Vince McMahon didn't "have a winner" for blockbuster WrestleMania match between 14-time champion and WWE Hall of Famer
Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon didn't "have a winner" for Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle's match at WrestleMania 21.
The 21st iteration of the Show of Shows is known as one of the greatest WrestleManias of all time. The event led to the making of John Cena and Batista as bonafide stars, with both capturing their first world title at the event.
The show also witnessed a dream match between Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels. While the two put on an instant classic with Angle emerging as the victor, Vince McMahon didn't know who would win the match beforehand.
Speaking on the Kurt Angle Show podcast, the Olympic gold medalist revealed that he and Shawn Michaels were allowed to choose who would win the match.
"Listen, there’s no doubt in my mind that if Shawn was going to lose at WrestleMania to me, I’m gonna have to pay it back. There’s no doubt about it. Yes, that’s how it works. And I don’t blame him. I was willing to do that, because he did me a huge favor. Actually, Vince didn’t have a winner for WrestleMania. He had us work it out between ourselves."
Angle added that Michaels proposed to put him over.
"And Shawn said, 'Listen, I’ll put you over.' Because I know, this is what he said, and I totally forgot this. He said, 'You know what, you’re gonna end up doing a program with Cena afterward, and what you need is a good win right now.'" [H/T Wrestling Inc.]
Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21 twitter.com/wtwxerxes/stat… https://t.co/WApCYKRyAI
Vince McMahon once refused to hire Dutch Mantell in a backstage role
Dutch Mantell is a veteran in the wrestling industry. He has wrestled for various territories during his career. However, it seems like just experience alone isn't enough to impress Vince McMahon.
When Dutch Mantell applied for a writing position within WWE in 2003, he wasn't even interviewed for the position. During a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross opened up about the incident and disclosed that Vince McMahon had no interest in Mantell because he was too old school.
"It's a good question. Going back to the old school, too old school. And, as Vince might say, too 'rasslin,' might have been part of the reason. He just wasn't comfortable with it. He wasn't comfortable with the old school guys. Even though we were doing a lot of old school things, still, it was challenging." [43:09 – 43:31]
Although Dutch Mantell was a bit old school, he could've added some value to the other wrestlers, given his vast experience in the business.
What do you make of Shawn Michaels putting Kurt Angle over? Sound off in the comments section.