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Tag: Kurt Angle

  • Former Superstar Reveals Frustration Of WWE Debut With Kurt Angle

    Former Superstar Reveals Frustration Of WWE Debut With Kurt Angle

    Days after criticizing Ronda Rousey’s debut on RAW with Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and Kurt Angle, Taz spoke with Chris Jericho about his own debut in WWE.  Appearing on the Talk Is Jericho podcast, Taz explained how his transition from ECW to WWE was the best and worst moment of his career.

    “When I came out, when I was in Gorilla position, Bruce Prichard was in Gorilla. When Kurt Angle was out there cutting his promo I said to Bruce that I hope they know who I am,” […] “I was afraid, because I was from ECW, the ‘small, little bush leagues.’ When they heard the heartbeat of my entrance, the crowd exploded and Bruce Prichard said to me that he thinks they know who I am. When I walked through the curtain and walking slow with a towel on my head, I had an epiphany that I was doomed, because the pop was not built by this place. It hit me walking down the aisle.”

    Taz was never told that his finishing move, the sleeper choke hold that closed the match, would be described as illegal.  The first he knew about this was when watching the match over and listening to commentary from Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.  Prior to this, Taz hadn’t wanted illegal chokes to be part of his gimmick.

    “When I came through the curtain after that it was like a ghost town. Vince McMahon wasn’t in Gorilla. It was a live Royal Rumble at the Garden, I thought that I had heat. If you go back and watch it, there was a German Suplex that I did to Kurt and he landed on his belly. What happened was when I grabbed Kurt, he popped up and I took him back down. I would always say to guys to let me control them. Kurt Angle, we didn’t know each other that well in the ring. Kurt is aggressive, and I knew the timing was way off. I knew that if I went through that throw he was going to get hurt, I just knew it. I put him back down and then did the throw on my pacing. From what I feel and heard that freaked out the boss and those that were close to him.”

    Before WWE, Taz was FTW (F*ck The World) Heavyweight Champion in ECW, which he created himself after not being able to challenge for the official title.  Although Vince McMahon and Vince Russo talked with Taz about his character/persona, they never mentioned anything about illegal chokes.

    “Everyone knows my rep […] When I first met with Vince McMahon we had this great meeting in a conference room at a hotel on a Wednesday afternoon because it was a secret since I was the top guy in ECW. It was, me, Vince McMahon and Vince Russo. We talked about money, the deal, that took literally around 10 minutes and then we talked about an hour and a half about everything else. He knew me, and the character. He saw the FTW on my wrist, but he said that he doesn’t know we can do FTW, but that was the only thing. My concern was whether or not I can be me. I don’t want to say Vince McMahon lied to me, but he had a different vision for me once I was there.”

    Taz was in good company as Chris Jericho comments about his own cursed debuts which often miss the mark as described in his books.

    H/T to WrestlingINC for the transcribed quotes

    Opinion:

    While Taz may think this was the worst part of his career, there are many who would disagree.  The illegal choke on Kurt Angle worked well against the persistent good guy persona of the Olympic Gold Medalist, and gave Taz a good gimmick within the company.

  • Ronda Rousey Comments On Triple H’s Sucker Punch To Kurt Angle, What Happened After RAW?, John Cena On His Undertaker WrestleMania Challenge

    Ronda Rousey Comments On Triple H’s Sucker Punch To Kurt Angle, What Happened After RAW?, John Cena On His Undertaker WrestleMania Challenge

    – On last night’s closing segment of Monday Night RAW; Ronda Rousey, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Kurt Angle attempted to clear the air from their incident at Elimination Chamber. Angle was pressured into admitting that he lied about Triple H and Stephanie’s comments regarding Rousey. Angle apologized and Stephanie apologized to Rousey for slapping Rousey at Elimination Chamber after she put Triple H through a table.

    Before Triple H and Stephanie left the ring, however, “The Game” hit Angle with a punch (that actually missed) and knocked him down. Rousey tended to Angle as RAW went off air. “The Rowdy One” took to Twitter to comment on Triple H’s sucker punch on Angle:

    – The dark main event of Monday Night RAW after the show went off air on the USA Network featured John Cena and Roman Reigns teaming against RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar. Reigns and Cena won the match, however, The Bar retained the titles. There was said to be a lot of comedy and mic work during the bout.

