[fanfare plays]
[Big E] On this episode of Raw Classics,
the man who won a gold medal with a broken freakin' neck,
an Olympic hero that displayed the three I's.
Intensity,
integrity,
and intelligence.
One of the greatest superstars the WWE has ever seen,
Kurt Angle.
So sit back, relax, and pour yourself a tall glass of milk.
It's the Raw Classics of Kurt Angle,
right here on Netflix.
[music fades out]
[heavy metal music plays]
Oh…
Welcome, WWE Universe, once again
to Raw Classics.
I'm your host, Big E,
and today, we are looking back at a man that embodies what it means
to be an elite athlete in the world of professional wrestling.
Our "Olympic Hero," Kurt Angle.
One of the greatest technical wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots,
and a gold medal winner at the 1996 Olympics,
Kurt Angle brought to WWE his keys to success,
known as the "three I's."
[Kurt] Intensity,
integrity,
and intelligence.
[fireworks popping, screeching]
Those ideals didn't exactly endear Kurt to fans or the roster,
especially "The American Badass," The Undertaker.
You see, after accidentally dousing "Big Evil"'s beloved motorcycle in milk,
Kurt tried to make amends by extending a peace offering on Monday Night Raw.
And let's just say, The Undertaker was more interested
in seeing Angle six feet deep than burying the hatchet.
-[The Undertaker's theme music plays] -[crowd cheers]
[King] "The American Badass"!
Undertaker!
[JR] Listen to the ovation
for the near seven-feet,
330 lb "American Badass"!
The Undertaker is headed to the ring.
Undertaker not scheduled to compete here.
[King] What's he doing out here?
[JR] I don't know. Why don't you go ask?
[King] Exhaust fumes make me nauseous.
[JR] I'll bring that up with The Undertaker
the next time I visit with him.
[King] Don't bother.
[JR] Undertaker not scheduled to be in action here tonight.
But, by gosh, he is here.
Close to seven-feet tall,
330 lbs,
a real, pure American badass.
♪ You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay… ♪
[King] What's he gonna do?
[JR] I got a feeling, just about anything he wants to do.
♪ Bring you down ♪
♪ You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay… ♪
[King] Uh-oh.
He wants to talk.
[JR] I suggest… he talk.
♪ No more chances… ♪
[JR] Take all the time you need.
[crowd cheers]
[King] Right.
[indistinct shouting]
Now, I ain't gonna lie. I ain't about a lot of talk these days.
'Cause too many people do too much talking.
[crowd whistling, cheering]
[King] You can say whatever you want.
But when somebody pisses me off, there's gonna be hell to pay.
[King] I don't think he should've said that.
And there ain't nothing I can't stand more
than some punk-ass that's afraid of a fight.
[King] Who's he talking about now?
[Undertaker] Kurt Angle.
-[King] Oh! -[JR] There's your answer.
[King] Kurt Angle?
-[JR] The Olympic gold medal winner. -"American Hero"?
If that ain't a big load of crap, I don't know what is.
[King] Wait. Wait a minute. He is "American Hero." Olympic champion.
Kurt, first…
you stopped my brother Kane and I from winning the Tag titles
with your bogus-ass interference.
[King] Just helping his friends.
And if that ain't enough, then…
you poured milk and food on my brand-new Titan motorcycle?
[crowd boos]
-[JR] Not a good deal. -[King] Fresh milk.
And you don't even have the common courtesy to clean it off.
[King] Don't think he had time. Had to leave the building.
[JR] The odd beer, I think.
Listen, if you got a beef with me, I ain't a hard guy to find.
I stand six foot ten,
I weigh 330 lbs,
and I'm usually kicking the hell outta somebody.
[King] Yeah, I think that's the problem.
Kurt don't have a beef with The Undertaker.
[JR] Oh, I think he does.
I just don't think the Olympian is aware of it.
So I guess,
Kurt,
I will be all damned to hell
if I let you hide behind some bogus apology
that I do not accept.
[King] See? I told you Kurt apologized. Undertaker just doesn't accept it.
So let me lay it out like this.
I think it's time
Kurt Angle found out why I am "The American Badass."
-[crowd cheers] -[King] Oh no.
[JR] Didn't I tell you? That sounds like a challenge to me.
And it's time for him to feel an ass-kicking old-school style.
[crowd cheers]
So I guess what I'm getting at
is, Kurt Angle,
it's time for me and you to fight.
-[King] Uh-oh. -Tonight.
-Here, now, let's get it on. -[crowd cheers]
-[JR] Let's get it on! -[King] Wait a minute.
-[JR] Let's do get it on. -[King] Hold it, JR. Don't be too hasty.
Now, I don't think Kurt's prepared for this.
[Kurt Angle's theme music plays]
[JR] The pompous King of the Ring winner
considering everybody's a peon, everybody's beneath Kurt Angle.
[King] Well, it takes a king to know a king, and he's King of the Ring.
-[JR] He's a pain in the royal-- -[King] Hey, hey, hey, hey.
[music fades out]
[Kurt] First of all,
Undertaker,
I would like to apologize
for ruining your tag team title match.
[King] Now, that's a class act.
[Kurt] And for soiling
your motorbike with milk.
[JR] "Motorbike"?
[Kurt] As they would say on the streets,
"my bad."
[King] Hey! He's with it. He's hip.
-"My bad." -[JR] Oh, he's hip? He's as hip as I am.
Now, I realize you wanna have a match tonight,
and I don't have a problem with that.
But a match of this magnitude,
a match of this status,
a main event-level match like you and I
certainly cannot be wasted here in San Jose.
-[crowd boos] -[King chuckles]
-[JR] What's wrong with San Jose? -It's true. It's true.
-[JR] What's wrong with San Jose? -[King] It's a waste. You heard the king.
I mean, even if we were to have a match,
if a match like this were even to occur,
which it doesn't have to occur, but if it were to occur,
it would have to be
at Fully Loaded.
[King] Yeah, like a big pay-per-view event.
[JR] Two weeks away.
And you know what? To be honest with you, Mr. Undertaker,
I'm not so sure anyone wants to see you and I go at it.
-[King] Right. -[crowd cheers]
[JR] Oh, yes, they do. Oh, yes, we do!
[King] There's absolutely no interest in that match.
[Kurt] See what I mean?
These people are booing with anger… over the thought of you and I going at it.
[King] Right.
-It's true. -[JR] I think Queen Kurt's more like it.
-[King] Hey. -[Kurt] So…
Think about this.
An American hero held in the highest regards,
an Olympic champion,
we're-- "American Hero"…
[King] Yeah, that's you.
…taking on
an "American…
Badass."
[King] Now, that doesn't have a ring to it.
[Kurt] I mean, if you really are that bad…
Not… not to say that you're not a badass. Wh-- What I'm trying to say…
The point is,
it's un-American.
I mean, I'm not so sure that people wanna see an "American Badass," period.
[King chuckles] What?
What I'm trying to say is,
uh, Taker,
maybe what you need to do is… is clean up your image a little bit.
And, you know, I have the perfect idea.
Tonight, I have the perfect idea that just might do that.
Now, I realize you won't accept my apology,
but I do believe I have something that you will accept.
Now… now, don't go away. It's right back here. I'll be right back.
-[King] What is this? -[JR] What is Angle doing?
[King] Well, he's trying to make amends. You got a problem with that?
He's trying to do the right thing.
[JR] The queen is disingenuous.
[King] He apologized, and The Undertaker wouldn't accept that,
and now, I guess, he's got some sort of peace offering or something.
[JR] Inferring The Undertaker's not a badass.
[King] Well, see, Kurt, sometimes he has a little…
He may say something he doesn't exactly mean or…
-[crowd cheers] -[King] Look at this!
[JR] Oh, that is ridiculous.
-What an insult to The Undertaker. -[King] What are you--
Now, Undertaker,
just think about this for a second.
I want you to forget about that big old road-hog,
gas-guzzling, rocket monster
that Titan, uh, formulated for you.
And I want you to look at your brand-new…
-[King] Oh my gosh. -…sleek scooter.
[King] He's giving that to The Undertaker?
[JR] This is ridiculous.
[King mimics scooter engine revving]
-Listen, listen, listen. -[scooter revs]
-[King] That's power. -[JR] Sounds like a lawnmower.
Watch how this baby rides. You'll like this.
[King] A lawnmower?
-But it… it conserves energy and gas. -[JR] And look at that hideous helmet.
-[King] It's red, white, and blue. -[JR] Oh, please.
[King] Wait, Kurt. Where are you going?
Hold it, Kurt.
[JR] This is about as degrading and humiliating…
[King] What do you mean? It's…
[JR] …to The Undertaker from the Queen of the Ring.
-[King] Look at that. -[crowd whooping]
[King] He's even… he's even painted The Undertaker's name on the side of it.
But you know "The… the American Badass--"
So, Undertaker, I want you to accept my gift,
and I want you to ride what a real American rides.
[crowd shouting, booing]
[King] Yeah!
I tell you what, boy.
That's it.
I tell you what I'm gonna do for you and your ride.
I'm gonna come out there,
and I'm gonna kick your teeth so far down your throat…
[JR] Wait a minute. Hold it. Wait.
-Whoa, whoa, whoa. -[King] Wait.
…I'm gonna kick your teeth so far down your throat,
you'll be able to chew your own ass out for pissing me off.
[JR] Go on with it! Go on with it, Taker!
-[King] Ride away. Hit the… hit the gas. -[scooter revs]
-Put the pedal to the metal. -[JR] Oh.
It looks like some kid delivering newspapers. [scoffs]
[King] It got the job done. He got away, didn't he?
-[JR] Wait a minute. -[King] Put the kickstand down.
-[JR] I think the little scooter stalled. -[King] Burn rubber! Ah!
[JR] Oh, the little scooter stalled on… on the…
on the king, or queen, whatever he is.
