The Kurt Angle Show - Royal Rumble 2003 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

The feedback from our Saudi Arabia show has been tremendous - what odd timing though with all the news about the WWE?

Are you sad to see Stephanie resign her spot with the company to head home?

Vince McMahon is back and in charge of the WWE it looks like - do you expect to see any changes?

Let’s get into our episode! Like you said at the top we are covering the Royal Rumble from 2003. You are now the WWE Champion coming off Armageddon which we covered last month. Is the feeling different on your 3rd title reign compared to your first 1st or 2nd?

Your first promo on SmackDown coming out of SmackDown you thank Brock Lesnar for his help for defeating Big Show - and Lesnar comes out looking for his title shot and you agree he’ll get the first one - but you are already wrestling Chris Benoit and that Lesnar can get his shot next week. When are you told of the plan that you’re going to be paired up with Paul Heyman as we’re about to find out?

Was this something that was exciting for you considering Paul’s track record?

Looking back - do you think the story would’ve been better with you facing Brock at the Survivor Series - having Heyman turn on Brock and get the build going that way?

You announce that you’ve signed with Heyman and Heyman discusses how this was all a master plan to screw Lesnar and now Lesnar is not getting a title shot. Do you think this all looks silly - Heyman helps Show to beat Lesnar, then he’s OK with you beating Show to get the title just to continue screwing over Lesnar?

Later that night in your match with Benoit…

“Benoit beat Angle via DQ. Benoit had Angle pinned after a diving head-butt when Show interfered. They beat on Benoit until Lesnar made the save. Lesnar was about to give Heyman an F-5 when Angle clipped his knee and he and Show beat up on Lesnar. Lesnar made a comeback, suplexing Show overhead and threw Angle’s knee into the ringpost, which was the injury angle.”

You are hurting pretty badly here aren’t you? Do you tell anyone - maybe it’s not a good idea for me to wrestle?

Is it tough to not go full bore into a match with someone like Benoit?

Was he understanding of your knee issues and working around it?

The importance of having Heyman with you is really all about making sure people boo you right?

It’s gotta be pretty cool to be able to build to WrestleMania with a few month build considering at WrestleMania X8 your program with Kane felt like it was thrown together last minute right?

Are you told at this point you’re going to be in the main event against Brock? Or is that kind of a wait and see approach?

After the SmackDown you go get your knee fixed. What do you remember of what was wrong with it and the damage done?

Were you expecting to be off the road while rehabbing or was it something you knew you could do while on the road?

The next week…Stephanie opens Smackdown with a promo regarding your injury - but they never show the knee injury happening - when you take a big bump like that - and they decide not to air it - is that something that’s an issue to you?

Do you know why they chose not to air it?

“Heyman & Angle did an interview with Angle saying that even with one leg, he could still beat Lesnar. He then introduced Team Angle, which will consist of former amateur wrestling stars Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin as a tag team. Benjamin was getting a big push as Lesnar’s former roommate (he may have been at one point, and they were a tag team in OVW, but in college, Benjamin was an Assistant coach at University of Minnesota when Lesnar was active).

They tried to put Benjamin over as having beaten Lesnar when both were in college, which isn’t the case.”

Were you consulted on who was going into Team Angle?

Did you like the idea of having Benjamin & Haas with you?

Was there a long term goal with Team Angle that was the plan when the group was put together?

What were Benjamin & Haas like when they first joined up with you? Excited to learn? Too excited?

Were you looking to protect them and teach them?

Was it you & Paul Heyman working together in the storylines and creative with this or you & Vince?

Benoit would defeat Big Show later on SmackDown to become the #1 contender…are you excited to be working Chris in a one-on-one big title match even coming out of your injury?

This is going to be Benoit’s first pay-per-view singles title match during his WWF run. Did Chris feel the pressure you think of being in this spot - especially considering from Raw - it’s going to be Triple H vs. Scott Steiner in Steiner’s first big match for the company?

The first SmackDown for 2003 is in Albuquerque and it’s live. How different is this live compared to taped? A lot more pressure right?

It’s reported in the Observer that when you showed up to the show - you were still limping badly. Was this a slow rehab process? Is anyone concerned you’re not making it for the Rumble? Are you concerned?

You do a run-in - and hit Benoit with a belt shot for the match between Benoit & Edge taking on Team Angle. Were you pushing them to become tag team champions to make the group look better?

Was this match the first time you saw them wrestle as a team in person?

What did you think of them as workers? Did you give them any tips or advice?

Were you impressed with their amateur wrestling accomplishments?

Be honest - did you wish your knee was at 100% so you can put them in the ring and see what they could do?

The expectations of the match between you & Chris are high within the company it’s reported, it’s high for the fans…was it high for you two as well?

The next week on SmackDown Charlie Haas gets a win over Edge when you interfere and Benoit takes you out before Shelton hits Edge with a superkick - and Haas gets the powerslam and it’s over.

Benoit would later on win by DQ over Benjamin when you hit Benoit with a crutch and Meltzer would point out both members of Team Ange looked better this week compared to the previous week. Do you think any of that had to do with working singles matches compared to tag team matches?

Team Angle leaves Benoit & Edge laying - you gotta be happy with how this is going just two weeks in?

The go-home SmackDown from the Meadowlands sees you actually wrestling in a handicap match! Kurt - I understand it’s a handicap match so you don’t have to do too much - but were you ready for this?

Edge gets the heat on him from Team Angle when Benoit gets a hot tag and starts hitting german suplexes before he puts you in the crossface and you’re not the legal man and wouldn’t break the hold and he starts hitting you with a crutch as the show goes off the air.

Are you happy with this build to the match?

Are you worried or concerned about your knee?

We’re at the show now Kurt and normally we would play a clip of the end of the match to watch, but instead we invite you to join us for an AdFreeShows.com watchalong of the full match very soon.

But let’s discuss the review from the Observer:

5. Kurt Angle retained the Smackdown title over Chris Benoit in 19:48. Benoit teased a sharpshooter early. Angle bled from the mouth early. They traded german suplexes with Benoit getting the better, and climbed up top. Angle ran and did the belly-to-belly superplex. He tried an Angle slam, countered by a crossface by Benoit. Benoit used an ankle lock, with Angle countering to his own ankle lock, but Benoit countering back into a crossface. Angle got a near fall with a banana split. The success of this match speaks volumes for the past six months or so of educating the audience toward submissions that actually work, as this exact match 18 months ago in this same position would have died (remember when Ken Shamrock was in the company working submission style and nobody cared about any of his moves except the ankle lock because it was the only one they thought worked). They did another series of trading german suplexes until Benoit did the one where Angle flipped all the way over and landed on his stomach. Benoit did a diving head-butt at least 2/3 of the way across the ring for a near fall, followed by a crossface. Angle escaped, and hit the Angle slam for a great near fall. Angle countered the crossface into an ankle lock. Benoit escaped, but Angle put the ankle lock on again. Benoit tried to escape again, but as he was about to, Angle switched it to a heel hook and Benoit tapped out. The fans then gave Benoit a loud standing ovation for the quality of the match. ****3/4

How do you & Chris sit down and put this together?

Do you remember who your agent was?

Do you think you & Benoit had helped train the fans to enjoy the submissions and make it make sense?

Were you happy with the match?

Is this one of your favorite singles matches?

Were you surprised the crowd gave Benoit a big standing ovation afterwards?