    – As we’ve noted, John Cena teased a WrestleMania match with The Undertaker this April before stating that match is “impossible.” Check out the segment via WWE’s Twitter here:

  • Injury Update On Jason Jordan, Paige Comments On Missing First-Ever Women’s Elimination Chamber

    Injury Update On Jason Jordan, Paige Comments On Missing First-Ever Women’s Elimination Chamber

    – As we’ve noted, WWE has announced that former RAW and SmackDown Live Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan will miss WrestleMania 34 after undergoing surgery to repair a nagging neck injury. On the Elimination Chamber Kickoff Pre-Show last night, Jordan’s storyline father and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle noted that Jordan will be ready to return after “The Show Of Shows.” Angle also stated that he believes his son will come back better than ever.

    – Last night’s PPV event also featured the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match. RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss successfully defended her title inside the structure against Sasha Banks, Bayley, Mickie James, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville. Due to her recent neck surgery former WWE Divas Champion Paige was not able to compete in the historic match.

    It’s rumored that Paige’s in-ring career with WWE has come to an end due to her history of neck injuries. She took to Twitter to talk about how hard it was not to be a part of the match:

    https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/967942253523054592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • More Information On WWE’s Plans For Ronda Rousey Heading Into WrestleMania 34

    More Information On WWE’s Plans For Ronda Rousey Heading Into WrestleMania 34

    On last night’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made her return to WWE TV. Rousey made her WWE debut last month after the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. She came out to the ring to confront Rumble winner Asuka, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, and SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. Rousey pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign and indicated her intentions to wrestle at the event.

    After finishing up a film project she was working on in Columbia, Rousey returned to WWE TV in Las Vegas last night to sign her RAW contract. She was joined by WWE COO Triple H, RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Things got ugly when Rousey found out Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s true feelings about “The Rowdy One,” thanks to some comments from Kurt Angle. Rousey ended up putting Triple H through a table and eating a slap from Stephanie. McMahon retreated from the ring before Rousey could retaliate.

    For the past several months its been rumored that Rousey will be teaming with a mystery partner against the team of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 34. The Rock was originally WWE’s top pick to partner with Rousey, however, after yesterday’s segment it seems like WWE is going with Kurt Angle instead. PWInsider reports that the company is looking to book Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for “The Showcase Of The Immortals.”

    To add to that, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that WWE is attempting to book Rousey and McMahon’s feud similar to the way “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Vince McMahon’s storyline was put together – a baby face going up against a heel authoritative figure. It should be interesting to see how this plays out as we lead up to WrestleMania in April from New Orleans.

  • Ronda Rousey Takes Out Triple H At WWE Elimination Chamber, Signs Contract (Photos, Videos)

    Ronda Rousey Takes Out Triple H At WWE Elimination Chamber, Signs Contract (Photos, Videos)

    Ronda Rousey signed her RAW contract at tonight’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in a segment that also featured RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

    Triple H confirmed during the segment that Rousey will be wrestling at WrestleMania 34. Angle ended up telling Rousey that Triple H and Stephanie have been plotting to keep her down in WWE due to how she embarrassed them at WrestleMania 31. Triple H tried to hush up Angle as he kept spilling their secrets but this backfired as Rousey slammed Triple H through the contract signing table. This led to Stephanie slapping Rousey and retreating before Rousey could get her hands on her.

    As we’ve noted, the plan has been for Triple H and Stephanie to face Rousey and a partner at WrestleMania 34. Rumors on Rousey’s partner include The Rock, Angle, Seth Rollins and SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon.

    Below are photos and videos from tonight’s segment:

  • Kurt Angle Explains Why He Thinks Finn Balor Will Win The Elimination Chamber

    Kurt Angle Explains Why He Thinks Finn Balor Will Win The Elimination Chamber

    WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle recently participated in a live Q&A session on his official Facebook page. “The Olympic Hero” was asked about who was his most natural opponent to work with between Brock Lesnar, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Triple H:

    “All three were different but they were all exceptional. Brock was the best chemistry. Austin was the most intense. HHH had impeccable psychology. I enjoyed all of our matches. But Brock was easier to work with because of our backgrounds.”

