title: Sam Kerr

text: In July 2022, it was announced that Kerr would feature on the cover of the FIFA 23 video game alongside Kylian Mbappé, this is the first time a female player would appear on the global cover of the game franchise. (Alex Morgan only appeared on the US Version of FIFA 16)


title: Sam Kerr

text: Kerr is currently in a relationship with American footballer Kristie Mewis. She was previously in a relationship with former Perth Glory and Chicago Red Stars teammate, Nikki Stanton.


title: Sam Kerr

text: A supporter of the West Coast Eagles along with her brother Daniel Kerr, she was made the club's number-one ticket holder in 2019 and 2020.


title: Tube map

text: The Tube map (sometimes called the London Underground map) is a schematic transport map of the lines, stations and services of the London Underground, known colloquially as "the Tube", hence the map's name. The first schematic Tube map was designed by Harry Beck in 1931. Since then, it has been expanded to include more of London's public transport systems, including the Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, the Elizabeth line, Tramlink, the London Cable Car and Thameslink.


title: Tube map

text: As a schematic diagram, it shows not the geographic locations but the relative positions of the stations, lines, the stations' connective relations and fare zones. The basic design concepts have been widely adopted for other such maps around the world and for maps of other sorts of transport networks and even conceptual schematics.


title: Tube map

text: A regularly-updated version of the map is available from the official Transport for London website. In 2006, the Tube map was voted one of Britain's top 10 design icons which included Concorde, Mini, Supermarine Spitfire, K2 telephone box, World Wide Web and the AEC Routemaster bus. Since 2004, Art on the Underground has been commissioning artists to create covers for the pocket Tube map.


title: Tube map

text: As London's early transport system was operated by a variety of independent companies, there were no complete maps of the network, just for the individual companies' routes. The maps were not typically schematic and were simply the line overlaid on a regular city map. There was no integration of the companies' services or any co-operation in advertising.


title: Tube map

text: In 1907, "The Evening News" commissioned a pocket map, The Evening News London "Tube Map". It was the first map to show all of the lines with equal weight being given to each line, and it was the first map to use a different colour for each line.


title: Tube map

text: Another early combined map was published in 1908 by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) in conjunction with four other underground railway companies that used the "Underground" brand as part of a common advertising factor.


title: Tube map

text: The map showed eight routes – four operated by the UERL and one from each of the other four companies:


title: Tube map

text: A geographical map presented restrictions since for sufficient clarity of detail in the crowded central area of the map required the extremities of the District and Metropolitan lines to be omitted and so a full network diagram was not provided. The problem of truncation remained for nearly half a century. Although all of the western branches of the District and Piccadilly lines were included for the first time in 1933 with Harry Beck's first proper Tube map, the portion of the Metropolitan line beyond did not appear until 1938, and the eastern end of the District line did not appear until the mid-1950s.


title: Tube map

text: The route map continued to be developed and was issued in various formats and artistic styles until 1920, when, for the first time, the geographic background detail was omitted in a map designed by MacDonald Gill. That freed the design to enable greater flexibility in the positioning of lines and stations. The routes became more stylised but the arrangement remained, largely, geographic in nature. The 1932 edition was the last geographic map to be published before Beck's diagrammatic map was introduced.


title: Tube map

text: The first diagrammatic map of London's rapid transit network was designed by Harry Beck in 1931. He was a London Underground employee who realised that because the railway ran mostly underground, the physical locations of the stations were largely irrelevant to the traveller wanting to know how to get from one station to another; only the topology of the route mattered. That approach is similar to that of electrical circuit diagrams although they were not the inspiration for Beck's map. His colleagues pointed out the similarities, however, and he once produced a joke map with the stations replaced by electrical circuit symbols and names, with terminology such as "Bakerlite" for the Bakerloo line.


title: Tube map

text: To that end, Beck devised a simplified map with stations, straight-line segments connecting them, and the River Thames; and lines running only vertically, horizontally, or on 45° diagonals. To make the map clearer and to emphasise connections, Beck differentiated between ordinary stations, marked with tick marks, and interchange stations, marked with diamonds. London Underground was initially sceptical of his proposal since it was an uncommissioned spare-time project and was tentatively introduced to the public in a small pamphlet in 1933. However, it immediately became popular, and the Underground has used topological maps to illustrate the network ever since.


title: Tube map

text: Despite the complexity of making the map, Beck was paid just ten guineas for the artwork and design of the card edition (five guineas for the poster). After its initial success, he continued to design the Tube map until 1960, a single (and unpopular) 1939 edition by Hans Scheger being the only exception. Meanwhile, as well as accommodating new lines and stations, Beck continually altered the design, such as changing the interchange symbol from a diamond to a circle and altering the line colours of the Central line from orange to red and of the Bakerloo line from red to brown. Beck's final design, in 1960, bears a strong resemblance to the current map. Beck lived in Finchley, North London, and one of his maps is still preserved on the southbound platform at Finchley Central station, on the Northern line.


title: Tube map

text: In 1997, Beck's importance was posthumously recognised, and as of 2022, this statement is printed on every Tube map: "This diagram is an evolution of the original design conceived in 1931 by Harry Beck".


title: Tube map

text: By 1960, Beck had fallen out with the Underground's publicity officer, Harold Hutchison, who was not a designer himself but drafted his own version of the Tube map that year. It removed the smoothed corners of Beck's design and created some highly cramped areas (most notably around Liverpool Street station), and the lines were generally less straight. However, Hutchison also introduced interchange symbols (circles for Underground-only, squares for connections with British Rail main line services) that were black and allowed multiple lines through them, as opposed to Beck, who used one circle for each line at an interchange, coloured according to the corresponding line.


title: Tube map

text: In 1964, the design of the map was taken over by Paul Garbutt, who, like Beck, had produced a map in his spare time because of his dislike of the Hutchison design. Garbutt's map restored curves and bends to the diagram but retained Hutchison's black interchange circles, although squares were replaced with circles with a dot inside. Garbutt continued to produce Underground maps for at least another 20 years. Tube maps stopped bearing their designer's name in 1986, when the elements of the map then had a very strong resemblance to today's map.


title: Tube map

text: While the standard Tube map avoided representing most mainline services, a new variant of the map issued in 1973, the "London's Railways" map, was the first to depict Tube and aboveground mainline rail services in a diagrammatic style that closely matched to Beck's designs. That version was created by Tim Demuth of the London Transport publicity office and was jointly sponsored by British Rail and London Transport. Demuth's map did not replace the standard Tube map but continued to be published as a supplementary resource, later known as the "London Connections" map.


title: Tube map

text: Some alterations have been made to the map over the years. More recent designs have incorporated changes to the network, such as the Docklands Light Railway and the extension to the Jubilee line. The map has also been expanded to include routes brought under Transport for London control such as TfL Rail and to note the Tube stops that connect with National Rail services, links to airports and River Services. In some cases, stations within short walking distance are now shown, often with the distance between them, such as 's distance from (an evolution of the pedestrian route between Bank and Monument stations, which was once prominently marked on the map). Further, step-free access notations are also incorporated in the current map.


title: Tube map

text: In addition, the fare zones have been added to help passengers judge the cost of a journey. Nevertheless, the map remains true to Beck's original scheme, and many other transport systems use schematic maps to represent their services that are likely inspired by Beck. A facsimile of Beck's original design is on display on the southbound platform at his local station, Finchley Central.


title: Tube map

text: Despite the large number of versions over the years, the perception of many users is that the current map is, more or less, Beck's original version from the 1930s, a testament to the effectiveness of his design. Beck drew versions with other formats, 22.5°, rather than 45° (the Paris Métro version uses 22.5° degrees as a base), as well as an unused version for the 1948 Olympic Games.


title: Tube map

text: One of the major changes to be made to the revision of the Tube map put out in September 2009 was the removal of the River Thames. The river had been omitted from official maps on several previous occasions (for example, according to David Leboff and Tim Demuth's book, in 1907, 1908 and 1919), and from 1921 it was absent for several years on pocket maps designed by MacDonald Gill. The Thames-free 2009 version was the first time that the river did not appear on the Tube map since the Stringemore pocket map of 1926. The latest removal resulted in widespread international media attention, and general disapproval from most Londoners as well as from the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Based on the reaction, the following edition of the diagram in December 2009 reinstated both the river and fare zones.


title: Tube map

text: In more recent years, TfL has expanded its rail services, notably with the expansion of the London Overground network, which has taken over a number of National Rail lines and brought them into the TfL network, each of them being converted lines being added to the Tube map. Further additions have been made such as the London Cable Car and the boundaries of fare zones. Some commentators have suggested that Beck's design should be replaced with a new design that can incorporate the new lines more comfortably.


title: Tube map

text: Since 2004, Art on the Underground has commissioned various British and international artists to create a cover for the pocket map. These free maps are one of the largest public art commissions in the UK, with millions of copies printed. Over 35 different designs have been produced, from artists such as Rachel Whiteread, Yayoi Kusama, Tracey Emin and Daniel Buren.


title: Tube map

text: The designers of the map have tackled a variety of problems in showing information as clearly as possible and have sometimes adopted different solutions.


title: Tube map

text: The font for the map, including station names, is Johnston, which uses perfect circles for the letter 'O'. That is historic and the generic font for all TfL uses from station facades to bus destination blinds.


title: Tube map

text: The table below shows the changing use of colours since Beck's first map. The current colours are taken from Transport for London's colour standards guide, which defines the precise colours from the Pantone palette and also a colour naming scheme that is particular to TfL. Earlier maps were limited by the number of colours available that could be clearly distinguished in print. Improvements in colour printing technology have reduced that problem and the map has coped with the identification of new lines without great difficulty.


title: Tube map

text: Pecked lines have at various times indicated construction, limited service, or sections closed for renovation.


