His Angle to be the best
BY SCOTT FISHMAN
Miami Herald Writer
In Kurt Angle’s rookie year, he achieved what most wrestlers only dream of doing — winning every major singles title in WWE including the coveted heavyweight championship in 2000.
”They always say I can have a good match with a mop,” Angle said. “That’s a compliment. I have a reputation to make my opponents look strong but at the same time keep myself strong.”
Angle is not your typical athlete. He was an impressive amateur and Olympic wrestler who now covets an undying passion for sports entertainment. This was exemplified when he risked permanent paralysis in 2003 to fulfill his commitment and not disappoint the fans at the biggest event of the year, WrestleMania, in an anticipated main event against Brock Lesnar.
When pondering the situation, the gold medalist elicits the same type of traits as his opponent for this year’s extravaganza — Sunday, April 3 at the STAPLES Center — the self-proclaimed Mr. WrestleMania HBK Shawn Michaels.
”Shawn and I should be able to steal the show.” Angle said. “We should be doing some crazy stuff, but at the same time, we want to tell the right story.
“I honestly believe although I’m the top bad guy [on SmackDown!], it is going to be a 50/50 match. I think half of the fans are going to be cheering Shawn and half are going to be cheering me. It’s going to be a very hard match because it’s not easy to have the fans cheer for one person. They have so much respect for us.”
The fact Michaels is a RAW star and Angle is a SmackDown! worker adds further anticipation to the battle.
”The funny thing is Shawn and I have never touched each other,” said Angle, “besides what we have been doing the last few weeks. Shawn and I are the only two on the card on both sides who have not wrestled each other.
“This is a very special match because a lot of fans consider us the two best in sports entertainment — even more so our peers, the guys we wrestle with which is even more important. So they are looking at us to be the top match, to steal the show. I think Shawn and I will do that.
”I have a lot of respect for Shawn Michaels. You don’t get much better than him. He’s a great entertainer, incredible wrestler, and it’s an honor to be compared to him in a different way. My style is different. I have more of a technical style, but it works real well.” The mindset going into his match with HBK and his clash with Lesnar are similar. They are each challenging in their own way. For this bout, Michaels and Angle will have no ring time with each other to test the proverbial waters before the big show.
”Physically nothing compares to Brock and with the neck injury,” said Angle. “He was so dominating. Mentally this is the biggest match of my career because this is the kind of match I’ve always asked for. I always wanted to have the greatest match of all time. I probably had it with Chris Benoit two years ago at the Royal Rumble, but that was the Royal Rumble.
“This is WrestleMania, and I’d like to have the greatest match at WrestleMania. I could have it with Chris, but I’ve wrestled Chris many times. Shawn is a different story because we’ve never wrestled.
“Although the match I know will turn out incredibly well, would it have been better if Shawn and I had some history or might it be better that we haven’t touched each other? A lot of times in this business guys prepare for the other guy by having matches on untelevised shows before their pay-per-view. Shawn and I can’t do that because we are in different companies. It’s a difficult thing, but I think Shawn and I are going to pull it off.”
The exposure generated with events like WrestleMania 21 and in the role of a WWE superstar provide Angle with a unique opportunity to showcase his amateur wrestling background. Upon his transition into sports entertainment, he received some initial criticism from the amateur field.
Regardless, the two-time NCAA champion and two-time Olympic gold medal winner was recently named one of the top five heavyweights of all time along with the undefeated Danny Hodge as part of the 75th Anniversary NCAA Wrestling Team. The 15-man team was chosen from 45 amateur wrestling experts and fans votes online.
”It’s been really interesting. I think I actually have been getting more support,” said Angle, who was inducted into the National (Amateur) Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2001 in Stillwater, OK. “They are starting to realize I’ve been able to give amateur wrestling exposure. For the first time ever, this year the NCAA was aired live on ESPN. That is a big step for amateur wrestling because up until now they were airing pretapes or little bits on ESPN, ABC or CBS.
(Moderator’s correction: Kurt, last year’s NCAAs were also shown live. For the past decade of so, the NCAA championship broadcast was at least 2 hours in length, with most matches shown in their entirety. In fact, it hasn’t been since Kurt’s college days that CBS showed edited versions of the championships — the early 90s. So, Kurt, you can’t take credit for this. At least not in my Yahoo groups!)
“Part of the reason why I joined WWE, part of it money and have the time of my life doing it, but the other reason was to expose amateur wrestling as much as I could. The thing is whenever I walk out into the arena and people are watching at home they know who I am and where I came from. They know I was an amateur wrestler, and I won a gold medal in the Olympics. I don’t think there is better exposure than that.”
Angle feels he set the bar and opened the door for many other collegiate wrestlers to branch into sports entertainment.
”We’ve done that with Brock Lesnar, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas,” said Angle. “I’m always recruiting. I recruited Haas and Benjamin to be apart of Team Angle. I inspired Brock Lesnar to come here. A lot of guys who are wrestling in Japan were amateur wrestlers. I kind of ignited a whole new aspect of amateur wrestling. A lot of them are ultimate fighters, too, but there is only so much money you can make and so far you can go in ultimate fighting where you have to step down.
