At 6’6" and nearly 300 pounds, Sean O’Haire possessed the physical presence and athletic ability that professional wrestling promoters dream of. His early success in WCW’s tag team division and later development of the innovative "Devil’s Advocate" character in WWE suggested a promising future in the industry. But behind the spotlight, his story took a darker turn, leaving a haunting legacy as one of wrestling’s most sobering cautionary tales.
Sean O’Haire captivated audiences in WCW and WWE as the Devil’s Advocate, but behind the spotlight, his story took a darker turn, leaving a haunting legacy. Photo Credit: WWE. Artwork by Pro Wrestling Stories.
Sean O’Haire: From Wrestling Stardom to a Haunting Legacy
Sean O’Haire honing his craft at the WCW Power Plant in January 2000, where his journey from martial artist to wrestling star began. Photo Credit: WWE.
Born February 25th, 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia, Sean Christopher Haire grew up primarily in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Before entering professional wrestling, he established himself as a martial artist, winning multiple Toughman Contests, and demonstrated his business acumen as part-owner of a Hilton Head fitness center.
After attending Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, Haire began his professional wrestling training at the WCW Power Plant in January 2000.
Sean O’Haire’s Rapid Rise Through WCW’s Ranks
Sean O’Haire and Mark Jindrak early in their WCW careers, June 2000. The duo’s blend of power and agility swiftly earned them a spot in the WCW tag team title scene. Photo Credit: WWE.
Standing at 6’6" and weighing 270 pounds, O’Haire made his television debut on the June 26, 2000, episode of WCW Nitro, partnering with fellow graduate Mark Jindrak to defeat the Filthy Animals (Rey Mysterio Jr. and Juventud Guerrera).
O’Haire’s in-ring style featured a blend of power moves and agility, including his signature Swanton Bomb from the top rope.
The new tag team quickly advanced through the division, earning a shot at the World Tag Team Champions KroniK (Bryan Adams and Bryan Clarke). Though unsuccessful in their title bid, O’Haire and Jindrak’s performances led to their inclusion in a larger stable.
Alongside fellow Power Plant graduates Mike Sanders, Chuck Palumbo, Reno, Johnny the Bull, and Shawn Stasiak, they formed the Natural Born Thrillers. The group served as heel enforcers for the New Blood faction, led by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff.
Tag Team Success During WCW’s Final Days
The Natural Born Thrillers in WCW, left to right: Chuck Palumbo, Johnny the Bull, Mark Jindrak, Mike Sanders, Sean O’Haire, Reno, and Shawn Stasiak. The dominant stable quickly rose through the ranks during WCW’s final days, leaving an indelible mark on the tag team division. Photo Credit: WWE.
In late 2000, O’Haire and Jindrak captured their first WCW Tag Team Championship, holding the titles for two weeks before regaining them in an immediate rematch.
The Natural Born Thrillers’ success continued when Palumbo and Stasiak won a tag team battle royal, earning a title opportunity against champions Diamond Dallas Page and Kevin Nash, known as "The Insiders."
O’Haire, now partnering with Palumbo, defeated The Insiders at WCW’s Sin pay-per-view in January 2001, marking his third tag team championship in seven months.
Internal tensions led to O’Haire and Palumbo feuding with their former Natural Born Thrillers stablemates, culminating in a victory at SuperBrawl Revenge.
Sean O’Haire’s Transition to WWE and Early Challenges
Sean O’Haire during his debut year in WWE, 2001. Alongside Chuck Palumbo, he transitioned from WCW to WWE, holding the WCW Tag Team Championships during the early stages of the WCW/ECW invasion storyline. Photo Credit: WWE.
Following WWE’s acquisition of WCW in March 2001, Sean O’Haire and Chuck Palumbo transitioned to WWE while still holding the WCW Tag Team Championships. The duo made their WWE debut on the June 28, 2001, edition of SmackDown, attacking the Hardy Boyz and aligning themselves with The Alliance faction.
