"Just pin his a**" - Edge was advised to end a big match after a WWE legend's untimely injury
WWE of Famer Kurt Angle recently returned for another insightful episode of The Kurt Angle Show on AdFreeShows.com, and the main topic of discussion this time around was WWE King of the Ring (KOTR) 2001.
The Olympic Hero astonishingly wrestled thrice at the event, and he, unfortunately, suffered a concussion during the semi-final clash of the tournament against Christian.
Kurt Angle said that he somehow finished the contest against Captain Charisma in a dazed state. The WWE Hall of Famer recalled discussing the second match backstage with Edge. Angle was not in the right frame of mind, and Edge had concerns about whether the Olympic gold medalist would keep up with him throughout their bout.
John Laurinaitis was the road agent for the match, and he advised Edge to execute the pinfall if they encountered any roadblocks due to Kurt Angle's medical issues.
"Yeah, I got a concussion halfway through the first match with Christian, and I got lost in the match in a couple of spots and Christian had to carry me through to the end, and we were able to be successful with finishing the match. The problem was I had a match coming up like a half-hour later, and I started going over my match with Edge, and he was telling me the spots he wanted to do, and he'd say, 'Are you good with that?' And I'd say, 'Yeah, okay, I'm good with that.' And I would say again, 'Wait a minute, I'm not good with that, you need to repeat it.' And he would repeat it, and I would say, 'Okay, I have that.' And then a second later, I'd say, 'I don't have it, can you repeat it again.' He looked at the agent Johnny Laurinaitis and goes, 'What do I if he forgets out there?' Johnny Laurinaitis said, 'Just pin his a**.' (Laughs)," Angle stated.
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle on why he couldn't get immediately hospitalized
Kurt Angle admitted that he wasn't coherent during his bout with Edge, messing up a few spots in the process.
"So, I just think it's funny, you know, Canadian pro wrestler having to pin an Olympic gold medalist who has a concussion and is not thinking straight; I don't know how that's possible, especially if it turns out being into a shoot because I'm not coherent," added Angle.
Kurt Angle also fought Shane McMahon in a Street Fight later that night. Angle was eventually able to defeat his opponent after both stars wrestled for approximately 26 minutes.
WWE didn't follow strict concussion protocols back when Kurt Angle was in his prime, and the legend added that the company would only get doctors at its shows from 2003 onwards. Angle noted that while trainers checked on him at WWE KOTR, he had to wait until the end of the night to get hospitalized.
"You were able to continue on regardless because we didn't have a doctor there, and we didn't get a doctor until like 2003-04, and we had a trainer there, but he can't test you for concussions. They knew I had two more matches, so there was nothing they could do until wait till the end of the night to take me to the hospital," Angle noted.
Kurt Angle is clearly one of the toughest men to have stepped foot inside the WWE ring. The Hall of Famer's dynamic yet risky efforts at WWE King of the Ring validate his credentials as a passionate servant of the business.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit The Kurt Angle Show and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.
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