15 Things We Just Learned From Kurt Angle About WWE & His Career

10. Would He Like To See John Cena Turn Heel?

Barely a day seems to go by now without someone wondering out loud about either Roman Reigns or John Cena will be turned heel, and one of the callers asked Angle outright whether he'd like to see Cena turn:

"Yes. I don't know how it would be for his merchandise but John knows how to do it. He's been the staple of the company for 12 years. I think you need to mix it up a little bit. We know Undertaker's done it, and I think John would have a nice little heel run and then finish his career off as a babyface. He might be even bigger and better. I don't know how much bigger you can get than John Cena but if anyone can pull it off it's John. He knows how to do it."

He also shared his experiences with Cena when he first broke through, and around their first match together. Asked whether he thought back then if Cena would ever evolve to the position he's in now, it doesn't sound like he was confident, calling Cena "very green" but conceding that he could go hard in the ring. In fact, he reveals their first match was designed as a tough test for Cena:

"...That was a test to see if he could keep up with me. It was only 12 minutes, but I went non-stop. I didn't even sell, I was just moving, I tried to push him, I tried to get him so tired that he wouldn't stand up... He gained my respect that night. Actually, a lot of the boys in the back were surprised. I had a big reputation for "blowing people up," which is getting them so tired they want to quit. It didn't occur with John and I knew right then he'd be special."

Most impressive for Angle is that Cena isn't a great athlete - "his feet are heavy and he's a big dude" - but that he gets it done and that he will be considered one of the greatest of all time. If not the greatest WWE superstar of all time.

And how much of that comes down to Angle himself? He revealed that after their first match, Cena was pitted with him for live shows on the road, and he worked closely with him, suggesting his finish and his submission hold. He's inevitable humble though: "I don't think I'm the reason John became so successful... It was just an honour to help him when he needed me most."