Kurt Angle Reflects On His Tenure As SmackDown General Manager In 2004

During a recent episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the esteemed WWE Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist delved into his experience as the WWE SmackDown General Manager back in 2004.

Angle, who underwent neck surgery following his defeat against WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania 20, assumed the role during his recovery period. However, Angle candidly revealed his concerns about how this position might have affected his professional standing.

Expressing his apprehensions about being permanently designated as the GM, Angle shared,

“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.’”

Angle further recounted his reaction to Vince’s directive, recounting,

“I was like, ‘Vince, I haven’t wrestled in six months. I haven’t done any cardio. I’ve been in a f***ing 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.”

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