title: Tube map

text: From the start, interchange stations were given a special mark to indicate their importance, but its shape has changed over the years. In addition, since 1960, marks were used to identify stations that offered connections with British Rail (now National Rail). The following shapes have been used:


title: Tube map

text: Since 1970 the map has used a reversed (red on white) British Rail "double arrow" beside the station name to indicate main line interchanges. Where the main line station has a different name from the Underground station that it connects with, since 1977 this has been shown in a box. The distance between the Tube station and the main line station is now shown.


title: Tube map

text: Contemporary maps have marked stations offering step-free access with a blue circle containing a wheelchair symbol in white.


title: Tube map

text: Stations with links to airports (Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5 for Heathrow Airport and the DLR station at City Airport) are shown with a black aeroplane symbol.


title: Tube map

text: Since 2000, stations with a nearby interchange to river bus piers on the Thames have been marked with a small boat symbol to promote London River Services.


title: Tube map

text: When Eurostar services used , the Eurostar logo was shown next to Waterloo station. In November 2007, the terminus was transferred to St Pancras International.


title: Tube map

text: The Tube map aims to make the complicated network of services easy to understand, but it is not possible to have complete information about the services that operate on each line.


title: Tube map

text: Limited-service routes have sometimes been identified with hatched lines, with some complications added to the map to show where peak-only services ran through to branches such as that to Chesham on the Metropolitan line. The number of routes with a limited service has declined in recent years, as patronage has recovered from its early-1980s low. As there are now fewer restrictions to show, most of the remaining ones are now indicated in the accompanying text, rather than by special line markings.


title: Tube map

text: The Tube map exists to help passengers navigate the London rapid transit network, and whether it should play a wider role in helping people navigate London itself has been questioned. The question has been raised as to whether mainline railways should be shown on the map, particularly those in Inner London. The Underground has largely resisted adding additional services to the standard Tube map and instead produces separate maps with different information, including:


title: Tube map

text: Maps are produced in different sizes, the most common being Quad Royal (40 × 50 inches) poster size and Journey Planner pocket size. The maps showing all the National Rail routes provide useful additional information at the expense of considerably increased complexity, as they contain almost 700 stations.


title: Tube map

text: When Transport for London expanded its London Overground service to include the East London line in 2010, the East London line, extended to Croydon, changed from a solid orange line to a double orange stripe. According to 2007 proposals, the addition of the South London line to London Overground was supposed to cause the southern loop to be added to future Tube maps in late 2010, and, as of May 2013, it is up and running.


title: Tube map

text: Like many other rapid transit maps, because the Tube map ignores geography, it may not accurately depict the relative orientation and distance between stations.


title: Tube map

text: Transport for London formerly published several bus maps that depicted the approximate paths of tube routes relative to major streets and London bus routes. The maps also show locations of certain cultural attractions and geographic landmarks.


title: Tube map

text: Internet mapping services such as Google Maps offer a "Transit Layer" showing actual routes superimposed on the standard street map. A map shows underground, overground and DLR lines and National Rail stations within Zone 1–2.


title: Tube map

text: The 'look' of the London Underground map (including 45° angles, evenly-spaced 'stations' and some geographic distortion) has been emulated by many other underground railway systems around the world. While London Underground have been protective of their copyright they have also allowed their concepts to be shared with other transport operators (Amsterdam's GVB even pays tribute on its map).


title: Tube map

text: The success of the Tube map as a piece of information design has led to many imitations of its format. What is probably the earliest example is the Sydney Suburban and City Underground railway map of 1939. It follows Beck's styling cues, and in size, design and layout, it is nearly a clone of the London map of the late 1930s, right down to the use of the Underground roundel.


title: Tube map

text: In 2002, Transport for London launched a series of London Buses "spider diagrams" to display at bus stops around the city, conveying bus route information in a schematic style similar to Beck's design, with straight lines and 45° angles depicting geographically distorted bus routes, coloured lines and numbers to differentiate services, and graphical markers to show bus stops. Tube and rail lines are not included, but interchanges are denoted with appropriate symbols by bus stop names, such as the Tube roundel. Unlike the traditional Tube map, the bus maps display services appropriate to specific transport hubs rather than a full network. Each map also contains a central rectangle of a simple geographically accurate street map to display the positions of bus stops; outside the rectangle, the only geographic feature to appear on the bus maps is the River Thames. The maps are also available for electronic download, with map collections ordered by London borough councils. The bus maps were designed for TfL by the cartographic design company T-Kartor group.


title: Tube map

text: In 2009, British Waterways produced a map of London's waterways in a Tube-style diagrammatic map, depicting the River Thames, the various and subterranean rivers in the city.


title: Tube map

text: Attempts to create alternative versions to the official Tube map have continued. In June 2011, the British designer Mark Noad unveiled his vision for a more 'geographically accurate' London Underground map. The map is an attempt to see if it is possible to create a geographically accurate representation of the underground system and still retain some of the clarity of Beck's original diagram. It uses similar principles, fixed-line angles (30° and 60°, instead of 45°) and shortens the extremities of the lines to make it more compact. In 2013, Dr Max Roberts, a psychology lecturer at the University of Essex with a particular interest in usability, information design and schematic mapping, issued his own version of the Tube map. His design, based on a series of concentric circles, emphasised the concept of the newly completed orbital loop surrounding Central London with radial lines. A map created to illustrate Tube-related articles on Wikipedia in 2014 was praised for its clarity and for including future developments such as Crossrail.


title: Tube map

text: In July 2015, a map of the network displaying walking calorie burn information for each leg was published by Metro newspaper.


title: Tube map

text: The design has become so widely known that it is now instantly recognisable as representing London. It has been featured on T-shirts, postcards and other memorabilia. In 2006, the design came second in a televised search for the most well-known British design icon. It is widely cited by academics and designers as a 'design classic', and those cultural associations make London Underground not usually permit the design to be used or altered for any other purpose. That has been officially sanctioned only on a few occasions:


title: Tube map

text: Stylistic aspects of the London diagram, such as the line colours and styles and the station ticks or interchange symbols, are also frequently used in advertising.


title: The Red Sleeve

text: The Red Sleeve () is a South Korean television series starring Lee Jun-ho, Lee Se-young, and Kang Hoon. It aired from November 12, 2021, to January 1, 2022, on MBC's newly established Fridays and Saturdays at 22:00 (KST) time slot.


title: The Red Sleeve

text: Based on a novel of the same name, "The Red Sleeve" tells the record of a royal court romance between the King of Joseon who believes his duty is to his country first above love, and a court lady who wants to protect the life she has chosen.


title: The Red Sleeve

text: The lead roles were initially offered to Kim Kyung-nam and Park Hye-su. The first script reading of the cast was held in May 2021.


title: The Red Sleeve

text: The series was originally scheduled to premiere on November 5, 2021, but it was delayed by a week due to program adjustment for the broadcast of a professional baseball game.


title: The Red Sleeve

text: On December 9, 2021, it was announced that the series would be extended by one episode due to its popularity and would end with 17 episodes. Due to the extension, episode 13 aired on December 24, while episodes 14 and 15 aired on December 25.


title: The Red Sleeve

text: It was reported that filming started in May 2021 and continued filming for about seven months until December 21. It was mainly conducted at Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, Jeonju Hanok Village, Gwanghallu Garden in Namwon, Naganeupseong Folk Village, Yeokrin Set in Damyang County, and Yeolhwajeong Pavilion—located in Ganggol Village, Deungnyang-myeon, Boseong County.


title: Armageddon Time

text: Armageddon Time is a 2022 American coming-of-age drama film written, directed, and produced by James Gray. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, and Anthony Hopkins. Inspired by Gray's childhood experiences,<ref name="nationalreview/armageddon-time"></ref> the story follows a young Jewish-American boy who befriends an African-American classmate and begins to struggle with expectations from his family and growing up in a world of privilege, inequality and prejudice. It was shot in New Jersey with cinematographer Darius Khondji.


title: Armageddon Time

text: "Armageddon Time" had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2022, and was released in the United States via a limited theatrical release on October 28, 2022, by Focus Features, before expanding wide on November 4, 2022. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.


title: Armageddon Time

text: In 1980 Queens, New York City, on his first day in 6th grade, Jewish-American Paul Graff becomes fast friends with a rebellious African-American classmate named Johnny. But Johnny was held back by a year and gets harsher treatment from their teacher when they both joke around in class. Paul also often disassociates from his schoolwork and draws pictures instead.


title: Armageddon Time

text: Paul lives with his financially stable family of Jewish heritage. He is close with his maternal grandfather Aaron Rabinowitz, who encourages him to pursue his aspirations of becoming an artist. His well-meaning but strict parents, Esther and Irving, are less convinced by Paul's career prospects to be an artist. At night, Aaron tells Paul the story of how Aaron's mother escaped antisemitic persecution in Ukraine, fleeing to London before eventually immigrating to the United States with Aaron and her British husband.


title: Armageddon Time

text: One day, Paul and Johnny are caught smoking a joint in the restrooms, unaware that it's an illegal drug. Furious, Esther forces Irving into beating Paul as punishment. In the hope that he becomes more disciplined, Paul is sent to the Forest Manor Prep private school by his parents, where his older brother Ted is studying. Meanwhile, Johnny stops going to public school following Paul's expulsion.


title: Armageddon Time

text: Forest Manor is financially supported by famous businessman Fred Trump, who also supports Ronald Reagan in the impending US presidential election. Many of the students are also Reagan supporters. On Paul's first day, Fred's daughter Maryanne, one of the school's famous alumni, delivers a speech to the students about working to earn their success. Paul sees the school's advantages over his previous schooling but still doesn't feel welcome at the school. Paul is also unnerved by racist comments from other students when Johnny meets with him during playtime outdoors. Johnny also begins living in secret at Paul's clubhouse, having nowhere to go other than living with his sick grandmother, where foster system workers searching for Johnny have begun to visit regularly.


