Hey, Scott.
I grew up watching wrestling but was super into it during the Attitude Era. I came to love Kurt Angle and then missed the era where he and Brock were battling for the title, and I guess his departure. What the heck happened that he burned his WWE bridges for good?
Related, following his entire career and seeing its progression into TNA makes me feel bleh about the whole thing. I remember the stories of him going to see ECW and then being appalled by that whole scene. Flash forward some years and he's allegedly not allowed back to WWE because of drugs and being a health risk due to his neck, I can't help but feel bad for him.
Granted, I don't know what other stories there are, but I feel like this is just as bad as seeing a wresting go out due to an early heart-attack. He just seems like a guy that you'll read about on TMZ one day and another statistic that the world of pro wrestling totally consumed.
Kurt was given a choice in 2006 of attending rehab or getting fired, and he chose getting fired. I think that with all the Wellness changes that resulted from Benoit's death, in particular the more stringent physicals that led to guys like MVP finding undiagnosed issues, Kurt wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway. Which is why his dreams of returning are probably gonna go unfulfilled.
I would mark so hard for his music to hit to interrupt Rusev, but he's a time bomb physically.
ReplyDeleteGotta love The Higher Power looking like he'd been shacking up with Liberace and just came out of the study.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it's more likely that they would be trolling Bret Hart. Where's the Screwjob? Oh, yeah :)
I wish I could trust Kurt when he says he's doing well physically, but he's like Misawa: A broken neck is no worse than a broken nose, so I don't trust him to accurately gauge just how beat to shit he is.
ReplyDeleteI'm good with not seeing Kurt wrestle again. It would be cool if he could transition into either a purely on-screen non-wrestling character, or be an asset backstage, but he'd probably drop dead before he stopped actively competing.
There are always fans who are upset that WWE are keeping Angle out until they are satisfied he is healthy and safe, but just think how many wrestlers deaths could have been avoided, how many addicts would have been helped before it took over their lives if in the 80s and 90s the same kind of drug and medical testings were done? Not just the guys like Benoit/Guerrero but guys like Perfect, Beefcake, Roberts, Dynamite, Bulldog, Hall, Test, Patera, the entire Von Erich family, etc could all have had their lives turn out very differently?
ReplyDeleteSo proud of my alma matter!! Go 'eers!
ReplyDeleteThis is bullshit! Everyone in that goddamn lockerroom knows Bret wore pink better than anyone and he deserved to be WWF Champion.
ReplyDeleteA great what if is what would have happened if Kurt signed with ECW. Eventually WCW or WWE would have snapped him up but I think Paul would have done wonders with him before that.
ReplyDeleteBut look at all that pink! The WWE must really, really, reaaallly care about breast cancer!
ReplyDeleteThe Von Erichs were screwed up before drugs, but I get your point.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but Kurt's biggest influence was Chris Benoit. If it wasn't for Benoit jumping to WWF during Kurt's first few months, Kurt doesn't turn into the machine he did.
ReplyDeleteReal angle/taz matches.
ReplyDeleteIn 97. Nice
Nothing the Nexus did outside of the original beat down is a classic moment.
ReplyDelete3 kids died playing football this week but I bet you have no problem watching NFL this Sunday. I have no problem watching Kurt Angle in WWE and people who pretend to care are hypocrites.
ReplyDeleteTJ- about 40 minutes into the bischoff shoot and on a pure knowledge point it is shaping up to be a great one.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Kurt had already improved a lot from his debut with Meat to the first time he wrestled Jericho (and hadn't mixed with Benoit yet).
ReplyDeleteI'm probably gonna watch the NFL but it should be a concern.
ReplyDeleteKurt was a prodigy, would have been great no matter what.
ReplyDeleteAmerican football is not safe, period.
ReplyDeleteProbably would have been their most money drawing program ever.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but I think even Angle himself credits Benoit for elevating his game. Not that he wouldn't have gotten good, but he probably wouldn't have gotten THAT good without Chris.
