Kurt Angle explains why Vince McMahon made him WWE Champion in his rookie year
From Gold Medal to WWE Champion
Kurt Angle and Vince McMahon \ Credit: WWE
Kurt Angle is perhaps the most naturally gifted wrestler we have ever witnessed, both in freestyle and professional ranks. He won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics and became one of the fastest-rising superstars during the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) Attitude Era.
When did Kurt Angle debut in WWE?
The Olympic gold medalist made his televised in-ring WWE debut on November 14, 1999, at WWF Survivor Series, defeating Shawn Stasiak. This came after only months of dark matches when signing a contract with the WWF in August 1998.
Many past WWE superstars have cited Angle as someone who picked up the pro wrestling business incredibly fast, including current WWE Chief Content Officer Paul' Triple H' Levesque, who has said, "I don't believe I've ever seen someone pick it up as fast as Kurt."
Kurt Angle's first WWE Championship
At WWF No Mercy 2000, Kurt Angle would defeat The Rock in a No Disqualification match to win the WWF Championship only 11 months after his WWE debut.
Kurt Angle celebrates as WWE Champion \ Credit: WWE
Angle recently joined Sam Roberts on his podcast Notsam Wrestling and shared why former WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon decided to make him WWE Champion so quickly.
“The reason why Vince went with me to win the World Championship is because when I was at SummerSlam I had a triple threat with The Rock and Triple H and I got a concussion during that match right, and I got wheeled away, but I came back, and I finished it, and Vince was like, this guy’s reliable I’m going to put the title on him.”
This injury Angle is referring to is from a Triple Threat Match against The Rock and Triple H at WWF SummerSlam 2000. Early during the match, Triple H attempted to give Angle his finishing maneuver, The Pedigree, on top of the ringside announce table, but the table gave way too soon, causing Angle's head to crash into the floor prematurely.
What is Kurt Angle doing now?
Angle recently announced that he is working on a movie about his gold medal win at the Olympic Games after speaking on WFAN with Danielle McCartan. Although the future film doesn't cover any of his pro wrestling career, Kurt says he is "really proud of this. It's a really great story. It's about a kid from the streets of Pittsburgh who overcomes all these obstacles, including a broken neck, to win the Olympic gold medal."
Back in 2001, Angle published his first book, "It's True! It's True!", a biography covering his Olympic journey to becoming one of the biggest heels during the WWF Attitude Era. Since writing that book, Angle's storied history has been extended by an additional 20 years, so maybe one day, pro wrestling fans will get a dedicated biopic reliving the incredible career of The Wrestling Machine.
It's True! It's True! by Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle's life has been an epic journey. Growing up in a large family in Pennsylvania, Angle followed in the footsteps of his four older brothers when he decided to pursue wrestling. His discipline and hard work were soon rewarded: He won the Junior National Freestyle Championship and went on to become the Wrestler of the Year at Clarion College. In 1996, with many prestigious wrestling honors to his credit, Angle set his sights on a new goal: an Olympic gold medal. Months of grueling training paid off in the most spectacular way when Angle returned from Atlanta with a gold medal around his neck and renewed determination in his heart.
