"Thank you for allowing me to use that move" - Kurt Angle sends a special message to Legendary Star
The most recent episode of "The Kurt Angle Show" was indeed special as Ken Shamrock appeared for an hour-long interview. "The Baddest Man on the Planet" opened up on various topics relating to his astonishing combat sports career. As expected, the episode kicked off with a discussion about the Ankle Lock.
Kurt Angle has admitted in multiple interviews in the past that he stole the Ankle Lock from Ken Shamrock, and the Olympic gold medalist had a heartfelt message for the UFC Hall Famer on his latest podcast show.
"Well, listen, I want to thank you for allowing me to use that move. I wanted something legitimate. There is nothing more legitimate than Ken Shamrock and the Ankle Lock," said Kurt Angle.
He even asked Shamrock about who did the move better, and the former UFC Champion responded cheekily.
"Come on, Kurt! Are you kidding me? I made a living at that thing, man!" Shamrock joked.
"I've got to poke you a little bit" - Ken Shamrock on Kurt Angle using the Ankle Lock
Shamrock has addressed the Ankle Lock question on countless occasions, and he has also taken several shots at the WWE Hall of Famer. The former Intercontinental Champion stated that he loved poking at Kurt Angle and that it was an honor to have the Olympic Hero use the Ankle Lock.
"I give people a hard time whenever they ask me that question, and they say, 'Oh, did you see Kurt put that Ankle lock on? Does it piss you off?' I was like, 'Man; it's an honor.' I've got to poke you a little bit. Saying, 'Tell him to do it right at least.' It's like, 'Honestly; he is doing it right, I'm just poking at him, man,'" Shamrock laughed.
Angle chimed in and revealed the differences in how they delivered the move. The former WWE champion incorporated a different grip to avoid legitimately hurting his opponents by putting his hands on top of the toes instead of on the side because.
Shamrock agreed with Kurt Angle's assessment. He said a perfectly executed Ankle Lock could be painful for the wrestler on the receiving end.
"That's why when you said that and someone would ask, 'Well, what's the right way,' and I can't really say it because I know what you were going through, because I went through the same thing. It's like you can't do it right (laughs). If you put it on right, they get hurt," Shamrock added.
Shamrock continued by highlighting the importance of why wrestlers should copy moves from their peers. According to him, doing so increases the longevity of a well-known maneuver, and over time, it becomes an iconic facet of a wrestler's act.
"I don't understand when people come and they say, 'Well, he took your Ankle Lock.' You idiots, don't you know that every single move has come from somebody first? Like, somebody took it from somebody. The idea is that, for the move to stick around, you do a move, and nobody copies it; that's a problem (laughs)," Ken Shamrock concluded.
Ken Shamrock is credited with popularizing the Ankle Lock, but Kurt Angle inarguably took it to a whole new level in terms of mainstream appeal. It's also excellent that both legends share a deep mutual respect for one another.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit The Kurt Angle Show and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.