The Kurt Angle Show - Bound for Glory 2013 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

The process to begin your induction started at Slammiversary on June 2nd in Boston at Slammiversary:

Slammiversary 6/2/13:

“The highlight of the show was Kurt Angle being named as the second entrant into the TNA Hall of Fame, something he was not aware of until it happened, nor were many others. Angle broke down into legitimate tears.

Everyone booked on the show that wasn’t in Aces and 8s came out, even Hulk Hogan.

They were all on the ramp as Dixie Carter was in the ring. The agents and refs were there as well. Carter came out and first gave a TNA pep talk. They played an Angle video and he was in tears. Carter said that Angle gave TNA the ability to know we were going to make it if Angle was their leader. Angle said he’d had some awesome moments in Boston, but this topped them all. He thanked his wife, Giovanna, and mentioned his four kids, as well as thanking Dixie Carter, Serg (Serg Salinas, Carter’s husband), and Mr. and Mrs. Carter (Bob and Janice) for bringing him there.

He said there were a lot of guys deserving of being in the Hall of Fame, mentioning A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode and James Storm. He said TNA had the best roster in the world and they make him look good, and he’s in the Hall of Fame because of them.”

Kurt - a lot has been and can be said regarding your career but there is no doubt in any one’s mind you don’t belong in every Hall of Fame that has to do with wrestling. But this was to be your first professional wrestling Hall of Fame induction - did you really not know about it ahead of time?

What runs through your mind when you see the video?How special is it that Hulk was out there to watch this?

Can you discuss your relationship with Dixie at this time in 2013?

You would have to assume at some point when AJ, Samoa Joe & Bobby Roode aren’t under contract somewhere they would be going in right?

Any idea why you think James Storm hasn’t gone in yet?

Well on the way to the induction you had another hurdle in your life…

From the 8/12/13 Observer:

“Kurt Angle, 44, was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated after the 8/1 TV tapings, while driving from Wichita Falls, where they taped, to Tyler, TX, where he was working the next night.

After the arrest, the next day he announced that he was going to rehab.

Angle was pulled from the weekend house shows and entered a rehabilitation facility on 8/5.

Angle, on Twitter, said he would be getting help. “I’m human. It’s time for me to work on me.”

He also wrote, “I am blessed to have the support of my family, my friends and my company. In light of recent events, I will immediately be entering a rehabilitation center. I realize that this is a pivotal time in my life and I ask for your understanding as well as your prayers and continued support. I am confident that in taking these steps, I can begin to address necessary changes in my life.”

“The TNA family is very supportive of the steps Kurt Angle is taking in his recovery,” wrote Dixie Carter. “Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.”

There is no time frame on when Angle will return.

Kurt - walk us through that time in your life. What can you tell us about the issues you were going through at this time?

This was the last arrest you had encountered in your life - was this the final time you were drinking?

What was TNA saying to you at the time? Go take care of yourself and make sure you’re ok before coming back?

Did the WWE reach out to you regarding using their rehab program or did you reach out to them? What can you tell us about that experience?

Do you remember what the original plan was for your induction? Did anything change?

You’re off TV and away from TNA until Impact on October 10th.

Kurt returns in October a couple of weeks before Bound For Glory on Impact from Tulsa, OK:

Clip from Impact 10/10/13:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RseSST6qL3bZjzrkYgZCTYqXakdPJ6vu/view?usp=drivesdk

Impact 10/10:

“Next was Bobby Roode being inducted into EGO Hall of Fame, meant as a spoof on Kurt Angle going into the TNA Hall of Fame. Daniels & Kazarian came out in these awesome outfits with walking sticks. They talked about how the Baseball Hall of Fame is fraudulent because they hadn’t inducted Jose Canseco, and the Impact Hall of Fame hadn’t inducted the best tag team in the business. They called out Roode and had him sit in this giant king chair. They showed clips of all the guys who were praising someone else with these obviously poorly done sound edits to make it sound like they were praising Roode. Roode

came out with these fake tears (since Angle cried when Dixie Carter surprised him by

announcing him) and Daniels told Roode that he was a real Hall of Famer, not like Sting.

