The Kurt Angle Show - Unforgiven 2002 (Patreon)

We’re just coming off the awesome SummerSlam event with Shawn Michaels returning to the ring, Brock becoming the youngest WWE Champion defeating the Rock, and of course you defeated Rey Mysterio in the hot opener.

WWE switched up things with the brand split following SummerSlam. They say Brock has signed an exclusive contract to be on Smackdown, and so no World Title can be defended on Raw.

Eric Bischoff then brings back the old WCW Title and crowns HHH the new World Heavyweight Champion on Raw.

The theory is they wanted a World Champion on each show so they could have a champion defending on all the house shows, whereas before that was impossible with running different Raw and Smackdown house shows simultaneously every week.

What do you think of this change Kurt? This is just 9 months after they built a PPV around crowning one Undisputed World Champion in the mini tournament with you, Jericho, Austin and Rock.

What did you think of Heyman running creative for SmackDown at the time? Were you happy with your direction?

Rock is now gone back to Hollywood following SummerSlam until early 2003, so they need a new challenger for Brock at the upcoming Unforgiven PPV.

So they do a #1 contender’s series on the first Smackdown after SummerSlam from the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT.

First you have a promo gloating about your win over Rey and that you have a match with Benoit later in the show:

So in the main event it’s supposed to be you vs Benoit - but the Undertaker is added to make it a triple threat (who has “defected” from Raw) and Taker gets the win pinning Benoit with the Last Ride - and Taker is the #1 contender to face Lesnar at Unforgiven.

You’re in the ring with two intense competitors - what were those two like to put this match together?

The following week’s Smackdown was in Connecticut again, in New Haven and we’re building more to the match with you and Benoit.

In a 6 man tag, Edge, Rikishi and Taker defeated you Kurt, Benoit and Eddie Guerrero.

We have a clip of the ending to that match:

Eddie was so great wasn’t he?

Tell us about getting those Stinkfaces from Rikishi all the time as you were regularly against him on most of the house shows at the time.

Meltzer reports about them trying out you vs Brock for the first time just after this:

“On 9/9 at a house show in Mankato, MN, the first Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle match, a bout some have talked about as being a potential Wrestlemania title match, took place.

Because Minnesota is considered Lesnar's second home state since he went to college there, he played total babyface in the Angle match. It was said to be very good, largely due to Angle. They did a lot of early mat wrestling, similar to the Angle-Benoit WM X7 match. Angle's highlight was three german suplexes in a row. Crowd chanted "F-5" several times during the match.

Finish saw two refs get knocked out, and Benoit put Angle in the crossface (earlier in the show, Angle cost Benoit his bout with Edge). Lesnar gave Benoit an F-5. Angle went for the Angle slam, but Lesnar reversed it into another F-5 for the pin.”

Did you know beforehand you were gonna be facing Brock on this show? Or did you show up to the arena and are basically told - we wanna do Kurt vs Brock tonight?

What was your first impression of being in the ring with Brock?

Smackdown on September 12 from Minneapolis was a memorable show.

The big thing was the heavily hyped Billy & Chuck Commitment Ceremony and the incredible makeup job on Eric Bischoff playing the minister. He then sends Rosey & Jamal - Three Minute Warning out to beat up Billy & Chuck and even Samoan Drop Stephanie to really fire up the Raw vs Smackdown feud.

What were your memories of all this chaos Kurt?

Also on that show you do a goofy promo before a SummerSlam rematch with Rey Mysterio:

And we have the ending of the match, which is another really good match with you two.

Later in the show, Benoit defeated Rikishi via DQ when you interfered Kurt, and you guys end up brawling and Rikishi gets the stink face on Benoit this time.

Are you excited about wrestling Chris?

On to go home Smackdown in Colorado Springs, we have this promo where you challenge Billy & Chuck, and you make a fool of yourself with your choice of words again

Great stuff Kurt. So later in the show, you and Benoit lose to Billy & Chuck. After the match you and Benoit brawl again, and put each other’s submission moves on each other.

Meltzer has a comment in the Observer that there’s no promos with you and Benoit leading up to the PPV match and so he isn’t as interested in the match coming up.

Should you and Benoit have had more back and forth promos with each other? Or do you think the build that happened was good enough?

Dave was at a house show the night before the Unforgiven PPV

“I attended the 9/21 house show in San Jose. Most people were surprised by the small turnout (4,500) since this is a city they've drawn big in for years, but business is pretty consistent up or down everywhere. I only recall one show at the Arena that drew worse and that was back in the dark ages.

Angle pinned Benoit in an excellent match (****). Angle got the biggest reaction by far of anyone coming out. It's clear part of the problem is the crowd sees very few guys as superstars, as opposed to a year ago when everyone who appeared on TV was seen as one. Angle is a superstar, but he isn't one who sells tickets for whatever reason. Benoit is cold and with two heels doing a great scientific match, crowd was very silent. Angle won with what appeared to be an old amateur head-and-arm takeover and nobody saw that as a finish.”

Did you find it hard when you & Chris have been both portrayed as heels and wrestlers to get a crowd reaction?

Can you walk us through the thought process of calling a match with Benoit? Was it - we’ll do it in the ring and feel the crowd out or was it better to have a plan in place?

Onto the PPV Kurt - Unforgiven on September 22 from the Staples Center in LA:

The show drew a sellout of 16,000 fans.

“The highlight of the show was the company's best scientific match in recent memory with Chris Benoit beating Kurt Angle. The Benoit win was likely to build up a series, which Angle needs to come out on top of, since he's the money in the feud and being groomed for Brock Lesnar. Backstage people were raving about the match, but in typical Benoit fashion, he supposedly didn't think it was that great.”

Do you remember Benoit being upset with the match? What did you think Kurt?

7. Chris Benoit pinned Kurt Angle in 13:55. Off the charts Match of the Year candidate. The first 9:00 or so were move-for-move the San Jose match. Excellent mat wrestling. Benoit ran Angle's shoulder into the post to better set up the crossface. Crowd was cold early, but unlike in San Jose, they did come alive. This was a much faster-paced version of what you hear the Brisco-Funk matches in the 70s were like. Two guys acting like they are competing and no working the crowd. They did a back suplex rendition with Benoit doing two, Angle doing two, Benoit one, then Angle three, and ending with Benoit doing one where Angle flipped all the way over and hit his face. Angle did a belly-to-belly superplex for a near fall. Ankle lock by Angle. Benoit came back reversing Angle's attempt at a tombstone into a shoulderbreaker (can't be using that tombstone in this company unless you've had a dozen years on top). Benoit did a diving head-butt for a near fall. Then a super sequence with Benoit doing the crossface. While in the move, Angle did the ankle lock, causing Benoit to have to break his hold. Benoit then reversed into another crossface. Angle reversed into another ankle lock and then went for his own crossface and Benoit made the ropes. Benoit did a quick reversal and got the pin with his feet on the ropes. ****1/2

Was this one of the better singles matches you had in the first couple of years being in WWE?

Were you a fan of doing matches like this compared to some of the comedy gaga you had been doing?

How taxing on the body is it to have a match that has a ton of suplexes?

Taking the Benoit situation with his family out of it - how good was Chris in the ring?