Sean O'Haire is a native of Hilton Head, SC, graduating from Hilton Head High School. O'Haire has always been athletic, training in gymnastics, kickboxing and submission shootfighting ( a combination of kickboxing and wrestling.) "He worked out almost everyday," said Matt Kulmann of Atlanta, a best friend of O'Haire while growing up on Hilton Head. "Once, when Sean was still living at home, he redid his bedroom. All that was in there was a mattress and he made the room a working dojo where he and I would work out and make videos of us working out," said Kuhlman.
O'Haire has always been into martial arts and once taught classes at Breakthrough Fitness Center. He spent time in NC and won 17 Toughman competitions later becoming a professional boxer in New York. Through leads from his friend Kuhlmann, in November of 1999, O'Haire went to Atlanta to join the WCW Power Plant. " The training was extremely rigorous. At times we (the Power Plant students) had to do 1,000 squats and 500 push-ups and then go in the ring to wrestle," recalls O'Haire. His resume consist of kickfighting, submission shootfighting, boxing and now professional wrestling.
"One of the reasons I felt I was going to excel was because of my kickfighting experience...I was able to kick high and flip in the air thanks to my gymnastic experience. The instructors saw something they can work with," added O'Haire. He also attributes his success at the Power Plant to original tag-team/ fellow classmate Mark Jindrak of Auburn, NY, Mark Graham and Paul Orndorff. "The kid was a winner 15 minutes into his tryout. He had a look about him, experience in martial arts and knew his way around the mat," Orndorff said. Adding, "Sean's athletic ability, his physical and mental condition, everything about him...he is way ahead of schedule and I know he is going to be a huge name in this business." O'Haire completed the Power Plant within six months, an unheard of feet for most WCW wrestlers. Professional wrestling has changed O'Haire's life. "I was in a Wendy's in Charlotte one day and went to order my food and everyone behind the counter knew me. Then people wanted my autograph. It happens when I go to catch a movie, too. It embarrasses me because I feel I don't deserve this," said O'Haire.
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