title: Armageddon Time

text: While playing at the park on the weekend, Paul tells Aaron of his struggles at school and how he does nothing when he witnesses racism from the other students. Aaron encourages Paul to stand up against prejudice when he sees it; reminding Paul that while antisemitism still covertly persists, he and his family still have the privilege of being white. Shortly after, Aaron dies of bone cancer, with the family mourning his loss.


title: Armageddon Time

text: Tired of living under high expectations from family and school, as well as the unfair treatment of Johnny, Paul convinces Johnny of his plan to steal a computer from school and sell it for money, so they can run away together. Although they successfully steal the computer, they are arrested by the police for trying to sell it. While being interrogated, Paul confesses that it was all his plan, to protect Johnny. However, knowing that he has no options in life, Johnny takes the blame to let Paul go, much to Paul's dismay. Paul and Johnny bid farewell, as Irving arrives to take him home with no consequences due to an officer being an old friend of Irving's. At home, Irving confesses to Paul that he is sympathetic to his frustration with America's unfair racial inequality, but tells him that they need to survive to have a good life. The two agree to not tell Esther what happened, as she is still mourning the loss of her father.


title: Armageddon Time

text: Days later, the Graff family are disappointed by Reagan's victory in the election, while Paul is focused on schoolwork. During a Thanksgiving dance at school, Fred Trump addresses the students, expressing hope that they'll become the next successful elite. A disillusioned Paul leaves the event during the speech.


title: Armageddon Time

text: On May 16, 2019, "Variety" reported that James Gray would be writing and directing "Armageddon Time", a film based on his upbringing in Queens, New York. Cate Blanchett was cast in May 2020, with Gray stating that she would shoot all her scenes in three days, including a lengthy monologue. The following month, Robert De Niro, Oscar Isaac, Donald Sutherland, and Anne Hathaway were added to the cast, with plans to film in New York City once the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were minimal.


title: Armageddon Time

text: Filming began in October 2021 in New Jersey. It was initially expected to start in early 2021. In October it was reported that Anthony Hopkins and Jeremy Strong would also star alongside newcomers Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, and Ryan Sell, with Hopkins and Strong replacing De Niro and Isaac, respectively. Production wrapped in December 2021 and Andrew Polk and Tovah Feldshuh were confirmed to star. Domenick Lombardozzi was revealed as part of the cast in March 2022. Jessica Chastain was later revealed to have replaced Blanchett in a cameo role.


title: Armageddon Time

text: The title comes from a song by The Clash, titled "Armagideon Time", which is heard several times through the film.


title: Armageddon Time

text: The film premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2022, where it received a seven-minute standing ovation from the audience. It began a limited release in the United States on October 28, 2022, before expanding nationwide on November 4. It was distributed in the US by Focus Features and internationally by Universal Pictures.


title: Armageddon Time

text: Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 74 out of 100 based on 53 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Sean Waltman

text: Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Syxx, and NWA Total Nonstop Action (NWA-TNA) as Syxx-Pac and Sean Waltman.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman began his career in the WWF in 1993, where he performed under several monikers as a jobber, until he was branded the 1-2-3 Kid after an upset victory over Razor Ramon on "Raw". As 1-2-3 Kid, he held the WWF Tag Team Championship twice and challenged Bret Hart for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in July 1994 in what was ranked by WWE as the third-best match ever aired on "Raw". During this time, he was part of The Kliq, a backstage group that was known for their influence on WWF storylines in the 1990s.


title: Sean Waltman

text: During the Monday Night Wars, Waltman left the WWF in 1996 to join Kliq members Kevin Nash and Scott Hall (formerly known as Razor Ramon) as Syxx in WCW, and held the WCW World Tag Team Championship with them as part of the New World Order (nWo), as well as becoming a one-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion. After being released from WCW in 1998, he returned to the WWF during its Attitude Era, where he was re-branded as D-Generation X (DX) member X-Pac and held the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship and WWF European Championship twice each, while also holding the WWF Tag Team Championship two more times while paired with Kane. After WCW went out of business in 2001, X-Pac held the WCW Cruiserweight and WWF Light Heavyweight Championships simultaneously during The Invasion, before departing the company after a brief nWo reunion the following year. He subsequently performed sporadically for several promotions, notably TNA (where he became a one-time TNA X Division Champion), and on the independent circuit, until he announced his retirement in 2019. He returned to the ring in 2022.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman has won a dozen championships between WWE, WCW, and TNA, the majority being cruiserweight and tag team titles. He is the only wrestler to have held the TNA X Division Championship, the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, and the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship. He was the final WWF Light Heavyweight Champion before the title was retired in favor of the Cruiserweight Championship he simultaneously held. He is recognized by WWE as the only wrestler to have been "an active member of both the nWo and DX during their heydays" in the 1990s. Additionally, he is a two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee and the only inductee to be inducted two years in a row (2019 and 2020) as a member of DX and the nWo respectively.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Sean Michael Waltman was born in Minneapolis on July 13, 1972. He had a self-described troubled childhood. He was raised by a single mother and has called himself "unsupervised from age five". He claimed he was molested several times as a child. He joined his school wrestling team in ninth grade, but quickly quit when they told him he needed to cut his hair in order to wrestle. He soon dropped out of school entirely. A love of professional wrestling and limited career opportunities led to him working in local wrestling promotions for free, setting up rings and doing other odd jobs before eventually wrestling himself.


title: Sean Waltman

text: After training under Boris Malenko, Joe Malenko, Masami Soronaka, and Karl Gotch, Waltman began his career as "The Lightning Kid". He worked his way through various independent promotions, including Pro Wrestling America (PWA) and the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), winning the PWA Light Heavyweight title, the PWA Iron Horse TV Title and the GWF Light Heavyweight Championship. During this time, Waltman worked extensively with Jerry Lynn in North America and Japan. They often wrestled each other, but also teamed up to win the PWA Tag Team titles twice in 1993. While working for Larry Sharpe and Dennis Coralluzzo's WWA Promotion on November 28, 1992 in Clementon, New Jersey his opponent "The Kamikaze Kid" Bill Wilcox overshot a suicide dive and landed on Waltman's head, driving it to the concrete and causing a blood clot near his brain. He was hospitalized for three days, could not work for four months, and was advised to give up wrestling completely. He also appeared in New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Top of the Super Juniors in 1993, facing the likes of Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Jushin Liger.


title: Sean Waltman

text: As The Lightning Kid, Waltman had his WWF tryout match in Phoenix, Arizona in April 1993, the day after WrestleMania IX, against fellow hopeful Louie Spicolli (soon known as Rad Radford in the WWF). He reminisced that he was lucky to have an opponent with a vested interest in an impressive match, rather than (as was then typical) a disinterested WWF veteran jobber like Virgil or Jim Powers. After earning a contract, he made his television debut as "The Kamikaze Kid" on "Monday Night Raw" on May 3, losing to Doink the Clown. He quickly became "The Cannonball Kid", losing to Mr. Hughes. He then became simply "The Kid", scoring an upset pinfall on Razor Ramon on the May 17, 1993 episode of "Monday Night Raw", thus becoming "The 1–2–3 Kid". Razor challenged him to a rematch, wagering $2,500, then $5,000 and finally $10,000 of his own money. Kid accepted the challenge, but grabbed the money and ran from the arena during the match. Ted DiBiase, who was feuding with Razor, taunted him over losing to a nobody.


title: Sean Waltman

text: This angered Kid, and led to a match in which he upset DiBiase as well. Razor turned face shortly after and took Kid under his wing. The 1–2–3 Kid made his pay-per-view debut at SummerSlam, losing to DiBiase's tag partner Irwin R. Schyster after Razor had defeated DiBiase. At Survivor Series, Kid was on Razor's team in a four-on-four elimination match. He and Marty Jannetty were the sole survivors, which led to them forming a tag team and holding the WWF Tag Team Championship for a week in January 1994 after beating The Quebecers.


title: Sean Waltman

text: For the next two years, The 1–2–3 Kid was a natural underdog and fan favorite. He wrestled Bret Hart in an unusually long (for the time) match for the WWF Championship on July 11, 1994 on "Raw" and had another brief (one-day) tag title reign in January 1995, with Bob Holly beating Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka at the Royal Rumble before losing to The Smoking Gunns the next day on "Raw".


title: Sean Waltman

text: After Kid and Razor failed to win the Tag Team Championship from Billy Gunn and Bart Gunn in October 1995, Kid attacked the face Gunns after the match to tease a heel turn. On the "Raw" before Survivor Series in November, he was the guest referee in a match between Razor Ramon and Sycho Sid. As Razor attempted his finisher, The Razor's Edge, Kid pulled Sid down from Razor, allowing Sid to then hit Razor with his Powerbomb, and Kid fast-counted the pinfall, thus turning heel. At SummerSlam, he lost to Hakushi but won a rematch in November after Ted DiBiase interfered. He was the sole survivor of his team at Survivor Series, besting rival Marty Jannetty. Razor and Marty would team up to beat Kid and Sid at In Your House 5. After Survivor Series, Kid joined Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation faction. He remained with the group until May 1996 when Waltman left the WWF. He lost a "Crybaby match" to Razor Ramon at In Your House 6. The 1–2–3 Kid's final WWF match aired on the May 20 episode of "Monday Night Raw"; he lost to Savio Vega. Notably, Waltman was the only Kliq member not involved in the infamous "Curtain Call" that took place at Madison Square Garden the night before his final match from his first WWF run aired, as he was in drug rehab at the time.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On September 16, 1996, Waltman was shown sitting in the front row for a live episode of "Nitro". Later that night, he used a remote control to release New World Order (nWo) propaganda from the ceiling, revealing himself as the newest member of the recently formed faction. He was called "Syxx", because he was the sixth member of the nWo, and six is the sum of numbers in "1–2–3 Kid". In his first major angle, Syxx stole Eddie Guerrero's WCW United States Heavyweight Championship belt, leading to a ladder match for the title at Souled Out in January 1997, which Syxx lost. The next month, at SuperBrawl VII, Syxx pinned Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, after hitting him with the title belt, which he had grabbed from Guerrero at ringside. In June 1997, he lost the championship to Chris Jericho at a webcast house show in Los Angeles, California, minutes after successfully defending against Rey Mysterio, Jr.


