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

Survivor Series 2001 marks the end of the Invasion angle as the WWF will take on the Alliance in a 5 on 5 elimination match with the winning company surviving. Let’s discuss how we get there while everyone fires up the Peacock machine. We got almost a 1 hour match with entrances. So let’s head on over to Season 15 of the Survivor Series.

We left off 2001 with you coming off Unforgiven where you won the WWF title in your hometown over “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

On Raw the next night you retain your title over Booker T in Columbus. At Smackdown in Dayton you team with the Rock to defeat the Dudleyz when Booker, Test & Shane all interfere and both of you end up going through a table. This isn’t exactly the crowning achievement of being the WWF Champion in your mind is it?

OK folks let’s get to Peacock and start it up at 1 hour and 31 minutes. We got promos...video packages..the whole thing really is an amazing production!

3-2-1

On Raw in Baton Rouge you main event against Shane McMahon and submit him to the ankle lock. RVD hits a five star frog splash on you from the apron to the floor.

At Smackdown in Mobile RVD gets a win over you to earn Steve Austin a title shot against you with help from Shane McMahon hitting you in the head with a chair while you have RVD in the ankle lock.

During this time you’re working with Steve on all the house shows including pinning Steve in Winnipeg with the stunner. What was that experience like?

You drop the title to Steve on Raw in Indianapolis on October 8th. Why the quick turn around?

Were you unhappy to be dropping the title here?

At SmackDown the next night it’s announced you will get your rematch with Rob Van Dam included against Steve Austin at No Mercy. Seems odd for it to be a 3-way doesn’t it?

The WWF makes its return to New York after 9/11 and you defeat William Regal with the help of Mick Foley to stave off Tazz’s interference. What was it like returning here with a lot of the NYPD & FDNY in person for the show?

At No Mercy Austin pins RVD to retain the title after you hit Van Dam with four germans and the olympic slam. This is one of those matches that probably would’ve been better if it was a singles between you & Austin or you and RVD am I right?

Does it feel like you’re losing steam at this point?

You win the US Title the next night over Rhyno. Why such the downgrade in your mind in title positions?

In Louisville, KY at Freedom Hall on Raw you end up turning heel and joining the Alliance. Did you know this was coming?

What did you think of turning heel so quickly?

Were you worried going back and forth was going to hurt you?

Were you more excited to be working as a heel at this point?

Edge defeats you for the US Title at Raw in Boston when Kane’s music distracts you.

In one of the all-time classic endings to a Smackdown from Albany the Rock & Chris Jericho take on you & Steve Austin and then it ends with a big 10 man schmozz with every member of the elimination match coming out and hitting finishers.

Here’s Meltzer’s recap of the match:

“7. Team WWF (The Rock & The Undertaker & Kane & Chris Jericho & Big Show) beat Team Alliance (Rob Van Dam & Booker T & Shane McMahon & Steve Austin & Kurt Angle) in a losing promotion has to fold elimination match in 44:56. Before the match, Vince gave his guys a pep talk and talked about the legacy of the WWF and people like Buddy Rogers, Dr. Jerry Graham (two of Vince's childhood favorites), Andre the Giant, Gorilla Monsoon (most modern of the names mentioned and it got a big pop) and Peter Maivia (mentioned because he's Rock's grandfather). Good action from start-to-finish. Story of the first fall is Alliance members were constantly ready to be pinned but Shane kept breaking up the near falls. Undertaker, as would be the theme of the evening for him since he was doing a clean job somewhat early, didn't do hardly any selling. Finish saw Show come in very aggressive after a hot tag, but was taken down and Angle gave him the Angle slam, Booker gave him the ax kick, Van Dam gave him the frog splash before Shane pinned him in 12:42 with an elbow off the top rope. Second fall was everyone kill Shane. Kane used a choke slam, Undertaker used a tombstone piledriver and Jericho pinned him after a lionsault in 14:30. There was that secret heat afterwards on Shane because not only of how lame his firing on Raw was, but because he took everyone's finish the night before including a tombstone, a move that is basically unofficially banned for regular use, was helped out but then didn't sell anything the next night. After Angle came back from stretcher jobs and didn't sell on the next TV in the ring, it's not just a boss' son problem. Third fall saw Van Dam pin Kane after basically a one legged thrust kick off the top in 18:21. Undertaker then destroyed all four remaining alliance members all by himself for several minutes. As Undertaker was bouncing everyone around, Austin gave him a stunner and Angle pinned him in 20:03. This left four alliance members (Van Dam, Austin, Angle and RVD) against just Rock and Jericho. Rock pinned Booker in 22:33 with a roll-up after T bumped into Angle. Next fall was the Jericho-Van Dam program. Van Dam got a bunch of near falls before Jericho pinned him clean with the break down, a move that usually when he doesn't it for some reason it doesn't look right. A month ago, Jericho looked buried deep once again while Van Dam was the rising superstar. Now Van Dam is buried deep and Jericho is being pushed as the next guy in the top rung, until they give him on him like they always seem to do. This left Rock & Jericho vs. Austin & Angle and with the exception of two messed up spots, one with Austin and Jericho having a total miscommunication, the other with Jericho and Angle having it and Angle killing him in response with a clothesline. Technically, it got very sloppy during this fall. Rock got the fall on Angle with the sharpshooter in 31:52. Austin was bleeding from the mouth at this point, apparently from a slap to the mouth by Jericho. A couple of near falls before Austin pinned Jericho with a sloppy cradle in 34:30. This left Rock vs. Austin for the survival. Crowd was so hot. Jericho, mad about losing, immediately hit Rock with the breakdown, but Rock kicked out. Undertaker came out and yelled at Jericho. Brawled around the table. Austin used the sharpshooter. Rock used the stunner and had the match won when ref Patrick pulled ref Earl Hebner out of the ring. Austin then used the rock bottom but Rock kicked out. Austin decked Patrick and tried to get Earl Hebner in. hebner was bumped. Austin hit Rock with a stunner but no ref. Angle showed up and hit Austin with a title belt, saving the day for WWF and Rock scored the pin with a rock bottom and eight months after WCW died and ten months after ECW died, their names within WWF were officially taken off life support and allowed to die with no dignity after a branding manslaughter. ****½”

Putting together this type of match where you have 9 eliminations has to be difficult but when you’re in the ring with all these guys...hall of famers...some of the greatest workers ever....the toughest thing to deal with is egos correct?

You can see yourself stretching a lot while on the apron. Are you dealing with stiffness and an injury here?

Is it tough to mesh everyone’s unique style into this?

If there’s someone who’s watching this right now that wants to be or is currently a wrestler what can they learn from it to add to their game?

Who determines who’s the point man on breaking up pins in this type of environment? Whoever’s closest?

Have you ever been in the ring when someone missed and didn’t kick out and the referee gets stuck and it’s kind of a what the fuck moment?

Were you worried about your character going back and forth so much from heel to babyface?

Here we go and you’re pinned but you got a run-in left.

Standing backstage in gorilla watching Rock and Austin has to be electric for you right?

Who tells you you’re turning on Austin?

Is it pitched as a pseudo babyface turn?

In my mind but really it’s hard to distinguish babyface and heel. We’re you looking for a reset in all this and get away from the WWF vs. WCW/ECW?

Did you ask what the plans were going to be for after this?

Is this one of your favorite matches? Do you think it held up 20 years later?