WWE CWC competitor Sean Maluta was the latest guest on the Pancakes and Powerslams Show, and was grateful for his opportunity to compete in the tournament. Although only 27, Maluta has over a dozen years of wrestling experience under his belt as a result of being groomed by his uncle, WWE Hall of Famer Afa of the Wild Samoans.
Maluta talked about how he grew up an avid wrestling fan as a kid and had the opportunity to meet many of his favorite superstars. “Wrestling was it for me,” said Maluta. “I’ve been around it enough to where I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I had to be 14 years old to legally start training, so that’s exactly what I waited for, and that’s exactly what I did. Also, at the time, the state law in Pennsylvania was that you had to be 18 to start working on shows, so I had to wait [a few] years for that. Which, in the end, turned out to be okay, because I was that much more ready for it.”
Being around the wrestling business for so long due to his uncle Afa, Maluta had the opportunity to meet many of his favorite stars, such as the Ultimate Warrior, Shawn Michaels, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. As a teen, Maluta received some encouragement from Austin which further solidified his quest to become a star in the wrestling business. Maluta stated that he had the chance to meet Austin during WrestleMania 23 weekend. “There was a moment when I think we were in the lobby at the hotel we were staying at, and my uncle Afa took me over to him, and he instantly started joking with me. He knew I was a wrestler, and he said if his knees were good, then he would give me a run at one of these WrestleManias, which I was going nuts inside for, especially being younger, I was like 17 or 18 back then. So, that little interaction with Stone Cold just made my whole weekend, and he was able to make me laugh and smile, and joke around with me. It’s hard not to get star struck over people you grew up loving and respecting.”
His time wrestling in the independents, particularly his uncle’s WXW promotion, gave him an opportunity to be scouted by William Regal, which led to a spot in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic in the main event match against Kota Ibushi. Although Maluta lost the matches, he is honored for the recognition that it gave him. “I remember growing up and always being intrigued by Japanese wrestling, watching guys like [Toshiaki] Kawada, [Kenta] Kobashi, [Mitsuharu] Misawa, that whole All Japan era, and even recently with New Japan taking over, and Pro Wrestling NOAH,” Maluta stated. “Even today, I’m such a student of the game, and I try to watch wrestling every chance that I can from everywhere that I can. I already knew Kota [Ibushi]’s reputation going in. I know how great he was. And it’s great seeing someone on the TV or the laptop, [but] it’s a whole other ballgame being in the ring with him. I felt like I was ready for it. I was very calm, ready to go in there and do my best, and finally get to show my stuff on this stage. To do it with one of the best talents in the tournament and what seems to be many people’s favorite to win the whole thing is just special.”
On Itami, he added, “Another one of my favorites of all time. I couldn’t even tell you how many matches I’ve watched of him from a studying aspect. You’ve got strikers, then you’ve got Kenta. He just brings his own style to the game. It was a big match for him too [against myself]. He was out a year and a half with a shoulder injury. A lot of us know how tough that can be, and he’s got the scar to prove it. That one was even more surreal to be in the ring with one of my favorites of all time. When I think of Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero and Rob Van Dam, all of my favorites to watch, he is right up there with him.”
When asked whether he has been contacted by WWE regarding the cruiserweight division as a result of the positive reactions from his matches, he said, “No, there hasn’t been any talks.” However, he optimistically adds, “The success thus far of the tournament has actually made this a reality to make it a full-time deal. There’s a large base of people who really want to see it and have missed the cruiserweight division for all these years. You’ve got smaller guys who’ve been able to break through on TV to compete for the world title. But the cruiserweight division is always changing, it’s always evolving, and this tournament is a preview of the things to come You’ll see a lot of familiar faces from the tournament, and I hope to be in the mix of that.”
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
