How responsible is Kurt Angle in making Brock Lesnar one of the biggest stars in WWE history?
Lesnar received a huge push upon his arrival on the main roster in 2002, going on to defeat The Rock at SummerSlam to win his first WWE Championship. Following a move to SmackDown and an intense rivalry with The Undertaker, The Beast went from strength to strength in 2003. Winning the Royal Rumble in January, Lesnar set his sights on Angle and regaining the title he lost at Survivor Series.
Lesnar and Angle would face off multiple times that year and never have a bad match. Whether it was the WrestleMania 19 main event featuring that Shooting Star Press, the rematch at SummerSlam or the legendary 60-minute Ironman match on SmackDown, the in-ring chemistry between The Beast and The Olympic Gold Medalist was some of the best in the Ruthless Aggression Era.
While appearing on the True Geordie podcast, Angle described how he instantly bonded with Lesnar and how their wrestling background helped them to form a connection:
“Well, we had a connection right away because we were both amateur wrestlers and we both understood each other and what we accomplished throughout our lives,”
Angle continued to praise Lesnar by describing the many qualities that made him such a great wrestler and how he would be fantastic in any sport he tried:
“Brock was special because not only was he a great amateur wrestler, but this guy was the most powerful, quickest person I’ve ever met for his size … strongest, smartest, just overall best wrestler I’ve ever seen,” Angle remarked. “It didn’t matter where Brock went, he was gonna succeed no matter what. It didn’t matter what sport you put him in — basketball, you put him in football, you put him in soccer, doesn’t matter. He’s going to excel, he’s going to be at the top, he’s going to be the best at whatever he does. That’s how good Brock Lesnar is.”
Kurt Angle Reveals Staggering Cost Of Addiction
During the same interview, Angle was very open about his struggles with addiction, in particular how he would take 65 extra-strength Vicodin tablets a day. Discussing the financial impact this has, Kurt Angle revealed the insane cost of his painkiller addiction.
H/t to Wrestling Inc.