ReplyDeleteIf you watch Angle from before the big Benoit feud and after the feud he is just a totally different worker. He really fed off of and picked up on how intense and violent Benoit was in the ring and made it his own.
ReplyDeleteIt's fantastic how Angle in less than in year got the "it" of wrestling, in mid 2000 he way acting like a veteran.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand Bischoff and his tea party bullshit and he gets so defensive about everything he did in WCW. He had his moments though during his interview with Austin.
ReplyDeleteOne match, one big DVD release and the a career training at the performance center. Kurt and the wwe should do that deal.
ReplyDeleteI agree, he is (maybe was) a world class athlete, my opinion is just that working with Benoit really made him great.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
ReplyDeleteTJ: predictive text on my iPhone says the word "network" should follow "wwe."
ReplyDeleteAs though breast cancer is the most serious life risking disease today. I dont see them trying to aware people about cardio vascular diseases, then we can have the red and blue ropes again!
ReplyDeleteThe white ropes are bad enough, they just dont give the wrestling feel. Wish Raw would use red ropes again, SD is ok with white though.
ReplyDeleteYeah the only thing he wasn't aloud to do like a veteran was go over the Undertaker.
ReplyDeleteAngle will return. Everyone does.
ReplyDeleteIn his prime, Angle was the best all-around wrestler I've ever seen. He could do everything.
ReplyDeleteI remember a buddy of mine seeing Angle in an airport practically passed out being carried by a few other wrestlers. At the time, we assumed he just had a hard night partying, but then he was bounced from the WWE about a week or two later.
ReplyDeleteI'd like some of that beer he was shilling on Austin' podcast though.
ReplyDeleteAnd not a single picture of the Hart family? Fo' rizzle?
ReplyDeleteBoy, his 2000-2003 run was fantastic, his comedy work was fantastic. Angle was a goofball but you had to respect his skills at the same time.
ReplyDeleteNOTHING is safe, period.
ReplyDeleteAngle wouldn't agree to it. He'd rather continue with TNA than be put out to pasture.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me or does Bischoff look a lot like Kurt Angle with hair in his rf shoot?
ReplyDeleteMarch is Steroid Abuse Prevention Month, I'm looking forward to WWE's initiative in preventing steroid abuse.
ReplyDeleteOr any type of heart disease or condition for that matter.
ReplyDeleteAnd "$9.99" should follow "network"
ReplyDeletePhotoshopped pics of muscular guys in skinny bodies.
ReplyDeleteWell this means that Orton & Batista will come to TNA next year and we will have a new nWo. ;-)
ReplyDeleteExcept for all those guys that didn't.
ReplyDeleteWhat role is Kurt going to fill? He won't pass a physical to wrestle, he's not a good promo anymore and the last thing the company wants in the performance center is a guy who has Kurt's "full tilt or off" outlook.
Most other ailments don't sell millions of dollars in merchandise each fall. I'm honestly surprised there hasn't been a backlash yet to the pink merchandise that floods stores and only returns at best pennies on the dollar to charities or research organizations.
ReplyDeleteThey paid attention, they didn't try it at home, they tried it in the locker room.
ReplyDeleteThere's no money in Angle anymore.
ReplyDeleteOh man...RIP Dog and Fire Hydrant (different network, I know, but bear with me here)
ReplyDeleteAlso, RIP Claymation Cowboy
"After these messages, we'll be riiiiiiight back!"
Lets ruin your childhood memories with a reimagining of how we would shove our self-importance in how much we care for breast cancer down your throats. Or just tune into RAW every monday this month
ReplyDeleteThe hydrant was the biggest dick
ReplyDeleteThe bumper where the three singers swapped heads also haunted my dreams for ages
Welcome to the BoD btw.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the Legends of Wrestling: Bad Asses episode while on the elliptical and the discussion turned to legit amateur wrestling athletes being tough guys and they showed the Angle/Lesnar Iron Man match from 2003 on Smackdown. I was pretty much phasing wrestling out of my life at that point and don't remember the match. Is it considered the best Smackdown match of all time? Looked pretty sick from the highlights but there a few DQ and countout falls and Lesnar was cheating his ass off.