title: Sean Waltman

text: During a feud with Ric Flair, and a loss to him at Road Wild in August, Syxx disparagingly portrayed Flair as part of an nWo segment parodying his Four Horsemen group. This segment led to a WarGames match at Fall Brawl, where Syxx, Kevin Nash, Buff Bagwell and Konnan defeated The Four Horsemen (Flair, Steve McMichael, Chris Benoit and Curt Hennig) after Hennig betrayed the Horsemen and joined the nWo. In mid-1997, the nWo invoked "Wolfpac Rules", allowing Syxx to replace the injured Kevin Nash in defending the WCW World Tag Team Championship with Scott Hall. On October 13, 1997, Hall and Syxx lost the title to The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott). In October, a neck injury sidelined Waltman from wrestling, but he continued to appear on television for several weeks after. While later recuperating at home, he was fired via Federal Express by WCW President Eric Bischoff. Waltman claims this was a power play aimed at his friends Hall and Nash, whose backstage influence was felt as a threat. Bischoff later said Waltman was a competent performer when sober, but sober periods were "few and far between", and "in many ways, Sean was lucky to even have a job".


title: Sean Waltman

text: 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. 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 (D-X). He said he was forming a D-X 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." Waltman appeared on the stage with a beard, commented on Bischoff and Hollywood Hogan, and said if they weren't contracted to WCW, Hall and Nash would have also returned to the WWF. Bischoff responded on "Nitro" the next week by telling Waltman to "bite me".


title: Sean Waltman

text: 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) by the next "Raw". X-Pac feuded with Jeff Jarrett, ultimately defeating him in a hair-vs-hair match at SummerSlam, then with 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 in October. Waltman lost the title to Shane McMahon on February 15, 1999. At WrestleMania XV, he lost a championship rematch when Triple H betrayed him, and hit him with his Pedigree finisher. X-Pac then sided with Road Dogg against Triple H, Chyna and Billy Gunn, after the temporary demise of D-X. X-Pac and Road Dogg wanted a reformed D-X to be about rebellion, while the others wanted it to be about making money. X-Pac befriended Kane, a mute, angry loner whom he partially socialized and encouraged to speak, through an electrolarynx. They won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice together. After D-X reunited in late 1999 as a heel group, X-Pac led Kane to believe he would be inducted into D-X, but instead betrayed him and eventually stole his new girlfriend, Tori. The rivalry between X-Pac and Kane culminated in a tag team match pitting X-Pac and Road Dogg against Kane and Rikishi at WrestleMania 2000.


title: Sean Waltman

text: 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, X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Tori defeated the Dudley Boyz in a dumpster match; during the bout, Tori was powerbombed 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, with X-Pac winning the bout following a low blow; after the match, Road Dogg attacked X-Pac, marking the end of their tag team and the dissolution of D-Generation X. In September 2000, X-Pac began feuding with Chris Jericho, with Jericho defeating X-Pac at Unforgiven 2000 and then again in a cage match at No Mercy 2000. During the feud, X-Pac sustained a neck injury when Jericho gave him a powerbomb, side-lining him for three months.


title: Sean Waltman

text: After returning from his neck injury in February 2001, X-Pac briefly feuded 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 in February, which Jericho won to retain the title.


title: Sean Waltman

text: In February, X-Pac formed a new stable called X-Factor with Justin Credible and Albert. 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, then won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship for the second time in his career when he defeated Billy Kidman on July 30. Despite the reign occurring during the 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.


title: Sean Waltman

text: When Credible joined the ECW/WCW Alliance X-Factor broke up. At 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 Tajiri. After losing the WCW Cruiserweight title to Kidman, he took time off for another injury. The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was abandoned upon his return to television, though he defended it at several house shows shortly prior. Hall, Nash and Hogan returned to the WWF in 2002 as the New World Order, 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 "SmackDown!", rejoined the nWo and attacked Hogan. He said he had been waiting four years to do so, because Hogan shot on "WCW Thunder" after Waltman's firing, saying he could not "cut the mustard". The storyline was dropped after the first WWF draft, when the nWo went to Raw and Hogan to SmackDown!. During the nWo's feud with Booker T and Goldust a botched spinebuster injured him and kept him from participating in the feud. 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, "Raw" commentator Jim Ross announced WWE and Waltman had parted ways.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman, as "Syxx-Pac", debuted for NWA Total Nonstop Action on September 18, 2002, losing a gauntlet match. Rejoining his WWF tag partners Scott Hall and B.G. James, he feuded with Jeff Jarrett and Brian Lawler. On October 9, 2002, Syxx-Pac made his X Division debut, defeating eight other wrestlers in a ladder match to win the vacant TNA X Division Championship. He held the title for two weeks before losing to A.J. Styles in a No Disqualification match. He abruptly left TNA after defeating Lawler in the first round of an NWA World Heavyweight Championship number one contender tournament on November 6.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman, as Syxx-Pac, returned to TNA for a single night on June 18, 2003, at their first anniversary pay-per-view, as A.J. Styles's mystery partner in a loss to Jeff Jarrett and Sting.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman, as "X", debuted in Xtreme Pro Wrestling on February 28, 2003, winning the XPW Television Championship from Kaos. He retained the title in a bout with Juventud Guerrera on March 1, and held it until the promotion closed in March 2003.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Under his real name, Waltman returned to TNA on February 13, 2005 at Against All Odds, attacking Jeff Jarrett during his NWA World Heavyweight Championship match with Kevin Nash. Nash, Waltman and Diamond Dallas Page formed an alliance and feuded with Planet Jarrett (Jarrett, The Outlaw and Monty Brown) and at Lockdown, Waltman, B.G. James and Diamond Dallas Page defeated Planet Jarrett in a Lethal Lockdown match. Nash and Page left TNA to focus on acting afterwards.


title: Sean Waltman

text: At Hard Justice in 2005, Waltman replaced Jeff Hardy, who no-showed, and lost to Raven in a Clockwork Orange House of Fun match after being back body dropped through the steel cage. On June 19, at Slammiversary, Waltman wrestled a five-man King of the Mountain match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He lost, but cost defending champion A.J. Styles the title by delivering an X-Factor off a ladder. This turned him heel and led to a grudge match at No Surrender, which Styles won after guest referee Jerry Lynn prevented Waltman from cheating. Waltman challenged Lynn to a match at Sacrifice. After losing by victory roll, Waltman attacked Lynn and tried to reinjure his shoulder. Waltman then partnered with Alex Shelley to win the Chris Candido Cup. This earned them a shot at the NWA World Tag Team Championship at Unbreakable. Waltman, however, no-showed the event. He was not seen again until a one-night return at Final Resolution on January 15, 2006, brought in by Larry Zbyszko to defeat his rival, Raven.


title: Sean Waltman

text: In February 2006, Waltman joined MTV's newly formed Wrestling Society X (WSX) promotion, as "6-Pac". At their inaugural tapings on February 9, 6-Pac had a ten-man hardcore battle royal ladder match, which both he and Vampiro won by climbing the ladder to retrieve WSX contracts. 6-Pac lost a WSX Championship title match to Vampiro the following week. He challenged Vampiro in episode four, as a ruse to introduce Ricky Banderas, who attacked Vampiro from behind. He later defeated Human Tornado and Scorpio Sky in singles matches, and teased an affair with Lizzy Valentine (the valet and girlfriend of Matt Sydal), though WSX folded before the angle could go on any further.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman, under his real name, defeated Adam Pearce for the NWA Heritage Championship in El Paso, Texas on April 21, 2007. He defended it against El Sicodelico Jr. on April 27, and lost it to Pearce two days later. On July 8, 2007, Waltman teamed with Billy Kidman in a three-way tag match in McAllen, Texas for the NWA World Tag Team Championship, which had been vacated by Team 3D after the NWA stopped working with TNA. They lost the match to Karl Anderson and Joey Ryan. On the May 14, 2008, episode of "NWA Wrestling Showcase", Waltman challenged Pearce for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The match ended prematurely after Waltman legitimately injured his knee five minutes in. He was attacked by The Real American Heroes and Pearce, so won by disqualification. As wrestling titles can generally only change hands by pinfall or submission, Pearce retained the belt.


