Editing Sean Waltman (section)

=== World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (1998–2002) ===

==== D-Generation X (1998–2000) ====
{{See also|D-Generation X}}
Waltman returned to WWF television on the March 30, 1998, episode of ''Monday Night Raw'', the night after [[WrestleMania XIV]] and days after his firing from WCW.<ref name=mustard>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingArchive/mar30_waltman.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205230557/http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingArchive/mar30_waltman.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2012|title=Waltman rips Bischoff, Hogan on Raw|author=John Powell|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|access-date=July 6, 2008|date=March 31, 1998}}</ref><ref name="WaltmanSpotlight"/> With [[Shawn Michaels]] beginning a four-year retirement after a WWF World Heavyweight Championship loss and back injury, [[Triple H]] was now the leader of [[D-Generation X]] (DX). He said he was forming a DX army and "when you start an army, you look to your blood... you look to your buddies... you look to your friends... you look to [[The Kliq]]."<ref name=mustard/> Waltman appeared on the stage with a beard, commented on Bischoff and [[Hulk Hogan|Hollywood Hogan]], and said if they weren't contracted to WCW, Hall and Nash would have also returned to the WWF.<ref name=mustard/><ref name="WaltmanSpotlight"/> Bischoff responded on ''Nitro'' the next week by telling Waltman to "bite me".<ref>{{cite episode|series=WCW Monday Nitro|series-link=WCW Monday Nitro|network=[[TNT (U.S. TV network)|TNT]]|airdate=April 6, 1998|minutes=120}}</ref>
[[File:X Pac Dumpster match - King of the Ring 2000.jpg|thumb|Waltman in a Dumpster match at [[King of the Ring (2000)|King of the Ring 2000]]]]

Initially called "The Kid" on the WWF website, he became known as "X-Pac" (which originated from his nickname "Syxx-Pac" based on his ring name "Syxx" in WCW)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qndJ-h601oA | title=X-Pac on beating addiction, joining the NWO and DX, "X-Pac Heat", teaming with Kane, Hall of Fame | website=[[YouTube]] | date=June 24, 2021 }}</ref> by the next ''Raw''. X-Pac feuded with [[Jeff Jarrett]], ultimately defeating him in a hair-vs-hair match at [[SummerSlam (1998)|SummerSlam]], then with [[WWE European Championship|WWF European Champion]] [[D'Lo Brown]], whom he dethroned on September 21, 1998. He lost the title to Brown two weeks later, then won it again at [[Judgment Day: In Your House]] in October.<ref name="WaltmanSpotlight"/> Waltman lost the title to [[Shane McMahon]] on February 15, 1999.<ref name=European>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/euro/|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=WWE European Championship official history|publisher=[[WWE]]}}</ref> At [[WrestleMania XV]], he lost a championship rematch when Triple H betrayed him, and hit him with his Pedigree finisher.<ref name=SLAM/> X-Pac then sided with [[Brian Gerard James|Road Dogg]] against Triple H, [[Chyna]] and [[Billy Gunn]], after the temporary demise of DX. X-Pac and Road Dogg wanted a reformed DX to be about rebellion, while the others wanted it to be about making money.<ref name=SLAM/> X-Pac befriended [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]], a mute, angry loner whom he partially socialized and encouraged to speak, through an [[electrolarynx]]. They won the [[World Tag Team Championship (WWE, 1971–2010)|WWF Tag Team Championship]] twice together.<ref name=WTT>{{cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/worldtagteam/|access-date=June 26, 2008 |title=World Tag Championship official history |publisher=[[WWE]]}}</ref> After DX reunited in late 1999 as a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] group, X-Pac led Kane to believe he would be inducted into DX, but instead betrayed him and eventually stole his new girlfriend, [[Tori (wrestler)|Tori]].<ref name="WaltmanSpotlight"/> The rivalry between X-Pac and Kane culminated in a [[tag team match]] pitting X-Pac and Road Dogg against Kane and [[Rikishi (wrestler)|Rikishi]] at [[WrestleMania 2000]].

