The Kurt Angle Show - Survivor Series 2002 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

In our last show looking at your time in WWE 20 years ago Kurt, we covered you and Chris Benoit becoming the first Smackdown Tag Team Champions at No Mercy 2002.

We’re now on the road to Survivor Series 2002 at MSG, where it’s gonna be a 3-team triple threat for the tag titles. Yourself & Benoit vs Edge & Mysterio vs Eddie & Chavo Guerrero.

The first Smackdown after No Mercy took place in Memphis.

Stephanie is gonna present a trophy to you and Benoit for becoming the first tag champs, and well let’s not spoil it, let’s watch and listen to what happened:

Clip from Smackdown 10/24/02:

So as we saw Stephanie took a bump, part of the trophy broke, you and Benoit both get the dreaded Stephanie slap, and would be facing each other later in the show:

From the Observer:

Benoit pinned Angle in a great match, although not as good as their match at Unforgiven, going 12:00.

The Guerreros interfered, helping Benoit, but Benoit didn’t see it, and pinned Angle to win the broken trophy. Angle laid Benoit out with an Angle slam after the match and Kurt smashed up the trophy completely.

How different is it putting a TV match together compared to a pay-per-view match?

Immediately after that Smackdown taping in Memphis, the Smackdown crew goes straight to Europe for a 4-day tour.

Night 1 is in Helsinki, Finland with you and Benoit defeating the Guerreros.

Night 2 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, this time you and Benoit defeated Edge & Mysterio.

Night 3 was the UK-only Rebellion PPV from Manchester, against Eddie & Chavo again.

Meltzer had this to say about that show:

The show was threatening to be something awful until Angle & Benoit beat Guerreros in 20:15. Benoit & Angle worked the match as babyfaces, but Angle was the star of the match. It was to the point that when Benoit was in the ring, the crowd was chanting “We Want Angle.” Angle was described as the only wrestler on the show who came across like an Austin-level star.

Eddy appeared to get his bell rung early in the match. He laid outside the ring for a few minutes, but seemed to have recovered by the end of the match. Benoit and Angle teased the break-up, and there ended up being a ref bump. Chavo hit Angle with one of the belts, but there was no ref to count the pin. When the ref recovered, Angle pinned Eddy with the Angle slam. ***¾

Kurt - what do you remember of this and were you surprised you were able to get that reaction in England?

These European tours have been known to have been - let’s just say rowdy - what was so different about the European tours compared to American house show loops?

And on the final show in Sheffield the next day, you and Benoit defeated Edge & Mysterio one more time.

You guys don’t even get a break and fly from the UK straight to TV in Grand Rapids for the Halloween edition of Smackdown.

They have a special Halloween party going on in the back, while the matches are going on.

You cost Benoit his match vs Edge, and Benoit costs you your match vs. Eddie.

Clips from Smackdown 10/31 plus the Halloween party:

Looking good in the Scream mask there Kurt!

But wow, I don’t think you guys were supposed to take the light out there at the end, that could have been nasty!

Let’s just recap all that.

From Meltzer::

Edge pinned Benoit in 13:00 in the best match on the show. Benoit had the crossface on Edge when Angle came down. They started arguing and Edge dropkicked Benoit into Angle. Edge went for a plancha on Benoit, but he moved, and Edge wiped out Angle. Edge won with the spear. Cena was dressed as Vanilla Ice at the party. Apparently this was really good. Benoit was looking for Angle but couldn’t find him as Angle was hiding under a “Scream” mask.

Later, Eddie Guerrero pinned Angle in 15:00 when Benoit hit Angle with one of the tag belts. Started slow and lack of heat was disappointing but I was told it was a great match.

There were some chants for Angle, but crowd really wasn’t behind him. Benoit attacked both Eddy & Chavo after the match. Back at the party, this time Angle wanted to find Benoit. He sees a guy with a “Scream” mask, thinking it’s Benoit, but pulls off the mask to reveal Brother Love. Benoit then jumped Angle. Angle gave Benoit the angle slam but Benoit’s head hit a low overhead light, and broke it. It looked scary with glass falling on their faces.

