"I was marking out" - Kurt Angle on his iconic moment with a legendary faction in WWE
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has opened up about his brief stint with The Shield and how he legitimately enjoyed every moment of it.
The Olympic gold medalist stepped into Roman Reigns' place in The Shield at the TLC pay-per-view in 2017 after the current Universal Champion had to pull out due to an illness.
Angle teamed with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to face Kane, Braun Strowman, The Miz, Cesaro, and Sheamus in a 5-on-3 handicap match. The Shield got the win with the Olympic Gold Medallist pinning The Miz after a Triple Powerbomb.
In a recent Q&A session on his podcast, Angle stated that The Shield is one of the best factions in pro wrestling history and that it was an honor to be a part of the group for one night.
“Yeah, I was marking out. I was a fanboy. I was with The Shield up in the crowd and I'm like, ‘Holy s**t. This is great. I'm actually part of The Shield tonight.’ I was all smiles even all the way in the ring. It's just so much fun. You know, those guys, I've had a lot of respect for them over the years and the success they had was unparalleled. They're one of the best factions in the history of wrestling, and to be a part of that one night was just a huge honor," said Angle. (H/T Fightful)
Angle's appearance with The Shield was also his first match in WWE since he re-signed in 2017.
Kurt Angle was one of two stand-in members of The Shield in their last run in WWE
"Oh, I'm in. You can believe that!" - @RealKurtAngle is EQUIPPED! #WWETLC
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Kurt Angle wasn't the only WWE legend who briefly teamed with The Shield in WWE. Triple H also had a similar stint alongside Rollins and Ambrose for a house show event when Reigns was unavailable, in November 2017.
Thank you #WWEGlasgow & thank you @WWERollins and @TheDeanAmbrose for the vest...not a bad fit! #sHHHield #HHHUKTour https://t.co/wIt9TJWDsy
Later that year, Ambrose suffered an injury that put him on the shelf for a few months, but after his return, The Shield reunited once again.
Reigns then had to step away after being diagnosed with leukemia, and The Shield had a brief run as a trio before Ambrose left WWE.