    Angle also revealed his pick for tomorrow’s Men’s Elimination Chamber match. The winner will go on to WrestleMania 34 to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Angle is picking Finn Balor to walk out of the Chamber victorious:

    “They’re all good enough for a title run. That’s tough. Cena needs it the least. I think Roman has proven to be the new face of WWE so I’m not sure he needs it. Braun is unbeatable so he seems to be in a good spot and doesn’t need title. Miz is the top heel and very established, so he doesn’t need title. Finn would be a good surprise.

    “Elias is off to a great start, but most likely not ready for main event at WM…probably will be by next year. Seth could very well be the best on the roster. I’m a big fan of Seth. Another long title run is coming soon for him. So I’d say Finn Balor could very well rise out if this with a much NEEDED shot at the Universal Championship. My opinion only!”

    He was then asked what his dream pay-per-view (PPV) would look like, and Angle said he’d like to see all Iron Man Matches:

    “All Iron Man matches. 5 of them. Women’s. 205. Tag Team Championship. Intercontinental Championship. Universal Championship. All wrestling. No gimmicks. It would be long/boring after 2 or 3 matches, but if you really love wrestling, it would be incredible!”

  • Roman Reigns Has Respect For Seth Rollins, Kurt Angle Discusses His Relationship With Vince McMahon (Video)

    Roman Reigns Has Respect For Seth Rollins, Kurt Angle Discusses His Relationship With Vince McMahon (Video)

    – Last night on RAW the show opened up with a Seven-Man Gauntlet match between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, The Miz, and Braun Strowman. The match started off with Shield members Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. After a great back-and-forth bout Rollins was able to hit the rollup for an upset win over “The Big Dog.” Reigns took to Twitter to say that he respects Rollins for his performance last night, but still intends to go on to WrestleMania and challenge Brock Lesnar:

    – WWE posted the following video on their Twitter account of a “WWE: Photoshoot” segment in which Hall Of Famer and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle discusses his relationship with Vince McMahon:

  • Kurt Angle Q&A: If The Shield Will Reunite Again, Lessons He’s Learned, More

    Kurt Angle Q&A: If The Shield Will Reunite Again, Lessons He’s Learned, More

    WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A on Facebook and commented on a number of interesting topics.

    During the session, a fan asked if The Shield will reunite again. If you recall, late last year, the sports entertainment company once again put Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose together as a group. However, their reunion was cut short once Ambrose, unfortunately, went down with an injury.

    “The Shield has been dealing with a lot of setbacks and injuries. But they will unite again. Be patient”

    Finally, the current General Manager of WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw, was asked which move hurts the most to take as well as well as the lessons that he has learned from his career.

    “The Last Ride. It’s like getting shot in the chest. Undertaker is 7 feet tall…when he lifts you over his head you’re 8 feet in the air. It’s a long ride down to the canvas”

    “Don’t wrestle injured. Take your time, heal up, and THEN get back to it. I rushed back way too quickly in the past. I know better now. I hope the others’ will see this post also and take my advice. They will have longer careers”

  • AJ Styles: Ronda Rousey Could Be The Next Kurt Angle In WWE

    AJ Styles: Ronda Rousey Could Be The Next Kurt Angle In WWE

    TMZ caught up with WWE Champion AJ Styles over the weekend and asked him about Ronda Rousey joining the promotion. Styles, widely considered one of the top pro wrestlers in the world, has high expectations for Rousey inside the squared circle. Notably, he compared Rousey to Kurt Angle, who made the jump from Olympic wrestling to WWE back in 1998.

    “Let me tell you about someone who came in kinda like Ronda did and learned [snaps fingers] like that,” Styles said. “Kurt Angle! I don’t know if you remember Kurt coming in like that and went straight to the top.”

    Styles put over Rousey’s athletic credentials, claiming that she’ll be a quick learner who has the potential to learn pro wrestling like Angle famously did during his rookie year.

    “Now he was an Olympic Champion but he didn’t have the name recognition that Ronda has. Ronda though, she’s an athlete man. She can adapt, that’s what she does. She’ll learn quick. She’ll be a sponge. She will be up there with the Kurt Angles and everyone else that has gone into the Hall of Fame.”

