"Vince didn't do that very often" - Backstage reactions after a Chris Benoit match from 2001 finally revealed
Kurt Angle faced Chris Benoit in a memorable match at WrestleMania 17 in 2001. The Olympic gold medalist spoke at length about the match during the latest edition of 'The Kurt Angle Show' on AdFreeShows.com.
Kurt Angle revealed the backstage reactions to the match, and he started by disclosing what Chris Benoit did after the bout. Chris Benoit gave Kurt Angle a big hug backstage, and the Rabid Wolverine was said to be delighted with how the match panned out.
"Yeah, he (Chris Benoit) was excited. He gave me a big hug. He said that was freaking awesome, and I took his word for it. At the time, I knew the match was good; I didn't know how good it was."
Vince McMahon was proud of Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit for their WrestleMania 17 match
Vince McMahon complimented Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit backstage after the match. Vince McMahon didn't often remove his headset and stand up to interact with the wrestlers at gorilla position, but he did it after Angle's match against Chris Benoit.
Angle stated that the WWE Chairman was proud of the wrestlers that night. Vince McMahon's positive gesture meant a lot to the Olympic hero.
"Yes, Vince approached both me and Chris Benoit and said we did an awesome job that night. He was very proud of us. So, you know, Vince didn't do that very often, but you knew, when he got up and got his headphones off, you knew that it was a good thing."
Kurt Angle admitted that he was still new to the wrestling business back in 2001, and his focus was on just getting through matches. Kurt Angle was happy that he had finished his match against Chris Benoit and wasn't thinking about the bout's overall quality.
"Honestly? I had such little experience at the time; I didn't know how to feel about it. You know, I was relatively new. I was only on TV, I think, for a little over a year, and you know, I was just happy that the match was finished. I would make it through my matches and be relieved that I made it through because I had such little experience. So, I didn't really think about that."
Kurt Angle beat Chris Benoit in a technically sound 14-minute match at WrestleMania 17 (X-Seven). During the latest episode of his podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer also explained why Chris Benoit was the best in-ring performer he had faced in his career.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit 'The Kurt Angle Show' and give a H/T to SK Wrestling.