL afterwards.
"Because the news is out there now, but as far as where [Fox] is at the moment or like people in the company, sources not knowing, well it's not your place to know," said Waltman. "Unless she's your friend, and even then that's really private stuff and if someone has never been through that and it's early on and they're dealing with their substance issues, like all of this is really scary."
Waltman has had his own substance abuse issues in the past and those are well-documented. He emphasized that it's a scary situation for the individual to be in especially if they've never gone through it before.
"It's scary, you don't know what you're expecting if you're gonna go and try and get help. You're not sure if you really need it," admitted Waltman. "There's a lot and we all wanna know, we all wanna know the scoop right? And it's okay that we do but we're not entitled...This is the problem, you know how like in the past it's always been, 'So and so has the prescription drug problem,' more and more you're going to start seeing the problems be more alcohol-related. The culture is different there right now but you know alcohol is alcohol. It's not just legal, it's social. It's accepted and we don't realize [it].
"Just a couple extra days of drinking can put you over that line to where, 'OMG. I need a drink or I am gonna be sick.' It's weird. And it's very powerful."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit X-Pac 1,2,360 with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Sources: X-Pac 1,2,360