title: Sean Waltman

text: In June 2007, Waltman, as X-Pac, began working regularly for AAA, initially a member of Konnan's "La Legión Extranjera" (Foreign Legion) and managed by girlfriend Alicia Webb. He usually used the D-Generation X entrance music. After leaving for rehab in mid-2008, he returned at "Verano de Escándalo" ("Summer of Scandal") that September, turning on the Foreign Legion and forming D-Generation Mex, a parody of D-Generation X, with Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov. He later feuded with one of AAA's top stars, El Zorro.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On August 8, 2009, at GLCW Slamfest, X-Pac became the new GLCW Heavyweight Champion by defeating Skull Crusher, who had replaced champion Al Snow when he failed to show.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On a special live, three-hour Monday night episode of "Impact!" on January 4, 2010, Waltman (as Syxx-Pac) and Scott Hall returned to TNA. That night, fellow former nWo member Hulk Hogan debuted in TNA. Kevin Nash, Hall and Waltman quickly reformed an alliance called The Band, but Hogan stayed away, saying times had changed. On the January 14 episode of "Impact!", The Band attacked Robert Roode and James Storm with led to a tag team match at Genesis. At Genesis on January 17, Syxx-Pac replaced Hall and teamed with Nash to lose to Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm). On the next "Impact!" Hogan, disgusted by The Band's actions, had security eject Syxx-Pac and Hall, saying they weren't contracted to TNA. They appeared the next week anyway, attacking Kurt Angle from behind. They returned a week later, betraying Nash and beating him down. on the February 11 episode of Impact!, Waltman and Hall attacked Kurt Angle until Hogan made the save. on the February 18 episode of Impact!, Waltman and Hall brawled with Nash and Young and a week later on the February 25 episode of Impact!, Waltman and Hall brawled with Nash and Young in the parking lot and left them laying. on the March 8 episode of Impact, Nash and Young brought out a contract to wrestle Waltman and Hall on PPV. on the March 15 episode of Impact, Nash and Hall had a 5-Min $25,000 challenge when Waltman attacked Nash and handcuffed him to the rope. At Destination X on March 21, Syxx-Pac and Hall wagered their TNA jobs in a tag match against Nash and Eric Young. In the end, Nash turned on Young and helped The Band win the match and full TNA contracts. On the March 29 "Impact!", The Band lost a six-man steel cage tag match to Eric Young, Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam. on the April 12 episode of Impact, Waltman, Hall and Nash defeated Team 3D and Jesse Neal in a Street Fight. Syxx-Pac was scheduled for a tag match at Lockdown, but was replaced by Nash after the Missouri Athletic Commission barred Waltman from wrestling, due to his hepatitis C. On the April 26 "Impact!", Waltman was written off of TV when Team 3D found Syxx-Pac on a backstage floor in a pool of blood; Eric Young took his place in The Band. In June 2010, TNA released Waltman and Hall.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On February 26, 2011, Waltman was inducted into the Legends Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Wheeling, West Virginia by Jack Blaze at their "LPW X-Factor 2011" event. On March 5, 2011, Waltman reunited with former D-Generation X members Road Dogg and Billy Gunn for a six-man tag match at a Pro Wrestling Syndicate show in Long Island, New York. A week later, X-Pac defeated UIW Lightweight Champion Stupid in a non-title match.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On April 2, 2011, Waltman returned to WWE television to celebrate, with Kevin Nash and Triple H, their longtime friend Shawn Michaels' induction into the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame. He later worked backstage as a scout and evaluator in Florida Championship Wrestling, the WWE developmental territory.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On April 15, 2011, Waltman, as The 1–2–3 Kid, debuted for Chikara by entering their King of Trios tournament, teaming with Arik Cannon and Darin Corbin (Team Minnesota). They were eliminated in the first round by Team Michinoku Pro (Dick Togo, Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki). The day after, Waltman defeated Amazing Red, Frightmare and Obariyon in a four-way elimination match to make it to the next day's "Rey de Voladores" tournament final. There, he lost to El Generico. After the match, Waltman said he believed 2011 would be his last year in professional wrestling, praising Chikara as the "future of wrestling" and thanking them for a memorable weekend.


title: Sean Waltman

text: In October 2011, X-Pac teamed with Billy Gunn wrestled the Full Blooded Italians in the main event on a Caribbean Pro Wrestling show in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.


title: Sean Waltman

text: In March 2012, Waltman attended the Hall of Fame again, with The Kliq. On July 23, he, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg returned to join Shawn Michaels and Triple H for a D-Generation X reunion on the 1000th episode of "Raw".


title: Sean Waltman

text: In September 2012, the 1–2–3 Kid returned to Chikara for the 2012 King of Trios tournament, this time teaming with Aldo Montoya and Tatanka as Team WWF. On September 14, they lost their first-round match to The Extreme Trio (Jerry Lynn, Tommy Dreamer and Too Cold Scorpio). The next day, The 1–2–3 Kid was low-blowed and pinned by Mark Angelosetti. On the final day of the tournament weekend, The 1–2–3 Kid and Marty Jannetty won the annual tag team gauntlet match.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On October 8 and 9, 2012, he wrestled in a Bad Boys of Wrestling Federation tournament to crown the BBWF Caribbean Champion. He defeated Krimson in the semi-final and Daivari in the final, winning the title.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On November 18, 2012, The 1–2–3 Kid returned to Chikara, when he and Marty Jannetty defeated The Heart Throbs (Antonio Thomas and Romeo Roselli) to earn their third point (for three consecutive wins) and a shot at the Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas. They lost the title match on December 2, at the Under the Hood internet pay-per-view, to defending champions The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson).


title: Sean Waltman

text: In early 2013, The Kliq/DX reunited for an episode of "NXT". In March 2013, Waltman signed a WWE Legends contract (a long-term contract which gives WWE merchandising rights to a wrestler's name and likeness, requires occasional appearances and prevents them from working for competing major promotions, but allows for independent appearances).


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman, under his real name, returned to Chikara on March 8, 2013, losing to Hallowicked. On March 23, 2013, in a four-way match at Jerry Lynn's retirement show in Minneapolis, X-Pac tore his anus by performing his signature Bronco Buster onto the exposed turnbuckle. Afterward, he went back to his hotel room, where he discovered a lot of blood coming out of his clothes and went to the hospital. He underwent a sphincteroplasty and was released the following morning. On November 9, 2013, X-Pac and Lance Storm lost to Tommy Dreamer and Terry Funk in the main event of House of Hardcore 3.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On April 5, 2014 the night before WrestleMania XXX, Waltman joined Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Kevin Nash at Scott Hall's WWE Hall of Fame induction, reuniting The Kliq.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On June 14, 2014, X-Pac and Rikishi defeated Gangrel and Matt Striker at House of Hardcore 6. In September 2014, Waltman returned to Chikara to do commentary during the first round of the 2014 King of Trios.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On the January 19, 2015 episode of "Raw", labelled Raw Reunion, Damien Mizdow appeared with Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall and Triple H dressed as X-Pac, only for X-Pac to confront him (finding the impersonation funny), until The Miz interrupted them to tell them that Mizdow was only his stunt double, and that the party was over. He appeared again with Hall and Nash, being interrupted by The Ascension, who were attempting to attack them, only to be joined by The APA and The New Age Outlaws in fending off The Ascension. At WrestleMania 31, X-Pac along with the New Age Outlaws and Shawn Michaels helped Triple H win his match against Sting. They were backstage at in August 2015.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On September 4, 2016, Waltman, as X-Pac, made a surprise return to Chikara, representing DX alongside Billy Gunn in a tag team gauntlet match. The two entered the match as the final team and scored the win over Prakash Sabar and The Proletariat Boar of Moldova.


title: Sean Waltman

text: In January 2018, Waltman returned at WWE Raw 25 Years and reunited with DX and Scott Hall. In November 2018, he attended .


title: Sean Waltman

text: In 2019, Waltman was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame (under the X-Pac name) as a member of D-Generation X alongside Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn and the late Chyna. During WrestleMania 35 weekend in April 2019, X-Pac, Hurricane Helms and Jushin Thunder Liger won a six-man tag team match against Revolt! (Caleb Konley, Jake Manning, and Zane Riley) at the WrestleCon Mark Hitchcock Memorial SuperShow. Later in July, he claimed that the match would be his last and that he was retired, stating "I'm fucking done wrestling. I'm done." However, he did mention that he would be open to potential one-night returns for special occasions such as WrestleMania and NXT TakeOver. On December 9, 2019, it was announced that Waltman would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame a second time (this time under his real name) as a part of the class of 2020, this time as a member of the New World Order, together with fellow former nWo stablemates Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall; this made him the first person to be inducted two years in a row, and the first to be inducted twice as part of teams or groups. The 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, it eventually took place a year later.


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman came out of retirement in February 2022, debuting in Game Changer Wrestling on its "Welcome to Heartbreak" pay-per-view in Los Angeles as the tag team partner of Joey Janela. The following month at the "Joey Janela's Spring Break 6" pay-per-view, Waltman lost to Janela.


title: Sean Waltman

text: In 2004, Waltman co-starred with then-girlfriend Chyna in the now-infamous amateur adult film "1 Night in China".


title: Sean Waltman

text: Waltman's has been a playable character in video games including "WWF Raw", "", "WCW Nitro", "WWF Attitude", "WWF Smackdown!", "WWF WrestleMania 2000", "WWF No Mercy", "", "WWF With Authority!", "WWF Road to WrestleMania", "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth", "WWF Raw", "WWE '13", downloadable content in "WWE 2K14" as Syxx-Pac, "WWE 2K16", "WWE 2K20", and "WWE 2K22".


title: Sean Waltman

text: Starting in 2016, Waltman began hosting the weekly podcast, "X-Pac 1, 2, 360". Waltman has also made various appearances on other podcasts including "The Steve Austin Show", "Talk Is Jericho", and "The Ross Report".


title: Sean Waltman

text: In the mid-2000s, Waltman was in a relationship with Joanie Laurer, who competed as Chyna in the WWF. They were engaged but later split up. In March 2005, Waltman appeared on the VH1 reality show "The Surreal Life", in which he visited Laurer in an attempt to reconcile with her. After Laurer refused to reconcile, he was eventually ejected from the house by the other guests. On "The Tomorrow Show with Keven Undergaro", he recounted the last time he saw Chyna. He has been open about past substance abuse issues; during his relationship with Laurer, he struggled with an addiction to methamphetamine and narcotics such as cocaine and prescription pain medication.