Really this was the saving show for John Cena and his career is that correct?

What did you think of all this and the Halloween party gimmick?

There’s reports in the Observer of you getting time off the house shows around this time:

Meltzer:

Angle has been having some lower back problems. He was off the Jackson, TN house show to get treatment for his back and he’s being taken off some house shows over the next few weeks to give him some time to heal.

Angle is going to slightly ease up on his schedule next year since his first child is due in a

little over a month.

You had so much going on - and you had been running hard for a long time. Was this the first time you had lower back problems?

“According to a WWE web site article, he’s agreed to devote 100% efforts to the company on his four days a week on the road, but will be home for three days every week. Angle has been on the road a lot more than the usual four days because he’s so popular when it comes to public appearances and does so much promotional work for the company. He’s said he’ll make his decision in December about the Olympics, but I think the decision has already been made negatively. The company’s bookings plans are strongly in the direction of Angle as a main player for next year. Also, his saying that he’ll be home three days a week seems to suggest not doing the Olympics, because training for that would be a full-time job in Colorado Springs.”

Had you made a decision for the Olympics at this point or was it still up in the air?

How much promotional work were you doing for the company? How were you booked for those things? Through the office?

Did you have the mentality of being on the road as much as possible to make as much money as possible?

Smackdown 11/7 from Manchester, NH and the tag title run ends already!

It’s a 2 out of 3 falls match with you and Benoit vs. Edge & Mysterio.

Clip of the final fall of the 2/3 falls match from Smackdown 11/7:

Mysterio & Edge beat Angle & Benoit to win the tag titles in a match that went nearly 25:00. Faces took fall one when Edge pinned Angle. Second fall saw Angle used the ankle lock on Edge. Third fall they did a tease where Mysterio pinned Angle, but Angle made the ropes before the three. They ended up re-starting the match, since theoretically fans would figure that since they already got the “fake” win, that the belts weren’t changing. But they did a Benoit & Angle screw up leading to the finish with the belts changing hands.

Were you surprised to see the titles change hands and have them taken off of you?

Was this a last minute type of change or creative shift? Seems like out of nowhere for this happen.

The week after, and the go-home Smackdown was in Columbus.

First we have a funny clip here of you and Benoit backstage blaming each other for the loss.

Then we have you vs Benoit later in the show:

Angle no contest Benoit when Guerreros and Edge & Mysterio all came out. Very good match, but a lot of matwork that the live crowd didn’t get into. Angle and Benoit made up after the post- match and shook hands.

You have the Kurt Angle Classic coming up. How did this all come to be?

Why did you want to put this together?

Report in the Observer about the Kurt Angle Classic:

The Japanese papers covered IWGP champ Yuji Nagata and Lesnar both being in New Orleans with Kurt Angle, Brad Rheingans (former pro wrestler and later a trainer for some of the New Japan guys) and Rulon Gardner at the Kurt Angle Classic on 11/8.

Quite a collection of wrestlers as Nagata was a multiple-time college champion, as was Angle, Lesnar took one college title and Rheingans took the Division II title.

Angle was interviewed at the Kurt Angle Classic about his pro wrestling career and his thoughts on

returning. He said that when they did the Smackdown show in Colorado Springs and he

went to the Olympic training center and wrestled with the current top wrestling stars, he realized he was in no shape to compete against that level of competition after six years off. He said it’s amazing how much farther the top level technique in wrestling has progressed since 1996. He said he remembered how much it progressed from 1988, when he started wrestling first at the national level, to 1996 when he retired after the gold medal. He said he almost felt like a fossil training with the current guys, but he was able to get some offense on them using old-school techniques just because they weren’t used to defending them. When asked about a comeback, he said he’ll ultimately decide in January but if he had to make the decision now, it would be no. He said he’s got a back problem and his knee is banged up pretty bad.

Tell us about your trip to the Olympic training center?