ReplyDeleteIt's awesome, minus the commercials messing up the flow of it.
ReplyDeleteMileage may vary, of course.
My favorite Angle moment.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GIXF-CGftc
I'm just a sexy Kurt
I'll make your ankle hurt.
Is Kurt Angle like the Brett Favre of wrestling? Legendary prodigy and career but absolute refusal to recognize his body is just a broken down mess.
ReplyDeleteHe was on Jim Ross's Podcast, and he was pretty open and honest about all that stuff, I guess he's...11 months sober at the time of the interview, but then again you never know.
ReplyDeleteThen again he wouldn't shut up about being sober, and as someone who can't shut up about pretty much anything I'm into, I believe the guy.
TJ: Fuck did I just watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp7CYvh8FwA
ReplyDeleteDude's also a tad on the creeper side
ReplyDeleteIt's gotten a lot of flak in the form of "sexism! sexism!"
ReplyDeleteHoly shit, Kurt threw himself head first into this. This is hysterical.
ReplyDeleteIt's just tremendous
ReplyDeleteJust saw a story about a woman who tried for years to get pregnant and couldn't, and the in vitro worked and resulted in quadruplets, and she acted all astounded.
ReplyDeleteC'mon people: you're basically leading bombarding the eggs - stop acting like you didn't consider this possibility.
And this is why we have Octo-Mom
Well we haven't seen his penis yet....on a side note whenever I'm sexting and a girl asks to see my penis I send her Brett Favre's.
ReplyDeletelol, I have a feeling you might be taking this too serious.
ReplyDeleteWell no but he does have a litany of other embarrassing personal life issues of his own...
ReplyDeleteAre they still trying to fucking say that stupid DX tank skit was a classic moment? Nobody even remembered that skit until they bought WCW and put it on a million DVDs. It was meaningless and i think Nitro beat them that night.
ReplyDeleteDidn't your mom already see yours when you were a baby?
ReplyDelete(Sorry, the softball was there)
Angle during that period was my favorite character ever. The perfect way to use a legit badass like that. Comedy, but when he wanted to, he'd kill you and you knew it.
ReplyDeleteThey even pop up quickly to keep selling, WWE-style. Perfect .
ReplyDeleteI suddenly feel a lot better about LSU's loss to Mississippi State, as the Bulldogs lead Texas A&M 28-10 coming out of the half.
ReplyDeleteBad to kbjone
ReplyDelete*guitar riff*
ba-ba-ba-ba-bad
*guitar riff*
Bad to kbjone
I have a feeling this thread will be the Sat afternoon thread in the absence of one
ReplyDeleteGotta disagree on both points. I damn sure remember watching it live and I know a lot of other people do too. It's on the short list of things that lapsed Attitide Era fans remember, in my experience.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know if I agree that being a ratings victory is a prerequisite for something as wholly subjective as being a "classic moment."
Well that was really stupid........*goes back to Nitro from 97.*
ReplyDeleteKurt seems open like that in most interviews, though. I think he's a good man that can't help himself. A lot of amateur wrestlers are like him... they don't screw around in that sport. Crazy dedication to their craft at the sacrifice of their well-being, and Kurt takes that attitude into everything he does.
ReplyDeleteBut then he had that plane ride with the WWE crew where he passed out and couldn't be woken for a while. Not sure I believe him, sadly.
ReplyDeleteOne of my top 3 favourites of all time.
Maybe try going outside once in awhile, guy.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch it live, but I still remember it happening. WWE really overstates the importance, as they do with everything DX in general for obvious reasons, but I think it is a memorable moment.
ReplyDeleteBret Favre almost made it to the Super Bowl his second to last season. The Viking had numerous injuries (Sidney Rice) his second season and had to play on a frozen rock hard college field at the end of the season. I think Favre could come back right now and be rated in the top half on NFL QB's, Favre is not broken down, that is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI was a Nation guy. Fuck DX.
