The Kurt Angle Show - Watchalong: KOTR 2001 Street Fight w/ Shane McMahon [Show Notes] (Patreon)

News and Notes

Halfway through 2001, Meltzer put together a list of who the best wrestlers in the world were. Your name came up in several categories, most notably...best technical wrestler...

Best Technical Wrestler - I see Chris Benoit and Minoru Tanaka as the stand-outs just like last year. Tanaka has some weaknesses, whereas Benoit doesn't. Kurt Angle has got to be right up there, with Blue Panther and Silver King as the dark horses who don't stand a chance to win, but should be strongly considered.

(Is it a point of pride for you to be considered among the best, technically, so early into your WWF career?)

Around this time was a big moment for your amateur career. You were inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

From the Observer: Angle's induction to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on 6/2 in Stillwater, OK, listed him as one of only four wrestlers in history to win the Grand Slam--The Junior (teenage) Nationals, NCAA championships, World Championships and an Olympic gold medal. Angle won the Junior nationals as well as the Pennsylvania state high school championship in 1987. The two medals (he doesn't obviously wear the real ones) that he comes to the ring in pro wrestling with are meant to be symbolic of his '95 Worlds and '96 Olympic wins

(Is Meltzer correct about the symbolism of the two medals you wore? What did it mean to you to be inducted into this group?)

Chyna Out

The four-year relationship between the WWF and Joanie Laurer and the transformation of the character Chyna ended abruptly on 6/21 when Laurer was sent a letter that the company was dropping all further contract negotiations with her.

Laurer, 31, will remain under contract with the company until her present deal expires on 11/30, but is not expected to be used on television any longer. At press time there were no storyline plans made about what to do regarding the womens championship that she held at the time plans were made to no longer use her.

(Do you recall seeing Chyna going through hard times at this point? Even though her story had a sad ending, she really seemed like a trailblazer.)

Note from the Ross Report:

Eric Angle developed a severe arm infection after his surgery. They're going to have to re-do the surgery for a torn muscle and he'll be out about three months.

(This is what you told us about recently with your brother’s arm becoming infected, right?)

The Build

Raw on 5/21 was the night after the ⅔ falls match with Benoit at Judgment Day and it’s a big night for you. You decide after regaining your Olympic medals the night before that you’re going to recreate your Olympic celebration!

Here’s what Meltzer said:

Angle was awesome here, as was the set up, with the Olympic theme playing, a medal stand, and tons of confetti falling from the ceiling while Angle pranced around and even nearly cried. In one moment this show went for good to horrible. First Shane came out to horrible music. Then he started dancing. Please, somebody tell him to never dance. Then he started talking about WCW re-starting sooner than you think. The people booed. Don't these fans know that dozens of hard working people's jobs are at stake.Then Shane did this interview that was only a few steps up on the evolutionary chain from a Jim Hellwig promo. Angle was so mad he gave him the slam off the medal stand. That did nothing to turn Angle heel. He put the ankle lock on momentarily. Shane did one thing right this whole segment, and that is he sold the move great.

(I loved this segment. I really loved the Angle Slam off the podium into the confetti. But...was this supposed to make Shane a babyface and you a heel? Because...that didn’t happen!)

Raw on 5/28 was from Calgary. They did more of the campy Spike & Molly love triangle stuff. Then you showed up….As they kissed, you told them to stop because the last thing the world needs is offspring of those two. Spike slapped you, so you beat him up and smashed him into some lockers. Spike's head appeared busted open hardway since his head was sliced when he came out later in the show.

(Did Spike get busted open hardway in this segment?)

Spike got some revenge by helping Jericho secure a win over you that week on Smackdown. Shane came out during that match and distracted you, too. It also set up the match between you and Shane at King of the Ring.

Meltzer was critical of the build toward the show. He felt like there was nothing being hyped except for the main event.

