The Kurt Angle Show - Royal Rumble 2006 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

This story really starts at New Year’s Revolution where you’re in an Elimination Chamber main event for the WWE Title. It’s in Albany, NY and it’s you against John Cena as champion, along with Shawn Michaels, Carlito, Chris Masters and Kane. I want to ask you before anything else … is it nerve wracking standing in those pods waiting to get in there?

ENTRANCE POP

The crowd erupts loudly for you when you come in and it’s german suplexes for everyone. But…you’re the first one eliminated when HBK hits you with the superkick for the pin.

This is odd to me Kurt and the timing of it is not lost on me because… these are the days when WWE was running split crews as they do now. You’re on Raw so while this pay-per-view is going on the Smackdown crew is also running in New York in Verona and it’s main evented by Batista vs. Mark Henry. I bring this up because Batista tears his tricep at this show. So do you or the WWE know at this time that Batista got hurt and you’re eliminated early because the plan is to move you to Smackdown?

Were you always supposed to be the first one eliminated?

Kurt’s elimination

Edge ends up coming out after the Elimination Chamber and cashes in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat John Cena to become the new WWE Champion. It’s reported in the Observer that it wasn’t decided upon to do that until late in the week. Did you know ahead of time that was the plan?

So when are you told about Batista being hurt and tearing his tendon?

The next night on Raw you team with Shawn Michaels … yup that’s real … and lose to Chris Masters & Carlito. You pass out in Masters’ Master Lock after HBK hits you with the sweet chin music. It’s announced that next week on Raw you’ll be taking Shawn on one-on-one. This is important later.

From Hershey you go to Philly to switch over to the Smackdown brand and become the World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. First let’s discuss the move to Smackdown.

Are you excited to move to Smackdown from Raw or do you think it’s a step down?

Who talks to you about the move? Is it Vince or someone else?

Are you told when you’re moved that you’ll be the World Heavyweight Champion or is that told to you that day at the Arena?

Was your original plan for WrestleMania to work Shawn Michaels and Batista’s injury changed that?

We covered WrestleMania 22 back in the archives so be sure to check that out by the way!

So you arrive in Philadelphia for SmackDown and also with you is Daivari who is your manager at the time. Was he excited about the move?

Batista is at the show to vacate the title. Did you get a chance to talk to Dave about the injury and his mindset?

Was he disappointed knowing he would be out for close to 6 months?

Obviously going into this show everything you had planned for Rumble changes. What was your original plan? To be in the Rumble?

Now to the match you make a surprise entrance and get a big pop to enter.

Battle Royal on Smackdown for World Heavyweight Championship (January 13, 2006)

Now in the match you eliminate JBL in 9 seconds, Vito in 13 seconds, Orlando Jordan, William Regal, Paul Birchill, and then Mark Henry to win the World Title.

Before we go any further I want to ask - William Regal was recently released by WWE after a 22 year run. What did you think of that and were you surprised?

Now Mark Henry was the man in the ring with Batista when Batista got hurt so obviously he’s going to be positioned as the top contender for you. But really you’re a heel … and so is Mark … did this make you de facto babyface?

Henry attacks you after the match and puts you through a table. Is it determined at this point you’re working Mark at the Rumble?

From the Observer: “Angle’s low back along with his neck are in real bad shape these days. His mentality won’t allow him to take it easy, and now that he’s got the belt, he’s going to be out there every night trying to deliver championship matches with the likes of Henry, which isn’t likely to help.”

Is that your mentality?

Was working with Henry rough on the body?

Now you’re scheduled to take on Shawn at Raw. Your title is not on the line but Vince McMahon throws in the stipulation that if Shawn loses he’ll be fired from Raw. Before the match you cut a promo that your contract had actually expired on January 1st and when you heard about Batista’s injury you made the decision to go. This is just them trying to fix the storyline gap right?

Raw 1/16 - Michaels vs. Angle

You lose when Daivari costs you the match. Were you surprised they had you lose right after winning the title?

