WWE Raw General Manager Kurt Angle recently spoke with the Dallas Observer and below are some interview highlights:
Who in the WWE has approached him for advice:
“Well, it’s not only the wrestler’s responsibility but also the writing staff. There are guys today that I love. Sami Zayn and the Fashion Police are a couple examples of guys who approached me for advice on how to improve their characters. It’s about taking chances. Rarely do fans approach me and say, ‘I remember the classic match you had against so-and-so.’ Instead, fans usually say to me, ‘I remember that time you drove a milk truck to the ring. Or when you wore a tiny cowboy hat and sang with Stone Cold Steve Austin.’ It’s the moments that the fans love and remember. It goes well beyond just wrestling.”
In-ring action today compared to the ’00s:
“When I started, I was taught to begin each match with lots of action. Very few of our matches began with a traditional wrestling hold. The ‘Attitude Era’ was all about the action. It was big move after big move and lots of punches. Today, the wrestlers in the ring tell a better story. The boys and girls in the locker room can really wrestle and there is a great focus on storytelling and ring psychology. It’s sort of back to basics, but I think it’s a better style. The crowds today aren’t as bloodthirsty as they were back then.”
GLOW’s popularity:
“I would say that GLOW’s popularity had an influence on us having women’s main event matches. But the WWE has been working on their women’s division for years, and we’ve already been leading up to having the girls main event TV shows. A few years ago, WWE made the decision to stop referring to the women wrestlers as ‘Divas.’ When I was in WWE the first go-round, the women were having bikini pillow fights and it was all about the look of the girl. Now it’s all about their in-ring ability. GLOW is helping bring more attention to wrestling and women’s wrestling in particular. I think people who watch WWE will watch GLOW and vice-versa.”
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
