WWE News: Kurt Angle reveals a setback that occurred in his WrestleMania 34 match
What's the story?
Kurt Angle recently spoke with USA Today in the promotion of the Superstar Shakeup that begins tonight on Monday Night Raw. During the interview, he would talk about one setback that occurred during the tag match with Ronda Rousey against Stephanie McMahon and Triple H (h/t to Wrestling Inc.)
In case you didn't know...
This was the third match for Kurt Angle since he returned to the WWE to be inducted into the 2017 class of the WWE Hall of Fame. He filled in for an injured Roman Reigns to join the Shield at WWE Tables Ladders and Chairs last October defeating Braun Strowman, The Miz, The Bar and Kane. Angle also wrestled for Team Raw against Team SmackDown at the Survivor Series a month later.
The heart of the matter
Angle revealed to USA Today that the setback was a pulled muscle in his quad. He stated that the pull occurred due to over-training and had a similar injury at Survivor Series.
He would expand on his frustration with Survivor Series and worry for WrestleMania in the quote below:
"Survivor Series was a big let-down for me because I couldn't really do much. At WrestleMania, I got through the match. I'm not going to say it was my best performance, but I got through the match and I did what I had to do to make sure the match was as good as it was. So I can't complain. I'm going to start training smarter instead of over-training and trying to get ready for the Olympics. That's just who I am. My intensity, I have to step back on it. I have to remember I'm 49 years old, I act like I'm 25."
Thankfully Angle was able to compete at a high level at WrestleMania, and the match went off without a hitch. Many regarded the 20-minute match as one of the best of WrestleMania 34.
The match ended with both Angle countering a pedigree from Triple H and Ronda Rousey doing the same from Stephanie McMahon. Rousey rolled through and applied an armbar; which made Stephanie tap out immediately.
What's next?
The landscape of the WWE will change for Raw General Manager Kurt Angle and the rest of the WWE starting tonight when night one of the Superstar Shakeup takes place on Monday Night Raw from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The Superstar Shakeup concludes tomorrow on SmackDown Live from Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
Author's take
If Angle was hindered by his quad during the match, I definitely didn't notice it. The match had everything from intensity to great near falls.
The tag match was definitely up there with the WWE Intercontinental Championship triple threat and Charlotte vs Asuka as my best matches of WrestleMania 34.