(Moderator’s note: Kurt wasn’t the first. Far from it. Where to begin? Guys like Nat Pendleton and Robin Reed in the 20s… Earl McCready and Everett Marshall in the 1930s… Verne Gagne, Dick Hutton, Bob Geigel, Ray Gunkel and Dan Hodge in the 1950s… Jack Brisco in the 60s… all before Kurt was born. Those who are ignorant of wrestling history are doomed to vote for Angle to the 75th Anniversary team)
“In professional wrestling we are a prone form of entertainment, and as long as you stay healthy, understand the psychology of being more of entertainer, you can have a 20-year career here. As long as you take care of your body, which is difficult to do, but at least the wrestlers they can do that. It’s a great avenue for them. It’s a great springboard because amateur wrestlers aren’t making a whole heck of a lot of money. So they have the opportunity.”
The emergence of these athletes and the background of working on a specific body part provide a basis for understanding ring psychology, an aspect of pro wrestling which is sometimes overlooked. However, performing holds is one thing, but telling a story and getting the audience interested is another.
”With my style, I have a little bit of both,” said Angle. “I’ve learned to wrestle my own match. I keep the match well toned. I try to make it old-school, try to tell a better story. I use a lot of wrestling moves and wrestling holds. My match is fun to watch because I have a lot of impressive techniques I use during the match, but the only time the match really picks up, when the fans are going to get up at the edge of their feet, is the finish.
“That is the way it should be because you don’t want to see is a spotfest where people can’t really get into because it’s all highspots. We’ve started to get away from the old school type of wrestling, but I think Vince has pulled the reigns back because we’re getting too many injuries and not telling stories.
“We need to go back to the old school. I think I’ve been able to pick that up pretty quick. Triple H does a tremendous job at that. We look to the leaders. Other guys like the Undertaker and Eddy Guerrero. You need to learn how to do things at the right time, and I think I’ve been blessed with that talent even though I’ve only been on television for five years.
”I’m probably considered new compared to most of the guys. When you look at a guy like John Cena who is considered brand new to this business, [with an indie circuit background] John has wrestled two years longer than I have. So that tells you the difference of how fortunate I have been to have picked up the business as quickly as I did.” It is his grasp of the necessary concepts of orchestrating a solid and exciting match which make him a perfect candidate to ask advice.
”I’m considered one of the leaders of the lockerroom,” said Angle, “one of the veterans, although most of them have more experience than I. From a main event perspective I have more experience on that level. At the same time I’m able to come up with answers for them.
“I’ve always been creative when it comes to good ideas for matches. That is why I think I will have a future, maybe in five years when I decide to retire. I will probably end up being involved in the company in a writing aspect, in a production aspect and also a coaching aspect.
‘The best advice I’ve ever received was `just shut up and listen.’ When I first started I didn’t know what I was doing. I trained for about seven or eight months, and they put me on TV right away, and they don’t do that with just anybody. I think that ruined it for most of the guys because when I got thrown into the mix I produced, and I continued to get better every week and they started to expect that from every guy.
“What we needed to realize was there is no next Kurt Angle. It’s a matter of some guys learn a lot quicker than others. So you never know someone might pick it up in five months, but it hasn’t happened yet. It’s a matter of making sure that when they come in they are prepared, and that is what places like OVW, UPW in California and the new territory starting up in Atlanta are for. We want to make sure they don’t come in and fall on their face.”
With another WrestleMania on the horizon, Angle reflects on what he believes is just the tip of the iceberg of what he wants to accomplish in the ring. From the surface it would appear Angle achieved all anyone could ask, but he still feels to truly ascend to legendary status or greatness he needs to fulfill a few more goals.
”I obviously would like to get another [heavyweight] title run,” Angle said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to run with the title with the exception of my first title reign. It would be nice to have a yearly title reign kind of like what JBL and Triple H have done. I think the reason I haven’t was when I became the No. 1 man on SmackDown! was right when I got hurt. Vince sat me down at that point and said, `I think we’re going to put all the money into you.’
“Two weeks later I got hurt. Then I kept getting injured, so Vince in the mean time lost his confidence in me. It took me quite a bit to battle back. I’ve been healthy for nine months. I think I’ve proven to Vince that I can stay healthy and work a full schedule. I don’t have any problems, per say, with my neck. I think I will get that title run, and I’ll be able to prove that I’m one of the best champions of all time as well.
“More importantly before I retire I really believe to be considered the best ever you need to pay your dues and put in your years. I’ve only put in five years on TV and although a lot of people consider me one of the best ever, I don’t deserve to be in that category. I don’t think anybody could.
“I always liked to make my mark as being the best ever in amateur wrestling. I think five more years in this business if I’ve produced like I did the first five there is no doubt in my mind that people will consider me one of the very best, if not the best in the business.”
“¢ Kurt Angle will face HBK Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 21 from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles when WrestleMania goes Hollywood 7 p.m. EST Sunday, April 3 on pay-per-view.
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