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.

Brock Lesnar Kurt Angle Wrestlemania 19
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.

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.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.