title: Sean Waltman

text: In 2008, Waltman attempted suicide in his Mexico City apartment. He later said he was so overcome with shame and guilt after a physical altercation with his then-girlfriend Alicia Webb that he consumed a mixture of pills and alcohol and hanged himself from his apartment balcony. Webb supposedly found him hanging and was able to get him down, reviving him until an ambulance arrived. Following this incident, he was placed in WWE-sponsored rehab and began his recovery.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On April 30, 2017, Waltman was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport after allegedly being found in possession of methamphetamines. On May 26, however, it was announced that the charges had been dropped after lab results determined the pills he possessed were not methamphetamines nor any form of narcotic.


title: Sean Waltman

text: On September 24, 2018, Waltman announced the death of his ex-wife and the mother of his two children, Terry Waltman, to whom he was married from 1994 to 2002. He said she had "lost her battle with mental illness and addiction". He began dating author Angela Nissel in 2018. In 2022, Waltman became a grandfather.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: The 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on June 19, 1984, before the 1984–85 season. The draft is generally considered to be one of the greatest in NBA history, with four Hall of Famers being drafted in the first sixteen picks and five overall. It included first pick Akeem Olajuwon (as he was known by at the time), Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The Houston Rockets won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Portland Trail Blazers, who obtained the Indiana Pacers' first-round pick in a trade, were awarded the second pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The Cleveland Cavaliers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as compensation for the draft picks traded away by their previous owner, Ted Stepien. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was automatically eligible for selection. Before the draft, five college underclassmen announced that they would leave college early and would be eligible for selection. Prior to the draft, the San Diego Clippers relocated to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Clippers. The draft consisted of 10 rounds comprising the selection of 228 players. This draft was the last to be held before the creation of the draft lottery in 1985. It was also the first NBA draft to be overseen by David Stern, who would continue as the commissioner of the league for the following 30 years.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: Prior to the day of the draft, the following trades were made and resulted in exchanges of picks between the teams.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: The Houston Rockets used their first pick to draft Akeem Olajuwon, a junior center from the University of Houston. The Nigerian-born Olajuwon became the second foreign-born player to be drafted first overall, after Mychal Thompson from the Bahamas in 1978. The Portland Trail Blazers used the second overall pick to draft Sam Bowie from the University of Kentucky. The Chicago Bulls used the third pick to draft Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year Michael Jordan from the University of North Carolina. Jordan went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and was also selected to the All-NBA Second Team in his rookie season. Jordan's teammate at North Carolina, Sam Perkins, was drafted fourth by the Dallas Mavericks. Charles Barkley, a junior forward from Auburn University, was drafted fifth by the Philadelphia 76ers. Olajuwon, Jordan and Barkley, along with the 16th pick John Stockton and the 131st pick Oscar Schmidt, have been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The first four mentioned players were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: Olajuwon's achievements include two NBA championships, two Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, twelve All-NBA Team selections, twelve All-Star Game selections and nine All-Defensive Team selections. Olajuwon retired as the all–time league leader in total blocked shots with 3,830 blocks.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: The third pick, Jordan, achieved even greater success than Olajuwon. He won six NBA championships, six Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, five Most Valuable Player Awards, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, eleven All-NBA Team selections, fourteen All-Star Game selections, three NBA All Star Game MVP Awards, and nine All-Defensive Team selections.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: Barkley and Stockton never won an NBA championship, but both players received numerous awards and honors. Barkley won the Most Valuable Player in 1993 and was selected to eleven All-NBA Teams, eleven All-Star Games, and was the MVP of the 1991 All Star Game. Stockton was selected to eleven All-NBA Teams, ten All-Star Games and five All-Defensive Teams before retiring as the all–time league leader in assists and steals and was co-MVP of the 1993 All Star Game along with his Utah Jazz teammate Karl Malone. Jordan, Barkley and Stockton would later play as teammates for the 1992 "Dream Team".


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: Alvin Robertson, the seventh pick, is the only other player from this draft who has won annual NBA awards as a player; he won both the Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Most Improved Player Award in 1986. He was also selected to one All-NBA Team, four All-Star Games, six consecutive All-Defensive Teams. Both Robertson and Olajuwon are among only four players in NBA history who have ever achieved the extremely rare feat of recording a quadruple double.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: Two other players from this draft, ninth pick Otis Thorpe and eleventh pick Kevin Willis, were also selected to one All-Star Game each. Willis also had one selection to the All-NBA Team. Rick Carlisle, the 70th pick, became a coach after ending his playing career and won the Coach of the Year Award in 2002 while coaching the Detroit Pistons. In 2011, he coached the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA Championship.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: The 1984 draft class is considered to be one of the best in NBA history as it produced five Hall of Famers and seven All-Stars. However, it was also marked by the Blazers' selection of Sam Bowie, considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. It is believed that the Blazers picked Bowie over Michael Jordan because they already had an All Star shooting guard in Jim Paxson and a young shooting guard in Clyde Drexler, whom they drafted in the 1983 draft. Although Drexler went on to have a successful career, Bowie's career was cut short by injuries; he had missed two of the past three seasons in his college career as well. Despite having a 10-year career in the NBA and averaging 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, Bowie's career was interrupted by five leg surgeries, which limited him to 139 games in five years with the Blazers.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: Brazilian Oscar Schmidt was drafted with the 131st pick in the sixth round by the New Jersey Nets. However, Schmidt turned down the offers to play in the NBA and stayed to play in Italy and later in Brazil. He played in five Olympics and was the top scorer in three of them. He finished his career with 49,703 points with various clubs and the Brazilian national team, more than the NBA's career scoring leader, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored 38,387 points in his NBA career. In 2010, International Basketball Federation (FIBA) honored Schmidt with an induction to the FIBA Hall of Fame, and Schmidt was inducted by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: University of Houston track and field Olympic Champion Carl Lewis, who had never played college basketball, was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 208th pick in the 10th round. Lewis would dominate the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in the summer of 1984. Lewis, who had also been drafted in NFL draft of the same year by the Dallas Cowboys, stayed with his athletics career and went on to win nine Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships gold medals.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: In the fifth round, the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Mike Whitmarsh, who starred for the University of San Diego in both basketball and volleyball, with the 111th pick. Whitmarsh played professional basketball in Germany for three years, but never played in the NBA. He then left basketball to play beach volleyball, where he achieved greater success, including a silver medal in the Olympics.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: The final pick in the 1984 Draft, number 228 by the Boston Celtics, was Dan Trant of Clark University. Trant never played in a regular season game for the Celtics. Trant was working in his office at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 and was killed in the terrorist attacks that day.


title: 1984 NBA draft

text: This draft would be the last of the NBA that would be without any undrafted players entering the NBA. Starting from 1985 onward, multiple undrafted players from each year would enter the NBA, with more of them coming after the league decreased the number of rounds from the draft from 10 to the current two.


title: Oyster

text: Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not all oysters are in the superfamily Ostreoidea.


title: Oyster

text: Some types of oysters are commonly consumed (cooked or raw), and in some locales are regarded as a delicacy. Some types of pearl oysters are harvested for the pearl produced within the mantle. Windowpane oysters are harvested for their translucent shells, which are used to make various kinds of decorative objects.


title: Oyster

text: The word "oyster" comes from Old French , and first appeared in English during the 14th century. The French derived from the Latin , the feminine form of , which is the latinisation of the Ancient Greek () 'oyster'. Compare () 'bone'.


title: Oyster

text: True oysters are members of the family Ostreidae. This family includes the edible oysters, which mainly belong to the genera "Ostrea", "Crassostrea", "Ostreola", "Magallana", and "Saccostrea". Examples include the European flat oyster, eastern oyster, Olympia oyster, Pacific oyster, and the Sydney rock oyster. Ostreidae evolved in the Early Triassic epoch: The genus "Liostrea" grew on the shells of living ammonoids.


title: Oyster

text: Almost all shell-bearing mollusks can secrete pearls, yet most are not very valuable. Pearls can form in both saltwater and freshwater environments.


title: Oyster

text: Pearl oysters are not closely related to true oysters, being members of a distinct family, the feathered oysters (Pteriidae). Both cultured pearls and natural pearls can be extracted from pearl oysters, though other molluscs, such as the freshwater mussels, also yield pearls of commercial value.


title: Oyster

text: The largest pearl-bearing oyster is the marine "Pinctada maxima", which is roughly the size of a dinner plate. Not all individual oysters produce pearls naturally.


title: Oyster

text: In nature, pearl oysters produce pearls by covering a minute invasive object with nacre. Over the years, the irritating object is covered with enough layers of nacre to become a pearl. The many different types, colours and shapes of pearls depend on the natural pigment of the nacre, and the shape of the original irritant.


title: Oyster

text: Pearl farmers can culture a pearl by placing a nucleus, usually a piece of polished mussel shell, inside the oyster. In three to seven years, the oyster can produce a perfect pearl. Since the beginning of the 20th century, when several researchers discovered how to produce artificial pearls, the cultured pearl market has far outgrown the natural pearl market.


title: Oyster

text: A number of bivalve molluscs (other than true oysters and pearl oysters) also have common names that include the word "oyster", usually because they either taste like or look somewhat like true oysters, or because they yield noticeable pearls. Examples include:


title: Oyster

text: In the Philippines, a local thorny oyster species known as Tikod amo is a favorite seafood source in the southern part of the country. Because of its good flavor, it commands high prices.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters breathe primarily via gills. In addition to their gills, oysters can exchange gases across their mantles, which are lined with many small, thin-walled blood vessels. A small, three-chambered heart, lying under the adductor muscle, pumps colorless blood to all parts of the body. At the same time, two kidneys, located on the underside of the muscle, remove waste products from the blood. Their nervous system includes two pairs of nerve cords and three pairs of ganglia. There is no evidence that oysters have a brain.