The only thing I can say about this past week is that TV was really strange, and made zero sense. It's almost as if they only bought the booking committee from WCW. We're two weeks from King of the Ring with nothing announced except the three-way main event, and Undertaker vs. Stalker (who will likely be kept a secret until the PPV) will likely be added. On International Heat, Michael Hayes said the KOR at the PPV would only be a final four. The eight guys in are Angle, Edge, Christian, Rhyno, Jeff Hardy, Saturn, Show and Tajiri. Of those, the only one even being teased to win would be Angle

(Is it possible the reason for this is...you needed to reset all of the storylines going into the WCW Invasion angle?)

On the June 11 episode of Raw is War, Undertaker confronted Kurt Angle as he thought that Angle was Sara's stalker. Angle refused to claim that he was the stalker and insulted Sara, prompting Undertaker to hit Angle with a Last Ride. The next week, Diamond Dallas Page debuted in WWF and revealed that he was Sara's stalker

(Were you happy you didn’t have to play a stalker to Undertakers wife? This storyline completely sucked.)

Also on the June 11 Raw is War, you were in the main event. It was Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit in a steel cage match. It’s probably most well remembered for you doing the huge moonsault off the top of the cage.

Match was really good, and ended up being excellent, maybe ****1/4 or more, but crowd wasn't into it early. Probably seeing Austin there overwhelmed Angle and Benoit's presence since he's pushed as so much bigger of a deal than them….Tons of memorable and dangerous spots. Benoit did a german suplex while both were standing on the top rope holding onto the cage. After Angle did his slam finisher, he went to the top of the cage and missed a moonsault. He could have accomplished the same result from the top rope and his knees wouldn't have taken such a pounding. It was a hell of a deal, but I was furious when Benoit didn't get out because he took that big of a bump and it wasn't even the finish.

(The moonsault off the top of the cage. How did that feel coming down? Did it bang up your knees? And should that have maybe been the finish?)

The Event

Okay it’s finally time. It went down on June 24, 2001 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 445,000 bought the show on pay-per-view. 17,777 packed the arena to watch live.

WWF KING OF THE RING: Thumbs up 179 (36.0%), Thumbs down 214 (43.1%), In the middle 104 (20.9%).

BEST MATCH POLL: Shane McMahon vs. Kurt Angle 322, Steve Austin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit 61.

WORST MATCH POLL: Undertaker vs. DDP 231, Dudleys vs. Kane & Spike Dudley 62, X-Pac vs. Jeff Hardy 59, Steve Austin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit 26

First Match (Vs. Christian)

Start at 8:00; Ends about 19:30 (11 minutes)

3...2...1...Play

There’s a huge pop as soon as Kurt enters the arena. You almost look surprised.

The finals of the 2001 King of the Ring are TEAM RECK - Rhino, Edge, Christian and Kurt!

This is the only King of the Ring without Jerry Lawler.

Kurt gets concussion on one of the belly to belly’s he gives Christian; Finishes the night, of course.

Meltzer’s report:

1. Kurt Angle pinned Christian (Jay Reso) in the KOR semifinal match in 8:17. They were pushing Angle's quest to win back-to-back KOR's with the idea that nobody had ever won back-to-backs (not true, Bret Hart did, although his first was before KOR was a PPV), and that not even stars like Bret Hart, HHH or Steve Austin were able to repeat. Problem is, Bret did. If you don't consider pre-PPVs as actual KOR's, then it still doesn't make sense since Bret wasn't even in the 1994 tourney to not repeat and Austin wasn't in the 1997 tourney to repeat. HHH was in the 1998 tourney and lost to Rock in a quest to repeat. So much for useless history. Angle got good heat. He suplexed Christian all over the place. Shane McMahon came out. Nice sequence where Angle missed a moonsault and Christian got a near fall. Angle went for the slam, but Christian countered going for the unprettier, but Angle countered with an ankle lock and Christian made the ropes. Christian countered the slam and hit the unprettier, but Shane broke up the pin, helping Angle. Angle then got the pin with the Angle slam. The storyline was that Shane was helping Angle to advance to tire him out before his match. ***

Second Match (Vs. Edge)

Starts at 54:38; Ends at 1:08:00 (14 minutes)

3...2...1...Play

This is your second match of the night. Earlier, Edge defeated Rhyno in what was dubbed a major upset. Rhyno was getting some strong booking around this period.

