During the latest episode of his new podcast, The Kurt Angle Show, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle talked about why he was booked against Chris Benoit at WrestleMania 17 in 2001 from the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
According to Angle, he thinks the company didn’t know what to do with them so they just put them together.
“I don’t think the company knew what they wanted to do with me or Benoit and I think that’s the reason they put us together. I was in the program with Rock and Austin jumping back and forth wrestling them every single week, so there was no real time for me to have a program with Benoit. I’m not sure they even thought of it until a week or two before WrestleMania. Benoit and I got put together because we were both top performers in the company and neither one of us had a match. I think the company said, “Well, let’s put the two best technicians in a match together. They are going to have an incredible match. We don’t need much of a buildup, so let’s just throw it on the card.” So, we were more of a mid-card feature match for WrestleMania, which is fine with me. If I can wrestle Benoit at WrestleMania, I would do it every year. He was an incredible performer.” Angle went on to say, “I was really excited about this match. I didn’t know how good it was until I watched it back and I was like, ‘Holy crap.’ This was the best match I’ve ever wrestled in, and to this day, it still rings true.’ Angle continued talking about Benoit: “If you’re talking about just in ring, performing, as a technician, a wrestler, a performer, Chris Benoit is the top. He’s number one on the chart. Always will be. I’ve never faced a guy that intense, that technically sound, and that explosive in my life. He is, without a doubt, the best in ring performer I’ve ever been in the ring with.”
H/T to WrestlingNews.co