The Time Kurt Angle DIDN'T Want To Be WWE Champion

Kurt Angle talks wanting rid of the WWE Title on his brand new podcast.

By Jamie Kennedy /

wwe.com

The debut edition of Kurt Angle's new podcast with co-host Conrad Thompson released over the weekend. In it, Kurt looked back on his WrestleMania XIX main event opposite Brock Lesnar, and even went into details on pitching that botched Shooting Star Press before they went through the curtain.

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Angle kinda' regrets that, but he was more concerned about something else at the time.

The Olympian had defied doctors to even wrestle at all. He was in agony and still feeling the effects of a broken neck, so it's amazing that he was able to grit his teeth and work through the pain.

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After watching Brock nearly kill himself with the top rope move, Kurt crawled over for the cover and begged Lesnar to kick out. He told listeners that he selfishly needed his peer to survive so he "wouldn’t have to hold the title" any longer.

That's how much agony Angle was going through in 2003.

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He admitted that it was "kinda' depressing" to miss out on a "boatload of money" that year. WWE wanted Kurt to enjoy a lengthy spell as champ, but he couldn't fathom that at 'Mania. Kurt needed Lesnar to win so he could take some much-needed time off.