[King] Kurt! Oh, it fell over.
-[motorcycle rumbles] -[JR] Undertaker…
up the ramp on that Titan bike, but…
[King] Now, wait a minute. This is… That's a…
-[JR] It's a gift, right? -[King] It's a gift.
-[JR] From the goodness, the bottom of-- -[King] Look at this.
Finally. Now you're doing the right thing. Get on it and ride around the ring.
Back down the ramp here.
[JR] You couldn't put Undertaker on that scooter if--
-[King] No, no, no! -[JR] Oh my God!
-[crowd cheers] -[JR] Oh, for God's sakes!
[King] What?
[JR] There went the scooter, all the way to the concrete floor.
[The Undertaker's theme music plays]
There is trouble brewing between The Undertaker and Kurt Angle.
[King] The scooter is ruined!
[JR] Is it gonna happen at Fully Loaded?
[King] That's the ride of an American hero. It's ruined.
[music fades out]
Kurt Angle was the rare performer
who was respected for his technical prowess,
but also for his ability to entertain.
But don't let his dorky side fool you.
Kurt was a wrestling machine.
And on a March 2001 episode of Raw,
there was no time for fun and games,
as Kurt set out to go one-on-one
with "The Great One" The Rock,
with the WWE Championship on the line.
-[Kurt Angle's theme music plays] -[JR] We are back live.
We hope to get word about The Undertaker's condition,
and Kane's, for that matter, before we go off the air.
But it may be Thursday night on… on UPN SmackDown
before we… we have the information to give you publicly,
except, of course, WWE.com.
Here comes the challenger for the WWE title.
With 20 days and counting until WrestleMania,
what an opportunity for Kurt Angle.
[bell dinging]
[Lilian] The following contest is scheduled for one fall,
and it is for the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship.
Introducing the challenger, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
weighing in at 237 lbs, Kurt Angle!
[music fades out]
[The Rock] If you smell what The Rock is cooking…
[JR] What an ovation!
[Lilian] Accompanied by Debra, from Miami, Florida,
weighing in at 270 lbs,
he is the World Wrestling Entertainment Champion,
The Rock!
[JR] The World Wrestling Entertainment Champion
with a standing ovation
in the sold-out Staples Center here in Los Angeles.
There you see The Rock about to defend the gold,
the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship on the line,
and we are live here on Raw.
[Paul] All is on the line now.
The main event in WrestleMania on the line.
The WWE Championship on the line.
Kurt Angle, an Olympic gold medal winner, a former King of the Ring,
a former European Champion,
a former Intercontinental Champion,
a former World Wrestling Entertainment Champion,
and this… this is the match
that Angle wants more than any other match he could possibly compete in.
[JR] And think about The Rock's situation.
He had no idea before he arrived here tonight
that he would be defending the WWE title against Kurt Angle.
The Rock obviously thinking about WrestleMania, 20 days from now,
in the Reliant Astrodome.
[crowd cheering]
[JR] And Kurt Angle with that… that ankle lock
that has… has wrecked people.
He put out Scotty 2 Hotty.
Maybe for…
Well, Scotty's career certainly at a crossroads, thanks to Kurt Angle.
And here comes The Rock laying the smackdown.
-And The Rock quickly-- Sharpshooter! -[Paul] Whoa! This early?
[JR] The Rock's got the Sharpshooter on Angle.
This one may be over early!
Angle screaming and writhing in pain!
Angle desperately crawling and gets to the ropes.
And the referee's gotta… Calls for the break, and he got it.
The Rock, now the right hand.
Starting out very aggressively here on the challenger
for the WWE title.
What a DDT! That's it. Leg hooked.
And we got… We don't.
[Paul] I am amazed. I am amazed at the game plan of The Rock.
He is taking the fight to Angle,
and he's taking it to him right at the start.
He hooked in the Sharpshooter.
He went to take out Angle.
If Angle did not reach the ropes, the fight would've been over right there.
[JR] And Angle trying to… to… Oh!
…to distance himself and to shake it loose.
But The Rock not giving any surcease here.
The Rock almost beheading Kurt Angle
up on that rampway.
And the referee right with him. And that's a low blow!
The Rock… Although, the referee is showing some leeway here
in this WWE title matchup.
[commentators overlap]
[Paul] Go ahead. Hey, man. I'm just sitting back watching it.
[JR] Well, the intensity of this is unbelievable.
This is off the page!
And The Rock now hammering Kurt Angle.
Angle has threatened The Rock perhaps one time too many.
The Rock sent to the wall. Oh!
And what a clothesline on the challenger for The Rock's WWE title.
[Paul] But what kind of conduct is this of a champion?
I mean, the referee is giving all of this leeway.
[JR] Now look out.
Well, The Rock grabbing, just manhandling Kurt Angle.
And Angle with a gut shot on The Rock and a right hand.
Angle now with another right hand,
hitting The Rock right square in the temple.
And now Angle's got a steel chair.
-Wait a minute. The referee's with Debra. -[Kurt] Get your ass up.
[JR] And Angle just buried that steel chair
right into the guts…
right into the guts of the… of the WWE Champion.
And now kicking away at the heart… the heart of The Rock.
[Paul] Well, if you're gonna take the fight to Kurt Angle in this fashion,
be prepared for Angle to take the fight back to you in this fashion.
[JR] Angle with a shot right to The Rock's kidneys,
and The Rock is writhing in pain right out here,
just a foot or two from us
in this matchup for The Rock's WWE title.
Everything on the line here.
And The Rock lands a right. Another right.
And Angle with a dangerously low blow that caught The Rock around the belt line.
[Paul] But it's not the first low blow of the match.
Kurt Angle is simply taking to The Rock
the same thing that The Rock took to Kurt Angle.
[JR] The Rock drops, hurts his arm on the security wall.
Kurt Angle has re… reestablished himself offensively here.
And then, Angle showing a brazen attitude toward the official.
Could Angle be wasting some valuable time here,
or does Angle know exactly what he's doing?
[Paul] Angle always knows exactly what he's doing.
Even when he goes postal,
the man knows exactly what he's doing.
And right now, he's taking advantage of a very lenient referee.
[crowd chant] Rocky!
[JR] Angle kicking The Rock right in the guts.
Another right hand, caught The Rock in the temple again.
The Rock may be easy prey now for Angle. The Rock going back in the ring.
And a hard right. The Rock comes back fighting.
The heart of the champion.
[Paul] Give credit to Kurt Angle. Give this man all the credit in the world.
First of all, he's an Olympic wrestler.
The man knows how to grapple.
And now that The Rock wants to fight,
Kurt Angle is fighting with The Rock.
He can wrestle. He can brawl.
He can do it all.
[JR] Kurt Angle now stomping away at the… at the spine of the WWE Champion.
Front face-locking The Rock.
The end could be near for the WWE Champion.
The title on the line here in Los Angeles.
There's a cover. Referee's gotta--
Oh, a near fall. A two-count.
Angle in firm control here offensively,
showing that… that sadistic side,
that new… that side that Angle perhaps has just discovered.
I don't know, but it is very prominent,
and it's becoming more prominent each and every week.
[Paul] It's called intensity.
And if there's a more intense athlete than Kurt Angle,
I personally have yet to meet that man.
[JR] Angle now choking away The Rock,
who's sunk down in that bottom turnbuckle.
Angle's intensity is off the page here.
He knows what's at stake. He knows the opportunity.
The opportunity to become the WWE Champion
just 20 days before WrestleMania.
-[Paul] All the prestige… -[JR] Oh!
The Rock came out of that corner fighting.
Oh, Angle…
Oh, belly-to-belly overhead suplex.
And Angle just drilled the WWE Champion.
[Paul] Oh yeah! All the prestige, all the glory!
All the money of the main event at WrestleMania.
Tonight, Kurt Angle goes for the WWE Championship.
[JR] Oh, Angle hooking up The Rock again. A second suplex.
My God, a second suplex.
Angle is… is dominating the WWE Champion.
After what Angle did on the outside,
punishing The Rock with a chair and more,
The Rock-- Oh my God.
Now three!
Three belly-to-belly overhead suplexes.
And the 1996 Olympic gold medal winner
is showing his… his suplex ability.
-This could be over. We got a new champ. -[Paul] One!
[JR] Kick-out from The Rock!
And The Rock shooting that… that left shoulder off the canvas.
And Angle, quite frankly, I don't think can believe it.
[Paul] Kurt Angle, one second away, one count away
from being a two-time WWE Champion.
He wants this more than anything else in his life.
[JR] Angle scoring with the right hands.
Going away from his amateur style, scoring with the rights.
Oh, The Rock sidestepping Angle.
The Rock may have bought himself some time,
as Angle went sailing over the top turnbuc-- over the top rope,
all the way right out here in front of us.
[Paul] And time… time is The Rock's friend right now.
He needs that time.
Angle has been taking The Rock apart for at least the last two minutes.
[JR] And both men right here…
right here on the floor in no-man's-land.
Now, wait a minute. No--
Oh, The Rock dropped right across our table!
The Rock dropped right across our table here.
I'm telling you right now! I'm telling you!
[JR] The Rock helpless on our announce table.
-And Kurt Angle… -[The Rock groans]
[JR] God Almighty, what a shot!
A raw, vicious shot to The Rock, knocked all the way out here.
-You can't-- -[The Rock groans]
You can't win the title out here.
God Almighty.
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky!
We're hooked up to these damn… You can't… you can't run!
[Paul] Looks like you gave him the right advice.
He can't win the title out here, so he takes The Rock back into the ring.
And now… and now Kurt Angle takes his time.
-[crowd cheering] -[Paul] Now Kurt Angle starts his play.
Now Kurt Angle starts to finish off The Rock
for the WWE Championship.
[JR] Oh! Angle misses the moonsault!
It was a high-risk move
that did not pay off for the challenger for the WWE title.
And now can The Rock capitalize?
