The Kurt Angle Show - SummerSlam 2005 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

To end our run looking at your SummerSlam matches, 2005 is quite the interesting time for you.

Following on from the July 4, 2005 Raw, where we did a watchalong for last month where Hogan & Michaels defeated you and Carlito in the main event, with Michaels turning on Hogan after the match.

Hogan vs Michaels is the big build for the main event of SummerSlam later in August, but here is what you were doing…

The Raw the week after the Angle challenge returned - here’s what the Observer had to say about your segment.

“Next up was they brought back the Angle challenge, trying to take advantage of the national publicity for lying teacher Matt Striker. This was a pretty good segment, as Angle looked at him. He said his name was Matt Martel from New York. Angle said he knew who he was, he was the teacher who lied about being sick and went on a tour of Japan. He said he wrestled him already in Philadelphia and when he was on that show, he said he was from Philadelphia. So Angle busted him for lying all over the place. Angle also said his name isn't even Martel, it's Matt Striker. The most entertaining thing about this was after establishing this guy has the teaching fraud, they tried to get him over as a face. Also, you could tell they expected a bigger reaction. Actually when Angle paused waiting for the reaction after he exposed him as the teacher who got caught, there was no reaction at all. Angle gave him a ton as they were trying to put the guy over. It was just so weird for Jim Ross to try and sell him as the face and when the heels argued about what he did, and made far more sense, it was just ridiculous. I can't say Striker looked good, but it was booked great and Striker was good enough to not hurt it. He broke the ankle lock once. Right at the finish, he escaped the Angle slam and gave Angle a low blow with just seconds left. Angle put on the ankle lock anyway and got the tap in 2:59 of the 3:00 time limit or Angle would have lost.”

A lot to break down here Kurt - first off - Matt Striker getting national attention for losing his job to become a wrestler and go on that tour - what did you think of that?

Were you surprised to see they brought the Angle challenge back?

Do you think Striker was the face or heel here?

What did you think of putting this all together?

The next week from Philadelphia:

“Angle did a promo and said, not in quite these words, that last week's match with Striker was all a work. He could have beaten him at anytime, but he teased the audience by making it look like the guy was going to last the 3:00, just to beat him at the last second. Striker came back out as the home town guy. Angle said he was a liar again, because last week he was from New York and now he says he's from Philadelphia. Striker claimed last week's worked match was not a work and that he took Angle to the limit and wanted a rematch. Angle said no way is he rewarding a pathological liar with another shot at his medals. Then Angle jumped him and the match was on. The big spot was Striker got Angle in a choke and held onto it forever. Finally, with 1:00 left, Angle broke the choke. Striker was shaken up from a stiff kick apparently. At least that was the reason he used later because he didn't go up for the Angle slam for the finish, so Angle had to try it a second time and do it himself, and then used the ankle lock in 2:34.”

Striker not going up for the Angle Slam - did you think his bell was rung or it was legit?

The Angle Challenge continued the next week in Cleveland…

“It opened with the Angle challenge, and Hemme bringing out Eugene as the opponent. Angle said he didn’t want to do it in Cleveland, but then jumped Eugene. Angle got the ankle lock on, and Eugene with his free leg, kicked Angle out of the ring and the 3:00 time limit expired. So Eugene got the medals and the new program was born. The Angle challenge was an idea from Heyman in late 2004 for dual purposes. The first was to allow Angle to do 1:00 TV matches where he wouldn’t have to take bumps, to help his neck heal up. The second was it was a golden opportunity to use it to create a star. Before that, Heyman was tossed off creative once again. So then it was wasted, as no new star was made, plus, the whole gimmick done right, is that the person doesn’t last 3:00, but actually beats Angle outright to become an instant star. Instead, Angle is put into a program with an established mid-card comedy act, at a time, since he just switched brands, that he needs to be positioned as a main event level serious heel.”

The decision to put Eugene over here - kind of anyway - what did you think of it?

Eugene’s peak was at least a year before - were you surprised they kept Nick Dinsmore in the gimmick?

What was the original plan for the Angle challenge - was it as Meltzer described?

Did you think you were already being wasted on Raw in this spot?

The next week from Uncasville, CT:

“Eugene came out for the Eugene challenge. Angle came out. They did some comedy with Eugene saying Angle isn't from the Mohegan Sun Casino, but then Angle said last week Eugene wasn't really from Cleveland. Hemme was out as Eugene's cheerleader allowing Eugene to ask if he could grab her pom poms. Angle said there was no local guy back there, but in fact, they went into their time machine brought back Chris "Tatanka" Chavis. Aside from appearing to be almost ready to give birth, he has aged very little and didn't look bad at all. Angle attacked Eugene, so Eugene won via DQ in 2:39. Eugene and Tatanka cleaned house together on Angle. They announced Angle vs. Eugene in the medal challenge for 8/8 in Pittsburgh.”

Tatanka…Eugene asking to grab Christy Hemme’s pom poms…Kurt…what are we doing here?

