Who do you think is the new Kurt Angle in WWE? There isn’t a new Kurt Angle. Don’t think there ever will be. But as far as talent, there’s plenty there. I Love Bryan, Rollins, Ambrose, Ziggler, Wyatt, Rusev, Cesaro and Barrett. There are others too, but Orton has been a level above. He has a “real” factor about him. Cena still produces 4-5 star matches consistently above the others, ever since Bryan got hurt. The great thing is nobody has to be Kurt Angle. They’re making names for themselves.
Given your well documented neck issues, has there ever been a time when you have considered walking away from Wrestling? If so, what kept you here? I’ve never considered quitting. I won’t unless I can’t produce 5 star quality matches. I will never become a shell of myself. I have to have the best match on the card, as long as I am given the chance.
Kurt, you’re looking buffer than usual. Have you been working out a lot? I’ve been dieting better. I gained weight after I stopped with the medication and alcohol I was consuming. They say it’s normal due to replacing food with the drug, but I have it under control now. You can train all u want, but diet is 99 percent of it. High protein, low carbs and fat.
What do you do to help you keep up with the gruesome schedule of being a professional wrestler? I no longer travel and wrestle 250 to 300 times a year. I wrestle a much reduced schedule. It’s kept me healthier. 40 dates is my amount for the whole year.
What is the best advice you can give a young indy wrestler? Limit your bumps. I know it’s tough but if you want a nice, long career, you need to save yourself. You only have so many bumps in you. Then you’re done! Limit them
What are your 3 favourite movies? Rocky, Shawshank Redemption and Christmas Vacation. Jurassic Park is a close 4th. Pretty versatile, huh?
What’s the most scared you have been in the ring? I’ve never been scared, not of my opponent or even the match. I have only feared for others who wrestled me: Bob Holly, when I broke his arm in 2000 or 2001, and Brock Lesnar, when he hit the shooting star press at Mania 19. Those moments terrified me. Pro Wrestling is all about safety and when things go wrong, it really frustrates and terrifies you.
What was your first job, and how long did you do it for? What is a job? Never had one… Lol. I guess I did, in 1997 as a sports caster. It wasn’t a typical 9-5, and it lasted 8 months. I’m not sure I’d enjoy that. I’ve always trained my whole life, I’ve been physical in many ways, that’s what I like. Olympics, Pro Wrestling….I enjoy that. But, I did get a great college education. I did it so I had something to fall back on.
What words would you give to achieve more and better? It’s ok to make mistakes. Challenge yourself…take chances. If they don’t work out, learn from them. Use them to make you better and don’t regret them. I’ve made so many mistakes, but it’s made me the man I am today and I love who I am. The Christian, the husband, the father, the friend. I am real. And I love being me!
What do you think is the funniest segment/promo you have ever done? Are you kidding, where do I start? The stuff with Edge and Christian, the stuff with Stone Cold, the battle raps with Cena, the Love triangle with HHH and Steph….nobody was as entertaining as I was…at least not as funny;-) The creative team was great, they had so many things that made me stand out. I loved coming to work each week. Those were the days.