Can The Rock save his title here?
[Paul] Watch this.
Oh man, if he had hit that, we'd have a new champion right now.
[JR] The Rock has been battered and hammered.
He's got-- His body's gotta be writhing in pain.
But Angle missed the moonsault, ate nothing but canvas.
Oh, there it is. The Angle Slam!
The Angle Slam, but… but Angle can't follow up.
Angle hit the Angle Slam, but he can't follow up.
Angle crawling to The Rock.
[Paul] Hand across the chest!
[JR] There it is! We got a new--
Oh no, The Rock, right shoulder off the canvas
within a half a second of losing the WWE title.
[Paul] Angle has been postal.
The man has gone nuts lately.
And now, can you imagine what's going through his mind?
Angle's so close.
So close, yet so far away.
[JR] Angle now with a bear hug, working the lower back of The Rock.
Three belly-to-belly overhead suplexes.
The steel chairs. The ring post. The security walls.
How much more can the WWE Champion withstand here?
I've never seen Angle use the bear hug, but it's damn sure appropriate here
after what's happened to The Rock's back at the hands of the challenger.
[Paul] There's nothing he can't do.
If he smells a weakness,
if he smells even the smallest weakness,
Kurt Angle will pick you apart.
He will dissect his opponent,
and he will become a WWE Champion again.
[JR] Kurt Angle showing us exactly the skills that made him
a WWE Champion,
that showed exactly why he won the 1996 gold medal in the Olympics.
He is… he is physically, is Kurt Angle, dissecting the WWE Champion.
There's no way The Rock can withstand this much longer.
His hand dropping once. If it…
-And again. -Two!
[JR] One more time, this match is over
and we've got a new WWE Champion.
The referee…
-[crowd cheers] -[JR] And The Rock… His hand's up.
The Rock did not drop his hands!
The Rock's gotta reach down to places he may have never been before!
-Oh, look! Rock Bottom! -[crowd cheers]
[JR] The Rock Bottom!
But The Rock's hurt.
[Paul] He can't follow up,
and if he can't follow up and if he can't score the pin,
that gives Angle enough time to recover from the Rock Bottom.
[JR] Just like Angle couldn't follow up on the Angle Slam.
The Rock hit the Rock Bottom. Can he crawl on top? Can he hook the leg?
He grabs a knee pad. There's a cover.
And-- [exclaims]
My God, that was close.
Angle got his shoulders up.
[Paul] Watch this. Wham!
Rock Bottom! The Rock takes down Angle.
But he could not follow up.
And now… now Kurt Angle has to dig down deep.
Now Kurt Angle has to take advantage of The Rock's missed opportunity,
and once again go to the top
and be the WWE Champion.
[JR] It's anybody's ball game with the WWE title on the line.
And The Rock blocks a right hand
and scores a right of his own.
The Rock trying to lay the smackdown here on the challenger.
And another right hand that found its mark right on the jaw of Kurt Angle,
and up and over he goes.
And here comes The Rock.
The Rock now
sensing that Angle…
Maybe it's-- Uh-oh.
Oh, look. The referee's…
That got Earl Hebner's knee, I think, or his shin, or his ankle.
-Can't quite tell, but-- -[Paul] But The Rock can't be distracted.
He has to take the fight to Angle.
[JR] Here's what happened to the referee.
Got him… Angle kind of rolled up on the referee's knee there.
And there's the spinebuster.
-[crowd cheers] -[JR] The Rock got the spinebuster!
And here comes the most electrifying move
in sports entertainment,
the People's Elbow.
And he scores with it.
The Rock scores.
There's a cover! It's all--
And the referee's gotta get there. The referee's hurt.
Count, you son of a bitch!
-The referee's trying to get there. -[crowd] One. Two.
-Three-- -[JR] No!
Angle… had…
he had a second or two, thanks to the referee's injury.
[Paul] Second time, second time
that time has been on Kurt Angle's side!
-He's going for it! He got it! -[JR] Wait, wait! The ankle lock!
-[Paul] He got it! -[JR] The Rock's gotta be…
Angle's got the ankle lock on The Rock! Look at The Rock's ankle!
Angle's gonna break The Rock's ankle!
[Paul] Whoo! He got it!
[JR] The challenger is going to break the champion's ankle
right here before our very eyes!
[Paul] Can you smell it?
Can you smell the title changing hands?
[JR] The Rock's gotta get to the ropes, and he does.
Angle, let go of him!
You gotta let go!
-[Paul] The Rock… The Rock is tapping! -[JR] The Rock…
-But he's in the ropes! -[Paul] The Rock is tapping!
-[JR] But he's in the ropes, damn it! -[Paul] And he's tapping!
-[bell dinging] -It's over!
[JR] Referee's gotta…
Angle did not break the hold!
Angle's…
I think Angle has been disqualified.
-Angle refused to break the hold. -[bell dinging]
But he wants to break The Rock's ankle!
[Paul] The Rock is tapping!
-[Paul] Oh! -[JR] Wait a minute, damn it!
-[crowd shouts] -[JR] What the hell are you doing, Kurt?!
Oh no!
-No! Oh my God! -[crowd cheers]
[JR] Wait a minute! Here's "The Rattlesnake"!
Austin attack… attacking Angle!
Angle was gonna break Debra's ankle, for God's sake!
And Austin stomping a mudhole in Angle,
and, by God, walking it dry!
[Paul] You never ever, ever put your hands on another man's wife!
Austin warned him.
[JR] And wait!
Oh, the Stunner!
What the hell?
[Stone Cold's theme music plays]
[JR] Austin assaulted Angle.
He just Stunned The Rock.
[Paul] He warned him. He told him.
Austin told Angle,
"Don't go near my wife."
And he warned The Rock that if anything happened to Debra,
it would be The Rock's ass!
♪ Stand up ♪
♪ I'll let you live a little bit With the pain that I bring ♪
♪ You know it's only the beginning… ♪
Though he failed to walk away with the gold,
Kurt's performance proved to any doubters he was one of the best in the world
and reminded the whole roster
why he was so dangerous inside the squared circle.
Later that year, Angle would once again show no fear
in the face of another rival,
"The Bionic Redneck" "Stone Cold" Steve Austin,
who led the WCW/ECW Alliance.
And what ensued has become a moment
that, nearly 25 years later,
has never… soured.
I look at this ring and I see family.
I see… I see people I feel good with.
People that appreciate me.
-[man] We love you! -People that love me!
It's a family.
And I'ma tell you something from the bottom of my heart.
When I was beating the living hell out of Kurt Angle last night…
-[Stephanie] Yes! -Awesome!
…I did it… I did it for you.
[overlapping chatter]
I did it for each and every one of you.
[crowd chants] Angle! Angle! Angle!
I did it for The Alliance!
-[all whoop, cheer] -[crowd] Angle! Angle! Angle!
Look at you. You make me so proud.
Everybody's got an ECW WW… WCW "Stone Cold" shirt on.
Everybody's fl--
[crowd jeers]
[JR] Uh-oh.
[crowd booing]
[JR] Uh-oh.
What are you doing?
-I'm sorry, man. -[Steve] What?
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
-What shirt is that on your chest? -It's one of my shirts.
-What? -I screwed up. I screwed up.
What kind of shirt is that?
What?
-Is that a "Stone Cold" shirt? -No.
-Is that an ECW shirt? -No, sir.
-Is that a WCW shirt? -No.
-What? -No! No, it's not.
I thought we were here to appreciate "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
-What? -I do appre--
I said I thought we were here to appreciate "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
-[woman] That's right! -What?
Take that stupid shirt off!
All right. I'm sorry. I got it.
All right, all right.
Take the shirt off! What?
I said take the damn shirt off. You're damn right it's your bad.
Take the stupid shirt off.
All right, all right.
-[Kurt Angle's theme music plays] -I want to--
-[crowd cheers] -[JR] Whoa!
That's Kurt Angle's music,
but, my God, he… he wouldn't be coming out here in the…
My God! What is that?
That's… that's Kurt Angle, all right, but…
It's a damn milk truck!
Kurt Angle is driving a milk truck right up to the ring!
Angle just butted the milk truck right into the ring!
And he's… he's throwing milk cartons at The Alliance!
You stupid bastards!
You stupid…
[JR] Angle throwing milk cartons at The Alliance!
And here comes Stasiak.
What an idiot.
Kurt Angle is hurling those milk cartons.
He's become an Olympic dairyman!
-Whoo! -[JR] Oh my God!
It's milk! It's milk!
Milk-O-Mania is running wild!
[Kurt] Whoo! Whoo!
[JR] It's milkman madness! My God!
You got milk?!
"The Billion-Dollar Princess" has become a dairy queen!
[Kurt] Yeah!
[JR] Kurt Angle has got milk,
and Austin and The Alliance getting humiliated
by Kurt Angle!
Look at Kurt Angle standing on top of the milk wagon!
[Kurt] This is what I'm talking about!
[JR] And now he's pulling out the heavy stuff!
-It's homogenized! -[Kurt] Whoo!
[JR] No skimmed milk for Kurt Angle!
Cold milk and cookies. What a combination!
[theme music continues]
Kurt Angle is the Olympic dairyman!
Milk-O-Mania has run wild!
[music fades out]
Only on Raw, my friends.
Milk-O-Mania? The dairy queen?
It just doesn't get any better.
These are the moments that have made the Red brand must-see TV.
Like this next one on a March 2002 episode of Monday Night Raw,
when Kurt Angle was enlisted by Stephanie McMahon
to battle her estranged husband, Triple H.
As their marriage was deteriorating,
Stephanie wanted Kurt to punish "The Game."
And where better to do that
than in WWE's most intimidating and terrifying structure?
A steel cage.
-[Triple H's theme music plays] -[crowd cheer]
♪ Time to play the game ♪
[JR] Are you ready to play the game?