    The Phenomenal One named Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks as opponents he’d like to see Ronda Rousey work with You can check out Styles’ comments about Ronda Rousey joining WWE here:

  • Daniel Bryan Or Kurt Angle To Referee Tonight (Video), Asuka On Beating Bayley, New WWE Partnership

    Daniel Bryan Or Kurt Angle To Referee Tonight (Video), Asuka On Beating Bayley, New WWE Partnership

    – WWE is allowing fans to vote on who they want to serve as tonight’s Special Guest referee for tonight’s Mixed Match Challenge match – SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan or Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Tonight’s match will be between the teams of Jimmy Uso and Naomi vs. Goldust and Mandy Rose:

    – Asuka took to Twitter to react to her win over Bayley on last night’s episode of RAW. Here’s what she had to say:

    – WWE has announced a new Embroidery partnership with LIDS Sports Group. Here’s the official press release:

    LIDS Sports Group Partners with WWE for Custom Embroidery

    Leading retailer offers fans custom embroidery of WWE Superstars and Legends names, logos and autographs on headwear

    INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 6, 2018) – Leading omni-channel sports licensed retailer LIDS Sports Group announced today a new partnership with WWE, gaining the licensing rights to create on-demand WWE headwear. The new licensing agreement allows for LIDS to embroider the names, logos, and autographs (EmbroidiGraph) of WWE Superstars and Legends on WWE-licensed headwear within its stores and upon orders online.

    “The passion that runs through the veins of WWE fans is indisputable, so we are thrilled to be able to further connect with this fanbase by offering them a new way to demonstrate support for their favorite Superstars and Legends,” said David Baxter, president and CEO of LIDS Sports Group. “Customization is an important aspect to our brand, and we hope to continue the expansion of our WWE customization offerings in ways that take customers’ fandom to the next level.”

    The new agreement also allows for the on-demand creation of custom WWE headwear. Customers can select from a wide selection of blank headwear options offered by LIDS – which covers all styles from fitted to flex to snapbacks in a wide variety of colors – and then choose from the new library of WWE custom embroidery options to create personalized, one-of-a-kind looks. Thanks to LIDS’ unique customization capabilities, creating a custom WWE hat in-store will take only minutes.

    LIDS’s WWE on-demand customization program launched a select assortment of logos and autographs ahead of WWE’s Royal Rumble event, and LIDS will continuously add new WWE Superstars and Legends on a monthly-basis.

    “LIDS shares our vision of fan engagement by providing customized offerings that connects our passionate fans with their favorite Superstars,” said Casey Collins, WWE Executive Vice President of Consumer Products. “We’re excited to launch this new on-demand initiative with a brand who can offer WWE products in real-time alongside our biggest events.”

    Nearly 1,000 LIDS stores nationwide are outfitted with comprehensive embroidery capabilities, providing shoppers the ability to customize their headwear and apparel with names, phrases and images. Shoppers are also able to customize headwear online at www.lids.com. LIDS’s unique EmbroidiGraph service also allows consumers to embroider any current professional athlete’s signature (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) on any team-licensed hat.

    LIDS Sports Group operates more than 1,200 retail locations across North America and has sold approximately 300 million hats since its founding. To learn more, visit www.lids.com.

  • Kurt Angle Teases Return Of Old Gimmick, Wendy’s Responds To Bubba Ray Dudley On Twitter

    Kurt Angle Teases Return Of Old Gimmick, Wendy’s Responds To Bubba Ray Dudley On Twitter

    – WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle took to Instagram and teased the return of his old “Wrestling Machine Mode” gimmick. Angle said the following:

    “Kurt Angle “Wrestling Machine Mode” was my favorite character in WWE. He wasn’t very funny but he could take out anybody in an instant. Will the “wrestling machine” make a return? Stay tuned…. #itstrue”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bev4TSIBJR7/?utm_source=ig_embed

    – The Wendy’s fast-food chain has been rather active in the professional wrestling Twitter world as of late. They recently took a shot at Ronda Rousey’s WWE debut during the Royal Rumble. Now they have responded to future WWE Hall Of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley’s Tweet during the Super Bowl last night, in which he suggested Wendy’s is better than McDonalds:

  • Shane Helms Talks WWE Return (Video), Stephanie McMahon On The Rumble, Road To WrestleMania

    Shane Helms Talks WWE Return (Video), Stephanie McMahon On The Rumble, Road To WrestleMania

