Finish aside, Kane and Angle happy with match
March 2002
by Phil Speer
Credit: WWF.com

TORONTO – Neither Kane nor Kurt Angle was particularly happy with how the match ended, but as far as they’re concerned, everything else went perfectly.
Kane lost a hard-fought battle, and declared just moments after the match in an interview with WWF.com that his rivalry with Angle “ain’t over yet.” Angle said he was just disappointed with himself because when he tried to use the ropes for leverage to pin Kane, he missed initially, so the ending came off awkwardly. But the rest of the match, both superstars said, was perfect. Based on the reaction of the crowd at SkyDome, the fans seemed to agree.
“Despite the outcome, I think this is going to be the best WrestleMania ever,” Kane said. “Out of all the past Pay-Per-View events that we’ve done, and all the huge contests that we’ve had, I think this WrestleMania is going to top them all, and that’s saying something.”
Angle and Kane were both prominent participants in WrestleMania X-Seven last year in Houston, where 69,725 fans were on hand. But walking out in front of more than 68,000 this year in Toronto was just as big of a thrill, they said.
“When it hits you is when you first walk out,” Angle said. “You can’t believe how many people are there. And you know millions of people are watching on Pay-Per-View.”
Said Kane, “That’s a rush. When you walk out of the curtain and you’re out there – that’s a small city we’re talking about. That’s just incredible.”
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Interview with Kurt Angle
February 2002
by Seth Mates

CHICAGO A day after topping Triple H at No Way Out, Kurt Angle sat down with WWF.com backstage at the Allstate Arena to talk about No Way Out, WrestleMania and the nWo.
WWF.com: How do you think the match went last night?

Angle: I thought the match was tremendous. Its always good to work with Triple H; hes incredible. Hes probably one of the best, if not the best, wrestler in the game today. I thought we had a tremendous match. The crowd was a little tough, but I considered them tough all night. Milwaukees always a great crowd, but they were very conservative. And we saw that last night. I thought we put on a great performance at the Pay-Per-View, and I thought Triple H and I not being biased I thought we had the best match of the night.

WWF.com: How are you feeling physically after the bout?

Angle: I feel really good. Im a little sore. Triple H tends to hit you with some of those big bumps, and youre going to feel it for a few days. I feel great. Im on the road to WrestleMania, and Im ecstatic about that.

WWF.com: How did it feel after your match when you ran out into the cold Milwaukee night, wearing just your wrestling tights?

Angle: Its funny, because my eyes just got watery and froze right when I walked out. It worked out OK, but basically I just went out there and said whatever I wanted to say. And that was easy. But wow it was freezing.

WWF.com: How does it feel to have the nWo around?

Angle: I dont know right now. Im kind of skeptical to see what happens. These guys have proven that theyre a big impact. I think that as long as they continue to respect everybody and basically work hard, and show that they have the work ethic, those guys are going to be on top for a long time. Im glad theyre here. Heck, if anything, theyre going to raise the ratings and make more money for the company. With that in mind, Im all for it.

WWF.com: Are you at all concerned on a personal level, about losing TV time, etc.?

Angle: No, Im not concerned. Kurt Angle is a completely different character than the nWo. I think Kurt Angle brings a different twist to television and to Pay-Per-Views. One time Triple H told me -- and Ill never forget it cream always rises to the top. And no matter whos out there, I know in my heart and in my mind that Im one of the best here. As long as I continue to give my best performance, nobody can take me off of television. I look at it that way. To me, its not a competition. Im not worried about whos on top or whos getting TV time. As long as I can go out there and give my best, I know that Kurt Angle will always be here as one of the main-eventers for a long time. Thats how I see it. Im a team player; Ill do whatever they ask me to do. And I want everyone else do that in return. So it doesnt matter to me.
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Interview with Kurt Angle
February 2002
by Phil Speer

By now, many of us have had the opportunity to read Kurt Angle's autobiography, "It's True! It's True!" Ever wanted to interview an author after reading his book? WWF.com had the opportunity, as we sat with Angle for this interview.

