10 Stupidest Things WWE Attitude Era Stars Had To Do
7. Kurt Angle - Disgrace A Flag
When Kurt Angle first won his Olympic Gold Medal, the prospect of entering pro wrestling seemed like such a long shot that his infamously scrubbed ECW cameo made more sense than a brief spot with one of the big two,
Honouring an agreement with Taz and Paul Heyman to have a look around what he most likely assumed was strictly a local territory with limited television (and he wasn't entirely wrong in that assessment), his face never made it on screen thanks to his furious protests over an angle featuring Raven crucifying The Sandman later in the show.
Three years later (and now partially trained and primed for a WWE career), he wasn't half as fussy.
Though Angle wouldn't debut formally until the Survivor Series, the company decided to soft-launch him in a throwaway Sunday Night Heat segment with Tiger Ali Singh. First portrayed as an American that'd do anything for a dollar, Angle feigned blowing his nose on the Stars and Stripes before doing the same to an Indian flag when the millionaire's back was turned. He then dropped him with two quality amateur-style throws to tease the work to come.
As dated as all this jingoism felt in 1999, it should be noted that the fans went insane for the bit, almost certainly vindicating the company's call to aim low for one of their highest calibre signings.