title: Oyster

text: While some oysters have two sexes (European oyster and Olympia oyster), their reproductive organs contain both eggs and sperm. Because of this, it is technically possible for an oyster to fertilize its own eggs. The gonads surround the digestive organs, and are made up of sex cells, branching tubules, and connective tissue.


title: Oyster

text: Once her millions of eggs are fertilized, the female discharges them into the water. The larvae develop in about six hours and exist suspended in the water column as veliger larvae for two to three weeks before settling on a bed and reaching sexual maturity within a year.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters are filter feeders, drawing water in over their gills through the beating of cilia. Suspended plankton and non-food particles are trapped in the mucus of a gill, and from there are transported to the mouth, where they are eaten, digested, and expelled as feces or pseudofeces that fall to the bottom and remain out of the water column. Oysters feed most actively at temperatures ranging from the high 60s to the high 70s (). Under ideal laboratory conditions, an oyster can filter up to of water per day. Under average conditions, mature oysters filter . Chesapeake Bay's once-flourishing oyster population historically filtered excess nutrients from the estuary's entire water volume every three to four days. As of 2008 it was estimated that a complete cycle would take nearly a year.


title: Oyster

text: "Crassostrea" and "Saccostrea" live mainly in the intertidal zone, while "Ostrea" is subtidal. The hard surfaces of oyster shells and the nooks between the shells provide places where a host of small animals can live. Hundreds of animals, such as sea anemones, barnacles, and hooked mussels, inhabit oyster reefs. Many of these animals are prey to larger animals, including fish, such as striped bass, black drum and croakers.


title: Oyster

text: An oyster reef can increase the surface area of a flat bottom 50-fold. An oyster's mature shape often depends on the type of bottom to which it is originally attached, but it always orients itself with its outer, flared shell tilted upward. One valve is cupped and the other is flat.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters usually reach maturity in one year. They are protandric; during their first year, they spawn as males by releasing sperm into the water. As they grow over the next two or three years and develop greater energy reserves, they spawn as females by releasing eggs. Bay oysters usually spawn from the end of June until mid-August. An increase in water temperature prompts a few oysters to spawn. This triggers spawning in the rest, clouding the water with millions of eggs and sperm. A single female oyster can produce up to 100 million eggs annually. The eggs become fertilized in the water and develop into larvae, which eventually find suitable sites, such as another oyster's shell, on which to settle. Attached oyster larvae are called spat. Spat are oysters less than long. Many species of bivalves, oysters included, seem to be stimulated to settle near adult conspecifics.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters filter large amounts of water to feed and breathe (exchange and with water) but they are not permanently open. They regularly shut their valves to enter a resting state, even when they are permanently submersed. Their behaviour follows very strict circatidal and circadian rhythms according to the relative moon and sun positions. During neap tides, they exhibit much longer closing periods than during the spring tide.


title: Oyster

text: Some tropical oysters, such as the mangrove oyster in the family Ostreidae, grow best on mangrove roots. Low tide can expose them, making them easy to collect.


title: Oyster

text: The largest oyster-producing body of water in the United States is the Chesapeake Bay, although these beds have decreased in number due to overfishing and pollution.


title: Oyster

text: Willapa Bay in Washington produces more oysters than any other estuary in the US. Other large oyster farming areas in the US include the bays and estuaries along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Apalachicola, Florida, in the east to Galveston, Texas, in the west. Large beds of edible oysters are also found in Japan and Australia. In 2005, China accounted for 80% of the global oyster harvest. In Europe, France remained the industry leader.


title: Oyster

text: Common oyster predators include crabs, seabirds, starfish, and humans. Some oysters contain crabs, known as oyster crabs.


title: Oyster

text: Bivalves, including oysters, are effective filter feeders and can have large effects on the water columns in which they occur. As filter feeders, oysters remove plankton and organic particles from the water column. Multiple studies have shown individual oysters are capable of filtering up to of water per day, and thus oyster reefs can significantly improve water quality and clarity. Oysters consume nitrogen-containing compounds (nitrates and ammonia), phosphates, plankton, detritus, bacteria, and dissolved organic matter, removing them from the water. What is not used for animal growth is then expelled as solid waste pellets, which eventually decompose into the atmosphere as nitrogen. In Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Program had implemented a plan to use oysters to reduce the amount of nitrogen compounds entering the Chesapeake Bay by per year by 2010. Several studies have shown that oysters and mussels have the capacity to dramatically alter nitrogen levels in estuaries. In the U.S., Delaware is the only East Coast state without aquaculture, but making aquaculture a state-controlled industry of leasing water by the acre for commercial harvesting of shellfish is being considered. Supporters of Delaware's legislation to allow oyster aquaculture cite revenue, job creation, and nutrient cycling benefits. It is estimated that can produce nearly 750,000 oysters, which could filter between of water daily. Also see nutrient pollution for an extended explanation of nutrient remediation.


title: Oyster

text: As an ecosystem engineer, oysters provide supporting ecosystem services, along with provisioning, regulating and cultural services. Oysters influence nutrient cycling, water filtration, habitat structure, biodiversity, and food web dynamics. Assimilation of nitrogen and phosphorus into shellfish tissues provides an opportunity to remove these nutrients from the water column. In California's Tomales Bay, native oyster presence is associated with higher species diversity of benthic invertebrates. The ecological and economic importance of oyster reefs has become more acknowledged, restoration efforts have increased.


title: Oyster

text: Middens testify to the prehistoric importance of oysters as food, with some middens in New South Wales, Australia, dated at ten thousand years. They have been cultivated in Japan from at least 2000 BC. In the United Kingdom, the town of Whitstable is noted for oyster farming from beds on the Kentish Flats that have been used since Roman times. The borough of Colchester holds an annual Oyster Feast each October, at which "Colchester Natives" (the native oyster, "Ostrea edulis") are consumed. The United Kingdom hosts several other annual oyster festivals; for example, Woburn Oyster Festival is held in September. In fact, in Victorian England, it was quite common for people to go to the pub and enjoy their favorite beer with some oysters. They quickly realized that the "rich, sweet, malty stouts" were great with the "briny, creamy oyster." Then Brewers found that oyster shells naturally clarify a beer and they started putting crushed oyster shells into their brews. The first known brewery to start this was in 1938 at the Hammerton Brewery in London. That is where the oyster stout was first started.


title: Oyster

text: The French seaside resort of Cancale in Brittany is noted for its oysters, which also date from Roman times. Sergius Orata of the Roman Republic is considered the first major merchant and cultivator of oysters. Using his considerable knowledge of hydraulics, he built a sophisticated cultivation system, including channels and locks, to control the tides. He was so famous for this, the Romans used to say he could breed oysters on the roof of his house.


title: Oyster

text: In the early 19th century, oysters were cheap and mainly eaten by the working class. Throughout the 19th century, oyster beds in New York Harbor became the largest source of oysters worldwide. On any day in the late 19th century, six million oysters could be found on barges tied up along the city's waterfront. They were naturally quite popular in New York City, and helped initiate the city's restaurant trade. New York's oystermen became skilled cultivators of their beds, which provided employment for hundreds of workers and nutritious food for thousands. Eventually, rising demand exhausted many of the beds. To increase production, they introduced foreign species, which brought disease; effluent and increasing sedimentation from erosion destroyed most of the beds by the early 20th century. Oysters' popularity has put ever-increasing demands on wild oyster stocks. This scarcity increased prices, converting them from their original role as working-class food to their current status as an expensive delicacy.


title: Oyster

text: In the United Kingdom, the native variety ("Ostrea edulis") requires five years to mature and is protected by an Act of Parliament during the May-to-August spawning season. The current market is dominated by the larger Pacific oyster and rock oyster varieties which are farmed year-round.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters are harvested by simply gathering them from their beds. In very shallow waters, they can be gathered by hand or with small rakes. In somewhat deeper water, long-handled rakes or oyster tongs are used to reach the beds. Patent tongs can be lowered on a line to reach beds that are too deep to reach directly. In all cases, the task is the same: the oysterman scrapes oysters into a pile, and then scoops them up with the rake or tongs.


title: Oyster

text: In some areas, a scallop dredge is used. This is a toothed bar attached to a chain bag. The dredge is towed through an oyster bed by a boat, picking up the oysters in its path. While dredges collect oysters more quickly, they heavily damage the beds, and their use is highly restricted. Until 1965, Maryland limited dredging to sailboats, and even since then motor boats can be used only on certain days of the week. These regulations prompted the development of specialized sailboats (the bugeye and later the skipjack) for dredging.


title: Oyster

text: Similar laws were enacted in Connecticut before World War I and lasted until 1969. The laws restricted the harvesting of oysters in state-owned beds to vessels under sail. These laws prompted the construction of the oyster sloop-style vessel to last well into the 20th century. "Hope" is believed to be the last-built Connecticut oyster sloop, completed in 1948.


title: Oyster

text: In any case, when the oysters are collected, they are sorted to eliminate dead animals, bycatch (unwanted catch), and debris. Then they are taken to market, where they are either canned or sold live.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters have been cultured since at least the days of the Roman Empire. The Pacific oyster ("Magallana gigas") is presently the most widely grown bivalve around the world. Two methods are commonly used, release and bagging. In both cases, oysters are cultivated onshore to the size of spat, when they can attach themselves to a substrate. They may be allowed to mature further to form "seed oysters". In either case, they are then placed in the water to mature. The release technique involves distributing the spat throughout existing oyster beds, allowing them to mature naturally to be collected like wild oysters. Bagging has the cultivator putting spat in racks or bags and keeping them above the bottom. Harvesting involves simply lifting the bags or rack to the surface and removing the mature oysters. The latter method prevents losses to some predators, but is more expensive.


title: Oyster

text: The Pacific oyster has been grown in the outflow of mariculture ponds. When fish or prawns are grown in ponds, it takes typically of feed to produce of product (dry-dry basis). The other goes into the pond and after mineralization, provides food for phytoplankton, which in turn feeds the oyster.