WWF.com: What types of comments have you gotten from people about your book?
Angle: A lot of people have said that they liked my book the best. I don't think it sold the most. I think the excitement of a wrestler coming out with a book is gone. Now I think it goes strictly on popularity and whether it's a good story or not. A lot of people say that it's kind of nice to have a book that's not solely on wrestling. It's a real story about someone who succeeded in something other than just professional wrestling. The Rock did the same (in his book) to a certain extent. But to make a dream like the Olympic gold medal come true and talk about it -- and the adversities I overcame -- a lot of people said it was really touching. There are a lot of things in my book -- the injuries I've overcome, my family issues -- that, whenever I sign autographs, a lot of people say, "You know what? This happened to me." You kind of realize that I didn't grow up any different than most people out there. I had a lot of issues that I had to deal with, but I think everybody does. That's what makes people who they are. I grew up in an environment where I said, "I don't want to be this. I want to be something different." I hope it's an inspiration for a lot of people. And that's what a lot of people say at the signings: "You inspired me. Not that you came from the projects or anything, but you had a pretty tough life growing up, and you were able to make something of yourself." It makes me feel good. Not to put anybody else down, but I didn't bring my character into it. I made a real-life story about the real Kurt Angle, what he has accomplished in his life and what he had to overcome. The one thing I realized is that people like adversity. They like to hear stories -- true stories that are kind of shocking. And I put a lot of that in my book. Chyna did a good job of that. Not to knock her, but I think she went a little overboard with it. I tried to stay within my means and talk strictly on things that I felt that most people would relate to. I just made my book real.

WWF.com: You thought Chyna went overboard?
Angle: Not that things didn't happen to her. She has obviously been involved in molestation, rape -- a lot of things that she did speak about. She did a few unethical things that she talked about -- stealing a trophy at a bodybuilding show and not giving it to the winner. I didn't think that really resembled the real Chyna. To an extent, I think she made herself look like a rebellious B-I-T-C-H a lot of times in her book. And that's not Joanie. It was hard to read. I thought she told her story well, but I thought she went overboard and didn't give the fans a good outlook at who the real Joanie was. That's what I didn't like about her book. I didn't want to go overboard. I wanted to stay real to the people and let them know the things I overcame.

WWF.com: Because you were so honest in the book, did you get any comments from people that you talked about in it?
Angle: I had to admit the problems that I had. It was very painful to talk about in my book because a lot of it I blocked out. But looking back, I think it was better for me to be able to talk about my dad and my family. But I talked to my family first -- that I was going to do this, that this is my real book and this is what I wanted to do. They all said OK. None of them had a problem with it. I had to make peace with my father, because my dad's not here. I felt that I did. In my heart, my mind and my soul, he approved of what I said about him. He knows what he did -- certain things that he did. He was a great father; he provided for us. But he knows he made a lot of mistakes too. I think my dad would have felt very proud that I wrote the book the way that I did.

WWF.com: I've heard a couple people, after reading your book, say that they're under the impression that your marriage is on the rocks. Can you comment on that?
Angle: Our marriage is not on the rocks. But anytime you're in the World Wrestling Federation and you're away from home 240 days a year, it's a daily battle. We went through a lot of hard times together. It's very difficult because you don't spend any time with the person that you love. We're about as strong as we've ever been, but you want to make sure it stays that way or it gets stronger. A lot of things can happen here. You talk about relationship growing apart because you don't see each other (and) you don't communicate well. It's very easy for that to happen here in the World Wrestling Federation. The reason that I brought that to everyone's attention is because it's something that I don't want to have happen, and I want people to know that I'm very well aware that it can happen. It can happen to anybody. So I wanted to be honest about that: that, hey, if Kurt Angle's marriage works out, they have children and they live a great life happily ever after, then that's another roadblock that he overcame. If it doesn't happen, the people know why it didn't happen. So I was being honest. Put it this way: by writing about it, I made myself aware of what I'd have to do to make sure it didn't happen. That's why I did it. Not because it's on the rocks.

WWF.com: Did you ever get a chance to take that honeymoon that you talked about in the book?
Angle: Yeah, actually, we took a honeymoon down in Key West, staying in a really nice place called the Pier House. My wife and I enjoyed five days together. It was a very good time for us, a time for us to bond. This past year, since I've wrote the book, she has been fantastic. She has been very supportive of everything that I'm doing. I think she's grown used to me being on the road. She has her own business to keep her occupied. And she now has seven pets -- four dogs and three cats. So she has a lot of stuff to take care of at home when I'm not there.

WWF.com: Did you ever imagine what your life would be like if some of the things you talked about in your book never happened? For example, have you ever wondered what your life would have turned out like if your dad wouldn't have passed away?
Angle: If my dad didn't pass away, I don't think I'd be where I am. I really don't. I still think I would have had that drive and desire, but I'm not so sure I would have made sports my No. 1 priority. To my dad, that's what sports where -- everything. My dad never pushed me to do anything, but I know that that's what he enjoyed most in life. And he took the most pride in that. So, I'm not sure. Things happen for a reason. I can't go back and say, "Well, what if it happened this way?" But I can't say I would have won a gold medal, because I dedicated everything I did for my father. And when I didn't feel like doing something, all I had to do was think about him and what hard work and dedication he put into providing for my family, and the pride he took in that. I'll be honest with you, I don't know if I would have won the gold. So I don't even want to think about that.