Smackdown 1/20

You defeat Daivari on SmackDown in your first official match there by DQ when Melina jumped on your back. Daivari announces that he’s going to be with Mark Henry now after Henry attacks you while you have Melina in an ankle lock. You’re an official babyface now Kurt. Were you happy to be back on that side?

The Observer has some interesting news afterwards:

“Just after winning the world title, the health of Kurt Angle is once again in question as what is believed to be significant neck damage has led to Angle’s hand going numb. Angle has continued to wrestle, although he was heavily protected, doing short tag team matches on his second and third night in Mexico this week when word got out about the damage. Angle went into the 1/19 WWE debut in Mexico City in great pain according to a few sources. The decision was made to put him in short matches in Guadalajara and Monterrey where partners Rey Mysterio and Chris Benoit carried the load. The expectation over the weekend was that Angle would be going for another MRI this week to try and determine the problem, but with Angle’s history of neck problems, the concern, in at least some parts of the company, was high. Many have questioned how, with his back and neck injuries and pain not a secret, that there wasn’t more concern addressed to Angle’s health in recent weeks, if not longer. But when Angle got back from Mexico, he claimed he was okay, and may not even be getting checked out.”

Break it down for us Kurt. When does your hand go numb? What are you doing when it happened? Who do you tell?

Was Mexico changed around over worry about you but you brushed it off when you got back to the states?

Does Vince come talk to you regarding it or does someone in the medical office do so?

On the go-home Smackdown you take on MNM - Joey Mercury & Johnny Nitro - in a handicap match because of Melina attacking you the week before. You get the win which is impressive considering they were the Smackdown tag team champions at the time. What did you think of working with both of these guys?

After the match Henry attacks but ends in the ankle lock and powers out of it which is something not done often. Is this just trying to get Henry over as a monster?

Now at the Rumble at American Airlines Arena in Miami it’s you vs. Henry in the main event. You go on after John Cena vs. Edge and the Royal Rumble match itself.

Rey Mysterio ends up winning the Royal Rumble. Did you think at that point Rey was going to work you at Mania or did you still think it was going to be you vs. Orton?

There’s a lot of talk about the “exploting” of Eddie Guerrero’s death with Rey’s win. Did you feel it was done that way?

From the Observer: “The decision was made to put the Rumble in the middle of the show. They ended with Angle vs. Mark Henry, because of the gimmick where Undertaker’s magic caused the ring to collapse, which obviously has to be the end of the show. It was clearly a mistake. People were leaving in droves during the match, which was terrible and had no heat, and whatever magic pop they got for the special effects hardly made up for ending on such a flat note.”

So a lot to unpack there. Was it because of what Undertaker does after your match that determined you guys being the main event?

Were you put in a position of failure going on last against Henry?

What didn’t work about you & Mark?

Royal Rumble Match - Kurt Angle vs. Mark Henry

Let’s get to the Observer recap:

“Kurt Angle beat Mark Henry to keep the World title in 9:29. Crowd was dead and leaving for this one. Henry did some strength spots. Angle used a German suplex and an Angle slam for a near fall. Angle whacked Daivari with a chair, and then went into the ring to hit Henry. Henry blocked it with his super strength. Angle then hit Henry with a low blow, whacked him with two hard chair shots to the head, but Henry kicked out. Angle undid a turnbuckle padding. As Henry charged, Angle used a drop toehold and Henry’s head hit the exposed metal. Angle used a schoolboy of sorts for the pin. I think this was the worst match of Angle’s career. Post-match saw Undertaker come out for a title challenge for No Way Out. His magical powers saw lightning come into the ring, and then the ring collapsed. And that was it for the show. ¾*

So Dave is super negative about the match. What say you? Do you think this was the worst match of your career at this point?

Were there issues in putting this together? Is Mark tough to work with?

Can you tell me any of the magic that goes with Undertaker’s stuff after