    – Below is video of Charly Caruso talking to “The Hurricane” Shane Helms after his quick Royal Rumble appearance on Sunday. Helms says the WWE Universe spoke to him again and as soon as the music hit, the signal went up and it said stand back as the Universe knew a hurricane was coming. Helms tells Cathy to always remember through howling winds and pouring rain, all evil shall fear The Hurricane.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Fv119IeZY?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

    – WWE posted this new promo for The Road to WrestleMania 34 on the WWE Network – RAW’s Elimination Chamber on February 25th, SmackDown’s Fastlane on March 11th and the biggest show of the year on April 8th.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpq5GXInQpM?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

    – RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle and SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon tweeted the following on the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, which were won by Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka. As noted, Nakamura vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles is the only official match for WrestleMania 34 as of this writing.

  • Kurt Angle Tweets Royal Rumble Poster Featuring Ronda Rousey, Ex-WWE Champ Says He Wasn’t Invited To RAW 25

    Kurt Angle Tweets Royal Rumble Poster Featuring Ronda Rousey, Ex-WWE Champ Says He Wasn’t Invited To RAW 25

    – Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle may have just given away a major spoiler for tonight’s Women’s Royal Rumble match. The WWE Hall Of Famer posted the following blurry poster for the Women’s Rumble, featuring former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey – who has been speculated for the event for some time now:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bef_r23hzUv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control

    The poster looks to be a fake but WWE actually retweeted Angle’s post on Twitter rather than telling him to take it down. We’ll keep you updated….

    – Sports Illustrated recently caught up with former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam who revealed he didn’t receive an invite from the company to return at RAW 25. He also said he prefers wrestling sporadically on the independent circuit compared to working for WWE:

    “I know some people can’t understand that, but I’m wrestling overseas and I’m wrestling way less matches,” said RVD. “I don’t enjoy the road life or WWE’s really hectic schedule.”

  • Kurt Angle Says TNA Will Be Discussed On Next Table For 3, Shane McMahon On Being Stunned By Steve Austin

    Kurt Angle Says TNA Will Be Discussed On Next Table For 3, Shane McMahon On Being Stunned By Steve Austin

    – WWE Monday Night RAW General Manager and WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle took to Instagram to post a photo of himself, WWE Champion AJ Styles, and SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon. The trio were on set of WWE Network’s “Table For 3” and Angle said that it will be an ‘intriguing’ episode as they discuss their matches together, their families, untold stories, and even TNA Wrestling:

    “Very intriguing “Table for 3” coming soon on the WWE Network. AJ Styles, Shane McMahon and Yours’ truly….. We talk about our matches together, our families, unheard stories and even TNA Wrestling. Must see. #itsttrue #AJ#Shane #Angle”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BeREZ2qBSCM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_legacy

    – Speaking of Shane, he took a couple of Stone Cold Stunners from WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin on the opening segment of RAW 25 last night. He took to Twitter to comment on the incident:

  • Kurt Angle Talks Jason Jordan Storyline

    Kurt Angle Talks Jason Jordan Storyline

    Kurt Angle recently appeared on CBS Sports’ podcast, “In This Corner”, and spoke about his current storyline with Jason Jordan. Angle also discussed how Vince McMahon felt fans would feel about the angle.

    Kurt Angle Interview Highlights

    On Jason Jordan’s ability:

    “I knew Jason had the ability to do it. I didn’t know if he would have the ability to carry the storyline,” Angle said. “I knew what he could do in the ring. I wasn’t concerned about the fans saying, ‘Oh man, this guy is actually pretty damn good.’ We already knew that, and we were hoping that his character was [on the same level].”

    On how Vince though fans would react:

    “You know what’s crazy? Everything that the fans have gone through the last three or four months, most of the fans can’t stand him,” Angle said. “A lot of the fans are saying, ‘He’s getting the wrong kind of heat because we really don’t like him for real.’

    “Everything that has occurred up until now, Vince [McMahon] already knew how they were going to react, so this has been working. As many fans will say ‘it’s not working’ and ‘get rid of him’ or ‘I’m not buying it,’ now that the storyline has started to span out and developing further, it was a good fit. Jason is doing a great job, and he has carried the storyline very well. We will see where it goes from here but it should be pretty intriguing.”