WWF.com: What if you didn't have all those older brothers -- if you were an only child?
Angle: I highly doubt that I would have been able to do the things that I did, because my brothers played a big part. I took many ass kickings from them and learned how to fight from underneath, because they were always on me. That's a good question. I'd have to say that I probably wouldn't have won the gold.

WWF.com: You also talk about the training regimen that you underwent in preparing for the Olympics. I guess the question is, Are you crazy?
Angle: If I were able to do the book again, I would like to list my training so people could see what I did every day. I talked about the different things I did all throughout the chapter, but when you put it all together, you really think I'm crazy. Because all the stuff I did to train for the Olympic games, nobody in this world did. Nobody did. I talked to other athletes, other wrestlers. I knew that nobody else was doing what I was doing. That's what was going to set me over the top. The training was something that I took a lot of pride in. People always mention that, like, "What were you thinking?" Well, I knew I wasn't the best. I knew I wasn't the biggest, the fastest, the strongest or the smartest. But I knew damn well that when I went into the Olympic games, nobody was going to tire me out. I could always keep a match close, and if it came down to overtime, nobody was going to beat me. And I knew if I pushed those guys into overtime, they were going to have some problems. I turned giants into mice. That's why I trained that way.

WWF.com: And you also said later in your book that you could never train like that again.
Angle: I could never train like that again. These guys here (in the Federation), they train hard. They work their butts off, and they take a lot of pride in what they do. But these guys will never realize what I did to train. What they see me do now isn't even a squirt of piss compared to what I did. It's nothing. It's like a walk in the park. What I did was train eight solid hours a day, just kicking my ass. And now I train one hour a day, and basically I just do it to look good. But these guys will never know the mental and physical torture that I put myself through.

WWF.com: What's your relationship like with Bob "Hardcore" Holly?
Angle: Bob Holly and I are very close. If anything, the incident that happened has brought us closer together. Does he still have bitter feelings? I would hope so. Does he think about it? Yeah, I think so, because it definitely has affected his career. And that's hard for me to take. Because Bob Holly is one of the best wrestlers in the business. No matter where he is on the card, no matter what they've done for him, Bob Holly will always have the utmost respect from me. He's for real. It's hard because I know I kind of affected his career. But I consider him a very close friend. He's been very supportive of my career. I know he's having to miss another few months because he's had the screws taken out. So that's a total of a year that he has missed, because of me, because of my mistake. And that's hard to swallow.

WWF.com: You also talk about Brock Lesnar at the end, and I understand that since the book came out, you actually have had a chance to wrestle with him. Can you talk about that?
Angle: It kind of gave me the spark to wrestle again. A guy like Brock, he's 310 pounds and he's a tremendous athlete. I give him a lot of credit. I underestimated him. He's actually better than I thought he was. He's not only a great wrestler; he is a tremendous athlete. And I haven't wrestled in five years, so I'm kind of like an old man. I'm nothing compared to what I used to be. He just got out of college. So he's still pumping on all cylinders. To be able to get in the ring with him felt pretty good. Did I win? Yeah, but not by much. How would I do if I were in the same shape he was? I'll be honest. I'd kill him. If that hurts his feelings, too bad. It's just the way it is. He's a national champion; I'm an Olympic champion. He might be 80 or 90 pounds heavier than me, but I ate up guys his size. And until he realizes that, he's going to hear it from me. I'll never turn down a challenge. I've challenged him six times. Finally he took my challenge. I don't care how long I've been out of the sport; one thing I can say is that he'll never beat me. I might never beat him, because I've been out of the sport for so long now. But, give me two weeks on the mat, he's in trouble. It's a lost art for me, but I could still go to nationals and win it.

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Mac Daddy Kurt
January 2002
by Phil Speer

Kurt Angle could be called many things, but "cool" is probably not one of them. At least, not yet. "Kurt is kind of a modern-day Ward Clever with a lot more humor involved," his good friend Edge once said. "He's the kind of guy that would say 'bucko.' One of his favorite sayings when he's angry is 'Cripes on Friday.'" As Angle chronicled in his book "It's True! It's True!", he grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, spending the bulk of his time playing sports. Then he went to Clarion University on a wrestling scholarship. Then he started training for the Olympics. Not a lot of time to hang out in clubs. In fact, Angle has been so sheltered, from a social perspective, that he completely lacks the ability to speak or understand slang.

