The Kurt Angle Show - TNA No Surrender 2008 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Let's get into our topic and we’re kicking off with a Gold Medal Challenge between you & AJ Styles on Impact. You wrestle a ton during this era on TV for TNA - was that something creative thought was important for ratings?

How was your body at this point?

The storyline is that your neck is bothering you - but the Main Event Mafia is beginning to form around you. Sting is on your side it seems like, Booker is on your side…and an Olympic challenge where there’s no ropes, three rounds & every point counts. Who’s idea was this do you know?

How different and challenging is it to put something together like this?

The points are two for a takedown & a near fall and the winner wins on most points or a pinfall three count.

You’ve talked before how much you enjoyed working AJ - but this is a different type of situation…how up for the challenge was AJ?

From the Torch

7 –– A.J. STYLES vs. KURT ANGLE –– Gold Medal Challenge

The ropes were down and the ref asked for a pre–match handshake. Styles offered, and Angle pulled his hand away and did the up–yours arm gesture. Angle scored two points early with a single–leg takedown. Angle continued to rack up points, getting a 6–0 lead at 90 seconds in. Angle laughed and got cocky, showboating as Styles tried to get takedowns on him. Styles managed to get a two count on a victory roll in the second round, scoring two points for the takedown and two points for the near fall. Styles smiled broadly. Angle got serious again. Angle scored another two points to expand his lead to 8–4. He slapped at Styles’s head afterward.

Let me stop here Kurt - any reservations of looking silly in a “olympic style” match with AJ?

Styles again scored a leveraged near fall for another four points to tie it at 8–8 at the end of the period two. About 30 seconds in, Angle took a cheap shot with a back elbow and then took Styles down to score two points. That gave him a 10–8 lead with a minute left. Styles suplexed Angle, but the ref got knocked down in the process. Angle clotheslined Styles with 15 seconds left in the round. The lights went out. When they came back on, Angle had a baseball bat in his hand. The lights went out again and Jeff Jarrett’s music played. When the lights came back on, Styles was standing behind Angle with a guitar. Styles smashed the guitar over Angle’s head. Angle bled from the forehead immediately afterward. He then covered Angle and scored a three count, despite the time of the round having run out minutes earlier.

WINNER: Styles (apparently).

The timing of this doesn’t work all that well but the guitar shot looked nasty - did you get split open hard way?

Were they the real gold medals Kurt lol

The announcers never mention Jarrett’s name - this is some stupid shit isn’t it? Does it make the announcers look silly by doing this?

The next week on Impact Borash interviews as you arrive in the parking garage and you’re going to get your gold medal back and it’s Planet Angle now…I always liked that name Kurt - did you?

Styles would be introduced as an Olympic Gold Medalist and challenges you to a ladder match with the medals above the ring. Was your body up for a ladder match Kurt?

From the Torch on Impact

“Borash told Kurt Angle, as he approached Booker T’s locker room, to be sure to show respect for his locker room. Angle complained about not having a special locker room, then entered. Angle asked Booker for a favor. He said there’s a Sting operation going on between them. Booker said, “I thought Sting was on our side.” Angle said he meant a sting operation with the guitars showing up. Booker said he still has a bump on his head from the guitar at Hard Justice. Angle asked Booker to be in his corner later for the ladder match in case a certain person with a guitar shows up. Booker said he could help him, but he has a problem of his own—“with one Rhynoceros.” He asked for them to have some champagne in anticipation of his victory later tonight. Angle said he doesn’t drink. Booker said, “More for me, my friend.”

How great is Booker in this role Kurt? Do you think anyone else could’ve pulled it off?

“7 –– A.J. STYLES vs. KURT ANGLE –– Ladder Match for the Medal

Styles went after Angle early, but Angle used an eye rake to stop his momentum. Styles came back quickly. Samoa Joe watched from ringside. Angle hit an overhead belly–to–belly. At 2:00 they had a tug–o–war with the ladder at ringside. Angle shoved Styles into the railing. Styles slingshot himself onto Angle at ringside. Booker T was watching at ringside, also, and as they cut to a break, Sharmell joined them. West said to stay tuned because you don’t know what’s going to happen. As if Styles vs. Angle in a ladder match for the Gold Medal wasn’t enough, they had to add Joe, Booker, and now Sharmell to the mix in an attempt to keep everyone tuned in? Talk about not trusting the wrestlers to tell their story.”

Is this how you took this Kurt - that you guys weren’t capable of doing this? Was it too many people involved?