    On where the angle is going:

    “It’s going to be a pretty cool storyline, and I think a lot of fans are going to say, ‘You know what? This kid deserves to be in the main event level.’

    “[Jordan] is developing every single week. He’s getting better and better, and his promos and pre-tapes are getting better and better. His in-ring ability — I said this before and I will say it again — he has got to be in the top three or the top five in-ring performers from an athletic standpoint right now today. A lot of people would disagree with me but continue to watch him and see what he can do and you will see what I’m talking about here in the future.”

    The full podcast can be listened to here.

  • Kurt Angle On Braun Strowman’s Rise, Roman Reigns Having Room To Improve

    Kurt Angle On Braun Strowman’s Rise, Roman Reigns Having Room To Improve

    WWE RAW General Manager Kurt Angle recently spoke with Muscle and Fitness to promote next month’s RAW 25th Anniversary special. Angle spoke about a variety of topics, including what inspired him to want to join WWE over 20 years ago.

    In speaking about his role as RAW GM, Angle said the position is a big challenge for him because he’s never had to promote for anyone else but himself. “I actually enjoy it,” he said. “You know Vince McMahon saw me as one of the best actors on the roster…that’s a huge compliment coming from [him]. It’s just about trying to make things look real.”

    When asked about Roman Reigns, Angle said he’s impressed by Roman but does not think he has reached his peak yet in terms of what he’s capable of.

    Finally, Angle had high praise for Braun Strowman and said he sees shades of himself in the Monster Among Men. Angle has seen a lot of guys come and go during his illustrious career, but says Strowman is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest big men in the history of pro wrestling.

    “I don’t like to compare myself to anybody, but he’s picking up quicker than anybody I know. He’s on his way, if he stays healthy, to be one of the best big men in the great history of the big men. That’s how much ability he’s displayed.”

  • Kurt Angle Explains Why He Fanboyed Out About Tagging With The Shield

    Kurt Angle Explains Why He Fanboyed Out About Tagging With The Shield

    As we’ve noted before, WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A for iPlay America in Freehold, New Jersey. During the event Angle was asked about teaming up with The Shield (Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose) at Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) earlier this year. Initially the PPV’s main event was slated to feature the reuniting of The Shield, but unfortunately a viral outbreak of the mumps in the WWE locker room affected “The Big Dog” and he was pulled from the card.

    After a quick physical was concluded, Angle was cleared to return to the WWE ring for the first time in 11 years and was subbed in for Reigns. The trio downed the team of The Miz, The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro), Kane, and Braun Strowman. Here’s what Angle had to say about teaming with Rollins and Ambrose:

    “I didn’t expect that to be my first wrestling match, and with a faction that popular. They’re one of the most popular factions of all time, they’ve done an incredible job. Ever since they came up from NXT they’ve been legendary so it was an honor for me.

    “Obviously Roman Reigns was out and they needed somebody to fill in the spot, and Mr. McMahon thought Kurt Angle would fill that spot. It was awesome, I had a lot of fun that night. I didn’t have to do much in my first match, but it was really cool. When you saw me walk out, you kind of saw the ‘fanboy’ look on my face. Seth [Rollins] and Dean [Ambrose] were serious, and here I am, going [*imitates a goofy grin*]

    “It was a lot of fun, and it was a complete honor.”

  • Kurt Angle On Why WWE Cleared Him & Not Daniel Bryan

    Kurt Angle On Why WWE Cleared Him & Not Daniel Bryan

    WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle recently took part in a Q&A session with fans, and answered a variety of professional wrestling questions. Angle was asked about getting cleared to wrestle for WWE again, and why SmackDown Live General Manager and former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan hasn’t. Angle also discusses wanting a dream match with Bryan if at all possible. Here are the highlights:

    Why he was cleared to wrestle for WWE again and Daniel Bryan wasn’t:

    “No, it’s not Daniel Bryan’s neck. No, it’s concussions. That’s a serious thing today. You obviously see in the NFL there are a lot of lawsuits being thrown back and forth. It’s a very dangerous thing. I talked to Daniel personally. I passed the physical. I haven’t had an issue with my neck in 12 years. I did break it four times in two years back between 2004 and 2006, but I’ve been fine since. You have a protocol you need to follow. The physical entails a certain amount of things and the most important is the concussion test.

