The Kurt Angle Show - King of the Ring 2002 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Last month we talked about you losing your hair at Judgment Day and it’s an odd shift to go from losing to Edge and being shaved bald to working with the biggest star in professional wrestling history at the next show. When you’re told you’re working Hulk at the next pay-per-view…are you nervous

Your first appearance after being shaved bald was at Smackdown in Tupelo, Mississippi and they milked it up for a little while before we were going to see you bald.

First in a segment with Christian backstage and then when you come out to the ring, you've got a horrible wig and wearing wrestling headgear, before getting interrupted by fellow baldie Maven.

We’ve got some clips from this so let’s take a look

Hilarious stuff Kurt, and this led to later in the night, Edge & Maven defeating you and Christian when Maven pinned Christian with a roll up.

Tell us about working with Maven, he of course won Tough Enough the year before this.

The following Smackdown was in Calgary and we’re gonna have a big blow off to you vs. Edge with a steel cage match in the main event!

Earlier in the night, you had done a sneak attack on Hogan backstage, so let’s keep that in mind as we watch some of the ending to the match now.

You got screwed big time Kurt! There had been a ref bump earlier in the match so that caused Hogan to get some revenge on you for the sneak attack earlier.

We only saw the ending but it’s such a great match Kurt, we recommend you check out the full thing on Peacock, Meltzer even gave it ****¼ in the Observer.

We should point out when Edge did that flying spear off the top rope for the finish, he tore his labrum - which if you don’t know is the muscle that reinforces the rotator cuff, and had to take about a month off because of it.

Edge’s injury came really at the worst time for him did it not?

The next Smackdown is in Oklahoma City. The show opened with a battle royal, where the winner would be deemed the number 1 contender to face the Undertaker for the WWE Title at the King of the Ring. Hogan and HHH were the final two and both went out at the same time, so they had a match later, won by HHH for the #1 contendership.

You were in this battle royal Kurt but were eliminated by Hardcore Holly towards the end of the match!

I’m sure Hardcore hadn’t forgot about you breaking his arm with that moonsault a couple of years earlier, so this led to a match between you two later in the show.

Meltzer would say “Angle beat Bob Holly in 6:59 in a great television match. The commentators really tried to push Holly as a big thing. They were pushing so hard it almost seemed they were trying to get him into Edge's spot as the next guy moving up, and Angle did everything in the world for him. At least he fit the part in this match. Angle won with a roll-up holding the ropes. Holly laid Angle out once after the match with an Alabama slam, but went for the wig and Angle gave him a low blow. Angle then grabbed the ring bell but Holly got it away from him and laid Angle out again.”

Do you think they were trying to go with a push for Holly with Edge being out? Did he demand no moonsaults ever again?

Let’s move away from storyline stuff for a minute Kurt. Raw on June 10 was in Atlanta, and this is where Steve Austin didn’t show up and walked out on the company, apparently upset at the creative that they wanted him to lose to Brock Lesnar on the show. Something Austin didn’t agree with, and should be saved for a major PPV down the road.

You were wrestling HHH that night in Florence, SC - what do you remember about Steve walking out on the company here, and the reasons that were reported why he did?

Back to the road to you and Hogan at King of the Ring. Smackdown on June 13 was in Greenville, South Carolina. This is where Hogan challenges you for King of the Ring and you and Undertaker are supposed to face Hogan & HHH in the main event, but it becomes a handicap match when you and Taker attack Hogan backstage before the match.

HHH would get DQ’d in the match and then, well he and Hogan humiliated you big time.

Let’s play this clip here, first you accept Hogan’s King of the Ring challenge, and then let’s see the humiliation.

On the June 15th episode of the new Saturday night show, Velocity, you defeated Hardcore Holly in a rematch, this was actually taped in Greenville before the Smackdown we just talked about.

Do you think they were just putting you on the B show to help establish this new show a little bit?

On June 16 at a house show in Anaheim you wrestled Hogan in a bit of a warm up for King of the Ring.

Meltzer:

“The first Hogan-Angle match to get them ready for the PPV saw Hogan go over via DQ in 11:30 with a chair shot. Hogan only took one bump, from a suplex, but the crowd was hot for the match. After the match, Hogan pulled the wig off, put it on himself and dropped the leg on him. Told this match would not be good on PPV because it was a lot of stalling and they did little wrestling until the final minutes.”

Obviously it’s a house show and not a pay-per-view match but were you guys taking it easy in the feeling out process?

The final Smackdown before King of the Ring was in Sacramento.

