"What he did was wrong" - Kurt Angle talks incident that forced WWE to punish Perry Saturn
Most longtime WWE fans will remember Perry Saturn from the early 2000s. The former WWE European Champion didn't have a great run in the company as he spent two years there before getting released in 2002.
Saturn's WWE stint infamously included a storyline with a mop, during which he was infatuated by the inanimate object. The bizarre onscreen angle was WWE's way of punishing Saturn for his shoot incident during a match.
Perry Saturn taped a match with enhancement talent Mike Bell for an episode of Jakked/Metal in May 2001. The wrestlers in question apparently botched a snapmare arm drag, and Saturn lost his cool after the mishap.
He unleashed a legitimate attack on Bell as an act of retaliation. The former WWE star was unhappy with Bell's unprofessionalism, and Perry Saturn decided to teach the wrestler a harsh lesson.
Kurt Angle opened up about the incident during the latest edition of 'The Kurt Angle Show' podcast on AdFreeShows.com. The WWE legend condemned Perry Saturn's actions but was happy that the former WWE star later admitted to his wrongdoing.
Angle explained that young enhancement talents often lose focus in the heat of the moment when facing established WWE stars. He noted that the wrestlers get nervous and impatient, which leads to mistakes.
In Perry Saturn's case, Mike Bell experienced an unforgiving beatdown at a WWE show.
"Yes, I remember it. It was pretty sad. I mean, I'm glad that Perry admitted that he did wrong because what he did was wrong. When you have a less experienced wrestler that's so fired up to wrestle a WWE Superstar, and he has his only opportunity, he's going to get a little antsy. He is going to get really energetic, and he might end up losing his mind a little bit. What Perry did after the kid botched the spot was beat the crap out of him. Threw him outside the ring. He landed, you know, on his head on the concrete floor, and then Perry jacked him up and rammed him into the steps backward, with the back of his head at the steps," Angle recalled.
Kurt Angle explained that superstars sometimes have to give enhancement talents a reality check, but it needs to be executed in a measured manner.
The WWE Hall of Famer said that putting on a chokehold and having a quick chat with the wrestler can smooth things out during a match.
"He beat the crap out of the guy, which you should do when a guy is, you know, a little antsy and not doing what he was told. You need to put him in a rest hold, choke him out a little bit and say, 'Listen, kid, you're going to, you know, we're going to get through this, and you stop screwing up. You know, follow me, and let's get through this match together. What Perry did was just beat him up, and it was really sad, but I'm glad that Perry admitted," Angle explained.
"I was told back then they would beat the crap out of each other" - WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle also spoke about how WWE and the wrestling business, as a whole, has changed over the years. Superstars beating wrestlers up after a botched spot was pretty common back in the day, and Angle said that the situation has 'changed dramatically.'
However, when it came to stiff strikes, Angle felt that wrestlers had every right to fire off a warning shot.
"Oh, without a doubt. I was told back then they would beat the crap out of each other," Angle stated. "If you stiff the person, you know, you'd beat the hell out of him, so, you know, a stiff kick or a stiff punch, it's acceptable to this day to stiff the back with a punch or a kick, but not a dangerous move. So, if someone stiffs you with a punch or kick, you just give him a receipt to let him know, 'hey, don't do that again.' That's what hasn't changed in the business. But as far as a botched spot and beating the crap out of somebody, it has changed dramatically."
During the most recent episode of 'The Kurt Angle Show,' the Olympic hero also revealed the incident that ended his brother Eric Angle's WWE career.
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit The Kurt Angle Show and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.