Are you ready to separate the men from the boys
inside a steel cage?
[bell dinging]
[Lilian] The following is a steel cage match.
Introducing first, from Greenwich, Connecticut,
weighing in at 272 lbs,
Triple H!
[King] Well, JR, as you said, we're gonna separate the men from the boys.
You know that was a boyish, childish prank
that Triple H pulled on poor little Stephanie.
She's covered in horrible hives!
[JR] So it wasn't the Pristine Mist?
-[King] You know it wasn't Pristine Mist! -[JR] I know one thing.
The rules of this cage match are very simple.
You gotta escape the cage to win.
Pinfalls do not count. Submissions do not count.
[King] That was probably some of that hideous aftershave lotion that you use.
Where do you get that from, a skunk?
[JR] It's the little run-off from the barbecue sauce.
[King] Oh man.
[JR] And "The Game," who will meet "Y2J"
for the undisputed World Wrestling Entertainment Championship
at WrestleMania,
getting a tremendous ovation here.
-He's inside… -[King] Where's he going?
[JR] …the most unforgiving structure in captivity.
[King] Don't try to escape yet!
[theme music continues]
[JR] Man, what a night. What a night.
What an experience to see the WWE live.
[King] What a night it has been. You're right.
♪ Time to play the game ♪
[Lilian] And making his way to the ring, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
weighing in at 237 lbs,
Kurt Angle!
[Kurt Angle's theme music plays]
[crowd chanting along with music] You suck! You suck!
You suck!
[King] Would you please tell them that Kurt does not suck?
[JR] Kurt's actions in recent weeks
certainly indicate that, to these Texas fans, he does suck.
[King] Hey.
Watch it now.
[JR] Kurt Angle's not gonna be in the main event at WrestleMania,
thanks to that man, "The Game."
But this is like Kurt Angle's WrestleMania.
This is like Kurt Angle's main event.
[King] Yeah, well, that's right.
"The Game" may not make it to WrestleMania thanks to this match,
and thanks to Mr. McMahon for this great match here
on Fan Appreciation Night.
[JR] Thanks to Mr. McMahon,
who never brought a smile to a living human being's face
that I can ever recall.
[King] I'm smiling. Look at my face.
I may have to have my smile surgically removed after tonight.
[JR] Collar-and-elbow tie-up,
and "The Game" forcing Kurt Angle back into the corner.
But look at Angle.
Angle, the 1996 Olympic gold medal winner.
[King] And he's got that extra incentive.
Did you hear what Stephanie begged and pleaded with him to do?
Tear Triple H apart!
[JR] With that shrill voice that has dogs covering their ears in Arkansas?
-[King] Shrill? -[JR] And we're in Texas.
-[King] What do you mean, "shrill voice"? -[JR] She wouldn't win no Grammy.
[King] Yes, she would. Best Female Vocalist.
-She's got a great voice. Look. -[JR] Best Female Shrieker.
As "The Game," with all that power,
asserting his will on Kurt Angle.
[King] I can't believe that Triple H would stoop to such a… such a devious stunt.
I mean, how could he even think of such a thing?
Whatever he did to her Pristine Mist lotion.
What do you think he put in there?
-[JR] Why don't you call a dermatologist? -[King] She broke out in hives.
[JR] Fly him down here.
And look at Triple H hammering,
and Kurt Angle returns with a right hand of his own.
[crowd chants] Angle sucks!
[JR] Oh, this crowd getting into this "Angle sucks" chant.
[King] You love to repeat it, don't ya?
[JR] Just here to document the story.
[King] Why don't you document what happened to "Stone Cold"?
[JR] He got the hell beat out of him by Scott Hall and the nWo.
[King] Aw, come on!
-[JR] He got bloodied. -[King] Elaborate!
He's gone to the medical facility, right?
-[JR] Ear to ear, busted open. -[King] Needs sewing up.
No telling how many stitches Austin's gonna have in his head.
That's not gonna… you know that's not gonna keep him down.
-[King] What do you mean, it's not? -[JR] You know it's not.
[King] He'll be in shock when he sees his twin double
come into the same emergency room.
[JR] Spike Dudley is not… resembles nothing about "Stone Cold."
-[King] Oh! -[JR] Lifts high. A body drop.
And great elevation by "The Game" on Kurt Angle in this steel cage match.
A match made earlier tonight on this lame Fan Appreciation Night
by Mr. McMahon.
[King] "Lame"? Hang on. Did you just say "this lame Fan Appreciation Night"?
-[JR] That's what I said. -[King] You don't appreciate the fans?
[JR] Nope. The night is lame. The fans are fine.
Oh! Boy, that's an impact!
-What contact that was. -[King] That was lame.
-[referee] Thirteen. Thirteen. -[JR] That'll make Kurt lame.
That's when it hits you so hard in the face, it sprains your ankle.
And "The Game" now misses, and Kurt Angle went through.
Waist lock. Going behind him.
And… Oh, nice counter.
-But again, the only way to win it… -[King] Uh-oh.
-[JR] Only way is to escape the cage. -[King] Hold him! Hold him!
[JR] "The Game"'s ankle could be broken right here.
[King] Uh-oh. Oh no.
[JR] Angle's head… the back of his head bouncing off that steel cage.
[King] I know. You wanna document that, don't you?
-You know why this match was made? -[JR] No. Why?
-[King] Mr. McMahon made this-- -[JR] You gonna tell us?
-Go ahead. Tell us. -[King] Kurt has nothing to lose!
Absolutely nothing to lose here.
-[JR] And Angle… maybe trying to win it. -[referee] Where you going?
[JR] Trying to get out that door.
[King] Why wouldn't the referee open the door?
-What's wrong with him? -[JR] The door's not locked.
-[Kurt groans] -[JR] Uh-oh.
Well, that's down, uh… in the southern part of the abdomen.
[King] Go ahead and document that. Elaborate. Say what it was.
-[JR] Lower intestines. -[King] Oh, come on!
-[JR] Pancreas? -[King] JR.
-[JR] Golden globes? -[King] Yeah, there you go.
You're getting close. Oh!
[JR] Shot to the gut by… by "The Game," who you can see is--
[King] Speaking of that area, I bet that's why Triple H did that to Stephanie.
Because she exposed his shortcomings to the world.
[Kurt choking]
[JR] And "The Game," that's his foot right on the throat of Kurt Angle.
Again, no disqualifications in this match.
Only one way to win it, and that's to escape the cage.
[King] Know what Stephanie told me about Triple H?
-[JR] What? -[King] That little region down there--
[JR] What "little region"?
[King] Well, she just said that she was afraid
that the whole case would get thrown out of divorce court because, well,
lack of evidence! [laughs]
[JR] You have way too much interest in his genitalia, let me tell you that.
-[King] I'm telling you what she said. -[JR] You're scaring me.
And "The Game…"
-[King] Look at this! -[JR] Oh!
Regrouped and Kurt Angle exploded with that clothesline.
And Angle getting right back up.
-And now Angle looking to… -[King] This is it! Get out of there!
[JR] …to head to high ground here, win this cage match by escaping the cage.
[King] Intelligent. One of those three I's.
You're there! You're almost there, baby!
[JR] Angle with nothing to lose here,
in his own words.
And "The Game" grabbing that ankle of Kurt Angle,
pulling Angle back inside the cage.
-[King] Oh! -[JR] Bam! Off the top turnbuckle.
And Kurt Angle's lower back just…
well, just splat on the canvas.
The canvas dotted with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's blood.
[King] Come on, Kurt.
Remember Stephanie back there with those… [exclaims]
-Oh, that's it for him. -[JR] Man, that is a low blow.
That'll hurt any man.
[King] He wears a… a rubber band and thimble for a jockstrap.
-[JR] What Stephanie told you? -[King] Yes!
-[JR] Or did you check that? -[King] No, Stephanie said that.
He's all right. Go get him, Kurt.
[JR] Kurt Angle taking a drastic shortcut here.
And now, with Triple H vulnerable,
a belly-to-belly overhead suplex by Kurt Angle.
-[King] That was quite the Olympic move. -[JR] Drilling "The Game."
[King] Very Olympic.
[JR] And we have seen Angle go Olympic on people on more than one occasion.
We have seen him go Olympic on "The Big Red Machine" Kane.
[King] Man.
[JR] And vice versa, quite frankly.
[King] Look at Kurt. He's full of himself now.
Go on over! Go ahead. Kurt Angle wants to beat on him some more.
[JR] Kurt Angle riding at the head of the parade here,
with two big suplexes after the low blow on "The Game,"
giving Kurt Angle a decided offensive advantage.
[King] JR, you gotta admit, this has been a great night here
for Fan Appreciation Night.
He got rid of Austin. Two Austins.
And now, I got… I got a strong feeling
that Kurt's gonna… he's gonna get rid of Triple H!
[JR] Well, this will be a… a blow, to lose this cage match,
for Triple H, stopping the momentum he's been building,
just 13 days before "The Game" meets Chris Jericho
for the undisputed World Wrestling Entertainment Championship.
[King] And getting a good warm-up like Vince McMahon said he needed.
[JR] I don't say this is a warm-up. This is a main event.
And now "The Game" is fighting back,
with that taped right fist hammering Kurt Angle.
But he missed there.
And Angle with a waist lock. And a German suplex!
[King] He didn't miss that German suplex, did he?
[JR] And Angle can… He snaps those hips…
[King] And another one!
[JR] …and just drills "The Game."
That's four big-time suplexes "The Game" has taken
in the last couple of minutes.
[King] Have you got any salve?
[JR] What?
[King] Stephanie definitely needs some sort of salve.
I don't.
[JR] "Salve"?
This is not a salve moment!
This is a… a suplex fest orchestrated by Kurt Angle!
[King] Kurt's got things well in hand. We gotta be concerned with…
Open the… open the door!
-It's open! -[JR] He's gonna win it here!
Remember, you escape the cage, you win the match.
