In the early 2000s, alternative rock music and pro wrestling were as tight as tight can be. Be it Disturbed recording their own version of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's iconic entrance theme, The Union Underground soundtracking WWE Raw or everyone from Limp Bizkit and Saliva to Motörhead and Drowning Pool playing Wrestlemania, the two subcultures felt fully intertwined as the New Millennium kicked into gear.
Now, it's been revealed that one of the world's biggest rock bands also almost got in on the action - only to be beaten to the punch by Michigan country-rapper Uncle Kracker. In a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, former WWE star Sean Waltman - known to millions around the world as X-Pac during the height of WWE's legendary Attitude Era - has stated that he came close to having none other than the Red Hot Chili Peppers provide his theme song when he formed the stable X-Factor in early 2001 with fellow WWE wrestlers Justin Credible and Albert.
"Shane McMahon comes up to me and goes, 'Hey, we're thinking about having Red Hot Chili Peppers do your new theme music,'" he explains, "and I go, 'No, I want Uncle Kracker!'"
When Van Vliet asks if the Chilis were actually "in line" to record Waltman's new music, the multiple-time champion suggests they would have been, replying: "When they say something like that, and especially at that point that where WWE was, we were pretty hot."
"I was the one that picked Uncle Kracker," he adds, "because I knew him, and that's kinda how I was at the time."
Perhaps Red Hot Chili Peppers didn't miss out on too much: X-Factor would prove to be a short-lived group and remain largely forgotten compared to Waltman's far more legendary run as a member of the hugely popular D-Generation X faction, who Run-DMC recorded a special theme song for in 2000.
Watch the interview snippet on Chris Van Vliet's official Instagram page.
