“I Couldn’t Believe It” – Kurt Angle Reminisces About His First Pinfall Defeat Against The Rock

The best way to get a push in WWE is to get oneself booked against one of the top Superstars on the roster. Kurt Angle is one of the lucky pro-wrestlers who got himself booked against The Rock in his early days.

During his conversation with Conrad Thompson, Angle disclosed his feelings about the opportunity and what it was like to wrestle The Rock in the ring.

“I was excited. It was The Rock. I couldn’t believe it, I was actually wrestling him within three or four months of when I started. This was really special to me and I’ve always had great chemistry with The Rock.”

The match was brief, as ‘The Brahma Bull’ eliminated him within five minutes. However, Angle is grateful to have had that opportunity, and it helped with his growth in the industry.

Point to note: This was Kurt Angle’s first pinfall defeat.

“To lose to The Rock, I have no shame in that. He’s one of the most popular names in the business, period. Having to get in the ring with him was a true honour. And it elevated my confidence at that time even though the match was only five minutes long.”

Kurt Angle wanted the push from WWE

He realized this was the company’s method of pushing him to the top. Hence, he wanted to ensure the match happened, and he worked hard to make a name for himself in the industry.

“It was something I needed to show that the company has made its promise to continue to elevate me and for me, you know, these matches, when you go through a match with a main eventer like Rock, and you’re an upcoming talent, you job is to do the honours for them. At the same time, when you’re wrestling that person, it gives you a great rub because you’re an upcoming talent that’s affiliated with one of the top guys in the business.”

Of course, Kurt Angle went onto becoming a huge name in the industry. Even though he’s not working actively with WWE, there were talks of him returning to the company in another capacity.

Neither he nor the company have made any further announcements about Kurt Angle’s possible return.