First time ever: A defending King of the Ring is in the finals (in TV canon; Before this tournament was televised, it happened with Savage and Bret)

(How important is this match in building Edge as a singles star? For that matter, how important was the whole night for Rhyno, Christian and Edge? And, how did Team RECK get the whole tournament to themselves?)

Meltzer’s Report:

4. Edge pinned Angle in 10:21 to win the tournament. Tournament had zero impact. Build-up was lousy. Finals were put in the middle of the show like they were just Angle's prelim test for his real match. No real emphasis put on Edge winning the rest of the show. Angle took a dangerous flapjack early, nearly landing on his head. Angle suplexed Edge all over the place, including one over the top rope. Angle got a busted lip. Edge catapulted Angle into the barricades for a near fall. Ref bump and Angle got the ankle lock. Edge tapped, but no ref to see it. Shane came back out and speared Angle, leading to Edge scoring the pin after the impaler DDT. ***

Third Match (Vs. Shane)

Fire up the WWE Network, either the App or on Peacock, and look for King of the Ring 2001. If you’re on Peacock, it should be almost impossible to find. Once you’re there, you’re going to skip ahead…

Starts at 1:36:15; Ends at 2:09:00 (33 Minutes)

3...2...1...Play

You’ve put Christian and Edge on the map so what’s left for Kurt Angle on this night? How about tearing the house down in the only match on the card people will be talking about?

(Who helped you layout this match?)

(Did you and Shane decide you wanted to one-up Mick Foley and The Undertaker?)

From the opening moments, you’re telling us the story that Shane has screwed you over. But you and Shane appear to be working pretty snug!

(Did you agree to work stiff - or was it always like that with Shane?)

In the aisleway, Shane suplexes you and injures your tailbone. You can instantly see it on your face that you’re in pain and it isn’t an act.

The glass pane debacle. Two attempts to get through it the first time...three attempts to get back out of it.

(Did the prop guy get fired or shot after this match?)

(It’s actually hard to watch, knowing how much you both were hurting. Do you think maybe you both would have been better served by stopping at one glass pane?)

In interviews, you said Vince considered stopping the match. Especially during this era, that isn’t something we ever see. We probably should have seen more of it.

(This could never happen today, right?)

JR speculates Shane has just competed in his final WWF match. It tells you how much plans changed, haha.

6. Angle pinned Shane McMahon in 26:00 of their street fight. Angle suplexed Shane all over the place and did some tremendously smooth matwork. Shane potatoed Angle with his first punch, busting him above the right eye. Very stiff, excellent, but far too dangerous match, particularly when WWF can ill afford another top guy going down, and then put Angle in a position where the risks were too high.

(Did you give Shane a receipt for that potato?)

McMahon came off the guard rail over the announcers' table with a clothesline, and didn't get much elevation, and came inches from beheading Paul E. in the process. Shane used a kendo stick and kind of brutalized Angle with it, then used the ankle lock. Angle broke it. Shane used a float-over DDT and was just sloppy enough that you knew it, but thankfully not sloppy enough that Angle was in another dangerous spot.

(Meltzer complains a lot here about you being in dangerous spots. Was that a valid criticism? Especially since you had performed several times and were already concussed?)

Shane used the sharpshooter for a rope break. He put it on again, but Angle, in the hold, grabbed the stick to break the hold. Shane killed Angle with a garbage can lid, then went up for a shooting star press, but ended up landing on a garbage can.

(Have you ever done a Shooting Star Press? Seems like it doesn’t work out well for your opponents)

They brawled backstage. Angle tripped over a cable cord and landed, holding his back. The injury apparently took place when Angle did a suplex spot while they were brawling in that area. The big sequence started when he went to belly-to-belly Shane through a thick glass stage set-up. The glass didn't break, and Shane went down, almost head-first, on the ground. That was dangerous enough, so they did it again, and both, as planned, went through the glass.