title: Oyster

text: To prevent spawning, sterile oysters are now cultured by crossbreeding tetraploid and diploid oysters. The resulting triploid oyster cannot propagate, which prevents introduced oysters from spreading into unwanted habitats.


title: Oyster

text: In many areas, non-native oysters have been introduced in attempts to prop up failing harvests of native varieties. For example, the eastern oyster ("Crassostrea virginica") was introduced to California waters in 1875, while the Pacific oyster was introduced there in 1929. Proposals for further such introductions remain controversial.


title: Oyster

text: The Pacific oyster prospered in Pendrell Sound, where the surface water is typically warm enough for spawning in the summer. Over the following years, spat spread out sporadically and populated adjacent areas. Eventually, possibly following adaptation to the local conditions, the Pacific oyster spread up and down the coast and now is the basis of the North American west coast oyster industry. Pendrell Sound is now a reserve that supplies spat for cultivation.


title: Oyster

text: Near the mouth of the Great Wicomico River in the Chesapeake Bay, five-year-old artificial reefs now harbor more than 180 million native "Crassostrea virginica". That is far lower than in the late 1880s, when the bay's population was in the billions, and watermen harvested about annually. The 2009 harvest was less than . Researchers claim the keys to the project were:


title: Oyster

text: The "oyster-tecture" movement promotes the use of oyster reefs for water purification and wave attenuation. An oyster-tecture project has been implemented at Withers Estuary, Withers Swash, South Carolina, by Neil Chambers-led volunteers, at a site where pollution was affecting beach tourism. Currently, for the installation cost of $3000, roughly 4.8 million liters of water are being filtered daily. In New Jersey, however, the Department of Environmental Protection refused to allow oysters as a filtering system in Sandy Hook Bay and the Raritan Bay, citing worries that commercial shellfish growers would be at risk and that members of the public might disregard warnings and consume tainted oysters. New Jersey Baykeepers responded by changing their strategy for utilizing oysters to clean up the waterway, by collaborating with Naval Weapons Station Earle. The Navy station is under 24/7 security and therefore eliminates any poaching and associated human health risk. Oyster-tecture projects have been proposed to protect coastal cities, such as New York, from the threat of rising sea levels due to climate change. Additionally Oyster reef restoration has shown to increase the population of oyster beds within the oceans while also conservating the biolife within the oyster reefs.


title: Oyster

text: The accidental or intentional introduction of species by humans has the potential to negatively impact native oyster populations. For example, non-native species in Tomales Bay have resulted in the loss of half of California's Olympia oysters.


title: Oyster

text: In October 2017, it was reported that underwater noise pollution can affect oysters as they close their shells when exposed to low frequencies of sounds in experimental conditions. Oysters rely on hearing waves and currents to regulate their circadian rhythms, and perception of weather events—such as rain—may induce spawning. Cargo ships, pile drivers, and explosions conducted underwater produce low frequencies that may be detected by oysters.


title: Oyster

text: Environmental stressors as a result of global change are also negatively impacting oysters around the world, with many impacts affecting molecular, physiological, and behavioral processes in species including "Magallana gigas."


title: Oyster

text: Jonathan Swift is quoted as having said, "He was a bold man that first ate an oyster". Evidence of oyster consumption goes back into prehistory, evidenced by oyster middens found worldwide. Oysters were an important food source in all coastal areas where they could be found, and oyster fisheries were an important industry where they were plentiful. Overfishing and pressure from diseases and pollution have sharply reduced supplies, but they remain a popular treat celebrated in oyster festivals in many cities and towns.


title: Oyster

text: It was once assumed that oysters were only safe to eat in months with the letter 'r' in their English and French names. This myth is based in truth, in that in the Northern Hemisphere, oysters are much more likely to spoil in the warmer months of May, June, July, and August. In recent years, pathogens such as "Vibrio parahaemolyticus" have caused outbreaks in several harvesting areas of the eastern United States during the summer months, lending further credence to this belief.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters can be eaten on the half shell, raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, or broiled, or used in a variety of drinks. Eating can be as simple as opening the shell and eating the contents, including juice. Butter and salt are often added. Poached oysters can be served on toast with a cream roux. In the case of Oysters Rockefeller, preparation can be very elaborate. They are sometimes served on edible seaweed, such as brown algae.


title: Oyster

text: Care should be taken when consuming oysters. They may be eaten raw, with no dressing or with lemon juice, vinegar (most commonly shallot vinegar), or cocktail sauce. Upscale restaurants pair raw oysters with mignonette sauce, which consists primarily of fresh chopped shallot, mixed peppercorn, dry white wine and lemon juice or sherry vinegar. Like fine wine, raw oysters have complex flavors that vary greatly among varieties and regions: salty, briny, buttery, metallic or fruity. The texture is soft and fleshy, but crisp on the palate. North American varieties include Kumamoto and Yaquina Bay from Oregon, Duxbury and Wellfleet from Massachusetts, Malpeque from Prince Edward Island, Canada, Blue Point from Long Island, New York, Pemaquid from Maine, Rappahannock River from Virginia, Chesapeake from Maryland and Cape May from New Jersey. Variations in water salinity, alkalinity, and mineral and nutritional content influence their flavor.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters are an excellent source of zinc, iron, calcium, and selenium, as well as vitamin A and vitamin B. Oysters are low in food energy; one dozen raw oysters provides only . They are rich in protein (approximately 9 g in 100 g of Pacific oysters). Two oysters () provide the Reference Daily Intake of zinc and vitamin B.


title: Oyster

text: Traditionally, oysters are considered to be an aphrodisiac, partially because they resemble female sex organs. A team of American and Italian researchers analyzed bivalves and found they were rich in amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones. Their high zinc content aids the production of testosterone.


title: Oyster

text: Opening oysters, referred to as "oyster-shucking", requires skill. The preferred method is to use a special knife (called an oyster knife, a variant of a shucking knife), with a short and thick blade about long.


title: Oyster

text: While different methods are used to open an oyster (which sometimes depend on the type), the following is one commonly accepted oyster-shucking method.


title: Oyster

text: Inexperienced shuckers can apply too much force, which can result in injury if the blade slips. Heavy gloves, sometimes sold as oyster gloves, are recommended; apart from the knife, the shell itself can be razor-sharp. Professional shuckers require fewer than three seconds to open the shell.


title: Oyster

text: If the oyster has a particularly soft shell, the knife can be inserted instead in the "sidedoor", about halfway along one side where the oyster lips widen with a slight indentation.


title: Oyster

text: Opening or "shucking" oysters has become a competitive sport. Oyster-shucking competitions are staged around the world. The Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship was held annually in September at the Galway International Oyster Festival, in Galway, Ireland until 2010. Since 2011, "Guinness" has been dropped from the title.


title: Oyster

text: Unlike most shellfish, oysters can have a fairly long shelf life of up to four weeks. However, their taste becomes less pleasant as they age. Fresh oysters must be alive just before consumption or cooking.


title: Oyster

text: Oysters that do not open are generally assumed to be dead before cooking and therefore unsafe. There is only one criterion: the oyster must be capable of tightly closing its shell. Open oysters should be tapped on the shell; a live oyster will close up and is safe to eat. Oysters which are open and unresponsive are dead and must be discarded. Some dead oysters, or oyster shells which are full of sand, may be closed. These make a distinctive noise when tapped, and are known as "clackers".


title: Oyster

text: Oysters can contain harmful bacteria. Oysters are filter feeders, so will naturally concentrate anything present in the surrounding water. Oysters from the Gulf Coast of the United States, for example, contain high bacterial loads of human pathogens in the warm months, most notably "Vibrio vulnificus" and "Vibrio parahaemolyticus". In these cases, the main danger is for immunocompromised individuals, who are unable to fight off infection and can succumb to sepsis, leading to death. "Vibrio vulnificus" is the most deadly seafood-borne pathogen.


title: Oyster

text: Depuration of oysters is a common industry practice and widely researched in the scientific community but is not commonly known by end consumers. The main objective of seafood depuration is to remove fecal contamination in seafood before being sold to end consumers. Oyster depuration is useful since they are generally eaten raw and in many countries, the requirement to process is government-regulated or mandatory. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) formally recognizes depuration and has published detailed documents on the process, whereas the Codex Alimentarius, encourages the application of seafood depuration.


title: Oyster

text: Oyster depuration begins after the harvest of oysters from farmed locations. The oysters are transported and placed into tanks pumped with clean water for periods of 48 to 72 hours. The holding temperatures and salinity vary according to species. The seawater that the oysters were originally farmed in does not remain in the oyster, since the water used for depuration must be fully sterilized, plus the depuration facility would not necessarily be located near the farming location. Depuration of oysters can remove moderate levels of contamination of most bacterial indicators and pathogens. Well-known contaminants include "Vibrio parahaemolyticus", a temperature-sensitive bacterium found in seawater animals, and "Escherichia coli", a bacterium found in coastal waters near highly populated cities having sewage systems discharging waste nearby, or in the presence of agricultural discharges. Depuration expands beyond oysters into many shellfish and other related products, especially in seafood that is known to come from potentially polluted areas; depurated seafood is effectively a product cleansed from inside-out to make it safe for human consumption.


title: Oyster

text: As shellfish, consumption of oyster is forbidden by Jewish dietary law. Similarly, in Islam, Jaʽafari Shia and Hanafi Sunni dietary jurisprudence prohibit consuming bivalves, including oysters, as it is "makruh" (highly prohibited).


title: Oyster

text: Oysters are subject to various diseases which can reduce harvests and severely deplete local populations. Disease control focuses on containing infections and breeding resistant strains, and is the subject of much ongoing research.