    “Daniel couldn’t pass it. He had 10 concussions that he knows of. That’s huge liability. Can Daniel eventually wrestle? I think he can, but it comes down to him passing the concussion test. I know in time your brain heals, so we don’t know how much damage has been done thus far. Is there a possibility of him wrestling? Maybe, I hope so. I feel bad that he took it personally that I was able to wrestle. He wasn’t mad or upset; he just couldn’t understand how they passed me but not him. But they were two different things”

    Wanting a dream match with Bryan:

    “If I had a dream match that I wanted, it would be against Daniel Bryan. He’s awesome.”

  • Kurt Angle On If He Will Be Wrestling More In Future

    Kurt Angle On If He Will Be Wrestling More In Future

    As noted before Kurt Angle recently appeared on iPlay America in Freehold, New Jersey where he took part in a Q&A session. Below are a few more highlights from his appearance:

    Leaving Impact Wrestling:

    “I left WWE in 2006 and I went to another company for about 11 years, Impact Wrestling. I was there until 2016, and then I took a year off. I did take some matches on the independent circuit; one was Rey Mysterio, I wrestled Cody Rhodes three times. I wrestled [Alberto El Patron] and he’s phenomenal, a great ring general. He’s better than you think.”

    Why he left Impact:

    “I did that because I wanted to stay fresh for when WWE brought me back. The reason it took me so long to get back to WWE was because… I was trying to get back since 2013, but Vince McMahon wasn’t real happy with my drug problem. I had to prove to him that I could stay clean for a lengthy period of time, and I guess it took four years.”

    His long road back to a WWE ring:

    “When they brought me back, they wanted to make sure… I’m 49 years old, I’ve had five broken necks, so Vince McMahon wasn’t going to bring me back right away to wrestle. He wanted to see if I could pass the drug tests, he wanted to see if I could pass the physicals, he wanted to see if I could stay clean. He brought me in just for the Hall Of Fame, and then a month later he asked me to be an ambassador for the company, then I started doing appearances. A month later he wanted me to be the GM of RAW, and I have done that for the past six months. Now he’s asked me to wrestle. He wanted me to ease into the company. He didn’t want to push me too hard; he wanted to make sure that I stayed clean for that period of time. Why am I at this point? It’s because Vince was very cautious, and I don’t blame him for that.”

    If he will be wrestling more:

    “Will I be wrestling more? More on than off in the future? Probably. Right now I’m doing a little bit of both, the GM and wrestling here and there. I’m sure that I’ll be wrestling much more in the future; it just took a little bit of time. I don’t blame the company for what they did; I would have done the same thing. I’m glad Vince McMahon did that because I did want to prove to him that I could do what I did the last year, year and a half. So I’m happy to be able to start wrestling, and when I did take the physical, the doctor did tell me ‘You aren’t going to wrestling full-time. They don’t expect you to.’ I think they’re going to put me in different programs, with different athletes at different periods of time. At my age, I’m glad to do that. I don’t expect to be wrestling like Seth Rollins or AJ Styles where they’re wrestling four or five days a week. I did that. With the injuries and doing that, that’s the reason I left the company in the first place, so I’m glad to be able to do it more part-time than full-time.”

    Quotes via Wrestlezone

  • Kurt Angle Compares Jason Jordan To AJ Styles

    Kurt Angle Compares Jason Jordan To AJ Styles

    Raw General Manager Kurt Angle recently appeared on iPlay America in Freehold, New Jersey where he took part in a Q&A session. Below are some highlights from his appearance:

    Triple H replacing Jason Jordan on the Raw Survivor Series team:

    “I wasn’t happy about [Jordan being replaced]. When you have HHH on your team, though he is really hard to deal with, he’s one of the best ever. Jason got hurt and HHH replaced him… honestly I don’t know if we would have won if we didn’t have HHH. Obviously, HHH wanted to win himself, but it was tough. Jason is my son and I want to help him the most that I can… I can’t believe that I’m saying this (laughs)”

    His reaction to the Jason Jordan storyline:

    “You know this is a big prank that Vince [McMahon] had when he made this happen. I looked at him and I said ‘Are you serious?’ and said ‘When did I get [Jordan’s storyline mother] pregnant in college?’ The joke was on me, but honestly I’m not going to lie to you, I really hope that this storyline turns into a match with Jason. Whether you like him or not, or his character, you can’t deny that right now he’s one of the top three wrestlers in the company.”