Following WrestleMania, X-Pac continued to team with Road Dogg, with the duo competing against other tag teams including [[Edge and Christian]], [[the Hardy Boyz]], and [[Too Cool]]. In June 2000, X-Pac competed in the [[King of the Ring]] tournament, losing to [[Chris Benoit]] in the first round. At [[King of the Ring (2000)|King of the Ring]], X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Tori defeated [[the Dudley Boyz]] in a [[dumpster match]]; during the bout, Tori was [[powerbomb]]ed through a table by the Dudley Boyz, marking the end of her affiliation with X-Pac. In August 2000, growing dissension between X-Pac and Road Dogg saw the two face one another at [[SummerSlam (2000)|SummerSlam]], with X-Pac winning the bout following a [[Professional wrestling strikes#Low blow|low blow]]; after the match, Road Dogg attacked X-Pac, marking the end of their tag team and the dissolution of DX. In September 2000, X-Pac began feuding with [[Chris Jericho]], with Jericho defeating X-Pac at [[Unforgiven (2000)|Unforgiven]] and then again in a [[cage match]] at [[No Mercy (2000)|No Mercy]]. During the feud, X-Pac sustained a neck injury when Jericho gave him a powerbomb, side-lining him for three months.<ref name=SLAM/>

====X-Factor; nWo reunion (2001–2002)====
{{See also|X-Factor (professional wrestling)|New World Order (professional wrestling)|l1=X-Factor|l2=New World Order}}
After returning from his neck injury in February 2001, X-Pac continued his feud with Chris Jericho over the WWF Intercontinental Championship, culminating in a fatal four-way match with Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero at [[No Way Out (2001)|No Way Out]] in February, which Jericho won to retain the title.
In February, X-Pac formed a new stable called [[X-Factor (professional wrestling)|X-Factor]] with [[Justin Credible]] and [[Matt Bloom|Albert]].<ref name="WaltmanSpotlight"/> During this time, he usually teamed with Credible, but also appeared in singles matches. He won the [[WWF Light Heavyweight Championship]] from [[Jeff Hardy]] on June 25,<ref name=LHC>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/lightheavyweight/|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=WWE Light Heavyweight Championship official history|publisher=[[WWE]]}}</ref> then won the [[WWE Cruiserweight Championship (1991–2007)|WCW Cruiserweight Championship]]<ref name=Cruiser/> for the second time in his career when he defeated [[Billy Kidman]] on July 30. Despite the reign occurring during the [[The Invasion (professional wrestling)|WCW Invasion angle]], where the WWF side was mostly portrayed as faces, the fans were vocal in their disapproval of Waltman during his reign. This fan disapproval, later known as "[[X-Pac heat]]", was acknowledged on-screen by both Alliance member Billy Kidman and, later by WWF member Edge.

When Credible joined the [[The Alliance (professional wrestling)|ECW/WCW Alliance]], X-Factor broke up. At [[SummerSlam (2001)|SummerSlam]], X-Pac defeated Tajiri to win the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship for the second time while WCW Cruiserweight Champion at the same time. X-Pac then feuded with Kidman and [[Yoshihiro Tajiri|Tajiri]]. After losing the WCW Cruiserweight title to Kidman, he took time off for another injury.<ref name=SLAM/> The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was abandoned upon his return to television in March 2002, though he defended it at several [[house show]]s shortly prior.

Hall, Nash and Hogan returned to the WWF in 2002 as the [[New World Order (professional wrestling)#World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (2002)|New World Order]] (nWo), brought in by Vince McMahon. Hogan was kicked from the group after losing to The Rock at [[WrestleMania X8]]. X-Pac, who had been out with an injury, returned on the March 21 episode of ''[[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown!]]'', rejoined the nWo and attacked Hogan. He said he had been waiting four years to do so, because Hogan [[Shoot (professional wrestling)|shot]] on ''[[WCW Thunder]]'' after Waltman's firing, saying he could not "cut the mustard".<ref name="WaltmanSpotlight"/> The storyline was dropped after the first [[2002 WWF draft lottery|WWF draft]], when the nWo went to Raw and Hogan to SmackDown!. During the nWo's feud with [[Booker T (wrestler)|Booker T]] and [[Goldust]] a botched spinebuster injured him and kept him from participating in the feud.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gordon |first=Randy |title=Sean "X-Pac" Waltman does word association |url=http://nodq.com/features/229472899.shtml |access-date=December 27, 2008 |publisher=No DQ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512224410/http://nodq.com/features/229472899.shtml |archive-date=May 12, 2011 }}</ref> On the July 8, 2002, episode of ''Raw'', Waltman wrestled in his last WWE match, a ten-man tag. This match was also the end of the nWo angle, as Nash tore his quadriceps, and Vince McMahon disbanded the group a week later. At [[SummerSlam (2002)|SummerSlam]], ''Raw'' commentator [[Jim Ross]] announced WWE and Waltman had parted ways.<ref name=SLAM/>