The idea is they would do it again to come back the other side. Angle twice suplexed Shane and twice the glass didn't break. Finally he whipped him through. This was total insanity, and not in a good way. You had broken glass everywhere. The crowd was going crazy. And you had Angle, who is being counted on so highly in plans, being put in a situation where he could have been seriously injured because you just can't predict how broken glass will break. As it was, he was just scraped up. His back was all bloody and there was broken glass all over the floor and they were reduced to putting the best worker the company had for the summer putting himself at far too much risk than necessary just to do Combat Zone Wrestling spots, and in New Jersey no less.

(Did you get cut up bad from the glass? Whose idea was the spot?)

Angle wheeled a prone Shane back to the ring and put him in the ring to pin him, but Shane kicked out. McMahon came back with a low blow and three hard garbage can lid shots, then did the Angle slam on Angle for a near fall. Angle catapulted Shane into the corner. Shane was supposed to hit the post (the 1981 Sgt. Slaughter bump in the famous Pat Patterson match) but it looked bad. Angle got a board and hit Shane with it. Finish saw him use the board as a platform, and used it to stand up while on the top rope and delivering the Angle slam. Shane got a huge ovation after the match from the crowd. ****

(What’s the reaction like backstage when you both come through the curtain? Applause?)

(Are you going straight to the hospital, the trainers room, the hotel? What happens next?)

Studying the business comparisons for May is very interesting. Even though TV ratings have collapsed, and a realistic 36% drop over a one year period is a collapse, it's largely a loss of the casual audience. …. Maybe it's just the idea that wrestling fans, formerly with three PPVs most months and now down to one, are at least interested enough to buy that one. Much of the audience that has stopped watching seem to be the people who never spent money on the product to begin with, so it's not as devastating as people who look at ratings and nothing else see the situation. But it's in no way good.

"Access Hollywood" ran one of those stories that WWF surely can't consider under the category "any publicity is good publicity." It was called "Smackdown Blues," talking about the ratings decline in WWF programming. Host Pat O'Brien implied the problem was because The Rock was gone. Not that it isn't a small part of the reason, but it is only a small part.

(Is anyone internally sounding the alarm or at least, noticing that you’re hemorrhaging viewers?)

WCW Raw

With the business at a crossroads, Vince McMahon made the ultimate ballsy move. Starting in just a few weeks, unless plans change, and they do on a daily basis, Raw on TNN will be renamed "WCW Raw."

Exactly how the storyline explaining this will go is uncertain, but there are basic plans. The idea is that when Shane gets control of Raw, that it will be the big prize because it signifies that in the end, Vince lost the all-important Monday Night War, not to Ted Turner, but to Shane, theoretically establishing him and his team as big players for taking the thing Vince worked for the hardest away from him. WWF will use Smackdown as its primary outlet.

(Everything changed the night Buff Bagwell and Booker T wrestled in the main event of Raw. But this was really close to happening. Were you excited, nervous? How did the locker room feel, from what you could tell?)

The WWF officially announced cutting of eight contracts, American Dragon, Rodney Lionheart (Rodrageous), Spanky, Shooter Schultz, Jason Spence (Christian York), Adam Birch (Joey Matthews) and Jason Ahrndt (Joey Abs), all of whom had been based in Memphis along with Pete Gas of the IWA.

(American Dragon/Daniel Bryan was getting fired by the company as early as 2001. Never give up on your dreams, folks.)

More news from the future stars of wrestling...A.J. Styles got a try-out on 7/9 in Atlanta

(You didn’t know AJ yet during this time though, right? When did you first meet?)

Meltzer’s review:

The only match that really delivered on that was Shane McMahon vs. Kurt Angle, which was the show stealer. The negative is, that match was very dangerous in structure, and ended up being more dangerous when some of the stunts didn't work properly. By the time it was over, Angle had suffered a sprained tailbone, at first feared to be broken, a concussion, and needed five stitches above his right eye from a punch that landed, plus had a body filled with cuts and bruises largely from going through glass (as well as a potato shot by Edge as well). The last official word was it appeared Angle would only miss two house shows, the Last Dance in Louisville and Sunday in Spokane and they are expecting him ready for TV next week. Unofficially as of press time, both Angle and Austin were expected to be very limited in what they can do physically for a few weeks.