Sean Waltman Talks The Different Incarnations Of Degeneration X
Sean X-Pac Waltman will always be known as the first person to be a part of both the NWO and DX. Right after leaving WCW in 1998, Waltman returned to WWE and replaced Shawn Michaels in a new incarnation of Degeneration X.
Waltman talked about the momentum he had in that return after being a part of the NWO on his X-Pac 1,2,360 podcast.
"Yes, I am sure there was a lot of doubt without Shawn [Michaels], if [DX] can keep going. But I had a f**k ton of momentum coming off of my NWO run, it was the biggest thing in wrestling," stated Waltman. "That was a big deal, that was a huge part. I mean it still would have been great if I were to have came back in that spot but the fact that I was a huge part of the NWO."
By the time Waltman joined DX, Triple H was the leader of the group after previously being a sidekick to Michaels. Waltman credits the original members of the group for laying the foundation for he, the New Age Outlaws and others to build upon.
"I felt bad because all the DX, the foundation of DX that was Shawn, [Triple H] and [Chyna] and you know I have to give some credit to [Rick] Rude for being in on that too. But you know it's [Triple H's] and Shawn's, and then he gets hurt and all the great like, all the fruit, he didn't get to reap the rewards as much, right? For the foundation he laid and the hard work for DX, I mean eventually he came back and he got that separate DX run," stated Waltman.
At the same time Waltman joined DX, the New Age Outlaws were also welcomed into the group. WWE went outside of The Kliq in adding them as members but Waltman says their addition was the plan all along.
"I look back on it and just how everything turned out, obviously they were the perfect addition. And even if I hadn't come back... the plan was or the talk was even before I came back; while Shawn was still active to add those guys to the mix," revealed Waltman. "But they were doing fine on their own at that point. I can't really stress enough how important those guys were to the whole DX recipe."