Completely.

If someone said Kurt is the "Mac Daddy," he would have had no idea what they were talking about until very recently. When referee Teddy Long walks by Kurt greets him with a "What it be?", again Angle is dumbfounded. Fortunately, former World Wrestling Federation Women's Champion Jacqueline is there to help. "I'm trying to teach Kurt how to loosen up and relax, and teach him a little slang and how to be cool," Jacqueline said. "He's doing OK. It's going to take a lot of work."

Jackie met Angle a little more than two years ago when the Olympic gold medalist was training in Memphis to be a Federation Superstar. While Kurt lacked the ability to speak slang, he did know a thing or two about flattery.

"He told me he was a big fan of mine," Jackie says with a laugh. "He used to watch me when I was working against Sable. That's when he became a fan I think." The two struck up a friendship. When Angle started coming to Federation television events to wrestle in non-televised "dark" matches, he'd sometimes drive from town to town with Jacqueline. That's when the education began. "She's very quiet, but when she talks, she has a certain slang to her when she says things -- calling girls 'sister' and saying like my feet are 'kicking,' meaning that they're sweaty and they smell," Angle said. "And I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. So I would always ask her, 'What does that mean?' She'd be like, 'Come on, don't be messing with me!' I'd be like, 'No, I'm not messing with you! What does that mean?' "She just explained that she's a sister and that's how sisters talk, and I said, 'Well, I want to learn this language.' So we started talking."

When Kurt insisted that he didn't know what "Mac Daddy" meant, Jacqueline explained to him that it just means "the man." "Now they call me Mac Daddy Angle," Kurt said. "It's just funny."

Indeed, several of Kurt's peers have joined the crusade to make him cool. While Angle was being interviewed by WWF.com, Teddy Long -- who greets just about everyone with a "What it be?" -- walked into the room, which led to the following exchange:

Angle: "Teddy Long's in on it too. I'll say to Teddy, 'What it be?' I don't know what the hell it means, but 'What it be?'
Long (looking at reporter): "Do you know Mac Daddy Kurt?" (Everyone in room laughs.)
Angle: "So I talk to the brothers and sisters now. Godfather loves me."
Long (laughs): "Oh, he does. He really does."
Angle: "Of course, he makes me say things that are inappropriate to put on WWF.com."
When Angle says "brother" and "sister," he pronounces every letter, as opposed to saying "brutha" and "sista," which is the way that anyone that's even slightly cool says them. Told that Angle says the words phonetically, Jacqueline smiles, rolls her eyes knowingly and says, "It's going to take a while, but we'll get there."

But beyond the humorous language differences, Angle and Jacqueline get along mostly because, it turns out, they do have some things in common. Both of them are big sports fans. Both of them wrestle in a rugged and stiff style -- in that sense, "she reminds me of me if I were a women," Angle says. And Jacqueline says that when they travel together, Angle even listens to R&B. "I really like Kurt because he's got a sweet personality about himself," Jacqueline said. "He's just a nice person and he's nice to be around. I'm glad he's a friend of mine. We're so different, but different is good sometimes. Right now he's one of my best friends in the business."

Said Angle, "What I've realized is that she's a fun girl. She's colorful. She's animated. And she's this beautiful girl that I think normally I would've never gotten to know, and I'm glad I did. It's funny how God blesses you in different ways, and that's one."

It still may be a while before Kurt Angle teams with the Godfather, or even Scotty 2 Hotty & Albert, but at least he's making progress. And even if he's not "pimpin' hos" on television, he's getting to know the Godfather in real life -- which, as Angle points out, is something that wouldn't have happened anywhere but in the World Wrestling Federation. "It's funny. You would never picture a Kurt Angle hanging out with a Godfather," Angle said. "I would never hang out with a guy who on TV pretends he's a pimp -- who has tattoos and talks about blunts and 40s. But I love him. Only in the World Wrestling Federation. I would never hang out with a Godfather, or an Undertaker for that matter. He's one of my favorites. If I would have seen him on the street, I wouldn't have even wanted to get to know him. "But here in the World Wrestling Federation, that's what's so good. People of all different colors, creeds, races, languages -- people of all different walks of life -- come together, and you get to know one another. You get to know one another's culture and the way they were brought up and where they come from. I just can't picture any other profession being like this."

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