First you and Hogan have a bit of a skirmish to open the show.

Then later after HHH defeated Billy Gunn, you came out to attack HHH, then Taker came out, but you accidentally hit Taker with a chair.

Undertaker is pissed and demands a match with you later in a great skit backstage involving Vince too.

Let’s take a look at that skit and the ending to that match

So you pinned WWE Champion the Undertaker there, and I’m sure that’s to set up what’ll be coming up next month for Vengeance which we’ll be discussing. Do you think this type of booking makes it obvious you’re going to be defeating Hulk and moving on to a World Title match for the next month?

TNA was just starting up around this time and had their first PPV on June 19. Did you have any thoughts about TNA as they were just starting up in their weekly Wednesday night PPV format?

Meltzer:

“Not sure exactly what is next for Angle, but KOR will be very interesting. The only finish I can imagine is Vince costing Hogan the match and Angle going over with a pin. Question is will Hogan get Angle over or at least try to, or will be Kidman him. While there are different ideas around it, it seems much of the talk regarding future main plans revolve around Angle getting the ball to be the top guy. Some talk of making him a babyface, but again, it'll fizzle like last year unless he has a strong non-comedic and successful heel run first so the fans respect him more. Also talk of putting the belt on him, and having him face both faces and heels like an old-time champion. Of all the guys in the company, he does have the most ingredients of an old-time champion, but this time, unlike his previous title runs, he'd be portrayed as the real top guy. In addition, my feeling is they need to keep Angle happy more than ever before because he's got a major decision in a few months regarding the Olympics. This PPV is actually Hogan's biggest test more than Angle's. Angle may not be able to get a good match out of Hogan, or he may, but he's already established he can get one out of everyone else. With Hogan, the question is, can he at least deliver a decent match, but more, he's in the position now where he has to legitimately make a nearly top guy into a top guy. His match, more portrayal in the match and doing a clean finish, at this point is going to either start him on the road, or detour him. This match is both Hogan's test of having to be a team player for once, and second, WWE's recognition that the easy Angle slipping over after getting killed the whole match when Vince interferes may have been the right call when the match was booked, but it's the wrong call today. I'm sure management's feeling that they probably didn't want him to leave for the Olympics, is only tons stronger now because his loss will be more significant now with the talent depth on top so thin.”

This is a big spot in a big role. You’ve been champion a couple times…top heel and top babyface…but this Hogan spot is unlike any other…how much pressure are you putting on yourself?

How were you & Hulk backstage? Easy to get along with at this point? Or was Hulk worried about you shooting on him or hurting you El Stiffo?

We’re here at the King of the Ring now. It’s June 23rd in Columbus, OH:

Meltzer:

“In a sense, the biggest story that should have been played up is the finish of the Kurt Angle-Hulk Hogan match, with Angle winning via tap out with the ankle lock. There really only was one finish that should have been done, and this was it. Hogan in no way Kidman'd Angle, and put him over as strong as he was going to do. This was probably the first time Hogan as a babyface had ever lost a match via submission, and certainly the first since he first became a star in the WWF in 1979. I can recall only a few previous submission losses, all as heels. There was one to Antonio Inoki in his early New Japan days, one to Lex Luger in Detroit to set up a re-winning of the title a few days later, and he may have for Sting at some point. A lot depends upon how this result is played up on Smackdown if it'll be a big deal to springboard Angle to the next level, or be something that ultimately means nothing.”

“6. Kurt Angle beat Hulk Hogan via submission with the ankle lock in 12:08. Match had the second best heat of the show, behind only Jericho and Van Dam. They continued to bury their own product when Lawler was talking about Hogan and called him a great entertainer. That's great off the air, but during the show, nobody wants to hear a legend of the industry called an entertainer. Hogan took a few back suplexes and kicked out of the Angle slam. He hulked up and pulled Angle's wig off and put it on. When he went for the legdrop, Angle turned it into the ankle lock. Hogan tried to reverse but Angle kept holding on. Hogan made the ropes, but Angle pulled him back to the center and put the move on until Hogan finally tapped. Angle then put his wig back on, which was so silly at that point in time because it detracted from making any impact with the finish. Give Hogan credit, as this was no double-cross job. **”

What did you think of the match Kurt? Was there any issues at all with Hogan doing his first clean submission loss as a babyface?

Did Hulk have any issues, objections, anything at all putting the match together?

Was Vince heavily involved? Or maybe Pat Patterson?

How big a deal is this to you getting the win over Hulk?

Give us some fun Hulk stories Kurt!