Tag: Kurt Angle

October 9, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Brian Pillman, Kurt Angle

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

There are a lot of weird coincidences this week that bring back the memory of Brian Pillman.

Pillman, a major 90s star, passed away in a Bloomington, MN, hotel room on October 5, 1997, the day of a PPV show in St. Louis, at the age of 35, from a heart attack. He had wrestled the night before in St. Paul.

As you’ll note by the date, this week is the 9th anniversary of the date. Coincidentally, the WWE this past week released a DVD called “The Loose Cannon,” on his life, showing many of his highlight matches, although with the Eric Bischoff book and Mr. McMahon DVD, the company is not promoting it. And most eerie is, the more you think about it, the more you realize that in so many ways, the wrestler who currently has most of the same attributes, Kurt Angle, is the most talked about wrestler in the business today.

The WWE’s DVD is one of the better ones the company has put out. Besides wife Melanie, sisters Angie and Linda, mentor and father-figure Kim Wood (the long-time strength coach of the Cincinnati Bengals) a few childhood friends, the DVD contains some very frank comments from Steve Austin, who has always called Pillman his best friend ever in wrestling, Jim Ross, Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman, Road Warrior Animal and Chris Benoit (who started his career with Pillman in Stampede Wrestling). 

Subscribers can read this issue here.

October 4, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Kurt Angle, Observer MMA Hall of Fame

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The aftermath of TNA’s surprising signing of Kurt Angle has let to the next question, which is, what becomes of it.

The surprise was great, although there were wrestlers in the company, particularly those who lived through WCW, who saw it as a negative, pointing out it made nobody any money, and when WCW became enamored for working the boys and doing surprises, it was one of many reasons it went down the tubes. Still, this one wasn’t a negative. Nobody was lied to, at least by TNA. It wasn’t a promise that didn’t, at least to a degree, live up to the hype. 

Does it really change the face of wrestling? Probably very little, but it can be a building block if the dominos fall correctly. It wasn’t as if they promised a wrestling in the main event as a surprise, it drew no extra buys (and this surprise, as best we can tell, had no effect on the buy rate, and it couldn’t have anyway since it was never plugged on television), and then they pissed away the first Angle match. Instead, all the “money” specifics are still on the table.

Subscribers can read this issue here.

October 2, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Kurt Angle, Bound for Glory

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

After a lot of hype, this was TNA’s biggest week in its history of true Impact.

In probably the best kept major secret in the entire time I’ve been covering pro wrestling, a video clip of Kurt Angle showed up at the end of the 9/24 TNA No Surrender PPV. Even with the Eric Bischoff appearance on Raw for the first time, while kept a secret from almost everyone, many had known the two sides were talking business going back a year and at one point were very close to a deal but Bischoff backed out.

Lex Luger appearing on the first Nitro, which is very similar as far as presentation, was a surprise to a degree, but everyone in the know did know WCW and Luger were talking. People affiliated with Angle had told me TNA was the one place he wasn’t interested in. It went so far that Dave Hawk, Angle’s manager, during the week, announced Angle had retired as a pro wrestler and would be becoming an MMA fighter. Of course, after pulling the swerve, now you have to be skeptical of anything from the Angle side.

Subscribers can click here to read this issue.

September 18, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Kurt Angle, PWG

Posted on by Bryan Rose

With his body breaking down, and pain killer issues now public after being fired on 8/25 by World Wrestling Entertainment, Kurt Angle finds himself in a unique situation.

He is now the single most in demand individual, perhaps in the history of the industry. He now has the ability to, at least on a short-term basis, make more money than he ever has before, and perhaps, in the process, destroy his body even farther. While few will publicly say so, virtually every major promotion from Ring of Honor to several groups in Japan to UFC and numerous other MMA groups, and everyone in between have expressed everything from curiosity to extreme interest in using Angle as soon as he heals up from his current batch of injuries. Nobody has said so publicly. Privately, everyone, and I mean everyone you can think of, is trying to contact him and talking about ideas on how he could be used.

While he can write his ticket in pro wrestling, from the ability to work a light schedule for big money in Japan or TNA, it is in MMA where he has the ability to get a one-day payday that could very conceivably approach his annual $1 million salary from working in WWE.

Subscribers can click here to read this issue.