ReplyDeleteFavre was never broken down. Even today he probably still throws a great ball. He's just overrated because he played forever and has that southern charm that the typical retarded mouthbreathing NFL fan adores.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how one would go about quantifying whether or not the importance of DX is overstated, but it's interesting-if entirely predictable- how some corners of the internet have retconned its existence to actually have been meaningless or way overrated, neither of which is true, of course.
ReplyDeleteFavre wouldn't make it through a whole season if he had started Week 1 with ANY team. He might have a great "turn back the clock" game or two, but unless that O-line is historically pristine, he will get hurt sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteClueless is on comedy central. Alicia silverstone was untouchable in the 90s
ReplyDeleteHer peak of hotness was in "Crazy" with Liv Tyler.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that made Angle such a joy was that he could do comedy - actually funny comedy - whilst never losing any intensity or credibility as a result. That's a talent not many in the game have ever had.
ReplyDeleteBlast from the Past was on TV the other night, and now Clueless
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly was Angle hooked on when he got fired. Painkillers for one I am assuming but anything else? Coke? Booze?
ReplyDeleteEver read Steven Tyler's book? I am amazed the dude is still alive and functioning. HELL of a read though.
ReplyDeleteDamn, Surfer Sting vs. Vader is still awesome. Also, Sting killing two goons is still exciting.
ReplyDeleteDo a search on his toes
ReplyDeleteUmm why?
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one that when it was all said and done liked Surfer Sting better then Crow Sting?
ReplyDeleteI think I agree with that.
ReplyDeleteI saw some article on all the damage his stage shoes have done. Total WTF stuff
ReplyDeleteI mean Crow Sting was awesome up until Starrcade 97 but he was all show and no go. Surfer Sting almost always brought it in the ring. And lets face it he was just more fun.
ReplyDeleteHe gets into some of that in his book. It's actually the reason why he got hooked on drugs again after being clean for 20 years or however long it was.
ReplyDeleteThe pix are crazy. I don't know how he can stand let alone walk
ReplyDeleteI honestly can't argue with any of that. Were there any good Crow Sting matches?
ReplyDeleteHowever, I guess the counterargument is that Crow Sting helped draw a big audience for Starcade 98.
Honestly, it's all been downhill since he proclaimed he wanted to have "beastiality" sex with Sharmell
ReplyDeleteWCW would've probably grabbed him and wasted him. He probably still winds up with the WWF at some point, but who knows how successful
ReplyDelete*Steiner watches Batman and Robin*
ReplyDeleteShe's FAT!!!
He should go to the South Park Sex addicts clinic.
ReplyDeleteI always preferred comedy heel Angle to Intense Wrestling Machine Kurt, because serious heels are a dime a dozen but no one could be simultaneously hilarious and a credible badass heel like Angle.
ReplyDelete"Rey, you're a boy...and I'm a man who loves to play with boys!"
He was jumping around on torn quads just fine, I'm sure a Mortal Kombat Pit fatality via Show chokeslam was nothing to him.
ReplyDeleteBrittany Daniels
ReplyDeleteI forgot she was in that
ReplyDeleteIt's not quite an epic classic (their WM match is better), but it's still a great TV match, easily ****+ and SD devoted over half the show to it with buildup plus the match proper. And the DQ stuff made sense in story since Lesnar was willing to eat a point gain for Angle to weaken him with chair shots.
ReplyDeleteThe movie made everyone pretty much forget about her.
ReplyDeleteOr Murphy? I never remember
ReplyDeleteFollowing Starrcade '97, Sting was treated like a jobber. He was beating like a drum by Randy Savage and Kevin Nash on Nitros in early 1998.
ReplyDeleteI wanna say Booze and Painkillers
ReplyDeleteWho cares what they think?
ReplyDeleteJust checked her work since Blast from the Past... she's done stuff but I've never heard of most of it
ReplyDelete"Kick him! Kick him like a dog!"
