Conrad Thompson has launched a new podcast with Kurt Angle on AdFreeShows.com. On the debut episode of “The Kurt Angle Show,” Angle and Thompson cover WrestleMania XIX. Angle dropped the WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar on that show.
On this show, Angle reveals that he was not supposed to be on the show because of his neck issues. He also reveals that he was supposed to drop the title on the SmackDown before WrestleMania and Chris Benoit was supposed to be his replacement in the match against Lesnar. Angle also talked about his issues with pain pills, Lesnar’s botched shooting star press, and more.
Here are some highlights from the podcast:
Angle got injured twice against Lesnar so Angle was asked, “Is Brock dangerous to work with?”
“Well, it was actually my fault the second time. The first time it happened was when he slung me into the corner sideways and my head whiplashed at No Way Out. The second one was about eight months later. I came back two months after WrestleMania. I wrestled the next six months. We had a show where Brock had to hit Chris Benoit and myself with chairs. Chris told him earlier ‘I want you to swing sideways because of my neck.’ He had surgery on his neck a couple years prior and didn’t want to reinjure it. I forgot to tell Brock that, so when Brock brought the chair, he brought it hard and went over top, right on top of my head. My vertebrae cracked, three of them cracked immediately and I knew my neck was screwed. I knew it again. I was in dire straits and I was going to be out for a while and I was. That’s when I took the GM job after that happened.”
Angle talked about why he did not want to have full fusion surgery on his neck:
“Dr Youngblood did tell me he would have to fuse more than two (vertebrae). He didn’t say four, but I was guessing three. I knew if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to wrestle anymore. So, it’s crazy how God works in crazy ways. When I got home, another doctor called me and gave me an option. It was a tough decision because Dr. Youngblood was so reputable. He did help Rhyno and Edge and Austin, but to have to retire in the prime of my career, I just wasn’t ready for that. So I made the choice to have the minimal surgery and continue to wrestle. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m suffering now for it. My neck, I feel it every day. I ended up having two more surgeries after that on my neck. They were repair surgeries just to fix it up. Those are all temporary surgeries. Someday I’m going to have to have a big surgery. I’m trying to hold off as long as I can. When I do, I will be out of commission for a year and I would have to have the big halo on my neck for three months or four months. Definitely not during the pandemic I wasn’t going to do anything, especially with my kids being at home and I have to take care of them and watch them and oversee everything. For me to be laid up in a bed for four months or six months is not going to work. I do my daily maintenance every day for my neck and my back and my knees and all that stuff. I continue to do it. It gets me through the day, so I’m ok with it right now.”
Click below for more details on The Kurt Angle Show on AdFreeShows.com.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit “The Kurt Angle Show on AdFreeShows.com” with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
It’s True. It’s damn true. I'm taking the 3 i’s to the podcast world, as I join @HeyHeyItsConrad to take a look back at my most memorable matches & moments.
@TheAnglePod debuts Sunday 2/7 everywhere! Catch Ep. 1 WrestleMania 19 right now at https://t.co/TdaEPfP7LA pic.twitter.com/VvKq4bLMRa
— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) January 28, 2021