“Angle used a drop toe hold to send Styles into a ladder on the mat. Booker cheered on Angle. Angle suplexed Styles, then set up a ladder. West said that time to set up a ladder gave Styles time to recover. Styles did, but Angle quickly suplexed him and then applied a chinlock. Joe cheered on Styles, and told him how to defend against the hold. He told him to work his hands under his chin. Styles wouldn’t know that? I like the idea, but the advice seemed a bit obvious.”

I want to stop here Kurt and make mention of the fact that Mike Tenay & Don West were both recently announced to be joining the Impact Hall of Fame. What do you think of that?

Can you share some of your favorite Mike Tenay & Don West memories?

“Styles soon made a comeback and threw Angle onto the ladder at 10:00. Angle bled from his forehead again. Styles climbed the ladder. Angle gave Styles an Olympic Slam off the ladder. With Styles down, Angle climbed the ladder. Once he touched the medal, Styles tipped the ladder over and Angle crashed to the mat. Sharmell yanked on Styles’s leg, but he kicked her off and springboarded into the ring with a flying forearm. Joe went after Booker at ringside. Sharmell set the black bat on the ring apron for Booker to use as Joe turned to her. Booker hit Joe with the bat. Styles, meanwhile, climbed the ladder, but the ladder was wobbly and unstable. Angle met him at the top of the ladder. The Man Who Shall Not Be Named’s music played. The lights went out. “Is he here?” said West. “Could it be?” Styles bashed Angle with a guitar and then grabbed the medal to win the match.

WINNER: Styles in 12:00.

STAR RATING: **3/4 –– Some good sequences and big spots. It’s the type of a match that deserves to be an occasional PPV match, not a TV main event that won’t draw any more of a rating than anything else they could have hyped adequately minus the ladder.”

I mean Kurt - my goodness all these big spots and all these bumps…this couldn’t have been fun could it?

Do you think you were getting burned out on working so much?

Do you think a ladder match for your gold medals could’ve been a pay-per-view main event?

We covered some of this build for the Birth of Main Event Mafia episode so be sure to check that out in the archives over at KurtAngleTV.com - but Kevin Nash has been outspoke recently regarding LA Knight - what are your thoughts on LA Knight and some of the stuff that’s been going on between them?

I bring up Kevin because you wrestled him on Impact here - what are some of your memories of wrestling Nash?

This is to build to No Surrender and the 4-way to Glory where three people will take on Joe for the TNA Title and the winner will move on to Bound for Glory as champion. We would see Abyss & Matt Morgan team up to take on you & Booker - did you need to be working in more tag and multi-man matches for your body’s sake?

Do you think TNA had something bigger in Matt Morgan?

How about Abyss?

Also being built up was Frank Trigg in a MMA match against AJ Styles, what did you think of Frank coming into wrestling and his work with AJ?

Did you ever think Trigg could’ve become a full-time wrestler?

Let’s take a look at your main event 

The main event was scheduled as a four-way with Booker T. Due to Hurricane Ike shutting down the Houston Airport, Booker couldn’t get there for the show and even though Sting was there as a suitable replacement, they decided against using him because it would take away from Bound for Glory. It was announced early in the PPV, but it was never announced to the live crowd for some reason, which led to “We Want Booker” chants when the main event started. Kevin Nash, who did promotional work for the show and would have been a good storyline replacement, was not flown in, although the reality is he probably would have hurt the main event, which on this show, wouldn’t have been a positive.

When did you hear that Booker couldn’t make it?

Do you think it hurt or helped the match?

“9. Samoa Joe retained the TNA title in a three-way beating Christian Cage and Kurt Angle in 15:27. Sting came out before the match and Joe left the ring and attacked him. Styles came out and broke it up. Joe and Christian did the Frye-Takayama brawl early. Angle suplexed Christian over the top rope. Angle later gave Joe a German suplex and followed with a belly to belly superplex on Christian. At one point Angle had the ankle lock on both guys at the same time, until they simultaneously kicked him off. They started doing finishers and the third guy would save. Christian used an unprettier on Joe, but Angle pulled Hebner out of the ring. Match ended up good, but just felt too similar to so many TNA PPV main events with the ref bump and ref pulled out spot, that they already did earlier in the show. Hebner was knocked down and Angle grabbed a chair and hit Christian and then hit Joe. He put the ankle lock on Joe. Jeff Jarrett came out and hit Angle with a guitar shot to the head. With Angle’s neck, I don’t know if he should be taking those. He was bleeding all over the place. Joe then pinned Angle after a muscle buster.

***¼”

Where does this rank in terms of your run in TNA?

Should you had been taking guitar shots to the head?

What did you think of Jarrett’s return here? Was it too overshadowed here?

Mick Foley would be announced as joining the company as well - were you happy to see Mick in TNA?