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

We’re talking about the 20 year anniversary Kurt on Unforgiven 2001 and what a time in not just the wrestling business but life. We’re going to get into everything today...coming off Summerslam & Milk-A-Mania...the world changing on September 11th...and then the final build to your hometown and the first time you main evented a pay-per-view in Pittsburgh for the WWF World Title!

You obviously knew ahead of time that Unforgiven was in Pittsburgh. Was it something you were looking forward to and were you made any promises regarding the show?

Let’s get into it Kurt. We covered Milk-A-Mania in depth in the archives so be sure to check that out. Coming off Raw there’s a live SmackDown in Denver, CO at the Pepsi Center. You beat Chris Kanyon in a non-title match in 3:43 with the Olympic Slam and Ankle Lock. Did you enjoy working with Kanyon in the ring?

You’re working with Rhyno at the house shows and even main eventing them with him. Was Rhyno ready in your mind to be a top guy and are you surprised he never got to that level in the WWE?

You’re “scheduled” on Raw from Grand Rapids on August 27th to main event with Chris Jericho against Steve Austin and Rob Van Dam but Austin is suffering from a “broken arm.” Austin chooses Raven to replace him. Was Austin beat up physically at this point?

You destroy Raven backstage to take him out of the main event and for Austin to find another replacement. Raven is often talked about fondly by the wrestlers and less from office. What was your experience with Raven to work with?

This is pretty funny in the Observer recap of that Raw: “Stasiak set up this sour milk and chunks and all sorts of gross stuff in a bucket on the door trick for Angle. Instead, Debra came in and got doused and freaked. Stasiak and Keibler when they saw it was Debra, ran out of the building. Austin did a promo as Debra and he thought it was a trick played by Angle. Austin talked about Angle messing with his prized possession. Debra thought it was her, but Austin cleared up he meant his WWF title belt.”

How much fun is it to do these types of skits out of the normal wrestling in the ring?

From the Observer: “The main event ends up being you & Jericho vs. Tazz & RVD. Match had heat and was good. RVD hit a frog splash on Angle and Tazz went for the pin for a near fall which got a big pop. RVD missed a moonsault off the barricades outside and Jericho put him in the walls on the floor. Austin finally got out of the sling and posted Jericho. Angle reversed the Tazmission into the Angle slam for the pin. Austin then nailed Angle after the match with the title belt and took his two medals as the show went off the air.”

The chemistry between you 4 is real strong and you can tell you all enjoy working together. What was it about all of you that made it click?

So the magic behind the show Kurt. Where did you get the medals from that Austin stole?

Who came up with this idea? What did you feel about it?

There’s a note in the Observer I wanted to ask you about. It’s Meltzer’s opinion but considering the creative it’s a good point. “They are trying to make Angle into Austin by repeating a lot of the things they did in '97 and '98 with Austin.”

Was this how you were told the creative was going to be based around? Because it does seem very Austin-esque from 97 and 98?

The next night in Detroit for SmackDown taping you cut a promo that you’re looking for your medals back and a title show and instead of Steve Austin coming out Booker T & Shane McMahon come out to set up Booker vs. you in the main event. You beat up Booker and Shane and Austin appears on the screen that you’ll have to meet him in the parking lot to get them back.

You go searching for Austin but he’s nowhere to be found but Tommy Dreamer is and you kick his ass and keep moving. Kurt, do you have any good Tommy Dreamer stories?

As you keep moving Austin attempts to run you over just like he had done to him at Survivor Series 99. Did you use a stunt double for this and how does this all work?

You avoid it and Austin drives away. You go over Booker in the main event and continue on your path to Unforgiven but not before Austin throws your medals into the river. Did you think it was odd to use your gold medals in this way?

The next week at Raw you’re in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre. What is your favorite place to wrestle at in Canada?

The reason I ask that is because this Raw features one of the biggest transmission issues in the history of the company. You kidnap Steve Austin in a truck and drive him to the Humber River and you were threatening to throw him off the bridge. But there’s an issue with USA even though this is all pre-taped. From the Observer: “Finally the signal came back on with Debra in mid-speech doing some of the worst acting, even by Raw standards, crying begging Angle not to throw Austin over the bridge since he's her husband. Should be noted that there was a major rainstorm in Toronto live, but because this was pre-taped, no such problem, but it confused the hell out of people leaving the ACC not figuring out why it was pouring and it wasn't where Austin and Angle were. Somehow in all of this physical comedy, Austin either jammed or broke his left thumb, but still was able to work the next night. Angle made Austin beg and cry by threatening to kill him, but before killing him, changed his mind and decided instead he wanted a title shot at Unforgiven in Pittsburgh (crowd booed this heavily). As if by magic, a wading pool suddenly appeared on a deserted bridge, Angle shoved Austin into the pool where he floundered about while Angle drove off and left him.”

What was it like taping this and how funny is it that the pre-tape it wasn’t raining and live it was?

What happened to Austin’s thumb do you remember?

So you threatened to kill him...were you comfortable with this creative?

The wading pool is hilarious considering it’s just sitting there on a bridge.

