Kurt Angle Was Concerned WWE Would Make Him Permanent Smackdown GM In 2004

On the latest episode of the Kurt Angle Show, the WWE Hall of Famer talked about his run as the WWE SmackDown General Manager in 2004. Angle had neck surgery after losing to WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania 20 and as he was recovering, he served in the role. However, Angle recalled feeling his stock was being hurt by being the SmackDown GM.

On being worried he’d be made permanent GM: “I started getting nervous that this might be the last thing I do. They might just keep me on as a GM because I didn’t know what Vince felt about my neck, he wanted to take another chance and allow me to go forward. But Vince eventually did, and it happened a lot quicker than I wanted it to. I mean, Vince wanted me back in the lineup so quickly. And one day he had a doctor checked me out and the doctor cleared me and Vince said, ‘You’re wrestling this PPV.'”

On his response to Vince: “I was like, ‘Vince, I haven’t wrestled in six months. I haven’t done any cardio. I’ve been in a fucking wheelchair. Pretending it’s broken, like how am I gonna be able to go 30 minutes with Eddie? I’m out of shape.’ He’s like, ‘Too bad, you’re going anyway.’ I was like, ‘Well Vince, you know.’ But you know what? I held up pretty good so it wasn’t a bad decision from Vince. I like the way it was. Abilities. I like that you have the access to go if you wanted to, or if you didn’t want to, you didn’t have to go.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the Kurt Angle Show with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.