The only way to win is to escape the cage.
[King] Teddy Long's standing in the way.
-[JR] Yeah. -[King] Come on!
[JR] Angle with those shoulder blocks,
folding up "The Game."
-And now… Oh, Angle missed. -[King] Oh!
[JR] And "The Game" capitalized that quickly with the neckbreaker.
[King] But look. Look who's first to their feet.
I'm telling you, this Kurt Angle is impressive.
[JR] He is an impressive athlete.
-[King] Give him his dues. -[JR] He's a world-class competitor.
There's no doubt about that whatsoever.
And "The Game"
à la the legendary Harley Race with that high knee,
right into the solar plexus, taking down Kurt Angle.
-And now "The Game"… -[King] Oh!
[JR] …beginning to build, slowly build,
and as far as Angle's concerned, begrudgingly build a little momentum here.
[King] Come on, Kurt, focus!
-[JR] Nice spinebuster. -[King] Think about Stephanie's hives!
-[JR] That'll motivate a man. -[King] They were horrible.
[JR] Yeah, that'll motivate a guy. They looked like big old pimples to me.
Why don't you go pop 'em?
What a facebuster!
[King] I'll pop you if you don't shut up.
Come on, Kurt!
[JR] Oh, I tell you what, "The Game"… took him eight months to get back here.
His quadriceps surgery was certainly career-threatening.
He came back, did "The Game," to the Royal Rumble,
beat 29 others to win it,
went through hell and high water to… to regain the number one contender spot.
[King] Turned his back on his lovely wife.
-Throw that in there. -[JR] That's your story.
-Sure you're gonna stick to it. -[King] Get him, Kurt!
[JR] And "The Game" now trying to climb out of here and win this match.
[King] Oh, Kurt!
[JR] "The Game" about to go over the top of the cage.
And Kurt Angle with a death lock on those ankles of… of… of…
[King] Oh no! This is bad!
-[JR] He just ticked "The Game" off! -[King] This is real bad.
Get up there again!
[JR] "The Game" now trying to pull himself outta here.
-[King] Get him! Get him! -[JR] Kurt Angle missed the ankle.
"The Game," he's over! He's gonna get it.
No, Kurt Angle
holding on to that… that left ankle like…
like it was a… a life preserver.
[King] Phew! He's down!
[JR] With a handful of tights, "The Game" is brought down.
[King] Don't pull his tights down.
You don't wanna embarrass him here in front of the world.
[JR] How can you buy into that line of thinking?
-Why do you think she's telling the truth? -[King] I talked to Stephanie.
-[JR] And you believe her? -[King] I believe every word she said.
"Couldn't break a Cheerio." [laughs] Oh man!
[JR] I'm more inclined to believe that Grand Canyon line of thinking.
[King] "Hung like a hamster." Oh, it was awful.
-Look out! -[JR] And the… Oh, the Angle Slam!
-[King] That's it. -[JR] The Angle Slam.
And remember, no pinfalls here.
-[King] He's done for. -[JR] Only escaping the cage.
[King] Go out the door, Kurt.
[JR] Both men are down. No referee in the ring, as you have seen.
-No countouts. -[King] This is it!
[JR] This match is gonna continue until we have a winner,
live here tonight from Austin, Texas.
[King] What is Teddy Long doing?
Just get over there and open the door, Teddy Long.
[JR] I hope your buddy Mr. McMahon is satisfied, King.
-With all the hell… -[King] I'm sure he's satisfied.
Look at the faces of these fans.
[JR] …the hell and the suffering that we have seen here tonight.
[King] The fans have really enjoyed themselves.
I'm sure the folks at home are ecstatic.
-Look out! -[JR] From Ric Flair's oldest son.
[crowd cheers]
[JR] Oh, a Pedigree!
Oh, what a Pedigree!
What a scintillating Pedigree, deep in the heart of Texas.
And this cage match has gotta be over.
[King] Oh no, Kurt.
This is bad.
[JR] The very move that Triple H is depending on winning the…
Oh my God.
-[King] Oh! -[crowd booing]
[JR] What the hell is that hive-ridden Jezebel doing out here?
-[King] Get out of the way, Teddy! -[Stephanie] That's my husband!
-Let me in! -[JR] She has no business out here.
-Send her back, ref! Send her back! -[Teddy] Get back right now!
-[JR] Get her the hell outta here. -[Stephanie] No!
[JR] That's good officiating.
-[King] Look at this! -[JR] Wait a minute!
Stephanie just rammed the referee into the cage!
-[King] Great! -[JR] What's great about it?
"The Game" is about to win this match here.
[King] He was inept anyway.
-[JR] Oh! -[King] Oh! God!
[JR] That door slammed,
that steel door slammed right on the head
of that Jezebel's soon-to-be ex-husband.
[King] Now what?
[JR] Well, Triple H had this match won, King.
[King] I think the door's broken after… after bashing it into Triple H's head.
[JR] Oh hell, he's probably concussed!
-[Kurt] Come on, let me out. -[JR] Triple H got his brain scrambled.
[King] Stephanie's not letting Kurt out.
She wants him to… she wants him to do more damage to Triple H.
-Look at what he did! -[JR] She's wicked.
This is a… a sinful woman, let me tell ya.
Kurt Angle could've won the match,
and that may come back and bite him in the backside.
[King] She wants blood.
[JR] Oh, there's… She got what she wanted.
She said she was gonna take "The Game" for every penny he earns,
and now she's taking his blood as well,
and using Kurt Angle as a surrogate assassin!
[King laughs] This is great!
[JR] Look. Kurt Angle stomping the face of "The Game."
[King] Well, Stephanie may have hives,
but Triple H is gonna have to have stitches as well!
[JR] My God. What a… what a night. "The Game", he's not out of it yet.
This match is still… still ongoing. And Kurt Angle's an animal!
[crowd booing]
[JR] He is listening to everything that Stephanie says,
and "The Game" is bleeding, man.
[King] Stephanie, take a picture of that.
[JR] And now look at this.
There are some wounds exposed on that steel cage.
-[Stephanie] Yeah, bring it! -[King] Man.
[JR] His epidermis, his face just hanging on that cage.
[King] Speaking of epidermis, look at poor Stephanie.
That's what we should talk about, who we should be concerned about.
-[crowd chants] Angle sucks! -[King] Those hives…
-They could take weeks to disappear. -[JR] Yeah, who cares?
Well, "The Game" is getting dismantled here by Kurt Angle.
Triple H had this match won,
this cage match won.
[Stephanie] Oh yeah!
[JR] But his very soon-to-be ex-wife has stopped him.
And now Kurt Angle's leav…
[King] He's won it. Come on out, Kurt.
[JR] He's… he's gonna win this match.
All he's gotta do is step out on the floor.
-[King] Jump down quick. -[crowd booing]
Wait a minute. He's got some… What's he doing?
-He was about to win this. -[JR] Oh, this could be a classic mistake.
[King] Oh, look at poor Stephanie's face.
[JR] This could be a classic mistake.
-[King] You got any Noxzema? -[JR] Yeah, in my bag. I'll rub--
-[King] Oh, wait a minute! -[JR] Oh, look at this!
-[King] Wait a minute! -[JR] Oh yeah!
[King] No!
[JR] Angle catapulted face-first into the cage!
[King] Stephanie…
[JR] Oh, Angle just made a hell of a mistake.
-[King] Get ready to swing that door. -[JR] Now what?
[King] She's got a chair.
[JR] That damn Jezebel has no business even being out here.
[King] Kurt, little help?
[JR] Stephanie shoving that steel chair in the ring.
-[King] A little help for you, Kurt. -[JR] Triple H is already bleeding.
-[Stephanie] The chair! The chair! -[JR] The match should've been over.
Triple H had a chance to win,
and then you saw Angle had a chance to win.
And now we're back where we started.
Angle reaching for that weapon provided by Stephanie McMahon.
[King] This should be a disqualification if he hits Kurt with--
-[JR] There are no disqualifications. -[King] There's not?
Well then, get the chair, Kurt, and hit him!
[JR] Triple H tried to use the chair. Angle stopped him.
-Oh! What a collision! -[King] Double clothesline.
[JR] Like two trucks running together here on I-35.
[King] Now what, Stephanie?
[JR] Angle and… and "The Game" down.
"The Game" is battered and bloody.
[King] Oh… but Stephanie's got hives!
[JR] And… Oh, DDT, right on the chair!
-[King] Oh no! -[JR] Oh, what an opportunist.
"The Game" capitalizing on a…
on a very basic tactical mistake by Kurt Angle.
And now "The Game" has another chance…
-[King] Don't let him out. Lock it! -[JR] …to get out the door.
Stephanie's gonna try to hold this door shut.
There's no way in hell she can keep this door shut.
[King] Oh. What's she doing?
[JR] "The Game" is gonna climb up the other side.
-[King] Look at Stephanie! -[JR] There's that Jezebel.
[King] She's in the ring! Whoa!
-[JR] What… -[King] Oh!
-[JR] Oh, right in the kidneys! -[King] What a shot!
-[JR] Oh! -[King] Oh! [chuckles]
[JR] Triple H just crotched himself.
Stephanie wearing out her soon-to-be ex-husband.
This is not even a divorce court!
-[King] Look at her face. I can't-- -[JR] Oh my God! He's hung up!
Oh, "The Game"… "The Game" is hung up in the ropes.
-[Stephanie] Come on, Kurt! -[King] You know what they say.
[JR] Stephanie, with that shrill voice, imploring Kurt Angle to…
to get out of the cage.
[King] Come on!
[JR] If you're gonna tell me Angle's gonna win it this way…
[King] Hey!
It's not gonna look good going into WrestleMania for you, is it, Triple H?
-Look at this! [laughs] -[bell dinging]
[Kurt Angle's theme music plays]
[JR] I can't believe this crap!