    Jordan’s in-ring skills:

    “Watch him perform; he’s up there with AJ Styles. He’s got a different style, but you will see that Jason Jordan will be a world champion eventually. I know that people can’t stand him right now, but his performance in the ring, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

  • VIDEO: Kurt Angle Cuts Promo After RAW Goes Off The Air

    VIDEO: Kurt Angle Cuts Promo After RAW Goes Off The Air

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp44nOEFhXQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

    There was no dark main event after this week’s WWE RAW in Knoxville went off the air but RAW General Manager Kurt Angle did come out and cut a promo for the crowd, as seen in the video above.

    The WWE Hall of Famer says he hopes everyone had a Thanksgiving and talks about what he’s thankful for – his family, his wife and kids, the men and women in the locker room that inspire him every day, for The Shield allowing him to be a part of their team at TLC, for WWE allowing him to come back and entertain the fans and last but not least, he’s very, very thankful for the WWE Universe for making him feel like he never left in the first place. Angle continued to give thanks to the crowd and ended the promo with a God bless.

  • Kurt Angle Q&A: His Injury Going Into Survivor Series, AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar

    Kurt Angle Q&A: His Injury Going Into Survivor Series, AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar

    WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A on Facebook and commented on a number of interesting topics. Here are the highlights:

    His injury going into Survivor Series:

    “Leg is ok. I tore a muscle in it doing wind sprints 2 days before PPV. It’s okay though. I feel good and should be 100% in a week”

    AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar:

    “Their match was incredible. It displayed both of their strengths. If you stay on Brock, he will sell for you. AJ did that, and Brock sold his ass off. Match was MONEY!”

  • Triple H Matches Still Being Teased (Photos), SmackDown Teaser, WWE Main Event Matches

    Triple H Matches Still Being Teased (Photos), SmackDown Teaser, WWE Main Event Matches

    – Below is a preview for this week’s WWE SmackDown from Houston, featuring the fallout from Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view:

    – WWE taped the following matches tonight in Houston to air on this week’s Main Event episode:

    * Gran Metalik vs. Brian Kendrick
    * Apollo Crews vs. Curt Hawkins

    – WWE continued teasing Triple H vs. Braun Strowman and Triple H vs. Kurt Angle in the opening segment of tonight’s RAW from Houston. You can see photos & video from the segment below:

  • Possible Spoiler For Top Survivor Series Match

    Possible Spoiler For Top Survivor Series Match

    After this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Triple H has been inserted into this weekend’s traditional RAW vs. SmackDown Live Elimination Tag Team Match at Survivor Series. Jason Jordan was originally scheduled to serve as the team’s final member, however, he suffered a storyline injury in his match with Bray Wyatt and was removed from the team as a result.

    Despite constant begging to his on-screen father, Monday Night RAW General Manager, and Team RAW Captain Kurt Angle – Jordan could not retain his spot on the team. He was instead replaced by WWE COO Triple H, who gave Jordan a Pedigree after announcing he was the new final member of Team RAW.

    Per a report from Wrestling Observer Radio, Jordan is now expected to turn heel and it’s very likely it happens at Survivor Series. Speculation suggests Jordan costs Team RAW their match this weekend as he targets Triple H or maybe even Angle.

  • Big Invasion Angle Closes The Final SmackDown Before WWE Survivor Series (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)

    Big Invasion Angle Closes The Final SmackDown Before WWE Survivor Series (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)

    Tonight’s WWE SmackDown in Charlotte, NC, which was the final show before Sunday’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, saw the RAW roster finally get revenge on the SmackDown roster for the recent “Under Siege” attacks.

    The big brawl started when The Shield interfered in the SmackDown main event, which saw The New Day take on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. This led to Team Captain Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar and other red brand Superstars destroying blue brand Superstars, including Team Captain Shane McMahon. SmackDown went off the air with Team RAW standing tall while Team SmackDown struggled to recover.

    You can check out the current Survivor Series card for Sunday at this link.

    Below are photos, videos and Twitter reactions from tonight’s big angle:

    https://twitter.com/catherinekelley/status/930632193243865088


    https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/930642534484897793
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BbgFWEmBUW7/