September 4, 2006 Observer Newsletter: 2006 Hall of Fame issue, Kurt Angle

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Five new entrants, led by Eddy Guerrero, are in the class of 2006 of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Guerrero heads a field that also includes one of the most influential promoters in history, Paul Bowser of Boston, as an overlooked historical figure. Also voted in this year were three modern Japanese wrestling stars, current politician Senator Hiroshi Hase, shoot pioneer Masakatsu Funaki and one of the top woman wrestling heels of all-time, Aja Kong.

Once again we had a wide open field with no real favorites or shoo-ins to make it. Guerrero, who passed away in November, doubled from 34% to 69% from last year’s balloting, and would have gone higher, as several voters remarked to me they were not going to vote for him until 2007 because they didn’t want his induction tinged with the idea it was a sympathy vote. He was named on 143 of the 207 ballots covering North America, with more than 80% support among active wrestlers and reporters, and strong support among retired wrestlers. 

Subscribers can click here to read this issue.

Kurt Angle: Bray Wyatt ‘revolutionized the business’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Kurt Angle praised Bray Wyatt’s contributions to the wrestling industry during a recent interview with ESPN. 

While Angle and Wyatt never wrestled one another, they did take part in a couple of segments together on WWE programming, including when Angle was the GM of Raw in 2017. Wyatt’s Fiend character also attacked Angle in the build-up to SummerSlam 2019. 

Angle told Marc Raimondi that Wyatt “revolutionized the business” with his creativity. 

“He was really creative. He came up with some incredible characters that were really fun to watch. He was really exciting, he was smart, he was athletic. We’re going to miss a very special person,” Angle said. 

“This kid revolutionized the business, he really did. He had some amazing ideas and concepts that he did. He always kept the fans entertained and we’re going to sorely miss Bray Wyatt.” 

Angle also spoke about the rate of premature deaths in pro wrestling’s history during the interview. 

“One thing about pro wrestling is if you look at its history, the entertainers tend to pass away at a lot younger ages than the average person,” Angle said. “I’m not sure if it’s because you take a toll on your body and for 20-30 years you’re doing pro wrestling and you’re bumping in that ring the whole time and you’re traveling every day. There’s just so many unhealthy issues in pro wrestling that probably are the reason why you’re seeing a lot of younger deaths in the sport.”

The wrestling world continues to react to the news of Bray Wyatt’s passing yesterday at the age of 36. John Cena paid tribute to his two-time WrestleMania opponent earlier today as well, writing that Wyatt always “brought out the best” in him. 

WWE reveals premiere date for Kurt Angle Peacock documentary

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A documentary on Kurt Angle is set to premiere September 2 on Peacock.

During Raw on Monday, it was announced that a documentary centered on Angle will premiere one week from Saturday the same day as WWE’s Payback premium live event.

The documentary, which was produced independently by Angle and director Alex Perry, was acquired by WWE last year. Originally set to focus on Kurt Angle’s amateur wrestling career, WWE has since made changes that also focuses on Angle’s WWE career. The commercial that aired during Raw also touched on Angle’s personal issues.

“The WWE bought the show from us, the documentary,” Angle said on an episode of The Kurt Angle Show last summer. “They changed it up a little bit and made it a little more pro-wrestling oriented but we made a deal with them that this will air on Peacock.”

Angle has made sporadic appearances on WWE television since retiring in 2019, most recently appearing on Raw is XXX back in January.

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle plans to have neck fusion surgery next year

Posted on by Ian Carey

Kurt Angle plans to have neck fusion surgery. 

The WWE Hall of Famer addressed his health on an episode of The Kurt Angle Show released on Saturday. He noted that his recent back surgery helped to alleviate some of his pain and he’s hopeful that another procedure next year will do the same. 

Angle said:

I still have pain in my lower back but I don’t have pain running down my legs anymore. They kicked that but the pain in my back is still there and it’s unfortunate but I can deal with this, I couldn’t deal with the pain running down my legs. I’m happy with the surgery. 

Angle continued to say that after having had double knee replacement and back surgery recently, up next will be neck fusion surgery. 

My neck is messed up. Next is my neck surgery. I’m probably going to have fusion next year and hopefully that will help my body and eventually I’ll be able to play with my kids. My knees, I’ve been able to come out of that pretty good so once my back heals, I’ll start being able to play with my kids, throw ’em around the pool, carrying them on my back, doing that kind of stuff. 

The 54-year-old had both his knees replaced last May. He said they were so bad at the time that they would never fully straighten. He then had back surgery last month. 

Angle last appeared on WWE programming during the Raw XXX episode in January. He took part in a segment with DX and Imperium on the show. 