[King] It's Fan Appreciation Night!
You're welcome, everybody.
[Lilian] Here is your winner, Kurt Angle!
[JR] Stephanie certainly had "The Game"'s number tonight!
Oh yeah, Hunter!
[JR] Is this an omen for WrestleMania on the biggest night of "The Game"'s life?
Nineteen days, on pay-per-view,
"The Game," Jericho, for the undisputed title.
[King] What a night this has been!
[music fades out]
A little assist there by "The Billion-Dollar Princess,"
but, hey, that's all part of the game.
Get it? Huh?
A few years later,
the Olympic gold medalist would find himself at odds
with "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels.
It was a rivalry built on the need
to prove each was the best wrestler in the WWE.
So, in an October 2005 episode of Raw,
Kurt and Shawn faced off in a 30-minute iron man match
to put the matter to rest once and for all.
[Coach] Hopefully, Teddy Long will get that
and get his players under control a little bit.
[Kurt Angle's theme music playing]
[JR] Aw, take a deep seat, ladies and gentlemen.
-You're about to see a classic. -[crowd chants] You suck! You suck!
You suck!
-You suck! -[bell dinging]
[Lilian] The following contest is a 30-minute iron man match.
The rules are, the first person to have the most falls after 30 minutes wins.
Introducing first, weighing in at 232 lbs,
he is the only Olympic gold medalist in WWE history,
Kurt Angle!
[JR] Well, there's no doubt that Kurt Angle is well on his way
to becoming a legend,
as you see sitting at ringside.
Angle, a two-time NCAA Champion,
four-time WWE Champion,
and the only Olympic gold medal winner
in WWE history.
And this is the rubber match with Angle and Michaels.
[King] I'm telling you, this match is gonna be extraordinary.
-Look at Kurt. He's ready. Whoa. -[Shawn Michaels's theme music plays]
♪ I think I'm cute, I know I'm sexy… ♪
[Lilian] And from San Antonio, Texas,
"The Heartbreak Kid"
Shawn Michaels!
[JR] Shawn Michaels has won every major title
in the history of the WWE.
♪ I'm just a sexy boy… ♪
[JR] The first Grand Slam winner.
A multiple-time WWE Champion.
A former World Champion.
[Coach] As great as this match is going to be
with Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle,
you can say what you want, you can hype them up all you want,
and it's still gonna be underhyped.
The bottom line is, you know what they say,
there's nothing like the appreciation of your peers.
And with all those legends sitting at ringside,
with all the thousands in the building,
and the millions watching around the world,
Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle are about--
-[King] Whoa, whoa, whoa! -[JR] Whoa! Here we go! The bell sounds.
And this one again, the most falls in 30 minutes wins the match.
Michaels and Angle. Michaels lost to Angle at WrestleMania.
Michaels regained the victory at Vengeance.
So far in this rivalry, they're one and one.
This being the rubber match.
[King] And check it out.
We've got a clock in the corner counting down those 30 minutes,
and the man with the most falls--
[Coach] Cover by Michaels.
[King] The man with the most falls at the end of 30 minutes
is gonna be the winner here in this iron man match.
[JR] Knife-edge chop by Michaels, knocking down Kurt Angle.
And Michaels has the edge and experience.
He's got, literally, a home field advantage
here in his home state of Texas.
[Coach] When you think about it, an iron man match,
their game plan would have to be different than a normal match.
You gotta be more aggressive, I think, upfront and try to get the lead.
[King] I don't know if I'd agree with you.
You gotta pace yourself in an iron man match, Coach.
[JR] What a neckbreaker!
Swinging neckbreaker by Michaels, taking down Kurt Angle.
[King] Can't afford to burn out early--
[JR] Michaels going for a cover here. And Angle able to kick out.
The second near fall created by Shawn Michaels in this match-up.
And Michaels tosses Angle over the top.
[King] Well, JR, near falls don't count.
It's like hand grenades and horseshoes, they just don't count.
This is why, you know, I… I was surprised to see
Shawn Michaels come in here just, you know, on fire like that.
I would've thought Shawn would want to pace himself more than this.
[Coach] My point, once you get the lead, then you can pace yourself, King.
Once you know you have a couple of pinfalls in the bag,
then you can change that game plan and take it easy a little bit
and defend instead of being the aggressor.
[JR] Certainly, getting a couple of falls ahead, King,
would allow a guy to change his attack a little bit,
maybe go on the offensive, maybe move to counter wrestling.
[King] What have we got here? Look out.
[JR] Michaels taking a chance.
How many high-risk chances will Michaels take tonight?
The sledge. And Michaels now…
Yes, going for a cover. Hooking the far leg.
And again, Kurt Angle able to kick out.
Michaels ahead on near falls, but again, as you pointed out--
[King] Near falls don't count.
That's the third time Shawn Michaels is not able to get the job done.
[JR] Uh-oh. Angle retaliates.
Kick to the midsection. Hard right hands.
Angle breaking the rules earlier. That uppercut forearm a legal shot.
A stiff shot right to the face of Michaels.
And Angle now has Michaels trapped in the corner.
Angle, perhaps, the greatest mat wrestler in the history of this business.
-[King] Oh no! -[JR] A sleeper.
The sleeper applied. Nice counter by Shawn Michaels.
[Coach] I tell you, the anticipation for this night,
obviously, has been off the chart, everybody's talking about it.
Talking about what's gonna be your favorite match tonight on the show.
And a lot of people that I've talked to
said this is the match that they desperately wanted to see.
-[JR] Another counter. -[King] Oh man!
[JR] The Olympic gold medalist with that suplex,
countering out of the side headlock.
[King] Well, no better way to kick off the action here tonight at Homecoming
than this iron man match.
-[JR] Over 280,000 fans voted on WWE.com… -Three!
[JR] …on… on who was gonna win this match.
70% went with Shawn Michaels.
[Coach] This is the type of night, this is the type of match… Man!
…that redefines a person's career.
[JR] Man, that could separate your jaw, chip your teeth.
What an uppercut forearm by Kurt Angle.
He certainly has a mean streak. A pronounced one.
[Coach] Ooh, what a knee lift.
[JR] And a hard million-dollar knee lift by Kurt Angle,
taking down Shawn Michaels.
This is a 30-minute iron man match.
The man who scores the most falls in 30 minutes will win it.
[Coach] If… if you know,
Kurt Angle has not even attempted to cover Shawn Michaels yet.
In my opinion, that's great strategy,
attempting to wear out "The Heartbreak Kid" before he attempts…
and to beat him up before he tries to get the pinfalls.
-[JR] Scoop slam by Angle. -[Coach] Here we go!
[JR] The lateral press by Angle and a near fall.
Angle pressing the moment.
[King] I had the opportunity to speak with Kurt before this match,
and I don't think I've ever, in all the years I've known Kurt Angle,
I don't think I've ever seen him more confident.
He just feels certain he's gonna be able to come out of this match with a victory.
[Coach] Kurt is in the best shape he's ever been in.
Maybe better than in the Olympics.
And his mind is in the best shape of his career as well.
You put those two things together, he's almost unbeatable.
[JR] Angle crimping that neck with that side headlock, reverse headlock.
Started out as a reverse chin-lock,
but Michaels was being made to carry Angle's weight.
And as this 30-minute time limit goes on,
strategy and nuances like that are so important.
Again, Angle with the leverage advantage,
torquing the neck of Shawn Michaels.
[King] When… when you got…
when you got 25 minutes remaining in this match,
it's not gonna end for another 25 minutes.
If you can wear your opponent down,
that's gonna be so important in this type of match.
[JR] Will it be Sweet Chin Music versus the ankle lock?
Or are we looking for something else from these two men tonight,
as they have prepared diligently for this confrontation?
-[Coach] And-- -[JR] Oh, jawbreaker. Nice counter.
[Coach] And, JR, you can almost feel the crowd in here just waiting
'cause they know how great this match is gonna end up,
how great this match is gonna be, and really starting to…
The crowd's almost feeling out these two,
while these two are feeling out each other.
[JR] Another knife-edge by Shawn Michaels on Kurt Angle.
Angle reverses the Irish whip to the center of the ropes.
-[King] Look out! -[JR] Set early. Facebuster by Michaels.
[King] Oh man.
[JR] The momentum continues to turn.
And… Oh, in the name of God, the elevation!
And that could be a big mistake.
Angle holding his shoulder, holding his arm.
The back body drop over the top rope, all the way to the floor.
[Coach] Boy, that was dangerous.
Kurt Angle nearly over-rotating, almost fell on his front and on his face.
[King] I don't think you can say "nearly." He did over-rotate.
[JR] Wait a minute. Shawn Michaels…
And Michaels… oh, tried the baseball slide.
-[King] Angle Slam! -[JR] Angle Slammed on the outside.
And Michaels punished on the outside with the Angle Slam.
[Coach] And you can see immediately, the way Shawn Michaels came up,
that that lower back got hit,
and that's what Kurt Angle is going to try to get to quickly,
is that injured lower back of Shawn Michaels.
[King] When Kurt Angle was flipped out over that top rope, I said,
"There's the difference-maker in the match."
Here, we'll see it again.
I thought that this was definitely gonna be… Oh!
…a big difference-maker. Look at the way Kurt lands on his shoulder.
But then, for Kurt to be able to come back with this,
this Angle Slam…
-[JR] Oh! -[King] Bam! That's huge.
[JR] And now Michaels at a distinct disadvantage here
in this 30-minute iron man match.
No decisions have been rendered thus far
with 23 minutes and change remaining.
Get him out of there. Get him out!
[JR] Hard shots going downstairs from Kurt Angle.
Stomping away, taking the air out of Shawn Michaels.
Again, remember, following the Angle Slam to the floor on the outside.
[King] Not a whole lot the referee can do in this match,
except, uh… be in there to count pinfalls or tap-outs.