After The Alliance storyline concluded, WWE management reassigned O’Haire to their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).
In a 2013 interview with Hollywood Entertainment, O’Haire addressed this period, stating, "I couldn’t adjust to what they (WWE) wanted me to adjust, they wanted me to wrestle in a different way."
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Sean O’Haire’s Devil’s Advocate Era: WWE’s Bold Experiment
Sean O’Haire during his "Devil’s Advocate" era in 2003. This bold, enigmatic character featured provocative vignettes and remains one of WWE’s most intriguing yet underutilized concepts. Photo Credit: WWE.
In early 2003, WWE repackaged Sean O’Haire with a new character that encouraged viewers to commit socially deviant acts, including tax evasion and lawbreaking.
The vignettes featured O’Haire in a long black trench coat, sporting longer hair and distinctive spider web tattoos along his wrists. Each promo concluded with his signature phrase, "I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know."
"Those were some of the most striking performances done on a wrestling program,” Cornette admitted. “They wrote down a sentence for him to say and edited them together."
O’Haire’s television appearances became limited primarily to Sunday Night Heat following the vignettes.
"The creative team in WWE didn’t understand how to get someone like that over,” Roddy Piper reflected on O’Haire’s run at the time in a April 2003 interview.” Sean O’Haire is one hell of a guy, and he can speak for himself, and he doesn’t need Roddy Piper."
"I think the WWE did a tremendous disservice by putting him with me" the late Piper went on to explain. "Let them go out and do what they need to do because I can only tell you how Roddy Piper can draw money. I wish him nothing but the best."
In late 2003, O’Haire suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident that sidelined him from in-ring competition. After several months of recovery, WWE released him from his contract on April 3rd, 2004.
Sean O’Haire’s Final Wrestling Matches and Career Shift
Sean O’Haire competed in one of his final professional wrestling matches at NJPW’s Nexess event on May 3, 2004, against Hiroshi Tanahashi. This marked the end of O’Haire’s wrestling career before transitioning to MMA and kickboxing. Photo Credit: NJPW.
Following his WWE release in April 2004, Sean O’Haire made his sole appearance for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) at the Nexess event on May 3rd, 2004. The Tokyo Dome show featured matches between NJPW wrestlers and K-1 fighters, with O’Haire representing K-1 against rising star Hiroshi Tanahashi. The future IWGP Heavyweight Champion defeated O’Haire by submission in 7 minutes and 39 seconds.
O’Haire’s post-WWE wrestling career continued with select independent professional wrestling appearances. On July 17th, 2004, he defeated Abyss by disqualification at Ballpark Brawl II in Buffalo, New York. Two weeks later, he unsuccessfully challenged Tom Howard for the UPW Heavyweight Title at UPW Title Wave in Anaheim, California.
After sporadic UPW appearances throughout 2005, O’Haire’s final pro wrestling match took place on March 28th, 2006. In a dark match before WWE Velocity in Kansas City, Missouri, he was defeated by Scotty 2 Hotty.
Sean O’Haire’s Combat Sports Career: Success and Challenges
Sean O’Haire battles Eric "Butterbean" Esch in an MMA bout at Pride 32 – The Real Deal on October 21, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This high-profile bout ended in a first-round knockout and marked one of the defining moments of O’Haire’s combat sports career. Photo Credit: Pride FC.
After stepping away from professional wrestling, Sean O’Haire made an impressive transition to mixed martial arts, debuting on September 18th, 2004, at Venom – First Strike in Huntington Beach, California. He secured victory in his first bout against Tony Roberts via guillotine choke in just 1:42 of the first round.
O’Haire quickly built momentum in his MMA career, following up with a decisive TKO victory over Shungo Oyama at Rumble on the Rock 6 in November 2004, ending the fight in just 31 seconds. His early success showcased the athletic ability that had marked his wrestling career.
His combat sports journey faced challenges in 2005 when he suffered his first MMA defeat against Min Soo Kim at K-1 HERO’s in Seoul, succumbing to a guillotine choke.
