The following are highlights from a recent Busted Open Radio interview with TNA Impact Wrestling star Kurt Angle:
On how he feels after rehab: “I feel great. I’m a lot healthier now and a lot more clear minded. I feel a lot better right now. I needed the break. I needed to do what I did and I feel a lot better now.”
On going through WWE sponsored rehab and his connection to the company: “The WWE program has been amazing. They have done a lot for me and they continue to. I work with them still. They’re amazing at what they do. They have had so many guys go through recovery and still are in recovery. We have a weekly chat every Wednesday night at 7pm. It’s really beneficial for everybody.”
On whether or not he felt pressure to return in time for Bound For Glory: “No. I didn’t think I was going to be a part of it. I found out last week. I’m very glad I am, but I was supposed to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and that was pretty much it. I’m very excited to be working with Bobby Roode. I think he is the best wrestler today and to have a match with him at Bound For Glory is going to be amazing for me.”
On what he has learned about himself throughout recovery: “Basically putting God first. Realizing my whole life has been revolved around me and high expectations of myself and never really enjoying what I have done and what I have accomplished, whether it be in the Olympics or in pro wrestling. I have never really been satisfied. It led to a lot of depression and turmoil. It’s about going easy on yourself and patting yourself on the back every once in a while, which I’ve never done. With anything it’s putting things in perspective a little bit. What I do is a job. My marriage and my kids are more important than that. I don’t think I ever looked at it that way until now.”
On what it’s like coming back to TNA after a lengthy absence: “There was a lot of uncertainty. Thank God the company is still going. They’re still kicking it in high gear, but hearing about the changes from the outside in looked a little scary. But once I got to TV last week everybody is still giving their highest performance and doing the best that they can. Everybody is working hard. We need to unite as one and try to make this a better product. I think we have done that the last month or two. I love the Dixie heel turn. I think that was awesome. It comes down to the writers in creative and the wrestlers really coming together and making it a full team effort.”
On whether or not he feels this is the most important Bound For Glory in history: “I believe it is. Right now we need a great show. We need a five star show. It’s only going to help us. With the changes we have made we have to prove to the fans that we have the ability to have that five star show. We HAVE to have one.”
On changes he would make if he were in charge of TNA: “I would have a better way of organizing things. I would have a lot more rehearsal. I would have talent come to the ring every hour of the day and just rehearse and go over and just ram it down their throats so that they have it right when they come to the show that night. We have been doing that. Have we been doing it enough? Yes and no. But I don’t want it to become, and it’s not in any means a WCW, but you don’t want it to become where the talent says what they want to say and the story isn’t going to go anywhere because the writers and the talent aren’t really talking. I don’t want it to become that. I want it to become more organized like the way Vince McMahon runs the show. That’s how I was brought in and for seven years that’s how I was taught. I believe TNA is going in that direction now.”
On whether or not he would re-sign Hulk Hogan: “Oh yeah! A lot of people would say no but look what this guy has done for wrestling. Anytime he goes out he gets the loudest cheer. It doesn’t matter if he is wrestling or not. Hogan is a talent you want in your company and I have a lot of respect for him. I didn’t have a lot of respect for him when he first started, but I really didn’t know him because I didn’t watch wrestling when I first started. But getting to know him and seeing what he has done for the business, I would say heck yeah, you want to sign that guy.”
On who he feels is the next face of TNA: “I really like Magnus right now. I love his promos skills and his wrestling has gotten a lot better. I would really love to re-push Samoa Joe. He is a cornerstone of the company and sometimes I feel like we are not utilizing him right. That guy can carry the company. He can carry any company. AJ Styles has done a tremendous job, but when you look at the young talent, there are a lot out there that have the ability. Right now stepping up it’s hard. I love Bobby Roode. James Storm is another guy we have kind of thrown by the wayside a little bit. He has talent up the wazoo. Those are the guys I believe will be the future.”
Check out the complete interview online at Facebook.com/bustedopenradio.
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