He can admonish these guys, but…
this match is gonna go 22 minutes and 57 seconds longer
whether he likes it or not.
[JR] Michaels fighting back.
Michaels a catch-as-catch-can expert.
-[King] Look at this. -[JR] The veteran. And now, wait.
-[JR] Oh! -[King] Oh! Oh man!
[JR] A vertical powerbomb into the top turnbuckle,
and Michaels' spine hits--
It could be over here. A count.
And a long two-count,
as Shawn Michaels able to kick out.
[King] Check this out.
Shawn Michaels driven into that turnbuckle,
his head bouncing right on that… that turnbuckle.
I think Kurt Angle showed a little frustration
when he didn't get a pinfall out of that.
[Coach] These guys know each other so well,
they really have to dig down deep,
pull out something they haven't tried before
in order to get the advantage.
[JR] Look out. Michaels in a precarious position here.
-[King] Kurt Angle-- -[JR] And Michaels knows it.
He's desperately fighting away from this top turnbuckle.
[King] Kurt Angle wanted to try to suplex "HBK" off of that top.
Now what?
[JR] Shawn Michaels fears nothing
or any move that Angle-- Angle up!
-[Coach] Angle Slam! -[King] Look!
-[JR] Angle Slam! -[Coach] Are you kidding me?
-[King] That's it. -[JR] My God, it's a car wreck!
-[Coach] There you go. There's one. -[JR] And Angle gets the first pin!
[Lilian] Ladies and gentlemen, the first fall goes to Kurt Angle.
-The score is now one to zero. -[crowd booing]
[JR] At the 21:40 mark,
Angle scoring with the Angle Slam.
We'll be back.
Who's gonna survive 30 minutes of hell?
We are back live here on WWE Homecoming,
the 30-minute iron man match.
Kurt Angle up one fall to none with 17:50 remaining
in this 30-minute time limit.
Let's take a look at how Shawn Michaels lost that first fall.
It was the second of two Angle Slams.
[Coach] Yeah, quick as a cat.
Take a look at how fast Kurt Angle was able to get to that second rope,
nail the Angle Slam, and just like that, Kurt Angle goes up one fall to none.
-[crowd] Three! -[King] No rest for the weary.
Kurt Angle was right back on "HBK," and he's been on him this entire time.
[Coach] It's gonna stay that way the entire 30 minutes.
I've been trying to tell everybody.
Shawn Michaels has done nothing to show me or anybody else
he's gonna be able to win this.
[JR] That's an arguable point.
Don't count Shawn Michaels out of any… of any situation.
And Michaels down one fall to none, 17 minutes and counting,
in this 30-minute iron man match.
And Michaels with a reverse elbow connecting solidly
to the Olympic gold medal winner from Pittsburgh, Kurt Angle.
[King] Kurt now can wrestle defensively since he's got that lead.
You know Kurt knows how to wrestle defensively.
[JR] Man, that is a bad break for Shawn Michaels,
driving his shoulder into the steel ring post.
-[King] Uh-oh, look at this. -[JR] Look at the suplex!
The hook of the leg.
-The-- -[King] Oh!
-[JR] And Angle almost got a second fall. -[Coach] And the difference in game plan.
Normally, he may have tried one or two more,
but pinfalls are so important, you gotta get 'em whenever you can.
[King] Let me tell you something, I don't care whether it's Kurt or Shawn.
I would say, if either one of these guys ever go up two falls on the other,
that's gonna be it.
-[Coach] It'd be lights-out. -[King] Yes.
[JR] And Angle is certainly well on his way to accomplishing that
as Angle is in the driver's seat, offensively.
[King] Well, you know, this match is the rubber match, another reason… Oh!
[JR] Hard suplex on that bad back of Michaels.
-[Coach] Got him. -[JR] Hook of the leg. Shoulders are down.
And referee Jack Doan got a near fall out of it.
[King] You know, another reason this match is so important,
you know, Mr. McMahon made this match last week on Raw,
and he said it could go a long way in determining
who faces the winner of the WWE Championship match tonight
between John Cena and Eric Bischoff.
[Coach] Without a doubt, I certainly see, in the future,
Eric Bischoff going one-on-one with Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship.
[King] What?
[Coach] Eric Bischoff is gonna be the new champion.
[JR] What a hard Irish whip!
Tremendous velocity there.
Again, focusing on that… that damaged back of Shawn Michaels
is Kurt Angle, so calculating.
[King] Uh-oh. Look at Kurt Angle just waiting.
-[Coach] Again. -[King] Angle Slam. No, wait! Look out!
[JR] Michaels counters with a sunset flip.
[Coach] Beautiful flip!
[JR] Nice counter by Angle!
Into the ankle lock.
[Coach] This could do it, could be it.
It's gonna be two to nothing in a heartbeat.
[JR] Michaels is in a hell of a lot of trouble here.
[King] Well, I think Michaels is tapping with his foot.
-No, wait! -[JR] Michaels counters.
-The roll-up. -[King] He got it! He got it!
[JR] He got it! Michaels got it! Michaels able to--
[Lilian] Shawn Michaels has taken this one.
The score is now one to one.
[JR] We are halfway home, 15 minutes and counting.
Each man has won a fall
in this most-falls-in-30-minutes iron man match.
[Coach] Michaels may have won that fall,
but how is Shawn Michaels gonna compete now for the next 15 minutes
with essentially one good foot or ankle?
[King] Let's take one more look at this.
Kurt Angle had that ankle lock locked in, but--
-[JR] Wait a minute! Inside cradle! -[King] Oh!
We're seeing on the left side of your screen there
how Shawn won that fall,
and almost won a second one there.
[Coach] Everything's so quick, we can hardly get to it.
[JR] Another scintillating uppercut form by Kurt Angle.
He's used that maneuver very effectively thus far in this contest.
[Coach] Wouldn't you say that normally, with these two,
you don't talk about conditioning being a factor?
They're two of the best conditioned athletes in the world.
But when they're competing against each other, the pace is so quick.
[King] And something like that ankle lock being locked on for just a few seconds
could be a difference-maker. Look out!
[JR] The key thing here is the condition of Michaels' back.
Both these men are amazing athletes.
They're both gonna be WWE Hall of Famers someday, in my opinion.
But right now, the story is,
can Michaels rebound from a… from a damaged back?
Remember, that first Angle Slam was on the floor.
And now the cover by Angle.
And Michaels kicking out.
And how much does that take out of Michaels
to kick out of that predicament?
-[Coach] Without a doubt, JR-- -[King] Oh, look at this. Look at this.
[Coach] Shawn Michaels' back and his ankle…
Kurt Angle continues to work a lot of parts of the body, not just the back.
[King] Well, this is definitely punishing Shawn Michaels' back right here.
[JR] There was a wrestler in the '30s named Joe Stecher
that used to win championships with this very move
because of the strength of his legs, much like Kurt Angle.
Angle has got that body scissors wrapped around Shawn Michaels' back.
-[King] Oh, look. -[JR] Look at this.
That forearm rubbed right in the face of Shawn Michaels.
[King] There's that mean streak you were talking about that Angle has, JR.
[Coach] Insult to injury, no doubt about it.
[JR] Michaels' shoulders down. He's in so much pain.
-Those shoulders on the canvas, and-- -[Jack] One! Two! No!
[JR] Again, referee got a near fall out of him.
You see the great camera shot there, taking you right inside the ring
and seeing both those shoulder blades flat on the canvas.
And that's what the referee's looking for.
Angle, that body scissors,
a maneuver that is tried and true, King.
I'm sure you've seen those on many occasions,
but it's not a move that a lot of men utilize nowadays.
[King] Look at this.
Shawn Michaels trying to turn Kurt Angle over on his back here.
What is that? I think Shawn Michaels is biting.
-[JR] Michaels is biting Angle. -[King] That's not an Olympic move.
[Coach] It's not an Olympic move. Michaels is doing what he can.
He had to do whatever he can to get out of those leg scissors.
-[JR] Well, as they say, desperate times… -[Coach] Desperate measures.
[JR] And a right hand by Michaels. And Angle again going downstairs.
Angle still seems to be the aggressor here.
-[King] Uh-oh. -[JR] Thus far, Michaels--
-[King] Blocked. -[JR] Blocking the suplex.
Angle cat-like, great athleticism.
And Michaels with a roll-up.
-[King] Could be-- -[JR] Michaels got the roll-up. No.
Near fall, but Angle's working for that ankle, ankle lock.
And he's got it. Kurt Angle's got the ankle lock on Shawn Michaels.
[Coach] Nowhere to go. Right in the middle of the ring.
[King] He's trying to kick out. No. No!
[Coach] Not this time! Not this time!
[King] Angle hangs on.
[JR] Angle holding on pugnaciously
like a pitbull dog here,
holding on to that ankle lock.
Shawn Michaels is in one hell of a way here!
[King] If he can't get to those ropes, Shawn's gonna have to tap--
-But look at this! -[JR] Angle's got the grapevine.
-Michaels in the center of the ring. -[King] He's history.
[Coach] The pain is excruciating!
[JR] Michaels' ankle could snap at any moment in this ankle lock
from the Olympic gold medal winner, Kurt Angle.
[King] You better tap, Shawn!
You look like that football player from Alabama this weekend.
-He'll snap that leg-- There it is. -[JR] Michaels tapping out.
Michaels taps out!
[Lilian] The winner of the third fall is Kurt Angle.
The score is now two to one.
[JR] So with 11 minutes left, Angle is up two falls to one.
Who will win the iron man match? We'll find out when we come back.
We are back live here on Monday Night Raw, WWE Homecoming.
Seven minutes and 30 seconds and change remaining in the 30-minute iron man match.
Kurt Angle ahead two falls to one.
The man that wins the most falls in 30 minutes wins this match.
Angle using the ankle lock to win his second fall.
Will that be the focus of Kurt Angle here
with seven minutes and change left in this match?