Angle is a ten-time Wrestling Observer Newsletter award winner including “Wrestler of the Decade” for 2000-09. He was voted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2004. 

DragonKingKarl Greatest Kayfabe Tournament: Kurt Angle vs. Mankind

Posted on by Karl Stern

Round two of my Greatest Kayfabe Tournament nears its conclusion — a fictional tournament which asks the question that if pro wrestling were real (not a shoot but the characters as presented on TV were real), who would win?

In this match-up, we have Kurt Angle vs. Mankind. You have voted and we have a winner.

Plus, we talk about the surprisingly few Angle vs. Mankind/Foley matches that ever happened, plus, a bizarre final match for round two.

Let’s have fun and talk some wrestling.

Click Here to Listen

Kurt Angle says recent back surgery ‘definitely worked’

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Kurt Angle said that his recent back surgery “definitely worked”.

On his podcast on AdFreeShows.com, Angle talked about his recent back surgery, saying while he doesn’t know the extent of how well the surgery went, he is already feeling better.

“I think it actually worked,” Angle said. “I don’t know yet, but I don’t have the pain going down my legs, so the operation definitely worked.”

“I’m hoping that the pain in my back will subside, and hopefully it will in the next few days, then I’ll feel really good about it,” Angle added. “The doctor did a great job, he really did. I was having problems with my legs and the nerves going down my legs and that’s all gone, so I’m good with that.”

Angle most recently appeared in WWE for Raw’s 30th anniversary, joining D-Generation X as an honorary member in a skit involving Imperium. He also appeared on WWE television back in December as part of his birthday celebration.

January 30, 2006 Observer Newsletter: Kurt Angle health issues, WB & UPN networks to merge

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Just after winning the world title, the health of Kurt Angle is once again in question as what is believed to be significant neck damage has led to Angle’s hand going numb. Angle has continued to wrestle, although he was heavily protected, doing short tag team matches on his second and third night in Mexico this week when word got out about the damage.

Angle went into the 1/19 WWE debut in Mexico City in great pain according to a few sources. The decision was made to put him in short matches in Guadalajara and Monterrey where partners Rey Mysterio and Chris Benoit carried the load. 

The expectation over the weekend was that Angle would be going for another MRI this week to try and determine the problem, but with Angle’s history of neck problems, the concern, in at least some parts of the company, was high. Many have questioned how, with his back and neck injuries and pain not a secret, that there wasn’t more concern addressed to Angle’s health in recent weeks, if not longer. But when Angle got back from Mexico, he claimed he was okay, and may not even be getting checked out.

Subscribers can read this issue here.

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan ‘can’t feel his legs’ following back surgery

Posted on by Ian Carey

Hulk Hogan is said to have had surgery that led to him losing feeling in his lower body. 

Kurt Angle commented on Hogan’s condition during an episode of the Kurt Angle Show released Friday. Angle says he spoke with Hogan “for about a half-hour” about their health and injuries backstage at Raw 30. He said Hogan recently “had the nerves cut from his lower body” leading to mobility issues. 

Angle said:

Hogan had back surgery again. He had the nerves cut from his lower body, he can’t feel his lower body. So, he has to use his cane to walk around. I thought he was using the cane because he has pain in his back. He doesn’t have any pain, he has nothing at all. He can’t feel anything. So, now he can’t feel his legs so he has to walk with a cane which is, you know, that’s pretty serious. I mean, I really feel for Hogan. He put his heart and soul into the business and it ate him up. 

Angle also spoke about Hogan opening up Monday’s 30th Anniversary show from Philadelphia. 

If you’re going to kick off the show, the 30th Anniversary of Raw, it should be Hulk Hogan. He’s the name and face of the company. He’s the guy that revolutionized pro wrestling. I have so much respect for him. 

Angle would appear later in the show when he joined D-Generation X during their ring entrance and then seemingly pledged to join the group. The segment eventually led to Teddy Long booking Imperium vs. Seth Rollins & The Street Profits with Angle as referee. 

Angle also underwent surgery recently. He had double knee surgery performed last summer. Describing his recovery process from the procedure, Angle said, “It’s pretty brutal especially when you have both knees done at the same time. I never went through anything this difficult. I also have a little bit of a back problem, so I can’t use my legs but I can’t use my back. So, I’m pretty much useless.”

Kurt Angle says 11-year-old daughter saved his life during drowning scare

Posted on by Ian Carey

Kurt Angle says he almost drowned recently. 