Roode thanked them. People were booing this. Roode said he deserved the Hall of Fame more than Angle, because he was the longest reigning champion in history, and carried the company on his back. Angle came back for the first time since he went into rehab. Angle gave Daniels a belly-to-belly suplex, gave Kazarian a German suplex and then put the ankle lock on Roode. Roode escaped but lost his shoe in the process and ran off. Angle wanted a match at Bound for Glory. Roode then said in the next segment that he’s the one who makes the challenges, and he wanted Angle at Bound for Glory.”

What was it like to be back at TNA? Were you happy this is how you were reintroduced? Were you excited to work with Roode again? Did you appreciate the story here with Roode claiming to be worth an induction?

How special is it to you to be the second man inducted into the Hall of Fame…and also getting to face one of the top wrestlers in TNA as well?

Were you ready to be back to work?

Impact 10/17:

“Angle said he thinks Roode is one of the most talented wrestlers he’s ever seen, and how he reminds him of himself five years ago. That can be taken two different ways. Roode said that Angle is wrong and he doesn’t want to be anything like Angle now. He said, two years ago maybe, five years ago yes, ten years ago absolutely. In other words, he confirmed what Angle said while trying to deny it.

Roode said that Angle used to be the be-all and end-all of pro wrestling, but today, Angle ruined his Hall of Fame ceremony. Roode said that Angle knows he’s more Hall of Fame worthy than Angle is. He asked Angle what has he done lately. He said Angle hasn’t done a thing the last few years. Then he said how two years ago, Angle beat him at Bound for Glory, but that it was good because it woke him up and he saw the light, and he became the “It Factor” of professional wrestling and then went on to win the world title.

He said that this time he’s not going to tap. He sucker punched Angle but Angle came back and had Roode in the ankle lock when Daniels and Kazarian came out and were putting the boots to Angle. They threw Angle’s shoulder into the post and Roode put Angle in the crossface and Angle started tapping.”

Were you just not ready to work a match at this point? Did you need your cardio built up or your confidence? Or was it that they finally knew it was important to hold off on your return match until the pay-per-view to sell some buys!

Meltzer was not exactly excited about this idea for you and I want to read to you his thoughts before getting yours:

“I’m still not sold on the idea that a top face should be tapping in an angle. It’s not MMA, it’s about creating faces who are larger than life that people feel they can invest in and won’t let them down. Real fighters tap in submissions but fantasy babyfaces would rather in most cases take an injury than give the heel the satisfaction of quitting. I’m not saying never tap, but only judiciously, in the sense when it has impact. It’s a better story that Angle is going into BFG hurt because he had so much guts that he refused to tap, then people seeing the face tap quickly before the PPV. Put it this way, how many times did Hogan say “I quit” and beg to stop when heels were beating him down in an angle, or Crusher or Austin or Dusty Rhodes or anyone who actually was an ultra- successful headliner?”

What say you, Kurt? What do you think of that?

You did a couple of interviews promoting the show and your induction:

“Kurt Angle said he was still working with the people in rehab, doing a weekly chat every

Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Angle’s rehab was paid for by WWE, since the company offers rehab for anyone who has ever been under a contract with the group, as long as it’s for drugs or alcohol. Angle noted that he didn’t find out until just before the angle was shot that he was going to wrestle at Bound for Glory. As noted last week, the original card had Samoa Joe vs. Bobby Roode, which is why the X Division angle was shot the way it was. Angle was supposed to work after the show with Roode coming from an angle that would take place over the Bound for Glory weekend. On the Busted Open radio show, he said, “The WWE program has been amazing. They have done a lot for me and they continue to. I work with them still. They’re amazing at what they do. They have had so many guys go through recovery and are still in recovery.”

Why do you think TNA wanted you to wrestle? Do you think they needed a boost on the card?