[King] Well, you can see that the focus of Kurt Angle has done the damage
to that leg of Shawn Michaels.
He's in a bad way.
[Coach] Shawn Michaels certainly behind the 8 ball.
Not only does he need to pin Kurt Angle one more time,
but needs to get an additional pin to win this match.
[JR] Angle scoring, or being scored on,
with those knife-edge chops by Shawn Michaels.
It's Michaels' catch-as-catch-can style.
The amateur style of Angle. The single leg takedown.
And now the grapevine.
And it's Kurt Angle now utilizing the clock
with six minutes and 40 seconds remaining.
[King] Yes, of course he is.
Shawn needed to stay on the offensive there,
but Kurt Angle went right back for that leg, got Shawn down, and…
[JR] Look out here.
[Coach] Yeah, JR, we talked about it when there was about 25 minutes to go.
Once you get an advantage, especially down inside of ten minutes,
that certainly changes the way you attack the rest of this match.
[JR] Michaels beating his way out of that situation, that predicament.
-Back in the corner goes Michaels. -[Coach] Oh!
[JR] And another scintillating uppercut by Kurt Angle.
Angle has done it all.
He's done it in the amateurs, two-time NCAA champ,
four-time WWE champ,
Olympic gold medal winner.
And look at Michaels fighting back with that right hand.
-[King] Oh, man! -[JR] Big right hand.
[JR and Coach] The slap!
[JR] And that has gotta humiliate
and infuriate Kurt Angle.
[Coach] No doubt about it.
I mean, why would you want to disrespect Kurt Angle
when you're… [sputters] …at a decided disadvantage right now?
[King] Well, Shawn Michaels needed to do anything to change the momentum.
[JR] Flying burrito. And it's also…
Oh, but look at this! The nip-up by "The Showstopper."
-[King] Look at the leg though. -[Coach] Not the smartest move to make.
[JR] Michaels trying to get inside Angle's head with those slaps.
He may have succeeded. Inverted atomic drop.
It seems like Angle… is a half a step off now,
with Michaels gaining the advantage offensively.
[King] Yeah, but it seems like Michaels is a half a step off.
He's barely able to put his weight on that leg.
And I can't believe he's gonna try this now.
[Coach] I know Michaels wants to get it done,
but you gotta do things that are smart.
[King] This is not smart, Shawn.
[JR] Michaels, the ultimate risk-taker.
He wants to win this match. He's gotta hit it to tie it up.
-[King] He hit it! He hit it! -[JR] Michaels, elbow from the top!
Michaels drove his elbow right into the sternum of Kurt Angle!
[Coach] All well and good, but now you've got to somehow
get Kurt Angle pinned.
[JR] In under five minutes!
Not once to tie it, but twice to win it.
[King] Look at this. You know what Shawn's thinking about!
-Yeah! -[Coach] Uh-oh. Oh!
-[King] Sweet Chin Music! -[JR] Sweet Chin Music!
[crowd] Two! Three!
-[JR] The three-count! Michaels ties it! -[crowd cheers]
[Lilian] The winner of the fourth fall is Shawn Michaels.
The score is now even at two apiece.
[Coach] Michaels didn't get a whole lot of time to tune it up.
But it was right on key when he connected with Kurt Angle's chin.
[King] Check this out one more time.
Like you said, almost out of nowhere.
Bam!
[JR] What a shot right there!
-Right on the button. Right on the jaw. -[King] Oh man.
-[JR] Angle gets pinned. -[crowd] Two! Three!
[JR] Has enough faculties about him to roll outside.
Michaels now trying to capitalize.
-We're tied at two… -[King] Yeah.
…with just over four minutes remaining in this 30-minute iron man match.
[King] Angle looking for some sort of a rest,
but there's some sort of--
Rest?!
But, oh, there's no rest period between these falls.
[Coach] Isn't it apropos that this match would come down to the final four minutes,
would be tied going into the final four minutes
between these two great competitors?
[JR] Two of the most phenomenal in-ring performers I've ever seen.
And the velocity turning Michaels upside down!
And now Angle will turn Michaels inside out.
-[Coach] It's gonna be three-two. -[JR] Another Angle Slam!
-The hook of the leg. Should be it! -[King] Oh!
-[JR] But it's not it! -[King] He didn't get him? What?
[crowd booing]
[Kurt yells]
[JR] Angle's so frustrated. He thought that he had a lay-up there.
[King] I thought he had a lay-up. I thought he had the three-count as well.
[Coach] With all the damage Shawn Michaels has taken,
that was a remarkable kick-out.
[JR] Right hand by Angle.
Anybody's ball game here at three minutes and counting.
-The score is tied at two. -[Coach] Punt!
[man] Angle sucks!
-[Coach] Another Angle S-- -[JR] Again going for that Angle Slam.
[King] Look at that DDT!
[JR] Angle got countered by Michaels into the tornado DDT
at just under three minutes!
One!
[Coach] You can see now, both of these guys,
as we knew that they would,
have put it all on the line, put it all out there.
Right now, it's gonna be desperation time for one of these two men to get the win.
[JR] And what a way to kick off our in-ring action
here on Monday Night Raw.
-[Coach] Fantastic. -[King] Oh, look at this. Look at this.
Shawn Michaels trying to get that arm across the chest of Kurt.
-He's got it! -[JR] Michaels cover!
-[King] Kick out! -[JR] He got it! No!
He got it on two.
[JR] The referee says Angle got his shoulder up.
-[King] My gosh. How close. -[JR] Again, another shot at it.
And this time, Angle emphatically got his shoulder off the canvas.
[Coach] And a pinfall at this juncture of the match
would… would undoubtedly be lights-out.
[JR] Michaels, if he got that pinfall,
might've been able to put it in the old Deepfreeze there.
[Coach] You got it.
[King] Well, both of these men are just almost spent.
Only two minutes remaining in this iron man match.
[JR] What athleticism,
what drama we are seeing unfold before our eyes here tonight.
-A hard Irish whip. -[King] Oh!
[JR] Hurting Michaels' back, but Michaels countered.
Michaels now going back up to the top.
-[King] Oh no. Look at this. Look at this! -[JR] Michaels…
-Moonsault! -[King] Kurt Angle, what a reversal!
-[JR] My God, what a counter! -[King] Look at this!
[JR] The ankle lock!
The moonsault was countered!
Angle's got that ankle lock locked in!
[Coach] Shawn Michaels is gonna, somehow, have to hang on
for a buck and a half.
[King] He's… he's trying to reverse, but it's not working!
[JR] Michaels trying every reversal he can think of
against this deadly ankle lock that can beat any human being.
Michaels gets out, but Angle holds on!
[Coach] Kurt Angle is… is digging deep now as well.
[JR] Angle not gonna let go.
But can Michaels hold on for the minute and change remaining?
[King] Shawn, if he can get-- Oh no!
He tried to get to the rope, but Kurt Angle pulled him back.
We're down to almost just one minute!
[JR] Now Angle's got the grapevine.
-Michaels in the center of the ring. -[King] He's gonna have to tap out!
[JR] We're under 60 seconds remaining with the score tied!
[Coach] I can only imagine how much pain Shawn Michaels is in right now.
-You can see the heart that Shawn-- -[King] Here he goes! Here he goes!
-Here he goes! -[Coach] Shawn Michaels is gonna tap.
[JR] Michaels is reaching for every ounce of adrenaline he can muster!
[King] Forty-two seconds!
Can he hold on? There's no way he can last this long!
[JR] Michaels trying to reverse the pressure,
trying to roll toward the ropes.
[King] And look at Kurt Angle. He's like a boa constrictor!
He's wrapped around Shawn Michaels' entire leg!
[JR] Thirty-- Under 30 seconds!
[King] There's no getting Kurt Angle off.
-Oh, right to the face! -[Coach] Apparently, there is!
[King] That big boot, right to the face of Kurt Angle!
[JR] Michaels kicked his way free!
[Coach] There's only 15 seconds left!
-[King] He's got it again! -[JR] Angle again with the ankle lock!
Can Michaels hold on? We're under ten!
We're under five!
-[King] Oh! -[JR] Oh, Sweet Chin Music!
It's over! It's over!
-[bell dinging] -And the bell sounds!
Michaels had it.
-[King] But wait. What… -[JR] But the time limit expired!
[Lilian] Ladies and gentlemen, the 30 minutes has expired,
therefore the match is a draw.
-[King] What?! -[crowd booing]
[JR] Nothing's settled in the rubber match with Michaels and Angle!
Each have won one.
This one, a 30-minute iron man time limit draw!
[Coach] All Shawn Michaels needed was three more seconds
to win the rubber match.
[King] Maybe less than that. Maybe just two more seconds.
I can't believe it's come down to this.
Look at Shawn Michaels.
[huffs]
No way, Dallas. What is that?
-[woman] Bullshit! -[crowd booing]
[Shawn] Exactly!
Let's go to sudden death. Come on!
-[King] Uh-oh. -[Coach] I'd love to see that.
[JR] Michaels wants sudden death!
[crowd cheering]
[JR] And in my book, that means one fall to a finish
with no clock.
[crowd booing, jeering]
[JR] Michaels ready to fight.
Is… is Angle just walking away from this confrontation?
[King] Kurt's leaving! Wait a minute.
[Coach] Man, this isn't… this isn't like the Kurt Angle that I know.
Man!
[JR] Why is Kurt Angle not accepting
this sudden death challenge of Shawn Michaels?
-[Kurt Angle's theme music plays] -Intensity, integrity, and intelligence.
That match was hallmark Kurt Angle
and brought a championship pedigree to a Hall of Fame career.
It's true! It's damn true!
We hope you enjoyed the Raw Classics of one of the greatest Superstars
in sports entertainment history, Kurt Angle.
Thanks for joining us. I'm Big E, and I'll see you next time.
[Kurt Angle's theme music continues]
[music fades out] e music continues]