And then the infamous night in Pittsburgh:

“It opened with Angle challenging Eugene. Angle came out like a superhero in Pittsburgh. He did the shtick of playing babyface and talking up Pittsburgh, before turning on the crowd, calling them "blue collar idiots." They booed for a split second, then cheered him like crazy and booed Eugene out of the place. That screwed up the entire segment, which was built around Hogan saving Eugene to make sure people knew he was the face for later against Michaels. It was hilarious watching it. Worse, Eugene hit the ref, who blamed Angle. Then the finish was Angle accidentally clotheslining the ref, who DQ'd him at 2:38. So people hated the finish, which would have been guaranteed, even if Angle's turn had worked. Angle used the Angle slam and ankle lock on him after, when Hogan made the save. People booed Hogan a lot here because they liked Angle. They played the music really loud and had Hogan & Eugene pose.”

When you’re in the ring trying to be a heel and the crowd isn’t having it…then they shit on Eugene…and still send Hogan out to save him…I mean are you telling anyone in the back…why are we doing this?

In Montreal the next week you take on Hogan…

“Hogan beat Angle via DQ in 6:05. Before the match started, during the commercial break, they had Angle cut a promo saying that he wished he had been able to screw Bret Hart in 1997 as well.

This was the worst Angle match I think I've seen, but the crowd went nuts because it's Hogan and it's Montreal. Crowd went wild but Angle's offense didn't look good .Then Hulk came back and he did a lowkick that was supposed to be a high kick, lame punches, before Michaels ran in to lay him out for the DQ. Angle disappeared like he was David Copperfield, but he wasn't a good enough magician to make this a decent match. Michaels teased a superkick, and then put Hogan in the sharpshooter. I used to think there was nothing Michaels couldn't do in the ring, but this was the slowest put on and most pathetic looking sharpshooter in the history of wrestling. But he finally got it and the place came unglued waiting for the Bret Hart run-in that never happened as the show went off the air.”

The promo you cut on Bret Hart…if you need to make sure you’re a heel against Hulk Hogan in Montreal - why didn’t they just turn you babyface?

Working with Hogan here - what was different here from 2002?

Are you surprised this match isn’t a bigger deal - and that you’re used to help put over Shawn & Hulk?

When the show did go off the air, Angle magically re-appeared, Cena made the save, and then JBL came out. The crowd chanted for Batista, and he came out. Hogan & Cena & Batista beat Angle & Michaels & JBL when Hogan pinned JBL after a big boot, which again came nowhere close, and the legdrop.

What do you think of getting to do the dark match after? I mean - look at that lineup Kurt…

Are you disappointed this is what you’re doing at SummerSlam?

“4. Kurt Angle beat Eugene in 4:31. Fans were totally for Angle, and booed like crazy whenever Eugene made his babyface comebacks. He's dead. Even so, they did cheer when he did the rock bottom and the stunner, but sure hated when he did the ankle lock. Finish saw the Angle slam and ankle lock. Angle was far more aggressive than he has ever been, and as far as Angle went, there was no comedic performance here. Considering he's next in line for a title shot, he wrestled like a very threatening next in line heel challenger. **”

You needed this to be a strong convincing win didn’t you?

Did you feel bad eating up Eugene like this?

Did you know at this point the character was done?

You’ll move on from this to take on John Cena at Unforgiven - but being 4th on the show - were you happy to be done early?

Let’s talk about the main event now Kurt…Hogan vs. Michaels…

8. Hulk Hogan pinned Shawn Michaels in 21:24 after the legdrop. Loud "You screwed Bret" chants. A lot of people really expected Hart to do a run-in here. Michaels did a Terry Funk working with a broomstick match. The difference may be 2005 vs. 1985. With Funk, he made his selling look like it was an intense, heated match. With Michaels, it totally comes across like a performance. A very good performance, but it lacked the intensity. Hogan juiced after being shoved into the ringpost. Michaels beat on Hogan for several minutes. Hogan teased the Hulk up spot, but Michaels cut him off, and it was ref bump time. Everyone looked to the back for Hart, particularly when Michaels put Hogan in the sharpshooter. It looked a lot better this time. Then a second ref came down, and he was bumped. Fans were not liking this. Michaels used a low blow and a chair to the head, then an elbow drop off the top rope and a superkick. Hogan kicked out of the pin, Hulked up, three punches, a high kick and legdrop. The two shook hands after the match, which it didn't appear the people wanted to see. Ultimately, it was the same Hogan formula, but Michaels carried it well. ***1/2

Were you sitting backstage watching this?

What did you think of the way Shawn bumped for Hogan during this? Was it unprofessional in your mind or just Shawn being Shawn?

Were you sad to see Hogan go over Shawn like this?

Do you think you could’ve had a big program with Hulk or did he not want to work with you do you think?

Looking back - what would you had changed about this or considering that you ended up getting Cena the next month in the main event - you had to get through this to get there so to speak?!