ReplyDeleteSting was crazy over as the Crow. He was getting Austin like pops for awhile there.
ReplyDeleteWCW main events were mostly shirty during that period as a whole. You had guys like DDP who actually wanted to put in a memorable effort but for the most part it was just high paid veterans just getting it over with.
ReplyDeleteMilk.
ReplyDeleteI drink more then I should, (mostly on weekends) but I wonder just how much booze one has to drink to need rehab. I can't imagine you can wrestle or stay in shape if you are drinking that much. Painkillers on the other hand....
ReplyDeleteThis article needs a cameo from Carpenter Ant.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your second point.
ReplyDeleteIf he had the chance, Angle could totally carry the company for a year in his prime.
I have milk twice a day....crap.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta get the monkey off your back.
ReplyDeleteI would imagine he'd go through a handle pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same, I like my booze...but I hear these stories of wrestlers drinking all night and then hitting the next town and it blows my mind. How can you work out, or drive 6 hours, hungover?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Shawn ever tried to talk to him about getting help. Seems to me he would respect HBK.
ReplyDeleteWell at least I am not such a milk addict that I pulled a Davey Boy Smith and injected myself with it.
ReplyDeleteHe walks this way.
ReplyDeleteSomeone else had mentioned how awesome it would have been if WCW had let them in. What were they going to do? WWF had all the cool attitude, but I'm taking WCW in the streetfight.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Triple H seems as cold towards Angle as he is, he seems like a pretty decent guy in most other situations.
ReplyDeleteYou can do either but the impression I get is that people that need rehab from booze are basically drunk 24/7 for a long period of time. If thats the case you can neither work out or wrestle.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if Hunter is just pissed that he wasted his talent.
ReplyDeletenot true. The PTC absolutely was going after cable at that point. Google it. They started with SD (and some other shows) and moved into cable. It's just like all censors, give them an inch and they start pushing further and further.
ReplyDeleteThey should have thrown a curveball at the end and re-colored Bret Hart so he appeared in his black-and-white/blue tights. Without that, this article gets a 4/10 from me.
ReplyDeleteNo they'll photoshop Royal Rumble '04, WrestleMania XX, the Owen Tribute Match on Nitro, and more.
ReplyDeleteBreast cancer meant no more Dusty Springfield, so I am bitter at it all the same.
ReplyDeleteOr Bret Hart's broken finger.
ReplyDeleteSo frustrated isn't the goddamn word for it?
ReplyDeleteThey should have showed all the nasty, gory matches with hot pink blood instead.
ReplyDeleteYeah, as WCW had Meng, Barbarian, Finlay, and Regal at that point, I'm giving it to them.
ReplyDeleteFuck it. "It was pink, Austin! It was pink all along" combined with Vince's crazed face gave me a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteThis should have WAY more upvotes.
ReplyDeleteSooo.... Klingon blood?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was waiting for that too.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's sort of become the symbol of the Monday Night wars, but the war was really over when it happened. It would have been really cool if it would have happened live on TV during the war, and that's what it seems like on the surface, so it's one of those things that's cooler in retrospect.
ReplyDeleteDamn I miss her voiceq
ReplyDeleteOr, for me anyway, the even funnier alternative....awkwardly making small talk while the cameras roll
ReplyDeleteI'll have a tab.
ReplyDeleteGimme a Pepsi Free.
How about this:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.dropbox.com/s/w4egp83by7n962w/SCSA.png?dl=0
"Austin 3:16 says I just got my annual mammogram!"
I'll give WWE props when they finally help combat Balcony Collapse
ReplyDeleteI bet Dibiase paid for that vote
ReplyDeleteWatching SNME from 11/29/86 on the Network and lamenting the fact that the Piper/Orton video package doesn't use "You're a Friend of Mine". I rewatched this episode many times as a kid.
ReplyDelete"Rances Barthelemy"
ReplyDeleteWWE are going to be pissed, this was to be Kevin Steen's new NXT name.