“He said if everything heals up 100% by January, he wants to try, but the way he feels now, he probably won’t do it. He said he thinks wrestling because of how physical it is, it would be a lot harder to make a comeback than in most sports. He said he’d have to compete with people who are younger, stronger, and have perfected new techniques that he’s never seen before. He said the injury risk if he were to return would also be high. He said if he were to return in January, he wouldn’t compete until May, and just wants to finish in the top eight. He said if people think he’ll come back and win every tournament, they’re being unrealistic.

He wants to make top three by his second tournament. He said if he comes back and by 2004, only places sixth at nationals, he’ll be happy, because he tried.”

“He said he’s learned in wrestling that it’s not important what moves you do, but how long you can survive and have consistency and longevity. He said when he finally wrestles Lesnar, and he hinted about it being at a Wrestlemania, that it would be a dream match like Rock vs. Austin and Hogan vs. Andre, but that his match would be a much better match than those two.”

Were you told at this point that it was going to be you vs. Brock at WrestleMania?

Kurt in Ohio Valley Wrestling:

From the Observer:

“Saw the 11/16 TV show (11/13 taping) and it’s amazing how much better OVW is than Raw. Leviathan came across as a superstar on the show and Kurt Angle came across as big as he does on Smackdown. I was really impressed with Angle on a different dimension because he’s a big name with a lot of injuries working before about 400 people in a little garage and he did a **** match with Damaja. The bout was way better than his TV match with Eddy on Smackdown. Angle won clean with an Angle slam off the middle ropes and Damaja got over more by losing than he had by winning any of his previous bouts. Angle did mic work before the match that brought him into the storyline as opposed to being a guest star beating up on the local boys. Angle also sold more than 50% of the match. Angle worked face style but the crowd loves to chant “You suck” so much it’s weird. Angle was cheered and even got something of a standing O from the same people chanting “You suck” when he came out.”

What was different between OVW and the WWE at the time? How did it feel working with Damaja - who will eventually be Danny Basham?

We’re now at the Garden for Survivor Series on 11/17, as you and Benoit look to reclaim the tag titles.

Also at this show, is Shawn Michaels becoming the World Champion, winning the first Elimination Chamber, and Brock Lesnar loses his first match on WWE TV, and loses the WWE Title to Big Show after Paul Heyman turned on Lesnar and screwed him to align with Big Show (important for next month’s PPV Armageddon, which we’ll be looking at in December.)

Were you surprised to see Brock lose here? Did you think that needed to be saved for a bigger show?

We start with a clip which shows 3 things - you and Benoit backstage before the tag title match, you and Benoit’s involvement in the match, and then the ending:

5. Los Guerreros won the Smackdown tag titles in a three- way over Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit and champions Rey Mysterio & Edge in 19:25. This match was actually a disappointment, although would have been considered really good if anyone else had the match. Mysterio missed the spot where he’s thrown in the air and lands on the top rope, and fell badly. They got heat on Mysterio until an Angle slam attempt which Mysterio arm dragged his way out of. The early storyline is that the Guerreros weren’t in much so the other two teams were wearing each other out. Tons of great moves and near finishes back-and-forth until Edge speared and pinned Benoit in 13:09. Just before this, Chavo had hit Benoit with the title belt, right in front of the ref, which was kind of stupid. Chavo then threw the belt to Angle, who caught it. When Benoit turned around, he saw the belt in Angle’s hands and they argued, leading to the spear finish. Benoit and Angle argued to the back. The crowd reaction here was a surprise and really hurt the match. Crowd booed, seemingly a combination of guys not liking Edge and fans just mad that Benoit & Angle, particularly Angle, was out of the match. Work was generally good for the straight tag until Eddy and Edge seemed to lose their way and had a noticeable series of miscues. Mysterio nailed the 619 on Eddy for a big pop, but Chavo interfered and hit Mysterio with a belt shot. Eddy then put Mysterio in the lasso from El Paso for the clean submission.

***½

When Rey fell badly early on in the match were you worried that this could mess it all up?

It’s hard to imagine this match as a disappointment but was it tough to live up to the standards of all the matches that had happened between you 6 up until this point?

How did it feel to be back in Madison Square Garden for a pay-per-view since your last one was against Tazz at Rumble 2000?