“On what he’s learned, he said, “Realizing my whole life has been revolved around me and high expectations of myself and never really enjoying what I have done and what I have accomplished, whether it be in the Olympics or in pro wrestling. I have never really been satisfied. It led to a lot of depression and turmoil. It’s about going easy on yourself and patting yourself on the back every once in a while, which I’ve never done. With anything, it’s putting things in perspective a little bit. What I do is a job. My marriage and my kids are more important than that. I don’t think I ever looked at it that way until now.” Regarding the state of the company: “There was a lot of uncertainty. Thank God the company is still going. They’re still kicking it in high gear, but looking at the changes from the outside, it looked a little scary. But once I got to TV last week everybody is still giving their highest performance and doing the best that they can.”

This wasn’t exactly a great time in TNA. Did you think TNA still had a chance to be #1?

Did this help you settle in your focus on your family?

“Kurt pushed that the company should re-sign Hogan. “A lot of people would say no, but look what this guy has done for wrestling. Anytime he goes out he gets the loudest cheer. It doesn’t matter if he is wrestling or not. Hogan is a talent you want in your company and I have a lot of respect for him. I didn’t have a lot of respect for him when he first started, but I really didn’t know him because I didn’t watch wrestling when I first started. But getting to know him and seeing what he has done for the business, I would say, heck yeah, you want to sign that guy.”

Were you surprised Hulk left TNA?

The night before Bound for Glory is the induction ceremony held and here’s what Meltzer had to say:

“They did a Hall of Fame dinner for him the night before Bound for Glory, where Sting, Magnus and Samoa Joe all spoke and praised him. Angle himself talked for only five minutes. It was in a hotel ballroom and it was nothing memorable.”

What do you remember of this? Were you uncomfortable knowing what you were about to do the next day at the show? Was this just sort of lackluster to you having it done in a Hotel ballroom?

The next day was Bound for Glory and it really is amazing to look back and see what was about to happen to TNA. This pay-per-view is the last pay-per-view TNA would run until March of next year. Were you made aware of TNA’s plans on cutting PPVs?

They were also cutting way back on house shows as well. Did this affect your pay at all or you were paid a guarantee?

This would also be Sting’s final appearance on pay-per-view with TNA. It is crazy to see how quickly TNA stripped its roster of people is it not?

From the Observer: “The show opened with clips from the Hall of Fame dinner the night before, which got complaints from those who attended because of Angle’s short speech and the feeling it meant nothing when Angle turned down the induction the next night. Samoa Joe said that Kurt Angle was the physical embodiment of tenacity, of being the best every night, and said wrestling Angle is both the physically most arduous and painful thing you can do in wrestling, but also the most rewarding thing you can do in wrestling. Magnus said Angle was his personal wrestling hero and a hero of his entire generation of people who grew up watching wrestling. Sting called Angle the most incredible and all-around most talented wrestler of the era and one of wrestling’s greatest all-around entertainers. Kurt seemed really happy at all this.”

It’s so odd to see this…considering on the pay-per-view…well you do this…

“Sting inducted Angle into the Hall of Fame. TNA tried to get a major pro wrestling name from outside the company to do so but came up dry. Sting talked about Angle winning the gold medal and said not one veteran from any era doesn’t respect Angle. There was a loud “Angle” chant. He said he was truly blessed by a lifetime worth of amazing memories and said this means more to him than anyone will never know. He seemed really happy. Sting presented him with the watch and led the crowd in chanting “Angle.” Fans chanted “You deserve it.” Angle then said this made him realize how important the Hall of Fame was, but he’s let himself, his family and his peers down by not living up to his potential and the standard that Sting set for a Hall of Famer, so he decided to decline the honor. Then he said everything he’s accomplished in his past is going to be nothing compared to what he will accomplish in his future. He said when he is worthy, he will join Sting in the Hall of

Fame. Fans were chanting “That was awkward.”

Kurt - what the hell happened here? What was the point of all this if you were going to turn it down? Who’s idea was this? Did you agree with it?

It makes sense to see why fans who paid to see your induction the night before that you declined it on pay-per-view…it’s gotta feel like a slap in the face to a paying customer right?

The show only drew 3,000 people…was this a sort of reality check on the state of TNA at the time?