Evening, my friends.
ReplyDeleteI see you have graduated from kid to a psycho
ReplyDeleteEvening. How's the wife? She got over that shellfish allergy reaction yet?
ReplyDeleteHeel turn.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a wife, I'm 18.
ReplyDeleteLittle known fact: Sid Eudy used to be known as Kid Sid
ReplyDeleteAnd suck at improv.
ReplyDeleteWhen did you get all funny?
ReplyDeleteNow they can use Clement Bastein
ReplyDeleteSarcasm is not my thing.
ReplyDeleteAlways been funny
ReplyDeleteOr laughable, one of the two
I'm watching Bojack Horseman. I like it so far.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was going to be Kelvin Stein.
ReplyDeleteAwesome day of college football. The #2 team lost and the #1 team is losing with 1:44 left
ReplyDeleteThis isn't sarcasm, it's just lying.
ReplyDeleteSay hi to your wife for me. Tell her that the next time she borrows money from the Barrio brothers and is late paying, I'm gonna COVER her in shellfish. Tell her she got 5 days. Five.
So weird, but funny
ReplyDelete#6 Texas A&M (the hometown team) loses to #12 Mississippi State.
ReplyDeleteSHE HAS TILL 5
ReplyDeleteLove Will Arnett so right off the bat I was happy. How many episodes are there?
ReplyDeleteOh my god, I've made a terrible mistake. This chick is so goddamned big
ReplyDeleteDating now?
ReplyDeleteBlind date?
ReplyDeleteJacques Spratte (WOULD eat the fat)
ReplyDeleteYes. I've seen pics of her but they were old.
ReplyDeleteRofl what happened?
ReplyDeleteIf this is ruled a pick, Alabama will have lost. Both #1 and #2 going down is huge.
ReplyDeleteHe can come out to the ring wearing just a grey nappy, and blow Benoit-style snot rockets at his opponents, then they can call it the Bastein Booger. MONEY.
ReplyDeleteNot sure. A friend of mine showed me a few eps a few weeks ago
ReplyDeleteAs long as she isnt a total bitch then it wont be a loss
ReplyDeleteNotre Dame knocks off Stanford. With about half the teams in front of them losing today, Notre Dame probably vaults into position to make the playoff if they just run the table from here on in.
ReplyDelete"Just run the table from here on in" being the hard part, but still.
WittyBat, I dub you.
ReplyDeleteAlabama lost
ReplyDeleteHow huge is it right now that Clemson gagged on their chance to take out FSU now? Last week they looked like the weakest "#1" team in awhile. Now they're sitting pretty with everyone else with a claim on it going down.
ReplyDeleteWow, if Oklahoma loses too, if Auburn wins, they should be #2. That is a huge SEC game tonight
ReplyDelete12 I think. The whole thing is really good, and is better if you watch it through again (as I have already).
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly I was on 'alcohol', but the stuff with David Boreanaz later on cracked me up.
Will Arnett is *great* in it.
I just woke up, and apparently College Football is BLOWING UP.
ReplyDeleteAwesome day of college ball.
ReplyDeleteWell she was kinda big in the pics too but it was a tolerable big. Like I'm not terribly picky, but there's a limit
ReplyDeleteCBS lists Alabama as #1 but I thought FSU was the top ranked
ReplyDeleteBest block of college ball we'll get all year. All three big matchups from the afternoon slate have delivered in the best way.
ReplyDeletePlus big games tonight too and Oklahoma might go down as well
ReplyDeleteIt just means she'll say yes to more things, so take advantage
ReplyDelete#OU on the verge of getting toppled to.
ReplyDeleteDBSM, the fat chick thriller?
ReplyDeleteBest line I've ever heard from a friend of mine who met a H U U U U G E girl on a blind date, after she asked him his name, "Call me Ishmael".
ReplyDeleteI was giggling a lot at the next table over.
Anyone in the BoD Fantasy Hockey league, the draft starts at 6:30PM EST
ReplyDelete