WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was recently interviewed by WhatCulture wrestling where the former world champion spoke about today’s product, and how he thinks the rasslin business is headed in the right direction. Angle also adds that while today’s wrestlers are more athletically gifted, he does wish they would slow down the action and take their time in the ring. Highlights from the interview are below.
How undersized guys can be dominating:
“I think people don’t buy into the fact that you have to be big to be dominating. There are a lot of athletes like AJ Styles that are undersized, that are doing tremendously well. I credit those guys. These guys today are so much better athletes than we were in our heyday. It’s because of the new training. The core training and the CrossFit training and everything that they have going on.”
Wishes wrestlers would pull back on moves just a bit and slow things down:
“Technology has put them ahead of the game now. Rey Mysterio is still going, and he’s been so undersized. 140 lbs, and look what he’s done in the business. I like where the business is headed. I just wish they would pull it back a little bit. Slow down and take their time in the matches, rather than it being a spot fest.”
How Vince told him he was a badass in the ring, so he could afford to be silly at times:
“What Vince McMahon told me was, ‘you’re an Olympic gold medalist. You’re a badass. Everybody knows that, so you can be as funny or as dorky as you want, but when you get in the ring, you can be a serious competitor.’ I took that to heart, and I thought you know what I don’t have to, I can show my nerdy side, my funny side as much as I want to because everybody knows when I get in the ring, it’s gonna get serious. I had the ability to go further than others. Vince doesn’t like wrestlers who get too hokey and too funny because he doesn’t think the fans will take them seriously. With me, I was able to do that. Eventually, Vince McMahon sat me down and said ‘we’re done with the funny stuff. We’re gonna do the Wrestling Machine from now on.”
(H/T and transcribed by Wrestling Inc.)