Was it 'Ankle Lock' or the 'Angle Lock'? Kurt Angle finally settles an age-old debate
Kurt Angle's submission finisher was a simple yet effective wrestling hold. While the move's effectiveness was never in question, over the years, there has been an apparent confusion regarding the finisher's name. We're sure you must have heard of it.
Was it the Ankle Lock or the Angle Lock? Kurt Angle cleared all doubts during the latest episode of 'The Kurt Angle Show' on AdFreeShows.com.
The Olympic gold medalist first used the move during his No Way Out 2001 match against The Rock, and he revealed that it was his idea to incorporate a submission finisher into his arsenal of moves.
I figured I might as well take that: Kurt Angle on taking the move from Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock invented the submission maneuver. When Shamrock left WWE in 1999 to return to MMA, Kurt Angle saw it as an excellent opportunity to take the Ankle Lock. Thankfully for Angle, Shamrock had no problems.
"Well, it was me. Being a shooter, and you know, having the history I did, I wanted to come up with a submission hold that I could start using, and you know, I knew that Ken Shamrock used the Ankle Lock and he was gone doing MMA, and I figured I might as well take that. You know, Ken Shamrock wasn't upset about it. He actually was very cool about it. So, you know, taking his finish and using it, you know, helped me dearly. It made me a more credible wrestler and more dangerous."
Kurt Angle then said that the move is called the 'Ankle Lock' as that was what Ken Shamrock had named it, and the former WWE Champion didn't alter it out of respect for the UFC Hall of Famer.
Kurt Angle, however, would add that the fans started calling it the 'Angle Lock,' but the original name is still the 'Ankle Lock.'
"The fans would call it the Angle lock, but I would call it the Ankle Lock because I didn't want to take away from Ken Shamrock. The word he used was Ankle. I wanted to continue with that out of respect for Ken. I didn't want to make it my own."
Kurt Angle secured many iconic wins with the Ankle Lock throughout his illustrious career. Ever wondered what Ken Shamrock's detailed opinions about Kurt Angle using the move are? We've got you covered.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit 'The Kurt Angle Show' and give a H/T to SK Wrestling