Now onto the match…

“7. Bobby Roode pinned Kurt Angle in 20:57. Kind of strange in spots, but a very well wrestled match. Angle is all jacked up. The story of the early part of the match was Roode working like the face and Angle the heel, with Roode getting the better of the wrestling exchanges and Angle bailing out of the ring. At some point Angle was back to working as the face. Crowd was pretty hot with dueling chants after Angle made a comeback with two German suplexes, a belly-to-belly, and another German suplex for a near fall.

He went for the Olympic slam but Roode turned it into an armdrag and then hit Angle with a spinebuster. Angle kept getting the ankle lock on and Roode kept kicking out of it. Angle was bleeding from the mouth. Roode kept going for crossface and Angle would escape. Angle missed a moonsault. They kept reversing in and out of crossface and ankle locks. Angle got the ankle lock again, and this time had the leg grapevined. Roode wouldn’t tap, but he passed out from the pain. So Roode is unconscious and Brian Hebner just stood there while the guy was out. Then he picked up Roode’s hand to see if he was out. When Hebner let go of the hand, it fell limp on the rope. So Hebner ordered Angle to break the hold as a rope break. Angle was mad.

Angle then delivered an Olympic slam off the top rope and both men were knocked out. Both were down. Roode got up at eight but Angle didn’t beat the ten count. So he’s down for ten but the ref stopped counting when Roode got up. Think about that logic. Roode then pinned him. After the match, they sold it like Angle was badly hurt. They brought in a stretcher. Angle first refused the neck brace. He then got up and refused to go out on a stretcher and slowly walked to the back. ***¾

The idea seems to be for Angle to have to build himself back up from the bottom in a storyline that will lead to an accomplishment that results in his accepting his induction.

Kurt - what did you think of this match? Why was it put together the way it was? Did you enjoy working it? What’s up with the finish? Made it seem like it was all out of whack…

Well just a few months later…the induction is to happen…this time on the company’s trip to the UK…and there’s a press release for it…

“Olympic Gold Medalist and IMPACT WRESTLING Superstar Kurt announced the news earlier today during an appearance on the popular Sunday Brunch TV show, shown on Channel 4.

Angle will be inducted to the prestigious TNA Hall of Fame this Saturday, February 1, during the London leg of the Tour at Wembley Arena.

Angle said: "There are some things I wanted to accomplish before accepting induction into the TNA Hall of Fame, and now I'm ready. I'm thankful I have been able to do this in my own time. The phenomenal wrestling fans in London will be part of this memorable and emotional night this Saturday."

The star recently listed London as one of the top 10 wrestling cities in the world and added: "Wembley is such a storied venue, and with thousands of fans it will be a perfect setting for the induction ceremony. A majority of my life has been dedicated to achieving success as a wrestler. Being inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame is an accomplishment and an honor I will forever cherish."

Angle becomes the second inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame, following the inaugural induction in 2012 of "The Icon" Sting.”

Why was it moved to England do you think? Does that lessen it at all?

Angle was inducted (again) on 1/30 in London, and aired 2/27 on Impact:

Impact 2/27/14:

“Next was the Angle Hall of Fame ceremony. Angle came out. He didn't get a plaque or a ring, but he did get a watch. Angle thanked his family and thanked the fans, saying that without the fans, TNA wouldn't exist. Angle said he was supposed to get this in October, but he wasn't in a good place in his life both professionally or personally. He said he had to change and now he's ready. He talked about how he had gotten himself clean, and had great matches with Roode, and thanked his wife and kids.”

Ethan Carter the 3rd then interrupted….

Do you still have the watch?

Were you surprised they had Ethan Carter the 3rd interrupt you?

Is this a career highlight for you?

Before we go Kurt I want to discuss your thoughts and feelings on your fellow inductees:

1. Sting
2. Team 3D
3. Jeff Jarrett (Kurt - up to you to keep this in here or not - can also delete all of this so we don’t discuss this)
4. Earl Hebner
5. Gail Kim
6. Abyss
7. Ken Shamrock
8. Awesome Kong
9. Raven - to be inducted this year