The following year, O’Haire faced his most high-profile opponent, Eric “Butterbean” Esch, at Pride 32 – The Real Deal in Las Vegas, where he was defeated by knockout in the first round.
O’Haire finished his MMA career strong in 2007 with back-to-back victories in Savannah, Georgia. He defeated Darrell Wood via knockout in just 39 seconds, followed by his final bout against Frankie Parkman, winning by knockout in 1:04 of the first round.
His professional MMA record stood at 4-2, with three victories by knockout and one by submission.
Sean O’Haire’s Troubled Final Years: Legal Issues and Struggles
Sean O’Haire in one of his final MMA bouts (left) and in one of his last public photos (right). These images capture the contrasting phases he went through at the end of his life. Photo Credit: Pride FC, Sean O’Haire.
Sean O’Haire’s post-wrestling life was marked by a series of legal incidents that painted a troubling picture of personal struggles. In 2006, he was convicted of assaulting a woman at a nightclub, an incident that began a pattern of legal troubles. The following year proved particularly difficult as he sustained orbital bone fractures during a bar altercation.
His legal issues continued into the latter part of the decade. In 2009, O’Haire faced charges for domestic assault, followed by a 2011 battery charge. These incidents coincided with personal battles, having sought treatment through WWE’s former talent rehabilitation program six times since its inception in September 2007.
Chuck Palumbo, O’Haire’s former tag team partner, reflected on his career and challenges in a 2021 interview with That’s 90’s Wrestling podcast.
“He was always cool with me,” Palumbo shared. “He was a bit on the wild side, and he had some demons. And I think his biggest struggle was navigating the business.”
“He was a pretty straightforward guy and had no time for the BS that goes on in the business at that time,” Palumbo elaborated. “You have to be patient, bite your tongue, and watch whose feet you step on—it’s a very touchy business. Sean didn’t have time for that and wasn’t going to put up with it.”
Sean O’Haire’s Legacy: Lessons from a Cautionary Tale
Sean O’Haire passed away on September 9th, 2014, at 43 years old. His tragic legacy serves as a sobering cautionary tale. Photo Credit: WWE. Artwork by Pro Wrestling Stories.
Sean O’Haire’s life was a stark reminder of the fleeting nature of fame and the hidden battles many face. On September 9th, 2014, he died by suicide at his home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at the age of 43. His father made the tragic discovery, a moment that marked the end of a remarkable yet tumultuous journey.
His former tag team partner Chuck Palumbo reflected on O’Haire’s career in a 2022 interview with Fightful, noting, "O’Haire didn’t get that opportunity to go train at NXT or something like that where they really worked with him. If Paul Levesque (Triple H) had brought him into wrestling and kept an eye on him—because Paul’s good at that, got a great head on his shoulders, understands talent, likes big guys—he would have shot him to the top over time."
Beyond the ring, O’Haire’s obituary painted a contrasting picture of the imposing athlete, describing him as "a very gentle and kind person that studied Buddhism."
After stepping away from the spotlight, he worked as a personal trainer at Exzel Fitness in Spartanburg, staying connected to fitness and community service. Contributions in his memory were directed to the YMCA.
His passing prompted an outpouring of tributes from the wrestling community, first shared by former WCW colleague Scotty Riggs.
Though his time in wrestling was brief, Sean O’Haire’s achievements included three WCW Tag Team Championship reigns and notable matches against some of the sport’s most recognized performers. His innovative "Devil’s Advocate" character and extraordinary athleticism left an enduring impression.
While his life ended too soon, the legacy he leaves behind serves as both an inspiration and a warning. May his contributions to professional wrestling and the lessons of his journey never be forgotten.
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Matt Roberts is a lifelong wrestling fan from the UK. He remembers the golden era with joy and has a particular fondness for terrible gimmicks. If you were a garbage man or a tie-dye-wearing guitarist during the '90s, Matt was undoubtedly a fan! He can be reached on Twitter @24MattRoberts.
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