The Kurt Angle Show - SummerSlam 2001 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

We’re coming off the Invasion PPV where Steve Austin turned on you and Team WWF and joined the Alliance and you two are firmly planted as the top guys in the company. Were you going to anyone for advice on how to be a top babyface or was it just like the rest of your career that it came natural?

How hands-on were Steve & Vince with your creative during this time and how involved were you?

Along with you being the top babyface...The Rock is returning from shooting a movie and is slotted into working with Booker T. It’s a real vote of confidence in your ability to draw and be a top babyface because with the Rock returning after Steve Austin putting him on the shelf that they immediately don’t go back to that program and instead keep you and Steve going. Was it great to have the Rock back after him being away for a few months?

On the Raw after Invasion you interrupt Steve Austin’s opening promo and Austin challenges you to the ring and you get in there and suplex him before he powdered out. That babyface pop you get when you come out for that show in Buffalo was gigantic. What’s the feeling like when your music hits and the crowd reacts that heavily for you?

You do a vignette with the APA where you drink beer and like it. Was this to give you a more of a babyface edge?

Vince invites Rock back and you confront him in a backstage promo that you agreed Rock should be back but that you still wanted to be a leader. It was important to separate yourself from Vince if you’re going to be a babyface right?

You’re main eventing in a tables elimination match...it’s you, Edge & Christian which is funny considering you guys stopped teaming but here we are again with everyone on the WWF side taking on the Dudleys & Booker T. You have some major problems in this match with tables. Edge & Christian get eliminated and it’s 3-on-1 but you’re supposed to suplex D-Von through a table that doesn’t break. Then you Angle Slam Booker onto a table that’s supposed to break. You finally put those two through a table and Earl Hebner is bumped and Nick Patrick the WCW referee comes out and starts helping Bubba by moving the table when you go to Angle Slam him through the table until Austin attacks you and Bubba power bombs you through the table to give his team the win. When things go wrong in the ring like that how do you adjust?

The next night you return to your hometown in Pittsburgh for SmackDown and you get a hero’s welcome and the crowd is chanting for you all night. What do you remember of the crowd from this show?

You end up main eventing Smackdown against Booker T and you win the WCW World Title from him in a great match which features interference from Kanyon and Austin but you’re still above to overcome it and lock in the ankle lock for the victory. I get that it’s the WCW title but winning this title in Pittsburgh has to be a big deal for you right?

Raw is back in Philly and you drop the WCW Title right back to Booker after a bunch of interference. You chase after Austin and Austin speeds away in his car leaving Debra behind and in one of your all-time classic lines...you let Debra know that her cookies sucked! Great payoff to all those vignettes from the previous month with you, Steve & Vince but was it disappointing to drop the title back so soon?

The next night in DC you finally challenge Steve Austin for the WWF World Title and then you lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lance Storm interrupts and it leads to you vs. Lance later on that night which you win with an ankle lock. You end up with a busted eye in the match from your gold medals cutting you. Any memories of working with Lance and those damn gold medals busting you open?

You pull your groin around this time. Is this one of your most painful injuries and how do you work through it?

It comes out around this time that Invasion was a super successful show with a lot of pay-per-view buys. Tell me Kurt...how was the payday?

Raw from Anaheim sees you team up with Chris Jericho and beat the Dudleys. You worked a lot with the Dudleys in this time frame...any good memories of Bubba & D-Von?

You have a backstage promo with the Rock to let bygones be bygones and you offer Rock some milk as a peace offering and he takes it and said it was the best milk he ever had and you guys shake hands. Was it important to get a rub off Rocky at the time?

Smackdown the next night in Los Angeles features you and the Hardys against Austin & Dudleys in an elimination match. It comes down to you and Steve and it’s interference galore and it finishes in a no contest and the show goes off the air with you giving Austin the ankle lock on the ramp. Is Steve...the veteran...telling you that you and him are gonna be a big match at SummerSlam and the heat’s building, etc?

The go-home Raw for Summerslam features you vs. Rob Van Dam but it’s the vignettes of the show that are most remembered. First Hugh Morrus goes to attack you and you overcome him and lock in the ankle lock. Later Shawn Stasiak tries to attack you and you side step him as you’re talking to William Regal and he crashes into Regal’s steel knight in the corner knocking himself out. You tell Hurricane that Green Lantern isn’t a top superhero (he’s not by the way…) and Hurricane smacks the milk out of your hands and you destroy him.

You vs. RVD goes a quick 3 minutes when Raven, Tommy Dreamer & Mike Awesome go to attack and in the mix of everything Jeff Hardy takes advantage of the 24/7 rule on RVD and wins the Hardcore Title. It seems odd that this is what the creative is before the 2nd or 3rd biggest show of the year in SummerSlam don’t you agree?

On the last SmackDown you beat Tazz in 1:33 while it turns into a brawl afterwards with you & Austin and the WWF & the Alliance. Were you ready at this point to do the match with Steve?

Well Kurt we’re finally here! SummerSlam in San Jose, CA draws 15,293 fans for a $907,105 house.

You & Steve are second from the top. Did you agree with that decision to put Rock vs. Booker on last?

7. Kurt Angle beat Steve Austin via DQ so Austin retained the WWF title in 22:30. Super match with a bad finish. Austin worked over Angle's left knee early. Angle got the ankle lock early for a rope break. Austin threw several suplexes. Angle came back with seven belly-to-back suplexes. Austin came back with a superplex off the top. Angle, who for some reason got a bloody nose, was hit with a stunner at 7:00 for a near fall. After a second stunner, Angle rolled out of the ring. Austin then posted Angle five times and Angle juiced like crazy. Austin suplexed Angle over the barricade. In the ring, Angle came back with the ankle lock but another rope break. Angle did a belly-to-belly on Austin on the floor. Angle back suplexed him on the floor as well. Angle actually hit a moonsault for a near fall. Austin knocked out Earl Hebner. Then knocked out a second ref. Tim White ran in and Austin hit him with the belt. Angle had Austin pinned after the slam when Nick Patrick ran in and instead of counting the fall, disqualified Austin for attacking the previous refs. Jim Ross and Paul Heyman were going crazy trying to put this match over and make the finish into a heat finish instead of a groan DQ finish. Unfortunately, they put the heat on the referee instead of on Austin. ****½

Who helped you two put this match together? Any particular agent?

How did you end up with a bloody nose?

According to my research it seems like you’re the only guy to ever kick out of the Stone Cold Stunner 3 times. Did you know that and was that Austin’s idea?

Any reservation about bleeding in this match? Is this the first time you used a blade?

Did you like all the referee run-ins and do you think it took away from the match?

It’s a great match definitely and it made tough for Booker vs. Rock to follow. Did they give you any shit about it?

The rumor and innuendo was the finish was determined that morning. Did you have any idea what it was going to be during the build or were you just gonna show and see what was going on? I’m assuming the finish was to build to more matches?

What did you think of the match and is it one of your favorites?

How great is working with Steve and like Meltzer said with all his back and neck issues to take a suplex on the floor is pretty ballsy.