Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Apr 9, 2015 21:42:28 GMT -6
Sports Illustrated is featuring an interview with TNA star Kurt Angle who talked about opening up discussions with WWE last year and why it didn't go well.
"Paul [Levesque] is in charge. I found that out when I contacted Vince. I’ve always had a good relationship with Paul, so I didn’t consider that a problem. But he decided they had enough talent. For the Vince McMahon who I knew, enough was never enough. He always wanted more. I don’t know what was going on over there, but they even canceled our meeting. I never went to see them. They didn’t even sit me down and talk to me."
Angle further described how humbling the experience was with WWE.
"It blew my mind. It was as if I was a nobody, that I wasn’t Kurt Angle. From a wrestling standpoint, they just weren’t interested. But TNA not only stepped up, they gave me everything I wanted – the dates, the money, and it’s no secret that I’ve went to rehab in the past, and they gave me time off. You talk about a company that’s loyal to you, and you want to be loyal back. So I didn’t pursue the WWE any further. When it comes down to it, you’ve got to stick with the people who want to take care of you. And [TNA president] Dixie Carter took care of me. But I’m going to be straight with you. The WWE would have made more money this year if they would have signed me. That’s no secret."
You can check out the full interview at the link below:
www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/04/08/kurt-angle-wwe-tna-brock-lesnar
Kurt Angle on his failed return to WWE, wrestling Daniel Bryan
The next time Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar wrestle won’t be the first. The two headlined WrestleMania XIX, as well as locked up at SummerSlam and a 60-minute Iron Man match in 2003. But the two have only fought a legitimate fight on just one occasion – and Angle was the winner.
Oh, it’s true.
“We fought in a wrestling ring during the day before our show,” said Angle, the current TNA world champ, recalling his 2002 victory over Lesnar. “It wasn’t fun. It was nerve-wracking. Someone was going to win, get hurt, or die.”
Angle captured a gold medal in wrestling during the 1996 Olympics, but Lesnar did not believe Angle could survive in the ring with him.
“The match started because someone asked how he’d do in the ring against me,” explained Angle. “Brock said I was too small for him. That got to me.”
Lesnar was only two years removed from his NCAA Division I championship in wrestling, and enjoyed inflicting pain on his fellow WWE wrestlers before the show while the building remained empty.
“Brock was in the ring with Big Show,” said Angle. “He was literally throwing this 530-pound man around the ring like a little kid. I’d never seen anyone lift up Big Show like that without his help, but Brock was picking him up and throwing him around.
“I said to Big Show, ‘Get out of the ring.’ Then I tapped Brock on the shoulder and said, ‘Let’s go.’ And that’s when we started.”
Lesnar came into the fight at 300 lbs, outweighing Angle by nearly 80 pounds.
“I know I’m not the biggest person, but I’ve annihilated people a lot bigger than me,” said Angle. “You’re one of the best in the world as an NCAA champion like Brock, but when you’re an Olympic gold medalist, that’s a whole other level. The guys who saw Brock and I wrestle that day witnessed how much of a gap there is between the two.”
The intensity thickened during the fifteen minute fight.
“We were doing take-downs, and it was very, very tight,” said Angle. “Brock showed me that he knows how to wrestle. A lot of heavyweights are big and strong and know how to use their weight, but Brock knew how to wrestle. He was a lightweight who grew into a heavyweight body, and he brought that technique with him. That’s how good Brock was.”
Despite Lesnar’s skill, he was not able to score on Angle.
“There’s nobody like Brock,” said Angle. “The man is just a mammoth. When he’s healthy, I don’t know if there is anyone on the planet who can beat him.”
Except, of course, for Kurt Angle.
“When I got done with him, I didn’t want to wrestle him again,” he said.
Instead of wrestling every Friday night on Destination America, the 46-year-old Angle’s original plan was to finish up his TNA contract last September and re-sign with the WWE to finish out his career.
“I haven’t spoke openly about this,” said Angle, “but I opened up my options and was going to decide between TNA and WWE. I wasn’t going to leave TNA unless WWE was offering a fair deal.”
Angle, who lost his father when he was only 16 years old, developed a close friendship with Vince McMahon during his eight year run with WWE from 1998-2006. Yet, when Angle called McMahon, he was informed that a different man now runs the day-to-day operations.
“Paul [Levesque] is in charge,” said Angle. “I found that out when I contacted Vince. I’ve always had a good relationship with Paul, so I didn’t consider that a problem. But he decided they had enough talent.
“For the Vince McMahon who I knew, enough was never enough. He always wanted more. I don’t know what was going on over there, but they even canceled our meeting. I never went to see them. They didn’t even sit me down and talk to me.”
The experience was extremely humbling for Angle.