During an episode of the Kurt Angle Show, the 54-year-old detailed a story of flipping over on his jet ski while on vacation and his 11-year-old daughter Giuliana having to come to his rescue.

Angle said:

We went to Miami, Florida. The temperature was 80 degrees. We spent so much time on the beach. They had a wonderful pool at the hotel. It was a blast.

I actually took my kids jet skiing. My first kid that I put on the back for me to ride them – because they are too young to drive themselves – I put her on the back and we went out and when I went to make a turn – I slowed down and stopped, I wanted to make a turn – and I didn’t put the accelerator on when I was turning and we flipped over. We went into the ocean.

Thank God my daughter is like an Olympic-calibre swimmer. I even had the safety vest on but it wasn’t working, I was still sinking. I can’t swim so I’m in trouble. I couldn’t get above water, I was going under. My daughter kept her composure. The jet ski got away from us, it was like 50 feet away from us. She didn’t know whether to go to the jet ski or to me but she came over to me and saved my life. She pulled me over to the jet ski, she swam 50 yards with me in her hands. 

I couldn’t get myself on the jet ski, my arms are so weak now because of my neck I can’t push myself up. So now, she’s putting her hands under my ass and pushing me up onto the jet ski and she got me up there. Then she jumped up behind me and I said, ‘You know what, honey? You just saved my life.’

Angle also spent some time on the podcast talking about his reasons for taking part in WWE shows from Saudi Arabia in 2018. 

Angle said: 

The main reason is money, money, money. When you go to these places, they spend a lot of money. 

The fans didn’t have to pay for it, the government paid for them. Everything was paid for, for the wrestlers, the WWE and all the fans. The country, the government paid for everything so the fans could enjoy themselves.

The pay cheques are very generous. 

WWE SmackDown video highlights: Kurt Angle’s birthday celebration

Posted on by Joseph Currier

In his hometown of Pittsburgh, Kurt Angle celebrated his 54th birthday on SmackDown last night.

Angle was joined by fellow Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson for the celebration. It was noted that Steveson is currently training at the WWE Performance Center.

After being denied entry into Angle’s birthday party, Chad Gable & Otis interrupted Angle at the end of the night and wanted to ruin his celebration by eating all of his birthday cake. Angle told Alpha Academy they’d need some milk to go along with it — which led to Steveson driving out in a milk truck. The episode ended with Angle and Steveson giving Alpha Academy a milk bath and celebrating in the ring.

WWE uploaded a video clip with the party continuing after SmackDown went off the air. The babyface roster joined Angle in the ring, with Rey Mysterio leading the crowd in singing happy birthday to Angle. Paul “Triple H” Levesque also made an appearance as he joined in with the celebration. 

More coverage from last night —

WWE SmackDown video highlights —

The Usos vs. Sheamus & Butch for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles

Kurt Angle and Gable Steveson make the rounds at SmackDown

LA Knight gets ambushed backstage

Liv Morgan & Tegan Nox step up to Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

Hit Row, Legado del Fantasma, and Viking Raiders brawl

The New Day interrupt Gunther and Ricochet’s contract signing

Ricochet & The New Day vs. Imperium

Next Friday will be a big night for Sami Zayn

Karrion Kross threatens to put Rey Mysterio out of his misery

Tegan Nox video package

Lacey Evans gets back to basics

Liv Morgan & Tegan Nox vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

Kurt Angle & Gable Steveson give Chad Gable & Otis a milk bath

SmackDown fallout: Kurt Angle’s birthday celebration continues after the show

SmackDown fallout: The New Day are ready to become NXT Tag Team Champions

Gable Steveson appears with Kurt Angle on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Gable Steveson appeared on Friday’s SmackDown, joining Kurt Angle in a show-closing segment.

Steveson appeared with Angle, who was celebrating his birthday on Friday’s show, and joined him in a party backstage with several other wrestlers. When Angle arrived to the ring to celebrate his birthday in front of his Pittsburg hometown crowd, Alpha Academy arrived and told Angle to get lost, as they were unhappy about not being invited to the party backstage.

As Otis was eating Angle’s birthday cake, Angle told Otis he’d need a lot of milk. That brought out Steveson, who was riding a milk truck. The show ended with Angle and Stevenson spraying Alpha Academy with milk via a spray hose.

Steveson signed with the WWE last year after winning a gold medal in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. He was drafted to the Raw brand late last year, but has not been seen on television since.

It was reported in October that Steveson was training at the WWE Performance Center full-time after being treated for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart condition.