The next night is back in Toronto again for a live SmackDown. Your music plays during the main event of Austin vs. RVD to a gigantic pop and RVD takes advantage of the distraction with a school boy for the win. Do you think Austin losing here hurts some steam for your match? Does the distraction finish when music plays get overdone in WWE and do you think it’s a lazy finish like some have criticized?

From there we head to San Antonio to Raw on 9/10. Austin coming off losing to RVD is now pushing for him to face you. So for the hardcore title you two are in the main event and the creative is confusing. From Meltzer:

“This match was very strange because it made no sense. Angle was getting the title shot but RVD was the suddenly hot face. It's bad enough the PPV issue was confused by RVD's win, because right now people want Rock or RVD against Austin, but the PPV is Angle. Angle posted RVD time after time but I guess they wouldn't do juice. They ended up in the entrance way with RVD holding part of the TV set and throwing kicks. Crowd didn't seem to know how to react. Angle got the submission with the ankle lock to win the title. Austin came out and threw Angle off the entrance ramp. He then pretended to congratulate Van Dam, but threw him off the ramp as well. While on the ground, RVD got an arm over Angle and they counted to three so he regained the title. This finish managed to flatten both guys, neither of whom should be losing at this point. They ended up stretching Angle out in a neckbrace and acting like the PPV main event is in jeopardy.”

Do you think the RVD push helped dilute you and was hurting the build?

What did the bump off the entrance ramp feel like?

Does the finish of you winning the hardcore title then losing it right back to RVD because of Austin and have you taken out with a neck brace weaken you in your mind?

Now...to serious things...the next day is 9/11. How do you hear about it? What’s going on in your mind? Walk us through the day for you and everything that went on.

When are you informed that SmackDown is cancelled and rescheduled to be live on Thursday?

Was there any worry about working the show as being the first crowded event since the attack?

Did you think everything was about to change in terms of life and everything that went along with it?

Did it make you think twice about traveling?

Your injury is really forgotten and you main event against Rhyno with a win in a show that has nothing to do with storylines.

Was it a big deal for you to main event that show?

What creative changed coming out of 9/11 that you know of?

In Nashville on 9/17 you have the first Raw since the attack. You have a promo battle with RVD to lead to the main event of you & Jericho against Austin & RVD. You get the win over Austin. Are you expecting to be another level of over being really the true American being an Olympic Gold Medalist for this great country?

In Memphis on 9/18 for a taping of SmackDown Austin and Tazz attack you and piledrive you on the concrete and you’re stretchered out again claiming you can’t feel your arms. Was this what the original angle before 9/11 was supposed to be and turned back up again to get back on track?

What did you think of faking paralysis? Is it in bad taste or is it all part of the show?

So you return at the end of the night after Austin defeats Tajiri and rip off the neck brace to show you’re ok. It seems like we’re burning through angles as quickly as possible to get where they were originally going is that right?

That’s the final angle for the Unforgiven show from your hometown. The show draws 13,855 fans paying $648,115 which is a near sell out. Do you think you being the local hero helps draw that type of crowd?

You have your family at ringside for the show. How special was that for you?

From Meltzer regarding the match:

“8. Kurt Angle captured the WWF title from Steve Austin in 23:12. Focused on the family at ringside. Started out really hot. They brawled on the ramp including Austin taking a hip toss on the floor. Angle sold his neck after taking a suplex. His offense consisted of a lot of hard chops and both guys worked a very believably stiff style. Austin at one point grabbed the title belt and went to leave. Angle threw him off the ramp as a revenge spot from the first TV injury angle. Virtually no mention at all of the medals being thrown in the lake. Angle undid the mats to tease a piledriver spot as revenge for Smackdown. Austin kneed him from behind and went for the piledriver on the floor, but Angle reversed it into a backdrop. Austin's left eye was busted open by this point, which may have been the re-opening of a cut from the Van Dam match. Angle then tried the piledriver on the floor but Austin backdropped him. Austin dropped Angle gut first three times on the spanish announcers table. For some reason, the crowd flattened out at about this point. Angle did three back suplexes and used Austin's stunner on him, but Austin kicked out. Naturally that meant Austin would use the Angle slam on Angle, which he did, and which Angle kicked out of. Finally, after teasing the piledriver as the killer move, Austin hit it, but Angle kicked out of the pin. Even though nobody has seen piledrivers in a long time since WWF did the unofficial ban, crowd didn't react to them with anywhere near the heat the announcers were trying to sell the move with. Finish was very basic almost Japanese style, as Austin went to kick Angle to set up the stunner, Angle caught the foot and put on the ankle lock. Austin managed to actually get to where he was under the ropes, but never grabbed the ropes and tapped out for the title switch. Give him credit that if they were going to do it, they did it the right way. The entire Angle family and most of the babyface wrestlers hit the ring for the celebration as the show went off the air. ****”

How special is the finish being with your family in your hometown? What did you think of the match and the crowd reaction?

Coming off 9/11, in Pittsburgh, the Olympic Gold Medalist hometown hero, winning the WWF Title...where does this moment rank in your career?